This darkly comical Canadian TV series has yet to really catch on in the U.S., but thanks to DVDs it is finally managing to carve out a small, but loyal following here. The show originally aired on HBO Canada, but can be seen in the U.S. on Direct TV, not exactly mass exposure. Call Me Fitz stars Jason Priestly as a boorish used car salesman battling with the sudden appearance…
Despite being a documentary, the brilliant Stories We Tell unspools more like a fictional family drama. Helmed by actress (The Sweet Hereafter, Dawn of the Dead) and director (Away From Her) Sarah Polley, she turns the camera on her own family for this one. Narrated by her actor/father, the doc examines Polley’s family, specifically her mom and dad and whether or not the man who raised her was her…
Generation Iron is a tremendously powerful film. Narrated by Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), the film collects the experiences leading up the 2012 Mr. Olympia. The various personalities of world-class bodybuilders are probed; the film boasts appearances by Roelly Winklaar, Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Kai Greene, and Ronnie Coleman. Generation Iron provides a very intense look into the personal and training lives of each of the Olympia hopefuls. What was…
Strong Language is a nearly forgotten mockumentary, directed by Simon Rumley, that provides US viewers in 2013 a look into what was popular and hip in 1990s London. The video quality of this release is sharp and vibrant, allowing those watching to easily compare the differences, both minor and major between what is portrayed in Strong Language and their own unique context. While relying on over the top characterizations and…
Christina Ricci, Tom Beringer, and Jason Gedrick (from TV’s Dexter, Luck) star in War Flowers, a film set during the American Civil War. Despite being separated by 150 years, the emotions that are held by the movie’s characters will resound loudly to anyone that has loved their family or struggled for something better. Ricci’s love conundrum – seemingly losing her husband during the hostilities, a new figure of masculinity…
There are some critically-lauded TV shows that just leave you scratching your head at their appeal (Hemlock Grove? The Killing?). The Good Wife is not one of them. With refreshingly creative characters and impressive writing, it’s pretty easy to see why The Good Wife continues to be a favorite outlet for many. Part legal drama and part political series, the show is a mirror of our current and past…
The Great Gatsby has made it to the silver screen a number of times since it was released to bookstores in 1925. The 2013 iteration of the tale was directed by Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Australia) and stars Tobey Maguire (Nick Carraway), Amitabh Bachchan (Meyer Wolfsheim), and Leonardo Dicaprio (Jay Gatsby). This set comes with four distinct versions of the film: Blu-Ray 3D, Blu-Ray, DVD, and Ultraviolet formats.…
Bones of the Buddha is an hour-long feature under the Secrets of the Dead nomen that probes the mystery of Kapilavastu, a Shakya settlement described to be where Gautama Buddha spent eir formative years. This hour-long documentary delves deep into the mystery of the land. This documentary argues that Willie Peppe, an estate manager, had found the previously lost settlement of Buddha’s family. The house is now in Thailand,…
A lot of the charm from Lena Dunham’s much-talked about Millennials in the City series has started to wear off by season two. The show about kids trying to make it in New York, thanks to hand out from mom and dad, is as much about self-absorption as it is about finding one’s path in life. A bulk of this season focuses on Dunham’s character Hannah…
AMC’s often overlooked middle child, the historical fiction Hell on Wheels, may not garner near the amount of attention of peers like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Mad Men, but this second season shows a series getting more comfortable with itself. Set in the mid-1800’s along the still under construction Transcontinental Railroad, former Confederate officer Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) continues to deal with corrupt politicians, a crew of dangerous…
Ok, let’s get this out of the way upfront. Yes, the production values on the cable TV disaster mini-series are low. Not Sharknado low, but not blockbuster level either; and yes, the story itself is a bit histrionic: A government experiment to harness energy from the sun backfires and threatens to destroy earth! But once you decide to recalibrate expectations and dial down the snark, this Doomsday miniseries (I can…
The Gatekeepers is a fair and balanced look into the relations that Israel has towards regional states and Palestinian forces. Israel’s position on defense and past decisions are explained by those that commissioned them – the film utilizes interviews with six former directors of the Israeli security service, Shin Bet. Taking special care to focus on the efforts of the agency from 1988 to 2010, The Gatekeepers…
For those that are not familiar with Robert Williams, ey was a prolific artist that contributed greatly to a variety of art genres. Whether it was the time that Williams spent with R. Crumb (The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers) or Guns ‘n’ Roses (created the front cover art for “Appetite For Destruction”), Williams’ art was one of a kind. The role ey occupied in the overall direction and focus of…
Aftershock falls into the natural disaster genre, and unites famous actors (Eli Roth, Andrea Osvart of Transporter: the Series) with up and coming ones (Lorenza Izzo, Patricio Strahovsky). The movie is set in Chile, where a band of friends have their vacation interrupted with a society-shattering earthquake. In the chaos that ensues, humans are pushed to their breaking point. The trappings of order are destroyed as inhabitants attempt to make…
Aerosmith are an American institution, but possess a worldly attitude, especially towards charity. This means that Aerosmith conducted this concert to provide relief to the sufferers of the tsunami and resulting meltdown at Fukushima. The video quality of this performance is stellar, with the DVD release achieving clarity that is comparable to a HD broadcast. The soundboard-like quality of the music makes this into a must-have for Aerosmith fans.…
There have been some strong contenders to the dominance of Saturday Night Live. SCTV was able to fight the valiant fight in the 80s, while Kids in the Hall and MadTV provided a different option for the 90s. Fridays was the first of these shows, and showcased the work of a slew of comedians before much of America would become familiar. The show aired from 1980 to 1982 and…
The video quality of the episodes are stellar, ensuring that viewers will be able to enjoy each of the episodes as if they were the original theatrical airing. The Arts and Crafts DVD includes Porride art, Art school, and Rocco’s playmate. Rocco’s playmate will inspire creativity as Elmo makes a playmate for Zoe’s pet rock. Taken together, the episodes on Arts and Crafts Playdate will inspire viewers to take up…
The episodes present in the ninth season of Matlock showcase the lawyer at eir finest, helping provide counsel in an inimitable way. A variety of premises are broached with these episodes, including murder, abuse of authority (The Deadly Dose), bank robbery (The Getaway), and rekindled love (The Verdict). The video quality of the episodes is stellar, ensuring that viewers are confronted with a sharp picture and audio so clear…
Once’s second season begins with Emma Swan breaking free of the curse laid upon eir by The Evil Queen and striving to bring order back to the real and fairy tale worlds. Magic is brought to the real world by Rumplestiltskin (Mr. Gold), while the show embarks on a number of distinct plotlines. This season introduces Cora (Barbara Hershey, most recently of Black Swan) and Captain Hook (Colin O’Donoghue,…
Just six months after Levon Helms, the legendary drummer for The Band, died from cancer, a slew of musicians, from My Morning Jacket to Gregg Allman, took the stage at the Izod Center in New Jersey to raise money for a pet cause of his, but more importantly praise and celebrate the life of one of the most adored drummers in rock music. This 2 DVD set does a brilliant…