Recently in TV DVDs Category

Planet Earth
Narrated by David Attenborough
Produced by Alastair Fothergill
I don't think there are enough superlatives in the English language to fully convey how mind-blowingly cool the BBC series Planet Earth is. I am only 4 episodes in and already I know that as far as nature docs go, this is the ne plus ultra of the genre. Even when viewing the standard resolution DVDs (as opposed to the HD DVD or Blu-Ray editions, also available) on a 27-inch TV, you are bombarded with such astonishing image and sound (Dolby 5.1 stereo) as to make it very difficult not to watch all 11 50-minute episodes, plus the 150-minute extra series all in one go. Of course, that would mean 700 minutes of continuous viewing. But hell, that's only just under 12 hours. Why not?

Folks,

My apologies, but I've been laid up with some sort of nasty flu-like virus that has limited my actions pretty much to lying in bed and snacking on tylenol, electrolyte-laced drinks and the odd klonapin for sleeping. LOVE the zepams, people! Things weren't SO bad. I mean, I was able to watch the entire first season of ABC's excellent mid-90's TV series, Murder One and an fine way to spend a few feverish days, that is. I only wish my Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Chosen Collection had shown up the day it was supposed to, instead of a day late.

Anyway, the real point of this post is to drool over the new announcement of:

Warning! Minor spoilers ahead!

Season 4 of the compelling and often heart-stopping series 24 was a return to form over the annoying and often silly season 3. The viral terrorism of that year was significantly less compelling than last year's nuclear threat and as an added bonus, no Kim Bauer! While Elisha Cuthbert is as adorable and sexy as they come, her character was underwritten, whiny and dumber than a box of hammers. Apparently, she's back in the upcoming season 5 and here's hoping she's a better character.

Recently, 20th Century Fox released Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Chosen Collection. This is what I want. Ok, it's true, I already have all 7 seasons on DVD and this set doesn't have but a few things extra (and I got them from the publicist already). Doesn't matter. I still want it. That's the kind of irrational love and fanatical devotion this show inspires. I mean, the box is SO cool looking, right?

Over the next 3 1/2 weeks I will be reviewing, previewing and spotlighting items that you might buy for friends and loved ones this holiday season. It'll be mostly DVDs with some books and other assorted goodies thrown in. No, this ain't just for Christmas and if you want to hint to Bubbe what might make your shayne punim light up with joy, slip her my URL, and say goodbye forever to tube sock and gelt!

First up are two DVDs that really couldn't be more different. The first, the recently released Office Space Special Edition With Flair! (20th Century Fox, $19.98 list) is one of the better comedies made in the past 10 years and while a failure at the box office, the film developed a cult following on video and rightly so. The second is Murder One: The Complete Second Season (20th Century Fox, $59.98 list), the sophomore and final season of the taught and original crime drama created by Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues).

Holiday Gift Guide #1

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Complete Seventh Season
20th Century Fox Home Video
Ratings:
Season: 4 out of 5
Extras: 3/5
DVD Quality: 5

This is it. The end of an era. Alas, here is not the space for a lengthy essay on the cultural and artistic importance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Maybe I'll get to that someday, but right now it's season 7. Nor will I go into too much detail about the story arc of the season and why it was better than season 4 but not as good as seasons2, 3 and 5. If you're a serious Buffy fan and have collected seasons 1-6, you'll buy this set and well you should. The swan song for this popular and intriguing series is a reasonably strong 22 episodes for creator Joss Whedon and his more-than-capable team of writers, directors and story editors, given that many of them were concentrating on Whedon's other two TV creations, Angel and Firely. Wrapping up what is essentially one 7-year long, 144 episode story in a manner that won't infuriate the incredibly devoted and vocal fan base must have seemed a Sisyphean task, especially with spin-off Angel in production on its fourth season and new series Firefly also in production. While relying heavily on a creative team that were by then mostly well-seasoned Buffy vets allowed Joss to concentrate on Firefly, some could argue that Buffy suffered somewhat.

The uneven and occasionally sub-par season 4 (the top 5 "Hush" not withstanding) being a distant memory, the writers and directors of season 7 performed a Herculean task by coming up with a coherent and well put together final season, including an extremely chilling stand-alone episode ("Same Time, Same Place") and a rather silly one ("Him"). Also, much like season 6, Creator Whedon was the credited writer or director on only two episodes. Fittingly, he was the writer of the first episode of the season and the writer/director of the last. Names familiar to fans such as such as Marti Noxon, David Fury, Jane Espenson, Rebecca Rand Kirschner, David Solomon, Drew. Z. Greenberg, Drew Goddard and Douglas Petrie, among many others, all chipped in to do their best that this landmark series went out with a bang, not a whimper.

Angel: The Complete Fourth Season
20th Century Fox Home Video

Warning: Spoiler's Ahead! This review was written for people who know the series and have seen season 4.

Season 4 was pivotal for this Buffy spin-off, with co-creators Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt showing their substantial dramatic chops in this penultimate season of the ever-intriguing epic saga of the vampire with a soul. Markedly darker in tone that its parent series, Season 4 doesn't disappoint, picking up a few months after season 3 left off, with Angel (David Boreanaz) trapped in a box at the bottom of the ocean, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) ascended to a higher plane and Wesley (Alexis Denisof) exploring the dark side of his nature. Character development has long been a strong point of Whedon's creations and season 4 doesn't short the viewer.

Of all the changes Whedon et al. have visited upon their creations, Wesley's transformation from let's face it, a namby pamby English twinkie into a take-no-prisoners, "ends justify the means" badass is arguable both the most startling and the most welcome. Anyone who, for whatever reason, left the Buffyverse after Buffy The Vampire Slayer (BTVS) season 3, thereby missing Angel seasons 1-3, will be totally gobsmacked by what they find as season 4 kicks off. When last seen in BTVS, Mr. Wyndam-Pryce, Watcher sans watchee (having done such a bang up job with Faith) was whimpering as he was loaded into a stretcher after having done fuck all during the battle for the Hellmouth that was graduation. Flash forward and good ol' Wes is banging the shit out of Wolfram & Hart evil-minx-in-residence Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanoff) while keeping erstwhile Angel hunter Justine bound and gagged in a closet just off the bedroom. I haven't seen this level of kink on TV since Spike and Buffy on the Bronze catwalk in BTVS season 6. Of course Wesley's character change was more gradual than this over the first 4 seasons of Angel, but this comparison just goes to show where Whedon and Co. are willing and able to take their characters.

Stargate SG-1, Season 7
MGM Home Video

Those of us that love this series endure many a snicker at our expense, mostly followed by "You mean that horribly silly movie with Kurt Russell?" No, we most definitely do NOT mean that silly movie. Repeat after me, Stargate SG-1 is to Stargate (the silly movie) as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) is to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (silly vampire movie). Whether it's because you like the acting, writing or overall style of the show, it's clear that SG-1 has a certain something and for me it's the merging of humor and action, a time honored tradition in science fiction literature and film. SG-1's cast, including Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge and Don S. Davis all appear to be both game for serious sci-fi and not at all afraid to poke a little fun at themselves. There's nothing worse than science fiction that takes itself too seriously.

Lost in Space
Season 2, Volume 1
20th Century Fox Home Video

While a bare bones collection, this box is actually something I am happy I own. This show, while incredibly dated and absurd beyond all reason, is fantastically funny and very well-acted. Jonathan Harris as Dr. Smith does actually project that smarmy, pedophilic undertone that you think you remember from watching the originals (or in my case, Saturday morning re-runs) and oddly, that's a positive, here. Too many times have I re-visited a TV series or movie from my childhood only to be disappointed by the reality. Not so with Lost in Space, although the familiar theme song that most of us remember was actually only present in the final season of this show's three-year run. However, all the rest is there, complete with Robot B-9 ("Danger, Will Robinson!"), Bill Mumy (later to shine as Lennier on Babylon 5) as Will Robinson and guest stars like Warren Oates, Michael J. Pollard, Kurt Russell, Werner Klemperer, Strother Martin, Lyle Waggoner, Arte Johnson and even Robbie the Robot (not all in this box set). If you're up for a little nostalgia that actually holds up, give these sets a try.

One major drawback, however, is the complete lack of any extras and mono sound. Otherwise, these discs are a blast, man!

To buy Lost In Space - Season 2, Vol. 1, please click on this link!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Sixth Season
20th Century Fox Home Video

Warning: Spoiler's Ahead! This review was written for people who know the series and have seen season 6.

I have to say, this review is a bittersweet experience for me. Round about season three of this series I became a convert. I don't remember when I started watching it, but it was early enough that I got it. I mean, I became an addict. The fact that the show, and it's spin-off Angel aren't around in first-run anymore is a sad state of affairs, and writing this just reminds me that season 7 is the end. Well things end, I guess.

This season, the series first on UPN after five seasons on rival fledgling network The WB, raises the bar once again for network series television. Not only is there a full-length musical episode ("Once More, With Feeling," a natural counterpart to season four's largely silent "Hush") it is also jam-packed with series turning points. Among them, this season's mortality is ratcheted up several notches, with the death of a main character (this time permanent, as opposed to Buffy's season five demise) and Willow's wanton murder of Warren and near slaughter of Anya and Giles. In addition, Willow and Tara's relationship reaches a level of intimacy that is rarely, if ever, seen between two women in film, much less on network television. The courage shown by Whedon, the cast and crew, and UPN should be commended.

Season 6 is also significantly darker in overall tone, with quite a bit less overall humor than some of the previous seasons but a wealth of pivotal moments. Buffy and Spike's relationship, the death of Tara, Willow's transformation into an evil, magic-addicted murderess, Giles' return to England, the journey of the Nerds from comic relief to killers and the end of Xander and Anya's relationship pack an absurd level of pivotal character development into this 22 episode season.