24 season seven Blu Ray

24 season seven Blu Ray Review

24 have lost a lot of steam recently. The weak season six combined with 2 year layoff has dulled some luster off this great action series from Fox. The two hour lead in movie was somewhat underwhelming and put more pressure on season seven to restore the series to its greatness. Soon after the completion of the season seven on the television, Fox released the Blu-ray box set in less than a week. The action drama has always provided great entertainment with its action and loads and loads of political intrigue. It has dealt with domestic and foreign terrorism in frank manner. It did not shy away from controversial Muslim terrorist link or Russian terrorists. Also, it tackled the domestic terrorism in form of corrupt government as well as greedy corporations. Season seven is no exception.

At the end of the two hour lead in movie, Jack is hauled off to face the Congress for his role in CTU’s somewhat forceful tactics. 24 opens up with Jack facing Senator Mayer’s wrath on Jack’s interrogation methods. Jack has no apologies for his action. During the Senate hearing, FBI requests Jacks help in tracking down Tony Almeida, who is suspected of planning a terror attack. FBI believes that Tony is helping Dubaku in helping to procure a device that is capable of hacking into nation’s security system. This starts the convoluted plot involving African dictator and unknown puppet master behind the entire plot. This is over simplification of the plot and as many fans will know, the plot will thicken as the hours go by.

I think season seven boasts greater casts than the previous efforts. We have the familiar cats including Jack, Chloe, Bill, and Tony. Annie Wersching and Cherry Jones are a great addition as Renee Walker and President Taylor respectively. We have various canon fodders and the obligatory moles that are hallmark of the series. I always wonder how so many moles are present in the series. Regardless, 24 is one of the few television series that I hate having to watch in piece meal. I think the arrival of DVD and now Blu-ray was perfect timing for the series like 24 where you can take few days and watch it in one or two sittings. I can’t wait for the season eight.

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Review of Torchwood season 1 on Blu-ray format

The Concept is great and it has so much potential. A Doctor Who spin-off for adult viewing. Bring in some moral issues. Some flawed characters. Some gay action. Give it a hard edge.

Some of it is good. There is a realism to the background lives of the each characters. But the staggering immaturity, unbelievability, and silliness of how the team relate to each other is frequently disturbing.

My problem is with the things from Dr. Who that they've kept. They just don't work in a more adult and serious world. The characters act in ridiculous ways. The story lines are illogical. But in Torchwood everyone treats the ludicrous situations they find themselves seriously. So much so, that it's just not fun anymore.

Let's lose the silly laboratory and Doctor Who gimmicks and the insect-headed proto-humans, and concentrate instead on what could be a really interesting and searching drama about the effects of superhuman capabilities against the backdrop of wildly imaginative extensions of time and space. There would still be plenty of opportunity for comedy and tongue-in-cheek fooling around.

It is still entertaining and a moderately enjoyable TV experience. Don't expect Dr Who or X-files quality and you won't be disappointed. After watching a few episodes, however, you may feel an ache as you realise how much better this show could have been.

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Firefly – Blu-ray movie review

Series creator Joss Whedon took a somewhat familiar concept (science fiction as the new "wild west frontier") and freshened it up with a lively, chemistry-rich cast of characters, a richly detailed, plausible and interesting social setting, a dash of excitement, classic science fiction "find the better part of humanity" ideals, a goal to avoid or make light of most of the tired and worn-out genre cliches and a fantastic production team. The resulting product? An excellent piece of original artful entertainment that was a breath of fresh air in the stagnating science fiction scene on television (or anywhere else).

Fox did an incredible disservice to this show by showing the episodes out of order. They still made sense on a very low level, i.e., there weren't a lot of plot points that were part of the continuing arc that ended up being out of order in the order they were aired, but this show is so much better if you see it in the order intended. In the aired episodes, characters would sometimes do things that either seemed out of character or really weird, or sometimes even just boring, that make so much more sense on the Blu-ray, even though there's a grand total of one scene (and only about 3 lines of that scene) that's different between the DVD and the aired version.

It is truly a sat feat that Firefly ended so quickly. For a cast of mostly unknowns, the acting was superb, and they all portrayed their characters to the tee. Each character had their own complex story, personality, and no one was a carbon copy of another character. The ship was beautiful, the special effects were beautiful, the plots were skillfully crafted, the twists fresh and exciting, it was really an exciting adventure to watch every episode.

The characters could only be as strong as the words that were handed to them. Listening to the words that pass through Mal's mouth, the charm of Wash, or even the inconsistent ramblings of River, you could only wonder where Whedon could have gone with all of them. In each of these characters, Whedon had written secrets. While, sadly, we may never know what they all were, that is what made you itch for more episodes. You not only wanted to see the creative "western" adventures that Whedon was sending his crew, but you also wanted to learn more about these band of renegades. They were good, but possibly darkness reigned inside of them. The character most guilty of this (outside of River) was Shepard Book. I loved this character. Whedon drew him with so much passion and conviction, yet with every episode you learned more about this man than imaginable. He is an excellent example of what this series was like. He represented the smart words of Whedon, the humanity of his character, and the secrets that each of these shared. He was a "priest", yet he knew more about the Alliance than anyone aboard that ship. If anyone were to ask me to describe the series in two words, I would simply say, "Shepard Book".

Once again Whedon has proved his writing guineas there's Action, intrigue, comedy and Romance combined with excellent special effects and great stories. I'd recommend Firefly to anyone and everyone its one of the best Sci-fi shows to come out in a while.

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Weeds – Blu-ray movie review

WEEDS is a complicated series currently airing on the cable network SHOWTIME, the same corp. that brought us DEAD LIKE ME and other controversial story lines. And WEEDS certainly is wonderfully bizarre.

Mary-Louise Parker (THE WEST WING) stars as Nancy Botwin, a recent widow with two children and a cash flow problem. She lives in the fictitious town of Agrestic in Anywhere Suburbia, America. In fact, the shows lead-in goes through great pains to show us how common an area she and her family live in. This is vital since most of today's drug culture tends to live right under our proverbial noses. And the drug, as the title intends, is marijuana, often considered shameful by some to be considered "illegal" while others throw tantrums about its gateway significance. But Nancy has to feed her family and she'll do whatever it takes to ensure their survival.

The show has progressed well so far. The first episode was really good, and I was crestfallen when Celia's eldest daughter, Quinn, didn't return. There was a girl with sense enough to rebel against her awful mother. Now we knew she was gonna be okay! But then she gets sent off to Mexico and we never see her again! That's tough. For the next few episodes I worried that the show wouldn't survive this loss. But it did. It had enough crazy and delightful characters for it to keep going full steam ahead, and now, up to episode 5 of season two, it hasn't weakened yet. Some developments are contrived, and not too realistic, but that doesn't matter when the entertainment value is so spectacular. I choose to believe!

Yes, selling drugs makes good TV? Weeds outshines the morally ambiguous judgement on drugs. Some of the people who do drugs are good, some are bad. But it's the person we judge, not the substance. While it seems a bit Desperate Housewives, it's got a lot more going for it. With bitchy neighbour Elizabeth Perkins who makes the typical rich mum attitude take a leap forward.

If you think of the show as a dramedy about a family starting up a cottage industry business (isn't that all it is, anyway?), you might fare better in terms of making realistic expectations. I hate how every new cable series is automatically compared to the HBO "breakthrough" block (Six Feet Under, the Sopranos) even though these shows are very very good. Weeds is different because it's a premise that hasn't been done before as far as I know. Watch it! The first season is on Amazon for $23!

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Pushing Daisies Season 1 – Blu-ray movie review

Wonderfalls is possibly my favorite show of all times. It was unique in its own way but borrowed obvious things. The Joan of Arc story, the Wildean style of dry and ironic humor and the age old story of boy meets girl.

Pushing Daisies retains much of the same qualities. The dialog is witty; the script light-hearted; the characters odd-ball and extravagant. But what sets it apart from Wonderfalls is the atmosphere. Just as Wonderfalls borrowed from the theme of Joan of Arc, Pushing Daisies borrows from Scooby Doo. It's silly and playful and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Bringing to the screen a quirky and eccentric tale of private investigators, the dead who don't stay dead, infatuated waitresses, lovers who can never touch and a whole lot of pie-making, Fuller enchants with a unique fairytale. The style is reminiscent of 'Amelie' and Burton's more colourful escapades. The humour is sarcastic, and the dialogue is dry and witty, echoing of Buffy-style banter.

Pushing Daisies has an immense visual appeal, with kitschy colors and settings, enhanced bright colors, a fairly tale narrator, and interesting camera techniques. Beyond the style, however, there is much substance. In fact, I recommended it to my grandparents! The romantic relationship between Chuck and Ned is sweet, and full of heartache. Despite the focus on death, this show is charming and heartwarming, and really not all that dark.

I would also recommend that people that are not familiar with Bryan Fuller's previous work to check out "Wonderfalls" and "Dead Like Me." You will find much to love-- each series is distinct, but some of the techniques and visual qualities are similar. And each series he does is very, very creative.

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Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – Blu-ray movie review

When Terminator 3 came out, it was good. Lots of people enjoyed it. I watched season one of TSSC and was blown away. Thomas Dekker's portrayal of John Conner is spot on, Brian Austin Green, is actually great. Summer Glau is a great replacement for Arny, Lena Headey does a great job.

The main thing I like about this series is that it delves further into the relationship between Sarah Connor and her son as he approaches young adulthood (an element that was sorely missing from T3). This is one of the most important thematic elements of the Terminator series, and I'm glad to see them coming back to it. I imagine that this series will serve as a means to bridge the gap between the James Cameron films and the upcoming trilogy.

Supporting roles in the characters of James Ellison and Charley Dixon are also very well played and compelling. Best way to make a sympathetic, heroic character without giving him hardly any screen time or lines: make him an EMT! Seriously, though, Dean Winters does a great job with the small amount of screen time he is given. I'm sure he will be a fan favorite. Richard T. Jones takes the Ellison role, originally written as the generic "good guy cop who figures it all out" guy, and expands and layers it into something much more interesting. Can't say enough for how much these guys contribute, with their few key scenes.

All and all I've really enjoyed this show. I hope it is renewed for Season 2 and I plan to purchase it on DVD as soon as possible. It's also made me pull out T1 and T2 again and watch them. They really were some of the best SciFi of their era, and while I won't go so far as to proclaim T:SCC the 'best show on TV' it is an excellent SciFi/Adventure series and a worthy successor to the franchise.

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Heroes – Season 1 Blu-ray movie review

"Heroes" is similar to Marvel's "X-Men," in that its characters discover they have different powers. But where "X-Men" is driven more by action and plot, "Heroes" is more character-driven.

The show focuses on an ensemble of eight characters, each of whom have a different power. Claire Bennett is a high school cheerleader with the power of spontaneous regeneration, DL Hawkins has the power to phase through matter, Isaac Mendez is a brilliant artist who can paint the future, Hiro Nakamura is the office worker who can bend and travel through space-time, LAPD Officer Matt Parkman has the power of telepathy, Nathan Petrelli is the ambitious politician who can fly, his brother Peter is an in-home nurse with the ability to absorb others' powers when he is near them, and Niki Sanders has super strength.

The main characters are individuals that are just discovering their super-human abilities and as the show progresses you are given the feeling that these individuals will be coming together and assisting one another to prevent major catastrophes from occurring. A scientist's son is picking up where his father's research left off and knows these folks are out there and are important to the world.

After nearly an entire season, I already rank "Heroes" second among my favorite TV shows of all time—it ranks second just under "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." There isn't a single negative thing to say about the show except for the fact that after the passing of each episode, you only want more, more, more! This is, quite honestly and truly, the most addictive show ever on television. Be sure not to miss even a single episode of "Heroes!" You should check out one of the highest rated new shows—you won't be disappointed!

If you find that you dislike the show, I don't recommend Lost or 24 (though you are more than able to like those shows as opposed to Heroes...don't get me wrong). But to be honest, if you find that Heroes isn't grabbing you like it has with millions of other viewers, Two and a Half Men, One Tree Hill, and Prison Break will be playing in the same time slots on other stations. ENJOY!

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Mad Men – Original TV series Blu-ray review

The first episode of Mad Men honestly represents the drinking, smoking, sexist fifties, a time when Madison Avenue's attitude and control permeated our entire culture, including one international political blunder after another, a time before anyone ever heard of political correctness. Gays were still in the closet, women slept their way to wherever they wanted to go, and advertising executives ruled the world. Everyone smoked because we all just looked so damn good doing it.

A poster said he/she thought all the smoking and drinking was a bit much and contrived. However, I think it's fairly accurate. I'm in advertising NOW, and we always have vodka in the freezer...a couple of the men in the office open a bottle of scotch in the afternoons. Although the drinking on the clock isn't AS pronounced today as it was in 1960, I do believe Mad Men accurately depicts agency behavior during that time. My art director mentioned to me that the 70s in advertising were very similar; smoking and drinking in the office, on the clock.

The stories center around a particular advertising agent, Donald "Don" Draper, often seen through the eyes of his new secretary Peggy who can't quite figure him out. Draper is a master of the advertising spin, able to leap into imaginative ad techniques with every bound. He wins awards for his ad copies and is an invaluable asset to the advertising firm. But Draper has many secrets. Despite having a beautiful wife and beautiful children, Draper engages in extra-marital liaisons. He is aloof with not only his co-workers but with his family, often seeming like a house guest when he with his family. We also learn that Donald Draper is an assumed name, and he has a long lost brother with whom he wants to cut all ties. In addition to his mistress and his wife, Draper often can't resist a sexual fling, a JKF-like sexual appetite that never lets up.

I really liked the show! It's pretty gritty by today's standards, but it's a darkly accurate window on the near past. For us Boomers, it's a stark reminder of why the Libbers were so P. O.-ed at men all through the 'seventies. And the cars are cool! I think Draper is driving a '59 Pontiac. Man, I'd really like to have that car! And the woman that plays Rachel Menken - wow! Is she HOT!

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Band of Brothers Blu-ray movie review

Band of Brothers finally gets High Definition release in the state side.  Up to now, those of us that wanted high definition of this great mini-series had to settle for the HD-DVD import from the Japanese release.

his series, telling you the story of Easy Company of the US Army Airbourne Paratrooper division is so unbelievably realistic, so authentic... There has been put so much effort in taking care of all the details that it makes you believe that you are right in the middle of all the action. This is an outstanding achievement. It's about ten hours long, but I wouldn't mind if it was a few hours longer.

The soldiers are ordinary people thrust into horrific situations and shows how each is able (or not able) to deal with the situations. The battle scenes are realistic and convincing and the special effects are breath taking. While the series depicts the trials and tribulations of the company, it isn't afraid to show how the war affects seemingly sane and rational men. For example there is a scene where the nominal hero of the story, Winters (Damien Lewis) shoots an unarmed German soldier out of frustration. There is also a scene where a group of German prisoners are cut down by an American officer after he had given them cigarettes. Even after the German surrender there are instances of out and out murder of Germans. This is very rare for an American war story.

I think nothing can prepare you for what this serie is going to show you. I think the only option to get an idea is to look at this yourself. There will be passing bye many things that you will never ever forget. And cos of the shootingstyle and not to mention the thunderous sound, you will feel as if you are really there. Bullets flying all around your head, people getting killed everywhere. The effect is amazing and shocking. Its too bad that there are no Academy Awards for TV series, else they should give them all to this one.

All of the actors in this series do and excellent job at playing the roles appropriately and making us believe the hell these men were put through. The thing I also appreciated about the cast is the lack of any "real" names, leading to us not knowing who may or may not be making it out the scenes alive and unscathed.

I would recommend this to anyone, regardless of whether you enjoy this type of program. It will make you cry, and rightly so, for this is a powerful, outstanding and beyond remarkable piece of film of sheer brilliance.  And now, it can be truely appreciated in great 1080P.

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