DVD Monthly

Reviewer: Tim Isaac
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: While there are a plethora of crime shows on TV, few are as effortlessly enjoyable as NCIS, which follows a group of US Navy cops as they investigate all manner of military based murder and mayhem. This season starts with lead agent Gibbs having retired after being in a coma towards the end of Season 3. However he’s soon back in the fray with his no nonsense style, ensuring no naval criminal will go unpunished. There’s also an ongoing plot involving NCIS Director Shepard’s obsession with catching shady arms dealer, La Grenouille. While replacing Sasha Alexander with Cote De Pablo between seasons 2 and 3 threatened to destabilise the show, these 24 episodes show that NCIS is still at the top of its game, and a must have for any crime show fans.

FILM: 8 EXTRAS: 5

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Mark Harmon, Lauren Holly
Directed By: Various, 2006-2007
Distributor: Paramount
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 1010 mins
Price: £49.99

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
(1 votes, average: 7 out of 10)
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Review: Based on Jeannette Winterson’s acclaimed semi-autobiographical novel, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit is the moving coming-of-age story of Jessica, a young girl trying to come to terms with her burgeoning lesbianism. Comic and disturbing in equal measure Oranges… remains a potent slice of Brit-grit. As an orphan adopted by a devout religious family, Jess finds herself brainwashed into falling in line behind Jesus and ignoring her true feelings. However, when she falls in love with local girl Melanie, her true desires are resurrected, and the pair find themselves plagued by the hostile religious community. Winterson wrote the screenplay herself, ensuring that none of the novel’s poignancy went missing en route to the screen. This re-release trumps the original DVD offering by including an interesting 40-minute interview with Jeanette Winterson herself…

FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 6

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Charlotte Coleman, Kenneth Cranham
Directed By: Beeban Kidron
Distributor: 2entertain
Audio: Mono
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 165mins
Price: £15.99

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
(1 votes, average: 7 out of 10)
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Review: The History Channel’s adrenaline-charged sub-zero trucking series was an unexpected hit when it moved to Channel 5 this year, apparently trouncing ‘The Simpsons’, ‘Deal Or No Deal’ and ‘Neighbours’ in the ratings! Whether or not that bold claim is true, Ice Road Truckers is a bizarrely compulsive docu-drama about some of Canada’s most fearless road-hogs. Rick, TJ, Drew, Hugh, Jay and Alex ply their trade on one of the world’s most dangerous stretches of ‘road’ – a strip of ice 350 miles long, built on frozen lakes, connecting the frosty diamond mines in Northern Canada with civilisation. With just eight weeks in which to make their deliveries, the Ice Road Truckers risk life and limb in the most treacherous conditions imaginable. The camaraderie in the face of adversity is heartwarming and you find yourself fully rooting for these strange Canadian men and their gigantic trucks.

FILM: 6 EXTRAS: 1

DVD Info:
Certificate: E
Starring: Rick, TJ, Drew, Hugh, Jay & Alex
Directed By: Various, 2007
Distributor: GO Entertain
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 525mins
Price: £19.99

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: This appealing horror compendium gathers together all 33 five-minute short films made by Japan’s horror elite for the Japanese television series, Tales Of Terror. The films themselves are a hit and miss affair (with more misses than hits, unfortunately), but the impressive line-up of talent will get loyal J-Horror fans salivating nevertheless. Star directors like Takashi Shimizu, Norio Tsuruta and Hiroshi Takahashi are involved, but on this evidence they’ve lost their golden touch! You can excuse cheap production standards if the scare-factor is up to scratch, but these tales are generally shoddy, scare-free affairs. Unfortunately this uninspired 2004 series sums up exactly why J-Horror finds itself in such dire straits. It used to be famed for its imagination, unpredictability and psychological edginess, but these lightweight knock-offs leave a lot to be desired…    

FILM: 4 EXTRAS: 1

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Maki Horikita, Harumi Inoue
Directed By: Various, 2004
Distributor: Odeon Entertainment
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 165mins
Price: £12.99

Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 105 July 2008
(1 votes, average: 7 out of 10)
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Love in the time of intergalactic warfare.

The Lowdown: When a rip suddenly appears in space, the citizens of Earth are left cowering in fear of what lies beyond. Their questions are soon answered when Professor Farnsworth sends the employees of Planet Express to investigate, thus leading to an intergalactic incident in which a planet-sized beast comes through the rip looking for love.

Review: As Bender’s Big Score more than made up for four years without Futurama, anticipation for the second of the four straight-to-DVD films has been off the chart. Not only was the first one a laugh-a-minute riot that answered a ton of the questions that had been left hanging, but the disc also featured more extras than you could shake a stick at – all of which were on comic par with the film itself. Needless to say, The Beast With A Billion Backs had a lot to live up to. While it’s not quite the stunner that the first film was, it’s safe to say that it’s not too far off.

This helping of intergalactic mayhem sees Fry and the Planet Express gang embarking on a perilous journey to a rip that’s occurred in the fabric of space, in order to investigate what lies beyond. Things get nutty when Fry ventures through the portal and discovers a planet sized hermaphrodite monster named Yivo who’s looking to engage in a spot of nookie with the people of Earth – like we didn’t see that coming. While the population is preoccupied with its new suitor, Bender joins a secret robot society and takes the opportunity to wage war on humanity, thus setting the stage for yet another totally barmy dollop of futuristic silliness.

So business as usual then? Well, to a certain extent, yes. Unfortunately, there its one drawback. In the case of Bender’s Big Score, the epic storyline coupled with all those loose ends that had been plaguing fans over the years being tied up meant that it felt like a film. With this release, the movie sadly just seems like one long episode. Still, it’s not like an extra long Futurama episode is a bad thing, it just lacks the scope of the last movie. Other than that, there’s really very little to grumble about.

With top cameos from the likes of Britanny Murphy as Fry’s new love interest, Dan Castellaneta returning as the Robot Devil and funnyman David Cross supplying the vocals of the intergalactic rapist entity, Yivo, The Beast With A Billion Backs is a superbly voiced treat. As well as the superb array of guest stars lending the film their larynxes, the film also features the return of Farnsworth’s nemesis, Wernstrom, as well as robot soap opera supremo Calculon.

As for the extras we get a ton of gut busting deleted scenes and storyboards, along with a plethora of superb but slightly brief featurettes. The best of the bunch however is Futurama: The Lost Adventure, which is basically the cut-scenes from the computer game strung together into a half hour long episode. It’s not exactly rib-aching stuff, but it does mean that die hard fans won’t have to endure the ordeal of actually playing the naff game itself. As such, it’s yet another quality extra to perfectly accompany a cracking feature. Let’s hope they keep it up for the next two.

FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 8

DVD Info:
Certificate: 12
Starring: (Voices) Billy West, John Di Maggio, Katey Sagal, Brittany Murphy, Maurice LaMarche, Phil LaMarr, Lauren Tom
Directed By: Peter Avanzino, 2008
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 75mins
Price: £15.99

Special Features:
Scene Selection
Audio Commentary With Writer Matt Groening, Producers David X. Cohen, Claudia Katz, Lee Supercinski, Executive Producer Michael Rowe, Stars Billy West, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche and Director Peter Avanzino
Futurama: The Lost Adventure
‘Meet Yivo!’ Featurette
‘A Brief History Of Deathball’ Featurette
‘Blooperama: The Futurama Cast At “Work”’ Featurette
3D Models With Animator Discussion
Storyboard Animatic
Deleted Scenes
Futurama: Bender’s Game Preview 

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
(1 votes, average: 8 out of 10)
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A threesome with David Tennant…

The Lowdown: Following on from last year’s Christmas special ‘Voyage of the Damned’, Doctor Who is back on Earth and finds himself teaming up with a handful of familiar faces – not least Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) who makes her presence felt once more as the Doctor’s new assistant.

Review: First and foremost, don’t be duped into thinking that you’re getting some kind of early bird bargain with this hasty Doctor Who release. This embarrassingly slight release contains just three of the new series’ 13 adventures.  Doctor Who has got plenty of flak in the past for its no-frills Vanilla releases, but this lightweight package takes the biscuit. It may represent awful value for money, but are the episodes themselves any good?

After three phenomenally successful crowd-pleasing series, Russell T. Davies was under a huge amount of pressure to prolong Doctor Who’s winning streak. After a divisive debut stint in ‘Voyage of the Damned’ at Christmas, fans were understandably wary when it was announced that Tate would be joining the cast full-time as Donna Noble. Her comedy appeal is wearing thinner by the week, so it remains to be seen whether or not she can cut the mustard in the family drama…

Davies himself scripts the opening episode in a bid to combat skeptics, and successfully ushers in a brand new era. The episode itself isn’t a classic, but it perfectly encapsulates Davies’ aims for the new series. Whereas previous series have all followed a thematic arc, this fourth offering draws on disparate elements from previous series – be they characters, planets or mysteries, before culminating in a potentially eye-opening finale. (In this respect even Billie Piper pops up for a surprise reprisal during these opening episodes, although I won’t tell you exactly when!).

Opening episode ‘Partners In Crime’ sees our intrepid double act renew their acquaintance whilst investigating the sinister Adipose Industries and its dastardly plan to breed fat little aliens using human body fat! Donna (Tate) is welcomed aboard the Tardis at the end of the episode, kick-starting her stint as the Doctor’s fully-fledged assistant. The following episode ‘The Fires Of Pompeii’ takes things up a notch with an absorbing story concerning the Doctor and Donna’s ill-timed visit to Pompeii – the day before Mount Vesuvius erupts! The Doctor must decide whether or not to try and alter history and save the city, all the while fending off the stone beasts running amok. The final episode in this set lets us get reacquainted with the Ood, who were last encountered by the Doctor and Rose back in Series 2.

All in all it’s a solid start to another entertaining series. Previous series’ episode patterns suggest that the best episodes are still to come, but this rush-released treble-whammy should give hardcore fans their Who fix for now. Catherine Tate may be more subdued than she was in ‘Voyage of the Damned’, but her presence still feels forced, and nowhere near as natural as the involvement of Rose Tyler and Martha Jones (both of whom will return later in the series). Only time will tell how the rest of the series pans out, so it may be a safer bet to hang on until the full box set comes out in the autumn…

FILM: 6 EXTRAS: 1

DVD Info:
Certificate: PG
Starring: David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Sarah Lancashire, Bernard Cribbins
Directed By: Various, 2008
Distributor: 2entertain
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 135mins
Price:  £17.99

Special Features:
Episode Selection
Scene Selection

Issue 105 July 2008
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If they move, kill ‘em!

The Lowdown: A group of disgruntled military veterans lead by the charismatic Mr. Wolf stage a bank job in Pittsburgh. When a shoot-out erupts, the criminals take refuge inside the bank. Infallible hostage negotiator Horst Cali is called in to defuse the situation, but does he have what it takes to outwit Mr. Wolf?

Review: ‘24’ killed off the mini-series once and for all back in 2001 when it demonstrated exactly how long you could keep audiences hooked with a single storyline! Shows like ‘Lost’ and ‘Prison Break’ followed in ‘24’’s intimidating wake, and it seemed highly unlikely that anyone would dare revisit the unheralded mini-series format ever again. However, with all manner of new American serial dramas running out of steam and biting the dust each year, it seems that TV producers need to be aware of their limitations. Eight-part heist drama The Kill Point duly steps up to the plate and flexes its TV muscles. The heist storyline may not win any awards for originality, but The Kill Point muddies the moral waters enough for you to be sucked into its weaponry-toting world.

Leguizamo and Wahlberg may be Hollywood bit-part players rather than big-name draws, but each man’s inclusion is well judged, and they both have the requisite charisma to pull things off. Wahlberg channels the spirit of Keifer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer and looks well equipped for a similar TV career path. Leguizamo excels as decorated military veteran Mr. Wolf, and the rest of his loyal troops are similarly impressive. Only the obviously TV-standard production values mar what is otherwise an absorbing, testosterone-fuelled show. The Kill Point may not be an all-time classic, but it is a solid slice of action-packed entertainment that will definitely keep ‘24’ fans occupied while they count down the months until the new series. Impressive stuff.

FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 4

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, John Leguizamo, Tobin Bell, J.D. Williams
Directed By: Steve Shill, 2007
Distributor: Lionsgate
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 329mins
Price:  £24.99

Special Features:
Episode Selection
Cast Interviews

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: The 21st annual Royal Rumble took place at Madison Square Garden, New York in January. Interestingly, it was the first WWE pay-per-view broadcast in high definition. Wrestlers from Raw, ECW and Smackdown draw lots to enter a 30-man ‘battle royale’. The last man standing earns the right to take a shot at the championship belt of his choice at this summer’s ‘Wrestlemania’. Familiar faces The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are the first two men in the ring, but do they have what it takes to go the distance, or will they be usurped by late entrants like John Cena and Triple H? Ancient WWE alumni Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper and Mick Foley even enter the fray midway through. Bonus matches featuring the likes of Ric Flair, Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho provide added value.

FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 3

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: John Cena, The Undertaker
Directed By: Unknown, 2008
Distributor: Silver Vision
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 161mins
Price: £19.99

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: Series 3 of Wire In The Blood sees clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DI Carol Jordan team up once more for a variety of grisly cases in the troubled Northern town of Bradfield. Their caseload is bulging once more, and the duo tangle with newly released killer William ‘Mack The Knife’ MacAdam, and investigate strange cases involving a schizophrenic killer and a sniper. Series 4 is notable for the departure of long-time cast member Hermione Norris, who is replaced by Simone ‘Bad Girls’ Lahbib who stars as D.I. Alex Fielding. Wire In The Blood is easily one of the better homegrown crime dramas out there, so anyone who wants to take a break from the glossy US crime shows flooding the marketplace should definitely consider giving it a go.

FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 4

DVD Info:
Certificate: 18
Starring: Robson Green, Hermione Norris
Directed By: Various, 2005-2006
Distributor: Revelation
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 680mins
Price: £29.99

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: During the 1980s, as alternative comedy stormed Great Britain, Terry Scott and June Whitfield set up camp in suburbia and did their level best to halt the oncoming tide of hilarity. Terry & June is widely derided as one of the worst exponents of bland middle-class situation comedy, and rightfully so. For almost two decades the middle-aged suburban couple entertained millions of loyal viewers with their rib-tickling behaviour and identikit plots. Eight series in, the show feels staler than ever and deserves scorn for being a true TV relic. As you might expect, Terry wreaks his usual brand of suburban havoc whilst June looks on good-naturedly. Any loyal fans of the show will surely disregard my scathing criticisms, but anyone spending their hard-earned cash on this dross needs their heads examined!

FILM: 3 EXTRAS: 1

DVD Info:
Certificate: PG
Release Date: Out Now
Starring: Terry Scott, June Whitfield
Directed By: Various, 1985
Distributor: 2entertain
Audio: Mono
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 180mins
Price: £15.99

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
(1 votes, average: 10 out of 10)
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Review: Any readers who have had their fill of ‘Jackass’, ‘Dirty Sanchez’ et al should take a look at The Dudesons, four demented Finnish blokes whose commitment to inventive self-harm is second-to-none. They may live together in a picturesque Finnish ranch, but there is nothing remotely quaint about their behaviour! As well as the usual array of roof sledding, shopping cart riding and firework duels, we see the Finnish headcases beat each others balls with baseball bats, set one another on fire and take aim at a human dartboard. ‘Jackass’ figurehead Bam Margera invites The Dudesons to join him in Mexico, and his cohort Steve-O helps them tear it up in Los Angeles. At £9.99 for almost three hours of human carnage, The Dudesons offer a budget-priced alternative to their more famous contemporaries.

FILM: 6 EXTRAS: 2

DVD Info:
Certificate: 18
Starring: Jarno, Jukka, Jarppi & HP
Directed By: Jarno Laasala, 2001
Distributor: Warner Music Entertainment
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 170mins
Price: £9.99

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
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Look but don’t touch!

The Lowdown: Series Four of Peep Show ended with Mark’s disastrous marriage ceremony to Sophie. The horror continues for Mark as he finally has to confront Sophie back at work. Jeremy is in for an equally torrid time as his sexual past finally catches up with him…

Review: After the romantic upheaval of the Series 4 finale, Peep Show has plenty of glorious material to exploit with its new six-part series. Series 5 opens with Mark gulping down bubbly from a commemorative bottle of wedding day champagne, decorated with a rather fetching picture of him and Sophie. As helpful as ever, Jez plunges Mark back into the dating game on an ill-suited double-date that is destined to end in acute embarrassment for everyone involved. What’s worse, after years of uninhibited sexual thrills and spills Jez’s promiscuity catches up with him, resulting in a decidedly uncomfortable visit to the clap clinic.    
Aside from Mark and Jeremy’s inimitable chemistry, some of the funniest moments involve Jez and Super Hans and their ridiculous musical efforts. When Sophie’s teenage cousin approaches Jez with a view to joining his band, Super Hans and Jez’s approach to mindless rock ‘n’ roll debauchery leaves rather a lot to be desired… with hilarious (not to mention slightly disturbing) consequences!
Meanwhile Mark’s attempts at post-Sophie romance are as awkward as you might expect, and one amorous encounter sees him coming in his pants in the stationary cupboard! But, as one door closes another opens and a dreadful evening of speed-dating leads Mark to try it on with a boisterous Australian who he thinks might be ‘the one’. Again.

As with previous editions of Peep Show, there are a smattering of exclusive bonus features to appease fans of the show. A behind-the-scenes featurette sees writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong guide us through the creative process - explaining where their ideas come from right through to rehearsal, shooting and the finished article. A highlight is the ‘Peep Show Relationship Tree’ a guide to who has slept with who, throughout series one to five. With clips and graphics on hand to explain Mark and Jeremy’s respective love lives, the complicated romantic mine-field proves surprisingly navigable. Another interesting addition is the ‘Sophie’s P.O.V.’ feature which sees a batch of existing scenes from Episode 6 re-written from Sophie’s point-of-view. Last of all, the package is fleshed out with some deleted scenes.
When Peep Show sneaked into the schedules back in 2003 few fans would have credited a peculiar sitcom about two misfits in Croydon with such an enduring appeal. Nevertheless, five series’ in, the show is as riotously funny as ever. After five years of skew-whiff shenanigans Mitchell and Webb are well and truly part of the British comedy furniture. All in all, this is a must-have for Peep Show devotees. Anyone who has yet to take the plunge should also consider the appealing Peep Show 1-5 box set, which retails for a cool fifty pounds…  

FILM: 8 EXTRAS: 5

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman, Matt King
Directed By: Becky Martin, 2008
Distributor: 4DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 150mins
Price:  £19.99

Special Features:
Episode Selection
‘Behind The Scenes’ Featurette
‘Peep Show Relationship Tree’ Feature
‘Sophie’s P.O.V’ Featurette
Deleted Scenes