DVD Monthly

Reviewer: Tim Isaac
Issue 105 July 2008
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Sci-fi frustration.

The Lowdown: Yet more strange abilities emerge from the 4400 people who were abducted by future humans, as well as those given Promicin shots. Diana is searching for her missing sister, and the return of Jordan Collier could change the world forever.

Review: After a kick-ass first season, The 4400 always seemed to have a few troubles. When the show was initially being developed, we weren’t meant to discover who had kidnapped the 4400 until the fifth season. However, as it was initially only picked up as a mini-series, the network decided there had to be some resolution, so the truth was revealed in that first season. The result is that The 4400 has always felt like it gave away its secrets too early and has been trying to deal with that ever since. It’s also unfortunate that with its storylines of future factions trying to change the world, it has on occasion become rather silly. The truth is, rather than some great overarching story, The 4400 has always been best when it just sort of ‘X-Files’ meets ‘Heroes’, with NTAC agents Tom and Diana investigating the new abilities of the abductees.

However if you are a fan, you’ll be annoyed to learn that this is the end for the show (so seeing as it never got to its fifth season, perhaps it’s a good job we already know who abducted the 4400). This is particularly frustrating as the end of the season is an enormous cliffhanger. While there’s talk of a made-for-TV movie, it appears that this is the end of The 4400 and there never will be any sort of resolution. It’s a shame, as it’s a show that always verged on greatness, but never quite made it.

FILM: 6 EXTRAS: 5

DVD Info:
Certificate: 12
Starring: Jacqueline McKenzie, Joel Gretsch, Patrick Flueger, Conchita Campbell
Directed By: Various, 2007
Distributor: Paramount
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 550 mins
Price: £39.99

Special Features:
Scene Selection
Deleted Scenes
‘The Great Leap Forward’ Extended Version
‘Season IV: Factions At War’ Featurette
‘Jordan Collier: The Grey Man’ Featurette
Blooper Reel

Reviewer: Tim Isaac
Issue 105 July 2008
(1 votes, average: 10 out of 10)
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Back to the early 80s.

The Lowdown: In the 16th Century, many dream of the legendary Incan Cities Of Gold – El Dorado. Three children, Esteban, Tao and Zia, gradually gather together and set off towards South America to try and find the fable cities, with the hope it will reunite them with their missing fathers.

Review: For anyone who grew up in the 1980s, The Mysterious Cities Of Gold was almost a rite of passage. For what seemed like forever, every week Phillip Schofield and Gordon The Gopher (who are included on one of the extras) would introduce another episode of what quickly started seeming like a never-ending quest. It was infuriating because it never seemed like it was going to end, but at the same time, you couldn’t help watching to find out what happened next.

Although it’s been out before as an HMV Exclusive, this DVD box set release will be available everywhere from June 23rd. It includes all 39 episodes of the TV show, and like many retro kids’ series, it probably isn’t quite as good as you remember. Particularly in the middle it starts to sag, with much of what happens seeming like filler before the story picks up considerably towards the end. To warrant the rather high asking price of £54.99, there are plenty of extras, with the original production crew and English voice cast brought back together for retrospective documentaries, plus 39 original live action featurettes (one per episodes) and assorted other bits and pieces. It’s an impressive selection, and while the show itself may not be quite as good as it seemed in the early 80s, it’s still pretty fun.

FILM: 6 EXTRAS: 8

DVD Info:
Certificate: PG
Starring: (voices) Howard Ryshpan, Shiraz Adam, Janice Chaikelson, Adrian Knight
Directed By: Bernard Deyries, 1982-1983
Distributor: Fabulous Films
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 1120 mins
Price: £54.99

Special Features:
Scene Selection
39 Original Live Action Documentaries
‘English Dubbing Cast’ Featurette
‘Dubbing Cast Recreate A Scene’ Featurette
‘Production’ Documentary
Phillip Schofield Broom Cupboard Sing-along
Karaoke Theme Tune Sing-along
Cast And Crew Biographies
Synopses
Storyboard Sequence
Stills Gallery
Collector’s Booklets, Postcards And Poster 

Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
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Another season in hell…

The Lowdown: After the fiery climax of Season 4, Oz slowly returns back to normal – or rather what passes for normal in this reliably deranged penitentiary! An air duct problem sees the likes of Miguel Alvarez, Jaz Hoyt and Omar White moved back from solitary, but guess what: they still don’t play well with others!

Review: After four seasons of HBO’s classic prison drama Oz, any new review will doubtless be preaching to the converted! Sceptics may cite the show’s lack of coherent character development, increasingly far-fetched sub-plots and outlandish shock tactics as reasons to stay away, but regardless, Oz has sucked a core audience of hardcore fans into its twisted world. The American correctional system has never seemed quite as volatile or uncompromising… Even if the scriptwriters do get carried away with themselves on occasion, Oz has one of the finest ensemble casts ever seen on TV. Whether viewers realize it or not, massed ranks of Oz inmates have gone on to figure heavily in hit shows like ‘Lost’, ‘Dexter’ and the various ‘Law & Order’ franchises, although few are as impressive as they are in Oz.

After an eternity in solitary confinement, Miguel Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) returns to the ‘Emerald City’ cellblock, and quickly makes his disruptive presence felt. Did all of that time on his own change his self-destructive outlook on life? Did it hell! Meanwhile, after a violent run-in with Vern Shillinger and the Aryans at the end of Season 4, Muslim leader Kareem Said now acts like a man possessed. Oz’s resident Nun Sister Peter Marie tries to call a truce of sorts between Said and Shillinger with the help of Tobias Beecher, but surely such a plan is doomed to failure…?
The lack of special features is once again disappointing, but the show itself is still a brutal treat. As it spirals towards Season 6’s eagerly anticipated climax, Oz remains a force to be reckoned with.

FILM: 8 EXTRAS: 1

DVD Info:
Certificate: 18
Starring: Ernie Hudson, Terry Kinney, Eamonn Walker, J.K. Simmons
Directed By: Various, 2002
Distributor: Paramount
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 450mins
Price:  £29.99

Special Features:
Episode Selection

Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 105 July 2008
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Voltron Lives On.

The Lowdown: As forces of evil threaten the universe, the Galaxy Alliance dispatches a team of elite explorers to defend the good planets. Bested by their enemies, the group heads for Planet Arus where they discover five lion robots and the secret of Voltron – the most powerful robot in the galaxy.

Review: While the likes of ‘Transformers’, ‘ThunderCats’ and ‘He-Man’ are seen as icons of 80s pop culture, far fewer people are likely to remember mecha-based toon Voltron. The story of a legendary fighting droid composed of five robot lions, Voltron managed to gain a bit of a cult following and inspire such shows as ‘Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers’. If you count yourself among the show’s many fans, this three-disc extravaganza will have you a giddy, gibbering, excitable mess. Featuring the first 15 episodes of the series, this edition vastly improves on the mecha’s first Region 2 incarnation via spruced up visuals, a hefty re-edit and a lovely pile of extras.

Encased in a sumptuous limited edition steelbook, this first collection sees crack fighters Sven, Keith, Lance, Pidge and Hunk getting to grips with the responsibility of piloting the five lions that make up the legendary protector of the universe. Despite the neat story and vibrant new colour palette, the problem that haunts Voltron is the same one that dragged down the series upon original release – it’s still not quite up to the standard of the original Japanese version. Edited for US audiences from the delectably violent and harrowing ‘Golion’, the show remains a different and far tamer beast from its original blueprint. As such, absolute purists may be left a tad disgruntled. Still, it’s solid enough fun that’ll be lapped up by most fans of this classic show. Just a shame it’s a bit too family friendly.

FILM: 6 EXTRAS: 7

DVD Info:
Certificate: U
Release Date: Out now
Starring: Jack Angel, Michael Bell, Peter Cullen, Kevin Michael Richardson, Neil Ross
Directed By: Franklin Cofod, 1984
Distributor: Manga
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 348 mins
Price: £29.99

Special Features:
Episode Selection
Trailer
Merchandise Footage
Archive Footage
Production Sketches
Character Profiles

Reviewer: Lee Griffiths
Issue 105 July 2008
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Reality bites.

The Lowdown: Lauren (LC) Conrad leaves the Laguna Beach life behind in pursuit of adventure in Hollywood. Lauren quickly lands an internship at prestigious fashion business, Teen Vogue, though life in the Hollywood Hills proves far more difficult than she had expected.

Review: Now here’s an odd little number; a reality show that’s not actually real, but a fabricated docu-soap mediated by MTV and carefully structured for our viewing pleasure. While there is of course a certain lack of authenticity to any reality series of this ilk, The Hills (a spin-off from MTV’s ‘Laguna Beach’) goes one step further by formulating ‘storylines’ and ‘plot twists’ until the result resembles something more akin to ‘The O.C’ as opposed to say, ‘The Osbournes’.

It’s a curious concept but a strangely compelling one, which has earned its fair share of fans through its airings on MTV and Channel 4, obtaining that ideal Saturday afternoon slot on the latter channel and becoming ideal hangover viewing material much in the same way as its equally brainless Brit cousin, ‘Hollyoaks’.

There’s a certain inexplicable and masochistic delight in observing the insipid shenanigans of beautiful people, and The Hills is no exception, with the forced ‘naturalistic’ performances of the bikini clad babes and the all-smiling dreamboats becoming eerily mesmerising in their utter crapness. Of course, it is what it is, so it goes without saying that anyone looking for a little substance in their TV drama should stay well clear.

In addition to the 10 episodes across this three-disc set, The Hills – Season 1 contains a selection of cast interviews, plus a couple of short and rather pointless behind the scenes featurettes.

FILM: 5 EXTRAS: 4

DVD Info:
Certificate: PG
Starring: Lauren Conrad, Heidi Montag, Whitney Port
Directed By: Various
Distributor: Paramount
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 206 mins
Price: £19.99

Special Features:
Deleted Scenes
Cast Interviews
‘The Hills Premiere Party’ Featurette
‘MTV Movie Award’ Featurette
‘The Best Of The Hills: Aftershow’ Featurette
Episode Selection

Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: To say that anime can be a bit weird is like saying that water is a bit wet, however few series can claim to be quite as outlandishly wacky as the story of a schoolboy who has a robot that comes out of his head courtesy of a bass guitar-wielding alien. Despite the mental premise, this volume seems more like an episode of ‘Grange Hill’, focusing on Naota having to deal with being bullied into taking part in a class play. Still, it’s not long before things get crazy again as alien rocker Haruko decides to teach the nipper how to succeed in baseball. Easily as good as volume 1, this disc has the edge with its slightly longer runtime.

FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 4

DVD Info:
Certificate: 12
Starring: Barbara Goodson, Kai Wahlgren, Bob Marx, Steve Kramer, Dave Mallow, Joe Martin (Voices)
Directed By: Kazuya Tsurumaki, 2000
Distributor: MVM
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 104 mins
Price: £15.99

Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 105 July 2008
(1 votes, average: 9 out of 10)
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Review: The astonishing Ergo Proxy finally comes to an end as MVM releases the last disc in the popular steampunk series. This final chapter sees Re-I, Vincent and Pino arriving back in Romdo to face off against the android machinations that have been activated by the fiendish Creator. As they prepare for battle, new information puts the group in disarray. Struggling with their feelings, Re-I and Vincent need to try and overcome their emotions in order to stand a chance against their enemy. A powerful and gutsy conclusion to a typically quirky chunk of anime goodness, the disc unfortunately features little to get excited about in terms if extras. Still, the feature itself makes up for that with its frantic pacing, sumptuous 3D animation and endearing characters.  Lovely stuff.

FILM: 8 EXTRAS: 3

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Akiko Yajima, Koji Yusa
Directed By: Shuko Marase, 2006
Distributor: MVM Entertainment
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 85 mins
Price: £15.99

Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: After an astonishingly shite start, Trinity Blood has managed to become a pretty decent series in its own right. It’s lucky really, seeing as this is the final disc. As the battle between vampires and the catholic church rages on, the dastardly Order of Rosen Kreuz do their utmost to make sure that when the smoke clears and the dusts settles, they’ll be the ones left to rule the world. A highly watchable finale to a series that has thus far proven to be an acquired taste, Trinity Blood –Volume 6 is laced with dazzlingly good visuals and lashings of blood-fuelled violence. It may not be the best vampire anime series to ever grace our screens, but the seemingly endless wait for a bit of action has paid off.

FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 6

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Troy Baker, Hilary Haag (Voices)
Directed By: Tomohiro Hirata, 2005
Distributor: MVM Entertainment
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 105 mins
Price: £15.99

Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: As Berserk gears up towards its conclusion, this penultimate release sees the sword-swinging saga taking a few drastic turns. With the Hawks victorious after their bloody battle, Griffith begins getting a bit cocky and goes on a rampage destroying his enemies. As the situation gets out of hand, Guts decides to leave Griffith to go down the dark path alone. Furious at Guts’ decision, Griffith sets his sights on his former friend. After a slight sag in the middle of the story, this fifth disc sees Berserk returning to gloriously violent form. The animation is still showing its age and the extras are pretty poor but in terms of plot and action, this disc is a solid step in the right direction.

FILM: 8 EXTRAS: 3

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Marc Diraison, Kevin Collins (Voices)
Directed By: Naohito Takahashi, 1997
Distributor: MVM Entertainment
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 121 mins
Price: £15.99

Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: While Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior were the stars of the squared circle back in the early 90s, today that accolade arguably lies with Triple H. With a finely tuned blend of cockiness, charisma and athleticism, ‘The Game’ has dominated the WWE for well over a decade. As a result, it’s hardly a shock that Silver Vision has released the story of Paul Levesque, a.k.a Hunter Hearst Helmsley, in this opulent box set. Featuring the highlights of Levesque’s career from his early days as Terra Ryzing in WCW through rising the ranks of the WWE as HHH, this set is a must for fans of one of sports entertainment’s most prominent figures. Featuring behind the scenes interviews, classic matches as well as a number of nifty Easter eggs, this is seven hours of cracking grapple-tastic mayhem.

FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 8

DVD Info:
Certificate: 18
Starring: Triple H, Vince McMahon
Directed By: Various, 2008
Distributor: Silver Vision
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 359 mins
Price: £24.99

Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 105 July 2008
(1 votes, average: 7 out of 10)
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Review: Sure, Jamie Oliver’s got that lisp and everything, but few TV chefs are quite as watchable as Gordon Ramsey – particularly when he’s sorting out people’s flagging restaurants. In this second DVD featuring the cook’s foul-mouthed efforts to turn around failing businesses, Ramsey visits (and revisits) one of his greatest success stories – Momma’s Soul Food Shack in Brighton. Featuring both episodes in which Ramsey weaves his culinary magic, this release is unique in that, with the grub being up to scratch, he doesn’t get too pissed off. While it sounds as dull as dishwater, it’s thoroughly mouthwatering stuff that makes a nice break from the usual shoutiness. If you must get your swearing fix though, he also visits a number of crappy restaurants and gives them a good verbal lashing. Nice!

FILM: 8 EXTRAS: 7

DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Gordon Ramsey, Cherita Jones
Directed By: Christine Hall, 2005
Distributor: Acorn Media
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 196 mins
Price: £19.99

Reviewer: Jordan Brown
Issue 105 July 2008
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Review: Having been available on Region 1 for over two years, it’s a wonder that such a classic TV programme as The Cosby Show has taken as long as it has to finally arrive on DVD in the UK. Nevertheless it’s here now and we can all enjoy the antics that Cliff and the rest of the Huxtable clan get up to. Featuring all 24 episodes of this landmark show’s first season, this four-disc set is a testament to the hilarious talent of the awesome Bill Cosby. Revolving around the lives of the tightly knit Brooklyn based family, the season shows off Cosby’s flair for snappy writing, gut-busting gags and endearing characters that made this such an iconic landmark of 80s US TV. Sure it’s heavily dated now, but this still solidly entertaining stuff.

FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 4

DVD Info:
Certificate: PG
Starring: Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad
Directed By: Jay Sandrich, 1984
Distributor: Universal Playback
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time:
Price: £27.99