DVD Monthly

On DVD October 6th…

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

DVDs to look out for in the shops from October 6th…
(Click on the DVD covers to buy from Amazon.co.uk)

Battlestar Galactica - Season 4
The Lowdown: After Starbuck’s returns, it appears that her search for Earth is sending her into madness. Meanwhile President Roslin still fighting cancer and the Cylons descending into civil war, things have never been so hectic. The set also includes the TV movie ‘Razor’, which chronicles the backstory of the Starship Pegasus. 

What We Say: “Because of the US Writers Strike, the fourth and final season of Galactica was chopped in half, meaning this set only includes ‘Razor’ and 10 regular episodes, with the final 10 episodes getting delayed until next year. However with Razor included, it’s a stronger set than it could have been, and with an end date set, you can see across the 10 episodes that the excellent series is building towards an exciting climax.” 

Entourage - Season 4
The Lowdown: As Vince and the gang wrap up production on Medellin, tensions rise as they await the film’s reception. Meanwhile, Drama gets a taste of the celebrity life thanks to his stint on a popular TV show and Eric becomes the manager of Anna Faris. It’s just another year in Hollywood. 

What We Say: “we finally get to see Vince and pals getting hands on with their dream project. While you’d expect this fourth season to be a rip-roaring riot revolving around the gang thoroughly enjoying the fruits of their labour, thing don’t go quite as planned. The result is an enjoyable box set that delivers a bulky dose of tension in place of much of the show’s trademark humour. So while it’s still better than most of the other stuff on TV today, some die-hards may be a little perturbed at the season’s slightly different, banter-light direction.”

Two And A Half Men - Series 4
The Lowdown: There were major changes afoot at the end of Season 3, with Alan getting married and moving out of his brother’s house. However that lasts about five minutes and soon Alan is getting divorced and back living with Charlie. 

What We Say: “Every single line seems to have to have hysterical laughter behind it, even when it’s not even vaguely funny. Half the time it seems to be done just to tell the audience that whatever Charlie Sheen has just said was meant to make you laugh. Without it the series would be fine, but with it Two And Half Men often becomes incredibly irritating.” 

Assault On Precinct 13 - Special Edition
The Lowdown: After the vengeful murder of a gang leader, a posse of ruthless gang members lays siege to an inoperable police station where the inhabitants – consisting of police officials and prisoners – find themselves cut off from aid and fighting for their lives. 

What We Say: “With no cash, no big stars and not a great deal of time, John Carpenter crafted a claustrophobic nightmare that may well be his finest piece of work to date, and certainly a fine example of shoe-string creativity from the New Hollywood era. Still shocking and still endlessly watchable, Carpenter’s masterpiece finally gets a decent UK release on DVD thanks to Optimum.” 
 

ON BLU-RAY:

Night Watch
The Lowdown: Hundreds of years ago, the forces of light and dark called a truce, but as legend has it, the age-old balance is set to be altered by ‘The Great Other’. In modern day Moscow, regular Joe, Anton Gorodetsky, discovers a supernatural world and finds himself playing a key role in the new battle between the ‘Night Watch’ and the ‘Day Watch’. 

What We Say: “The picture quality is above average and an improvement on the DVD. Colours are often bright and distinct, close-ups of bloodied faces look exceptionally sharp and there’s generally a decent amount of detail to savour. Occasionally, the picture seems a little washed out and murky, though considering this is far from your average slick Hollywood blockbuster, the visual quality remains impressive.”

Day Watch
The Lowdown: ‘Night Watch’ operative Anton Gorodetsky is caught in the middle of the conflict between Light and Dark when his son Yegor joins the ranks of the Dark Others. When he finds himself framed for a series of Dark Others murders, Anton must put his neck on the line and unveil the sinister truth… 

What We Say: “If the movie itself is occasionally inspired but generally unsatisfying, the Blu-ray transfer is generally inspired but occasionally unsatisfying, with the main offenders being the outdoor scenes that have an unfortunate tendency to look washed out. Either way, the visual high-points vastly outnumber the unconvincing moments. To top it off, the audio is reliably bombastic.” 

Prison Break - Season 3
The Lowdown: After breaking his brother Lincoln out of Fox River Penitentiary in Season 1 and escaping to Panama and exonerating him in Season 2, Season 3 of Prison Break sees Michael Scofield behind bars in Sona, a notorious Panamanian hellhole. Even worse, three of his worst enemies are there too! 

What We Say: A complete review of Prison Break - Season 3 on Blu-ray will appear in Issue 110 of DVD Monthly, on sale October 23rd 

For full reviews of these titles and over 100 more, don’t forget to buy your copy of Issue 109 of DVD Monthly, available now from all good newsagents or by clicking here.