DVD/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 10

 

The 12-episode 10th season of Shameless aired from November 2019 to the end of January 2020. Season 10 of the show has even more cast turnover, the largest of which, of course, is the loss of Emmy Rossum. This leads to everything from the opening credits being updated to a large hole in the family dynamic. Although Fiona is mentioned a couple of times, the family has, for the most part, moved on without her. One thing that does give the show is the potential for more developed and fleshed out storylines. Frank is still horrible but gets a bit of a comeuppance from someone with a grudge against him, Debbie continues to have relationship issues, Carl is trying to be a productive member of society, Liam is still the outsider of the family, and Lip is dealing with both a new baby and Tami's issues. Noel Fisher did rejoin the cast as a series regular, and one of the most prominent storylines of the season deals with Ian and Mickey's relationship, which, as has always been the case, is tumultuous.

The DVD set is a three-disc set. The A/V transfer and quality are horrible, which knocks it down a couple of stars for me. Of course, as most know, after 9 seasons of blu-ray releases, the show is only being released on a MOD DVD release which is, honestly, not much better than a bootleg release. It does have captions and deleted scenes for some episodes, but no other extras at all. And, I had an issue with the audio track going out of sync with the video. If I hit stop on the DVD player and immediately hit play again the issue always resolved, but it was still annoying. While physical media is going extinct (especially TV series releases, and even more especially TV series releases on blu-ray, Shameless is still a popular enough show that it should get a better release than this, and should still be available as a MOD blu-ray release. There is always an outside chance that the complete series may get a blu-ray release (ala Masters of Sex, which had two seasons released on blu-ray, did not have seasons 3 and 4 released on disc at all in the US, then got a blu-ray release for the complete series box set).

The show will be getting a final season starting in December of 2020. I definitely think that it is right to end the show at 11 seasons because it is definitely getting long in the tooth. Not necessarily horrible, but it is starting to get stale. I hope they can get at least some of the departed cast members to come back, even if just for a cameo, in the final season, but I am unsure if there are any plans for that. I have not watched the 11th season as of this writing, so I am unsure if any of the ex-cast members appear in the final season. I cannot say that everyone, even die-hard fans of the show (especially the early seasons) will like season 10. However, if you have not been a fan of the show up to this point, there is probably nothing about season 10 that will change your mind about the show.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 9

 

The 14-episode 9th season of Shameless aired from the fall of 2018 to the spring of 2019 (split into two seven-episode parts). As anyone who is a fan of the series knows, the show has had a ton of cast turnover throughout its run, and this year is no exception. Notably, this is the last season with Emmy Rossum, who has been the co-lead of the show since season 1. Also, Cameron Monaghan had a very reduced role after the halfway point of the season as he was contemplating leaving the show as well.

I will not go into much of the season's storylines for those who have not seen it. Still, the basics are, that Frank totally drops the "Saint Francis" act from last season and is back to being horrible, Lip is struggling with trying to raise Xan and dealing with a new, not necessarily healthy, relationship, Carl and Debbie end up in a love triangle with his new girlfriend, Ian faces the consequences of blowing up the van last season, Debbie is starting to take charge of the family, and Liam (again) gets actual storylines, including a pretty hilarious one at the end of the season. Like the past few seasons, Kev and V are around, but their storylines mostly revolve around the bar and their family life. The show does make a lot of jokes revolving around the current political climate, with a pretty hilarious storyline with Frank as the campaign manager for "Mo White," a former congressman on probation (and not allowed near schools), allowing for Frank to say things like "We Need Mo White" and print t-shirts with basically racist slogans. There is also a great episode with Bob Saget, Courtney Cox, and Katey Segal (who has a recurring role in the middle of the season), all guest-starring.

The Blu-ray set is a four-disc MOD release. The only extras are deleted scenes for every episode, ranging from 25 seconds to a few minutes. So, unless you get it to add to an existing DVD/Blu-ray collection, you are not missing a ton of extras if you just stream it. There are no other making-of or behind-the-scenes material, which would have been nice given it was Emmy Rossum's final season. Overall, the series is definitely starting to drag a bit. It was renewed for a 10th season and an 11th final season, both of which have already aired. While I do not think it is as good as in the first few seasons, I think it is still entertaining and worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 8

 

The 12-episode 8th season of Shameless aired from November 2017 to January 2018. It tries to continue character development and take the characters in new directions. Some of it works (Lip has a great arc this season), and some do not (cult leader Ian, for example). Of course, that is all subjective, however. This season also sees Fiona as a landlord and getting into yet another complicated relationship, Frank trying to be an upstanding member of society (which, as you would expect, does not exactly last long), and Carl gets into a Fatal Attraction-like relationship. Liam actually has more than two lines, and Deb is balancing work and being a parent along with (kind of) being a girlfriend. Kev and V continue to have issues with Svetlana, which have mixed results for all but result in a pretty good (and funny) couple of story arcs.

Instead of a two-disc Blu-Ray release as seasons 1-7 received, this season gets a single-disc MOD release. While it is a MOD title, it does have some extras (mostly deleted scenes, but it does have a couple of featurettes) and captions. Plus, you get a true play-all mode that lets you pick up where you left off. Overall, the show is still good but getting a bit long in the tooth. For those who follow the series, you know that there is, and will be, more cast turnover (this season, no major characters are leaving the show as in past seasons). There is a lot of sex, swearing, and some drug use (although that is a bit more toned down than in the past), plus the unapologetic LGBTQ storylines. So, if any of that will turn you off to a show, this one is not for you. But it has a good blend of dark humor (sometimes very dark) and drama. While it is not as good (in my opinion) as in prior seasons, it is still worth watching and better than many shows out there, especially on network TV.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 7

 

The 12-episode 7th season of Shameless aired during the fall and winter of 2018. It again sees more character development, along with more cast turnover. I will not go into the various storylines too much so I do not spoil too much for those who have not seen the season yet. However, all the characters (even Liam) get storylines this season. Ian, Carl, and Fiona are making their way out of their respective rock bottoms, while Lip and, to some extent, Debbie continue to spiral. Lip, because of the fallout with his professor, and Debbie being a teen mother and dealing with in-laws. Frank comes up with another scam after being fished out of the river, trying to come up with a replacement family. There is also a storyline involving Frank's ex-wife and the mother of the kids, Monica (played by Chloe Webb).

For those who get the Blu-ray set, it is much like the prior seasons. It consists of two discs, with deleted scenes making up the bulk of the extras. There are also two behind-the-scenes features: one on how Emma and Ethan have grown up on the show and one on Frank's politics (basically how the writers and William H. Macy see Frank's belief system).

Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted. If you have liked the prior seasons, then you will probably like this one. Macy does a great job of playing Frank as an awful guy with almost no redeeming qualities, and Rossum is wonderful in portraying Fiona's character development. If you have not liked the prior seasons, then this is probably not going to convert you. There is still a lot of swearing, drug and alcohol use, and sex. That has not really changed at all. So, if that would turn you off to a show, then this one is definitely not for you.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 6

 

The 12-episode sixth season of Shameless aired during the winter and spring of 2016. It saw much of the same and, in some ways, different dysfunction from the Gallagher clan. The season sees more adult storylines for Deb and Carl, with both hitting bottom in their own ways. Carl, after coming out of juvie, is steeped in the gang culture, and Deb, on the heels of her positive pregnancy test after lying to her boyfriend about being on the pill. Lip's life at college goes haywire as his affair with his professor is ongoing, and he is trying to balance that with his time as a TA in physics working for a professor who has a drinking problem that rivals that of Frank. Frank continues to be generally horrible throughout the season, which leads to a reckoning with the family by the end of the season. We also meet another of Frank's old flames, Sammi's mother, played by Twin Peaks alum Sherrilyn Fenn. Fiona and Ian see more stability in their lives, with Fiona working at the diner and dating Sean and Ian working toward becoming a firefighter. Thankfully, the show has given storylines for Kevin and V separate from just being the Gallagher's neighbors, and they continue to have probably the best and most complicated relationship on the show.

Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted. As always, there are many adult themes, including sex, drug use, and violence. All of the actors, including the younger ones, do a great job with their characters, and the show continues to develop the characters well as it progresses. The show also does a great job of mixing drama and dark comedy, and there are many points where you bust out laughing but feel kind of bad about doing so.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The episodes and bonus material are spread across the two discs. The extras include deleted scenes (about 35 minutes worth), a featurette that follows Shinola Hampton around for a day, and a round of pool with William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and two of the show's writers as they discuss the characters and the show in general. A decent amount, but not as much as in the releases for the first couple of seasons. By now, anyone reading this review will know what the show is and is not. There is more cast turnover this year, with Noel Fisher being essentially written out of the show after Mickey was arrested at the end of the prior season. But, unless you were only watching the show for one of the characters that left the show, if you liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. Conversely, if you have not enjoyed the prior seasons, there is probably nothing about this one that will convert you.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 5

 

The 12-episode fifth season of Shameless aired during the winter and spring of 2015. The season saw another change in character arcs, most notably for Fiona and Frank (although not exclusively for those two). Fiona is still self-destructive but makes more effort to get her life sorted out. Frank is still horrible, yet becomes a little less so throughout the season (especially at the end). Lip finds himself still acclimating to college, being torn between his "south side" life and the life he wants after he graduates. The combination of puberty and teen peer pressure is hitting Debbie hard, and Carl is fully embracing his inner delinquent. V and Kevin are having problems as new parents, and Sammie is a pain for everyone. There is also a storyline about the gentrification of the neighborhood and even more cast turnover as Joan Cusack's character arc comes to a close. Ian and Mickey's relationship is more complicated, with Ian's mental problems getting worse. And, of course, the big reveal from the season 4 finale that Jimmy is still alive plays out. I will not spoil any of the season's major events, but it ties up some of the old story arcs and sets up new ones.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. This release is similar to those for the prior seasons but with fewer extras. The bonus material includes a handful of deleted scenes, some behind-the-scenes material, and a commentary track on the episode William Hm Macy directed. The show continues to be well-written and acted. As has been the case since the show started, there is a lot of sex, swearing, and dark humor in the show. By now, you know what you get with the series in that respect, however.

Overall, I would say if you have liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one, with the proviso that the characters have evolved from their season-one versions, and not everyone is likely to be a fan of how those arcs played out. On the other hand, if you have hated the prior seasons, there is probably nothing about this season that will convert you into a fan.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 4

 

+++Warning, This will contain spoilers from season three, but no major season four giveaways.+++

The 12-episode fourth season of Shameless aired during the winter and spring of 2014. Season four picks up some time after the events of season three, with Jimmy still missing, Frank in end-stage liver failure, Ian off with the military (although the characters on the show just know he is missing), Lip in college, and Fiona having a steady job and relationship with her boss (played by now series regular Jake McDormand, probably best known for the underrated series Limitless). I will not go into too much detail, but needless to say, the lives of nearly all the characters end up in chaos by the end of the season. The big storylines are Frank's need for a liver (and, of course, he immediately tries to figure out how to get someone to give him a liver, which results in another addition to the cast), and what can only be described as a major downfall for Fiona who does everything she can to sabotage a good thing. A couple of big reveals at the end of the season set up storylines going into season 5.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. It is much like the Blu-Ray releases for the other seasons, just with fewer extras. The episodes are spread over two discs. There are deleted scenes for select episodes on each disc and two fairly short behind-the-scenes featurettes (about 10 minutes each, give or take). There are definitely fewer extras than the prior season releases.

Overall, the show remains very good, with a lot of dark drama and comedy. The entire cast does a great job, with the standouts being William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, and Ethan Cutkosky. Carl is hilarious this season in both his problems at school and his efforts to help Frank. Steve Howey and Shanola Hampton are also great in their desire to have a family. Joan Cusak's role was a bit more limited this year, and Cameron Monaghan was missing for part of the season as he was splitting time between Shameless and Gotham. The character of Debbie underwent a pretty significant transformation this year as she hit puberty and was going through the usual teenage awkwardness and angst along with the Gallagher dysfunction. There was still a lot of swearing, and sex, as well as drug use depicted on the show, which is definitely not going to appeal to everyone. With those provisos aside, I think if you liked the first few seasons, you will also probably like this one.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 3

 

The 12-episode third season of Shameless aired in the winter and spring of 2013. It sees the first relatively significant shakeup in the cast, with Laura Slade Wiggins going from a series regular to a recurring character after being kicked out by Shelia at the end of season two. She returns in the second half of the season, and her storyline is pretty much wrapped up (at least for the foreseeable future) by the end of the season. Fiona and Jimmy continue their complicated relationship, with Jimmy pondering a return to medical school, which would require him to return to school in Michigan. Further complicating their relationship is Jimmy's "marriage" to Estefania. Toward the end of the season, karma comes back to bite Frank for his general horribleness (which takes a couple of very dark turns this season), and the season ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger concerning him.

The Blu-ray set is a two-disc set, with the episodes and the extras spread over the two discs. The extras include deleted scenes and several behind-the-scenes featurettes ranging from about 8 minutes to about 15 minutes. All in all, there are about an hour's worth of extras. Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted. The writers do a good job of balancing the large ensemble cast and continuing to develop the characters. The acting is again top-notch, and even though there are very few truly good characters, none of them are all bad either, and both the writers and actors do a great job giving the audience something to care about, even in the worst characters. While the show is definitely not for everyone, if you liked or loved the first two seasons, you will very likely feel the same about season three.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 2

 

The 12-episode second season of Shameless aired in the winter and spring of 2012. It picks up months after the events ending season 1. The first part of the season focuses on Karen acting out as everyone discovers what happened with Frank and Lip trying to keep some kind of relationship with her. Fiona is working a series of summer jobs, primarily earning money as a server in a club, and is rebounding from Steve as he has gone off to South America. Frank continues to be the neighborhood menace, finding a new mark to scam as Shelia starts to venture out of the house more and more, as he is afraid that she will find out how he really is. I will not say more about the storylines because there are some twists and turns along the way this season, but as was the case in season one, it does the story of the week theme very well, along with having callbacks to prior storylines as well as wrapping up others.

The series continues to be well-written and acted. William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum still hold their own as the series leads and continue doing a great job as the characters of Frank and Fiona. This season, Jeremy Allen Wright as Lip and Laura Slade Wiggins as Karen steal many of the episodes. Even as a show with very few "good" characters, but mostly characters with varying degrees of horribleness, the writers and actors make you feel for, and even root for, the characters.

The Blu-ray set is a two-disc set with about 50 minutes of bonus material. The extras include several behind-the-scenes/making-of featurettes and deleted scenes for many, but not all, episodes. As was the case in season one, there is a lot of drinking, drug use, sex, and swearing that goes on. So, if that turns you off to a show, then this one is not for you. It does have a lot of dark humor, but it does not glorify or make fun of dysfunctional people and families. If you liked or loved season one, you will probably feel the same way about this season. On the other hand, if you hated the first season, this season will probably not make you a fan.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 1

 

Shameless is a dramedy that aired on Showtime for eleven seasons from 2011 to 2021. The 12-episode first season aired during the winter and spring of 2011. The main cast members in the first season were William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan, Steve Howey, Emma Kennedy, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Laura Slade Wiggins, and Joan Cusack. It also had a large recurring cast, some of whom would eventually become series regulars. Some of those included Noel Fisher, Marguerite Moreau, and Amy Smart. The guest stars in season 1 included Anthony Anderson and Alex Borstein. 

I am someone who was late to the game when it came to this show. I have, of course, heard of it for years but did not get around to running it until very late in its run. For those who have not seen it, it is an American version of a British show, and much like was the case with The Office, in the first few episodes, it mirrored the British version almost as a carbon copy, then started to find its own legs. It was created for US TV by the co-creator of ER, John Wells, and the creators of the original British show.

The series is centered around the Gallaghers, a poor, trashy, and borderline all-out criminal family. It is "headed" by Frank Gallagher, played by ER alum William H. Macy, in a role 180 degrees from his role on ER. Frank is a blackout drunk with 6 kids who manage to still be (somewhat) functional, running scam after scam to keep the drinking money flowing in. The family is led by the eldest of the children, Fiona, played wonderfully by Emmy Rossum, who had to drop out of high school during her junior year to take care of the family when their mother took off, and Frank became totally unable to care for any of them. She is torn between wanting to be a carefree young adult in her early 20s and being a parent to kids ranging from 2 to 17.

I will not go into too much of the storylines for the few who, like me, are coming into the series cold. I will say that it is a very raw show, with all of its themes, drinking, drug use, sex, etc. It will hit home with anyone who has a dysfunctional family or even someone who is a generation removed from a dysfunctional family and still has some tangential contact with the older family members. While the Gallaghers are portrayed as a very over-the-top case of a poor, almost "trailer trash" dysfunctional family (although there are families that certainly act the way the family members do, to greater or lesser degrees), it also shows that dysfunction can occur not only in poor families but rich ones as well.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The show looks and sounds great, especially the high-definition exterior shots of Chicago. The extras include commentary tracks on a couple of episodes, deleted scenes, and about 45 minutes of behind-the-scenes and making-of material.

Overall, the series is well-written and very well-acted. The show is perfectly cast, with everyone knocking their roles out of the park, including the supporting cast. Joan Cusak steals nearly every scene she is in, as a clueless housewife with agoraphobia. It does not sugarcoat any of its themes, and has a lot of drinking, drug use, sex, nudity, etc., by both the adults and teens on the show (who are really in their 20s). The humor is very dark, and he manages to find humor in a lot of situations that would not normally be funny. It is definitely not a show that is for everyone, so if any of the above would turn you off to a show, then you definitely should skip this one. But, if you can accept those things and are looking for a good dramedy, then this is definitely worth checking out.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Babylon

 

Babylon is a 2022 movie about Hollywood in the 1920s starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, and Li Jun Li in the main roles. It also has a large ensemble supporting cast, including P.J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Katherine Waterston, Tobey Maguire (who was also one of the producers), Flea, Eric Robert, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving, and Olivia Wille (among others). In it, Pitt plays Jack Conrad, the biggest silent-film star of the time, and Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy, an aspiring actress who gets her big break into silent films when she is seen dancing at a lavish party at the beginning of the film. Calva plays a gopher for the studio who eventually becomes a studio executive after Jack takes him under his wing. Li plays Lady Fay, a cabaret singer who also writes title cards for the silent movies, and Adepo plays a Jazz trumpeter named Sidney Palmer.

The 4K set is a two-disc set with a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The UHD disc just includes the movie, and the regular Blu-Ray disc has the movie and the bonus features. The movie's A/V quality is outstanding. It was shot on film to recreate the look of older Hollywood films, but it looks and sounds great in the UHD format. The extras include a half-hour-long making-of featurette featuring interviews with the cast and crew, about ten minutes of deleted and extended scenes, and a couple of shorter featurettes about the movie's costumes and score. All totaled, the bonus features run about 45 minutes. 

Ultimately, the movie is very good. It starts as a dark comedy and turns into a dark drama by the end. One of the movie's central themes is the transition from the silent movie era to the "talkies," and how adding sound to movies was challenging for the studios and the actors, and how the transition ended some careers and caused others to flourish. The other central theme is the excess of the Roaring 20s, especially in Hollywood. The storyline spans several decades, starting in the 20s and ending in 1952, but most of the movie is set in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It also deals with racism and homophobia. It is absolutely not a family-friendly film, as there is a lot of swearing, drug use, nudity, sex, and smoking throughout. The movie is very long, lasting just over three hours, but does not really drag. It is funny at times, sad at times, and downright weird at others. It is well-written and very well-acted and is absolutely worth watching.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Venom

 

Venom is a 2018 Sci-Fi action movie starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, and Jenny Slate. It is an MCU-adjacent movie that exists in the world of Spiderman, but the decision was to use it as a stand-alone movie without using the black suit version of Spiderman to introduce Venom (as was done in Spiderman 3). Therefore, in this version, multiple symbionts were brought to Earth from a space mission that killed all but one of the astronauts. They were discovered by the head of the company that funded the mission called Life Sciences (played by Ahmed), who then began experimenting with bonding the symbionts with homeless and drug-addicted humans. Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, a former reporter who was fired and now doing freelance work. Of course, one of the symbionts joins with him to form Venom.

The movie is a great blend of action and very dark humor. Because they did not use Spiderman, Venom is introduced as the anti-hero version of the character, doing bad things (mainly eating) bad guys. Michelle Williams plays the ex-wife of Eddie Brock. She does a really great job playing off Tom Hardy and brings a lot of comedy to the movie, which is outside her usual acting roles. The best part of the movie is the discussions/arguments/bickering that goes on between Brock and Venom, mostly in Brock's mind which makes it look to everyone else like he is talking to himself. It also requires Hardy to do a lot of physical comedy, which he turns out to be great at.

The 4K set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. On the UHD disc, there is only the movie and a preview of the movie Into the Spiderverse. All the other extras are on the regular Blu-ray. Those include several deleted scenes, including an extended version of the end credits scene which teases where the next movie will go, assuming it gets made, then about an hour's worth of making of and behind-the-scenes material mixed with some featurettes on the history of the Venom character. So there are a lot of good extras.

I cannot say everyone will like the movie, and it definitely pushes the PG-13 rating to the limit, mostly because of the language. There is a lot of swearing and some sexually suggestive jokes. It is closer to Deadpool than it is to, say, Avengers. But it puts a different twist on the MCU movies and sets up a good possible franchise to exist in that universe. It is worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: iZombie: Season 3

 

+++Warning, this will contain spoilers from the prior seasons, but no major giveaways from season 3 ++++

The 13-episode third season of iZombie aired during the spring and summer of 2017. The season picks up right after the end of the second season finale, when the soldiers enter to clean up the mess of the Max Rager party turned zombie fest. In the first episode, we learn that they are part of a Zombie-led organization called Fillmore-Graves, which is preparing for the day when humans en masse learn of the existence of zombies.

For the main characters, the season is about the fallout from past events, especially now that the entire group knows the truth. Major deals with the fallout from the revelation that he is the "chaos killer." Blaine has to deal with being human again and attempting to start over, and Ravi is working toward perfecting the cure. For Liv (and all the other characters) the season is about taking a side in the humans vs zombies confrontation. As is the case with the prior seasons, the show is mainly a case-of-the-week procedural, with larger serial story arcs that play throughout. The big one is the humans becoming more and more aware of the existence of zombies, told through a group of conspiracy wingnuts. As is also the norm, Liv takes on a range of personalities (again brilliantly done by Rose McIver), and the show alternates between funny, sad, and dramatic, all on a dime. The writing and acting are all top-notch, and the show packs a lot into a limited number of episodes.

The Blu-Ray set is a three-disc set and is one of the Warner Archives' made-on-demand (MOD) releases. Unlike many other MOD sets, they include closed captions and some extras. Those consist of deleted scenes for select episodes and about 30 minutes of the comic-con panel discussion with some of the cast and writers. There are not a ton of extras, but they are good for what is there.

This is also the last season of the show to get an official release. There are two additional seasons, but because of a licensing issue with season 4, it will not be released at all. So Warner just decided not to release the fourth season, the fifth season, or a complete series set. Whether that will change in the future, who knows. But to see the final seasons, you either have to stream them or try to find bootlegs.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: iZombie: Season 2

 

++++Warning, this will contain some season 1 spoilers, but no major giveaways from season 2 +++++

The 19-episode second season of iZombie aired during the 2015/2016 TV season. If you are unfamiliar with the show, it was one of The CW's "other" comic book-based shows. It is a different show based on the premise that if zombies have regular access to brains, they can remain high-functioning members of society, but if they go without brains for too long, they end up as "The Night of The Living Dead/28 Days Later" version of a zombie. The ironically named Liv Moore works in the medical examiner's office (providing her regular access to the brains of murder victims, whose personality traits and memories she temporarily takes on) and helps a member of the Seattle police department solve murders.

For those who have seen season 1, the show keeps the case-of-the-week format and has multiple serial storylines based on the events of the first season. Blaine and Major begin the season as cured zombies thanks to being injected by Liv at the end of season 1. Blaine finds a way to keep his food operation going in a more legal manner than in season 1. Major works for Max Rager unwillingly, and Liv and Ravi continue to work on finding a cure. Live becomes estranged from her family, Clive keeps digging into the Meat Chute murders, putting Liv and Major at risk of being found out, and a returning Peyton begins a crusade to take down the local crime boss. There are a ton of different interweaving storylines over the course of the season that all ultimately end up tied together. Despite that, it never feels like the show is trying to do too much, and they do a great job balancing all the various arcs while still telling good case-of-the-week stories.

This season, the writers blend a lot more comedy into the show, usually based on the personality traits Liv inherits. Rose McIver shows off great comedy chops, and Rahul Kohli plays off her very well. David Anders continues to be great in his slimy bad guy, sometimes reluctant good guy role, and a somewhat mysterious twist late in the season leaves something of a cliffhanger for his character going into season 3. A lot gets revealed in the season, and while some of the story arcs are concluded, it is set in a very intriguing direction going forward. There are also a couple great guest cameos during the season. One by Kristen Bell, who did a solid for the showrunners who also ran Veronica Mars, and Rob Thomas, of Matchbox 20 fame, who shares a name with the show's creator.

For those who get the Blu-rays, the show looks and sounds great. Since season 1 was originally released only on DVD, I was never expecting to see a Blu-ray, but it is well worth the upgrade because the show's great visuals look so much better in the HD format. For extras, it is very similar to the season 1 release. There is a 30-minute excerpt of the Comic-Con panel with the showrunners and the main cast members and deleted scenes on several, but not all, of the episodes. It would have been nice to get some commentary tracks on a few episodes, but overall, the extras are good. The show continues to be smart, funny, sometimes dramatic, and enjoyable. It does not take itself ultra seriously, and it definitely seems like the cast has a lot of fun and either has or fakes great chemistry. It is not a "typical" zombie-themed show (although there is some of that, especially toward the end of the season), but it works. I definitely recommend it.

DVD/TV Series Review: Titus: Season 3

 

The 21-episode third (and final) season of Titus aired during the 2001/2002 TV season, starting in the winter of 2001 and continuing (due to schedule interruptions) until the summer of 2002. Titus was a show that pushed a lot of boundaries. In some ways, it was a sitcom in name only because it could get dark and dramatic and then turn on a dime and be extremely funny. It was a show, much like in the vein of Family Guy, American Dad, and Arrested Development, that would make fun of anything at any time and most likely could not get past the censors if it was on the air today. You can actually see much of the style of this show in the original Fox run of Arrested Development, which is another show Fox gave short shrift to. I really look at this show as the trailer park version of Arrested Development, showing a more real dysfunctional family.

The show is based on comedian Christopher Titus' one-man comedy show called Norman Rockwell is Bleeding, where he basically tells a bunch of stories about his screwed-up life. While things have been fictionalized for the show and to make them more funny, most of the events depicted, if you listen to the commentaries and watch the DVD extras, were based on events that happened in his life. The core cast of Titus, Zack Ward, Cynthia Watros, David Shawtraw, and Stacy Keach was tremendous. Keach continued in season 3 to steal nearly every scene he was in. Elizabeth Berkeley was also added as a recurring character playing Titus' sister and blended with the cast very well.

The third season of the show got very dark, tackling topics of suicide, sexual abuse, and mental illness, and had a two-part finale that, frankly, I am amazed made it on the air given it aired after 9/11, which involved the whole group getting arrested as suspected terrorists trying to bring down a plane. One of the standout moments of the season, and really of the series, appears in the episode Tommy's Not Gay, where they go from an extremely funny joke to Titus in the "neutral space" (which is basically inside his head talking directly to the audience) where he comments on the murder of Matthew Shepard, which was a perfect example of how the show went from funny to serious within a couple seconds. The cast and showrunners felt that the dark bent to the series probably had a lot to do with its demise, but I think the show stuck to what it wanted to be, regardless of how controversial, and would not have worked as a watered-down production.

The show ended way before its time. The series ended with a big cliffhanger. Most likely anyone reading this by now knows what it was, but on the off chance, someone reading this does not know I will not spoil it. In some ways, it was a perfect way to end the series, but in other ways, it left a lot up in the air. The DVD includes an episode that either aired way after the finale or never aired, that did not address the events of the prior episodes but itself had a very powerful theme.

For those who do shell out for the DVDs (which you will have to pay more for, given they are out of print), the extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, interviews with Stacy Keach, Cynthia Watros, and Zack Ward, and Blooper reels from seasons 2 and 3. The interviews and commentaries were interesting in that they were done years after the show was already off the air, so they were much more reflective on the experience of working on the show as a whole than they were specific to Season 3. If you want to get a copy of the season 3 DVD set, I suggest watching the auction sites and third-party sellers like a hawk because it takes some patience to get it at a good price. I have seen them ranging from about $50 to well over $100 for a new or like new set. Sometimes, even sets that are pretty beaten up are listed for pretty high prices. But if you are patient, you can find it for a decent price. The show will definitely not appeal to everyone, and there is not likely to be a lot of middle-ground feelings toward it. You will likely either love the show or hate it, but it is one of the best sitcoms of all time, and definitely worth getting if you can find it at a reasonable price.

DVD/TV Series Review: Titus Seasons 1 and 2

 

Titus was a comedy series that aired for three seasons on FOX from 2000 to 2002. The nine-episode first season aired during the spring of 2000, and the 24-episode second season aired during the 2000/2001 regular TV season. The show starred comedian Christopher Titus, Cynthia Watros, Zack Ward, Stacy Keach, and David Shatraw. It was based on Christopher Titus' stand-up comedy show Norman Rockwell is Bleeding, where he basically tells many stories from his life growing up in a dysfunctional family. 

Titus is a sitcom, but it was a very non-traditional sitcom. It tackled very big issues like alcoholism, domestic abuse, suicide, murder, drugs, etc. If Arrested Development was the upper-crust (and very fictionalized) version of a messed-up family, this was the lower-class, trailer park (and more real) version of a dysfunctional family. The acting and writing were great, and the show had a unique ability to get a laugh out of any subject, no matter how serious. But it could turn on a dime from being funny to ultra-serious in a few seconds. Stacy Keach pretty much stole every scene he was in as Ken Titus, the hard-drinking, chain-smoking, womanizing father. Anyone old enough to remember him trying to play his tough guy roles in the 1980s was probably amazed at the comedic chops he had and how much better he did in that role than his others. The cast was rounded out by Cynthia Watros (playing Titus' girlfriend), Zack Ward as his hilarious burnout brother, and David Shawtraw as his "normal" friend. The show balanced all the great characters well and gave them all equal time, even having shows where one character would barely appear to give more time to the others.

Chances are, anyone reading this by now was a fan of the show when it was originally on the air, going on 15+ years ago now, and wants to try and get a hold of the DVD. They are around, but you really have to do some price shopping because they are out of print, and for a good copy, you can pay a very exorbitant price. This set is generally more available than season 3, which tends to be the higher priced of the two sets, but if you watch auction sites and/or keep an eye on third-party sellers, you can grab them for relatively good deals. But you are likely going to have to pay more now than the discs are actually worth.

For those who get the DVDs, they were produced after the show was canceled by Fox, so they are very bare bones. There are commentary tracks on a few episodes with Christopher Titus and two of the show's creators/producers. On the third disc, there is also a rehearsal reel and a half-hour look back on the series that gave some insight into why, even though it got decent ratings, it was canceled. It is ultimately a controversial show that pushed the bounds of a sitcom, even more than Married With Children did in some ways. If you grew up in, or even had a tangential experience with a dysfunctional family chances are you will relate to the show and really like it. If that was not your experience you may be appalled by and hate the show. I don't know how much middle ground there is between those who love and hate the show, but I love it enough to think it is worth paying extra for the out-of-print DVDs if you can find them at a reasonable price.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: iZombie: Season 1

 

iZombie was a very underrated series that aired for five seasons from 2015 to 2019 on The CW. The first season included 13 episodes that aired during the spring and summer of 2015.  The series starred Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin, David Anders, Rahul Kohli, Robert Buckley, and Aly Michalka. The premise of the show is that a medical student, Olivia Moore, played by Rose McIver, is turned into a Zombie during a boat party. She ends up distancing herself from everyone in her life (to keep them safe) and starts working in the police morgue, where she starts to help a new detective, played by Malcolm Goodwin, solve murders. He thinks she is psychic, but she really gets visions of the murder victims by eating their brains. The only person who knows she is really a zombie is her boss at the morgue, played by Rahul Kohli, who is trying to help Liv find a cure for zombieism. It is another series based on a comic book created by the showrunners of Veronica Mars.

The show is a blend of a case-of-the-week procedural and a serial with larger story arcs playing out throughout the season. The serial arcs eventually come together by the end of the season. It does take a couple episodes to find its groove, but it does so relatively quickly and the formula works well. It sets up a larger story with multiple "bad guys," one of which is played by the great David Anders (from Alias and Heroes) and another that reveals itself later in the season and carries into season 2. Liv's ex-fiance, Major, played by Robert Buckley, has an increasing role in the story as the season goes on, and Aly Michalka, who plays Liv's roommate Payton, is the main recurring character of season 1.

The show was originally only released on DVD and then given an MOD Blu-Ray release. The extras are the same on both the DVD and Blu-Ray and are very light. Those include a few deleted scenes and a portion of the 2015 Comic-Con panel discussion. The comic-con thing is about a half hour and provides insight into what the showrunners were going for, like not adhering strictly to the comic and how the actors approached their roles. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that while the show ran for 5 seasons, only the first three seasons were released on physical media. This is due in large part to a licensing issue that affected season four and then Warner Brothers just decided not to release season 5. You may be able to find bootleg DVDs for the last two seasons, but there were no official releases. So, if you are someone who wants a complete collection of TV series on physical media, you may just want to stream the show.

While some who were familiar with the comic book may hate that the show really just uses the comic as the guide and does not follow it to a t may not like the show, I think anyone who is into the more supernatural/superhero genre of shows and movies who does not fall into that category should give it a chance. It is well written and has a talented ensemble cast with actors who were recognizable but not necessarily household names (and others for whom this is really their first big break). Rose McIver does a great job as Liv and has the range as an actress to play a range of characters because she essentially takes on a new personality each week. She owns the role so much that it is hard to imagine anyone else doing as good a job with that role. Whether you stream the show or buy it on physical media, it is definitely worth checking out. The series was a mid-season pickup and, as such, did not get a ton of hype like many of the shows that start out right away in the fall (that was pretty much reserved for The Flash on the CW in 2015). 

DVD/TV Series Review: Devious Maids: Season 1

 

Devious Maids was a dramedy that ran for four seasons from 2013 to 2016. The first season consisted of 13 episodes that aired during the summer and fall of 2013. The show starred Ana Ortiz, Dania Ramirez, Roselyn Sanchez, and Zoila Diaz, who all worked as maids for various families in Beverly Hills, as well as Rebecca Wisocky, Tom Irwin, Brianna Brown, Brett Cullen, Marina Klaveno, Grant Show, and Susan Lucci as the various rich booses of the maids.  

The show has a very similar feel to Desperate Housewives, which is not unexpected given that it has the same showrunners. Like that show, the women are the main characters. There are many twists and turns, and the show revolves around a main storyline (here, the murder of a maid who was much more than she seemed) with a bunch of ancillary stories around it. The other stories keep the main plot from dominating so much that its resolution results in the end of the series.

For those who get the DVDs, each disc has deleted scenes for the episodes on that particular disc. The final disc has a short making-of feature based on filming in Atlanta and a blooper reel. So, there are not a ton of extras, but what was included is good. It should be noted that while the show ran for four seasons, only season 1 was released on DVD, so if you are one who likes to keep a complete collection of physical media, this is the only season you can get on DVD (and none of the seasons or the complete series was released on Blu-Ray).

The show is a blend of comedy and drama. It plays up and makes fun of a lot of different stereotypes from the crazy and/or corrupt and/or lazy rich society, everyone wanting hot maids (and some pretty funny jokes about having to settle for unattractive ones). The show does a good job of developing the characters and making you care about what is going on with them. Susan Lucci steals every scene she is in, basically playing an exaggerated version (almost a caricature) of the soap opera character she played for years. If you are into evening soap operas, this is definitely worth taking a look at.

 

DVD/Movie Review: Mr. & Mrs. Smith

 

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a 2005 Action/Dark Comedy starring Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Vince Vaughn, Adam Brody, Michelle Monaghan, Jennifer Morrison, and Kerry Washington. The best way I can describe the movie is if you take War of the Roses, combine it with True Lies, and mix in a little Bourne Identity action sequences, you have this movie. In this case, both spouses are agents; neither one knows about the other, and most of the film surrounds what happens after they find out. The two things that make the movie work as well as it does are that it is very well written, mostly tongue in cheek, and the great chemistry between Pitt and Jolie. The two played off each other perfectly, whether it was with comments or even looks, which made the dark comedy moments great.

The supporting cast is good, but they are used very minimally. Vince Vaughn is in the role when he really does the best, as the sidekick wisecracking buddy. Adam Brody of The OC fame and Jennifer Morrison from House and Once Upon a Time have small roles in the movie as well. There are two great action scenes in the movie, one a total spoof on The War of the Roses, and the second a great car chase sequence.

The special edition DVD's extras include about 8 minutes of deleted scenes, an 8-minute making-of feature, and the trailers. There are also three separate commentary tracks on the film from the various filmmakers. Nothing is too extensive, but it's okay for what is there. 

All in all, it is very well written and well acted, and of course, Pitt and Jolie provide eye candy for their respective audiences. So, if you are in the mood for an action movie that has some humor, this is worth the time to watch and/or to add to a physical media collection.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Jennifer's Body

 

Jennifer's Body is a 2009 movie starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, and Chris Pratt. The movie was written by Diablo Cody and is a blend of horror and comedy. The movie does as much to make fun of the horror genre as it does to actually be a horror movie itself. It tells the story of two lifelong friends (Fox and Seyfried) that have grown apart, and Seyfried's character only realizes it after Fox's character is possessed by a demon and starts killing off the boys in their high school. It is not just a hack-and-slash kind of movie, and if that is something that you need in a horror movie, then best to just skip this. 

The A/V quality of the movie on Blu-ray is very good, and for those who do get the discs, there is quite a bit of behind-the-scenes and making of material. You also get the theatrical and unrated versions of the film. The unrated version just adds a little more footage but is not radically different than the theatrical version. There are commentary tracks on both editions of the movie by Cody and the director of the movie, Karyn Kusama. Then there are deleted scenes, a gag reel, trailers for other movies, and almost an hour's worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Ultimately, whether you like this or not is going to be totally subjective. I don't think you have to like it because Diablo Cody wrote it, or a particular actor or actress is in it, but chances are if you are fans of any of the individuals involved, and the horror genre (depending on your tastes) you will like it. There are funny moments, gory moments, and even dramatic moments in the story, and they all work well. The acting is decent to good. The script was good. The script was generally much better than what you get in a lot of horror movies, but there were some eye-rolling moments here and there. There is not the gratuitous nudity that you get in a lot of horror movies. Megan Fox is in some skimpy outfits, but everything stays covered up. There is however a good two-minute sequence of her and Amanda Seyfried making out which is as spectacular as it sounds (if you are into that sort of thing). So, if you are looking for something that is not a cookie-cutter kind of horror movie, this is worth the time to watch.