DVD Round Up, April 21, 2009: ‘Skins,’ ‘Squidbillies,’ ‘The Burrowers’

CHICAGO – Things are a little light in the world of the DVD Round-Up, HollywoodChicago.com’s popular feature that grabs titles that may have fallen through the cracks while you were busy refreshing your Netflix queue to see if “The Reader [17],” “Frost/Nixon [18],” and “The Wrestler [19]” are going to ever be shipped your way.

This week’s Round-Up may be missing an Oscar winner like Kate Winslet [20], but there’s some definite quality here including a buzzed indie horror film, a beloved BBC hit, and one of the best shows on Cartoon Network [4]’s Adult Swim [2]. Do your part and pick up one of these at least for rent. Broaden your horizons.

“Skins: Volume Two” was released on April 14th, 2009.

“Squidbillies: Volume Two” and “The Burrowers” were released on April 21st, 2009.

“The Burrowers”

Photo credit: Lionsgate

“The Burrowers” stars William Mapother, Sean Patrick Thomas, Doug Hutchison, Karl Geary, and Clancy Brown. It was written and directed by JT Perry. It is rated R.

“It is 1879 in the Dakota Territories. A handful of brave pioneers maintain isolated settlements in the badlands beyond civilization. Irish Immigrant Fergus Coffey is near to winning the hand of his beloved Maryanne when she is suddenly taken from him, her family brutally abducted in a nighttime attack on their homestead. Suspicion falls immediately on hostile Indians. Experienced Indian fighters Will Parcher and John Clay form a posse and set out to rescue the kidnapped settlers, taking along a naïve teenager hoping to prove himself a man, an ex-slave looking to find his place in the world and their ranch-hand, Coffey. But as men vanish in the night and horrific evidence accumulates with the dead and dying, the group discovers that their prey is far more terrifying than anything human, and their prospects are far more terrible than death.”

“The Burrowers” is presented in 16x9 widescreen with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio with a Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio tracks. Special features include “The Burrowers: Making a Horror Western,” “Digging Up The Burrowers: Creating the Monster,” and a commentary by writer/director JT Petty and actor Karl Geary.

“Skins: Volume Two”

Photo credit: Warner Brothers

“Skins: Volume Two” stars Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel, Mike Bailey, Hannah Murray, April Pearson, Joseph Dempsie, Mitch Hewer, and Larissa Wilson. It was created by Bryan Eisley & Jamie Brittain. It is not rated.

“It’s been six months since Tony’s collision with a bus - remarkably, he isn’t dead, but he sure isn’t the same person. Sid can’t get his head around the fact that his best mate is a shadow of the man he’s always looked up to. And to top it off he finally got the girl, Cassie, only to have her whisked off to Scotland. Sod’s law! Michelle is lost without Tony, too. Maxxie’s got hell at home because his Dad doesn’t want him to follow his dream of being a dancer. Even Anwar has changed since he bagged himself a secret girlfriend. Jal is throwing off the good girl image and letting her hair down. While party animal Chris is stepping out on his own. And while all around is falling apart, it’s Effy who’s taking control.”

The ten episodes of “Skins: Volume Two” are presented in 16x9 enhanced widescreen with a Dolby Stereo audio track. Special features include 5bonus “Skins” stories, the Christmas special, and auditions.

“Squidbillies: Volume Two”

Photo credit: Warner Brothers

There is no official synopsis of the second volume of “Squidbillies” to provide but it’s really all there in the title, isn’t it? It’s about hillbilly squids. To be fair, the back of the box does say, “More of America’s favorite American cartoon, made for Americans, by Americans, in America, God bless America, U.S.A.” What more do you need to know?

Honestly, I usually avoid opinion in the Round-Up column, trying to simply provide the details of what’s available instead of critical opinion, but if you’ve ever enjoyed an Adult Swim show and have yet to see “Squidbillies,” check it out. Do you like “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” “Venture Bros.” or “Metalocalypse”? Then you’ll find something to like in this twisted little gem of a show.

“Volume Two” includes 20 episodes on two discs, all presented in standard full-frame with 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks. Special features include “Dragonbillies,” “Squidbillies Circle Jerk 2: Return of the Self-Congratulation,” “Funny Pete Stuff,” “Art + Music,” and “Dragon*Con 2008”.

[21]	By BRIAN TALLERICO [22] Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com [21]