HollywoodChicago.com DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Frustrating USA Mini-Series ‘Political Animals’

Political Animals

CHICAGOUSA’s mini-series “Political Animals” should have been one of the TV events of 2012. Instead it was just one of its biggest disappointments. That cast! That subject! In a political, election season! Zzzzzzz. Sadly, the creators of “Political Animals” delivered a program more like “Dallas” than “The West Wing” and viewers tuned out to the degree that the potential second season was canned. Now we can see what went wrong in one lackluster DVD set.

DVD Review: Classic Version of ‘Lord of the Flies’ Gets Criterion Upgrade

Lord of the Flies

CHICAGO – Nearly every student has to read William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” at some point and film goers of the right age might remember Harry Hook’s 1990 version of the classic tale with Balthazar Getty, but the best adaptation of the timeless allegory is Peter Brook’s 1963 version, recently upgraded to Criterion Blu-ray and re-released on Criterion DVD with a new, restored 4K digital transfer.

DVD Review: ‘Last Resort: The Complete Series’ Offers History of Doomed Show

Last Resort (cropped)

CHICAGO – Around a year ago, I named Shawn Ryan’s excellent “Last Resort” the most-promising new show of the Fall season. I think I need to relabel that this year to “creatively promising,” for while I knew Ryan and his crew here had a chance to produce something special, I also worried that ABC was dooming it on Thursday nights.

DVD Review: Complete Set For ‘Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids’

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

CHICAGO – Bill Cosby’s “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” was more than mere Saturday morning cartoon. Maybe you didn’t realize it at the time but it was a show, looking back on it now, that really pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable subject matter in children’s entertainment. Most importantly, it didn’t treat its audience like kids, knowing that some were forced to grow up more quickly than the generation before them. It’s a great show to be given the complete series treatment and Shout Factory delivers.

DVD Review: ‘Best of Warner Bros. 20 Film Collection: Comedy’

20 Film Collection Comedy

CHICAGO – The “Best of Warner Bros.” series of DVD box sets increased by one last week with the 4th edition (following Best Pictures, Musicals, and Romance) of the 20 Film Collection versions of this series (one can also buy a massive 100 Film Collection set on DVD and a 50 Film Collection on Blu-ray). The new release centers on comedies released by the legendary studio from 1935 (“A Night at the Opera”) to 2009 (“The Hangover”).

DVD Review: ‘Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness’ Won’t Annoy Parents

Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness

CHICAGO – That headline may seem like ridiculously faint praise. As a parent of two boys who love TV, trust me when I tell you that it’s not. There is some incredibly smart TV aimed at kids — “Adventure Time,” “Phineas & Ferb” — but a lot of it fails to pass the test that you won’t want to jump out a window when your rugrat wants to watch it on repeat. “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomess,” not unlike another DreamWorks movie-turned-show in “The Penguins of Madagascar,” isn’t as ambitious or clever as the best children’s TV but it’s also far from the bottom of the barrel. It’s reasonably entertaining and if your kid liked “Kung Fu Panda” or “Kung Fu Panda 2,” this first DVD release of the show will more than satisfy.

DVD Review: First Season of Sundance Channel’s Riveting ‘Rectify’

Rectify

CHICAGO – As excellent as the current state of writing is in television, even our best programs often fit neatly into genres. It’s a three-party system — drama, comedy, and reality. And some of our most critically-acclaimed shows are so because of how they play within audience expectations (“Homeland,” “Parks & Recreation”) and not how they push them.

DVD Review: Capture Comedy Genius with ‘No Pryor Restraint: Life in Concert’

No Pryor Restraint

CHICAGO – One of the most remarkable and influential elements of Richard Pryor’s groundbreaking stand-up comedy was how completely bare he laid himself on stage through his art. He held nothing back. He shared not only jokes but personal stories, including the dark stuff. And so when Shout Factory named their massive tribute to the comedian “Life in Concert,” they got something absolutely right.

DVD Review: ‘It’s a Disaster’ Sadly Lives Up to Its Name

It's a Disaster DVD

CHICAGO – The summer movie season has barely begun, and I’m already sick to death of the apocalypse. It seems to have pervaded every mainstream genre, from action-packed thrillers to raunchy comedies. I’ll take a hilarious mess like “This Is the End” over grim sci-fi junk like “Oblivion” and “After Earth” any day, simply because it delivers its cautionary message with tongue-in-cheek exuberance.

DVD Review: Fifth Season of ‘Breaking Bad’ Stuffed with Extras

Breaking Bad S5

CHICAGO – Sony knows that AMC’s “Breaking Bad” has one of the most loyal fan bases in television and so have released increasingly impressive Blu-ray and DVD season sets of the Emmy Award-winning program. The latest, the first half of the fifth season that aired in Summer 2012, comes with EIGHT HOURS of special features, including an exclusive scene, deleted scenes, and star-filled commentaries on every single episode. It’s one of the most impressive TV releases of the season for arguably the best show on TV.

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  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

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