DVD reviews for D.O.A.: To Hell N' Back, Doctor Who: The Time Of The Doctor, Dragon City: Puk Rock In China, Forward 13: Waking Up The American Dream, Metallica: Through The Never, Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Volume XXIX, Trancendence, Veep: The Complete Second Season and The Venure Bros.: Season Five.
DVD Reviews
Film Reviews
VEEP: The Complete Second Season Blu-Ray
HBO Home Entertainment
Street: 03.25
Julia Louis-Dreyfus headlines as the first female Vice President in what I hoped would be a raunchier Parks and Recreation. While it is definitely not safe for network television, it is not the inspiring and adorably dorky show I wished for. The “Veep” is a power hungry, popular vote grabber who seems lazy and often her choices lead to disastrous public relations nightmares. Julia Louis-Dreyfus absolutely delivers as a comedic actress, and each scenario she’s placed in has the possibility to push me to the edge of my seat and bury my face in hummus because of all the awkwardness. However, the rising plots seem to plateau and resolve without producing as much face-burying as I would like. Not to say the cast isn’t spot on—featuring Tony Hale (Arrested Development) and Matt Walsh (Hung) who always deliver when it comes to painful, awkward comedy. The second season is much like the first, but everyone pushes it further with gusto (I think the Emmy nominations provide motivation). –Rebecca Frost
The Venture Bros.: Season Five
Turner Home Entertainment
Street: 03.04
A show like The Venture Bros. hasn’t earned cult status by pumping out hundreds of episodes and an endless supply of DVD collections. They earned it by making quality episodes that you can’t wait to see. The fifth season may only be eight episodes long, but the Blu-Ray edition makes up for it in spades. The first being that this season isn’t split into two like Season Four was, a move that pissed off fans as a clear ploy to make more money off a single season. Every episode, including the two bonus episodes from “Halloween” and “Shallow Gravy,” have been added in. The special features selection includes deleted scenes and animatics that were left on the floor (some for good reasons), as well as an extended audio clip from one of the former members of Sphynx that is just ridiculous and very “Venture” in its own right. But the best addition has to be the audio commentary, where creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer rant about whatever they feel like chatting about as the episodes play. This is a must-own, especially since you can only find Season 1 on Netflix. –Gavin Sheehan
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