season Archives - Page 15 of 22

Ryan Cartwright reflects on season 2 of Syfy’s “Alphas”

Ryan Cartwright is known best for his role of Gary Bell on Syfy’s “Alphas”. The show just wrapped up its second season, with a very shocking ending. The show has not been picked up for a third season as of yet, so if you want more “Alphas”, make yourself heard! Ryan took out sometime to chat with Media Mikes again, read our season 1 wrap-up here, to chat about this season and his upcoming guest starring role on “The Big Bang Theory” and what he is currently playing on his XBOX 360.

Mike Gencarelli: Now having played the role of Gary for two seasons in “Alphas”, how does season two for you compare to the first?
Ryan Cartwright: I have found that he has become a lot more isolated and on his own. He is a kindred spirit with now dead Anna and her message. He doesn’t really trust Dr. Rosen or anyone anymore. He probably loves them in his heart but doesn’t trust them. He sees that everyone has their own motives. They are going against what he believes is the purest belief of the Alphas from Dr. Rosen’s original message. So it is just a lot more isolated but also a bit more confident as well. He seems to have come in his own this past season.

MG: The finale left us all in shock with Gary being the last man standing, any insight into what happened?
RC: I don’t know. They always end them on these cliffhangers and I don’t know what they are planning…if and when we come back. I was just glad to be the only one standing [laughs]. You can’t kill the autistic kid. You just can’t.

MG: Have there been any talks at all if a third season is in the cards?
RC: It is down to the viewing figures, which I think we’re pretty solid throughout. It was difficult going up again Monday Night Football every week. I think we did pretty well. They are going to sit down now and go some market research and see what people think. So it is up to the money guys.

MG: Your character definitely dealt with a lot more issues like the death of Anna, your mother’s hospitalization etc; how did you prepare for this emotional aspects?
RC: I think with Gary it is more of a technical approach. He doesn’t show emotions the same as everyone else. I think the most emotional he has gotten was when Anna died. It was more tearing up from frustration. With his mum being ill, he understands it but it doesn’t affect him emotionally. He is just dealing with the circumstances. Just the technicalities of what that means and he can’t help but kind of think about himself and stay in the first person with it. It is hard for him to see others point-of-view. I think it just harbors back to the research I have done and just filtering it through that.

MG: You mentioned last time we spoke about the research you did for the role, did you find you had to do anymore research for this season?
RC: I really did enough to begin with. I felt that the character was then about to speak for himself. I think he successfully did that the first season and now has come into his own. I just went with what I had already created and all of the writers and producers were on the same page. It was just keeping that character’s continuity in these situations.

MG: Do you have a favorite experience or episode from season two?
RC: There was one were we all went out to the forest called “Alphaville”. That was pretty fun. It was a nice change from being at the studio. It was like a big camping trip for the cast. That is the one that I remember the most but it was also the biggest change for us not being in the studio.

MG: We recently spoke Summer Glau and we need to get a campaign going to get her as series regular.
RC: Yeah! She was in this season for a fair amount of episodes. It is up to the producers and where they want to take it. I think it is that line between what people what and what they want and then what they want. It will come down to creativity rubbing up against monetary things.

MG: Tell us about your guest starring role on “The Big Bang Theory” this November?
RC: What it was is that the creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady really like “Alphas”. They are big fans of the show. I wasn’t sure if I would like it but it was great. I am not sure if they are going to call me back and continue the storyline. To be honest though, I don’t do much in it. They got me in for the role of Cole and I am suppose to play this British intimidating person that Johnny Galecki’s character Leonard is jealous that he is going to steals Penny’s intentions. I haven’t done live studio since I was back in England, which I did a fair bit there. “Alphas” is hard work but this was fun and easy. It was also right around the corner from me, so I just hoped on the bus.

MG: Hopefully you can come back. We need to get a twitter campaign going for that as well.
RC: I would love to. I only got to do a little bit but I really wanted to do more. Once you experience the audience clapping live, you get just want to do it again. Yes, those Twitter campaigns always succeed [laughs].

MG: Last time we spoke you said you are fans of video games, what are you currently playing?
RC: I just got “Dishonored”, which is amazing. “Assassins Creed III” is about to come out. As well as “Halo 4”, so boys and I are going to go crazy for that. Zack Pen, the creator of “Alphas”, is taking us down to Microsoft for a big gaming party there. It will probably just be us getting our asses handed to us by the Microsoft employees.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: 2, alphas, cartwright, reflects, ryan, season, ...

Blu-ray Review “Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Complete Season Four”

Actors: Tom Kane, Dee Bradley Baker, Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, Matthew Wood
Directors: Dave Filoni
Rated: Unrated
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Run Time: 506 minutes

Season: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is like a fine wine…it gets better with age. The first season was decent, the second was good, the third was great and the the fourth season is simply the best. It is extremely rare that a show only gets better as it develops. It just shows how plentiful and deep the Star Wars universe really is. I mean bringing back from the dead, Darth Maul, was one of the best choices that this series has made to date. Usually with shows, the start to loose their ideas and creative steam but not Dave Filoni and his amazing team. This show only seems to get more dark, deep and intense as the series moves on, don’t even get me started on the current fifth season. All 22 Action-Packed episodes are included beautiful here in high definition. “Star Wars” fans don’t miss this highly recommended release!

Official Premise: In its critically acclaimed fourth season, the battle to save the galaxy reaches new heights of peril and new depths of darkness. The valiant Jedi Knights and clone troopers defend exotic planets from enemy forces. They wage war underwater, battle across a night-shrouded world and take on the merciless Death Watch. Our heroes are tested like never before as Anakin is haunted by the realities of his past, Ahsoka fights to free her people, and an undercover Obi-Wan braves a deadly bounty hunter tournament. Season Four culminates with the shocking return of a villain from the past: the ruthless Darth Maul, who will stop at nothing to achieve vengeance.

The Blu-ray presentation is quite impressive with its 1080p transfer and 2.35:1 aspect ratio. You sometimes forget that this is a TV series since the quality on the show challenges many feature films. The cinematic aspect of this series is amped more with its surround sound pouding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, you literally find yourself dodging lightsabers and blaster fires. The special features are also very impressive with more than six-and-a-half hours of extras. I really enjoyed the idea of the video commentaries, which run about two hours. First up we have the “Jedi Temple Archives”, which adds up to almost five hours in itself. It covers everything from deleted scenes to development reels to focus on various aspects of animation, character designs, storyboards and much, much, much more. If you are fan of the series, you will be watching these without blinking one.

There are five super engaging and very informative commentaries with supervising director Dave Filoni and company. The episodes chosen for this are “The Battle of Mon Cala” three-episode arc (“Water War,” “Gungan Attack” and “Prisoners”), “The Darkened World of Umbara” four-episode arc (“Darkness of Umbara,” “The General,” “Plan of Dissent” and “Carnage of Krell”), “The Slaves of Zygerria” three-episode arc (“Kidnapped,” “Slaves of the Republic” and “Escape from Kadavo”), “The Obi-Wan Undercover” four-episode arc (“Deception,” “Friends and Enemies,” “The Box” and “Crisis on Naboo”) and my favorite “The Darth Maul Returns” four-episode arc (“Massacre,” “Bounty,” “Brothers” and “Revenge”). Easily these are the best special features to date out of all four of the seasons.

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Blu-ray Review “Metalocalypse: Season IV- Church of the Black Klok”

Starring: Tommy Blacha, Brendon Small, Mark Hamill, Victor Brandt, Malcolm McDowell
Directors: Tommy Blacha, Brendon Small
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Cartoon Network
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Run Time: 144 minutes

Season: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 Out of 5 stars

When I first heard about “Metalocalypse” back in 2006, I was excited since I am big fan of brutal music and also Adult Swim’s animated show. The show has developed so well over the years and has consistently blown away any expectations I had. The show recently completed its fourth season on Adult Swim and has been the best season since the first. This season the show also returns to its original 11-minute long episode format, which I persoanlly preferred. It is so amazing to realize how far this virtual death metal band Dethklok has come since 2006 with CDs and tours. This show is totally brutal and I honestly cannot get enough of this. This release also includes a bonus of the entire season available to watch using Ultraviolet digital streaming copy. Now we just need to get seasons one and two put out on Blu-ray. You get that Adult Swim?

“Season four of “Metalocalypse” begins with our heroes, extreme metal gods Dethklok, as they ejoin from the sky to the earth to confront the evils that lay before all-human kind: the evils of dating fans; the evils of perceived racism, of the ‘tell-all’ books, of the bullying helpless diabeties, and the evil of fellatio. Will Dethklok face their fears or will they self-destruct when they world needs them most? The Metalocalypse continues…” Also the truth behind the shadowy organization, the Tribunal is starting to reveal itself and its mission to end Dethklok.

The fourth season contains the following episodes: “Fanklok”, “Diversityklok”, “Prankklok”,” Motherklok”, “Bookklok”, “Writersklok”, “Dethcamp”, “Dethvanity”, “Going Downklok”, “Dethdinner”, “Breakup Klok”, “Church of the Black Klok”. This season features guest appearances from some awesome talent like Corpsegrinder (Cannibal Corpse), Cam Pipes (Three Inches of Blood), Dweezil Zappa, actor Jon Hamm (Mad Men), and director Werner Herzog (Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans).

The Blu-ray presentation on this season is an nice improvement over season three. It is presented it in its 1.78:1 broadcast ratio and looks sharp in its 1080p transfers. The star of the release though has to be the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track, since the show is based around music and this does not disappoint. There are also some decent special features, adding up another two hours of bonus content. There is fun interactive “Facebones DethGame”, which has some decent replay value. There is a sweet tribute to all the brutal fan art that was submitted to the show. There is a montage sequence included for the “Black Klok”. There is also “StaresDowns” with the band, a feature called “MurderThoughts”, A “Pickles Flyby” and a Tribunal BTS featurette. The feature that steals the show though is “Nathan reads Shakespeare #4: A Comedy of Errors” this is a 90 minute feature film and is a must see for fans!

2012 is a big year for Adult Swim’s virtual death metal band Dethklok. They are headlining a 34 date concert tour this Fall and also they just released a new album, “Dethalbum III”. The album also just debuted at #10 in the Billboard 200, which is the highest that series has ever achieved. If you are a fan of “Metalocalypse”, you should be doing back flips for all this brutality. Now we just have to wait for a fifth (and hopefully not last season) from Brendon Small. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take another two years to release that. But at least for the time being we can mosh it out at the concerts and blast the new tunes!

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Glenn Howerton & Rob McElhenney chat about new season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”

Season eight of FX’s hit “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” kicked off on October 11th with the discovery that Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day) was in the possession of an original painting by Hitler while Dennis and Dee Reynolds (Glenn Howerton and Kaitlin Olson) mulled over whether or not to pull the plug on its previous owner, their dying Nazi grandfather, Pop Pop. Sounds like things are just about normal for the gang at Paddy’s pub. Creators, and two of the stars of the show, Rob McElhenney and Howerton, discussed writing the heightened world of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia starting with that season-opening artwork.

Glenn Howerton: That painting was actually in Charlie’s apartment during the second season of the show. That was basically just set decoration in the second season. Interestingly enough, we actually were the ones that when we got into editing and we were watching the show—all the episodes of Season 2, that painting stood out to us so much, too much, it was too distracting. We actually said we never want to see that painting again. Take it down. Get rid of it because it’s just a shining, white, weird painting in the background of every Charlie’s apartment scene.

Rob McElhenney: We had so many fans and so many comments, asking about it. When we took it down, people were irate.

Howerton: Yes. They were like, what happened to that dog painting? We loved that dog painting. We kept thinking, the scenes aren’t supposed to be about a painting of a dog in the background. We just felt like it was too distracting, but we always wanted to bring it back in some way.

Another recently solved series mystery was the revelation of Mac’s real name.

From the last season finale, did you always know that ‘Mac’ was going to be Ronald McDonald, or is that something that just occurred to you? Will you have a similar revelation with The Waitress?

McElhenney: We’ve been talking about that for a while.

Howerton: We’ve been talking about what ‘Mac’s’ name is for a long time. I think we came up with the idea that his real name was Ronald MacDonald a while ago; like a couple years ago. We also thought it was so ridiculous we weren’t sure if we ever really wanted to reveal it or if we did that it would ever actually be that. So, we finally decided to do it. As far as The Waitress goes, we don’t have any plans as of now to ever tell anyone what her name is. Although she does have a name and we do know what it is.

The Waitress, played by Charlie Day’s real-life spouse Mary Elizabeth Ellis is one of several recurring characters that fans have seen develop (or in many cases, regress) over the past eight seasons. Among some favorites we saw in the eighth season premiere were Brian Unger’s The Lawyer and David Hornsby’s Rickety Cricket.

Was it more of a gradual development or was it just planned that you would start adding more supporting characters in the show, and open up what was a little more of an insular world with the three leads?

McElhenney: As we built out the show and built out the characters, we realized that what we were creating was a bit of an alternate universe. Certainly, the stakes are just as high as real life, but the results are a little bit different. These people—I was counting how many major car accidents my character has been in over the last seven years. I think I’ve had five or six head-on collisions. I don’t seem to have any—maybe some brain damage, but the character doesn’t seem to have any physical scars. Clearly, we’re creating a heightened reality. When we started joking about who else lives in this universe, who else lives in this world, it just made us laugh. That helped broaden our scope, which I think only adds to the comedy.

Howerton: Maybe more of a parallel universe that an alternate, a completely alternate one; slightly heightened reality, yes.

Asked what guest stars viewers can expect to see popping up in this alternate universe Philly, Howerton and McElhenney had some exciting names for the new season:

Howerton: We’ve got a really fun guest star role for Sean Combs this year; P. Diddy. I’m excited for people to see it. I think it’s very, very different from anything that, at least I’ve ever seen him do, on anything. We’re excited about that.

McElhenney: Guillermo del Toro.

McElhenney: Yes, Guillermo del Toro, the director, writer, producer is also, we found out, a big fan of the show. Charlie just did a movie with him [Pacific Rim] so he really wanted to do a guest star so we wrote him in this year, too. It’s really funny.

McElhenney and Howerton also offered some insight into their writing process for the show.

When you’re writing your episodes, do you have favorite teams that you guys like to work with? The gang is so often shifting alliances, even within one episode.

Howerton: We do try to keep tabs of that, actually, to a certain degree. We try to mix it up as much as possible, so that the same pairing isn’t happening all season long.

McElhenney: Sometimes we’ll find that, too. Where we’ll break three or four episodes in a row and realize that we have ‘Dee’ and ‘Frank’ together for those three or four episodes and we’ll realize that we’ve got to break them up a little bit.

Are there a certain set of criteria that do go in to breaking a story, that you find that you have to have a certain set of criteria?

Howerton: Most importantly, what we’re always talking about is, for as unbelievable as some of the storylines may seem, we have to believe that the characters believe that what they’re doing gets them what they want. That’s the most important aspect of breaking a story, so it doesn’t just feel like a series of funny events. That we really justify why these characters are acting the way that they do. That’s the major criteria that I follow. Of course, we like to tie things up and tie things together. That’s good story writing.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia airs every Thursday at 10pm on FX.

DVD Review “Check It Out with Dr. Steve Brule: Season 1 & 2”

Actors: John C. Reilly, Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Carol Kraft, Doug Foster
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Cartoon Network
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Run Time: 132 minutes

Series: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

I am a fun fan of anything that comes out of the mind of the comedy duo Tim and Eric from “Tom Goes to the Mayor” to “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!”. So I understand their rare brand of comedy and obviously this is not for everyone. John C. Reilly is total gold playing Dr. Steve Brule. “Check It Out with Dr. Steve Brule” is a fantastic spin-off from the madness that was created by Tim and Eric. The show itself is even more awkward that its predecessors but it works…oh so well. I recommend this show very highly…for your health! Where’s season three Adult Swim?

“Check It Out” Season 1 and 2 includes all 12 episodes from the series. It is a parody of a local market’s news magazine show starring Oscar-nominee John C. Reilly as Dr. Steve Brule. Each week our host Dr. Brule will introduce his audiences to local celebrities and interesting things around town as well as providing health and lifestyle tips. Produced by John C. Reilly ands Absolutely Productions.

I was hoping for some great special features here but they are most M.I.A. The only present extras are some deleted and extended scenes. They are a nice continuous of the show but I feel like they could have done so much more. I would have loved to seen some commentary tracks from Dr. Steve Brule and maybe even Jan and Wayne Skylar all in character. But nonetheless, this DVD is a must purchase for all fans of Tim and Eric’s work and those looking to see Reilly in one of his most zaniest and funniest performances.

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Adam Green and Joe Lynch talk about FEARnet’s “Holliston” and Season 2 plans!

Adam Green and Joe Lynch are the masterminds behind the hit FEARnet sitcom “Holliston”. The first season of the show has just recently been released on Blu-ray and DVD and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with the guys about their favorite moments and what we can expect from season two.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some back ground on how you were able to get Dee Snider and Dave Brockie involved with the show?
Adam Green: I have had a very long friendship with Dee Snyder. I actually came up with the Lance Rocket character when I was DJing at the Rainbow Bar and Grill on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. The place is a heavy metal hang out but it’s also like a time capsule where guys in there 50’s and 60’s don’t realize the 80’s are over. It’s hilarious but sad at the same time. The design of “Holliston” is that every character has a dream beyond what their day job is. When I approached everyone about 4 years ago Dee was the only one who was going to be playing a fictitious character. The rest of us would play similar versions of our real selves. Dee was a little apprehensive about the role. He told me that he was never anything like this guy but a lot people thought he was because of Twisted Sister’s imagery. He had spent the last 20 years trying to redefine himself and now we wanted him to play this role. Thankfully after he read the script he thought it was funny and that it would give him a chance to poke fun at that whole stigma. Dee is having a blast. With Dave aka Oderus I have known for 13 years that there was going to be an imaginary alien in my closet that gives me advice. I have been a lifelong Gwar fan and have hoped it would be him. Thankfully this show took so long to get made I was at a point to where I could reach out to anyone I wanted. The guys were aware of me and Dave was a very quick yes.
Joe Lynch: It is so crazy that both of those guys are in it. Being an instant fan of Gwar from the first time I saw them and having known Dee from when my Dad used to ride bikes with him is just awesome. I am very glad the show happened when it did as Adam was able to say this is the cast I want.

AL: Where there any reservations about signing to FEARnet due to their limited coverage?
AG: That is what really made the show possible. This show had been developed for a major network at one point over its 13 year process. When it was in development at the major network the first draft of the show came out and it wasn’t even my show anymore. If I had gone with that version of the show I would have only been doing it for the money. With Fear net coming in to existence and being a startup network has given us the opportunity to become the flag ship show. Creatively we could do exactly what we wanted. There were some limitations due to just getting started and not being on every provider but, most people these days don’t watch a show when it actually airs. They watch it afterwards on DVD or Netflix. We got in on the ground level and are very important to them as we are their first original show. So far we are their only originally show. We have their undivided attention. They make those shows with us which is a great experience. I don’t think it would be the way it is anywhere else. We look at Fear net still getting their footing as a positive thing.

AL: Is there a moment from season one that sticks out for you both as a highlight?
JL: It is hard to pick just one moment. The first episode for me was definitely a highlight. This was the first time that we got to see ourselves in this format. There is something completely surreal about seeing yourself in a sitcom. There’s this very strange moment where you think “oh my god I’m on a TV show”. It’s a shock and awe moment. When you watch that first episode we start in the Movie Crypt and end in the Holliston Grill. To see that all happen and having to myself drink all those black coffees is something I will never forget. Watching that arc from episode 1 to episode 6 which features a ton of guest stars was really great.
AG: We didn’t shoot the episodes in order. In fact the pilot was one of the final episodes we shot. We did that because I never want to shoot the beginning of the movie first. That’s the time when people are still finding their footing. We shot the “Candy Man” episode first which featured Tony Todd. It’s funny when we read reviews where they are talking about the pilot and how we are just finding our way but by episode 3/4 we are hitting our stride. That’s not true. That is the audience hitting their stride. The first two or three episodes you watch you are still getting in to it and becoming attached to the characters. Shooting that pilot with the show being so autobiographical was tough at times. The scene where I first see Cory and her new boyfriend was a very emotional scene for me as it was real and I had to keep doing it over and over. Everyone loved it and thought it was great but I was just dying inside. I will never forget that.

AL:Special guest-wise, who can we be watching for in season two?
AG: Kane Hodder and Daniel Harris will both be back in season 2. We also have David Naughton from “American Werewolf in London” and James Gunn the director of “Slither. Sid Haig will also make an appearance this season. There will be a lot of guests. We have been very lucky to have people like Derek Meers and everyone else involved again this season. We really wanted people who you saw in season 1 come back as it feels natural being “Holliston” has a small town setting. It’s something very natural. When an audience likes a certain character you want to try and keep them around. Even Cory’s boyfriend will be back. People just love him. There are some names we are holding back on purpose as we want there to be some surprises.

AL: Has there been a specific air date scheduled for season two?
AG: We know that it will probably air around the same time as season 1 did last year. We haven’t heard the actual date yet however it will most likely be spring time. My guess would be May or June. There will be 10 episodes as well as a Christmas episode which will air in December. What’s great about the Christmas special is it’s not your average stand alone hour special. It really acts as the connective tissue between season one and two. A lot of really big shit goes down between characters that set up things in season 2. We are really excited for this episode. I am editing it now and I think it will air in either the second or third week of December.

AL: Do either of you have any updates on “Killer Pizza” or “Knights of Badassdom”?
AG: As of now I am only the writer on “Killer Pizza”. It is a big studio movie meaning that things move incredibly slow. The writing process was a solid two years. A lot of that time was spent waiting for contracts and re-writes. I am now done with my contractual commitments to the script and it has been submitted to MGM. I haven’t heard anything either way but I wouldn’t expect to this soon. Hopefully something happens with the movie as I would love to see it get made. It is a really fun movie.
JL: That is kind of the same thing with “Knights of Badassdom”. My work is done so now it comes down to the people financing the film. I have heard the film will be out sometime next year. I have my fingers crossed just like everyone else.

AL: Can you tell us a little about “Everly”?
JL: Right now we are doing a lot of prepping and casting. The film is a really ambitious thriller that is completely different from the things we have done before. This is something that I have kind of always wanted to do. I co-wrote the film and we hope to start shooting in January. Things have been a little tough because of casting and other commitments. I also didn’t want this to get in the way of the work on “Holliston”.

AL: Any other projects you guys would like to mention?
AG: We are just about finished with post on “Hatchet III”. I have not heard the release date yet. The intention was to have it out in America by early 2013. Recently in an effort to help stop pirating distributors have started coordinating release dates worldwide so that may hold things up a bit. Until the talks are done between all of the people distributing the film I won’t know an exact release date. I will also be continuing my work on a documentary with artist Alex Pardee titled “Digging up the Marrow”. That has been sort of a side project the past year or so but I hope to be able to free up some more time to get that film completed. There also a few other things Joe and I are in talk to work on but we can’t say anything just yet about those.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: adam, green, holliston, joe, lynch, season, ...

DVD Review “Drinking Made Easy: Season 2”

Actors: Zane Lamprey, Stephen McKenna
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Run Time: 614 minutes

Season: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I was a fan of Zane Lamprey and his crazy drinking madness since the days of “Three Sheets”. “Drinking Made Easy” is a fun show but it definitely is not for everyone. This DVD contains all 24 episodes from the outrageous second season. I never thought I would say this is possible but after watching this show, I personally have no desire to drink ever again. If you are a fan of this show season three has already started on HDNet on October 3rd. There are thirteen new episodes airing from October 3rd. So the madness continues…if his liver can survive.

Official Premise: Join the “Indiana Jones of drinking”, Zane Lamprey, with his buddies Steve McKenna and Pleepleus as they tour the U.S. looking for the best drinks, drinkers, and watering holes. Each week Zane and Steve visit a new city and explore its history, nightlife, and the local drinking culture. They are on a mission to show what libations and drinking lifestyles this fine nation has to offer and, of course, to make drinking easy!

It is hard to believe that one person is able to do as much drinking as Zane does. This season he made stops in the following cities: Maui, Kauai, Monterrey, Key West, Miami, Tampa, St. Augustine, Savannah, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Newport, Cape Cod, Portland, Memphis, Nashville, Asheville, Charlotte, Charleston, Seattle, Vancouver, Spokane, Missoula, Santa Barbara and Aspen.

There is also no shortage of special features on this DVD. There is a commentary track from Zane and the crew of the show. There is the one-hour special included as a bonus episode, which is called “Ultra Premium Imperial Reserve Platinum Epsecial”. Fun stuff, definitely worth checking out for sure. Lastly, there are additional bonus scenes from a few episodes and also some extended interviews.

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Blu-ray Review “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Complete Season 7”

Actors: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito
Directors: Matt Shakman, Randall Einhorn
Rated: Unrated
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: October 9, 2012
Run Time: 286 minutes

Episodes: 4 out of 5 Stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Official Synopsis: In season 7 see the Gang prepare for the apocalypse, hit the beach at the Jersey Shore, produce a child beauty pageant, and take a walk down memory lane at their high school reunion. As they say, some things never change. So prepare for more depraved schemes, half-baked arguments and absurdly underhanded plots to subvert one another.

First airing in 2005, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has never failed to tackle timely subject matters through the uniquely twisted eyes of the Paddy’s Pub gang. Season seven, which kicked off with a dead hooker (“Frank’s Pretty Woman”) and covered everything from social networks to child beauty pageants, was no exception.

If Sweet Dee’s (Kaitlin Olsen) pregnancy was the notable addition to the sixth season, season seven was the year of “Fat Mac.” Series creator and executive producer Rob McElhenney put on fifty pounds for the sake of trying out its comedic possibilities. While McElhenney has shed the weight in the current season which began on October 11th, the decision paid off in spades in episodes on this set such as “How Mac Got Fat” and “The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore” (where Mac and Danny DeVito’s Frank introduced the world to getting drunk off of Rum Ham).

The Jersey Shore episode was definitely a season highlight in a year where the gang was so often found outside of their base at Paddy’s pub–a major leap forward for Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day), who up until this season just couldn’t seem to make it out of the city limits successfully. Other season highlights include “Chardee Macdennis: The Game of Games” featuring a twisted combination drinking-board-physical-challenge game that only the Always Sunny gang could devise, and the two part High School Reunion finale. The latter of which corralled, for all intents and purposes, the rogues gallery of Always Sunny nemeses from past seasons including guest stars Judy Greer, Jason Sudeikus and my personal favorite David Hornsby as downward spiraling Rickety Cricket.

This season does find some weaker moments than earlier years of Always Sunny such as the flashback-heavy “Frank’s Brother”, however I can’t think of another show that is as consistently hilarious and surprising, especially after seven years. As far as sitcoms go, it also has one of the highest rewatchability factors as the writers continue to flesh out this alternate universe Philly with supporting characters and callbacks to past plots.

The extras on the Blu-Ray set are not as extensive as some of the previous sets, featuring four episode commentary tracks (of thirteen episodes), an enjoyable blooper reel and a drunken tour of Philly with recurring character Artemis. One misses the behind the scenes featurettes from past releases. On FX, the show is aired in HD and continues to look and sound great on this Blu-ray transfer.

Drea de Matteo chats about her role on FX’s “Sons of Anarchy”

Drea de Matteo is best known for her role of Angie Bolen on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and of course Adriana La Cerva on HBO’s “The Sopranos”. She is a special guest star on FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” playing Wendy Case, Jax’s ex-wife and ex-junkie who recently cleaned up her act and is looking to be part of Abel’s life. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Drea about this role and what we can expect.

Adam Lawton: Tell us how you originally got involved with the show in getting cast for the role of Wendy.
Drea de Matteo: Originally, I came with John Linson before the show was even–I don’t know if it was written or if it was–I don’t know what was going on. I know that I came with John and he introduced me to Kurt. Originally, the character was going to die in the pilot. Then when I decided to do it they kept her alive and I’ve been there ever since but back and forth because I couldn’t fully commit to being on the show at the time. So I was off the show for a while and became a huge fan of the show while I was off of it. Then I just started writing Kurt and Katey [Sagal] and thinking, oh my God, I can’t believe what’s going on. When does the next season air? I was like, and I want to come back. You guys have to figure out Wendy’s turn. So I came originally with John. Then, once it became Kurt’s show they wove me in and out when possible.

AL: Okay. Now, being that you’ve been back and forth, on and off the show, what’s been the most difficult part of playing the Wendy character because when we do see her it’s always a dramatic change from the last time we saw her.
DDM: Well she’s been in recovery. So it’s like it’s watching a child grow up to a certain degree. I think in the very beginning of the series she was extremely, extremely vulnerable. At first she was a mess. Then she was sober and a raw nerve. Now she comes back with her confidence intact and not wanting to stir any … up except for being a responsible party. It seems that the whole entire world has imploded and she’s going to have a hard time maneuvering within it because nobody’s stable over there. She’s now become the face of stability, which is kind of funny.

AL:Who do you think is the more powerful couple; Christopher and Adriana or Jax and Wendy?
DDM: Oh boy. Jax and Wendy? I would probably compare Adriana and Christopher to Jax and Tara maybe, because Wendy is not around enough. Oh boy, the more powerful couple? I’m going to have to go with Jax and Tara only because, I mean, after all Christopher had Adriana killed, you know. It doesn’t get worse than that. Adriana was very weak. Tara; she’s a force to be reckoned with.

AL: You have said before they were originally going to kill the Wendy character off in a pilot. With them deciding to keep the character were you allowed to kind of develop it from that point, or were the scripts just given to you and you kind of went on what they told you?
DDM: Well, Kurt’s a great writer, so they don’t need me. They didn’t me to say, “Well, this is what I want to happen to ‘Wendy.’” When you go into a series like this I’m sure Kurt had the entire season, the first season, outlined for himself and where it was going to go. My character was never a part of where it was going. It was all about Tara and Jax. So, I guess, once they kept me alive the goal was to just sort of have me there as like this thorn
on everybody’s side. Then I couldn’t stay on. So they just put that story to rest which was perfect because I went away to treatment anyway. So, yes, I didn’t really develop. The writer’s tend to write around the actor and their style to a certain degree as long as it’s keeping with what they’re writing about. So I know with Adriana, when I did Adriana, David Chase would do that with me a lot. I don’t know that Kurt did that with Wendy, but I think bringing her back as a strong character and it’s also very much who I am in real life. I wouldn’t say that I was involved in development. I mean, TV is a writer’s medium 100%, and the writer’s king. We all just need to understand that. It’s not a director’s place. It’s not for the actors. It’s really all about those writers.

AL:Now, ultimately, we know Wendy’s goal is to be in Abel’s life. Do you think there are any ulterior motives there now that she is clean, sober and seeing for the first time really with clear eyes a vision how the club’s working. Does she still want to be a part of that, or is she just looking to get scott free with her son?

DDM: I don’t think she’s looking to be a part of a club or to be part of that community. I definitely think that she’s looking to be a part of his life and to do it in a way where she’s not causing drama. I think she’d like to just get along with everybody. I think that–and anybody in the program would… I think she’d like to able to make amends to all of them, mostly to her son, and to be in his life. Even if it meant she couldn’t say, “I’m your mom,” but to just be in his life. Eventually, when he’s older he’s going to want to know who his real mom is. More than anything, I think that she’s looking for stability, not drama. I don’t think she has ulterior motives. I do think that if she’s pushed and manipulated and blocked out that you will see a side of her that…it’s not even so much that it’s an unstable, unsavory side. It’s she’s a mama and that’s her baby. She went and took care of herself in order to be able to come back and reclaim what was hers. So you can’t keep a mom away from their baby for too long.

AL:Do you find that there’s a big difference in shooting between what’s done on FX being a cable channel than your HBO, your Pay-Per-View channel, do you see that there’s a difference? Obviously, you can do a little bit more on HBO but shooting-wise, is there any difference or anything like that?
DDM: Yes. You can’t say f… That’s difficult for me. It’s difficult for a biker show, I would imagine. When you say, “Get the hell out of here.” But you really just want to say, “Get the f… out of here.”

AL: There’s so many similar elements between the Sopranos and Sons of Anarchy being one’s a gang and one’s mob. They’re all tight knit families and trying to cover that on a regular television channel.
DDM: The shooting is very similar. Sopranos, look, it was a whole different ball game. It was the first of its kind. We set the structure for it. Long shooting weeks, tons of money going into a show. That was brand new, man. Nobody knew what that was on cable yet. So all of these shows, Breaking Bad, you’ve got Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Rescue Me, like all of these are great shows. No one ever knew a TV show would be treated like a small film every week, big budgets and whatnot. Sopranos we shot 16-day weeks. Here we shoot 7-day weeks, 8-day weeks. I think that’s what they do. I don’t know.

AL: A lot of people really love the Wendy character and how she’s evolved. So I’ve had a few fans wanting me to ask, would it be possible for Wendy to be around a little bit more, maybe have a different love interest? Or do you just not see the role…?
DDM: Well, I’m going to have to say that’s totally 100% up to Kurt. I’m back now. I’m open and willing and ready to do whatever they want me to do. I took off for a long time there but I did a couple of episodes this season. I’m open to doing as many as Kurt thinks would benefit his story, the story he wants to tell, for sure.

DVD Review “Snorks: The Complete First Season”

Created by: Hanna-Barbara
Starring: Michael Bell
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 286 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Growing up for me it was either “The Smurfs” or “Snorks” all the time. Personally as a kid, I thought of the “Snorks” to be “The Smurfs” but underwater. They were a bit of a rip-off but still a lot of fun. Anyone who watched Saturday morning cartoons in the 80’s should know and love this show. And now, thanks to Warner Archive, I am able to share series with my own daughter (if they are not on Boomerang TV). I hope that Warner Archive is planning on releasing the other seasons and when they do…keep us in mind. This was a really treat to travel back under the water to get to hang with these colorful characters.

This title has not been remastered or restored but has been made from the best-quality video master currently available. Overall, it looks quite decent. The colors could have used a little bit of a revive but still it is just great to see these episodes again. It is presented within its original aspect ratio of 4×3 full frame – 1.33:1. The audio track included is the typical Dolby Mono track. I see myself re-watching these episodes quite often and look forward to other great shows getting to see the light of day thanks to Warner Archive.

Premise: “I first discovered Captain Ortega’s logbook in a monastery that overlooks the sea. On the morning of February 13, 1634, Captain Ortega anchored his ship behind a barrier reef. That night, they were attacked by pirates. The ship, set afire, sank into the lagoon. Ten days later, the captain was found, delirious, still clutching his logbook. He described a world of tiny, underwater creatures no bigger than his thumb. No one believed him, but you know, there’s something about Captain Ortega’s story…that makes me believe it’s true!” It’s true, all right – just ask the Snorks! In their steam-powered city carved out of coral, these multi-colored denizens of the deep have whale-sized hearts and are up for any challenge – or party – the ocean might send their way. So come along with Allstar, Casey, Daffney, Dimmy, Junior and Tooter as they explore life within – and sometimes beyond – the limits!

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: complete, dvd, review, season, snorks

Blu-ray Review “Mad Men: Season Five”

Starring: Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Aaron Staton, Christina Hendricks
Director: Matthew Weiner
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Run Time: 611 minutes

Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

I have watched “Mad Men” on and off since the first season. Season five is probably the best of the most recent seasons. It comes packed with all the drama, lust, deception and…of course adultery. Jon Hamm is brillant in this series but I am not a big fan of the emotionless January Jones. Of course Christina Hendricks has here favorable traits as well. The series also shows no signs of slowing down since it just received seventeen nominations for the 2012 Emmy Awards Ceremony. This should keep you busy till season six returns in mid 2013.

Official Synopsis: Season Five of MAD MEN, four-time Emmy® winner for Outstanding Drama Series and winner of three consecutive Golden Globes®, plunges into the seductive and intriguing world of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Jon Hamm and the rest of the award-winning cast continue to mesmerize as they adapt to changing times and social revolution. Lust is back. Adultery is back. Deception is back. MAD MEN is back.

Lionsgate has delivered a nice three-disc Blu-ray set, which presents all thirteen episodes from season five. They are presented in its original 1.78:1 broadcast aspect ratio with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. The video also looks clear and sharp. From watching this show on television where the picture is only 720p and worse if you Tivo it, it is a real upgrade and makes the period just look so much sharper.

The special features are very impressive as well. There is an amazing 26 commentary tracks with Matthew Weiner and the cast and crew. “Mad Men Say the Darndest Things” look at the best one-liners from the series. “The Uniform Time Act of 1966” is a pictorial timeline that explores the history of Daylight Savings Time. “What Shall I Love If Not the Enigma?” is a look into the life and work of metaphysical artist Giorgio de Chirico. “The Party of the Century” features author Deborah Davis and legendary bandleader Peter Duchin, as we get a glimpse inside Truman Capote’s infamous Black & White Masquerade Ball. “Scoring Mad Men: Inside a Session” is a feature on composer David Carbonarra, orchestrator Geoff Stradling and sound engineer Jim Hill as they hit the recording studio. “Newsweek Magazine Digital Gallery” is collection of Newsweek Magazine covers with news stories from around the world in 1966.

John Dunsworth & Richard Donat talks about Season 3 of Syfy’s “Haven”

John Dunsworth & Richard Donat play brothers Dave Teagues & Vince Teagues in Syfy’s “Haven”. Vince is the artist and editor and Dave is photographer and editor of the Haven Herald…but there is much more to be told behind these two characters. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with John and Richard about season three and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: What do you enjoy most about playing Vince Teagues on Syfy’s “Haven”?
Richard Donat: Vince, well I just love him since he is such a quirky guy. Partly because he has a lot of hidden aspects, which will hopefully be coming out as the show progresses.
John Dunsworth: Well I love working with Richard Donat. We have known each other for a while and we have done a bunch of great plays together. I was mostly a professional actor in the stage before “Haven” came around. I love working in Nova Scotia. Regardless of the part, the people that we work with are just a joy to be with on the set.

MG: The new season has really started to show some light behind what Vince and Dave really know; has that been fun to see that reveal?
RD: Oh yeah, it is great. Because of John, I feel that it really helps. We just have a great time together. We both live in Nova Scotia and I have known John for a long time.
JD: I would like to be more in the know. We confess sometimes that we don’t know what is going to happen and sometimes we are lying and then sometimes we really don’t know. It is hard to figure out when we are lying and telling the truth.

MG: Vince and Dave seem like they are disagreeing a bit more than usual, can we expect any rivalry this season?
RD: Well, we have been sort of at odds. But we always seem to get back together. In terms of the progress, I won’t able to say too much now but there is definitely a couple of things that happen.

MG:You two play great off each other; can you reflect on this collaboration?
JD: Well, I have to reflect on the writers. We don’t know what are story arc is. At the end of season three, which is my favorite season so far, we were throw some real curves. I thought I had it figured out…but it was the complete opposite. There are so many different possibilities.

MG: Most of the cast is from California, how does it feel to have the home turf advantage?
RD: Oh it is just fine. The whole cast is made up of some really great people. We all get along great. Thank God! When you work in those conditions, it is nice to be able to work well with people. There is no sort of LA thing, everyone is great.

MG: How does season three compare to you from the first two?
RD: Well, I think a lot more interesting things are happening between the characters. Then we get the introduction of Dwight is really fun story (played by Adam “Edge” Copeland”), who came in last season. It all starts to blend in. I think they seem to concentrate more on a centralized story line instead of individual episodes. I just can’t believe the reaction to the show.

MG: Do you find that you watch the show as it airs on TV?
JD: Last week, my wife and I finally watched season two. I don’t watch television or even get TV in our house. But I got the season as a present and I was blown away. I am so impressed with the three principals. On the set, the acting seems very subtle but it really comes across on the show. And Adam “Edge” (Copeland), he is just great.

MG: What would you say has been the highlight for you working on “Haven”?
RD: I think the highlight is actually getting to do the show. I have always lived here and then this show comes along and suddenly your life is changed. It is quite extraordinary really.
JD: Yep, the highlight is showing off Nova Scotia and living here. Right now, I can see the Grey Gull from my house. It takes me five minutes to get to the set some days. It has to be some kind of a blessing to be able to work in my own community on such a great project. I feel like I am the luckiest guy in the world.
RD: Yes, me too. I live about 45 minutes from the set and I am able to go home at night. So it is really great.

MG: John, how was it going from “Trailer Park Boys” to “Haven”; how does it compare for you?
JD: Last week, someone asked a person; “are a character actor of a lead actor?”. The right answer, of course, is a character actor. I like different roles. I like to play villains. So this has been nothing but a pleasure. We also just got the ratings in for the first episode of season three and I got a feeling that a fourth season is almost guaranteed! So I am on a very big high.

“Sons of Anarchy” Season 5 Interview Series

“Sons of Anarchy” is an adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones that explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s (MC) desire to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple, sheltered town of Charming, California remains exactly that, Charming. The MC must confront threats from drug dealers, corporate developers, and overzealous law officers. Behind the MC’s familial lifestyle and legally thriving automotive shop is a ruthless and illegally thriving arms business. The seduction of money, power, and blood.

Season 5 of this show is shaping up to be one hell of a crazy ride. We had the chance to chat with various members of the cast including Ashley Tisdale, Drea de Matteo, Harold Perrineau, Kurt Sutter, Ron Perlman and Rusty Coones…but that is not all. We will be adding new interview throughout the season including Chuck Zito in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy these and be sure to check out this great movie.

Kurt Sutter, Creator of FX series “Sons of Anarchy”, talks about Season 5

Kurt Sutter is the creator/writer and director of the hit FX series “Sons of Anarchy”. Now in its 5^th season the series is showing no signs of slowing down. Media Mikes had the privilege to speak with Kurt recently about the death of main characters and what he looks for when casting roles on the show.

Adam Lawton: When a main character like Opie is killed or is going to be killed off the show does the actor or actress know ahead of time prior to getting the script?
Kurt Sutter: I like to let my actors know what’s going on. I don’t like to just hand them a script and let them read it for themselves. With Ryan Hurst who plays Opie we sat down and talked about how things were going to play out and how it all fit in to his characters story arc. Opie has been a character on the show since day 1 so I had to make sure everything leading up to and after his death was going to have the right flow. Though I wasn’t on set the day the scene was shot I know it was very emotional. Ryan had asked for everyone to be there so he could say good bye. This cast has a really solid bond with each other so this was the important for him to do that. When you see Opie looking at Jax through the window before he is killed he is in a sense saying goodbye to everyone.

AL: How did you go about choosing the Opie character as the one to die?
KS: From when we first see Opie in season one getting out of prison we notice his struggles to fit in. Not only is he trying to fit in with the club but he also is trying to do right by his family. After his wife is killed accidentally during a hit ordered by Clay is when you really start to see his decent. That arc was furthered by the death of Opie’s father Piney last season. Once Opie found out about all that went on and that Jax’s knew about it and didn’t tell him was when Opie was really tested. That family has endured so much that ultimately Opie chooses to stand up for the club and Jax by putting himself in the position to be the one to die per Pope’s request. Jax didn’t choose who was going to die and he probably never would. This was Opie’s way of doing right by everyone. Though that story arc comes to an end the lines between Jax and Pope are just beginning.

AL: Can you give us a little background on your use of brutality in this killing and a couple of others in the show?
KS: When I bring in an episode there are almost always some things that need to be cut out. The world we are showing is a brutal world where brutal things happen. In order for the stories to be told correctly a certain amount of those elements have to be present. The episode where Clay cuts a clowns scrotum off is a perfect example. During the shooting of that scene there was a shot that showed the scrotum lying on the floor as I felt it really sent a message. Did that make it in to the show? Obviously not, as it went too far. We had to cut that episode down to make the scene work while still including that brutal element. This was also the case with the killing of Opie. Sure I could have had Jax looking into the back of Opies caved in skull but I think that would have been too much and ultimately it was more dramatic the way you saw that scene. It’s funny because I actually have a sticker on my mirror now that says “You cannot show the clown scrotum”. (Laughs)

AL: The show has really great casting and each season it seems to get better and better. What do you look for when casting roles on the show?
KS: The first thing is I don’t want them to be dick! That really is the first piece of research I do. I like my set to stay a safe, creative and nurturing environment. I do my homework to ensure I’m not bringing a pre-Madonna into my world. Then it is really about the level of their work. This season with Jimmy Smits and Harold Perrineau they have a tremendous body of work that I am aware of. We try to make interesting casting choices. The obvious choice for the Damon Pope character would have been picking an actor that plays more hard or dangerous. We wanted to break that so we looked for a guy who could sort of compartmentalize that danger and hardness and tuck it into the pocket of his Prada suit. Harold was a wonderful choice for the role as he can go dark and scary but, for the most part there is something warm and almost vulnerable about him. These things make him a very interesting antagonist. As the season progresses you will start to see this weird mentorship type thing happen between Pope and Jax. When you think about it in terms of what Jax wants to do with the club Pope is the perfect guy for that. Pope is a guy who turned all of his dirty business in to very legitimate things. I couldn’t avoid that obvious circumstance. With Jimmy Smits I had the idea for his character but I didn’t know what world he was going to play in. I wanted him to be an outlaw but not another biker. I felt like we had the African-American dynamic with Pope and the Niner’s so I sort of wanted to stay away from that world. We landed in the Latino ethnicity on terms of there are a lot of Latino gangs in the Stockton area. That’s where the roots of that character began. With Jimmy it was one of those instances where I was able to start at the top and get the guy I wanted. This is not always the case. Not that you don’t ultimately end up on a great actor but I have had 2 or 3 circumstances in my career where I thought that this role needs to be this specific person and this was one of those times. The last time I think that happened in terms of guest stars was when Forrest Whitaker appeared on “The Shield”. I remember going in with the idea of getting him but knowing it probably would never happen. It was the same thing with Jimmy when I went to the network with it. We were able to sit down with Jimmy and get him excited about the role and wanting to come in and do it.

AL: You have stated that the season 7 will be the last season of the show. Is this still the case?
KS: I have said that quite a bit and talked in length on the subject. But as the show continues on with season after season budgets inevitably increase. After a certain amount of time there is just not enough left on the bone for the show to be economically viable. The people at FX have been very generous in allowing me to do what I do and I am sure that if I start to think that I can’t wrap up the story in 7 seasons they would probably allow me to make 7 or 8 more episodes to get it done. However looking at my giant story board I think I am going to be able to wrap things up in 7 seasons.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: 5, anarchy, creator, fx, kurt, season, ...

DVD Review “New Girl: The Complete First Season”

Actors: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Number of discs: 3
Rated: Unrated
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Run Time: 526 minutes

Series: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

I have always been a big fan of Zooey Deschanel since she was in 2004’s “Elf”. This show is so cute, smartly written, smart and quirky. It is also rare that you watch a show where you literally love every single character in the series. Dermot Mulroney is a laugh riot, as he guest stars as Jess’ older boyfriend and reminds us to be sure to hang that sweater…not fold it. Classic. This first season had entire scenes that I literally missed the jokes due to almost crying in pain laughing, thank God for being able to rewind (numerous times). I also think that this show is extremely re-watchable like another one of my favorite comedy series, “The Big Bang Theory”. One of my favorite new shows of 2011 and I can’t wait for season two.

Official Premise: “New Girl” is a charming, offbeat comedy about friends, flings and modern relationships. After a bad breakup, free-spirited optimist Jess (Zooey Deschanel) moves in with three bachelors who have plenty of issues of their own. Winston (Lamorne Morris) is a former athlete, Nick (Jake Johnson) is a law school dropout, and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) is a wannabe womanizer in love with…himself. Together with her super-hot BFF Cece (Hannah Simone), this New Girl discovers that hanging out with the guys can be a challenging – and hilarious – adventure!

The special features are very impressive for this season. There is a commentary track on the pilot, “Bad in Bed” and “See Ya” episodes, all highly recommended.. If you love Zooey’s fashion in the show, be sure to watch “Dress Like Jess”. There are auditions with Lamorne Morris, very glad he replaced Damon Waynes Jr from the pilot. There are also a bunch of deleted/extended scenes, alternate jokes and an outtake reel. I will take any more of this show that I can get, so I was all in for these extras. “New Girl: Evolution of an Episode” is a nice look into the show’s production. Overall highly recommended for fans of this show.

Tag: season

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