Coraline figures it out |
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The next two Tuesdays of DVD releases are truly GEEKTASTIC. Gather your allowance money and get yourself some shiny new DVDs!
July 21
WATCHMEN (Director's Cut and theatrical release)
These are the discs for those who have a burning desire to have the DVDs now, but are not the DVDs for true WATCHMEN fanatics—the mamma jamma five-disc set comes out in December. It will include the theatrical release, the director's cut, and the full WATCHMEN cut including The Tales of the Black Freighter animated sequences interwoven into the director's cut. My advice: Put this release on your queue and wait till December to add the five-disc set to your collection.
CORALINE
Terrific! The well-received film based on Neil Gaiman's excellent book of the same name drops 
Ryan returns to British English |
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this Tuesday, but to risk sounding like a d-bag intellect: Yes, the book is better.
Pushing Daisies Season 2
The series cancellation after the second season didn't allow viewers the opportunity of a satisfying ending to this beloved, quirky show. There are rumors, though, that PUSHING DAISIES might come back as a comic book series.
Robot Chicken - Star Wars Episode II
Seth Green has been pimping this on every talk and cable show this week, so he certainly doesn't need my help. But I do love the Robot Chicken.
July 28
Torchwood: Children of Earth
Don't want to wait for the DVD? Catch this five-episode run on BBC America starting Monday, July 20. Also, you can make a drinking game out of how many times Capt. Jack hits on a man, a woman or an 
Farewell, Doctor. |
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alien. You'll be plastered before the first episode ends.
GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT
Good news! You don't need to wait until 2011 to see a Green Lantern movie. Bad news! This direct-to-DVD animated version doesn't start Ryan Reynolds.
Dr. Who: Planet of the Dead
One of the last four specials starring David Tennant (the 10th actor to play the Doctor, not that I'm counting) before they switch to Matt Smith. It also stars Michelle Ryan (from the ill-fated Bionic Woman series).
Battlestar Gallactica Seasons 4.5 (The complete series is also available)
Did you miss the controversial last episode where viewers were chagrined as they were left to wonder if Jesus was Cylon? Now's your chance to become a embroiled in the critical Internet debate of whether 
My amp also goes to Eleven. |
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BSG's finale is the worst series ending of all time, which means Seinfeld and St. Elsewhere are off the hook.
Dollhouse Season 1
The only reason to buy/rent/queue this: It will have the never-broadcast post-apocolyptic episode with Felicia Day from Dr. Horrible.
Spectacular Spider-Man: Complete First Season
This is a Saturday morning cartoon series. My Saturday morning viewing stopped with The Smurfs. Sorry.
DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION
A live-action film based on the popular manga and anime series Dragonball Z starring James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire fame) – my sources tell me it is sucktastic.
THIS IS SPINAL TAP (Blu-Ray)
For those of you lucky enough to have a Blu-Ray player, July 28 is your lucky day!
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 | Denise
Jul 19, 2009 11:26 AM
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| Woops! That should say "star Ryan Reynolds" (under Green Lantern), not "start." I don't know how that slipped by me & my editor. I apologize. |
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 | April
Jul 20, 2009 3:39 PM
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Regarding Dollhouse, I completely disagree that Epitaph One is the only reason to buy or rent the DVD's. I'm curious as to whether or not you watched the entire season? Yes, it's true that the first 5 episodes were weak, especially in comparison to the rest of the season, but they definitely weren't the worst thing on TV, either.
Not sure what your reasons are for disliking Dollhouse, but here's my thoughts on the show & why I like it...
It can be debated if those first few episodes were driven to be Echo's adventure of the week because of the studio's reluctance to let Joss Whedon have creative control. I'm sure that does have something to do with it, along with the fact that all new shows, especially those with a large mythology to build, take time to get up and running. Also, to those who complain that Echo is too much of the focus, perhaps they don't understand that without Eliza Dushku this show wouldn't have happened? Eliza has an exclusive first-look deal with Fox and she is the one who approached Whedon to create a new show for her.
As to the basis of the show, I've heard/read all sorts of negative comments about how it's just a show about human trafficking, prostitution and/or rape. I think that those who use this as their reason to not like the show are missing the point entirely. Whedon & Dushku have created a thought provoking show that puts a microscope on issues such as these and shows what can go wrong when mankind becomes so egotistical that it believes that it can, and should, be able to create and have anything. Perhaps those who dislike the show for this reason are simply uncomfortable exploring this aspect of humanity? For as long as there have been people, there has been trafficking, prostitution, rape, slavery, etc. I don't feel that this show glamorizes those things in any way, in fact I feel like the purpose of the show is to do the exact opposite. As Echo & November would say "...The Dollhouse deals in fantasy but that is not their purpose. Investigate their purpose..." By writing this and delivering this line, the creative team is basically subtly hitting us over the head and saying "look deeper."
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Semi-wholesome Midwestern girl and certified Geek Magnet offers her suggestions - often new, sometimes classic - for DVDs that are definitely queue-worthy.
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| Denise DuVernay |
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Jul 20, 2009 3:48 PM
Without giving away any (serious) spoilers, I will say that Epitaph One really helps to hone all of my points above and it really shows the potential consequences for mankind's egotistical actions.
Those consequences are shown within the first 12 episodes, though. Topher's confidence was built around a shield of ego that kept him from looking at the dolls as anything but his personal science experiments. His worldview has been altered by the end of the first season, though, and we see that even the most egotistical amongst us can learn and grow. This gives hope that the same can happen in the real world.
Dollhouse isn't a feel-good show but it's not intended to be. It's intended to make you feel a bit dark, perhaps a bit dirty, so that you can really understand what's happening in that world and process all of it. If you don't feel a bit dirty maybe you should question your personal set of ethics. It's important to shine a light on things that make us uncomfortable, though, and I think that Dollhouse does a really good job at this.
I prefer TV shows and movies that have a deeper, philosophical meaning and Dollhouse provides this for me. Therefore, it's my favorite of all of the shows that were premiered last season & is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows ever. Epitaph One takes it to a much higher level, creatively and philosophically, and is probably the best work that Joss Whedon has ever done.
Jul 20, 2009 6:33 PM
The show took a while to get going, and I find Eliza Dushku overrated, Still, I agree that after the first 4 or so episodes, Dollhouse became a good show.