Category: TV DVDs (Page 31 of 54)

Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might / Lord Slug

It’s a shame that the Dragon Ball Z movies aren’t as good as the series itself, but I guess that’s the price you pay when you’re only given 60 minutes to tell a story. You’d also think that with the sixth season hitting stores on the same day, we’d be a little further along in the DBZ timeline, but “Tree of Might” and “Lord Slug” take place pre-Namek – when Gohan was still an annoying little kid and Goku had yet to become a total badass. “Tree of Might” is definitely the worst of the two, and it might even be the worst of all the Dragon Ball Z movies. By now, we’ve already seen Goku go toe-to-toe against his brother Radditz, as well as his father Bardock (albeit in a strange dream sequence), so the idea of pitting Goku against another Saiyan that looks just like him is, well, kind of lame. Additionally, the battles are boring and the movie ends so abruptly that it isn’t even worth your time. It’s a good thing that “Lord Slug” is included in the set, because “Tree of Might” probably wouldn’t be worth owning on its own. Though it does have its share of similarities to the series, (the villain hearkens back to the days of Lord Piccolo, while his lackeys are reminiscent of the Ginyu Force), “Lord Slug” is still one of the better movies to be released thanks to some entertaining fight sequences. Not even Gohan and his stupid dinosaur friend can ruin that.

Click to buy “Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might / Lord Slug”

The Presidents Collection

In today’s world of 500 cable channels, the television documentary has become very common. Few, however, rival the consistent quality of “The American Experience” on PBS. Now, with the release of “The Presidents” on DVD, some of the best documentaries from this series are available in one collection. This award-winning series includes documentaries of the following presidents: FDR, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. The series is comprised of 52 hours of broadcast programming detailing the lives of these men. There are several interesting omissions, one being John F. Kennedy. The series never included a documentary that just covered JFK, instead doing one on the Kennedys, hence the omission. Also, the Ike episode was also not included. Each documentary provides an intensely personal portrait of the person, not just a chronology of their presidencies. Most of these men were very complex figures, and each documentary digs deeply into their triumphs and failures. I would recommend this series to anyone who loves history, and it’s an excellent resource for young people who want to learn about the history of America in the 20th century.

Click to buy “The Presidents Collection”

Rob & Big: The Complete Third Season

In the farewell season of MTV’s reality series, “Rob & Big,” the guys make the most of their final months living together as Christopher “Big Black” Boykin prepares for fatherhood. Though it’s kind of sad to see them leave the air (the show is, after all, one of the better reality-themed guilty pleasures on TV), season three features some of the duo’s best moments to date. Rob and Big would be lying if they said the show wasn’t scripted, but despite its “Jackass”-like setup, there’s still some sincerity that shines through – like when the pair give away a truckload of clothing to the homeless, or the look on Rob’s face when he holds Big’s baby for the first time. The rest of the season is made up of the usual high jinks – from racing turtles to terrorizing Rob’s cousin, Drama – but there are some especially cool episodes as well, including one in which Rob breaks 21 Guinness World Records for skateboarding in one day, and another where he buys a net gun. You have to see it to fully appreciate its awesomeness, but let me say this: watching Hollywood Spider-Man get shot with the net gun is the single greatest moment in the entire series.

Click to buy “Rob & Big: The Complete Third Season”

A Chat with Naoko Mori of “Torchwood”

If you’re an Anglo-centric sci-fi fan, then I won’t be telling you anything you don’t already know when I say that “Torchwood” is one of the best shows of its type to come around in ages. Spun off from “Doctor Who,” the series focuses on the Cardiff branch of the Torchwood Institute, an organization which was founded in 1879 by Queen Victoria to research and combat alien threats to the British Empire. If you’ve never watched “Torchwood,” it’s time to start playing catch-up. Season 1 is already available on DVD, and Season 2 makes its DVD debut on September 16th.

In conjunction with the Season 2 release, we were granted the opportunity to speak to one of the show’s cast members: Naoko Mori, who plays computer specialist Toshiko Sato. Like everyone affiliated with Torchwood, Toshiko…or Tosh, as she’s more familiarly known…has gone through quite a lot in her time with the Institute, but she definitely had more than her fair shares of issues in Season 2. We spoke with Ms. Mori about how she came aboard “Torchwood” in the first place, asked what it was like working during James Masters, quizzed her on her favorites episodes of the show, and – perhaps most crucially – asked if she still gets secretly excited when she recalls how she had a role in “Spice World.”

Stay tuned for…

Naoko Mori 1

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Doctor Who – Timelash

It’s a fairly well known fan joke that “Timelash” is an accidental anagram of “lame shit.” The story has the reputation of being the nadir of the already dodgy Colin Baker era of “Doctor Who,” but it’s a reputation that may not be entirely deserved. Thing is, “Timelash” is the sort of fare that’s so bad it manages to swing back around into the “can’t take your eyes off the car wreck” arena. It’s gaudy, weird, over the top, and has probably three too many elements thrown into a mix that’s already failing to gel. The Doctor and Peri (Nicola Bryant, wearing the classiest attire she was given during her time in the TARDIS) arrive on the planet Karfel. A political coup is in progress, led by Maylin Tekker (played by Paul Darrow, late of “Blake’s 7,” at his hammiest) and orchestrated by a deformed dictator known only as the Borad. The Karfelons are at war with the Bandrils – cobra-like creatures, clearly high on something and achieved via a rubber hand puppet (only one is ever shown). Like many a classic “Who” story, Karfel looks to be less of a planet and more of a confined citadel; the sets are brightly overlit and the cheap costumes came from the back of the closet. Into all this garishness are thrown green androids who’ve seemingly inhaled ample doses of helium, brontosaurus-like creatures called Morlox, and a young, idealistic writer from 19th century Earth named Herbert, who is transfixed by the Karfelon Vena (um, “Weena”…stop me if you see where this is going…) The Borad at one point actually says, “Choose your next words carefully, Doctor. They could be your last!” As I watched, my wife, much to my amusement, asked if they were saying “Borat.” Sacha Baron Cohen’s antics would indeed have been an amusing addition, although they couldn’t possibly have made the proceedings any more surreal. Yup, “Timelash” earns the honor of being the absolute best of bad ‘80s “Doctor Who”…and the disc includes a doc called “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” that pretty much confirms this review.

Click to buy “Doctor Who: Timelash”

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