The Equalizer – Season One (1985/Umbrella Region 4 PAL DVD Import Set) + Lark Rise To Candleford – The Complete
Series (BBC DVD Set) + Life Unexpected
– The Complete First & Second Seasons (Warner DVD Set) + Treme – The Complete First Season (2010/HBO
Blu-ray Set)
Picture: C+/C/C/B Sound: C+ (Treme: B) Extras: C/C+/D/B Episodes: B/C+/D/B
PLEASE NOTE: The import PAL DVD set version of
The Equalizer covered here can only
be operated on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Four/4
PAL format software and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella
Entertainment at the website address provided at the end of the review.
And now
for a look at the latest TV releases, old and new, including some revisits and
we start with two of them.
First is The Equalizer – Season One, the hit
Edward Woodward spy series with a difference that Universal made in 1985,
centering on the semi-retired McCall. He
is trying to get his life back together again, trying to make up for his dark
past by helping people in real jeopardy who cannot help themselves by reaching
out to them for free and still getting involved in then-current spy cases when
nudged on by Control (Robert Lansing).
This is the new Umbrella Region 4 DVD Import edition, but we cove red
the original U.S. Region 1 DVD from Universal at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6922/The+Equalizer+%E2%80%93+Season
This is
virtually the same set with almost the same cover art, extras and transfers,
though there is some detail here not on the U.S. edition and the same
audio. With the show still potentially
being remade as a feature film with Russell Crowe, there should be even newer
interest in the show, so it is good the series is getting around. However, if you are a fan, you should see it
now.
After
four long seasons, Lark Rise To
Candleford – The Complete Series has arrived on DVD and the makers
(including the BBC) have ended things while they were ahead. As expected, Season One (which we are seeing for the first time since covering
the show) is slightly better than the follow-ups, then the show about the
people of late 19th Lark Rise continued and we did cover the next
seasons here:
Two
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9671/Lark+Rise+To+Candleford+%E2%80%
Three
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10613/Lark+Rise+To+Candleford:+Season
Season Four is new as is issued at
the same time in this set and separately, making this a 14-DVD set! You might want to see the first set before
plunging into getting this box, but fans will be happy with it and even the
final season runs on a bit, but at least it wraps it up in a logical way, even
if it can be melodramatic and predictable.
Now you can see for yourself.
Picture and sound are the same as I saw in the Second Season and the only new extra to us is the Making Of featurette on the First Season.
Easily
the worst show here is Life Unexpected –
The Complete First & Second Seasons (we needed two at the same time to
get started?) which comes from Warner and it is one of those teen melodramas
that tries way too hard to be hip. The
characters are cardboard cutouts, the scripts are cover-to-cover with
situations that are as boring as the dialogue is idiotic, as condescending and
dumb as pathetic in a no-one-talks-like-this set-up that is outright
embarrassing and the final nail in the coffin of this ultra-horrid show. There is nothing and no one to like here,
this 6-DVD torture test delivers 26 mind-numbing episodes and the only reason
this has not been cancelled is because it is on the CW Network.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is very soft throughout all the shows
and bad shot throughout, while the Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes are really pushing
it by spreading around the stereo sound thinly and sticking dialogue too much
into the center channel. Extras include
a superfluous Gag Reel and two tired Making
Of featurettes.
Fortunately,
there is a new show from the creators of The
Wire. Treme – The Complete First Season (2010) is a smart new series set
in a New Orleans rebuilding in this impressive series that has multiple
storylines about several life situations going while also showing how great the
city is and also being very cleaver in showing the vital importance of the
music and food that has come out of there.
The ten
strong episodes introduce us to several parties while giving us a default tour
of New Orleans
in sometimes profound ways and its stars include Melissa Leo, Steve Zahn, John
Goodman, Khandi Alexander, Rob Brown, Wendell Pierce, Clarke Peters and a solid
all-around cast. Watch the first episode
and you’ll see what I mean. I hope this
finds a larger audience, but once again, it shows how serious HBO is about delivering
top-rate TV.
The 1080p
1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image looks good on all the episodes, with
good color, detail, depth and richness that is up there with the best TV on
Blu-ray today. Even with some styling at
times, the presentation is not hurt and it puts many feature film releases to
shame. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1
mixes on the episodes is also well recorded and mixed with fine soundfields
throughout. Even if they are not always
demo material, they are warm, consistent and even rich.
Extras
are music commentary tracks, audio commentary tracks, a Making Of featurette and Treme:
Beyond Bourbon Street featurette, plus the Blu-ray exclusive Music Of Treme and Down In The Treme: A Look At The Music & Culture Of New Orleans
featurettes. The result are top rate
extras for a top rate show worth going out of your way for.
As noted
above, unless you want the U.S. Region One DVD set already available, you can
order The Equalizer PAL DVD import
set exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
Nicholas Sheffo