The
Shift
(2013/Cinedigm DVD Set)/Wahlburgers:
The Complete Second Season
(2014/Lionsgate DVD Set)
Now
for some new TV releases...
Wahlburgers:
The Complete Second Season
(2 Disc DVD)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: B Episodes: B
If
you aren't aware, the Wahlburgers is a show that is based on the
restaurant of the same name owned by Mark, Donnie (the music
performers turned actors), and Paul (who is the head chef) in
Hingham, Mass.
The
Wahlbergs are joined by their Mother Alma and an eccentric collection
of close friends including Nacho, Johnny Drama, and even Jenny
McCarthy herself. The show is pretty funny and completely
unstructured - pretty much letting the chips fall where they may in
this family reality comedy.
Season
2
consists of nine episodes including Here's
The Drill, The Great Wahlberg of China, Pranks for Memories, An
American Wahlberg in London, Meat The Press, A Cut Above, Guarding
Alma, Something's Fishy, and Trading Places.
Picture
and Sound quality on the discs are of a high standard for DVD but
don't quite reach Blu-ray quality with a standard definition transfer
with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio in 16 X 9 widescreen and a lossy English
2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo audio track and English SDH. There are over
60 minutes of extras and even a bonus Fourth of July special that
didn't air on television. All in all, the show has some pretty good
laughs and would be definitely interesting for fans of Mark and
Donnie or of the restaurant industry in general. See more about the
debut season elsewhere on this site.
The
Shift
(2013/Cinedigm DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: D Main Program: C-
Where
do you draw the line?
The
Shift
is a lackluster medical drama that feels like a bad episode of E.R.
with Danny Glover. The
Shift
is the story of one 12-hour night shift in the ER where a veteran
nurse, who struggles with the haunting guilt of his brother's
drowning, is forced to train a new nurse. The veteran nurse, Kayle,
and the new nurse, Amanda, are at odds throughout the story because,
while they both struggle with the spiritual turmoil of what is right
and wrong, they have both come to very different conclusions.
Kayle
believes in doing whatever is best for the patient, even if that
means letting them rest in peace. Amanda believes you should fight
for everyone until there is nothing left. While Kayle and Amanda take
care of several patients that night, there is one patient, a young
girl named Emily, who makes them question their beliefs. Emily is
dying of cancer and has come to the ER due to another infection. The
dichotomy of Emily's bravery and her mother's distress eats at the
hearts of the two nurses. When Emily's situation suddenly becomes
more serious, Kayle and Amanda are forced to make impossible
decisions.
The
story was written by a nurse and explores a common world in cinema,
the hospital, but from the perspective of the nurse. The focus is on
total authenticity and realism that sometimes works and sometimes
doesn't but ultimately feels like a flat piece of filmmaking. With
stronger actors (aside from Glover) and better production value, this
could have been a little more interesting.
Sound
and Picture are standard for the DVD format with a standard
definition transfer in 16 X 9 anamorphic widescreen with a lossy
Dolby Digital 5.1 track that could definitely use a Blu-ray upgrade.
Total running time of the film is a mere 77 minutes in length.
No
extras on the disc unless you count Scene
Selections
as an extra.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.facebook.com/jhl5films
