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Play All 11.25.08
by Brian Tallerico
What is there to say about this landmark edition of Play All? Are we a little tired after cooking Thanksgiving dinner? Absolutely. But we're also here to do a job. You may be overwhelmed by the number of big summer movies like Hancock, Wanted, Wall-E, and Prince Caspian but there are other titles falling through the cracks that you need to know about. Like what? Well, one of the best mystery shows of the last decade released one of its best seasons recently. And the other stuff? Eh. Somebody would like it for Christmas and you have to get started shopping sometime. Put the cranberries and stuffing away and hit Play All.
Bones: Season Three - Totally Decomposed Edition
Studio: Fox
Starring: Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz
Features: Extended Episodes, Unaired Version of "Player Under Pressure", Extended Kiss From "The Santa in the Slush", Gag Reel, Director's Take, 4 Bonus Episodes from Season 4
It took us a while to catch on to Bones but we're as addicted as the rest of you now. The show started off a little sluggish but it has really developed into a solid entertainer every single week, largely due to the spectacular chemistry of the cast and an excellent team of writers. Yes, the conclusion of the serial killer plotline in season three was a little disappointing but this is still as solid a collection of mysteries as any fan of serial TV could find under the tree this year. And Fox has done something interesting with Bones: Season Three. To offset the disappointment of the strike-shortened season they have included four episodes from the currently airing fourth season. You could look at this two ways. One, it's great that fans will get an extra disc of their favorite show. On the other hand, those same fans will probably buy season four next year and essentially pay for the same disc of four episodes twice. Argue amongst yourselves. Either way, Bones is a good show that's sometimes great. So is the DVD set for season three.
Beverly Hills 90210: The Sixth Season
Studio: Paramount
Starring: Luke Perry, Tiffani Thiessen, Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Brian Austin Green, and Ian Ziering
Features: None
By 1995, the charm of Beverly Hills 90210 had worn off a bit. Shannon Doherty was long gone (replaced by Tiffany Thiessen) and more kids were excited about Melrose Place than the original show. The ratings took a turn in season six with the show falling out of the top 40 for the first time and it would never return. It actually fell 15 places between season five and six. So, if you want to see where 90210 jumped the shark, here's the DVD set for you. In all seriousness, anyone who's collected five seasons of 90210 probably loves the show to the point that they're looking to own the entire series. So you have to pick up season six. There's no avoiding it. It might have been nice of Paramount to include a special feature or two but considering most fans were getting bored with the show by this point, we can't really blame them.
The Zombie Diaries
Studio: Dimension Extreme
Starring: Russell Jones, Craig Stovin, Jonnie Hurn, James Fisher, Anna Blades, Imogen Church, Kyle Sparks, Alison Mollon, and Victoria Nalder
Features: Commentary With Writers/Directors/Producers Michael Bartlett And Kevin Gates, Commentary With The Cast: Russell Jones, Anna Blades, Craig Stovin, Jonathan Ball And Hiram Bleetman, Until The Last Light Goes Out: The Making Of The Zombie Diaries, Deleted Scenes, Theatrical Trailer
Two zombie diary movies in one year? I know the zombie genre has seen a resurgence this decade, but isn't it odd that George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead and Zombie Diaries came out in the same year? The former is a near-masterpiece, an underrated slice of zombie madness that actually gets the YouTube/handheld thing better than the much-more high profile Cloverfield. The latter has its moments but, ultimately, fails in comparison. If you ignore Romero's film, Zombie Diaries has a lot going for it, including some excellent pacing and a clever sense of humor. The film is set in England during a world-wide viral infection (a la 28 Days Later) and is shot with handheld cameras from several of the people trying to survive the attack. It's smart, clever, and the DVD is filled with special features, including two commentary tracks and deleted scenes. Personally, I'm a zombie apologist. I adore everything that has to do with brain-eating undead creatures. So, I'm easy to please when it comes to Zombie Diaries. If you are too, you won't want to miss it. If you're more discerning, start with Romero's flick and ask yourself if you want more.
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