RhymePhile's Rat Race

I noticed blackchaps was squeeing about this, so I thought I'd give you high-res DVD box art, along with the disc breakdown:






( Entire set breakdown behind the cut, including extras )

Ahh, Mondays. I just did a skip=320. Cuz that's how I roll, y'all.

Some minor things of note:

1. Battlestar Galactica on Friday. I love Aaron Douglas as Chief Galen Tyrol. However, seeing him face off against Edward James Olmos -- a notoriously Bring Your A Game Actor -- was icing on my luv cake. Did I mention I bought a Tyrol action figure autographed by him at Comic Con?

2. Children of Men was effin' depressing. I was looking for something sci-fi-ish to watch this weekend that didn't include whiny hipsters and shaky camera work (Cloverfield), or anything (I Am Legend) starring The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (because Big Willy, you will always be the Fresh Prince to me, I don't care what you say). I rented CoM for the sci-fi factor, but also for the Clive Owen factor (and I enjoy his work so much I even watched Bent). I get the whole end of the world, dystopian no-babies future, but GAH, depressing!

3. I cleaned out the large fish tank this weekend which previously held Big Guy, my huge freshwater shark that I had for almost 8 years. When I got him he was the size of my little finger, and eventually he outgrew two tanks and was over a foot long. He died Thursday. I didn't feel like posting about it then because yes, I cried over a fish, okay? I might have cried a lot, in fact. He barely fit in the Amazon box I used for his fishy coffin. *sigh* I'm still sniffly over it.

4. I'm taking my mother to go see Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Mom can fangirl with the best of them.

5. I'd like some of that Doctor Who Adipose stuff so I can lose like 30 pounds before May 31st. I wouldn't even mind those cute Tribble-like blobs of fat!

With my new fancy design, you're going to have to click on the thumbnails below to read FOX's official announcement about the new X-Files DVD set which comes out July 8th in Region 1.

I cropped the stuff that wasn't pertinent -- it was just stuff telling us who Duchovny and Anderson are, blah blah. The important parts of the press release are right here.

Carter and Spotnitz are going to tell us in the DVD extras why they picked these episodes and how they relate to the movie, and I'd be really interested in those conversations. I can't seem to see a correlation between them all, except for the fact that overall they're all pretty good episodes.

The impending snowstorm to end all snowstorms turned out to be nothing here in Jersey and in Manhattan. I was all prepared to relax at home today, too. Crap.

Forced to come into work and being bored beyond belief led me to my DVD preview copy of the wonderful British telefilm Housewife, 49.

It stars Victoria Wood as real-life WWII-era housewife, Nella Last, who wrote a diary documenting her life during the years of the war (and up until her death in 1968). Aside from the engrossing story of a sheltered, worried woman with a domineering husband who transforms herself into a self-sufficient individual thanks to her volunteer work, it also has the delicious hint of a gay subplot!

Her son Cliff goes off to war and brings home "best friend" James, a fighter pilot. They didn't film smooching scenes, but from their glances and the way Cliff spoke about James it was clear what their true relationship was. Later on, Cliff attempts to explain what James means to him to his mother, but Nella is completely oblivious. Oh, Cliff. I completely understand.

The other interesting thing is that Shameless star David Threlfall played Nella's husband! American audiences haven't been exposed to Shameless yet, but it was supposed to be part of the Sundance Channel programming block. You can also rent Shameless here in the U.S. -- it's black comedy, really wonderful.

Anyway, Housewife, 49 will be out on DVD in Region 1 on March 11. I'm going to pass it along to my mother, who I know will enjoy it. I highly recommend it.

Not having ordered Showtime I don't quite know the answer to this, despite my job as a DVD reviewer, but has anyone seen enough of The Tudors to tell me if I can give the DVD set to my parents?

I'm going to get around to watching it eventually, and since I got it in the mail today I thought I'd give it to them for Christmas.

They both watched Rome (my mom at certain points with her hands over her eyes, heh) and enjoyed it. Is The Tudors similar in nature to Rome, or is it all naked royal family debauchery? My father liked the historical aspects to Rome, while my mother loved the period costume and relationships. Are they going to yell at me about "All that guy does is have sex with women every single episode" if I give them the DVDs?

I've just now realized that I never made a Rome icon. *sigh* Team Atia!

Amazon, the purveyors of love in DVD form, are having a giant sale. The only reason I know this is because my co-worker mentioned it -- the deal is buried so far down on the DVD page that you can easily miss it.

Come see what's on sale.

Oz: All seasons are $17.49, except Season 2, which is $14.99, and Season 6 (that I paid $60 for) is $13.99!!

The Wire: C'mon, try out this fantastic show now! Seasons 1 and 2 are only $27.49, and Season 3 is $40.99.

Veronica Mars: Seasons 1 and 2 are $14.99!

Rome: Both seasons, $31.99. That's 68% off.

Nip/Tuck: Seasons 1 and 2 are $17.99.

There are a lot of HBO titles on sale as well. Go see!

ETA I just bought Veronica Mars Season 1, The Wire Seasons 1 and 2, and Oz Season 5 (because I only had a burned version), then applied for the Amazon Visa card, got approved, and saved $30 instantly! YAYZ!

The Wire Season 4 comes to DVD next week, and once again I've whipped up another review for Big Dot Com.

All three of you on my Flist that watch the show with me can read it behind the cut.

( Readin', writin', and red tops )

First, a quickie about Torchwood: if anyone is still confused as to what exactly will be in/edited out of the Region 1 set that's going to be released January 22, you can find more information at torch_wood here.

Next, is anyone a Friday Night Lights fan? I should have mentioned this Friday when I saw it, but whatevs.

The next time you see the teaser for this Friday's episode, play attention to the flashback scene where Landry attacks the guy who tried to rape Tyra. In the teaser, they used the original version they filmed of the scene, where the Bad Guy was facing Landry, and Landry used a beer bottle, and he only hit the guy once. Of course, the scene they used was far different, involving a lead pipe, an attack from behind, and two swings to the head.

This just in this morning...Torchwood Season 1 (Region 1, U.S. and Canada) menu screens for all seven discs of the set, due to be released January 22.

Menu screen, Disc 1



( More Torchwood Season 1 behind the cut )

New Line is running a promotion next week (November 13) in which certain DVD are being re-issued with a Golden Compass movie ticket inside. If you were thinking of buying these (or maybe just buy it because of the ticket) now's the time. It seems to me that some of these choices are rather bizarre and arbitrary. Well, whatever. Of course, you have to look for the marked packages, which is a bright yellow sticker. See below:



On November 13, the following re-issued titles will have the promotion:

Lord of the Rings (all 3 films, Extended and Limited editions)
The Notebook
Pan's Labyrinth: Special Edition
Snakes on a Plane
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
Wedding Crashers (rated and unrated)

Of these, Tenacious D and Wedding Crashers look to be the cheapest.

This is obviously for the Region 1 release.

For you David Hewlett completists, there's a TV movie from 2001 starring Mark Harmon coming to DVD next week called Ann Rule's And Never Let Her Go that he turns up in. Might want to add it to your Netflix queues. He plays Mark Harmon's brother in the telefilm.

The BBC sent me three discs of the six-disc set to the third season of Doctor Who, which is coming to Region 1 on November 6. Disc 5 contains the three episodes Captain Jack appears in, and I admit to watching "Utopia" this afternoon (in work! I heart my job) just to see him. However, I stopped watching Who when Christopher Eccleston left, as I could never get into David Tennant (I think I'm the only one in the universe that liked Nine over Ten). That means I have no idea what is going on, only that I recognized the Hand In The Jar that got knocked to the floor on Torchwood. I didn't watch the rest of the three-part arc with "The Sound of Drums," and "Last of the Time Lords," because I have a feeling I need to catch up on Series 2 and the beginning of 3 of Who and might be ruined if I jump right into the three-parter.

From one of my favorite sites, BoingBoing, comes this interesting (and really long) New Yorker article about rich dudes who have too much money getting ripped off when they buy counterfeit wines. Frankly, if someone has so much money that they just want to have a whole goddamn cellar of wines they will never drink, they deserve to have someone pull a fast one. Maybe donate some of that wine money to people that need it, douchebag.

And for you Pushing Daisies fans (tonight at 8), you might like to try Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me, two other shows creator Bryan Fuller worked on that have the same ethereal feel. Both are fantastic and didn't last long. I hope Daisies is an exception to that rule.

I'm heading to San Francisco next week (Thursday) for four days of vacation. Technically, I'm leaving Thursday morning, staying until Tuesday morning, and flying off again. Four full days. As long as I can get my damn suitcase up and down the subway stairs in the morning (I'm leaving from work), I'll be fine. Expect tons of photos. I'm looking forward to taking photos of the Golden Gate Bridge from atop it.

On a related note, I thought I'd poll my Flist to see if you guys would be interested in buying some lovely DVD (Region 1) sets I have hanging around in order to finance said trip to San Francisco.

I'd be doing all this when I get back, of course. I already have flat rate priority mail boxes (2-3 days across the U.S.) and I can ship internationally as long as you feel like paying standard shipping.

I was tempted to sell on eBay, but those bastards charge too much and I can't compete with the larger sellers. So I thought I'd offer whatever I have to my Flist for below-market rates, provide honest charges for shipping, and have you reap the benefit. That way those who want stuff don't have to deal with unscrupulous eBay sellers, overpriced shipping, and wondering whether DVDs are pirated or illegal imports.

My collection is kinda small right now, as I had a big sell off a few months ago. I have a lot of British shows, such as Father Brown, Miss Marple, Midsomer Murders, and Hetty Wainthropp Complete Series. But I do have the newest seasons of Stargate:Atlantis, JAG, Everybody Loves Raymond, Charmed, Grey's Anatomy, Ghost Whisperer, Deadwood, Prime Suspect, Numb3rs, Dynasty, and The Black Donnellys.

I'll gauge interest to see who might be interested, and then provide a full list.

Remember a few weeks back when I mentioned the cover of the new Stargate Atlantis Season 3 looked horrible?

Well, I just got the set today, and they didn't change it! Jason Momoa still looks like he received a really bad Photoshop job, Torri Higginson seems as though they stuck her in there as a second thought, and everyone's favorite geeky doctor David Hewlett looks uncomfortable holding his rifle, as if it's his head on someone else's body.

There was an alternate version (seen below), but for some reason they didn't use it.






The alternate is a hundred times better.

I literally spent an entire hour yesterday updating the X-Files Complete Collection product page for Big Dot Com with all the extras. I have all the seasons on the oldskool discs already (meaning the older fold-out sets), but my inner X-Phile screams for this set. Screams.

Just downloaded the new high-res DVD art yesterday from the Fox site. It's different than what you see on Amazon. I think they have an earlier image. Here ya go.






( All features and set contents behind the cut )

Oh, show. How I love you and shall mourn your passing once Season 5 is over.

Season 4 of The Wire will be coming out December 4 to Region 1. Yeah, TVShowsonDVD had it on September 3, but I was just on the Warner site this morning.






No news on extras yet.

Season 2 of Supernatural debuts on DVD next week, and I've written a review for my Big Dot Com. This will no doubt be edited, so I thought I'd throw it out here before it gets cut to shreds. I have to keep these short; I'd love to be able to explain the whole season in more depth. But I tried to touch on the things I found important -- like Jensen Ackles' performance this season, and I hardly ever mention that in reviews.

As much as I enjoyed Season 1, I think Season 2 surpassed it. Many people prefer the Monster of the Week arc to a season; I preferred the dramatic arc they used in Season 2.

I can't wait for Season 3 to begin. I haven't felt that in a long time, with the exception of Battlestar Galactica.

( Rhyme's Supernatural review )

Season 4 of Nip/Tuck comes out next Tuesday. The gag reel is very short -- only about a minute and a half -- but I thought I would cap some of McMahon's delicious moments. As my co-worker said, "I had no idea he could be so saucy!"

He's blue-steeling in the first two.














And in these he's looking at the camera and mouthing the words "Fuck me."

First, why do new mothers feel the need to bring their mewling infants into the office and stay all freaking afternoon? I'm trying to work, goddammit. I don't want to hear crying babies.

I got an early copy of Friday Night Lights (which debuts on DVD tomorrow), and I spent the entire weekend watching it. All 20 episodes, in two days. While I recommend the show (not for the football; for the amazing writing and performances), I don't recommend watching TV shows in marathon stretches like that. It's bad on the eyes.

Tomorrow, Heroes is out on DVD for the first time. Next week: The Office - Season 3, Nip/Tuck - Season 4, Prison Break - Season 2, 30 Rock - Season 1, The Black Donnellys - Complete, Robot Chicken - Season 2, Dirty Jobs - Volume 1, Desperate Housewives - Season 3, and Suze Orman's Women and Money. I threw Suze in there because 1) I think she has great advice and 2) did you know she loves girls? Hee.

(The whiny child just left after 5 hours. Huzzah. I can take my earplugs out now. Literally)

I'm bidding on another camera on eBay (the same one I lost last week), along with a naked Cigarette Smoking Man. I'm going to try to fix my Krycek (whose leg I broke. I play rough) using a CSM part. LOL!

Right now Barnes & Noble.com is having a 40% off sale on select DVDs and TV box sets. One to look out for, if you're a fan, is the Homicide: Life on the Street Complete Collection.

Amazon no longer carries it, and it's not being made anymore. There's been an official "moratorium" notice on it, which means once retailers are sold out, it's gone forever.

You can buy it for a little cheaper via alternate sellers on Amazon, but you can't guarantee that's it's not an Asian import, no matter what the seller claims. At least at B&N you know for sure that it's Region 1 and official.

I'm tempted to buy it, but I know I'll never get around to watching all seven seasons. Then again, I know if I don't that I'll be kicking myself later.

Of course, Homicide is the show Tom Fontana of Oz and David Simon of The Wire worked on before they went on to their other shows. It's full of guest stars, including Lee, and this is where Munch started before he went to New York and SVU.