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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
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Posted: July 31, 2009 06:30 PM
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DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those
Clever Brits
Read More: Animation , Bill Plympton , British TV , Dvds , Godard , Life
On Mars , Movies , Shane West , Entertainment News
I can't help romanticizing the British TV industry.
We often see only the best of the best of British
telly so it seems remarkably high in quality. Plus,
the way their industry developed, many shows
only have to produce six or eight episodes at a
time, take a break and then -- if they want --create six more. Take The Office -- one of the best
sitcoms of all time, full stop. Ricky Gervais and
Stephen Merchant did six episodes, took a long
holiday, did six more, called it a day and then did
two one hour specials and then really finished for good. That wouldn't even get them three-
quarters of the way through one season of How I Met Your Mother and it took them more than
three years to do it! If there's one key to HBO's success, it's their imitation of British TV: they often
do only 12 episodes a season, rather than 22 or more for the major networks and they don't insiston a tight schedule for their top talent. (Hence the long breaks between seasons of the The
Sopranos .)
Life On Mars is one more terrific example of how the Brits do TV so well, especially drama. (The
US rules when it comes to sitcoms, creating an extraordinary amount of high quality sitcoms at a
feverish pace, Fawlty Towers and The Office and Blackadder and The Royle Family
notwithstanding.)
Life On Mars Series 1 ($59.99; Acorn) is dead clever, with the high concept set-up of a modern day
detective somehow transported back (is he dreaming? did he step into a TARDIS?) to the early '70s
where he must solve crimes and work his way back home. Hilarious culture clashes ensue. It's a
smart idea executed wonderfully, thanks to a central performance by John Simm (the very funminiseries State Of Play ) as detective Sam Tyler. I laughed out loud when a US network said they
would do a remake for primetime. Didn't they realize how dumb that was? An idea like thatcouldn't be strung out for 22 episodes, much less 5 years. How asinine. And in fact, the US versioncame and went immediately, with virtually every critic sending you to the original UK version out
now on DVD.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]But the Brits aren't that resistant to success and the marketplace. Did you notice this set is called
Series 1? Even though the entire story resolves itself nicely at the finale, they foolishly tried to do it
again with Series 2 (an even dumber idea once you see how they ended it the first time). And
THEN they tried to do a spin-off by having a female character from the show get "sent back" to
1981 (rather than 1973) in Ashes To Ashes and they dragged THAT out for two seasons as well. So
watch Series 1 of Life On Mars and stop there and you can praise the Brits to high heaven just like
I do.
One series the Brits extended successfully is Wire In The Blood Sixth Season ($59.98; E1). Robson
Green has a career-making role playing a brilliant but damaged (naturally) clinical psychologist
who works with detectives in a fictional UK town to solve gruesome murders. This season containsfour 86 minute movies, each one a complete mystery, ranging from the timely (the death of a
Kurdish woman) to the Agatha Christie worthy (a string of murders in which each killer then
becomes a victim. Bloody good fun.
ALSO OUT ON DVD:BILL PLYMPTON'S DOG DAYS ($24.95; Microcinema) -- I first woke up to this iconoclastic
animator's work with the 1992 full-length film The Tune. You might be forgiven for thinking this
new compilation is a greatest hits, since it's chock-full of winners like the Oscar-nominated short
Guard Dog and the other two shorts in the Dog Trilogy, Guide Dog and Hot Dog. He's a uniquely
twisted man, as the 2008 short Santa, The Fascist Years quickly makes clear, but it's Plympton's
gorgeous, hypnotic lines and shimmering backdrops that keep you glued again and again. You canvisit him (and buy these DVDs at his website www.plymptoons.com and they're also at Amazon.
Also just out is his second live action film, 1995's Guns On The Clackamas, a dreaded
mockumentary, in this case a goofy one about people making a Western while cast members dieleft and right, the sort of problem that might stop lesser talents but not these Ed Wood-like folk.
Works best with an audience in the right mood (like, at midnight). Disney once reportedly tried to
lure Plympton into working with them. Maybe the folks at Pixar will have the right sensibility to
give him free rein. Certainly, his devilishly funny shorts deserve as wide an audience as possible.
300 THE COMPLETE EXPERIENCE ($39.99; Warner Bros.) -- There are awesome BluRay
releases and then there is 300: The Complete Experience, which immediately ranks with T2 as an
ideal demo disc when you want to show off your system to friends. Loads of new extras let youbone up on the making of the film and the real history that (modestly) supports the bloodfest. Whowere the Spartans? Who cares? Just let this nifty blend of animation and live action (it is, to itscartoonish credit, wholly original in its look) blow out your speakers. Buff warriors dying by the
dozens never looked so impressive.
CORALINE ($34.98 or $39.98 for BluRay with DVD and digital download; Universal) -- Henry
Selick's film -- along with Pixar's Up -- have together turned 3-D from a gimmick into a genuinely
artistic tool for movies. They both use the 3-D so gracefully and with such subtlety that it takes
your breath away. Unfortunately, the 3-D experience in a movie theater still can't be easily
captured at home with cheap cardboard glasses. Happily, it also can be watched in 2-D and thoughthe film was conceived with 3-D in mind, it works beautifully in 2-D as well. Based on themarvelous novel by Neil Gaiman, the movie doesn't quite capture that book's classic charm, but is
very, very good on its own creepy turns. A young girl ignored by her hard-working parents crawls
through a mysterious hole and finds an alternate world where her parents pay almost TOO muchattention to her. One of the best films of the year, even though once you read the book you'll
discover that it is even better.
FILLMORE: THE LAST DAYS ($19.98; Rhino) -- This is not the complete theatrical film
Fillmore , but is drawn from the same shows and includes some of the name acts. That movie pales
in comparison to Woodstock and Monterey Pop and others, but it's enjoyable, highlighted by a Boz
Scaggs sets, which unfortunately is NOT included here. The Santana set here also rarely focuses on
Carlos Santana, oddly enough, the Jefferson Airplane segment is more of a music video and so on.
I spent most of my time trying to spot my friend Linda in the audience. (She was there!) to noavail. Some pretty good stuff, especially for fans of the Grateful Dead, but not a patch on the so-somovie. Sometimes, if you can't get all the music rights, it's better to release nothing at all.
ROBOT CHICKEN STAR WARS EPISODE II ($19.98; Turner) -- Seth Green and Matthew
Senreich relax after their first Star Wars spoof was warmly received by everyone from haters of
Star Wars to Lucas himself and go all-out for this second edition. The DVD version is 15 minutes
longer than the aired version and also has 90 minutes of bonus features, though Andy Richter andBreckin Meyer are plenty for me already. most anyone can enjoy but fans will rightly watch it a
gazillion times. (It's certainly more fun than watching Phantom Menace twice.)
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]MADE IN U.S.A. and 2 OR 3 THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER ($29.98 each; Criterion) -- I'm
no fan of Godard, but at least in these films from 1966 and 1967, when he was growing increasingly
disdainful of audiences and actually "entertaining" them (how middle-class of us to want to beentertained), Godard couldn't help but deliver visually stunning movies. Both movies -- one a slap-
dash deconstruction of detective films, the other a meditation on consumerist society (which isn't
nearly as fun as it sounds) -- look sensational and Criterion does them proud. Extras include
archival interviews, audio commentary, visual essays about the films and their political context and
very welcome new subtitles.
THE MIDDLE MAN: THE COMPLETE SERIES ($39.99; Shout) -- I don't want to go
overboard and claim greatness for what is essentially a pleasing diversion, but The Middle Man
was a very pleasant surprise. I completely missed this lark of a show when it aired on ABC Family
in the summer of 2008 and I'm sorry I did. Based on graphic novels, it's a sci-fi buff's delight,
telling the droll story of an agent hired by unseens forces to combat alien incursions with the help
of a new sidekick and would-be artist. Matt Keeslar is a square-jawed goody two-shoes who speaks
in old school politeness ("Good golly!") and Natalie Morales could be Tina Fey's little sister as shepaints by day and battles aliens at night. The geeky sci-fi references come fast and furious, the tone
is light-hearted and silly perfect for teen kids and their parents and after an episode or two the
show really jells in finding its tone and sticking to it. Goofy fun and both actors deserve morestarring roles down the road
ECHELON CONSPIRACY ($29.98 or $39.99 on BluRay; Paramount) -- The hardest part of
building a career is picking the right parts. Shane West has all the elements of a star (damn
handsome, quite talented and -- as proven on TV's Once and Again , the acting chops to deliver)
but he's had a hard time finding the right movies to bring him a wider audience. Naturally, actorsdon't get to pick and choose any role they want. But when someone talented like West keeps
betting on the wrong movies again and again, it's a good sign they or their managers doesn't have
the knack of picking winning roles that are god for him. A Walk To Remember was a good first
step after Once folded and ER for several years was a smart move as well. But The League Of
Extraordinary Gentlemen was a bomb (and looked like it from the get-go) and the anonymous
indie flicks and horror movies are piling up: The Lodger, The Elder Son and this forgettable
paranoid action flick all came and went. Even his good picks aren't getting the attention they
deserve, like his turn as punk star Darby Crash in What We Do Is Secret and spooky horror/war
movie The Red Sands. Hopefully one of his many upcoming projects will click and get West on
firmer ground but movies like Echelon certainly won't do it for him.
COMIC LEGENDS COLLECTION ($19.98; MPI) -- A curio for nostalgia buffs and hardcore
fans of these famed performers, this collection is a grab-bag of material. Dick Van Dyke's disc is the
longest (100 minutes) and highlights his early work on Pat Boone's variety show, along with a panel
show he hosted. The rest are one hour, with trailblazer Phyllis Diller offering up some choice clips,
Tim Conway's pre-Carol Burnett shtick as bumbler Dag Hereford, and a final disc featuring half anhour of Groucho Marx chatting with an audience and half an hour of Redd Foxx doing his bluematerial just before he exploded to wider fame on Sanford & Son . Glimmers of greatness here and
there, but really just for the fan who wants everything. Their best work can be found elsewhere.
JEFF BUCKLEY: GRACE AROUND THE WORLD ($34.98; Legacy) -- I keep thinking the
well must have run dry on Jeff Buckley's posthumous work and then they release something else
and darned if it isn't interesting. This new CD/DVd set contains a CD of live performances, oneDVD of rare footage from the likes of MTV Japan (his signature tune, "Hallelujah"), the BBC and
German television and the other with an hour long passionate documentary about Buckley that
includes interviews with all his bandmates, family, friends and artists influenced by him. It's justfor fans...but if you listen to it, you'll be one, so I guess that means it is for everyone.
MONK SEASON SEVEN ($59.98; Universal) -- A bit long in the tooth, it's a relief to hear this
long-running comedy is calling it a day after one more season. Tony Shalhoub has somehow
avoided turning Monk into a complete caricature of his tic-ridden self, but there are only so many
funny ways to wash your hands. Guest stars help, such as Steve Zahn as Monk's older brother. Andapologies to Traylor Howard but I still miss Bitty Schram. (And yea! She'll guest on an episode in
the eighth and final season.
FAERIE TALE THEATRE: TALES FROM HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN ($14.98; E1) --
Shelley Duvall's delightful Faerie Tale Theatre is available in a nice complete boxed set. But if
you're not ready to drop $100 on it, this one DVD collection of four episodes is a good sampler,featuring Mick Jagger, Melissa Gilbert, Carrie Fisher and Art Carney in key roles. Also out:
Princess Tales with Jennifer Beals, Liza Minnelli and others. You'll eventually want the whole
thing, but you can always share these DVDs with friends.MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
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(VIDEO)THE LUCY SHOW SEASON ONE ($39.98; Paramount) -- Lightning struck twice, for a change
and no wonder: Lucille Ball starred alongside her friend Vivian Vance, they used many of the
writers who worked on I Love Lucy, they even shot in black and white and Lucy insisted her ex-
husband Desi Arnaz oversee the show (which he did for one season). A Top 10 hit for its entire sixyear run, peaking at #2 when it left the air and was replaced by the sadder, more desperate Here'sLucy . Even on this show, the formula (widow and divorcee live together and raise their kids) soon
ran thin. But at the start it was a marked improvement over the dregs of the final gasp of I Love
Lucy. She even won two more Emmys at the end but if she ever deserved it, it was for this first
batch of shows.
THE SIMPSONS COMPLETE TWELFTH SEASON ($49.98; FOX) -- You know the show has
been running a long time when Comic Book Guy gets on the cover (and even finds true love in
"Worst Episode Ever"). You start to pick out the funny episodes, rather than the classic ones and
calls for the show to pack it in gracefully would go blissfully unheeded by the talent. Oh well. A
dream run of eight or nine seasons is a distant memory, so take pleasure where you can, such aswith "A Tale Of Two Springfields" and "Simpsons Tall Tales."
CHARLIE'S ANGELS FOURTH SEASON ($39.95; Sony) -- Only the Playmate of the Year or a
new Bond girl could match the excitement of announcing a new Angel for Charlie. This season it
was Shelly Hack joining Jacklyn Smith (the only one smart enough to stay around for the entire
run). You know the jiggle is losing its bounce when they include a cross-over episode with the cast
of The Love Boat (easily the least-sexiest cast on ABC). And Farrah Fawcett -- who probably
realized she had made a mistake in leaving so quickly) comes back for a guest shot.
HOTEL FIRST SEASON ($54.99; Paramount) -- Producer Aaaron Spelling never missed a
chance for selling his shows in any way possible and probably would have had every Angel check
into Hotel , a rather anonymous anthology series anchored by James Brolin and Connie Sellecca.
Hey, if Spelling had one brilliant gift, it was casting.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]
1sparrow I'm a Fan of 1sparrow 9 fans permalink
life on mars (american) was one of the most under rated of all t.v. shows. not since "cop rock" have i
been so entertained. if they cut this show they may likely cut "house". they obviously can't tell well
designed and conceived shows.
BlackJAC I'm a Fan of BlackJAC 25 fans permalink
HBO really isn't following any "British model" in regards to season length. Thirteen episodes tends to be
the standard minimum season order for any show, with cable ordering fewer episodes than thebroadcast networks' 22 episodes probably because they have a smaller audience to begin with andvery likely don't have the funding for more.
Aramingo I'm a Fan of Aramingo 12 fans permalink
I liked the US LOM, and I got the Bowie reference (are you reading , rj?). And I agree with themajority that the ending sucked. The UK version surprised me in that Philip Glenister didsuch a good job with a role that Harvey Keitel (sp?) belted out of the park. I actually prefer
Glenister.
I also liked Ashes to Ashes, basically because of Glenister. I was disappointed they only showed series
one here in the US. It's a God-awful small affair....
BlackJAC I'm a Fan of BlackJAC 25 fans permalink
Please; a glitched virtual reality fantasy is much more plausible for that scenario than a comafantasy, especially when you factor in the brain damage a coma can cause.
Aramingo I'm a Fan of Aramingo 12 fans permalink
On BBCAmerica LOM was followed by a show that feature time travel in a
telephone booth. Plausible? I think, in some cases, plausibility can be
sacrificed for compelling narrative.
thebirdstheword I'm a Fan of thebirdstheword 6 fans permalink
'spaced' was a great british sitcom as well. edgar wright, simon pegg, jessica stevenson, nick frost,mark heap and julia deakin are all very talented. they spoof american pop culture so much that itdoesn't feel too british. lots of great references.
it's not just britain that has the 6 show per season format. 'city of men', from the makers of the great
brazilian film 'city of god' was a very good series- six or seven episodes per season, with a year inbetween series. you got to see the main characters grow up during the course of three seasons.
rainbowblue I'm a Fan of rainbowblue 3 fans permalink
I'm sorry after Torchwood: Children of Earth, there is no hope for the Brits. Maybe it's the producer, orsomething, but that was just plain awful.
kathy001 I'm a Fan of kathy001 33 fans permalink
I loved Life on Mars #1 so much that I will definitely be buying the DVD but I completely agree that the2nd series sucked. But I also liked the U.S. version of Life on Mars. I thought they did a pretty good job
of it until the ending. The ending was so rotten it was just an embarrassment.
noaxe397 I'm a Fan of noaxe397 52 fans permalink
I was just glad they made SOME attempt at wrapping up the loose ends, unlike, say, Invasion
a couple of years ago.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]
I kind of expected more from the American version of LOM, given the big name cast.
rjmiller I'm a Fan of rjmiller 7 fans permalink
I immediately laughed when I heard "Life on Mars" was coming to US tv. First of all, no one will get the
David Bowie title reference. Second, we've had a handful of time-travel cop shows in the last 15 years,and they've all fallen flat.
At least they never followed through on the planned Spaced remake.
WTEffington I'm a Fan of WTEffington permalink
Check out the comedies IT Crowd (geek, workplace humor) and Coupling (sex comedy), which US
producers tried to Americanize and failed.
Lost in Austen if you are a Pride and Prejudice fan, and which US producers are trying to Americanize.
BlackJAC I'm a Fan of BlackJAC 25 fans permalink
And CLUELESS is EMMA set in Beverly Hills.
pab08 I'm a Fan of pab08 3 fans permalink
Another GREAT example is "Jekyll ."Very, very good BBC show.
Former Lee Warmer I'm a Fan of Former Lee Warmer permalink
As a Brit I'd agree that US TV is of a higher standard in terms of flagship dramas and
comedies. One Brit-box hit to watch out for, if you get the chance, is "The Street"
(created/written by Jimmy McGovern) which has featured a whole host of top-line British TV
and film actors. It's a gritty drama that follows the lives of various residents of one street in Manchester.
You get a different story every episode with few recurring characters and it has everything - heart, soul,humour. This drama is in a different class compared to 95% of other British TV series in the last 10years.
kathy001 I'm a Fan of kathy001 33 fans permalink
It sounds great. I hope I get a chance to see it.
Michael Giltz I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz 4 fans permalink
Hi Former,
Thanks for mentioning The Street. I saw almost all the episodes when it aired here in the US
(on BBC America, I think) and it was indeed a very good, unique drama. It's out on DVD fromKoch if anyone wants to check it out.
Michael
BlackJAC I'm a Fan of BlackJAC 25 fans permalink
Probably because they don't have large writing staffs doing them or the equivalent of the
Parents' Television Council threatening boycotts if it doesn't meet their standards.
LeBelAge I'm a Fan of LeBelAge 8 fans permalink
Its funny but the Brits think Americans do television better. The Guardian writers are always
bemoaning the fact that no British drama has reached the heights of The Wire.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]
Speaking as an ex-pat living in the UK most of what's on UK television isn't as good as the US. The US
produces a higher volume of quality TV shows, both in drama and comedy. American television showsdominate the airwaves here in the UK. That's not to knock the Brits, there are wonderful examples likeSpooks, Life on Mars, and Torchwood. Money wise, Americans have the advantage and can generatealot more original and quality programming.
Michael Giltz I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz 4 fans permalink
I agree completely. Of course, if you include ALL American TV (including all the cable stuff),our level of quality probably isn't any better over-all. But the US regularly turns out top-notchsitcoms with aplomb. But artistically, there's a lot to be said for only having to produce 6 or 10or so episodes, rather than 22 or so at a time. That's why in the US, HBO and the like aresuch leaders in quality with The Wire and Mad Men and so on. (or in the UK, The Street,mentioned above.) And that's why the Brits (and I) are gobsmacked when the US canproduce 24 episodes of "24" or say 22 of "Frasier" and have them be such high quality.
LeftRight I'm a Fan of LeftRight 79 fans permalink
Hey, I LIKED Life on Mars American version, except for the finale, cause the way they endedit was HORRIBLE!
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DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those
Clever Brits
Read More: Animation , Bill Plympton , British TV , Dvds , Godard , Life
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I can't help romanticizing the British TV industry.
We often see only the best of the best of British
telly so it seems remarkably high in quality. Plus,
the way their industry developed, many shows
only have to produce six or eight episodes at a
time, take a break and then -- if they want --create six more. Take The Office -- one of the best
sitcoms of all time, full stop. Ricky Gervais and
Stephen Merchant did six episodes, took a long
holiday, did six more, called it a day and then did
two one hour specials and then really finished for good. That wouldn't even get them three-
quarters of the way through one season of How I Met Your Mother and it took them more than
three years to do it! If there's one key to HBO's success, it's their imitation of British TV: they often
do only 12 episodes a season, rather than 22 or more for the major networks and they don't insiston a tight schedule for their top talent. (Hence the long breaks between seasons of the The
Sopranos .)
Life On Mars is one more terrific example of how the Brits do TV so well, especially drama. (The
US rules when it comes to sitcoms, creating an extraordinary amount of high quality sitcoms at a
feverish pace, Fawlty Towers and The Office and Blackadder and The Royle Family
notwithstanding.)
Life On Mars Series 1 ($59.99; Acorn) is dead clever, with the high concept set-up of a modern day
detective somehow transported back (is he dreaming? did he step into a TARDIS?) to the early '70s
where he must solve crimes and work his way back home. Hilarious culture clashes ensue. It's a
smart idea executed wonderfully, thanks to a central performance by John Simm (the very funminiseries State Of Play ) as detective Sam Tyler. I laughed out loud when a US network said they
would do a remake for primetime. Didn't they realize how dumb that was? An idea like thatcouldn't be strung out for 22 episodes, much less 5 years. How asinine. And in fact, the US versioncame and went immediately, with virtually every critic sending you to the original UK version out
now on DVD.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]But the Brits aren't that resistant to success and the marketplace. Did you notice this set is called
Series 1? Even though the entire story resolves itself nicely at the finale, they foolishly tried to do it
again with Series 2 (an even dumber idea once you see how they ended it the first time). And
THEN they tried to do a spin-off by having a female character from the show get "sent back" to
1981 (rather than 1973) in Ashes To Ashes and they dragged THAT out for two seasons as well. So
watch Series 1 of Life On Mars and stop there and you can praise the Brits to high heaven just like
I do.
One series the Brits extended successfully is Wire In The Blood Sixth Season ($59.98; E1). Robson
Green has a career-making role playing a brilliant but damaged (naturally) clinical psychologist
who works with detectives in a fictional UK town to solve gruesome murders. This season containsfour 86 minute movies, each one a complete mystery, ranging from the timely (the death of a
Kurdish woman) to the Agatha Christie worthy (a string of murders in which each killer then
becomes a victim. Bloody good fun.
ALSO OUT ON DVD:BILL PLYMPTON'S DOG DAYS ($24.95; Microcinema) -- I first woke up to this iconoclastic
animator's work with the 1992 full-length film The Tune. You might be forgiven for thinking this
new compilation is a greatest hits, since it's chock-full of winners like the Oscar-nominated short
Guard Dog and the other two shorts in the Dog Trilogy, Guide Dog and Hot Dog. He's a uniquely
twisted man, as the 2008 short Santa, The Fascist Years quickly makes clear, but it's Plympton's
gorgeous, hypnotic lines and shimmering backdrops that keep you glued again and again. You canvisit him (and buy these DVDs at his website www.plymptoons.com and they're also at Amazon.
Also just out is his second live action film, 1995's Guns On The Clackamas, a dreaded
mockumentary, in this case a goofy one about people making a Western while cast members dieleft and right, the sort of problem that might stop lesser talents but not these Ed Wood-like folk.
Works best with an audience in the right mood (like, at midnight). Disney once reportedly tried to
lure Plympton into working with them. Maybe the folks at Pixar will have the right sensibility to
give him free rein. Certainly, his devilishly funny shorts deserve as wide an audience as possible.
300 THE COMPLETE EXPERIENCE ($39.99; Warner Bros.) -- There are awesome BluRay
releases and then there is 300: The Complete Experience, which immediately ranks with T2 as an
ideal demo disc when you want to show off your system to friends. Loads of new extras let youbone up on the making of the film and the real history that (modestly) supports the bloodfest. Whowere the Spartans? Who cares? Just let this nifty blend of animation and live action (it is, to itscartoonish credit, wholly original in its look) blow out your speakers. Buff warriors dying by the
dozens never looked so impressive.
CORALINE ($34.98 or $39.98 for BluRay with DVD and digital download; Universal) -- Henry
Selick's film -- along with Pixar's Up -- have together turned 3-D from a gimmick into a genuinely
artistic tool for movies. They both use the 3-D so gracefully and with such subtlety that it takes
your breath away. Unfortunately, the 3-D experience in a movie theater still can't be easily
captured at home with cheap cardboard glasses. Happily, it also can be watched in 2-D and thoughthe film was conceived with 3-D in mind, it works beautifully in 2-D as well. Based on themarvelous novel by Neil Gaiman, the movie doesn't quite capture that book's classic charm, but is
very, very good on its own creepy turns. A young girl ignored by her hard-working parents crawls
through a mysterious hole and finds an alternate world where her parents pay almost TOO muchattention to her. One of the best films of the year, even though once you read the book you'll
discover that it is even better.
FILLMORE: THE LAST DAYS ($19.98; Rhino) -- This is not the complete theatrical film
Fillmore , but is drawn from the same shows and includes some of the name acts. That movie pales
in comparison to Woodstock and Monterey Pop and others, but it's enjoyable, highlighted by a Boz
Scaggs sets, which unfortunately is NOT included here. The Santana set here also rarely focuses on
Carlos Santana, oddly enough, the Jefferson Airplane segment is more of a music video and so on.
I spent most of my time trying to spot my friend Linda in the audience. (She was there!) to noavail. Some pretty good stuff, especially for fans of the Grateful Dead, but not a patch on the so-somovie. Sometimes, if you can't get all the music rights, it's better to release nothing at all.
ROBOT CHICKEN STAR WARS EPISODE II ($19.98; Turner) -- Seth Green and Matthew
Senreich relax after their first Star Wars spoof was warmly received by everyone from haters of
Star Wars to Lucas himself and go all-out for this second edition. The DVD version is 15 minutes
longer than the aired version and also has 90 minutes of bonus features, though Andy Richter andBreckin Meyer are plenty for me already. most anyone can enjoy but fans will rightly watch it a
gazillion times. (It's certainly more fun than watching Phantom Menace twice.)
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]MADE IN U.S.A. and 2 OR 3 THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER ($29.98 each; Criterion) -- I'm
no fan of Godard, but at least in these films from 1966 and 1967, when he was growing increasingly
disdainful of audiences and actually "entertaining" them (how middle-class of us to want to beentertained), Godard couldn't help but deliver visually stunning movies. Both movies -- one a slap-
dash deconstruction of detective films, the other a meditation on consumerist society (which isn't
nearly as fun as it sounds) -- look sensational and Criterion does them proud. Extras include
archival interviews, audio commentary, visual essays about the films and their political context and
very welcome new subtitles.
THE MIDDLE MAN: THE COMPLETE SERIES ($39.99; Shout) -- I don't want to go
overboard and claim greatness for what is essentially a pleasing diversion, but The Middle Man
was a very pleasant surprise. I completely missed this lark of a show when it aired on ABC Family
in the summer of 2008 and I'm sorry I did. Based on graphic novels, it's a sci-fi buff's delight,
telling the droll story of an agent hired by unseens forces to combat alien incursions with the help
of a new sidekick and would-be artist. Matt Keeslar is a square-jawed goody two-shoes who speaks
in old school politeness ("Good golly!") and Natalie Morales could be Tina Fey's little sister as shepaints by day and battles aliens at night. The geeky sci-fi references come fast and furious, the tone
is light-hearted and silly perfect for teen kids and their parents and after an episode or two the
show really jells in finding its tone and sticking to it. Goofy fun and both actors deserve morestarring roles down the road
ECHELON CONSPIRACY ($29.98 or $39.99 on BluRay; Paramount) -- The hardest part of
building a career is picking the right parts. Shane West has all the elements of a star (damn
handsome, quite talented and -- as proven on TV's Once and Again , the acting chops to deliver)
but he's had a hard time finding the right movies to bring him a wider audience. Naturally, actorsdon't get to pick and choose any role they want. But when someone talented like West keeps
betting on the wrong movies again and again, it's a good sign they or their managers doesn't have
the knack of picking winning roles that are god for him. A Walk To Remember was a good first
step after Once folded and ER for several years was a smart move as well. But The League Of
Extraordinary Gentlemen was a bomb (and looked like it from the get-go) and the anonymous
indie flicks and horror movies are piling up: The Lodger, The Elder Son and this forgettable
paranoid action flick all came and went. Even his good picks aren't getting the attention they
deserve, like his turn as punk star Darby Crash in What We Do Is Secret and spooky horror/war
movie The Red Sands. Hopefully one of his many upcoming projects will click and get West on
firmer ground but movies like Echelon certainly won't do it for him.
COMIC LEGENDS COLLECTION ($19.98; MPI) -- A curio for nostalgia buffs and hardcore
fans of these famed performers, this collection is a grab-bag of material. Dick Van Dyke's disc is the
longest (100 minutes) and highlights his early work on Pat Boone's variety show, along with a panel
show he hosted. The rest are one hour, with trailblazer Phyllis Diller offering up some choice clips,
Tim Conway's pre-Carol Burnett shtick as bumbler Dag Hereford, and a final disc featuring half anhour of Groucho Marx chatting with an audience and half an hour of Redd Foxx doing his bluematerial just before he exploded to wider fame on Sanford & Son . Glimmers of greatness here and
there, but really just for the fan who wants everything. Their best work can be found elsewhere.
JEFF BUCKLEY: GRACE AROUND THE WORLD ($34.98; Legacy) -- I keep thinking the
well must have run dry on Jeff Buckley's posthumous work and then they release something else
and darned if it isn't interesting. This new CD/DVd set contains a CD of live performances, oneDVD of rare footage from the likes of MTV Japan (his signature tune, "Hallelujah"), the BBC and
German television and the other with an hour long passionate documentary about Buckley that
includes interviews with all his bandmates, family, friends and artists influenced by him. It's justfor fans...but if you listen to it, you'll be one, so I guess that means it is for everyone.
MONK SEASON SEVEN ($59.98; Universal) -- A bit long in the tooth, it's a relief to hear this
long-running comedy is calling it a day after one more season. Tony Shalhoub has somehow
avoided turning Monk into a complete caricature of his tic-ridden self, but there are only so many
funny ways to wash your hands. Guest stars help, such as Steve Zahn as Monk's older brother. Andapologies to Traylor Howard but I still miss Bitty Schram. (And yea! She'll guest on an episode in
the eighth and final season.
FAERIE TALE THEATRE: TALES FROM HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN ($14.98; E1) --
Shelley Duvall's delightful Faerie Tale Theatre is available in a nice complete boxed set. But if
you're not ready to drop $100 on it, this one DVD collection of four episodes is a good sampler,featuring Mick Jagger, Melissa Gilbert, Carrie Fisher and Art Carney in key roles. Also out:
Princess Tales with Jennifer Beals, Liza Minnelli and others. You'll eventually want the whole
thing, but you can always share these DVDs with friends.MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
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(VIDEO)THE LUCY SHOW SEASON ONE ($39.98; Paramount) -- Lightning struck twice, for a change
and no wonder: Lucille Ball starred alongside her friend Vivian Vance, they used many of the
writers who worked on I Love Lucy, they even shot in black and white and Lucy insisted her ex-
husband Desi Arnaz oversee the show (which he did for one season). A Top 10 hit for its entire sixyear run, peaking at #2 when it left the air and was replaced by the sadder, more desperate Here'sLucy . Even on this show, the formula (widow and divorcee live together and raise their kids) soon
ran thin. But at the start it was a marked improvement over the dregs of the final gasp of I Love
Lucy. She even won two more Emmys at the end but if she ever deserved it, it was for this first
batch of shows.
THE SIMPSONS COMPLETE TWELFTH SEASON ($49.98; FOX) -- You know the show has
been running a long time when Comic Book Guy gets on the cover (and even finds true love in
"Worst Episode Ever"). You start to pick out the funny episodes, rather than the classic ones and
calls for the show to pack it in gracefully would go blissfully unheeded by the talent. Oh well. A
dream run of eight or nine seasons is a distant memory, so take pleasure where you can, such aswith "A Tale Of Two Springfields" and "Simpsons Tall Tales."
CHARLIE'S ANGELS FOURTH SEASON ($39.95; Sony) -- Only the Playmate of the Year or a
new Bond girl could match the excitement of announcing a new Angel for Charlie. This season it
was Shelly Hack joining Jacklyn Smith (the only one smart enough to stay around for the entire
run). You know the jiggle is losing its bounce when they include a cross-over episode with the cast
of The Love Boat (easily the least-sexiest cast on ABC). And Farrah Fawcett -- who probably
realized she had made a mistake in leaving so quickly) comes back for a guest shot.
HOTEL FIRST SEASON ($54.99; Paramount) -- Producer Aaaron Spelling never missed a
chance for selling his shows in any way possible and probably would have had every Angel check
into Hotel , a rather anonymous anthology series anchored by James Brolin and Connie Sellecca.
Hey, if Spelling had one brilliant gift, it was casting.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]
1sparrow I'm a Fan of 1sparrow 9 fans permalink
life on mars (american) was one of the most under rated of all t.v. shows. not since "cop rock" have i
been so entertained. if they cut this show they may likely cut "house". they obviously can't tell well
designed and conceived shows.
BlackJAC I'm a Fan of BlackJAC 25 fans permalink
HBO really isn't following any "British model" in regards to season length. Thirteen episodes tends to be
the standard minimum season order for any show, with cable ordering fewer episodes than thebroadcast networks' 22 episodes probably because they have a smaller audience to begin with andvery likely don't have the funding for more.
Aramingo I'm a Fan of Aramingo 12 fans permalink
I liked the US LOM, and I got the Bowie reference (are you reading , rj?). And I agree with themajority that the ending sucked. The UK version surprised me in that Philip Glenister didsuch a good job with a role that Harvey Keitel (sp?) belted out of the park. I actually prefer
Glenister.
I also liked Ashes to Ashes, basically because of Glenister. I was disappointed they only showed series
one here in the US. It's a God-awful small affair....
BlackJAC I'm a Fan of BlackJAC 25 fans permalink
Please; a glitched virtual reality fantasy is much more plausible for that scenario than a comafantasy, especially when you factor in the brain damage a coma can cause.
Aramingo I'm a Fan of Aramingo 12 fans permalink
On BBCAmerica LOM was followed by a show that feature time travel in a
telephone booth. Plausible? I think, in some cases, plausibility can be
sacrificed for compelling narrative.
thebirdstheword I'm a Fan of thebirdstheword 6 fans permalink
'spaced' was a great british sitcom as well. edgar wright, simon pegg, jessica stevenson, nick frost,mark heap and julia deakin are all very talented. they spoof american pop culture so much that itdoesn't feel too british. lots of great references.
it's not just britain that has the 6 show per season format. 'city of men', from the makers of the great
brazilian film 'city of god' was a very good series- six or seven episodes per season, with a year inbetween series. you got to see the main characters grow up during the course of three seasons.
rainbowblue I'm a Fan of rainbowblue 3 fans permalink
I'm sorry after Torchwood: Children of Earth, there is no hope for the Brits. Maybe it's the producer, orsomething, but that was just plain awful.
kathy001 I'm a Fan of kathy001 33 fans permalink
I loved Life on Mars #1 so much that I will definitely be buying the DVD but I completely agree that the2nd series sucked. But I also liked the U.S. version of Life on Mars. I thought they did a pretty good job
of it until the ending. The ending was so rotten it was just an embarrassment.
noaxe397 I'm a Fan of noaxe397 52 fans permalink
I was just glad they made SOME attempt at wrapping up the loose ends, unlike, say, Invasion
a couple of years ago.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]
I kind of expected more from the American version of LOM, given the big name cast.
rjmiller I'm a Fan of rjmiller 7 fans permalink
I immediately laughed when I heard "Life on Mars" was coming to US tv. First of all, no one will get the
David Bowie title reference. Second, we've had a handful of time-travel cop shows in the last 15 years,and they've all fallen flat.
At least they never followed through on the planned Spaced remake.
WTEffington I'm a Fan of WTEffington permalink
Check out the comedies IT Crowd (geek, workplace humor) and Coupling (sex comedy), which US
producers tried to Americanize and failed.
Lost in Austen if you are a Pride and Prejudice fan, and which US producers are trying to Americanize.
BlackJAC I'm a Fan of BlackJAC 25 fans permalink
And CLUELESS is EMMA set in Beverly Hills.
pab08 I'm a Fan of pab08 3 fans permalink
Another GREAT example is "Jekyll ."Very, very good BBC show.
Former Lee Warmer I'm a Fan of Former Lee Warmer permalink
As a Brit I'd agree that US TV is of a higher standard in terms of flagship dramas and
comedies. One Brit-box hit to watch out for, if you get the chance, is "The Street"
(created/written by Jimmy McGovern) which has featured a whole host of top-line British TV
and film actors. It's a gritty drama that follows the lives of various residents of one street in Manchester.
You get a different story every episode with few recurring characters and it has everything - heart, soul,humour. This drama is in a different class compared to 95% of other British TV series in the last 10years.
kathy001 I'm a Fan of kathy001 33 fans permalink
It sounds great. I hope I get a chance to see it.
Michael Giltz I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz 4 fans permalink
Hi Former,
Thanks for mentioning The Street. I saw almost all the episodes when it aired here in the US
(on BBC America, I think) and it was indeed a very good, unique drama. It's out on DVD fromKoch if anyone wants to check it out.
Michael
BlackJAC I'm a Fan of BlackJAC 25 fans permalink
Probably because they don't have large writing staffs doing them or the equivalent of the
Parents' Television Council threatening boycotts if it doesn't meet their standards.
LeBelAge I'm a Fan of LeBelAge 8 fans permalink
Its funny but the Brits think Americans do television better. The Guardian writers are always
bemoaning the fact that no British drama has reached the heights of The Wire.
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Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Life On Mars and Those Clever Brits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds----life-on-mars-and_b_249016.html[8/25/09 5:03:28 PM]
Speaking as an ex-pat living in the UK most of what's on UK television isn't as good as the US. The US
produces a higher volume of quality TV shows, both in drama and comedy. American television showsdominate the airwaves here in the UK. That's not to knock the Brits, there are wonderful examples likeSpooks, Life on Mars, and Torchwood. Money wise, Americans have the advantage and can generatealot more original and quality programming.
Michael Giltz I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz 4 fans permalink
I agree completely. Of course, if you include ALL American TV (including all the cable stuff),our level of quality probably isn't any better over-all. But the US regularly turns out top-notchsitcoms with aplomb. But artistically, there's a lot to be said for only having to produce 6 or 10or so episodes, rather than 22 or so at a time. That's why in the US, HBO and the like aresuch leaders in quality with The Wire and Mad Men and so on. (or in the UK, The Street,mentioned above.) And that's why the Brits (and I) are gobsmacked when the US canproduce 24 episodes of "24" or say 22 of "Frasier" and have them be such high quality.
LeftRight I'm a Fan of LeftRight 79 fans permalink
Hey, I LIKED Life on Mars American version, except for the finale, cause the way they endedit was HORRIBLE!
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