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Lois And Clark - The New Adventures Of Superman - Season 1 (DVD)
by Decanus
Now, before I start , I have to qualify this review by saying I am a huge fan of Superman, and of comics in general, so I will try and be objective as possible...although I do like Teri Hatcher quite a bit...objective, objective...er, where was I?
Lois & Clark Season 1 first appeared in 1993, and its title gives you the clue as ... to the angle the show's makers were going for. Not sure quite how to pitch a show just focusing on a superhero, even Superman, they decided to make the on/off, will they/ won't they relationship of Clark and Lois the central focus of the show; kind of a watered down Moonlighting. It was definitely a case of diminishing returns, as this first season was actually very good, but later seasons not so much - it was light-hearted, fun, at time almost 40's screwball comedy. The special effects were pretty poor, so Dean Cain's time as Superman was always quite limited, Dean Cain's time as Superman actually doing something as Superman even more so.
The chemistry between the two leads in this first season made the show a hit; Dean Cain was excellent casting as Clark Kent, although looked more Superboy than Superman. Teri Hatcher (pre-Desperate Housewives) was sexy and sassy as Lois Lane, and a publicity shot of her wearing nothing but Superman's cape was the most-downloaded online photo of 1994! The supporting cast were all good choices too, especially Lane Smith as an excellent Perry White and John Shea as a fine Lex Luthor. The light-hearted tone of the show in some ways made it almost a 90's version of the 60's Batman, and stars queued up to get a cameo or star as that weeks guest-villain. Season 1 guest-stars included James Earl Jones, Morgan Fairchild, Dean Stockwell among many others.
So, how does the DVD release stack up? pretty good, actually. You ca't mistake what show it is, from Dean Cain's smug pose on the front of the cover, and all the dvd discs feature pictures of Clark, Lois, and Clark/Lois. All 21 episodes from Season 1 are on the set, quality being pretty good on my widescreen tv (though mine does upscale), and that includes the feature-length pilot with the legendary Superman mullet.
Extras are actually very good, it wasn't one of those sets that are released bare-bones at high cost. We get a commentary on the Pilot from Dean Cain, director Robert Butler, and show creator/ producer Deborah Joy LeVine. Its excellent commentary, with great anecdotes and stories behind the scenes on production issues, casting, and what everyone got up to. It sounded fun to work on!
The special effects documentary, 'Taking Flight: The Visual Effects' is moderately interesting, but all I took away was they put in a heck of a lot of work for a moderate on-screen result; effects were never the shows strong point.
The real jewel in the extras crown is the 'From Rivals to Romance' Documentary, which is a fantastic retrospective of that first season and reunites nearly everyone, cast and crew, to talk about the show. Its great to hear from so many who worked on the show, their memories, fun stories, even not so happy tales (John Shea left as a regular cast member because he fell out with the producers over his commuting schedule)
Its a really well put together set by Warners, show and extras, and you know what, the show still stands up today. Its light, frothy fun, over the top, and a bit silly but from my point of view, the perfect show to get my children interested in Superman.
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Lip Service - Series 2 (DVD)
by mbaggott1
As if the first series wasn't good enough! A lot of the girls are back and ready to cause trouble, making it seems even tougher to be a lesbian that most people would have thought! It follows the lives again of a group of ladies from different walks of life who all swomp together in Glasgow forming almost an army of lesbians! Sex, Love, ... Heartache and Devastation are on the cards this year and events are even more shocking an unexpected than usual leaving a lot of fans in tears! Happy or sad tears you may ask? Well you would have to watch it to find out!
The main Character of series 1 was Frankie but in this series they haven't set a main focus on one person infact they have given us the opportunity to get to know the other characters and what happens in there day to day life as well as lesbian issues that a lot of the girls face daily.
A lot of the Actors from the first series return to series 2 but with a few more different faces on the scene stirring up trouble and defining what a real lesbian goes through involving having a lot of sex, sharing intimate feelings with someone and lies and heartache.
Frankie (played by Ruta Gedmintas)- Still a very confused young lady, she has a lot of tattoo's and is slim in size this time with slightly longer hair, she usually wears skinny jeans, boots and a tank top. Frankie and Cat a couple that got together and fell deeply inlove were involved in a break up in the last series. Frankie doesn't like to hurt people so ran away from her relationship with Cat ending it instantly before returning to her life. At the end of series 1 we see a blossoming relationhip form between Sam and Cat but as Series 2 starts Cat knows after her lovely holiday away she has to face the music and confront Frankie. Frankie being Frankie never knows when to stop and won't allow the answer ever to be 'no'.
Sam (Played by Heather Peace)- A butch lesbian strong and intimidating in appearence but a real soft person at heart, she idealises her lover from series 1 Cat but worries Cat's mind is wondering off elsewhere. Sam is a very sporty person who is in the police for as a sergeant, she has a lot of stamine in the police and other places! Sam likes to keep herself fit and throughout this series becomes more fond of the new girl in the pack 'Lexi' ( I will discuss later) They get closer as the series progresses and end up becoming running partners but what happens next is a mystery.
Cat (Played by Laura Fraser)- A well groomed lady, very elegant with jet black hair, red lipstick and a demure fashion sense. After returning from a luxurious holiday away with her idealised lover Sam she knows she needs to sort things out with Frankie and set the record straight but being in love with two people is hard and it isn't as easier said than done.
New Character!!! Lexy (Played by Anna Skellern)- A cheeky austrailian who rocks up in glasgow, a hot young lady with a butch but feminie sort of look who has a fairly hard exterior again but is sweet in personality. She takes a liking to a few of the girls and ends up renting a flat with Tess (I am yet to discuss) and Frankie who are struggling with money. Lexy finds herself having a lot of sex, lying to people and getting caught up with emotions. One person imparticular that takes a liking to young Lexy is Tess who has been dreaming of being with a girl like her for years! Is this her chance?
Tess (Played by Fiona Button)- Very niave and lovely her ambition in life is to be an actress potentially on stage, she lands herself with a fantastic job at the start of the series on stage as the main part but things don't work out so well with her and another colleague look forward to arguements and violence from both of the girls! Tess is lovely and has a delightful personality she has a lot of friends but know one that would like a relationship with her as of yet, she likes to experiment with people but often her feelings get in the way. Tess takes a liking to new girl Lexy and wants to get to know her but someone else wants to do the same thing.
Sadie (Played by Natasha O'Keeffe)- Sadie appeared in series 1 as one of Frankie's flings. We all know Frankie used girls for sex and it was her way of coping. Everytime Frankie wanted sex Sadie would be there, but because Frankie was so in love with Cat she never truly realised that Sadie wanted more than just that. Sadie only appeared every now again in series 1 but in this series we really get to know her! Her relationship with Frankie has gone from a no string attached relationship to a slight friendship they have come to the conclusion it will never be any more than that! Sadie gets back out there and finds herself a very attractive lady from an art gallery they have a lot of sex and are very naughty, one catch this lady is married!
Relationships in Lip Service never really end up that well, In my opinion it is a fantastic series and there are some absolute real twists in this serious. Nothing is predictable and relationships chop and change. Emotions can go from high to low and the other way around in an instant! The girls don't all get along which in some cases is understandable but as the series goes on they all find one reason why they should all try to get on which is a shock to the girls.
I am a masive fan of Lip Service and the one twist in it that I never expected made me cry repetitivley. It really does dive into the lives of some lesbians and how they live there lives. Watching this programme as well as serious one although it isn't real it is very near the truth for a lot of people and makes you realise don't just look at the cover of a book and judge it read it get to know it and the outcome maybe different. It tests the girls relationships and some of the men involved but at the end of the serious things don't always have a happy ending...Worth a Watch hope I haven't given to much away!
Oh and the DVD costs around £10 at the moment which is a bargain! if you like a good old lesbian drama this is for you!
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Lost: The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray)
by sparkyman91
Lost centres around a group of survivors who were on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles, when their plane mysteriously crashed into an unknown island. The island itself is more than what it seems, as there is a supernatural ambience around the island. The survivors must stick together and find a way back home.
I started ... watching Lost a few years after it's release, finally giving into the hype it had been getting at the time. I remember watching the pilot episode. I was drawn in like I had never been drawn into a TV Show before. The characters, the plot, the acting, the mysteriousness, it left me wanting more like when you read a really good novel and you just can't put it down. From the very first scenes of the plane crash to the ending credits, I knew that this show was going to hurt my social life.
Lost isn't a series which is a fast pace like prison break for example. Instead, it has a slower movement but is still packed full of constant tension, twists and emotional moments. Each season leaves different and new objectives for the characters to handle. There is never a dull moment. The 45 minute episodes use up every moment of time to give such an entertaining show.
Without giving too much away, the shows earlier seasons focus on the survival of the characters on the island. It seems like every episode there is a new question appearing about the mysteries of the island or how trustworthy each character is. The writing team do a superb job in giving each character such depth and complexity. Yes it may get confusing at times, but Lost is a show that you cannot afford to miss a single episode or watch over an extended period of time, where you allow yourself to forget what has happened in previous episodes.
The characters go through a long and enduring journey over the six seasons which tests their faith in themselves, others and their trust in one another. I cannot explain any more about the plot without spoiling anything.
The acting and dialogue can only be described as nothing short of outstanding. With many of the actors and writing team nominated for various awards over the years. Every word wrote and said on this show seems to be so delicately chosen and precisely acted which makes the experience that much more immense.
The blu rays picture and sound quality are second to none. I have never watched a TV show with such a brilliant HD blu ray picture adaptation than Lost. The island with it's vivid diverse colour arrangement just looks spectacular in full definition. The sound is spot on as well. From the frantic sounds of the plane crashing to the more sombre moments as the ocean moves, it doesn't get any better than this.
The Blu Ray box-set includes all the special features from each season; behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes, bloopers, season-play (play where you left off), audio commentaries and special clips e.g Dharma initiative videos. These special features are a nice touch to a brilliant series and offer more content to the delight of avid fans.
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