New on DVD: Arctic expedition drives solid series
This week’s list of new DVD releases is thin, but there are some good options to consider. It looks like studios didn’t want to compete with Fourth of July activities.
• “Helix: The Complete First Season,” B-plus: The cable series from Ronald D. Moore is a gripping thriller about a team of scientists on an Arctic expedition to research a viral outbreak. The search for answers proves as deadly as the virus.
Billy Campbell and Kyra Zagorsky turn in first-rate performances.
The set includes all 13 episodes of the cable series, plus cast and crew commentaries, deleted scenes and four featurettes. “Dissecting the Characters” studies the dynamic interpersonal relationships that fuel the series. “The Art of Isolation” explores the approach to creating a realistic Arctic research center.
“The Future of Disease” examines advancements in the field of medicine, while “Ronald D. Moore: The Outlier of Science Fiction” features Moore’s perspective on creating the new series.
• “Lovejoy, Series 1,” B-plus: In recent years, Golden Globe winner Ian McShane has become known for playing dark and crusty characters with roles in “Deadwood” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” Before he went down the dark paths, McShane played the likable Lovejoy in this BBC mystery series that aired on A&E in the early 1990s.
Lovejoy is to antiques dealing as Jessica Fletcher is to mystery writing. Along with his gift for being able to spot real and fake art treasures, Lovejoy also has a skill for solving mysteries. These puzzles often take place in a world filled with aristocrats, con men and criminals.
The set includes 10 episodes.
• “Twilight Zone: Essential Episodes (55th Anniversary Collection),” A: It would make more sense to own the entire collection of “Twilight Zone” episodes because each is so good. But if you only want to own the best of the series, this collection includes those episodes: “Time Enough at Last,” “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,” “To Serve Man” and “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.”
Other episodes in the set include: “Walking Distance,” “The Hitch-Hiker,” “A Stop at Willoughby,” “The After Hours” and “The Midnight Sun.”
Also new on DVD:
“Vinyl”: Based on Mike Peters’ rock ’n’ roll hoax of 2004.
“Afflicted”: A journey around the world takes a horrifying turn.
“The Lunchbox”: Two lonely people in India have their deliveries mixed up.
“Operation Petticoat”: The 1950s film from director Blake Edwards is being re-released.
“Anna Karenina”: BBC’s 10-episode version of Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece.
“Hinterland, Series 1”: Welsh detective drama.
“A Young Doctor’s Notebook: Season One”: Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe star in the comedy based on Mikhail Bulgakov’s writing.
“Wild Brazil: Land of Fire and Flood”: A look at the home to more specials than any other country.
“No Vacancy”: Stop at a roadside motel proves deadly.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Good, The Bad, And Casey Jones”: Six episodes featuring Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo.
“The Final Terror”: The ’80s horror movie starring Daryl Hannah is now on Blu-ray.
“The Legend of Korra – Book Two: Spirits”: Tells the story of the very first Avatar.