Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment requests we note that it provided a free copy of the first four titles featured below. The opinions I share are my own.
A remake of the British series of the same name, Shameless is a comedy-drama series that follows the misadventures of alcoholic single father Frank Gallagher (Oscar nominee William H. Macy) and his six children. In Season Seven, Frank wakes up from being in a coma for the past month only to realize that no one came looking for him when he went missing (having been tossed into the Chicago river). Things aren’t calm for the rest of the clan either, as they deal with relationship and job problems, the challenges of single parenthood and post-rehab life, and important decisions such as whether to get circumcised and if starting a topless maid service is a savvy business decision. Now out on DVD and Blu-ray is Shameless: The Complete Seventh Season, featuring all twelve episodes of Season Seven. Special features include two new featurettes, “Growing Up Shameless” (where Emma Kenney and Ethan Cutkosky discuss their amusing real-life journey growing up on the set of Shameless) and “The Shameless Politics of Frank” (which examines Frank’s politics while drunk and sober), along with some unaired scenes. The season is available digitally on Amazon (which includes “The Shameless Politics of Frank”) and on iTunes (which includes both featurettes) for $29.99, but the cheaper option on this one would definitely be to get it in disc format—on Amazon you can currently snag the DVD for $22.99 and the Blu-ray for $27.99.
Turning from a dysfunctional family to a super-functional one, DC fans will be happy to know that the commemorative edition of Justice League: The New Frontier was released earlier this week on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray Steelbook. When a monster so strong even Superman cannot defeat it threatens the earth, the Man of Steel must team up with Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and The Flash to defeat it. The film has a killer cast of Emmy, Tony, Oscar, and Golden Globe winners, including Kyle MacLachlan as Superman, Jeremy Sisto as Batman, Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman, Neil Patrick Harris as Barry Allen/The Flash, David Boreanaz as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, Brooke Shields as Carol Ferris, Kyra Sedgwick as Lois Lane, Phil Morris as King Faraday, and the late Miguel Ferrer as Martian Manhunter. Both the DVD and Blu-ray formats also boast a host of bonus features. Starting off the extras are four featurettes: “Retro Action Cool: The Story of Darwyn Cooke”, “Super Heroes United! The Complete Justice League History”, “The Legion of Doom: The Pathology of the DC Super Villain” and “Comic Book Commentary: Homage to the New Frontier”. Alongside these is a behind-the-scenes look at the next DC Universe Original Movie Gotham by Gaslight inspired by the graphic novel by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola. Fans are also treated to two audio commentary options, one with filmmakers Bruce Timm, Michael Goguen, David Bullock, Stan Berkowitz, Andrea Romano and Gregory Noveck and the other with award-winning writer/artist Darwyn Cooke. If you want to grab the film and all those extras, check out the options on Amazon— as of this writing the DVD going for $19.98, the regular Blu-ray is currently priced lower at $18.99, and the Blu-ray Steelbook is just a buck higher at $19.99.
On the lighter side of things, Two Broke Girls has just released its final season on DVD. The story of a riches-to-rags socialite Caroline (Beth Behrs) and her street-wise BFF Max (Kat Dennings), the series follows the girls as they scrape together a living while sharing an apartment and working as waitresses at the local diner, their different upbringings and life philosophies often clashing with classically sitcom humor. Season Six shows Caroline and Max dealing with new and past loves, business dreams, a potential movie deal, and the possibility of breaking out of the “broke” monicker that defined them for the run of the series. The bonus features on this one are a little light, including only some unaired scenes and a gag reel. Some sort of commentary or a retrospective from cast / crew / producers would have fit well here, as it is the final season of the show. Two Broke Girls: The Sixth and Final Season is available on DVD on Amazon for $19.99 and features all twenty-two episodes of Season Six. There is a streaming option on both Amazon and iTunes, but considering the price on both of those is $29.99 (and neither even include the bonus features), it really only makes sense to get the series in disc form unless you’re truly suffering for shelf space at home (and even then, consider if saving that 1/2 inch is worth paying $10 more).
If you’re a fan of the LEGO movies, you’re probably familiar with the Cartoon Network animated series LEGO NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu (already renewed for an eighth season to come in 2018). Season Seven opens as the people of Ninjago begin to pick up the pieces from the drama of Season Six, while Master Wu enjoys a brief respite alone at the Monastery of Spinjitzu. His solitude is short-lived, however, as a stranger suddenly appears and is revealed to be an old enemy returning to finish a decades-old fight between the Elemental Masters and the Hands of Time. With Wu suffering the effects of a Time Punch and the addition of an army of Vermillion warriors into the battle, the ninjas must bring all their resources to the fight for Master Wu, for control of Ninjago, and for their own survival. Just released on DVD is LEGO NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu: Season 7, which includes all ten (22-minute) episodes from the seventh season. No special features on this one, which is sad, because the LEGO Group people obviously have a pretty good sense of humor and it would be neat to have some sort of commentary or such. The pricing is pretty reasonable, though, as you can currently get the DVD on Amazon for $11.99. You also have the option of getting the season digitally on either Amazon or iTunes (where it’s priced at $19.99), but considering this almost doubles the price and there aren’t any special features either way, I’d say the disc format is the way to go on this one if looking to purchase.
Another action-packed title to check out is Transformers: The Last Knight, with Mark Wahlberg in the lead role alongside a star-packed supporting cast including Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, Stanley Tucci, Laura Haddock, Isabela Moner, Santiago Caberera, and Jerrod Carmichael. With Optimus Prime gone and humans and Transformers at war, the roles of hunter and prey are switched and the characters must choose between unsavory alliances and an almost certain destruction of their world. Now out in multiple DVD and Blu-ray formats, Transformers: The Last Knight is also Paramount Home Media’s first 4K Ultra HD release in Dolby Vision (according to their numbers, HD reproduces about 36% of colors visible to the human eye, whereas 4K Ultra HD shows nearly 76%, creating a much more vivid and realistic visual on the screen). In addition to the film, the Blu-ray formats also feature over eighty minutes of special features. The bulk of the bonus content comes in two larger featurettes: “Merging Mythologies” (a 20-minute look at how the film’s storyline incorporates the Arthurian era and World War II) and “The Royal Treatment: Transformers in the UK” (a 28-minute look at filming major scenes in England and some of the challenges with shooting in historically significant areas). Additional featurettes include “Climbing the Ranks” (a 9-minute examination of the film’s military characters and how the actors prepped for their roles), “Motors and Magic” (a 15-minute piece that takes a closer look at Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Hot Rod, Hound, Crosshairs, Drift, Cogman, Sqweeks, Day Trader, Megatron, Barricade, and Mohawk), “Alien Landscape: Cybertron” (a 7-minute special on the Transformers’ home world), and “One More Giant Effin’ Movie” (a 6-minute look at the kicksplosion-rich action on the set). If looking to purchase, you won’t suffer for a lack of choices format-wise— on Amazon you can get the DVD (remember, no features) for $17.99, the DVD / Blu-ray Combo Pack for $19.99, the 3D Blu-ray for $26.99, and the 4K Ultra HD also for $26.99.
