Created and executive produced by Ashley Lyle (Narcos) and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), YELLOWJACKETS: SEASON ONE is equal parts survival epic, horror story and coming-of-age
drama and tells the narrative of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over. — from CBS
I was going to start this by calling it one of the buzziest shows to hit television recently, and I wasn’t even intending to make a pun. But I didn’t do that, and we’re all better off for my restraint. But Yellowjackets has, let’s say instead, got a lot of people talking and some serious critical attention. The Blu-Ray set here comes with all ten episodes across four discs, and a bit of bonus: a featurette talking with the cast and crew about the making of the show plus interviews with the same talking about some critical moments from the show thus far. Some audio commentaries from the cast and crew would be nice, but if you’re a serious fan of the show and having it available to stream is not enough, then this is your best solution at the moment. Find it over at Amazon.
Seven years ago, pioneering research spacecraft “Event Horizon” mysteriously vanished without a trace on its maiden voyage. But then, in the darkness of deep space, a persistent signal prompts a crew to make their way through the galaxy on a bold rescue mission. What they uncover is an unimaginable interstellar horror that will test the entire team’s sanity and souls. — from Paramount
Event Horizon is, as it’s been stated elsewhere, Hellraiser in Space. But it is quality and rather disturbing. The newness here is the the steelbook with its artwork and also the fact it’s the 4K ubermondo hi-def edition. The rest of the bonus bits are “legacy” material, but good stuff all the same: commentary from the director and producer; five documentaries; a making-of and deleted/extended scenes (with director’s commentary), and an unfilmed scene. Word is a TV series version of the film is in the works, so grab this to refamiliarize yourself before that shows up. And Halloween is coming regardless. So this ticks some serious boxes. Grab it over at Amazon.
SOUTH PARK: THE COMPLETE TWENTY-FOURTH SEASON includes the Pandemic episode, which was the highest rated and most-watched cable comedy telecast of 2020, followed by the Vaccination episode, which was the highest rated original cable comedy telecast of 2021. In the latest must-own season, Randy comes to terms with his role in the COVID-19 outbreak as the on-going pandemic presents continued challenges to the citizens of South Park. The kids happily head back to school, but nothing resembles the normal that they once knew; not their teachers, not their homeroom, not even Eric Cartman. – from Paramount
How could anyone laughing at the original South Park short, “The Spirit of Christmas,” anticipate that you could actually one day say “South Park: The Complete Twenty-Fourth Season”? I mean, you could say it regardless, but here we’re talking about an actual product. And we’re talking about a short season thanks to COVID, with two extra-length episodes (at around 42 minutes each) and two television movies (at about an hour each). But for the completist who wants it on their shelf, this is how to make that happen. You can snag it at Amazon.
The nineteenth season kicks off with a search for Gibbs (Harmon) after wreckage from his boat is discovered and he is nowhere to be found. After finding out about Gibbs’ secret mission to track down a dangerous serial killer, Agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law, “Hawaii Five-0”) steps in to help locate him. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties. – from CBS
Kudos to CBS/Paramount for including some decent bonus bits on this NCIS Season 19 set. In addition to the twenty-one episodes, there’s: an Alaska location featurette; actor Brian Dietzen discussing the co-scribing of an episode; a featurette on the crossover with NCIS: Hawai’i (the NCIS: Hawai’i episode of the crossover is on here as well); a look at two new actors and a look back at the long tenure of Mark Harmon as he exits the show. We like the bonus bits, and hardcore fans of the show are going to want to check out the set for them. They can grab it from Amazon.
NCIS: LOS ANGELES is a drama about the high-stakes world of a division of NCIS that is charged with apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals, who pose a threat to the nation’s security. By assuming false identities and utilizing the most advanced technology, this team of highly trained agents goes deep undercover, putting their lives on the line in the field to bring down their targets. Special Agent “G” Callen is a chameleon who transforms himself into whomever he needs to be to infiltrate the criminal underworld. His partner is Special Agent Sam Hanna, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who has seen action in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The team includes the all-knowing Henrietta “Hetty” Lange, who handles the politics of the job and is tasked with providing everything from micro-surveillance cameras to cars for the team; Special Agent Kensi Blye, the exceptionally bright daughter of a slain Marine who lives for the adrenaline rush that comes with undercover work; Marty Deeks, a seasoned LAPD undercover detective who has become an NCIS Special Agent; Fatima Namazi, a Middle East specialist and a razor-sharp cryptologist; and former FBI Agent Devin Rountree, whose unique upbringing, discipline and athletic ability are a welcomed addition to the team. Working with them, and keeping the team on their toes, is Retired Admiral Hollis Kilbride. Armed with the latest in high-tech gear and sent regularly into life-threatening situations, this tight-knit unit relies on each other to do what is necessary to protect national interests. – from CBS
Again, we have the rare pleasure of talking about bonus bits on a show that’s as far along as NCIS: Los Angeles, tempting the hardcore to snag it and take advantage. There’s a Season 13 overview, a celebration of the show surpassing its 300th episode, a featurette about Gerald McRaney joining the show as a regular, extended/deleted scenes and a gag reel. A decent amount of material to possibly find it some space on your shelving at home. It can be found over on Amazon.
The world’s most successful television series continues on the seductive shores of the Aloha State with NCIS: HAWAI`I, where the first female Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor, Jane Tennant, has thrived and risen through the ranks by equal parts confidence and strategy in a system that has pushed back on her every step of the way. Together with her unwavering team of specialists, they balance duty to family and country while investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security and the mysteries of the sun-drenched island paradise itself. — from CBS
For some reason, I thought there had been more than three spinoffs of NCIS, but here we are with the third: NCIS: Hawai’i. (Maybe it’s because the entire franchise has had something like 14,288 episodes total or something.) But they’ve launched this latest one with a crossover episode with the flagship (included on this set). Bonus bits are here too, which a making-of featurette, a costumes featurette, set featurette, a featurette on the crossover, deleted/extended scenes, and a gag reel. The whole shebang waits for you over on Amazon.
BLUE BLOODS is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York Police Commissioner, and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. He runs his department as diplomatically as he runs his family, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry, during his stint as Chief. A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son, Danny, a seasoned detective, family man and Iraq War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases with his partner, Detective Maria Baez. Erin, the middle daughter, is a New York Assistant D.A. who serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father. Jamie is the youngest Reagan, a Harvard Law graduate and the family’s “golden boy.” Unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and follow in the family footsteps as a cop. He’s found a friend and ally in his wife, Eddie, who keeps him on his toes, and has very different reasons than the Reagans for joining the police force. – from CBS
So the thirteenth season of Blue Bloods debuts in October, so they’ve released this boxed set to help folks get caught up to speed. All twenty episodes are here, starring Tom Selleck (and his mustache). In addition, there’s a season twelve overview on the Reagan family, deleted scenes, gag reel, and more. Since the new episodes are in production, excellent time for the hardcore to nab this. It is easily nabbable at Amazon.
The hit prequel to the Emmy®-nominated series “Yellowstone,” “1883” follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey through the Great Plains. It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land – Montana. The limited series produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios stars Academy Award nominee Sam Elliott, Grammy Award® winner Tim McGraw, Grammy Award winner Faith Hill, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissmann, Audie Rick, Eric Nelsen and James Landry Hébert. – from Paramount
Although the popularity of both Yellowstone and this, the prequel limited series 1883, has caused many ideas for future plans to be bandied about: more episodes, a second series, another prequel/spinoff…I’m not sure the plans have settled down yet. In the meantime, fans of the show will want to grab this release for the bonus bits: episode overviews, a making-of overview, a cowboy prep featurette, and other behind-the-scenes material. It’s a worthy array of stuff, and fans of the franchise will want to snag it to have it for posterity. You can grab it over at Amazon.
Originally released in 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture became the fourth highest grossing movie of the year and earned three Academy Award® nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Music, Original Score. The film successfully launched the Star Trek franchise beyond the original television series, despite having been rushed to theaters with incomplete special effects and forced editing choices.
This comprehensive 15-disc collection includes the first six big-screen adventures featuring the original series crew in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision and HDR-10. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture—The Director’s Edition also includes Dolby Atmos). Both Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country are making their 4K Ultra HD debuts. The set also includes access to Digital copies of each of the six films, as well as hours of new and legacy bonus content. – from Paramount
Well, this boxed set is massive. All six Original Series-focused films from The Motion Picture (here in both theatrical cut and director’s edition) to The Undiscovered Country. The first four films have been released on 4K before, and those same discs are presented here. New offerings are the last two films in 4K, as well as new bonus bits for The Motion Picture which include a multi-part documentary, deleted scenes, an isolated score and more. The majority of the special features are “legacy”…and you can spend (easily) a few days wading through all the commentaries and production featurettes. When you consider the amount of content, the set is pricey, but you can see why. Will definitely be worth it for any fan of the franchise. Available to order at Amazon.
