With Halloween around the corner CityNews.ca film opinionist Brian
McKechnie has hunkered down with a slew of horror movies on Blu-ray to
see what titles are worthy of upgrading to high-definition. In Part 3
of his 5 part series he looks at the darker side of television shows on Blu-ray.
When I think about freaky television shows, The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, Tales from the Crypt, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Monsters come to mind. Friday the 13th: The Series, The X-Files, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Nightmare Cafe are up there too. Even lighter fare like Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark?
would sometimes be freaky. None of these are available on Blu-ray yet!
There are a few great newer shows available though. Here are some I
always enjoy.
True Blood (Season 1) IMDb / Amazon
As far as vampire shows go, HBO nailed it with True Blood.
It's dark, Southern, wholesome fun. Anna Paquin stars as Sookie
Stackhouse, a waitress in a Louisiana bar who has the ability to read
peoples' minds. In this world, vampires are "out of the coffin" and
drink synthetic blood so that they don't have to kill humans. It's a
unique idea and works well on the small screen, thanks to the great
talents of creator Alan Ball (of Six Feet Under fame). The
picture and sound on Blu-ray looked so good they had me re-watching
episodes, and the special features kept this disc in my player for a
lot longer than I had planned. There are six commentaries and each
episode has an enhanced viewing mode where you'll get information and
behind-the-scenes clips popping up on screen as you watch.
Final verdict: From the packaging (which looks like a hardcover book), to the show and features, this set is brilliant on Blu-ray. A must own!
Dexter (Season 3) IMDb / Amazon
One of the best shows on television is Showtime's Dexter.
It's
funny, witty and gets better each season (if you haven't seen
the first two seasons they're available on Blu-ray too). Michael C.
Hall plays the serial killer title character convincingly (and
frighteningly!) well, and Season 3 introduces us to its newest
antagonist, Miguel Prado (played by Jimmy Smits), a District Attorney
looking to avenge his brother's murder. The two become fast friends and
the duo's antics amuse the viewer and keep each episode fresh.
Having only ever seen the show on cable, I'm amazed at how good it
looks and sounds
on Blu-ray. Definitely worth the purchase. Special features include
excerpts from the Dexter books, interviews with the cast, the featurette Dexter By Design, and more.
Final verdict: Showtime does Blu-ray fine and knows what the audience wants. I'm already looking forward to Season 4 on Blu-ray.
Lost (Seasons 1 & 2) IMDb / Amazon
Lost is a show made for Blu-ray. I've tried endlessly to
get into the series on television and never could. However, seeing it in crystal
clear high-def had me glued to the screen and I finally get what all the
fuss is about. The first two seasons are intense and have many eerie moments. Great writing, characters and
cast. Although Season 3 and 4 are available, I've only sat down so far with 1 and 2. Special features for
Lost: The Complete First Season include
Lost Revealed - flashbacks and deleted scenes; making-of the pilot episode
Welcome to Oahu;
The Art of Matthew Fox'
Lost @ Comicon;
Lost: On Location; bloopers; spoofs; commentary; and more. Special features for
Lost: The Complete Second Season include
Fire & Water: Anatomy of an Episode;
Lost: On Location;
The Official Lost Connections;
Mysteries, Theories and Conspiracies;
Secrets from the Hatch; deleted scenes; bloopers; and more.
Final verdict:
If you're a fan of the show, these are worth getting a Blu-ray player
for. If you've never experienced Lost, wait till you can see it on
Blu-ray.
Let
me know what scary TV shows you're enjoying on Blu-ray. Comment
below or email brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com with your
suggestions.
Top image: Michael C. Hall as Dexter. Courtesy Showtime.