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DVD
&
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REVIEWS
43
Vikings
just keeps getting better every year. Who really
cares that historical accuracy has been ditched in the
name of entertainment; this rousing series continues to
enthrall with its power struggles, well drawn characters,
and epic battles. This season, a deal with King Ecbert
to farm land outside of Wessex leads to betrayal and
bloodshed, threatening the alliance between the
Norsemen and Saxons; Ragnar Lothbrok broods like never
before; Christian and Pagan beliefs clash during a bloody
fertility ritual; a mysterious stranger (who may be Odin)
visits Kattegat; Floki commits an act that Ragnar can never forgive; and a
climactic attack on Paris results in a spectacular siege of
Game of Thrones
proportions. Most of the characters suffer physical and/or emotional scars
and not everybody makes it out alive. You have been warned.
A Norseman in Paris
VIKINGS:
THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON
Christopher Nolan gave us
Batman's origin story and now
The
Mentalist
showrunner Bruno Heller
reveals James Gordon’s transition
from rookie detective to Police
Commissioner of Gotham City.
Having voiced the caped crusader
himself in
Batman: Year One
,
Ben McKenzie now embodies
the man responsible for tracking
the killer of young Bruce Wayne’s
parents. What follows is the story
of Gordon’s rise to power in a
corrupt city, and the beginnings
of a sound relationship with the
heir to the Wayne fortune. There's
also a number of villains-in-waiting,
including Oswald Cobblepot (The
Penguin), Harvey Dent (Two-Face)
and Selina Kyle (Catwoman).
GOTHAM:
SEASON one
Release Date:
07/10/15
Format:
While not in the same class as the
TV classic
Jewel In The Crown
,
this classy British Raj drama has
a lot going for it. The year is 1932
and the setting is a small town
at the foothills of the Himalayas
which the ruling classes escape
to each year to avoid the sub-
continental summers. The main
story arcs revolve around Ralph
Whelan (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), an
arrogant rising star of the British
administration, and Aafrin Dalal
(Nikesh Patel), who becomes
his trusted assistant after saving
his life. Julie Walters also enjoys
herself in a rare villainous role as
the ruthless owner of the town’s
snooty country club. A must for
Downton Abbey
fans.
INDIAN SUMMER
Release Date:
07/10/15
Format:
Release Date:
21/10/15
Format:
If you suffer from coulrophobia (a fear of clowns) you'd
best avoid the fourth season
of
AHS
. Ryan Murphy and
Brad Falchuk's creepy and campy anthology series is
back to its nasty best after the disappointing
Coven
,
relocating to a carnival freakshow in Florida, circa 1952.
The regular cast are all freaked out, with Kathy Bates
sporting a beard, Evan Peters lobster claws, and Sarah
Paulson two heads (possibly the most disturbing use of
CGI to date). But it's Jessica Lange who steals this freaky
show as a Marlene Dietrich-like dame who performs
anachronistic Bowie covers. This uncut version presents
American Horror
Story: Freakshow
in all its gory glory and its release is timed perfectly to
coincide with the fifth season,
Hotel
, featuring er, Lady Gaga, which is
due to premiere on Sky this month.
One of us, one of us!
AMERICAN HORROR STORY:
FREAK SHOW
A splendidly camp blend of steamy
bodice ripping, time-travelling
romance and boys-own action
heroics,
Outlander
has been one
of this year’s most enjoyable
guilty pleasures. The concluding
half of the first season finds our
heroine, former World War 2 nurse
Claire (Caitriona Balfe), seemingly
resigning herself to life in Jacobite
Scotland with devoted husband
Jamie (Sam Heughan). However,
Black Jack Randall (Tobias
Menzies) – the cruel descendant
of her 20th Century husband –
hasn’t finished with the couple yet
and Claire also makes a surprise
discovery about Geillis (Lotte
Verbeek), her pagan-dabbling pal
from the village.
OUTLANDER:
SEASON 1, VOL 2
Release Date:
21/10/15
Format:
Although Michael Connelly’s
crime novels have inspired a few
films – most notably
The Lincoln
Lawyer
– his best known creation
is Detective Hieronymus 'Harry'
Bosch, who here makes his long
overdue transition to the screen.
This stylish TV police procedural
weaves together the stories from
the novels
City Of Bones
and
Echo
Park
(plus a bit from
Concrete
Blonde
), and sees Bosch (Titus
Welliver) investigating the murder
of a young boy while being taunted
by a serial killer (Jason Gedrick).
Welliver (
Sons Of Anarchy
,
Deadwood
) excels in a rare lead
role and there is good support
from former
Wire
alumni Jamie
Hector and Lance Reddick.
Bosch:
SEASON ONE
Release Date:
07/10/15
Format:
Release Date:
07/10/15
Format: