Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 Motion Comic…

Four years after Buffy left television, ending her seven-season run, the eighth season began as a comic series with creator Joss Whedon at the helm. Now she returns to television in a motion comic adaptation. In this format, the camera creates a narrative by zooming and panning across the comic panels as an audio track fills in for speech bubbles. In a frame, parts of a scene receive the movement implied in print, such as lightening or a punch, but fluid animation is infrequent. This creates a stylistic treat akin to paintings turned marionettes. The isolated motion intensifies the beauty and horror of the story, which is as good as anything Whedon’s previously delivered. Beware: The comic lasted 40 issues and this only contains the first 19; Fox didn’t bother to include “Volume One” on the package. After Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse, Fox continues its mission of screwing the Whedonverse. Without the original cast, the voices are hit-and-miss but it’s worth it to have a place to turn where the vampires don’t sparkle and emotions don’t fall on a scale of emo to super-emo.

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Trigun…

Originally airing in 1998, this anime series has the action and intellectual dark side that adds a mature feeling to the humor and slapstick. Largely unavailable to American audiences for the past decade, there are no special features to speak of but the strength of a story populated by unique characters still makes this box set of the complete series a must-buy. The hero, Vash the Stampede, can’t resist helping others out of deadly jams but he refuses to kill, so his creative solutions often backfire on him and the towns he visits, making him feared and hated. His genocidal twin, Millions Knives, doesn’t share Vash’s pacifist ways (instilled upon him by a woman he lost) and only wants to torment Vash and kill every human. At the start of the series, Vash acts like an oblivious, donut-loving jokester but along the way, his scars, both physical and mental, show him to be a complex warrior devoted to love and peace. A preacher who employs deadly force and two insurance workers help Vash combat a gang of killer freaks unleashed by Knives, but the real war is within Vash. Can he save the world without taking his brother’s life or will he break under the pain and punishment and sacrifice his ideology to take the easy way out?

Humanoids From the Deep…

Roger Corman built this movie on one premise: the sea monsters horribly murder the men and rape the women. The 1980 cult classic set and filmed in Fort Bragg receives a collector’s-edition release that includes the HD-transfer of the uncut international version of the film, a couple of nice behind-the-scenes features, and TV and radio trailers. The movie, which centers on an out-of-control genetic experiment designed to revive the local failing commercial fisheries, borrows a lot from Alien and Jaws with a low-budget, tongue-in-cheek twist. In an opening scene, the boat tries to pull the monster off the bottom of the ocean with its wench, but instead of dramatically snapping as in Jaws, the thing just runs out of gas. Moreover, Humanoids’ closing scene makes John Hurt’s stomach problems in Alien look like indigestion. Still, the movie stands on its own merit with subplots confronting monsters uglier than the humanoids (racism and sexism) and campy special effects. Corman also deserves praise for the strong female roles, even if they share screen time with topless victims. Ironically, in real life, Fort Bragg’s commercial fisheries are now gone; let’s just hope no one tries to revive them with some funky DNA.

Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1980s, Vol. 1…

You can barely find a cartoon on Saturday mornings anymore and if you could you’d still gripe, “They were better when I was a kid.” Well, here’s a wakeup call. This selection of 1980s cartoons from Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears (a complete collection of which will probably never hit DVD) has a few gems, most notably Thundarr the Barbarian and Dragon’s Lair. Flintstone Kids cashed in on the popularity of pint-sized re-workings such as Muppet Babies and surprisingly withstood the test of time. Adversely, The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, a spinoff from Saturday Night Live, is trash that should have stayed forgotten. It’s nice to see the rise of strong female leads in Goldie Gold & Action Jack, and the The Monchichis are undeniably adorable, but each pales in comparison to other series from the time (that were not included here) such as She-Ra and The Smurfs. Two shows that shouldn’t be forgotten, if only for their unintentional hilarity, are the Mister T and Chuck Norris action cartoons bookended by live-action life lessons from the stars. It’s nice to have these reminders that prove that our palettes have become a little more refined.

Hamlet…

Capt. Picard and The Doctor battling wits to a tragic conclusion? No, it’s not fan fiction; it’s Shakespeare. Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) star in the film adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Co.’s 2008 staging of Shakespeare’s most famous drama. Tennant takes on the titular character and Stewart reprises his Laurence Olivier Award-winning role of Claudius. Unlike the pensive Kenneth Branagh or a brooding Ethan Hawke, Tennant brings a manic insanity to the prince of Denmark’s film credits. Tennant’s opening monologue is a little too dramatic, but he quickly evens out and conveys a character relishing on the edge of losing control. On the other hand, Stewart is a genius from start to finish. It’s obvious from his delivery that he’s not only fluent in Elizabethan, it’s his native tongue. Asides to the camera, blocking, and the set, though beautiful in its black-and-white contrast, are clearly drawn from the theatrical stage. This isn’t distracting, but the modern touches (occasional odd costuming and camera effects) can be. Iconic sci-fi actors and Shakespeare may seem as mismatched as Klingons and Daleks but for a Time Lord and an Enterprise captain, there’s no doubt the play’s the thing.

My Neighbor Totoro…

When Spirited Away won the 2002 Oscar for Best Animated Feature, Hayao Miyazaki received some U.S. recognition, but the work of this Japanese writer and director extends back more than 25 years. My Neighbor Totoro, one of his oldest films, is a perfect example of the artist’s uniquely creative voice. When two young girls move with their father to a small village near their hospitalized mother, they discover a mysterious and playful forest spirit. Japanese culture inherently provides part of the magic in the 1988 film. Unlike in American cinema where imaginary friends beget ridicule, adults accept and embrace the kids’ guardian Totoro and the fantasy that envelops him. When Disney acquired the U.S. distribution rights for many of Miyazaki’s films, there was hesitation among fans. On one hand, we now have new DVD releases with clean picture and mini-documentaries as special features, but the English audio option stars Dakota Fanning. Luckily, Fanning, and younger sister Elle, do a great job of embodying the noble innocence of the characters. Totoro wants us to look at the world through a child’s imagination, and Miyazaki rewards and thanks us for doing so.

Castle: The Complete First Season…

In this Murder, She Wrote-esque cop drama, Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion, Firefly) tags along with Detective Beckett (Stana Katic) to research his next mystery novel, and, of course, helps solve murders along the way. Fillion eats up his role, and Katic balances him nicely by bringing depth to her character’s backstory: a move that elevates the series from the “murder a week” formula. The love-hate relationship between Castle and Beckett, her ability to put him in his place, and Fillion’s one-liners keep us turning the metaphorical pages. Fans of Fillion’s Captain Hammer (or Captain Tightpants) from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog will appreciate the heart-of-gold machismo he continues to embody, but the best part of the series isn’t contained in the DVDs. ABC has expanded the story to involve multiple media and the result is effective and fun. You can follow Richard Castle on Twitter (WriteRCastle) and the novel, Heat Wave, which Castle is writing throughout the first season, is now available at your local bookstore. These additions to the Castle universe give us a deeper view of the characters and create an intriguing mix of reality television voyeurism and escapist fun. Now if only Castle were as sexy as Jessica Fletcher.

Dollhouse: Season One…

Joss Whedon excels at two things: making unique television shows and getting screwed over by Fox Television, and he delivers on both expectations with Dollhouse. In his latest series, a faceless corporation has created the technology to wipe and reprogram the human brain, turning average citizens into playthings for the insanely rich to use however they see fit. These “dolls,” specifically Echo (Eliza Dushku), allow Whedon to explore what it means to be human while sending the audience on Alias-inspired adventures. In the Buffyverse, Whedon showed that humans were often the last characters to act with any sort of humanity—a concept he joyfully revisits here. Unlike Whedon’s previous Fox endeavor, Firefly, Dollhouse will see a second season. Even so, Fox had to put its hands in the cookie jar, forcing Whedon to drastically re-shoot season one’s first episode and not airing the final episode in the U.S. Luckily, both the original pilot and the final episode, “Epitaph One,” are included in this set. “Epitaph One” takes us into the future where the corporation has lost control of the dolls. The intriguing episode ups the ante for the main characters and proves Fox still doesn’t know a damn thing about quality television.

The Real Ghostbusters, Vol 1…

Do you know who to contact in the case of spectral emergency? Thereal Ghostbusters. With a promising video game and strong rumors of a third feature film in the works (albeit with a Next Generationtreatment), this is exactly the time to be slimed. As a follow-up to the original Ghostbusters film, this animated series is responsible for turning Winston into more than just a chauffeur. In fact, likeness rights (and egos) changed the roles and look for all four Ghostbusters. The result was successful, if not more silly, and helped to spawn the film’s sequel. When the series began on network television, the scripts focused on slapstick laughs and marketing ploys to turn Slimer into a household name. After a dozen episodes, this set hits syndication and the heebie-jeebies slip in. Instead of haunted toasters, the beams are crossed on some truly unnerving ghouls and mythical phantoms. We never really shake the Saturday Morning feel, but there are some great bits of Japanese-influenced animation, and some scary ghosts and thrilling situations. Just in case the third film sucks the life out of our childhood, we can always call on The Real Ghostbusters.

Edge: A Decade of Decadence…

Edge is the type of professional wrestler who excites fans and enrages naysayers. He’s lewd, crude, loud-mouthed and sells a punch with as much wide-eyed surprise as any of the Three Stooges. What the naysayers don’t understand is that this Snidely Whiplash of a villain isn’t the downfall of professional wrestling, but rather its saving grace. Born Adam Copeland, the “Rated-R Superstar” is at his best in this collection of 28 matches. Hardcore matches involving tables, ladders and chairs fill his repertoire, but a villain is always at the top of his game when paired against a shining knight. Edge’s 2006 Summerslam match against John Cena gives us the good-vs.-bad melodrama that is sorely missing from UFC and boxing. Two matches feature great audio commentary by Copeland and wrestling commentator Matt Striker, but the rest are left wanting. Also sorely missed is Copeland’s commentary on his time with Gangrel, Christian or the bitter on- and off-screen love triangle with fellow wrestlers Matt Hardy and Lita. Still, the “Ultimate Opportunist” serves up the ultimate selection of dirty tricks that are good to the last controversial pinfall.