Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

You wonder if, on the set of last year’s thriller Sicario, there was a moment when co-stars Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro had a chat about their previous outing, 2010’s The Wolfman and asked ‘Where did it all go wrong?’

From the start this project, one beloved of leading man Del Toro, was in trouble. Artistic differences led to a change of director just weeks prior to the start of filming, and when Joe Johnston gallantly stepped in to replace original director Mark Romanek, things didn’t get any better, with re-writes, production delays, an escalating budget and an ever-changing release date. To make matters even worse, once it was finally screened, it got awful reviews and didn’t make its budget back.

Ostensibly a remake of the Universal horror classic, the plot centres on the return to the family estate of estranged son Lawrence Talbot, who is called home to confront the vicious death of his brother. As misty woods, waning moons and suspicious locals provide the backdrop, Talbot must come to terms with his emotionally distant father and the beautiful woman who would have been his brother’s wife, had he not been ripped apart. But family secrets run deep, and Talbot is about to go through some pretty radical changes…

So, half a decade on, is The Wolfman the disaster its meager 34% on Rotten Tomatoes suggests? No, it really isn’t. This elegant looking, thoughtfully crafted film doesn’t deserve its poor reputation. It’s moodily atmospheric, beautifully designed, expertly photographed and has Oscar winning make-up effects. As a Gothic romance, it brings to mind the underrated 1979 version of Dracula, by John Badham, (both films beings superior to Coppola’s camp OTT Bram Stoker’s Dracula), and it’s this element of the film which is key to its enjoyment. 

Emily Blunt is as solidly good as ever in a role that sees her mourning one brother, whilst slowly falling for another, and Del Toro, whilst far from perfect for this role, broods and suffers with aplomb. His performance works best when he’s in pain, and those transformations look bloody painful. On top of the leads, Hugo Weaving arrives 40 minutes in to spruce things up, and Anthony Hopkins is great, quite literally tearing up the scenery as the Daddy of all bad Dads. He injects a sadistic pleasure into his role, which is a joy to watch.

It’s not flawless. It lacks momentum until towards the very end, characters going back and forth too much, and some obvious cutting to trim the running time brings about some odd scene progression. The accents are all over the place – is it just outside London or in Yorkshire somewhere? But those Rick Baker transformations are wonderful, the gore is great fun, there’s a fantastic section in an asylum and the finale is genuinely thrilling. It isn’t scary, but it does grip. And it’s not only about the romance between the central characters. Johnston films the whole thing with a loving nod to the classic horrors of the past, with howling gales, foggy landscapes and the moonlight through the trees making this far less of the dog’s dinner you might be expecting. 

THE WOLFMAN / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JOE JOHNSTON / SCREENPLAY: ANDREW KEVIN WALKER, DAVID SELF / STARRING: BENICIO DEL TORO, EMILY BLUNT, ANTHONY HOPKINS, HUGO WEAVING / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW 

Barton Fink came from writer’s block experienced by the Coen Brothers while they were working on the screenplay for Miller’s Crossing, and it shows. Chronicling a week or two in the troubled life of 1940s playwright turned screenwriter Barton Fink, it’s easy for any writer to empathise with his (and the Coens’) struggle to create something, to beat the blank page. At least up to a point.

Hollywood may be an all-consuming mistress but it becomes clear that Barton had his problems to begin with. He’s a man who never really seems happy with where he is or whom he’s talking to. Even when he meets his idol, he’s calling him a drunkard within minutes. It’s a mark of how good the film is that this only really occurs to the viewer on a second viewing, and that the film can still be appreciated without it. There are so many elements of this film worth paying attention to: it’s beautifully shot, for one thing; Roger Deakins did good work here. John Goodman also showed why the Coen brothers have kept using him, as he is fantastic as the essence of the everyman that Fink claims to want to express in his work (but never seems to actually listen to). 

Considering the decent body of work the brothers have built up over the years, it’s only by the sheer passage of time that Barton Fink is now in the middle, quality-wise. It doesn’t quite have the charm of O Brother, Where Art Thou? or the timeless wisdom and humour of The Big Lebowski. But there are lots of touches of hilarious dark comedy throughout, and like all of the Coens’ output, it’s a film worth coming back to. In fact, it’s almost needed; you miss so much on the first go round. Having produced a film like this more than 20 years ago, it’s easy to see why the Coens became the industry giants they are today.

BARTON FINK (1991) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTORS & SCREENPLAY: JOEL & ETHAN COHEN / STARRING: JOHN TURTURRO, JOHN GOODMAN, MICHAEL LERNER, JUDY DAVIS, TONY SHALHOUB / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

There are any number of clichés associated with war films – the impassioned speechifying of the teacher who’s secure in his patriotism and knows he’ll never have to fight; the raw enlistees coming to blows with a stern sergeant putting them through their training paces; the camera silently tracking through tense trenches, or swooping over explosion strewn fields of war; the battle-soft young recruit who’s just made his first kill fretting over his actions; the visit home to a house now filled with virtual strangers; the weary soul surveying of the new conscripts and barely recognising their previous self; the final poignantly framed shot as the journey we’ve followed comes to an abrupt and heart wrenching end – and many, if not most, of these began here, in Lewis Milestone’s epic adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, telling the story of a bunch of young German men volunteering to face madness and death on the fields of France in the Great War. Spanning almost the entire conflict, All Quiet on the Western Front was the recipient of the third Outstanding Production prize at the 1930 Academy Awards, the first time ever that a film would win both the Best Picture and Best Director “Oscars”.

There is very little heroism in the story of schoolboy Paul Bäumer and the friends he enlists with, the movie instead focussing on their life among the displaced population amid the cruellest form of war. Very much the antecedent of Paths of Glory in its photography and Full Metal Jacket in its trajectory, All Quiet on the Western Front shares an ironic philosophy with Kubrick’s classics and for anyone who has yet to experience this legend of the genre, this latest release proves that in spite of its period longueurs, the film still retains a power and a modernity that makes it a much more accessible watch than many of its contemporaries. Presented here is the Library of Congress’ 21st century restoration, a 128-minute cut that is sadly the most complete we have available, in the best quality of sound and picture, a further twenty-odd minutes having been lost thanks to previous cuts.

For fans of film and students of humanity alike this is an essential purchase, a depiction of the horror that stole almost an entire generation, and a reminder that in pre-enlightened times the bodies fell in their thousands and tens of thousands, in a conflict that treated its combatants as cattle. Milestone’s film, on the other hand, introduces us to a handful of human beings who, despite Remarque’s statement that opens it “may have escaped shells”, were absolutely destroyed by a war that they could never even comprehend the reasons behind. One of cinema’s genuine greats.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: LEWIS MILESTONE / SCREENPLAY: MAXWELL ANDERSON, GEORGE ABBOTT, DEL ANDREWS, C. GARDNER SULLIVAN / STARRING: LOUIS WOLHEIM, LEW AYRES, JOHN WRAY, ARNOLD LUCY, BEN ALEXANDER / RELEASE DATE: 28TH MARCH

In retrospect, Parenthood marks the transition between Steve Martin’s early, funnier films and his later, not as funny ones that no one likes as much. Prior to Parenthood the silver-haired genius gave us The Jerk, The Man With Two Brains and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Afterwards he gave us Bowfinger, Father Of The Bride and Sgt. Bilko. There’s a marked difference in quality and, depending on your point of view, Parenthood was either the last great Steve Martin film, or the beginning of the decline.

Parenthood tells the story of Gil Buckman (Martin) and his extended family. Gil is having problems at work, not helped by assorted worries at home, not least behavioural problems with one of his children, and a newly pregnant wife (Mary Steenburgen). His brother-in-law (Rick Moranis) is obsessed with turning his daughter into a genius, something not appreciated by his wife. Martin’s other sister (Dianne Wiest) is a divorced single parent, dealing with a pubescent son (a very young Joaquin Phoenix), a rebellious teenage daughter (Martha Pimpleton) and her boyfriend (Reeves).

All these storylines are told with a mixture of comedy and pathos, which proves a bit of an uncomfortable hybrid. The comedic scenes are, by and large, a great success, mainly down to Martin. The children’s birthday party scene – with Martin dressed as a cowboy and fashioning intestines out of balloons – is as funny as anything in his filmic repertoire. Likewise, his impromptu dance at a baseball game. Moranis is more restrained, but does get one hilarious routine, serenading his wife with the Carpenters’ ‘Close to you’.

Whilst director Ron Howard handles the comedic scenes well, he’s less confident with the drama. Up until this point in his career he was best known as a comedy director, with only Cocoon venturing anywhere near seriousness. And it shows. There’s a mawkish, melodramatic quality to the drama that sits awkwardly with the comedy. A subplot about Martin’s wayward brother (Tom Hulce) – involving his gambling problems and an unwanted child – probably fares worst, offering neither laughs nor any kind of dramatic tension.

Although it may be somewhat heavy-handed, there are truths here that any parent will recognise. Be it pushing your kids too hard; awkward conversations about sex; realising that you can’t always protect your children; or the loss of any semblance of order to your life once you become a parent, Parenthood offers a broad snapshot of the sheer weight and chaos involved in having a family. It may not have any earth-shattering revelations about family life, but it offers just enough laughs to forgive the frequent lapses into sentimentality. Besides, it ends with the late, great Jason Robards ripping down the ‘No smoking’ sign in a hospital, so the extended family can all enjoy a cigar. Now that’s something you’ll never see in a film nowadays.

PARENTHOOD / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: RON HOWARD / SCREENPLAY: LOWELL GANZ, BABALOO MANDAL / STARRING: STEVE MARTIN, DIANNE WIEST, RICK MORANIS, JASON ROBARDS / RELEASE DATE: 28TH MARCH

If your intention is to watch a film that can delight the eyes instead of delighting the mind, Daniel Lee’s historical epic Dragon Blade has the cinematic power to fit that bill perfectly. Armed with a starring duo of Jackie Chan and John Cusack, Dragon Blade entices the viewer with promises of duelling armies locked in grandiose battles against head-spinning backdrops of ancient China, bathed in war-torn splendour.

But what use do any of these elements have without a plot? Well then, let’s investigate. There’s something about a group of Chinese soldiers, led by Jackie, being duped into building some colossal city. Then some Roman army show up out of nowhere, led by John. There’s a bit of fighting, then a bit of bonding, an awkward dollop of exposition, and then more Romans show up, just as Jackie’s character’s wife gets assassinated because he did something to upset someone. The film concludes in a messy shambles of Romans, Turks, Huns, and Parthians slaughtering each other over something to do with pride, revenge, treachery – we think.

Suffice to say Dragon Blade is as interested in the coherency of its story, as you are when attempting to figure it out. Dragon Blade may boast vast levels of stunning cinematography, but no amount of swooping wide-shots of carefully choreographed armies striking visceral poses, can mask a crummy plot. Dragon Blade explicitly states in the opening credits that the following 127 minutes are based on real events, an excuse for inept story-telling perhaps?

Whilst the film’s plot may be deplorable, Dragon Blade finds strength in Jackie Chan. He delivers a humble performance as family man Huo, which balances the overblown belly the rest of this movie swings about the place. The same could be said about John Cusack’s exiled Roman anti-hero Lucius, but only if you were being kind. His delivery is dour and morose, lacking in the charm Jackie conjures so effortlessly. Adrien Brody is arguably the film’s biggest drag. His performance as the film’s big villain, the corrupt Roman emperor, is utterly drab and lifeless. A villain isn’t really a villain if you can’t find a reason to dislike them, but one has to draw the line somewhere!

Does Dragon Blade understand its dodgy methods of plot, and therefore attempts an elaborate cover-up in the form of some stellar cinematography, or did everyone kick the film’s production off with the cinematography coming first, to the extent where the plot was left behind in a cloud of dust? You may have to watch this film to decide for yourselves, but a mixture of affable acting on the part of Jackie Chan and Lee’s gargantuan directorial vision, even if it is all spectacle and no substance, makes Dragon Blade an entertaining if not entirely legitimate purchase.

DRAGON BLADE / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: DANIEL LEE / STARRING: JACKIE CHAN, JOHN CUSACK, ADRIEN BRODY, LIN PENG, CHOI SIWON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case trilogy is a longstanding favourite of many a genre fan. Sure, the films themselves are certainly an acquired taste, but Basket Case is one of those franchises that if you like it then you love it, if you aren’t keen then you’ll hate it. So, this latest release of the entire Basket Case trilogy is, in a way, a tricky number to review.

The first in the Basket Case trilogy arrived in 1982, best described as a twisted horror-comedy from the mind of the always-unique Henenlotter. Centering on Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) as he arrives in New York City, the big question that’s on everybody’s lips is “what’s in the basket?”, and it’s a question that’s soon answered. As the film progresses, we find out that the deformed body of Duane’s surgically-separated Siamese twin, Belial, resides in the basket that he carries everywhere with him. With Bilial ever the spiteful, jealous sort, Duane getting a girlfriend in the form of Sharon (Terri Susan Smith) only adds fuel to the already existing fire and leads to chaos and carnage.

After a pavement-splattering ending to the first film, Basket Case 2 would follow in 1990, this time seeing an old lady named Granny Ruth (Annie Ross) rescuing Duane and Belial from hospital and giving them a home amongst her household of freaks and oddities. Similarly, the final part of the trilogy, Basket Case: The Progeny, would continue with Ruth’s freak-filled funhouse, this time seeing them embark on a road trip in order to have Belial’s children born. And yes, they’re just as messed-up as their old man.

As a whole, the trilogy is a low-budget effort that is filled with some so-so performances and some totally ‘out there’ ideas. But still, there’s a certain charm and warmth to all three of Henenlotter’s Basket Case movies, giving them a special place in the heart of many a horror hound. Annie Ross is great as Granny Ruth once she’s introduced in Basket Case 2, and Kevin Van Hentenryck gets noticeably better with each movie, but the biggest star at times is the progression of the SFX work on show. In the first film, Belial himself often appears using stop-motion animation of a stationary puppet, but by the third film he’s a far more advanced beast in terms of his physical appearance and in terms of what Henenlotter and his crew could do with the technology at their fingertips. By the time Basket Case: The Progeny rolls around, Henenlotter is having a ball when it comes to the special effects used, and the film really is a case of just balls-out excess, marking it as arguably the definitive example of a Frank Henenlotter movie (and that says a lot, coming from a huge Frankenhooker fan such as this particular writer!).

Much like the recent re-release of Re-Animator, however, itself also a cult classic, the only thing new to this release of the Basket Case trilogy is that it has a slightly swankier case from Second Sight Films. The bonus content is all the same on this release as it was on the 2012 trilogy release, and the picture and sound quality is also exactly the same as that particular release. That’s not to say that the extras aren’t worth your time – the making-of is great fun, Henenlotter and his passion shines on the commentary track, and the interview with longstanding poster king Graham Humphreys is a must-see – but if you’ve got the 2012 release of the Basket Case movies then there’s no real point in picking up this release. If, though, you’ve yet to add these cult classics to your collection, now is the perfect time.

Special Feature: “What’s in the Basket?” making-of the trilogy / Basket Case audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter, Beverly Bonner, and producer Ivan Ievins / Introduction to Basket Case by Frank Henenlotter / Interview with Graham Humphreys / 2001 short “The Hotel Broslin” / Outtakes / Radio spots / Trailers / Photo Galleries

BASKET CASE – THE TRILOGY / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: FRANK HENENLOTTER / SCREENPLAY: FRANK HENENLOTTER, ROBERT MARTIN / STARRING: KEVIN VAN HENTENRYCK, ANNIE ROSS, TERRI SUSAN SMITH, HEATHER RATTRAY, BEVERLY BONNER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The latest direct-to-DVD B-movie to hit consumer shelves, Extraction, is about a CIA operative, Harry Turner, who finds that his father, Leonard, has been kidnapped along with a hacking device known as the Condor. Defying the orders of his superiors, Harry goes on the run and goes around punching a lot of people until he finds out where his father was taken, but things get complicated when Harry’s ex, Victoria, arrives to find Leonard and the Condor, naturally both decide to team up in a race against the clock.

Oh boy, what has happened to Bruce Willis? After falling flat on his face in the redundant A Good Day to Die Hard, and appearing in countless B-movie fare (The Cold Light of Day, Fire with Fire, Vice, etc.), it goes to show how far this star actor of yesteryear has fallen. Plus, just like in all of the aforementioned, he only gets a small number of scenes in this, appearing briefly at the beginning and then disappearing until the end. The film markets him as one of the main stars and yet his part is really nothing more than a glorified cameo, which isn’t helped by the fact that his performance is terrible. In all honesty, Willis looks bored out of his brain and ends up becoming the definition of a man picking up the cheque on screen. 

Willis aside, this is primarily a Kellan Lutz vehicle, and the character of Harry, as well as Lutz’s performance, is just dull to watch. He is meant to be the main protagonist that we form an attachment to, but Lutz plays him so straight, without any depth whatsoever, that we never really form any connection with him. It’s really Gina Carano who’s the saving grace as she’s able to hold her own, like she did in Haywire and Fast and the Furious 6, but she’s ultimately relegated into a supporting semi-love interest character, as well as a damsel-in-distress, and her impressive martial art credential isn’t capitalised on enough here.

The rest of the movie is basically a cheap secret service action-flick; with the occasional and necessary fight sequences, and all set within the obligatory, typical locations, such as a biker bar (billiard balls and a jukebox present) and a trendy nightclub. The story doesn’t bring anything new to the table and falls into the by-the-numbers clichés we are all too familiar with, and that just goes to show that there isn’t a unique or creative bone in its body. Even the big twist at the end was disappointingly predictable and easy to spot from a mile away. Even though films like John Wick and Taken were B-movie action pictures (and theatrical ones at that), at least the filmmakers put real creativity and ingenuity into them to, as well as making them fresh and exciting. But with this, it just goes to show that some production companies still don’t get it, opting to go for the lazy, production-line option and cash-in, instead of properly developing the film and putting some effort in, like those other companies had.

On the plus side, the fighting choreography is mostly solid, the cinematography is impressive and the music is pulse-pounding, but that isn’t enough to prevent Extraction from devolving into another copy-and-paste actioner and wasting Bruce Willis’ acting chops and Gina Carano’s impressive ass-kicking talents. Honestly, even though the copycat, action B-movie genre isn’t dead (surprisingly), that doesn’t mean it’s alive, and it’s high-time production companies get with the program and make something that’s worth watching, in addition to making a butt-load of cash. How about that?

EXTRACTION / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: STEVEN C. MILLER / SCREENPLAY: MAX ADAMS, UMAIR ALEEM / STARRING: KELLAN LUTZ, GINA CARANO, BRUCE WILLIS / RELEASE DATE: 14TH MARCH

What if toys could walk, talk and had a world, infrastructure and politics of their very own, unbeknownst to us mere humans? What about fish? And cars? And emotions (yes, like The Numbskulls, shush). And now, what about dinosaurs? It’s not quite The Land Before Time but rather The Land Instead of Time as We Know It, depicting an alternate reality in which the Earth-altering asteroid missed our planet entirely and dinosaurs still reign as the superior species. 

Arlo is the good dinosaur in question – the runt of a litter in a family of farmer dinosaurs (just run with it), making ends meet by harvesting corn and keeping chickens, for some reason. In a story which takes on shades of Finding Nemo, The Lion King and Ice Age, Arlo is separated from his family, after Dad dies in a terrible storm (Disney hates parents, remember) and he is washed miles down the river, with only a feral human child for company.

It’s a familiar Pixar narrative – a main character, lost and trying to get home through an unforgiving, dangerous landscape, under attack from less friendly dinosaurs and emotions. In the case of Arlo, it’s Fear who’s running the show here. Unfortunately, while the rest of its Pixar predecessors (and rip-offs) tend to get by on wit and inventiveness elsewhere, The Good Dinosaur is surprisingly average. It’s not that the jokes fall flat – rather, there’s almost a complete absence of them, with the characters not original or defined enough to fill the void. Where the audience should be blubbing, we’re left feeling cold, the characters failing to elicit much beyond indifference (maybe they’re saving her for Inside Out’s sequel). Even Disney’s usual infallible dead dad gambit doesn’t work, Poppa bearing more in common with Man of Steel’s asshole Pa Kent than noble old Mufasa, (Lion) King of the Disney dead dads. 

It’s faultlessly gorgeous though, particularly in its landscapes and action sequences. The cartoon dinosaurs (think Dino from The Flintstones) sit oddly against these photo realistic backgrounds, but they work better than the more detailed Dinosaur (an otherwise better film), all gangly limbs and primary colours. The visuals and creature designs are by far the film’s strongest point, making even the duller moments a joy to behold.

Watch on Blu-ray if you can, on a TV as big as possible. That Blu-ray will come with a ton of special features, most notably being the short Sanjay’s Super Team, which is better than the main feature itself. Kids and dinosaur nerds will enjoy the dino-heavy documentaries and making of featurettes, all of which make for genuinely fascinating viewing.

The Good Dinosaur has its moments of Pixar brilliance – Steve Zahn as the film’s villain, and Peter Sohn as ‘Pet Collector’ – but those moments are few and far between. It’s fine, but nowhere near the standard we have come to expect from Pixar by now. But then, The Adequate Dinosaur doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

THE GOOD DINOSAUR / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: PETER SOHN / SCREENPLAY: MEG LEFAUVE / STARRING: RAYMOND OCHOA, JACK BRIGHT, SAM ELLIOTT, ANNA PAQUIN, STEVE ZAHN, FRANCES MCDORMAND / RELEASE DATE: 21ST MARCH

Following on from the events of last year’s Batman vs. Robin, Jay Oliva’s Batman: Bad Blood is the latest animated outing for the Caped Crusader and his cast of supporting characters. What’s interesting here, though, is that the Dark Knight actually plays second fiddle for the most part of the film as the early disappearance of the World’s Greatest Detective brings the Bat family together in order to protect Gotham City and to locate the presumed-dead Batman.

With Dick Grayson stepping into the mantle of the Bat and being joined by Damian Wayne’s Robin, there’s also the emergence of a new protector of Gotham: the mysterious Batwoman. As this new Batman brings this new heroine into his circle of trust, the three look to solve the puzzle behind Bruce Wayne’s whereabouts. In amongst the action, we see appearances by a myriad of familiar villains such as Mad Hatter, Blockbuster, Tusk, Firefly, Black Mask, and the ominous Heretic. Behind the shadows, though, and the brains behind recent happenings, there’s the ever-dangerous figure of Talia al Ghul. Can Gotham cope without the original Caped Crusader, and just what has really happened to Bruce Wayne?

With Bad Blood, Jay Oliva has put together a fantastic animated effort. Oliva, who also helmed the breathtaking two-part adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns and the equally-impressive Flashpoint Paradox, not to mention Justice League: War, Assault on Arkham and Batman vs. Robin, has crafted a film full of cinematic flair and brutal, snappy action, highlighted no better than during a stunning scene involving Batman and Robin attempting to thwart an attack on Wayne Enterprises by Heretic and his crew, and then there’s also a glorious flashback-cum-nightmare to that fateful night in Crime Alley.

A particular highlight here for longtime Bat fans is the dynamic between Dick and Damian, with the back-and-forths between the pair guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of those who loved this particular Batman and Robin pairing in the comic book world. But it’s not just with these two that the entertainment ends, for the film is full of great, snappy dialogue that manages to hit all the right beats.

This latest animated DC effort brings gravitas and jaw-dropping mood-setting moments to what we see play out, whether it’s encapsulating the tone that only Gotham City can emanate or showing the turmoil and troubles that Dick Grayson has had to endure over the years as he struggles with living in the shadow of the Bat. And then there’s the brilliant introduction of Batwoman, an instantly-likeable character who has her own murky backstory.

To some, the film may suffer because of a lack of the Dark Knight himself, and others may claim that the film becomes too crowded by its close (although the movie’s final shot is a great stinger), but Bad Blood manages to make you realise why you love Batman and his world so much yet without even really featuring the main course himself.

Special Features: Two featurettes / An exclusive look at Justice League vs. Teen Titans / Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Knights of Tomorrow / Batman: The Animated Series – Avatar

BATMAN: BAD BLOOD / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JAY OLIVA / SCREENPLAY: J.M. DEMATTEIS / STARRING: JASON O’MARA, YVONNE STRAHOVSKI, SEAN MAHER, STUART ALLEN, MORENA BACCARIN / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 18TH
 

Who would have thought that when Supernatural first aired in 2005, the monster hunter Winchester brothers would still be roaming North America, murdering the things that go bump in the night? At this point, it’s starting to look like Sam and Dean will be beating werewolves to death with their Zimmer frames.

The previous season of long-running horror TV show Supernatural, saw a return to form after a slow and steady decline. Season Ten manages to keep this level of quality up, by finely balancing new and fresh ideas with the familiar tropes that have made this show so popular.

Season Ten opens with a corker of a premise. Dean, one of the major heroes of the show, has gone to the dark side and has buddied up with the King of Hell for hijinks and evil. It’s up to little brother Sam, to lure him back to the light, or at least a light shade of darkness.

Highlights include the 200th episode, Fan Fiction, which does the thing the producers have threatened to do for years; it gives us ‘Supernatural the Musical’. Luckily for us, the Winchester’s don’t sing. To say that this episode goes one step beyond the usual fare into the meta side of things is an understatement, but then the show has never been afraid to experiment. Ask Jeeves experiments in a different direction; using the brother’s skills as eye-candy to its full potential by setting them amongst the well heeled idle rich for a short while. This season also sees the welcome return of Felicia Day’s spunky hero, Charlie Bradbury. Season 10 is decidedly darker than previous stories, and fans should brace themselves; things are going to get a lot worse for the brothers, but in a good way. Prepare for more than one single man tear.

As always, the featurettes and DVD extras are a treat. After ten years of producing the show, you’d think the actors and crew would have ran out of things to say about their jobs, but this time round the various DVD extras keep it fresh by focusing on the show’s relationship with its fans. Supernatural fandom is very dedicated it seems, and the lengths they go to in order to express their love for the show is pretty amazing, and makes for a good documentary. We also get an edited version of the cast’s panel at SDCC 2014, which is always worth a laugh. It seems that our perennial wayward sons will continue to carry on for some time to come.

SUPERNATURAL: SEASON 10 / CERT: 15 / DIRECTORS: VARIOUS / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: JARED PADALECKI, JENSEN ACKLES, MARK A. SHEPPARD, MISHA COLLINS, Felicia Day / RELEASE DATE: 21ST MARCH