DVD SNAPSHOT

What I'm Watching: Editor's Choice (DVD)

Transformers, Gran Torino, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, Saving Grace

In this edition of What I’m Watching: Editor’s Choice is about as diverse a mix of DVDs as they come. We have a classic children’s cartoon from the 1980s, a current critically acclaimed film, a hit TV show about spies, and a cult-hit TV show about prostitutes. Hey, this is what I watch in an average week!

First up is the highly anticipated Transformers: The Complete First Season from Shout Factory. I have slightly mixed feelings about this release, mostly only because it’s sort of already available in the (now out of print, admittedly) season collections from Rhino. This streamlined collection brings together the first 16 episodes of the cartoon that defined a generation, and in that respect, I can certainly say that this is a set worth owning. What really sets it apart from the Rhino versions are that the episodes are restored and remastered, and in addition, they boast new soundtracks. Anyone who owns the Rhino sets knows that the technical aspects of the discs were pretty weak, so this is a huge improvement.

In addition, there are a few new extra features, but this is far from the fully-loaded set that some fans might have been hoping for. Instead, you get a nice documentary on the origins of the Transformers, plus a rare PSA and some archival Hasbro toy commercials. Those were actually the highlight of the set for me, as seeing these toy commercials I loved so much as a kid really took me back.

The show itself is still a lot of fun, and it looks and sounds better than it has since it was originally broadcast, so ultimately I still have to give this set my seal of approval.

RECOMMENDED!

Show: B+
Extra Features: B-

Switching gears completely, next we have Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood’s critically acclaimed drama that was a huge box office hit earlier this year. It’s an interesting film; it’s either the greatest bad movie I’ve ever seen or the worst great movie I’ve ever seen, I’m not sure which. There are parts of the film which are a little bit silly, such as Clint Eastwood’s growling. For much of the movie, all of his dialogue consists of growls, literally. “Grrr…” It’s a little bit laughable at times, and there’s one scene where the camera zooms in on him as he utters a huge growl, and I swear I thought he was going to change into the Hulk right then and there. But on the other hand, the story is an effective one, and by the end of the film, I was caught up in the relationship between Clint’s grizzled old war veteran and the two Hmong teenagers he metaphorically adopts. The film succeeds ultimately, but there are definitely moments along the way where you cringe at some weak dialogue or the occasionally weak performances by some of the supporting cast members.

The DVD comes with just two extra features, Manning The Wheel: The Meaning Of Manhood As Reflected In American Car Culture and Gran Torino: More Than A Car - Visit Detroit And The Woodward Dream Cruise. Both of these focus more on car culture than the film itself, and since the car itself is actually only a minor aspect of the film, these are a little bit disappointing.

Movie: B
Extra Features: C-

Switching gears again, next up is Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season Two, which is a DVD release I’m extremely excited about. As I don’t subscribe to Showtime (or any of the pay channels), I only get to see this show when it comes to DVD, but it’s one of my favorites. Sexy, sassy, humorous, and dramatic, Secret Diary of a Call Girl is some of the finest TV around, even if it’s not for the faint of heart.

In this season, Belle/Hannah, our favorite call girl, continues to try and balance her real life with her career as a high priced prostitute. This time around, though, things are complicated even further by her beginning to date a gentleman suitor who isn’t a client. As Hannah tries to keep her life as Belle secret from her prospective new beau, the show continues to amp up both the humor and the drama that makes the show compelling. Anchored by a terrific performance by Billie Piper and the addition of cast mate Callum Blue (Dead Like Me) as her love interest, the show just gets better and better.

Extra features include a series of Billie on Belle interviews with Ms. Piper and some original webisodes. It’s not a lot, but it’s a little more than Season One’s DVD set offered.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl is an incredibly interesting and sexy show, and if you like your television a little more edgy and racy, than this show comes…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Show: A
Extra Features: B-

Finally, we have another show entering its second season, TNT’s Saving Grace: Season Two. I came into this show with a bit of a bias in that I don’t generally like TNT’s style of television. I know it’s hard to see how a network can have a certain style of show (especially when it’s scripted and not reality television), but TNT seems to specialize in damaged, barely-likable characters. The problem that I have with that aesthetic is that more often than not, “barely likable” translates into “unlikable” for me. Saving Grace isn’t as guilty of that as some of the network’s shows, but it certainly doesn’t go out of its way to give us characters that you instantly gravitate towards. I’ve also never been a huge Holly Hunter fan, so the show isn’t a natural fit for me. Still, the mix of cop drama, interpersonal stories, and a weird sort of divine faith entered into a world that is clearly not faith based makes for some interesting television, even more so later in the season when Christina Ricci comes aboard for a few episodes as Grace’s new partner.

The DVD set includes only two extra features, a behind-the-scenes featurette and some red carpet footage.

Show: B-
Extra Features: C

- Mike Spring
Editor