Fringe - Season 1 [Blu-ray] [2008]
The central concept is actually quite similar to The X-Files, with a core of three main characters investigating what they call ‘fringe science’. This manifests itself with a series of unusual situations and happenings, that the team proceed to investigate and try and get to the bottom of. The Fringe crew consists of FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham, Peter Bishop and the quite brilliant creation that is his father, Walter Bishop. Walter, played expertly by John Noble, is like every mad scientist in the world wrapped into one wonderful character, and Fringe is often at its strongest when he’s is stage centre. This first season of Fringe runs for 20 episodes, all of which are included on this set, and it does occasionally struggle to find its feet. That’s no surprise given the show’s infancy, but it also hits some spectacularly good highs, including a marvellous cameo in the season finale that’d be remiss to spoil here. It also throws in a smart underlying narrative, and leaves things finally poised for the already-commissioned second season. In short, a strong show, and one with real potential to get even better. —Jon Foster Inception - Triple Play
Toy Story 3
Goldeneye 007
Although the basic design of the original game is maintained this is no straight remake, with every element of the design and graphics revamped and improved for the modern age - with a new cast including Daniel Craig as Bond. With plenty of surprises for even the most avid fan of the original this still manages to retain the unique mix of action, stealth and world-beating design. Of course GoldenEye wouldn't be GoldenEye without its multiplayer mode, with the classic four-player splitscreen mode back and playing better than ever. For the first time though there's also an eight-player online option, for the ultimate Bond experience. Dr Yes: The best Bond game ever, and one of the most beloved first person shooters of all time, returns with a whole new makeover and mountains of new features.Thunderball: The ground-breaking single-player mode returns in a way you've never seen before, with new story elements, new moves, and some of the best graphics on the Wii.Screen Giants: The classic four-player splitscreen multiplayer returns with all your favourite, levels, weapons and classic Bond villains such as Odd Job and Jaws.Golden Gun: Use the controller of your choice from a Wii remote to a Wii Zapper, Classic Controller, GameCube joypad or even the limited edition Golden Classic Controller Pro.Hollywood Talent: Daniel Craig takes the role of Bond, with Judi Dench as M. Plus the original film's script writer Bruce Feirstein is back to update the story for 2010. Pacific
Life Season 1 [DVD] [2007]
Life Season 2 [DVD] [2008]
Dollhouse Season 2 [Blu-ray]
The Evolutionary Void
Moon [Blu-ray] [2009]
Lord Of The Rings - The Two Towers (Theatrical Version) [Blu-ray] [2002]
While it may seem that there would be nothing left to say after the bevy of features on the extended Fellowship, the four commentary tracks and two discs of supplements on The Two Towers remain informative, fascinating, and funny, far surpassing the recycled materials on the two-disc theatrical version. Highlights of the 6.5 hours' worth of documentaries offer insight on the stunts, the design work, the locations and the creation of Gollum and—most intriguing for avid fans—the film's writers (including Jackson) discuss why they created events that weren't in the book. Providing variety are animatics, rough footage, countless sketches and a sound-mixing demonstration. Again, the most interesting commentary tracks are by Jackson and writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and by 16 members of the cast (eight of whom didn't appear in the first film, and even including John Noble, whose Denethor character only appears in this extended cut). The first two instalments of Peter Jackson's trilogy have established themselves as the best fantasy films of all time, and among the best film trilogies of all time, and their extended-edition DVD sets have set a new standard for expanding on the already epic films and providing comprehensive bonus features. —David Horiuchi Lord Of The Rings - Fellowship Of The Ring (Theatrical Version) [Blu-ray] [2001]
Jackson’s abiding love for the source material comes across in the wealth of incidental detail (the stone trolls from The Hobbit, Bilbo’s hand-drawn maps); and even when he deviates from the book he does so for sound dramatic reasons (the interminable Tom Bombadil interlude is deleted; Arwen not Glorfindel rescues Frodo at the ford). New Zealand stands in wonderfully for Middle-Earth and his cast are almost ideal, headed by Elijah Wood as a suitably naïve Frodo, though one with plenty of iron resolve, and Ian McKellen as an avuncular-yet-grimly determined Gandalf. The set-piece battle sequences have both an epic grandeur and a visceral, bloody immediacy: the Orcs, and Saruman’s Uruk-Hai in particular, are no mere cannon-fodder, but tough and terrifying adversaries. Tolkien’s legacy could hardly have been better served. On the DVD: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring two-disc set presents the original theatrical release (approx 171 minutes) on the first disc with a vivid Dolby 5.1 soundtrack and a simply splendid anamorphic print that allows even the darkest recesses of Moria to be glimpsed. The second disc contains 15 short behind-the-scenes pieces originally seen on the official Web site plus three substantial featurettes. The Houghton Mifflin "Welcome to Middle-Earth" is a 16-minute first look at the transition from page to screen, most interesting for its treasurable interview with Tolkien’s original publisher Rayner Unwin. "Quest for the Ring" is a pretty standard 20-minute Fox TV special with lots of cast and crew interviews. Better is the Sci-Fi Channel’s "A Passage to Middle-Earth", a 40-minute special that goes into a lot more detail about many aspects of the production and how the creative team conceived the film’s look. Most mouth-watering for fans who just can’t wait is a 10-minute Two Towers preview, in which Peter Jackson personally tantalises us with behind-the-scenes glimpses of Gollum and Helm’s Deep, plus a tasty three-minute teaser for the four-disc Fellowship special edition. Rounding out a good package are trailers, Enya’s "May It Be" video and a Two Towers video game preview.—Mark Walker Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King (Theatrical Version) [Blu-ray] [2003]
As before, in this concluding part of the trilogy the spectacle never dwarfs (sic) the characters, even during Shelob the spider's pitiless assault, for example, or the unparalleled Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where the white towers of Minas Tirith come under ferocious attack from Troll-powered siege weapons and—in a sequence reminiscent of the Imperial Walkers in The Empire Strikes Back—Mammoth-like Mumakil. The people and their feelings always remain in focus, as emphasised by Jackson's sensitive small touches: Gandalf reassuring a terrified Pippin in the midst of battle that death is not to be feared; Frodo's blazing anger at Sam's apparent betrayal; Faramir's desire to win the approval of his megalomaniac father; Gollum's tragic cupidity and his final, heartbreaking glee. And at the very epicentre of the film is the pure heart of Samwise Gamgee—the real hero of the story. At over three hours, there are almost inevitably some lulls, and the film still feels as if some key scenes are missing: a problem doubtless to be rectified in the extended DVD edition. But the end, when it does finally arrive—set to Howard Shore's Wagnerian music score—brings us full circle, leaving the departing audience to wonder if they will ever find within themselves even a fraction of the courage of a hobbit. —Mark Walker One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
Flat Earth News: An Award-winning Reporter Exposes Falsehood, Distortion and Propaganda in the Global Media
Don't You Have Time to Think?
ReWork: Change the Way You Work Forever
Seth Godin is the author of Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip, Purple Cow, All Marketers Are Liars, and Permission Marketing, as well as other international bestsellers. He is consistently one of the 25 most widely read bloggers in the English language. Read his exclusive Amazon guest review of Rework: This book will make you uncomfortable. Depending on what you do all day, it might make you extremely uncomfortable. That's a very good thing, because you deserve it. We all do. Jason and David have broken all the rules and won. Again and again they've demonstrated that the regular way isn't necessarily the right way. They just don't say it, they do it. And they do it better than just about anyone has any right to expect. This book is short, fast, sharp and ready to make a difference. It takes no prisoners, spares no quarter, and gives you no place to hide, all at the same time. There, my review is almost as long as the first chapter of the book. I can't imagine what possible excuse you can dream up for not buying this book for every single person you work with, right now. Stop reading the review. Buy the book.—Seth Godin At Home: A Short History of Private Life
The Last Detective Alive
Dollhouse: Season One [Blu-ray]
Disc 1: 230 Minutes Forced Trailers: Wolverine, Joss Whedon Properties Trailer, I Love You Beth Cooper, Nobel Son, Wrong Turn 3, The KeeperGhostEpisode Commentary with Joss Whedon and Eliza DushkuThe TargetStage FrightGray HourTrue Believer Disc 2: 230 Minutes Man on the StreetEpisode Commentary by Joss WhedonEchoesNeedsA Spy in the HouseHaunted Disc 3: 229 Minutes Briar RoseOmegaEpitaph OneEpisode Commentary by Jed Whedon and Maurissa TancharoenOriginal Unaired Pilot - "Echo"Commentary w/ Cast & CrewDeleted ScenesMaking DollhouseComing Back HomeFinding EchoDesigning the Perfect DollhouseA Private Engagement Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (Steelbook) [Blu-ray]
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan sets about answering that question with the help of lots of footage from the show across its run. Skilfully weaving new events around scenes that seasoned Battlestar fans will know oh-so-well, The Plan confidently fills in some of the gaps, and further fleshes out the Cylons are three-dimensional foes of extreme danger. Is it a satisfying TV movie that comes out of the end of it? Just about, yes. It’s hard to argue that The Plan is entirely necessary, as all it adds is a little bit of gravy over the top of the main dish if anything. But it’s still a fun, clever addition to the Battlestar Galactica universe, and satisfyingly digs more and more into the plans of the Cylons that kickstarted the whole series off. —Jon Foster Changing Planes: Armchair Travel for the Mind
Mad Men - Season 3 [Blu-ray]
GoldenEye 007
Controls are easy to master, which is impressive considering the variety of actions the onscreen hero can perform. Bond can run and walk at variable speeds, duck, pivot, hide, attach mines to enemy helicopters, block doors from opening, and more. The optional auto-aim feature is especially nice. Of course, James Bond is proficient in a wide variety of weapons. You get to use them all, from the trusty Walther PPK (with silencer) to double sets of full-auto machine guns. The game's faithful tribute to the Bond legacy includes briefing dossiers on each mission, complete with wisecracks from Q and flirtatious comments from Miss Moneypenny. And the 3-D representation of locations and characters from the movie is very impressive. One of the distinguishing features of the game is the outstanding artificial intelligence of the enemies. When attacked, squads will rush to hit the alarm. If they make it, reinforcements come running. Enemy soldiers respond to being shot or blown up with chilling realism. According to Rareware, there are over 30 different animation routines that come into play, depending on where the soldier is hit. For those who prefer the challenge of human opponents, there are six clever multiplayer modes where up to four players can shoot it out, as teams or solo agents. With excellent gameplay, intelligence, and style, GoldenEye 007 is a first-person shooter that'll keep you coming back for more. —Jeanne Uy Pros:Built-in save capability for up to four playersAuto-aim feature helps novice players feel like a sharpshooterRich, complex gameworld filled with detail and varietyGreat bonus missionsCons:Sometimes cinematic scenes for fulfilling mission objectives are a bit anticlimactic Planet Earth: Complete BBC Series [Blu-ray] [2006]
Die Hard [Blu-ray] [1988]
Children of Men [Blu-ray] [2006]
Mad Men - Series 1-2 [Blu-ray] [2007]
Elect the Dead Symphony
With The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at his side, Tankian's epic songs and operatic vocals take on a whole new sense of grandeur when accompanied with a full 70 piece orchestra. This unique meshing of two very different worlds of music was a vision Tankian has long wanted to make a reality. The show also features two previously unreleased tracks in 'Gate 21' and 'The Charade'. Both tracks are included on all release formats (CD/DVD, CD, and Vinyl). CD is audio from the live performance DVD is live performance with some bonus b-roll footage. Up Superset (2 Blu-ray Discs + 1 DVD Disc + 1 Digital Copy Disc) [2009]
Eleven Minutes Late: A Train Journey to the Soul of Britain
Let The Right One In [Blu-ray] [2008]
Band Of Brothers - HBO Complete Series [Blu-ray] [2001]
Across ten haunting episodes, Band Of Brothers follows the real-life story of the American army?s Easy Company, an elite paratrooper regiment, from their initial training through to the very end of the war. Along the way, not only do Easy Company take part in some of the most infamous battles and events of the War, but they also suffer many, often brutal losses. And Band Of Brothers pulls no punches in putting those moments across on screen. But that?s not, ultimately, what Band Of Brothers is about. At it's heart, this is the tale of a group of men relying on one another to get them through unthinkable situations. And this camaraderie is brilliantly put across by the generally unknown cast of actors, many of whom turn in outstanding performances here. The quality production values are sustained behind the camera, as Band Of Brothers? episodes are directed by the likes of Tom Hanks, Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams) and David Leland (The Devil Wears Prada). The show gives all the impression that little expense was spared in depicting the right visual look, and the results are on screen to be admired. In short, Band of Brothers remains a vital, brilliant piece of television drama, and one that will stick in your mind long after the credits have rolled on the final episode. —Jon Foster Century Rain
Wii Fit Plus - Game Only
Family Guy Presents: Something Something Something Dark Side [DVD] [2009]
Family Guy - Season 8 [DVD]
Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series - Limited Edition [Blu-ray] [2009]
Sadly, the fact that it’s a science fiction show on the exterior is likely to put some off Battlestar Galactica. It really shouldn’t. The writers superbly weave in politics, religion, action, and excellent character work, bringing together an outstanding company of actors. Edwards James Olmos and Mary McDonnell are the stand-outs, but there are so many performances of note, it’s hard to highlight too many more. It goes without saying, of course, that the majority of science fiction enthusiasts will be blown away by many of the collected episodes here. And, bluntly, it’s a real treat to watch them in high definition. While perhaps the earlier episodes of Battlestar Galactica don’t look quite as striking as the later instalments, this is still a show with high production values that gleam in high definition. Cinematically shot and engrossing right through to its challenging ending, Battlestar Galactica is quality television, and it’s never looked better than it does on Blu-ray. —Jon Foster Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Following the same format of the 2008 summer games tie-in you and your friends can choose to compete in authentic Olympics disciplines as everyone from Mario and Sonic to Bowser, Dr Eggman, Yoshi and Tails. Only a few disciplines have been revealed so far, but already we know that the game is going to contain ice hockey and figure skating. There will also be new fantasy events such as Dream Ski Cross, which sees everyone competing in a Mario Kart style race complete with familiar looking power-ups and speed boosts. Realism isn't the goal here, just good old fashioned multiplayer fun. Superstar team-up: Only the second game to include Mario and Sonic characters together, featuring the official Olympics license and input from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.Worlds collide: Play as any of the characters from the original game - from Prince Peach to Vector the Crocodile, as well as first-timers Donkey Kong and Metal Sonic.Added balance: For the first time in a Sonic & Mario game you'll be able to use the Balance Board for some events, if you have one.The full monty: The new Festival mode lets you play through the whole of the Olympic Winter Games, including all the disciplines and an opening and closing ceremony.Friendly rivalry: Mountains of multiplayer options, including four-player competitive tournaments and co-operative games. The Dark Knight (2 Discs) [Blu-ray]
Batman Begins [Blu-ray] [2005]
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