I was originally lukewarm on “The First Avenger,” so it’s refreshing to see the follow up to the first Captain America not only offer up a mature and complex story, but transform Captain America in to a pariah. You know the nation is in peril when its biggest patriot is on the run from the very country he vowed to fight for. “The Winter Soldier” presents shades of “Three Days of the Condor” when Steve Rogers and Black Widow become fugitives when a simple rescue mission to save SHIELD agents puts them smack dab in the middle of a nefarious plot that could change the world as we know it. Fleeing from authorities at every corner, Captain America and Black Widow have to thwart all kinds of attempts at their lives.
Category Archives: Collector’s Den
The T.A.M.I. Show: Collector’s Edition (DVD)
Getting 1964’s “The T.A.M.I. Show” finally on a Collector’s Edition DVD fully restored for the rock fans is a special occasion. If only because “The T.A.M.I. Show” has long been a concert film that has been seen mainly through bootlegs and was sabotaged for a long time. Even film buff Quentin Tarantino never had a complete bootleg, and finally the entirety of “The T.A.M.I. Show” is on DVD from Shout! with nary a single dull moment to be had. What’s so fun about “The T.A.M.I. Show” is that it’s just an unabashed celebration of diversity in rock and roll, and how various artists have shaped it in to something incredible.
Motown 25: Yesterday Today Forever (DVD)
The first time I ever saw “Motown 25” was in 1987 as a four year old, and I sat with my dad to watch a VHS recording of the 1983 broadcast. The memory of the time and place are fuzzy, but all I remember is watching through the tape entertained, and then being genuinely in awe of Michael Jackson’s performance of “Billie Jean” as he declared that he was his own entertainer now. He did so with a brilliant performance and the introduction of the moon walk.
The Midnight Special Collection (DVD)
Though I was born in 1983, I was given the advantage of an uncle who’d recorded hours of musical performances from the original “The Midnight Special” series, and kept them archived well. Through those recordings I was introduced to myriad of pop and rock acts from the 1970’s as well as the charismatic hosting and MCing from the one and only Wolfman Jack. “The Midnight Special” was very much like “American Bandstand” in that it celebrated music, and was more prone to offering harder edged musical acts and performances for a wider audience. It’s still a very valuable artifact of rock and pop, and thankfully has been given a new transfer for collectors.
The Walking Dead: The Complete Fourth Season [Blu-ray/Digital]
Season four of “The Walking Dead” is a big leap forward for the series, in where it re-captures a lot of the dread and urgency of season one, while also rebooting the narrative once more. After the big war in season three where the group managed to beat an army by cunning and sheer luck, Rick and his surviving group from Hershel’s farm, along with the remnants of Woodbury, have now settled down in the prison, and have built a respectable society for themselves. Rick is now committed to farming alongside Hershel as his apprentice, while he’s also focused most of the time on giving Carl a childhood, however twisted it may be. The series has a good time with misdirection, and begins the season premiere with Rick outside the prison farming and listening to music, drowning outside noise. As he turns to look back at the prison, we cut to a wide scene of the walking dead clutching the gates in droves only inches from Rick. Try as the survivors might to pretend otherwise, the world is still for the dead.
Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (1970) [Digibook Blu-Ray/DVD]
For Elvis fans still celebrating the “Viva Las Vegas” release, Warner re-releases the 2007 DVD except in Blu-Ray Digibook form and in its 2001 edition, which is considerably shorter in length. That’s because the film’s director chopped some fan segments. You can still watch the original version on the DVD supplied in the Digibook edition, while the supplements are rather extensive for hardcore fans. This includes the very detailed aforementioned book within the Blu-Ray case that should act as a fine memento for Elvis buffs.
The Carol Burnett Show: Ultimate Collection (DVD)
For fans of the Carol Burnett Show that can’t possibly afford the complete series, the “Ultimate Collection” is about as close as you can get to the greatness of a complete boxed set. It’s many of the highlights of the Carol Burnett show and it spotlights the comedy and slapstick as well as the whimsy and variety. There are a ton of celebrity guest spots, some sweet moments involving Ms. Burnett interacting with her audience, and plenty of musical numbers that fans of the series’ entire package will quite enjoy. And just to top off the Collection, there’s even a Christmas DVD filled with many holiday themed sketches from various seasons.