Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Sixth Year Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Richard Belzer, Ice-T. Five-disc set with 23 episodes, $59.98. (Universal).
SVU was the first expansion of the L&O franchise and has done pretty damn well for itself. Many feel it is actually a stronger series than the parent show.
L&O was the first series to launch multiple spin-offs. Had they not done so, I might not have David Caruso emoting (or rather attempting to emote) on my television set. Looking at it that way, L&O has a hell of a lot to answer for!
Murder She Wrote: The Complete Eighth Season Angela Lansbury. Five-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.98. (Universal).
Once again the Grim Reaper comes back for another season. Folks in the vacinity of Miz Fletcher have the same mortality rate as a horny teenager in a Friday the 13th film.
Mr. Bradley will be offering up a review in the next week or so.
Sweeney Todd (2007) Di.: Tim Burton; Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee. Available in standard and two-disc Special Collector’s editions. Extras: “Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd.” Special Collector’s Edition only: Sweeney Todd press conference, November 2007, “Musical Mayhem: Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd,” “Sweeney Todd Is Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber,” “Sweeney’s London,” “The Making of Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition” featurette, “Designs for a Demon Barber,” “A Bloody Business” featurette, “Moviefone Unscripted” with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, “The Razor’s Refrain,” photo gallery. (Paramount).
A man brutally extracting vengence after being wronged. Sounds right up my alley, except for the fact that said man repeatedly BREAKS INTO SONG!
Based on the Steven Sonheim musical, Sweeny Todd is loaded with an impressive cast and comes to us from the mind of Tim Burton.
And while it does have the always amazing Alan Rickman, that is not enough to draw me as he is easily offset by the presence of Helena Bonham Carter.
About the only real draw for me is the fact that Sacha Baron Cohen reportedly dies a brutal death. Now if Will Ferrell died as well, I just might have bought a ticket.
Despite my own prejudice, the film did fairly well at the box office and garnered considerable praise from those that like this sort of thing.
It is those very folks that should be in heaven with this release. It is full of extras that took at the source material as well as the cast and crew.
Jill will have a review for us in the next week.
For more DVD releases and info, check out our DVD Calendar.
