Since there is only a few days before Christmas and the year is about to end, there are a few noteworthy TV series (to me at least) being released on blu-ray/dvd that might just make it to some lucky person's Christmas stocking. The first is 'The Strain' a series shown on the FX channel from Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan based on a series of novels written by them. I'm not going to delve too much into the story except to say that it deals with a diverse group of people who have banded together to fight an ancient evil and a plague that transforms those infected into zombie/vampire like creatures. Although the story may seem cliche but the series is very well written and addictive. As mentioned earlier, this series has been released on blu-ray earlier this month and would make a great gift for someone who's a horror drama fan. Actually, I can't wait for Del Toro's upcoming gothic horror movie 'Crimson Peak' which will be shown somewhere around Halloween next year.
However, I was a little disappointed to learn that the first season of another TV series 'Salem' from WGN America (which has been renewed for a second season) will only be released as a MOD (Manufactured on Demand) product using DVD-Rs. It is a shame that sometimes shows being produced by small/obscure channels are given a shabby treatment when it comes to being released on home video. Perhaps if response is encouraging, the series might be released later on proper dvds with some special features (at this point, don't keep your fingers crossed for a blu-ray release).
Another series which is being released on blu-ray on the 23rd of this month (which is pretty late for a Christmas release) is the new Syfy series 'Dominion'. Lately, Syfy has been releasing a slew of new series e.g. Defiance, Z Nation, Continuum etc in an attempt to revamp the channel (the latest being the 3 part series Ascension). Although I have always avoided Syfy for some unfathomable reason, I decided to give their new series 'Helix' a try due to the positive reviews it was getting. The series, which is about a team of CDC scientists sent to the Artic to investigate a possible disease outbreak in a high tech lab, was above Syfy's usual standards. The series had a dark but well written story, a great cast and high production values. Encouraged by this series, I was curious about another new series from Syfy 'Dominion' because I heard it was a (TV series) sequel to the 2010 movie 'Legion' which starred Paul Bettany. Although the movie had received mixed reviews, I have always liked the movie but then I have always been fond of films about fallen/warring angels ever since 'The Prophecy' films with Christopher Walken and Eric Stoltz in the 1990s. Besides, I heard that Australian actor Christopher Egan (last seen in the TV series Kings and the indie movie Crush) and British actor Tom Wisdom (from the original movie 300) was involved in it so it had to be good right? After watching a few episodes, I found Vaun Wilmott's (Sons of Anarchy) writing to be surprisingly good and the series highly watchable thanks to a great cast and some decent special effects which makes its blu-ray release an anticipated item on my watchlist. The series (first season comprises of only 8 episodes) has already been renewed by Syfy for a second season of 13 episodes.
Lastly, I would like to mention that the first season of the Hallmark TV series, When Calls The Heart, has also been released on dvd (no blu-ray release). This excellent series from Michael Landon Jr, was previously released on individual dvds of 2 episodes each but late last month Millennium Entertainment decided to release the first season of this series in one complete dvd boxset which also includes the (pilot) tv movie. I have no gripes regarding the boxset since it includes English subtitles, extended scenes and even some special features except that all the 12 episodes are crammed on 3 double sided discs (the fourth disc contains the 2013 tv movie). But for less than $20 ( I bought it from Amazon at 50% off), I guess 'dual discs' are to be expected although I still find handling them to be confusing and tricky. Most of the time, I avoid buying 'dual discs' unless the price is really cheap or I'm unable to find the material on another format. In this case, the boxset is much cheaper than the individual dvds. However, the boxset which comes in a digipak and attractive slipcover, will still make a perfect Christmas gift for someone who loves romance and period dramas (e.g. Little House on The Prairie).
Above are only some of my favourite blu-rays/dvds being released in November/December for Christmas (?). As said earlier, I hope some of them might end up in some lucky person's Christmas stocking :). If you plan to buy any stocking stuffers for pre-teen/teen girls, you can also check out my other post Christmas Gift Ideas for Pre-Teen/ Teen Girls dated 5th December 2014.
Above are only some of my favourite blu-rays/dvds being released in November/December for Christmas (?). As said earlier, I hope some of them might end up in some lucky person's Christmas stocking :). If you plan to buy any stocking stuffers for pre-teen/teen girls, you can also check out my other post Christmas Gift Ideas for Pre-Teen/ Teen Girls dated 5th December 2014.
Addendum (4th May 2024) : If you are thinking of treating yourself to some quality horror drama in 2024, you can do no wrong with Guillermo Del Toro, Carlton Cuse and Chuck Hogan's TV series 'The Strain' which lasted four seasons. Even after a decade, I still think it is one of the best horror series to grace the small screen and if you're interested in revisiting this series or wish to watch it for the first time, I have provided the links below to Amazon and Amazon Prime. Unfortunately, the series did not get a proper blu-ray release in the US with 20th Century Fox releasing the blu-ray for the first and second seasons only. However, the complete series is available on DVD.
The Strain Amazon Prime (paid link)
The Strain Season 1 Blu-Ray Amazon US (paid link)
The Strain Complete Series DVD Amazon US (paid link)
For fans of movies like Legion (2010) and The Prophecy Series (1995-2005) which deals with angel mythologies, you can try Syfy's Dominion (2014-2015) which lasted two seasons. The links are below.
Dominion Amazon Prime (paid link)
Dominion S1 Blu-Ray Amazon US (paid link)
Dominion S2 Blu-Ray Amazon US (paid link)
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