'Picnic At Hanging Rock' DVD Review

It’s Valentine’s Day 1900 at Appleyard College, a finishing school for young ladies. The school itself is a mansion in an isolated area of Australia. A small town is nearby and usually all is very peaceful but on this day much will change. Hester Appleyard (Natalie Dormer) runs the school and has allowed some of the girls and their teachers to go on a small excursion to Hanging Rock. This would usually be a no brainier but on this day three girls and one of their teachers will go missing. It’s not like the missing ladies fell of the rock or something they simply have vanished.

The school along with the police and some of the townspeople are all involved in the search. Appleyard is doing her best to keep the school open but with this tragedy rumors and innuendo abound all over the place. The townsfolk have begun to question whether this school should even be in the area. Secrets along with some theories as to what happened to the ladies become the talk of the town. The hysteria builds each day as the girls stay missing and some begin to think that the school along with the town will be affected forever due to this tragedy.

The cast includes Anna McGahan, Yael Stone, Samara Weaver, and Don Hany. Dormer does a beautiful job as the headmistress. This Australian Victorian thriller will keep you glued to your seat. The suspense is unbelievable and strong. Acorn brings this wonderful thriller to us on DVD on November 27th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are superb and beautiful. This will definitely make a wonderful addition to that personal library of yours. It will also make a wonderful gift to your special friends this holiday season. So don’t waste any time and pick this one up quickly. You will be watching it over and over as there will always be some part that you missed on the first viewing. This thriller keeps you coming back for more. Enjoy.

'Jack Irish, Season 2' DVD Review

Jack Irish (Guy Pearce) is a former lawyer who dealt with a very strong criminal element. He was always getting into questionable situations. Irish was also a part time debt collector who also would find himself involved in things he shouldn’t have been. A person might think that with all these problems Irish would eventually find an easy way to make a living.

In Season 2, we find Irish once again involved in problems not necessarily his own. His girlfriend Linda (Marta Dusseldorp) has finally had enough and left him. The horse racing adventure has hit some hard times and left Irish with some problems. The local pub that Irish loves to drink in may be sold leaving him to find another drinking hole. Finally, what’s even worse is that an investigation he was involved with has left an international student dead due to suspicious circumstances. Irish wants to find out all the answers to the students death but can’t do it without the help of his ex-girlfriend. Linda is hesitant but eventually comes around in the end. Irish also finds that he needs the help of a psychiatrist. Dr. Rory Finch (Danielle Cormack) is a beautiful enigmatic woman who makes it a little uncomfortable for Linda but all is good at the end.

This show has a quick humor and charming approach that makes everyone who watches it wanting to come back for more. The series also has stars like Roy Billing, Kate Atkinson, and Aaron Pedersen in supporting roles. Acorn TV brings this enjoyable thriller to DVD on November 27th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are exquisite. This is a wonderful addition to the personal library and will allow you to always come back and watch over and over. This will make a wonderful gift for that special person in your life for the holidays. So don’t waste any time and pick this one up as soon as you can. Enjoy.

'Elizabeth I And Her Enemies' DVD Review

Elizabeth I (Lily Cole) was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her mother lost favor with the King and was beheaded. Elizabeth would be declared illegitimate and would struggle for the respect she deserved for the rest of her life. Elizabeth would go through terrible struggles to become Queen and would work even harder to keep the crown. She would fight foreign countries to stay in power. Elizabeth would survive many assassination attempts but most of all she would have to stand strong against nobles who wanted the crown and overthrow her as Queen. She would stand up to those who accused her of treason not once but many times. Queen Elizabeth I would become one of England’s greatest monarchs and would go down in history as one of the most admired.

Historians Dan Jones and Suzannah Lipscomb present a very interesting look into the life of Queen Elizabeth I. This docu-drama tells the whole story of Elizabeth from young princess to mature Queen and everything in between. This look at Elizabeth allows us to see her not only as a monarch but as a human being. It gives us a look at just how ambitious Elizabeth was along with a look at just how jealous she was toward her peers.

Athena brings this wonderful story to DVD on November 27th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are exquisitely perfect. This is definitely a series that you will want to pick up for your personal library. It will also make a wonderful gift for that special person in your life for the holidays. From a historical perspective it’s right on and from an entertaining one this show is excellent and needs to be added to your collection.

'No Offence Series 2' DVD Review

DI Vivienne Deering (Joanna Scanlan) has been on bereavement leave due to the death of her husband. She comes back to work with mixed feelings. DC Dinah Kowalska (Elaine Cassidy) knows how Deering’s  husband had died and this makes for some tension between the two of them. This doesn’t last long as a bombing takes place at a funeral. A gang war takes roots and it all gets ferocious as a crime family becomes involved. The matriarch of the crime family (Rakie Ayola) is just as crazy as Deering it doesn’t take long for the two to go head to head against each other. What’s great about this show is that it is a great crime drama but with a generous dash of comedy this show turns into a must see.

The characters are head strong. The comedy is generously placed and the drama is hard and watchable. Good writing by Paul Abbott also helps quite a bit. The show also stars Alexandra Roach, Will Melli’s, Paul Ritter, Sarah Solemani and Felix Scott.

Acorn TV brings this wonderful series to DVD on November 20th, 2018. The DVDs are of sound quality and the sights and sounds are superb. This series I must say is one for that personal library and you will want to get this one quick. This series is also a good idea for that special person for the holidays. It will make a beautiful gift.

So, can Deering and Kowalska work together to squash the onslaught of a gang war? Can Deering hold her own against a crime family Matriarch? Does Kowalska drop the bomb on how Deering’s husband actually died? Can the city survive with all the possible chaos that can be unleashed upon it?  Well don’t waste any time and pick this one up and sit back one cool Sunday afternoon and laugh and laugh. Yes, it might be a good thing and get this one for some Christmas gift giving to all those beautiful people on your shopping list.

'Hidden' DVD Review

DI Cadi John (Sian Reese-Williams) has returned to her hometown in Northern Wales. She has come home to be with her father who is seriously ill. Her sisters are also there to help but it is difficult. Cadi is paired with DS Owen Vaughn (Sion Alun Davies) both are very capable at their job but are overloaded with work. A young woman’s body has been found and it appears she is a drowning victim. After looking intensely at the woman’s body it appears she was shackled before her death. Her body was covered with bruises but it was were the bruising was found on the body. Cadi begins to have thoughts that someone may be abducting women holding them captive and later killing them when done torturing them. It’s when another young girl goes missing that Cadi and Owen go into overdrive to find her before she also comes up dead.

The scenery is beautiful and rather rugged as they are in the mountains of Northern Wales. There is a lot of territory to cover and the two of them do their best to cover it all but it looks hopeless. Hidden also has Rhodri Meilir, Gwyneth Keyworth, Gillian Elisa, and Ian Saynor starring in this fabulous series. Cadi wants to be there for her ailing father but her job takes her away from him for sometimes days at a time. Her sisters are there to help but Cadi really wants to make it up to him for being away so long.

Acorn TV is bringing this fabulous series to DVD on November 13th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are exquisite. This wonderful series will be a great addition to your personal library. It would be a great gift for that special person for the holidays. So get this crime thriller and enjoy the action in the beautiful mountains of Northern Wales.

'Detectorists: Complete Collection' DVD Review

Andy (Mackenzie Crook) and Lance (Toby Jones) star as two misfits who love to search the English countryside searching for lost treasure. Now these two men don’t comb the countryside on their hands and knees. They use metal detectors and listen for that sound that means wealth and fortune. Funny thing is these two gentlemen find scraps mostly and stay poor.
Now, Andy does have a girlfriend but it’s hard for him to keep the relationship going. You see Becky (Rachael Stirling) is easy to get along with but her mother (Diana Rigg) sets the standards high and it’s hard for Andy to live up to her expectations.

Lance on the other hand goes from date to another. He is a romantic at heart but doesn’t seem to get it together with anyone for a period of time. There could be love on the horizon for him but you’d have to watch the show to find out who.There hobby of metal detecting doesn’t make them rich but it does get them out of the house and forces them to interact with others. You see these without their hobby probably would never get out of the house. So this hobby does good for these two gentlemen. Now I didn’t say that all is perfect.

They have to deal with rival hobby enthusiasts who want to ruin the fun. They have to deal with people who will double cross them at the drop of the hat. The worst of their problems is that their areas to look for treasure are being developed for housing and jobs. So there is usually no treasure. There is usually no true love in their lives. It’s just these two guys can make you laugh and laugh with the shenanigans that goes on each and every day.

Acorn TV is bringing this wonderful show to DVD on November 13th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are exquisite. You really should pick this one up for that personal library. So don’t waste any time and pick this up for that special person for the holidays or just get it for yourself.

'Single-Handed: The Complete Collection' DVD Review

Jack Driscoll (Owen McConnell) is a cop who recently left Dublin to go back to his roots along the remote West Coast Of Ireland. The worst thing about going back home is that you sometimes have to deal with the ghosts of your youth. The citizens of the coast are very different from the populace of Dublin. Another problem that Jack must face is that his father (Ian McElhinney) was a long time policeman of the area. Most people don’t believe that Jack can live up to his fathers persona. Winning the villagers respect is high on Jacks list but what’s most important is catching those who want to break the law. Corruption is big in the area and people taking the law into their own hands is high on the list of do’s and dont’s. There are some pretty horrible crimes like child abduction, or murder that was made to look like arson just to name a couple.

Now what also makes this a fantastic show is the scenery. The landscape is amazingly beautiful and desolate all at the same time. This series also has David Herlihy, Ruth McCabe, Matthew McNulty, Simone Lahbib, Stephen Rea, Sean McGinley, and Caroline Catz as it’s stars and guest stars.

Acorn TV brings this wonderful series to us on DVD on November 6th, 2018. The quality of the DVD’s is excellent and the sights and sounds are superb. This will make a wonderful addition to the personal library or make a beautiful gift to that special person. You will love to sit back and enjoy this beautiful series and watch just what it takes to go home sometimes. Enjoy.

'Murdoch Mysteries: The Christmas Cases Limited Edition' DVD Review

William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) is rather unusual Detective for his time. He is a detective in Toronto who is very methodical in his approach to the cases at hand. He is considered very dashing by some and he uses the newest of forensics in his search for the truth. He is involved in some of the most gruesome of murder cases but he always finds his killers. This 3 disc set includes three of his best Christmas cases.

'A Merry Murdoch Christmas' is a case that deals with a host with a broken neck. Murdoch and his wife Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) attend a charity gala where the host is killed. Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) believes the killer is the Christmas creature named Krampus. Legendary as Krampus May be one has to think that maybe it could be a copycat. You have to view it to find out.
Our second episode is titled 'Once Upon A Murdoch Christmas'. This episode is about a robbery that entails the crook having superhuman powers. Constable Crabtree (Jonny Harris) believes the robber has similar characteristics as a character from one of his books.

Finally, our third story is titled 'Home For The Holidays'. Murdoch and his wife Julia are in British Columbia to visit Murdoch’s brother (Dylan Neal). Unfortunately rather than spend a quiet holiday with family the pair investigate a murder that took place at an Archeological dig. The stories are fabulous and a joy to watch. This also makes a fantastic Christmas present to that beloved someone. Along with our stars there are some pretty good co stars like Ed Asner, Megan Follows, Jake Epstein, Kate Hewlett, Kelly Rowan and Brendan Coyle.

Acorn TV brings this beautiful collection of Christmas stories to us on October 30th, 2018. The DVD quality is excellent and the sights and sounds are exquisite. This is definitely a must for that personal library. You may also pick it up to give as a gift as I already mentioned.

'800 Words, Season 3, Part 1' DVD Review

George Turner (Erik Thomson) and his family have moved from Australia to New Zealand and love the coastal town of Weld. George works as a newspaper columnist and one would think the news game would be rather boring. The townspeople are kind of quirky but the scenery is beautiful. Our story continues with last seasons boating accident. The townsfolk are mounting a search and rescue mission to try and locate survivors. Not only is George tied into this story as newsworthy but his daughter Shays (Melina Vidler) boyfriend is one of the missing.

George’s son Arlo (Benson Jack Anthony) is facing relationship difficulties but thinks all will be fine. George is thinking that he may becoming a father again with his editor Jan (Bridie Carter) as she goes into labor. Problem is the paternity is not known and the twins might not be his.
George wants to help his friend Woody (Rick Donald) out of an interesting predicament that could cost him his upcoming marriage.

George tries to be involved in all his family and friends lives but sometimes it’s just to much to handle. Life is good in New Zealand but it has its up and downs. This series is a heartwarming story with some comedy thrown in.

Acorn brings this wonderful series to DVD on October 23th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are superb. This will make a wonderful addition to the personal library and with the holidays coming up this would be a perfect gift for the holidays. Our show also stars Emma Leonard, Michelle Langstone, and Jonny Brugh. So enjoy the action and love the scenery and to be perfectly frank sit back and enjoy one of the best from down under New Zealand style. George will keep you glued to your TV as he muddles through the daily life of a coastal hideaway off the New Zealand coast.

'Anna Karenina' DVD Review

This adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s romantic novel has to be one of the best ever made for the small screen. The passionate love affair of a married woman, an aristocratic one to boot and a count who is a Russian soldier leaves most who have seen this wanting more.

Helen McCrory plays Anna and Kevin McKidd plays Count Vronsky. Our story takes place in 19th century Russia after Anna takes a train ride to Moscow. Along the way she meets Count Vronsky and the two begin a passionate love affair. It’s almost love at first sight if you can believe such a thing. The problem about Russian Aristocracy is the gossip that goes along with it. Anna’s husband played by Stephen Dillane catches wind of what his wife has been up to and that’s where all hell breaks loose. If the two lovers had shown a little more discretion it’s possible that no one would have been the wiser. Least of all Anna’s husband would not have known what his wife was up to.

The cast of Douglas Henshall, Paloma Baeza, Mark Strong, and Amanda Root rounds out our stars officially. Acorn does a wonderful job with this DVD. This version of Anna Karenina was first shown way back in 2001 on PBS Masterpiece Theatre. The DVD came out on October 16th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are superb. The passion that comes from our story has to be one of the best ever written or shown for TV. This is going to make a wonderful addition to the personal library or could become a beautiful gift during this holiday season. So don’t waste any time and pick this one up today. It will make for a beautiful afternoon with that special loved one and enjoy love at its best.

'East West 101, Series 3 (The Final Season)' DVD Review

Detective Zane Malik (Don Hany) has handed in his resignation from the Major Crime Squad. He has reached his breaking point with the craziness of society. He wants to be with his family and start a new life far from the death and murder that has been his life for so many years. Unfortunately, Malik’s wife and son have been involved in a car accident that was a hit and run. He becomes angry and wants to catch the culprit that would do this to his family.

Malik being the cop that he was finds out that the person involved in the hit and run was also involved in s robbery of an armored car that left four people dead. Now the police are investigating the incident and it is led by Superintendent Patricia Wright (Susie Porter). As Malik continues to investigate on both the hit and run and the robbery he has words with a former army officer by the name Neil Travis (Matt Noble). Travis believes the robbery was done by Muslim terrorists, but Malik believes there is more to the robbery than just simple terrorism.

Malik for years was working in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. His Major Crime Squad was the best of the best when it came to catching the worst of the worst of the area. For most people, when the retire, resign quit they simply walk away and never look back. Malik is not ordinary when it comes to Crime it’s in his blood. He wants to find out the truth of what happened to his wife and son.
Acorn brings the finale of this wonderful show to DVD on September 25th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are perfect. This will make a wonderful addition to that personal library and you will be able to watch it over and over. Enjoy.

'Sando' DVD Review

Victoria “Sando” Sandringham (Sacha Horler) is fantastic as the “package deal queen “ of a furniture empire. The problem is that she is a pain and the family knows it. At the wedding of her daughter Susie (Krew Boylan) Sando has a Faux Pas and the family cuts her out of the family. They wanted to cut her out of the business but that doesn’t take place for another ten years. Now, Sando is literally left with nothing and actually has no where to go.

Sando  has always been a loose cannon but it’s the loss of everything that makes her a look at her life and reconsider the approach she has taken. Sando will do anything to win her business and  that includes making up with the family. The funny thing is that while Sando does her best to get back into the family good graces, Sando realizes that her family has problems of their own. Her daughter Suzie is always going at it with her brother Eric (Dylan Hesp) whom she finds to be a dim wit. Sando finds out that her ex husband Don (Phil Lloyd) is having an affair with a very young girl. The young girl is actually his daughters best friend. The funny thing about all this that is going on is that Sando can be so selfish that she could actually blow everything on her own.

This Australian comedy is one of the best. It compares with the show 'Arrested Development' and in some ways could be better. It’s a barrel of laughs from start to finish but you better keep on your toes or you could miss out on a laugh or two. Acorn brings this wonderful comedy to DVD for us on September 25th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are exquisite. So you just might want to pick this one up and add it to that personal library of yours. So enjoy quality comedy from the land down under.

'The Carol Burnett Show 50th Anniversary Special' DVD Review

It was December 3th, 2017 on a Sunday night that 15.4 million viewers enjoyed the return of Carol Burnett back to CBS. Original cast members Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner joined Carol on the original sound stage that they had worked some 50 years before. They looked at clips and revisited with each other. They laughed and sang and enjoyed each other’s company as they had all those years  before. Carol did her Q&A again with the audience as she had for years. Tom Selleck and Pat Boone we’re there to ask Carol questions. Her guests tried to recreate her famous Tarzan yell. Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Tracee Ellis Ross all tried to make a go of it but it was Steve Carell was the one who pulled it off.

Stephen Colbert, Steve Lawrence, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth and Carol came together and performed a brand new number that all enjoyed. Special guests like Jon Batiste, Beth Behrs, Jim Carrey, Harry Connick Jr., Jay Leno, Martin Short, Steve Martin and Kaley Cuoco were there to perform and enjoy the evening.

It was Harry Connick Jr., and Carol singing the shows theme song “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together “ that brought most of us to tears. We all watched Carol Burnett and enjoyed the show those many years ago.

Time Life brings this beautiful show back to us on DVD on September 25th, 2018. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the sights and sounds are superb. This is definitely a must for that personal library and you will watch it over and over. So by all means and take a step back in time and enjoy the best of TV and 'The Carol Burnett Show'.

'Midsomer Murders Series 20' DVD Review

Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and his partner Detective Sergeant Jaime Winter (Nick Hendrix) are once again doing their jobs solving the murders of the local villages in probably the most murderous County in England. Along with the local pathologist Dr. Flour Perkins (Annette Badland) and the two Detectives solve each and every murder.

'Midsomer Murders Series 20' DVD offers us six new cases such as 'Death of the  Small Coppers' where a butterfly collector is murdered in a manner that is similar to the way he kills his butterflies. The episode 'Drawing Dead' is about the murder of a super model who is attending a local comic festival being held in Carver County. 'Til Death do us Part' is about the murders of local brides. This one hits home when the murder is of friend who was supposed to be married. 'Send in the Clowns' is about the Ferabbees Circus where a sinister clown is killing off circus acts one by one. There are two more episodes on this DVD that deal with murders in Causton. 'The Ghost Of Causton Abbey' is about the death of a man who is boiled alive. You see the old Abbey is turned into a brewery even though the place is cursed. Finally, in the final story 'The Lions of Causton', a death occurs at the local rugby club. All these stories make this a must for all who enjoy Midsomer Murders.

Series 20 has a list of who’s who when it comes to guest stars. For instance, Jemma Redgrave, Ann Eleonora Jorgensen, Michael Byrne, Ellie Haddington, Tamzin Outhwaite, Peter Egan, Andrew Gower and Don Gilet raps up the list of guest stars for these wonderful stories. Acorn brings these stories to DVD on September 25th, 2018. The sights and sounds are exquisite and the quality of the DVD is excellent. So add this to your personal library and enjoy.

'Feral' Blu-ray Review

The zombies are out again. A group of student friends are out on a camping trip. They are enjoying themselves and truthfully are having a blast. Then one of the group becomes infected with a disease that eventually turns them into a cannibalistic zombie. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there and one by one more of the group become infected and turn into a zombie. Eventually, it comes down to only two friends that are not infected. Alice (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Jules (Olivia Luccardi) are friends but one would say that they are not the best of friends. This camping trip was to bring the two girls closer.

Alice had just broken up with Jesse (Brock Kelly) so that she could be with Jules. The funny thing about this is that Jesse brought a girl named Gina (Landry Allbright) on the trip. Alice and Jules are in the cabin between them they have a shotgun and each other to stand against their friends the zombies. They understand that they have a tough fight ahead of them but it is Alice who turns out to be the toughie of the two.

Now can we say that this film is simply just another in a long line of zombie thrillers. I’m sure some people would say yes but the lesbian hero aspect is new. The students in the woods and the zombies are definitely not nothing new. Can you say that this is an enjoyable film? Yes very much so. A good zombie film is always a great way to spend some time.

Scream factory brings this wonderful zombie thriller comes to Blu-ray on October 2nd, 2018. The sights and sounds are fantastic. The quality of the Blu-ray is excellent. This is definitely one that you will want to add to your personal library. So don’t waste any time and pick one up as soon as it gets released.