Mystery Science Theater 3000, the miniseries Texas Rising and a variety of other TV shows are on home video this week.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume One (Shout!/DVD, 1990-94, four discs, four episodes, featurettes, trailers). Joel, Mike, Tom Servo and Crow riff hilariously on four bad movies in this reissue of the first MST3K collection. Why the reissue? Well, as it says on the box, it has fallen out of print, and the only available copies cost as much as a used car. Well put.
The films are the musical comedy-mystery Catalina Caper (1967), a Beach Party knockoff with Tommy Kirk; The Creeping Terror (1964, b/w), about omnivorous blobs from outer space; Bloodlust (1961, b/w), a variation on The Most Dangerous Game; and The Skydivers (1963, b/w), a story of love and murder among skydivers.
Texas Rising (History/Lionsgate/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, three discs, five episodes, featurettes). Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields, The Mission) directed this History Channel epic miniseries with Bill Paxton as Sam Houston leading Texas in its fight for independence from the Mexican Territory. Olivier Martinez is Gen. Santa Anna, Kris Kristofferson is President Andrew Jackson and other cast members include Ray Liotta, Brendan Fraser, Rob Morrow and Crispin Glover.
Madam Secretary: Season 1 (CBS/Paramount/DVD/Digital, 2014-15, six discs, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, featurettes, promos, photo gallery; pilot episode of The Affair). Tea Leoni is a former CIA analyst who becomes Secretary of State in this political drama that was a hit in its freshman season. She also has a college-professor husband (Tim Daly) and three children. Lots of duplicitous goings-on and backstabbing, of course, but its well written and executed. Co-stars include Keith Carradine as the president and Bebe Neuwirth as his chief of staff. (Season 2 begins on CBS Oct. 4.)
Castle: The Complete Seventh Season (ABC/DVD, 2014-15, five discs, 23 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, featurettes, webisode, bloopers). Following up on the Season 6 cliffhanger of this comedy-drama police procedural, it turns out Castle (Nathan Fillian) was kidnapped, but when hes found, he cant remember what happened. And the Castle-and-Beckett (Stana Katic) will-they-wont-they-marry subplot is finally resolved six episodes in. (Season 8 begins on ABC Sept. 21.)
Chicago Fire: Season Three (Universal/DVD, 2014-15, six discs, 23 episodes, featurette, crossover episodes of Chicago PD and Law & Order: SVU).
Chicago PD: Season Two (Universal/DVD, 2014-15, six discs, 23 episodes, featurette, crossover episodes of Chicago Fire and Law & Order: SVU). These two procedurals are both enjoyable series for crime fans, and for those who have come to enjoy the characters involved in each shows respective soap-opera machinations. Jason Beghe, Jon Seda and Sophia Bush star in PD, while John L. Roman leads the cast of Fire. (Chicago PDs third season begins on NBC Sept. 30; Chicago Fires fourth season begins on NBC Oct. 13.)
Hawaii Five-0: The Fifth Season (CBS/Paramount/DVD, 2014-15, six discs, 25 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes, bloopers, music video). McGarrett (Alex OLouglin), Danno (Scott Caan) and the rest of the team deal with tourists being killed, female surfer robbers, the murder of an Elvis impersonator and a nuclear bomb. Guests include Carol Burnett, Jon Lovitz and wait for it Pauly Shore. (Season 6 begins on CBS Sept. 25.)
Scorpion: Season One (CBS/Paramount/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014-15, six discs, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, featurettes, bloopers). An eccentric genius (Elyes Gabel) gathers together a team of fellow geniuses to work for Homeland Security as defense against high-tech threats. The show has a sense of humor, which helps. Robert Patrick and Katharine McPhee co-star. (A seventh disc of bonus features is available exclusively to Target customers.) (Season 2 begins on CBS Sept. 21.)
The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Sixth Season (Warner/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014-15, five discs, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes, bloopers). This is a supernatural fantasy about vampires, witches, werewolves, etc. (Season 8 begins on the CW Oct. 8.)
The Originals: The Complete Second Season (Warner/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014-15, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, featurettes, bloopers). This spinoff of The Vampire Diaries focuses on the Mikaelson siblings, part of the original vampire family from which the others have descended. (Season 3 begins on the CW Oct. 8.)
Detectorists (Acorn/DVD, 2014, six episodes, featurette). Amusing (and occasionally too vulgar) sitcom about a pair of mismatched friends, Andy (Mackenzie Crook) and Lance (Toby Jones), who are wannabe archaeologists, wandering local farms with metal detectors in hopes of finding long-lost Saxon loot. Mostly they just find soda-can pop-tops and candy wrappers. (Season 2 has been filmed but is not yet scheduled.)
Touched by an Angel: The Spirit of Liberty Moon (CBS/Paramount/DVD, 1998). Double-episode Season 4 finale has Monica (Roma Downey), Tess (Della Reese) and Andrew (John Dye) in Beijing to help the Chinese expat assistant (Bai Ling) to a U.S. toy magnate (Adrian Pasdar) as she searches for the young daughter she left behind. (A Wal-Mart exclusive.)
Walker, Texas Ranger: 4-Movie Collection (CBS/Paramount/DVD, 1995, four discs, eight episodes). This includes four 90-minute, double-episode movies from Season 4 of Chuck Norris long-running action series: Warzone, with guest star Wilford Brimley, has Walker hoping to avenge the death of an ex-partner; Flashback, with Walker bitten by a snake and dreaming of Hayes Cooper in the Old West; Standoff, in which Walker protects a political candidate; and Whitewater, with vacationing Walker on a whitewater rafting trip when escaped convicts show up. (A Wal-Mart exclusive.)
I Am Dale Earnhardt (Spike/Paramount/DVD, 2015, deleted scenes, featurettes). Episode of Spike TVs I Am documentary series about the late NASCAR driver with vintage footage and interviews with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, etc.
JFK & LBJ: A Time for Greatness (PBS/DVD, 2015). This 96-minute PBS documentary, narrated by Morgan Freeman, examines the ways President Lyndon B. Johnson became an unlikely champion of civil rights, as well as uniting the country after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One (Disney/Lucasfilm/Blu-ray/DVD, 2014-15, two discs/three discs, 13 episodes, featurettes). This animated series is set between the Star Wars movies Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, as Imperial forces are trying to eliminate all remaining Jedi warriors.
Paw Patrol: Meet Everest! (Nickelodeon/Paramount/DVD, 2013-15, seven episodes). Episodes of the animated show about rescue dogs include The New Pup, Pups Save the Deer, Pups Make a Splash and Pups Save a Flying Frog.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume One (Shout!/DVD, 1990-94, four discs, four episodes, featurettes, trailers). Joel, Mike, Tom Servo and Crow riff hilariously on four bad movies in this reissue of the first MST3K collection. Why the reissue? Well, as it says on the box, it has fallen out of print, and the only available copies cost as much as a used car. Well put.
The films are the musical comedy-mystery Catalina Caper (1967), a Beach Party knockoff with Tommy Kirk; The Creeping Terror (1964, b/w), about omnivorous blobs from outer space; Bloodlust (1961, b/w), a variation on The Most Dangerous Game; and The Skydivers (1963, b/w), a story of love and murder among skydivers.
Texas Rising (History/Lionsgate/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, three discs, five episodes, featurettes). Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields, The Mission) directed this History Channel epic miniseries with Bill Paxton as Sam Houston leading Texas in its fight for independence from the Mexican Territory. Olivier Martinez is Gen. Santa Anna, Kris Kristofferson is President Andrew Jackson and other cast members include Ray Liotta, Brendan Fraser, Rob Morrow and Crispin Glover.
Madam Secretary: Season 1 (CBS/Paramount/DVD/Digital, 2014-15, six discs, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, featurettes, promos, photo gallery; pilot episode of The Affair). Tea Leoni is a former CIA analyst who becomes Secretary of State in this political drama that was a hit in its freshman season. She also has a college-professor husband (Tim Daly) and three children. Lots of duplicitous goings-on and backstabbing, of course, but its well written and executed. Co-stars include Keith Carradine as the president and Bebe Neuwirth as his chief of staff. (Season 2 begins on CBS Oct. 4.)
Castle: The Complete Seventh Season (ABC/DVD, 2014-15, five discs, 23 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, featurettes, webisode, bloopers). Following up on the Season 6 cliffhanger of this comedy-drama police procedural, it turns out Castle (Nathan Fillian) was kidnapped, but when hes found, he cant remember what happened. And the Castle-and-Beckett (Stana Katic) will-they-wont-they-marry subplot is finally resolved six episodes in. (Season 8 begins on ABC Sept. 21.)
Chicago Fire: Season Three (Universal/DVD, 2014-15, six discs, 23 episodes, featurette, crossover episodes of Chicago PD and Law & Order: SVU).
Chicago PD: Season Two (Universal/DVD, 2014-15, six discs, 23 episodes, featurette, crossover episodes of Chicago Fire and Law & Order: SVU). These two procedurals are both enjoyable series for crime fans, and for those who have come to enjoy the characters involved in each shows respective soap-opera machinations. Jason Beghe, Jon Seda and Sophia Bush star in PD, while John L. Roman leads the cast of Fire. (Chicago PDs third season begins on NBC Sept. 30; Chicago Fires fourth season begins on NBC Oct. 13.)
Hawaii Five-0: The Fifth Season (CBS/Paramount/DVD, 2014-15, six discs, 25 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes, bloopers, music video). McGarrett (Alex OLouglin), Danno (Scott Caan) and the rest of the team deal with tourists being killed, female surfer robbers, the murder of an Elvis impersonator and a nuclear bomb. Guests include Carol Burnett, Jon Lovitz and wait for it Pauly Shore. (Season 6 begins on CBS Sept. 25.)
Scorpion: Season One (CBS/Paramount/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014-15, six discs, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, featurettes, bloopers). An eccentric genius (Elyes Gabel) gathers together a team of fellow geniuses to work for Homeland Security as defense against high-tech threats. The show has a sense of humor, which helps. Robert Patrick and Katharine McPhee co-star. (A seventh disc of bonus features is available exclusively to Target customers.) (Season 2 begins on CBS Sept. 21.)
The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Sixth Season (Warner/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014-15, five discs, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes, bloopers). This is a supernatural fantasy about vampires, witches, werewolves, etc. (Season 8 begins on the CW Oct. 8.)
The Originals: The Complete Second Season (Warner/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014-15, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, featurettes, bloopers). This spinoff of The Vampire Diaries focuses on the Mikaelson siblings, part of the original vampire family from which the others have descended. (Season 3 begins on the CW Oct. 8.)
Detectorists (Acorn/DVD, 2014, six episodes, featurette). Amusing (and occasionally too vulgar) sitcom about a pair of mismatched friends, Andy (Mackenzie Crook) and Lance (Toby Jones), who are wannabe archaeologists, wandering local farms with metal detectors in hopes of finding long-lost Saxon loot. Mostly they just find soda-can pop-tops and candy wrappers. (Season 2 has been filmed but is not yet scheduled.)
Touched by an Angel: The Spirit of Liberty Moon (CBS/Paramount/DVD, 1998). Double-episode Season 4 finale has Monica (Roma Downey), Tess (Della Reese) and Andrew (John Dye) in Beijing to help the Chinese expat assistant (Bai Ling) to a U.S. toy magnate (Adrian Pasdar) as she searches for the young daughter she left behind. (A Wal-Mart exclusive.)
Walker, Texas Ranger: 4-Movie Collection (CBS/Paramount/DVD, 1995, four discs, eight episodes). This includes four 90-minute, double-episode movies from Season 4 of Chuck Norris long-running action series: Warzone, with guest star Wilford Brimley, has Walker hoping to avenge the death of an ex-partner; Flashback, with Walker bitten by a snake and dreaming of Hayes Cooper in the Old West; Standoff, in which Walker protects a political candidate; and Whitewater, with vacationing Walker on a whitewater rafting trip when escaped convicts show up. (A Wal-Mart exclusive.)
I Am Dale Earnhardt (Spike/Paramount/DVD, 2015, deleted scenes, featurettes). Episode of Spike TVs I Am documentary series about the late NASCAR driver with vintage footage and interviews with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, etc.
JFK & LBJ: A Time for Greatness (PBS/DVD, 2015). This 96-minute PBS documentary, narrated by Morgan Freeman, examines the ways President Lyndon B. Johnson became an unlikely champion of civil rights, as well as uniting the country after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One (Disney/Lucasfilm/Blu-ray/DVD, 2014-15, two discs/three discs, 13 episodes, featurettes). This animated series is set between the Star Wars movies Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, as Imperial forces are trying to eliminate all remaining Jedi warriors.
Paw Patrol: Meet Everest! (Nickelodeon/Paramount/DVD, 2013-15, seven episodes). Episodes of the animated show about rescue dogs include The New Pup, Pups Save the Deer, Pups Make a Splash and Pups Save a Flying Frog.
