Major Crimes: The Complete Second Season DVD Review

**SYNOPSIS**


Major Crimes continues for a thrilling second season as Mary McDonnell stars as Captain Sharon Raydor, head of the LAPD’s Major Crimes division. The team dives into some of the most fascinating crimes yet, but just as the squad adjusts to last year’s leadership change, a new Deputy District Attorney (new series star Nadine Velazquez) arrives to challenge Raydor and shake up the department.


**VIDEO QUALITY**


Major Crimes: The Complete Second Season arrives on DVD with a 480i transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1. - Colors go from the bright and sunny hues of the LA setting to more subdued and moody tones. Fleshtones look natural. Black levels were good and exhibit nice shadow delineation. The overall image is quite detailed and clear. There are a few instances of video noise but otherwise a solid performer. 8/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. - The audio presentation on these episode was rock solid. Dialogue was clean and crisp throughout. LFE comes into play for more intense scenes and to add heft to music. Surrounds add some good effects to open up the listening space. No anomalies heard. 8/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Major Crimes: Personal Conviction - A look into the second season and the character arcs.

* A Look Forward – A preview of the third season.

* Deleted Scenes

300: Rise of an Empire Blu-ray Review

**SYNOPSIS**


“300: Rise of an Empire,” told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster “300,” is a new chapter of the epic saga, which takes the action to a new battlefield—the sea.

The story pits the Greek general Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces, ruled by the mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and led by Artemisia, the vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

Knowing his only hope of defeating the overwhelming Persian armada will be to unite all of Greece, Themistokles ultimately leads the charge that will change the course of the war.





**MOVIE REVIEW**


In 2006 director Zack Snyder brought to the world a brutal and bloody visual feast that became a box office smash and made Gerard Butler a star. When I heard that there was to be a sequel I felt indifferent to the prospect as the first one ended just right and as a complete story. Well I'm glad to report after watching the stunning Blu-ray of 300: Rise of an Empire last night that producer Snyder working with new director Noam Murro have crafted an "equal" as they call it in the bonus features that showcases brilliantly staged battles that are thrilling to watch. Most of the major action takes place at sea and audiences have never seen battles like these before.

Greece is lead by politician and great warrior Themistokles who is played with charm and power by Sullivan Stapleton. The best performance though has to go to Eva Green as the vengeance seeking and bloodthirsty Artemisia. She is just as brutal and skilled with a blade as the men she commands. She is evil with a back story that does add a little sympathy but not enough to make her weak looking. The film follows these characters story as the events that took in place in the first film are happening simultaneously. We see several familiar characters return and some fun callbacks to the first one. Lena Headey returns as Queen Gorgo and David Wenham Dillios. Rodrigo Santoro also returns as the persian God Xerxes and to see how he turns from mere mortal man into a God is quite interesting.

I highly recommend this film to anyone that enjoyed 300 or just a great action pic in general. 9/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


300: Rise of an Empire arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 2.40:1 - The movie is visually breathtaking and this presentation does it justice. Detail is off the charts with every single hair, thread of clothing, cut and slash of the blade, grain of wood on the beautifully simple Greek ships, and the weapons and armor shown in razor sharp detail. Black levels are sumptuously rich and inky. Shadow delineation is solid. Colors range from the brilliant gold on Xerxes wardrobe to the cold green and blue seas. The gallons of blood splash across the screen with deep, dark plasma. There were no signs of edge enhancement or visual noise. 10/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. - From the opening deep bellows of the score to the enveloping battles this is an all out aural assault. Bass is powerful yet tight and precise. When ships are blown to bits it felt like the walls of my house would cave in. Dialogue is crisp and clear as was Queen Gorgo's narration. Surrounds are active for the entire run time. From the creaks and cracks of the ships coming from all around you to the detailed sound of sweat droplets moving through the air of battle I felt part of the action. The few quiet moments create a wonderful sens of atmosphere with beautifully placed environmental effects like waves crashing in the distance or the light breeze of the night air. This disc is going to be one of my top demo discs for the future 10/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* The 300 Effect - A fine collection of featurettes that look at how the filmmakers came up with a way to continue the story to creating a new visual style but keeping it near the look of the original film. Cast and crew participate in interview clips. There is no play all feature unfortunately.

- 3 Days in Hell (HD, 7min8sec)
- Brutal Artistry (HD, 9min8sec)
- A New Breed of Hero (HD, 4min49sec)
- Taking the Battle to the Sea (HD,8min52sec)

* Real Leaders & Legends (HD, 22min52sec) Very interesting look at the research that went into the film and also the history of the Greek and Persian legends that the characters are based on.

* Women Warriors (HD, 12min22sec) - Watch Eva Green and Lena Headey train for battle and learn how they were able to portray such powerful women.

* Savage Warships (HD, 10min36sec) - A look into the design of the ships and the strategy to film sea battles with no water.

* Becoming a Warrior (HD, 4min39sec) - Here we get a quick look at the strength and conditioning training the cast had to endure to look so strong on screen.

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season on Blu-ray and DVD September 9

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be bringing the vampire drama The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season to Blu-ray and DVD on September 9, 2014. The Blu-ray will feature video in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Below are the official details:


***SYNOPSIS***


BURBANK, CA (June 9, 2014) - Get ready for more suspense, romance and thrills as the hit series The Vampire Diaries continues for a fifth season on DVD and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group releases The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season on September 9, 2014. Season Five is also available to purchase on Digital HD. Averaging nearly 4 million viewers in its fifth season, The Vampire Diaries remains The CW’s #1 show among Adults and Women and will return for a sixth season on The CW this fall. Fans can sink their teeth into all 22 one-hour episodes from Season Five (including the series’ 100th episode!), plus over an hour of gripping extras — including three brand-new featurettes, deleted scenes and a gag reel. The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season will be priced to own on DVD at $59.98 SRP and on Blu-ray Combo Pack at $69.97 SRP.

After a sizzling summer with Damon, Elena leaves Mystic Falls for Whitmore College and moves into a dorm with Caroline as her roomie, ready for new adventures and new friends. But dark thoughts gnaw at Elena, and soon familiar faces are back in the girls’ lives. There’s Stefan with his shadow self, Silas, plus Katherine, with a diabolical agenda and a jaw-dropping transformation. As the doppelgangers test destiny, pitting the Salvatore brothers against each other, the student body count rises — evidence of powerful forces on campus. The struggle later continues between the mysterious Travelers, new witches and our favorite vampires, fighting for their own survival and, ultimately, the fate of Mystic Falls. Sink your teeth into all 22 bloodthirsty episodes of this passionate, heart-ripping, supernatural series.

With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. The 9-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (4 Blu-ray discs, 5 DVD discs) will feature a Hi-definition Blu-ray, standard definition DVD and a Digital HD copy of all 22 episodes from Season Five.

The Vampire Diaries stars Nina Dobrev (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, DeGrassi: The Next Generation), Paul Wesley (Fallen, Everwood), Ian Somerhalder (Lost), Steven R. McQueen (Everwood), Kat Graham (17 Again, Honey 2), Candice Accola (Dating Rules from My Future Self, Supernatural), Zach Roerig (Friday Night Lights) and Michael Trevino (Cane). Based on the series of books by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is from Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. The executive producers are Kevin Williamson (The Following, Scream, Dawson's Creek), Julie Plec (The Originals, Kyle XY), Leslie Morgenstein (Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, The Originals) and Caroline Dries (Melrose Place, Smallville). The series was developed by Williamson and Plec. The show has received numerous awards, winning a People’s Choice award for Favorite New TV Drama in its first season. The series has also won 21 Teen Choice awards thus far.


**Blu-ray and DVD Special Features**

* Reinvention: To The Other Side and Back
* I Know What You Did… In the Last 100 Episodes
* A Day in the Afterlife
* Second Bite (Gag Reel)
* Deleted Scenes

“Supernatural: The Complete Ninth Season” on Blu-ray and DVD September 9

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be bringing bringing the Winchester brothers home with Supernatural: The Complete Ninth Season on Blu-ray and DVD on September 9, 2014. The Blu-ray will feature video in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Below are the official details:


***SYNOPSIS***


BURBANK, CA (June 10, 2014) - The exhilarating and terrifying journey of the Winchester brothers continues as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group delivers the ninth season of Supernatural on Blu-ray™ and DVD on September 9, 2014. Supernatural: The Complete Ninth Season contains all 23 gripping episodes from Season Nine and is packed with over four hours of bonus content – including featurettes, commentaries, a Comic-Con panel, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Fans that purchase the Blu-ray™ will also have access to a Digital HD copy of all 23 episodes. Supernatural: The Complete Ninth Season is priced at $59.98 SRP on DVD and $69.97 SRP on Blu-ray™.

How do you deal with a fallout of heavenly proportions? With the angelic Host’s descent to Earth, Sam and Dean are now facing a world inhabited by thousands of powerful beings, who soon form their own chaotic agendas. Before tackling the threat of the “loose nukes” roaming the globe, however, the Winchesters engage in their most personal conflict yet. Meanwhile, Castiel finds he’s more vulnerable – and yet capable of more humanity – than ever. As the threat escalates, a way must be found to reopen the gates of Heaven and head off a demon insurrection in Hell. The whole time, darkness leaves its mark on Dean, but has he finally crossed the line to protect his family? The excitement of this 23-episode ninth season is positively epic.

Airing Tuesdays at (9/8c) on The CW, Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki (Friday the 13th, Gilmore Girls) and Jensen Ackles (Smallville, My Bloody Valentine) as Sam and Dean Winchester, in addition to Misha Collins (24, Girl Interrupted) as Castiel. Created by Eric Kripke (Revolution), the ninth season of the hit series was executive produced by Robert Singer (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Jeremy Carver (Being Human), Phil Sgriccia (Smallville), McG (Terminator Salvation) and Adam Glass (Cold Case). Supernatural returns for its tenth season this fall.


**Blu-ray and DVD Special Features**

* The Men of Letters Interactive Set Experience - Interactive menu allows the viewer access to numerous featurettes hidden in the various rooms of the Men of Letters set.

* Men Of Letters – a Set of Featurettes

* Men of Letters: The Winchester Legacy - This documentary featurette will explore the rich mythology of the Men of Letters – from its roots with the Winchester family to the hidden compound that was passed down to Sam and Dean by their grandfather.

* Designing the Men of Letters Bunker - From concept to completion, Production Designer Jerry Wanek will guide us through the creation of Supernatural's largest set.

* Supernatural - Bound by Blood: Decisions and Consequences - The documentary featurette explores the ninth season's theme of consequences for Sam and Dean.

* Crow's Nest Tour - Production Designer Jerry Wanek takes the viewer on a set tour of the Crow's Nest.

* Library Tour - Production Designer Jerry Wanek takes the viewer on a set tour of the Library.

* Lab - Production Designer Jerry Wanek takes the viewer on a set tour of the Laboratory.

* Galley - Production Designer Jerry Wanek takes the viewer on a set tour of the Kitchen.

* Dorms - Production Designer Jerry Wanek takes the viewer on a set tour of the Dormitories.

* Room 7B - Production Designer Jerry Wanek takes the viewer on a set tour of the Dungeon.

* 2013 Comic-Con Panel - Cast and Producers discuss the upcoming story lines of Season 9.

* Producer/Director Commentaries

Audio Commentary – “Blade Runners” - With actor Mark A. Sheppard and writing team Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner

Audio Commentary – “Mother's Little Helper” - Writer/EP Adam Glass and Director/actor Misha Collins provide commentary on his directorial debut.

Audio Commentary (920 “Bloodlines”) - EP Jeremy Carver, Director/EP Bob Singer, and Writer/EP Andrew Dabb provide commentary on the backdoor pilot Supernatural: Bloodlines

* Behind the Scenes of Supernatural: A Fan's Perspective - Mockumentary hosted by Misha Collins going behind the scenes on the set of Supernatural.

* Deleted Scenes

* Gag Reel