DVDs This Week May 19

Pick of the Week: Dexter: Season 1 – The complete first salvo from this terrific Showtime series in which the protagonist is a semi-moralistic serial killer. Michael C Hall steals the show as Dexter but the whole series has a nicely worked blackly comic tone and the shooting, in the glistening silver suns of Florida, sweats off the screen.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Slightly overrated but still pretty enjoyable musical gore-fest from Tim Burton.
The Deal – Still the finest thing Peter Morgan has done on film yet, this dramatisation of the working of the Blair/Brown government features excellent performances and overall, its ten times more interesting than the TV movie mediocrity of The Queen.
Bee Movie – Jerry Seinfeld’s ill-fated return which I haven’t seen yet, mostly due to complete indifference to what looks a truly dull movie.
Prison Break: Season 3 – I don’t get the appeal of this but its popularity speaks volumes. You could never accuse it of getting ideas above its station though and as television popcorn, its all right.
My Kid Could Paint That – Reasonably good documentary about a four-year old modern art prodigy which asks interesting questions but isn’t all that good in itself. Certainly a conversation starter though.

Region 1
Diary of the Dead – Pretty shocking excuse for filmmaking from George Romero but the man earned our time.
James Stewart: The Westerns Collection – Absolutely fantastic set of Stewart-starring western including his Anthony Mann trilogy of Destry Rides Again, Winchester ’73 and Bend of the River. Peerless filmmaking.
Short Circuit – Steve Guttenberg before he became a creepy cult leader-like crazy. Also, a really heartwarming little picture.

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