Headsup: The 4400: The Complete Series
If you're a fan of The 4400, you probably know a lot about the show, but did you realize it's already been ten years since it went off the air?
If you're unfamiliar with the series, it's the story of what happens when 4,400 people who have gone missing over the past several decades suddenly reappear in Washington State (at the same age they were when they disappeared) via a mysterious ball of light. As the NTAC (National Threat Assessment Command) division of Homeland Security struggles to solve the mystery of what has happened, they are presented with an additional challenge when members of The 4400 begin to develop superhuman powers such as mega strength, telekinesis, and the ability to see through walls.
Starring Joel Gretsch (as Tom Baldwin) and Jacqueline McKenzie (as Diana Skouris), the show was popular with its fan base and was even nominated for three Emmy Awards, but took some creative hits during the Writers Guild strike and was taken off of USA's lineup in 2007. When the show was cancelled with Season 4 ending in a cliffhanger, disappointment-fueled fans launched a campaign to bring the show back on the air (but, sadly, were unsuccessful).
In October 2008 CBS/Paramount released a complete series DVD collection which included all four seasons of the show along with the bonus features that had been part of the single season releases (including audio commentaries, featurettes, a Director's cut of the episode "The Great Leap Forward", and [...]
In The Streets of San Francisco, two cops search for perpetrators of homicides in the City by the Bay in deliciously seventies style. The show kicked off a week before its September 1972 series premiere with a pilot movie (same title) based on Carolyn Weston's detective novel, Poor, Poor Ophelia, and then ran for a straight five years to 1977. The series starred Oscar winners Karl Malden (as veteran cop Michael Stone) and a very young Michael Douglas (as rookie Steve Keller) along with a heck of a lot of Ford cars (Ford Motor Company being the main sponsor for the show). Filmed entirely on location, the story revolved around the duo investigating murders in San Francisco and Stone mentoring Keller as he learns about police work. Guest stars were frequent and impressive, including Dean Stockwell, Pernell Roberts, Tom Selleck, Leslie Nielsen, James Woods, Nick Nolte, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martin Sheen, Dabney Coleman, Desi Arnaz, Jr., John Ritter, Robert Wagner, Dick Van Patten, Mark Hamill, Tom Bosley, and Bill Bixby, among others (even Diana Douglas, Michael Douglas's mother, appeared on the show). The fifth season saw a change in the main partnership when Keller went off to be a teacher (due to Michael Douglas leaving to pursue a career in films after successfully producing Academy-Award winning film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and was replaced by Inspector Dan Robbins 
Filibuster this, motherfucker!
First we have Office Christmas Party, the story of a soon-to-close Chicago branch of a tech company which decides to try to land a life-saving client by means of a huge Christmas party that turns out to be a bacchanalian mess. The film stars Jennifer Anniston as Scrooge-like CEO Carol Vanstone and T.J. Miller as her man-of-the-people brother Clay along with an ensemble cast, including Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, Kate McKinnon, Rob Corddry, Jillian Bell, Vanessa Bayer, Sam Richardson, Fortune Feistier, and Courtney B. Vance. The film grossed $114 million worldwide and, while it received mixed reviews from critics, was a welcome piece of lighthearted escapism for many fans. The film is now out on both Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD, although if you want access to the unrated version (which includes footage not seen in theaters), you'll have to go with the Blu-ray option. Bear in mind, the unrated version is only five minutes longer than the theatrical one. Also exclusive to the Blu-ray Combo Pack are some additional bonus features, including commentary on the theatrical version by directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (who you may recall also joined forces on Blades of Glory), "Throwing an Office Christmas Party" (where the cast and crew discuss real Christmas parties and making the movie), a special named "Outtakes" which is really more like multiple takes of some of the actors improving alternate lines, and five deleted scenes. The DVD has the theatrical version of the film only.
Recent Comments