Dexter: The Second Season (Paramount) The story of a Miami serial killer with an admirable degree of self-control, the first season of the Showtime hit was grisly, clever fun. As the title character, Michael C. Hall relished the opportunity to get in touch with his bad self — thanks to his mordant wit and own sense of control, he managed to be anything but your garden-variety murderous sociopath. But as the show moved away from the arc of Jeff Lindsay’s original novels, it hit some rocky patches, most of which had to do with the character of Lila, the frequently topless English artist who believes that she and Dexter are kindred spirits but is clearly too much of a poseur when it comes to the nasty stuff. And while I’m always happy to see Keith Carradine — who plays the folksy G-man who may be crafty enough to catch the Bay Harbour Butcher, as Dexter is dubbed when his victims are discovered — even he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be doing in half his scenes. Yet the show remains a higher class of trash than any of TV’s innumerable serials involving the study of crime scenes and discussions about arterial spray. The DVD augments the 12 episodes with a preview of fellow Showtime show Brotherhood and cast biographies.
The Life Before Her Eyes (Magnolia) Originally presented under the more Cobain-ian title of In Bloom, this American film starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood debuted at last year’s TIFF with big expectations. After all, filmmaker Vadim Perelman had received an inexplicable amount of praise for directing House of Sand and Fog. Instead, the film failed to get a theatrical run in Canada, a fact that lends this over-calculated and overwrought piece of failed Oscar bait an air of genuine pathos. EXTRAS: alternate ending, audition tapes, featurettes.
Also out this week
Street Kings (Fox) Keanu Reeves shoots first and asks questions later in this macho but disappointingly dumb cop thriller by David Ayer (Training Day). EXTRAS: deleted and alternate scenes, making-of featurettes, a nifty mini-doc of Ayer touring LA with his ex-cop adviser.
Nixon: Election Year Edition (Buena Vista) Can’t wait for Oliver Stone to do Dubya? In the meantime, you dirty pinkos can revisit his takedown of Tricky Dick, newly extended by 28 minutes. EXTRAS: new doc, commentaries, deleted scenes, interview.
Gossip Girl: The Complete First Season (Warner) The new gold standard for teen soaps just gets juicier. EXTRAS: featurettes, gag reel, music videos.
Camp Rock (Buena Vista) In the latest Disney musical, the Jonas Brothers head into the woods but do not get to wrestle a bear — rip-off! EXTRAS: videos, rehearsal footage, an invaluable featurette on “How to Be a Rock Star.”
Out Aug 26
Entourage Season 4, What Happens in Vegas, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom and Uwe Boll’s Postal. I bet if you see the last two as a double feature, you’ll never want to watch another movie — think of the money you’ll save!