DVD Reviews

Bullet in the Face is one of those shows that plays jump rope with the line between absolute absurdity and dark comedic genius. This show is a loose satire about a sociopath in a neo-noir universe, who, upon getting shot in the face during a jewelry heist, receives a face transplant and is blackmailed into working for the police. The criminal, Vogler (Max E. Williams), bleeds destruction and death, but somehow does a decent job at working with the police to pit two crime bosses against each other. One of the bosses, an agoraphobe played excellently by comedian Eddie Izzard, delivers some of the best lines of the show’s six short episodes. Gorier and grittier than anticipated, Bullet in the Face is not for everyone. However, if you stay up watching Adult Swim or like any kind of action movie, Bullet in the Face will not be a waste of time. You can learn from the many one-liners and come away with knowledge like, “If a guy is late, it’s cool. If a girl is late, she’s pregnant. Remember, always wear watches and condoms.” The DVD has no special features, but it doesn’t really need any. Beautifully shot episodes and bizarre plot-lines make it a wonderful thing I am happy to add to my collection. –Rebecca Frost

Copper, considering its topic, is a very unique show. It is the first show produced by BBC America, which previously only aired shows from across the pond. The show takes place in 1860s New York City and follows detective Kevin Corcoran as he tries to keep peace among New York neighborhoods, while trying to solve the mystery of his wife’s disappearance. Add in the repercussions of the Civil War and you get Season 1 of Copper. Season 2 (the final season) is very different from the first. It’s darker, the characters are grittier and overall, the show seems incomplete. With only two seasons, I feel the show didn’t wrap up the way the writers would have liked. For a crime procedural set in Civil War–era New York, it’s also just a tad fantastical. Characters are straight-up evil at times—not in a gruesome way, but in a political fashion. It’s unfortunate that Copper was canceled, as the second season is where the show started to find itself. The DVD includes all 13 episodes, character profiles and set tours—something set designers and history nerds could really enjoy. –Rebecca Frost

What do you know about Australian rock? AC/DC? Radio Birdman? The Saints? What about Cosmic Pyschos? They’re Oz-rock weirdoes who’ve been decimating eardrums and eroding livers since ’82 with a ribald stew of psyche-rock, punk and garage. Blokes You Can Trust details the sordid history of this (largely underrated) band, anecdotally tracing their inception, clear through to their brief flirtation with alt-rock success and a record on Sub-Pop through interviews with some key players (Buzz Osborne, Mark Arm, Eddie Vedder) and band members. The doc succeeds by portraying these oddball characters in their element (most notably Ross Knight, the Psychos’ frontman, who splits his time between singing, farming and weightlifting) and a host of “had to be there” stories n’ shenanigans (hint: lots of booze), without diluting the weight and tragedy inherent in all great rock n’ roll tales: death, record label red tape, and the ever-present struggle to find relevance in a genre that too often overlooks the real staples. For fans of hard-hitting rock docs like Dig! and Last Days Here, Blokes is a stirring and unflinching tribute to an influential gaggle of rock cretins who never really got their due. Highly recommended. –Dylan Chadwick