It's hard to start a series in its fourth season. That's particularly true of today's huge mythology-arc shows that require you to be up to date at all times. Such was the task I found myself facing when we got a copy of Rizzoli & Isles to review. Fortunately, this is one of those pleasant exceptions to the rule. While I'd suggest that newcomers pick up the first three seasons anyway it's not an absolute necessity. So if, like me, you're discovering this one a little late, fear not. They'll be a little work to catch up, but the fun kind.

The premise here is dirt simple. They've taken the buddy cop idea and found a way to work in the forensics science fad and deliver a procedural with a few twists. Angie Harmon plays Detective Rizzoli. She's wanted to be a cop all of her life and is living the dream working with a special unit out of Boston PD. Her best friend in life happens to be Dr. Maura Isles, who is the Chief Medical Examiner for the unit and is played by Sasha Alexander. These are the kind of friends who finish each other's sentences and share a lot of history together. That's not to say they are at all alike.

Of the cartoons that are on air, it’s no contest in choosing what is my favorite show. Regular Show just strikes a chord with me and reminds me of the antics of Ren and Stimpy back in the 90’s.  Sure, the show airs on Cartoon Network and kids could watch it, but the show seems more aimed at a teenage audience or at least the parents who are trying to find something to watch with their children.  Here at Upcoming Discs, when we get a series to review this usually entails a lot of binge-watching, because, well, to review a series we don’t just watch a few episodes, we watch it from start to finish whether it’s a show we have a good time with or one of the ones that have us struggling to keep our eyes open and our attention on the screen.  When it comes to Regular Show, it’s a show I have no problem clicking on that play-all button and just kick back and have fun watching whatever shenanigans Mordecai and Rigby get into.

Like with numerous releases from Cartoon Network, Regular Show has numerous DVDs with episodes from multiple seasons and thrown together in a DVD pack, so some episodes on the Season 3 release may be duplicates for some fans out there.  Thankfully, though, when making these combo packs, it never is simply heavy on one season in particular.

"Uncooperative witnesses are becoming a specialty of mine."

That statement clearly describes Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson...except it doesn't. Not anymore. The Closer was a stand-out hit for the folks at TNT. It's no surprise that when the show’s star Kyra Sedgwick wanted to leave that the network would want to continue the show. That's a little harder when the lead leaves. Shows have survived the loss of their lead, but the remaining years were usually something lesser than it once was. That's not the case here. The title was changed, and with just a few cast tweaks the series returned as Major Crimes, and I dare say a much better show than its predecessor.

By Zach Abati

Telling a story that takes place in one location isn’t the easiest thing to do. Films like Clerks, 12 Angry Men, and Saw show that it is possible to do, as long as you have the writing and direction to pull it off. Alpha Alert was able to do just that, even though it still had its ups and its downs. When a terrorist attack hits the streets of D.C., Cpt. White (Jennifer Morrison), Pfc. Diego (Stephen Rider), and Sgt. Oldsman (Josh Stewart) become trapped as an innocent elevator ride now becomes an escape mission. Each of them, struggling with PTSD, will have to deal with one another and their own illness as they run out of time and slowly realize that not everything is as it seems.

Revenge films are simply one of those guilty pleasures that seem to always be in the pipeline for being released, whether it’s on the big screen or straight to DVD. They are the kind of films that allow us to escape into the anti-hero’s frame of mind and go along on their journey of vigilantism.  Perhaps we may not have encountered the same circumstances of characters avenging slain family members (The Outlaw Josey Wales, Death Wish) or violent sexual assaults (Ms. 45 and Make Them Die Slowly) each film gives us the chance to remove ourselves from reality and politically correct convictions and root for these characters.  Vendetta follows in the long line of revenge films before, but does is hold up to the classics of the genre?

Danny Dyer (Doghouse & Severance) plays Jimmy Vickers, who is a special ops interrogator who returns home after hearing about the murder of his parents.  With no witnesses to the crime, Jimmy uses his acquired talents to discover those who are responsible for the murder.