Wednesday, August 27, 2014

THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON


THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON Blu-ray 

Label: Anchor Bay Entertainment 
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 696 Minutes
Video: Widescreen (1.78:1) – Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions
Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1, French: Dolby Surround 2.0 with Optional English and Spanish Subtitles
Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Chandler Riggs, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Steven Yeun, David Morrissey, Lawrence Gilliard, Chad L. Coleman, Sonequa Martin-Green, Christian Serratos
Directors:  Julius Ramsay, Greg Noctero Tricia BrockErnest Dickerson, Michelle MacLaren


Synopsis: In the new season, we see Rick and the group of survivors fostering a thriving community in the safe haven of the prison only to have it short-lived as the group loses everything, their home, family, and friends to the threat of the walkers, outside threats and the hidden dangers brewing inside the fences. The group of survivors are broken apart and sent on divergent paths, unsure of everyone else’s fate as they are exposed to new dangers, new enemies, and heartbreaking choices. They will have their faith thoroughly tested -- a faith that breaks some of them and redeems others.

Season four of The Walking Dead started off pretty weak for me. Following the events of the season three finale the formerly bad ass Rick has given up the gun to pursue a farming lifestyle at the prison where things are going pretty great - but this is the Walking Dead and the good times never last!

Things start turning to shit pretty quick as an infection is spreading through the prison community and the undead are massing along the fence - turns out someone had been feeding them rats through the fence - damn, this ain't no petting zoo! Before too a member if the community becomes one of the undead after succumbing to the quick spreading infection which spurs the creation of a quarantine zone for the infected which causes a lot of fuss as it's not voluntary. 

On top of this we have the return of the Governor and we get a nice flashback to what transpired after the fall of Woodbury and his journey thereafter - which if you can believe it paints a pretty sympathetic image of the anti-Rick as he is taken in by a new group of survivors and quickly rises to the rank of leader which puts them on a direct path to the Prison and the expected conflict yo would expect. The siege is massive and we see some major character die - perhaps the most painful death in the entire series since we saw the beloved Dale perish in season two! 

In the aftermath - without spoiling too much -  the prison community are split up into several faction and out in the wild away from the safety of the Prison for the first time in a few seasons. Enter a rumored safe haven known as Terminus - the new destination of the group. we are also introduced to a new group of survivors called the Marauders and by the end of the season we see Rick at his most violent and brutal!

Some nice character development throughout this season, for starters we have Rick returning to form after having renounced leadership and violence. Michonne continues to be a total ass kicker with her razor sharp katana but we find out a little more about her tragic past. Little Carl continues his journey to badassdom and has to care for his father who is beaten nearly to death at one point. The most tragic story arc is of Lizzie - who has always been sympathetic towards the undead - but this season the direction they take her is a total gut-punch. I think this is the strongest once since the first and of course the finale has the group in a pickle... October cannot get her fast enough for me. 

The Blu-ray from Anchor Bay looks fantastic, huge fan of the look and style of the film and even the sound design is above average for a TV series. The extras are pretty decent - we have two extended episodes, five commentaries and hours of behind-the-scene featurettes and deleted scenes with the cast and crew. . 

Special Features:
Extended Episodes
- Episodes 9 (“After”)
- Episode 14 (“The Grove”) are extended on the Blu-ray™ only.

Featurettes
- Inside THE WALKING DEAD
-The Making of THE WALKING DEAD
- Drawing Inspiration
- Hershel
- The Governor Is Back
- Society, Science and Survival
- Inside KNB EFX
- A Journey Back to Brutality
- Deleted Scenes

Commentaries
- Episode 1 (“30 Days Without An Accident”): Audio Commentary with Executive Producer and Showrunner Scott M. Gimple, Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager Tom Luse and Executive Producer/Special Effects Make-Up Supervisor/Director Greg Nicotero
- Episode 5 (“Internment”): Audio Commentary with Executive Producer and Showrunner Scott M. Gimple and Actor Scott Wilson (Hershel)
- Episode 9 (“After”): Audio Commentary with Executive Producer/Special Effects Make-Up Supervisor /Director Greg Nicotero, Co-Executive ProducerDenise Huth and Actor Danai Gurira (Michonne)
- Episode 12 (“Still”): Audio Commentary with Director Julius Ramsay and Actor Emily Kinney (Beth); Audio Commentary with Writer/Producer Angela Kangand Actor Norman Reedus (Daryl)
- Episode14 (“The Grove”): Audio Commentary with Executive Producer and Showrunner Scott M. Gimple, Executive Producer Denise Huth and ActorAndrew Lincoln McBride (Carol)