What to Watch: Sept. 10-16, 2013

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Supernatural: The Complete Eighth Season
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

“Supernatural: The Complete Eighth Season”

Even the creators of “Supernatural” are surprised it’s still on the air. The show was designed to end years ago but The CW keeps bringing it back, as it’s proven to be one of their few hits; a show with a loyal audience who absolutely loves it. Part of the success of “Supernatural” can be attributed to its incredibly charismatic stars but I also think that the care with which their previous seasons have been treated by Warner Bros. couldn’t possibly have hurt. The show has been long available on Blu-ray, unlike a lot of teen-driven shows, which means it has been given the loving HD treatment. And it’s rare for a show eight years into its run to still be able to scrounge up people for commentary tracks and featurettes but every season of “Supernatural” includes them. Every year, the release of “Supernatural” is one of the best TV on Blu-ray offerings. Even years after everyone thought it would be over.

Special Features:
o 3 Episode Commentaries
o Finding Supernatural: Creating The Found Footage Episode - Uncover The Challenging Storytelling and Production Techniques Brought Together in Bitten
o For The Defense Of Mankind: The Tablets Revealed - Cultural Explorations Of History’s Mysterious Relics Inspire An Exciting New Storyline
o Angel Warrior: The Story Of Castiel - Explore How A Legendary Angel Earns And Blemishes His Wings With Misha Collins And Series Creators
o Unaired Scenes
o Gag Reel

Where to Watch: Blu-ray, DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant, iTunes

Chicago Fire: Season One
Photo credit: Universal

“Chicago Fire: Season One”

“Chicago Fire” was far from one of my favorite shows of the 2012-13 season but it proved to be a solid hit for NBC, never hitting huge numbers but connecting with people looking for an old-fashioned, emotional drama. It was one of the few new 2012 offerings renewed for another year and it feels like a program that could maintain that small-but-loyal audience for years. Based on calls to my weekly WGN appearances, people really care about these characters. Catch up before you blink and it’s been on six seasons.

From my TV review: “I might be more forgiving of the dramatic failings of the saga of Matthew Casey if I had never met Tommy Gavin. For years, we felt the pain and drama of life as a firefighter on FX’s “Rescue Me,” and, while I had some issues with that show, it definitely casts NBC’s “Chicago Fire” in a different light. However, even without Denis Leary’s hit show, I don’t think this melodrama would work. It just doesn’t connect on a realistic level like we need shows like this to do.”

Special Features:
o Behind The Scenes
o Otis’ Podcasts

Where to Watch: DVD, Vudu, Amazon Instant, Hulu, iTunes

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
Photo credit: Radius-TWC

“All the Boys Love Mandy Lane”

We include an On Demand entry in every week’s “What to Watch” and this one was made long before streaming services were even a possibility. Long before he shot “50/50” and “Warm Bodies,” Jonathan Levine made this quasi-referential horror flick that recently played at the 2013 Chicago Critics Film Festival. It’s a near-miss for me, never finding the right balance between satirizing what it’s trying to do and actually doing it. However, there’s more to like here than most of the 100 or so horror movies that have come out since it was made. Genre fans need to check it out just to see the cautionary tale of a decent flick that sat on the shelf for almost a decade and got a little stale in the process.

Where to Watch: On Demand, Vudu, Amazon Instant, iTunes

Wish You Were Here
Photo credit: E1

“Wish You Were Here”

Released on DVD only but an interesting curiosity for fans of Joel Edgerton and the underrated Teresa Palmer, this drama has elements that would have worked better if the writer had trusted his producer to get a cast strong enough to make its drama more important than its mystery. The script is a bit too cluttered but Edgerton and Palmer are captivating enough to keep you engaged. It’s a decent rental and this week’s What to Watch was too TV-heavy anyway.

From my film review: “Sadly, the truth of what Edgerton brings to the role of a man who carries a dark secret is shrouded by a filmmaker who refuses to let us in on the cause of his pain. “Wish You Were Here” is a thriller/mystery that should have been a drama and feels more like it’s playing games with its audience than offering truthful characters or engaging storytelling.”

Special Features:
o Making-of Featurette
o Cast and Crew Interviews with Kieran Darcy-Smith, Felicity Price, Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer, Antony Starr, and more

Where to Watch: DVD, Vudu

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com