Timothy E
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Season 2 of Bored To Death finds unlicensed private detective Jonathan Ames(Jason Schwartzman) teaching writing classes and continuing to advertise his services on Craigslist. Jonathan’s friend George (Ted Danson) is also struggling with his profession as well as his health. George starts dating his urologist even while his magazine circulation is dwindling and he may lose his own column. Ray (Zach Galifianakis) actually discovers success this season after his alter ego comic book creation, Super Ray, becomes critically acclaimed and financially profitable. George and Ray continue to help Jonathan on his cases when they are not too high to be of any help.
[SIZE= 24px]BORED TO DEATH [/SIZE]
[SIZE= 24px]The Complete Second Season BLU-RAY[/SIZE]
Studio: HBO Home Entertainment
Year: 2010
Rated: TV-MA
Film Length: Approximately 3 hours, 23 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS Surround 5.1, Spanish DTS Digital Surround 2.0, Castilian DTS Digital Surround 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Castilian, Portuguese, French, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Release Date: October 4, 2011
The Series
Bored To Death was created by author Jonathan Ames, and Jason Schwartzman plays a fictional version of the real author. The real Ames actually has a minor recurring role during this second season, in addition to writing most of the series’ episodes.
Bored To Death is not a fast-paced show which might lead a pundit to declare that it lives up to its name. I remember watching the pilot episode and actually being bored during its first half before it actually became interesting and entertaining. Ted Danson’s spirited portrayal of George may be his best role ever, and the location shooting in New York City, along with the production values of the series make each episode feel like a new chapter in an extended dark comedy feature film. This second season set of Bored To Death is being released to coincide with the premiere of season 3 on HBO on October 10, 2011.
Video
Bored To Death Season 2 appears on Blu-Ray in 1080p in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio as originally filmed and shown on HBO. The series is shot on digital video, and grain is virtually non-existent except in the night scenes which actually suffer from excessive digital noise that creates a film grain-like image. For the most part, however, there is excellent clarity of image.
The quality of this season is definitely a step down in quality from the sublime video presentation on display in the first season set. This is not to say that the video is horrible, merely that the bar was set very high on the first season set and this second season BD set suffers noticeably by comparison.
All 8 episodes from the second season are included in this 2-disc set. The first four episodes are on disc 1 with the final 4 episodes on disc 2. The episodes with run-times are as follows:
Escape From The Dungeon!(24:41)
Make It Quick, Fitzgerald!(25:13)
The Gowanus Canal Has Gonnorrhea!(26:46)
I’ve Been Living Like A Demented God!(27:59)
Forty-Two Down!(25:26)
The Case Of The Grievous Clerical Error!(26:09)
Escape From The Castle!(22:15)
Super Ray Is Mortal!(25:20)
Audio
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks are excellent. As with the first season release, the audio approaches standards of reference quality more closely than we might expect from a TV series. The soundtrack is very immersive, whether we hear the crowds and vehicles of New York City or the music selected to establish mood.
Special Features
There is a wealth of special features in this set and all are in high definition. The features may be accessed directly from the special feature menu or specifically from the episode menu. Each individual episode selection also has a detailed synopsis of the plot on display. The special features tied to each episode include all of the following:
Escape From The Dungeon!
Season 1 Recap(1:36)
Preview Episode(0:32)
Play Episode(24:41)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:37): These featurettes aired originally as promos on HBA and have questions answered by series creator Ames.
Outtakes(0:41)
Make It Quick, Fitzgerald!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(25:13)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:35)
Commentary by actors Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis, and director Michael Lehman.
The Gowanus Canal Has Gonnorrhea!
Preview Episode(0:26)
Play Episode(26:46)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:35)
Commentary by actors Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis, and director Michael Lehman.
I’ve Been Living Like A Demented God!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(27:59)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:04)
Outtakes(1:26)
Commentary by actors Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis, and director Michael Lehman.
Forty-Two Down!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(25:26)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(3:01)
Deleted Scenes(3:32): These may be selected individually or with a "Play All" option.
The Case Of The Grievous Clerical Error!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(26:09)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:29)
Commentary by actors Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis.
Escape From The Castle!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(22:15)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:55)
Super Ray Is Mortal!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode (25:20)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(3:33)
Deleted Scenes(0:16)
Outtakes(0:47)
Commentary by actor Jason Schwartzman and series writer/creator Jonathan Ames.
Conclusion
Bored To Death The Complete Second Season is an intriguing follow up to season 1. The video presentation is good, not great, and unfortunately not up to the sublime standards of the first season on Blu-ray. The audio presentation is excellent and the set has as many special features, all in high definition, as could be hoped for by fans of the series. If you are new to this series, these sets are a great way to catch up with the fictional version of Jonathan Ames and his cohorts before the third season airs on HBO beginning on October 10, 2011. Bored To Death Season 2 on Blu-ray comes recommended to fans of the series as well as those who are looking for something quirky and different in their TV viewing habits.
[SIZE= 24px]BORED TO DEATH [/SIZE]
[SIZE= 24px]The Complete Second Season BLU-RAY[/SIZE]
Studio: HBO Home Entertainment
Year: 2010
Rated: TV-MA
Film Length: Approximately 3 hours, 23 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS Surround 5.1, Spanish DTS Digital Surround 2.0, Castilian DTS Digital Surround 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Castilian, Portuguese, French, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Release Date: October 4, 2011
The Series
Bored To Death was created by author Jonathan Ames, and Jason Schwartzman plays a fictional version of the real author. The real Ames actually has a minor recurring role during this second season, in addition to writing most of the series’ episodes.
Bored To Death is not a fast-paced show which might lead a pundit to declare that it lives up to its name. I remember watching the pilot episode and actually being bored during its first half before it actually became interesting and entertaining. Ted Danson’s spirited portrayal of George may be his best role ever, and the location shooting in New York City, along with the production values of the series make each episode feel like a new chapter in an extended dark comedy feature film. This second season set of Bored To Death is being released to coincide with the premiere of season 3 on HBO on October 10, 2011.
Video
Bored To Death Season 2 appears on Blu-Ray in 1080p in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio as originally filmed and shown on HBO. The series is shot on digital video, and grain is virtually non-existent except in the night scenes which actually suffer from excessive digital noise that creates a film grain-like image. For the most part, however, there is excellent clarity of image.
The quality of this season is definitely a step down in quality from the sublime video presentation on display in the first season set. This is not to say that the video is horrible, merely that the bar was set very high on the first season set and this second season BD set suffers noticeably by comparison.
All 8 episodes from the second season are included in this 2-disc set. The first four episodes are on disc 1 with the final 4 episodes on disc 2. The episodes with run-times are as follows:
Escape From The Dungeon!(24:41)
Make It Quick, Fitzgerald!(25:13)
The Gowanus Canal Has Gonnorrhea!(26:46)
I’ve Been Living Like A Demented God!(27:59)
Forty-Two Down!(25:26)
The Case Of The Grievous Clerical Error!(26:09)
Escape From The Castle!(22:15)
Super Ray Is Mortal!(25:20)
Audio
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks are excellent. As with the first season release, the audio approaches standards of reference quality more closely than we might expect from a TV series. The soundtrack is very immersive, whether we hear the crowds and vehicles of New York City or the music selected to establish mood.
Special Features
There is a wealth of special features in this set and all are in high definition. The features may be accessed directly from the special feature menu or specifically from the episode menu. Each individual episode selection also has a detailed synopsis of the plot on display. The special features tied to each episode include all of the following:
Escape From The Dungeon!
Season 1 Recap(1:36)
Preview Episode(0:32)
Play Episode(24:41)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:37): These featurettes aired originally as promos on HBA and have questions answered by series creator Ames.
Outtakes(0:41)
Make It Quick, Fitzgerald!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(25:13)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:35)
Commentary by actors Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis, and director Michael Lehman.
The Gowanus Canal Has Gonnorrhea!
Preview Episode(0:26)
Play Episode(26:46)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:35)
Commentary by actors Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis, and director Michael Lehman.
I’ve Been Living Like A Demented God!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(27:59)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:04)
Outtakes(1:26)
Commentary by actors Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis, and director Michael Lehman.
Forty-Two Down!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(25:26)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(3:01)
Deleted Scenes(3:32): These may be selected individually or with a "Play All" option.
The Case Of The Grievous Clerical Error!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(26:09)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:29)
Commentary by actors Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis.
Escape From The Castle!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode(22:15)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(2:55)
Super Ray Is Mortal!
Preview Episode(0:27)
Play Episode (25:20)
Inside The Mind of Jonathan Ames(3:33)
Deleted Scenes(0:16)
Outtakes(0:47)
Commentary by actor Jason Schwartzman and series writer/creator Jonathan Ames.
Conclusion
Bored To Death The Complete Second Season is an intriguing follow up to season 1. The video presentation is good, not great, and unfortunately not up to the sublime standards of the first season on Blu-ray. The audio presentation is excellent and the set has as many special features, all in high definition, as could be hoped for by fans of the series. If you are new to this series, these sets are a great way to catch up with the fictional version of Jonathan Ames and his cohorts before the third season airs on HBO beginning on October 10, 2011. Bored To Death Season 2 on Blu-ray comes recommended to fans of the series as well as those who are looking for something quirky and different in their TV viewing habits.
