inside LOVEFiLM

There’s an awful lot of really good TV out there, these days – much of it boasting big stars and high production values. So, not that awful at all, in fact. But definitely a lot.

Among the many shows currently available on LOVEFiLM Instant, you’ve hopefully spotted the arrival of Grey’s Anatomy and The Tudors, plus perhaps less famous fare like Reaper and the short-lived (but still worth exploring) Commander in Chief.

Of all our new stuff, the one I’m most excited about is… The Shield.

It’s been mentioned in, if not the same breath, at least the same sentence as The Wire. High praise, indeed. It’s a different flavour, of course, from the immersive Baltimore-set pinnacle of crime drama (before any fired-up Wire fans rail against the comparison).

And since I’ve been intending to get stuck into this show for years now, now is finally the time.

Chris Bird, our Film Strategy Director, has long been a fan. He reckons The Shield is right up there with the best TV series ever made…

“If I described what happens in the pilot, it’d tell you all you need to know about why The Shield is different from other cop shows. But that would ruin the pilot, which would be a shame, so all I’ll say is – watch the pilot, and you’ll soon see what I mean.

“It’s tough stuff. Far more brutal and uncompromising than you’d expect. And with much more ambiguity and grey area.”

And what of the comparisons to The Wire. Overstating the matter, surely?

“The Wire’s pretty much in a league of one, I think most people who’ve seen it would agree with that. It also has a very distinct tone and atmosphere. The Shield has a different tone, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. And Michael Chiklis in the lead role is just brilliant.”

December will see extra seasons/series added to some of our existing shows – Downton Abbey – Series 3, for example, and Sons of Anarchy – Season 4.

Scrubs will arrive too – so I’ll probably be back soon to bang on about why spending Christmas with JD & co, even if you’ve watched it over and over again, is a very good move.

I will, however, try to avoid using phrases like ‘it’ll have you in stitches…’

Darren Bignell, Senior Communications Manager

As if there wasn’t enough to choose from in our LOVEFiLM Instant catalogue, some excellent films are newly released (or coming very soon) on Blu-ray and DVD. So, by way of inspiration for your rental list, here’s my personal pick:

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Chernobyl, it turns out radiation poisoning is the least to be worried about. A gang of intrepid tourists head to the fallout zone with a local guide and Chernobyl Diaries captures their terrifying experience.

It’s not high art, or even particularly middle art, but what is it about horror movies set in dark abandoned buildings that grabs me? Yelling at characters for making stupid decisions, for one. Plus a nod to The Simpsons, with the brief appearance of a mutated fish. Or maybe I’ve just watched The Simpsons too much.

Next up is Red Tails, which looks like it might be weightier stuff, but is actually an old-fashioned, air combat romp telling the story of an African-American Fighter Squadron during WWII. The film deals with the racism they experienced, as well as their ultimate triumphs, but George Lucas keeps the tone light and there’s lots of fun to be had.

Also on a historical note (tenuous link ahoy!), Mad Men Season 5 offers more 60s cool and scandals aplenty. I should admit that I’ve yet to see a single episode (I know, I know: I’ll take myself to the gallows now), but the upside of this is that five seasons of the show in quick succession are mine for the taking.

Margin Call will soon be available on Blu-ray and DVD, a film I missed at the cinema but have been desperate to see. Based on the very real and recent mess in the financial sector, it might not sound that interesting, but I’m reliably informed it’s a well-written must-see with an excellent cast: Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany and many more.

Finally, two films that aren’t new but are coming to Blu-ray for the first time…

First, one of those formative childhood movies: Flight of the Navigator. Set in 1986, a boy returns after an eight year disappearance, apparently unchanged from the 12-year-old he was when he vanished. It includes the single greatest alien-robot in movie history, who’s called Max and likes The Beach Boys and does impressions. What more could you want?

Empire of the Sun is a Steven Spielberg classic that was long overdue the high resolution treatment. A young Christian Bale ends up in a WWII prison camp after being separated from his parents in Shanghai, and the film expertly mixes the terrors of war with a beautiful sense of childlike wonder.

Check out the New Releases and Coming Soon sections regularly to keep up with the latest releases, but be warned… you might end up with the kind of rental list I have.

628 titles, and counting…

Alexa Muir, UK Merchandising Manager