February 2014 horror movie DVD/Blu-ray round-up

Everyone hates this time of year, right? Grey with a distinct apocalyptic air; everything’s rubbish. You think you’ve got it bad? Well, spare a thought for the Austrian cast of director Marvin Kren’s film, Blood Glacier, who not only have to contend with the freezing cold and isolation of the remote German Alps but also giant mutant insect/animal hybrids causing a bloody nuisance.

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‘Doctor Who’: ‘Harvest of Time’ by Alastair Reynolds book review

As the book’s dedication makes clear, ‘Harvest of Time’ is a story that is as much about the Master as it is the Doctor.

After his capture at the end of ‘The Daemons’ the delightfully evil Time Lord has been kept under lock and key. However, he has been periodically released from his unique Nuclear Reactor prison and coerced into assisting with a new submarine communication system.

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‘The Musketeers’ Episode 2: ‘Sleight of Hand’ review

The Musketeers continues its solid, unsurprising start with ‘Sleight of Hand’.

It too is another enjoyable yet predictable romp through the murkier side of swashbuckling. Meanwhile, characters are further defined, approximately fifty people are shot, and guest stars swagger as only Jason Flemyng can swagger (copiously shifting weight from buttock to buttock with each stride).

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‘Mr Selfridge’ Series 2 Episode 2 review

Talk of Britain being on the brink of war causes unrest within the Selfridges staff, with fears that they will all lose their jobs if Mr Selfridge escapes back to America to avoid the European conflict. This, and demonstrations by Trade Union representatives, leads Harry to create an ‘Empire Exhibition’ to explain to both the customers and the staff that the store is staying put. This is topped off with a staff party held at Delphine’s to boost morale, but with it comes all sorts of conflict and drama.

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‘Inside No. 9’ Episode 1: ‘Sardines’ review

Likely to be smuggled your way under a blaze of pretty much no publicity whatsoever, this dark delight from Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith is BBC Two’s new modern version of anthology tales such as Tales Of The Unexpected and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. But to sell it as merely some kind of unimaginative remake would be to sell it short.

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‘Line of Duty’ Series 1 DVD review

From the pen of Jed Mercurio (Bodies), Line of Duty takes place inside the complex, high-stakes world of a police internal investigation. First broadcast in mid-2012, this highly successful drama is finally coming to DVD ahead of its upcoming second series.

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‘Joss Whedon: A Creative Portrait’ book review

David Lavery’s book was originally intended to chart Joss Whedon’s successful television career and then ponder over his failure to translate it into big screen success. Fortunately, with his abortive Wonder Woman project now career footnote, it revels in the triumphant box office success of Marvel’s The Avengers.

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‘Sherlock’ Series 3 soundtrack album review

Pass that popcorn-filled Deerstalker, would you? Because with that filmic running length, a principal duo of Hollywood stars, and the fact that each 90-minute feature is advertised with the hashtaggable anticipation of your average blockbuster, every episode of Sherlock is less a TV drama and more a movie that has escaped into your living room. So it stands to reason that it should be given a fittingly filmic score.

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