I'm all for a la carte cable. I would just subscribe to five channels: HBO, Sundance, IFC, FX and Showtime. What more could you need? It's a sad day when television stations are willing to take greater risks then film studios and a show like
Dexter is the perfect example. Based on the novel
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by
Jeff Lindsay the series focuses on a man who's a forensic blood-specialist by day and a serial-killer hunter by night. That's right, that means he's a serial killer who kills serial killers.
This plot description turned me off at first too, but the tone of the show, bolstered by an amazing performance from
Michael C. Hall really catapult this series into being one of the best released this year. The series takes place in Miami, which is looking very anti-
Miami Vice and follows the Miami Homicide's efforts to track down "the ice truck" killer. This is a reoccurring character/story arc throughout the first season as the killer becomes more obsessed with Dexter. Every episode also features another serial killer succumbing to Dexter, often operating unnoticed by the police.
The DVDs went on sale this week and if you don't have Showtime like I don't, you should find a way to get your paws on a copy. The DVDs feature a nice HD transfer but little else. There's two audio commentaries and a featurette on a real life blood splatter analyst. It would be nice if Showtime would take the time to include more documentaries and special features on all of their DVD releases actually, but that's how they keep them so cheap. You can own the entire first season for just $29.99.
Normally
Filmmaker Magazine doesn't cover television but could you imagine the pitch for this actually surviving anywhere else? Plus, it's visually interesting to see a story sprawled out over twelve episodes. I really hope Showtime and HBO continue this trend of innovative programming, it could be our last resort to see something new.
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# posted by Benjamin Crossley-Marra @ 8/22/2007 04:05:00 PM
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