Father’s Day, June 19, is just around the corner, so in that spirit here are few suggestions for Dad’s Day gift giving. If Dad is a mystery fan, check out PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery Series “Grantchester,” which has just completed its second season. Now both seasons are available on Blu-ray and DVD. If Dad is a history buff, you can’t go wrong with the 25th Anniversary edition of Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” also available from PBS.
Father’s Day, June 19, is just around the corner, so in that spirit here are few suggestions for Dad’s Day gift giving. If Dad is a mystery fan, check out PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery Series “Grantchester,” which has just completed its second season. Now both seasons are available on Blu-ray and DVD. If Dad is a history buff, you can’t go wrong with the 25th Anniversary edition of Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” also available from PBS. And if dad is a fast paced action fan, check out “London Has Fallen,” available from Universal Pictures on June 14 — just in the nick of time.
The highly entertaining “Grantchester” PBS Mystery series is based on the novels of James Runcie. The first season began with “Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death,” the first novel in the “Grantchester Mystery” series. Other Grantchester novels include: “Sidney Chambers and the Perils of the Night” (2013), “Sidney Chambers and the Problem of Evil” (2014), “Sidney Chambers and the Forgiveness of Sins” (2015) and “Sidney Chambers and the Dangers of Temptation” (2016). If dad is an avid reader, you may want to check out the novels as well as another possible gift item.
In the series, Sidney Chambers is a young, charismatic Episcopal vicar who lives in Grantchester, a small village not far from Cambridge. In the first season we get to know him and Inspector Geordie Keating (played respectively by James Norton and Robson Green). Together they are an improbable crime-fighting team who bring justice and spiritual guidance to their village. We also meet Amanda, the love of Sidney’s life, his warm but somewhat dour housekeeper and Leonard, his assistant pastor. And even though Runcie’s Grantchester mysteries are set in the mid 1950’s, the issues and themes of his stories remain timeless and engaging. His religious insights also ring true since his father, Robert Runcie, was a former Archbishop of Canterbury.
In season two, the year is 1954 and Sidney is living a quiet life, focused on his duties and on his congregation. But things are never easy for long and Sidney and Geordie soon find themselves faced with a new round of mysteries including an apparent suicide with Cold War overtones, a haunted stable and a shocking homicide investigation that will test the limits of their strong friendship. And the good news is — there will be a third “Grantchester” series coming soon.
DVD special features for Season Two include: Making of Granchester, Back to Grantchester and The Trouble with Sidney and Geordie.
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“The Civil War,” a PBS film by Ken Burns, is considered the most successful Public Television miniseries in American history. Now a 25th anniversary edition is available, fully restored to high definition, achieving the optimal picture quality originally intended. The six-disc collector’s set also contains four hours of bonus material and a 16-page collector’s booklet. In the Emmy Award- winning 9-part series America’s most destructive conflict is brought to life as we see why America had to divide itself in two before it could become one.
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“London Has Fallen,” starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett and Morgan Freeman, is the explosive sequel to “Olympus Has Fallen.”
When the British Prime minister dies unexpectedly, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) and Secret Service Director Jacobs (Angela Bassett) accompany U.S. President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) to the state funeral at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Despite security, heads of government are assassinated and London landmarks are attacked. At this point the devastated British capital goes into lockdown. Meanwhile, back in Washington, Vice President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) works diligently to ensure the president’s safe return. Blu-ray and DVD bonus features include: The Making of “London Has Fallen” and “Guns, Knives & Explosives” which shows how Butler had to train in order to portray a Secret Service agent. From Universal, rated R for strong violence and language throughout.
