Hi Bryan Here…..
Has it been 15 years already? Wow. BBC is re-releasing one of Neil Gaiman’s celebrated works on DVD for its 15the anniversary. I am of course talking about Neverwhere. What is Neverwhere you ask? Well, if you don’t know, then you need to buck up and get off your ass and go out and read and watch this fantastic story. Neverwhere is the pretty much unseen darker “nether” world underground London. This most excellent DVD comes with new extras and surprises for any Neverwhere and Gaiman fan. It rocked my socks clear off.
THE SERIES
The series follows an average guy named Richard who rescues a girl named Door in the streets of London. He learns that there is a plot to kill her and is then transported into this netherworld under London where most people can’t see or know about. This series is sort of a supernatural meets sci-fi meets fantasy al rolled into one. I don’t want togive too much away of the whole series, but I imagine most of you who are reading this have already read or seen this so I don’t need to go into details. But in my opinion, I think the series holds up in that nostalgic wholesome feel. Yes it might drag here and there and not look pretty, but damn if it isn’t Neil Gaiman and some awesome story lines and fun adventures. Those of you out there know you are getting this and for those of you who have never seen this, do yourself a favor and buy the book and DVD.
THE AUDIO/VISUAL
The video is presented in an enhanced 16:9 presentation and was shot for the most part on a home video camera. Not really, butt hat’s the look. Think Dr. Who style, but worse. It doesn’t look very good. I am sure one day this will be released in hi-def, and they will add maybe the film aspect to it and make it very pretty, but like I said before, it’s all about the nostalgic aspect. It kind of feels nice to see it filmed like this and it still be presented in this format and style. But I will say it still looks decent for it being what it is. The audio is a stereo mix in 2.0 and is underwhelming, but has not flaws or crackles. Serisouly BBC. Get me these classic releases on bluray in 1080p and with 5.1 DTS-HD. I need.
THE EXTRAS
– Neverwhere Map Insert: A giant fold out map of Neverwhere. Very cool.
– Introduction to the 15th Anniversary DVD (10 mins) – A short intro to he anniversary DVD and brief retrospective of the series.
– New Audio Commentary with Neil Gaiman, Lenny Henry, and Clive Brill – This is a new commentary by the three mentioned in addition to the original commentary. This new commentary is ok at best. There are some fun moments but not many and it seems like most of the commentary is of the guys trying to remember things from way back when.
– Interview with Neil Gaimain (25 mins) – Great interview with Gaiman.
– Classic Commentary with Neil Gaiman – This commentary is way better than the new one. Much more information and a lot of fun.
– Photo Galery
– Character Descriptions
THE ULTIMATE WORD
This is a must have for any Gaiman fan. This 15th anniversary is very much worth the purchase again if you own the previous edition. The new extras are worth it. The audio and video is the best it is ever going to get unless the studio pours tons of money into restoring it, but I don’t see that happening. And the all over story is fantastic just like any Gaiman tale. A must see and own. Do it. Do it for Door.
-Bryan Kluger