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4K Blu-ray Review: RITE HERE RITE NOW
Blu-ray Review: BLAKE'S 7 Season One
Blu-ray Review: DEATH MACHINE (1994)
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Movie Review- ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024)
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Blu-ray Review: IMMACULATE
Blu-ray Review: DUNE (1984) Three Disc Limited Edition
Blu-ray Review: DOCTOR WHO: THE DALEKS IN COLOR
4K Blu-ray Review: ALIENS Ultimate Collector's Edition
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Blu-ray Review: THE MOON
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Blu-ray Review: I.S.S.
Movie Review: DUNE PART TWO
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Bluray Review: THE MARSH KING'S DAUGHTER
DVD Review: INTO THE ABYSS
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4K Blu-ray Review: THE CREATOR
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Blu-ray Review: TALK TO ME
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Blu-ray Review- BABYLON 5: THE ROAD HOME
Blu-ray Review: GOD IS A BULLET
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Blu-ray Review: SISU
Blu-ray Review- HOLLYWOOD DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES
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Movie Review- MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
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Blu-ray Review: ONE RANGER
Blu-rayReview: THE FLASH
blu-ray Review: MAD HEIDI
4K Blu-ray Review: THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE
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Blu-ray Review- DOCTOR WHO: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN
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Movie Review- AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
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Movie Review- THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER
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Movie Review- JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION
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Blu-ray 4K Review- RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY
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DVD Review: THE FLOOD
Blu-ray Review: DOCTOR WHO Season 24
Blu-ray Review: CANDYMAN (2021)
Blu-ray Review- DOCTOR WHO: EVIL OF THE DALEKS (import)
Movie Review: DUNE Part One
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Blu-ray Review: DOCTOR WHO Season 8 (1971)
4K Blu-ray Review: PROSPECT
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blu-ray Review: SIBERIA (2021)
Blu-ray Review: DOORS (2021)
Blu-ray Review: THE UNHEALER
Blu-ray Review: VOYAGERS
Blu-ray Review: TIMELINE (import)
Blu-ray review: KING KONG (1976)
4K UHD Blu-ray review: PERDITA DURANGO
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DVD Review: SKY SHARKS
DVD Review: WILLY'S WONDERLAND
Blu-ray Review: EVENT HORIZON Collector's Edition
Blu-ray Review: SPUTNIK
Blu-ray Review: PUMP UP THE VOLUME
Blu-ray Review: MONSTER HUNTER
Blu-ray Review: SOUTHLAND TALES
Blu-ray Review: SHADOW IN THE CLOUD
Blu-ray Review: SPACEWALKER
Blu-ray review: THE IPCRESS FILE
DVD Review: STRANDED ON MARS
Blu-ray Review: TENET
DVD Review: SKYLINES
Blu-ray Review: POSSESSOR UNCUT
Blu-ray review: FLASH GORDON
Movie Review: TENET
PHOTOGRAPHY
BLAKE'S 7 THE COLLECTION SERIES 1
Blu-ray Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS: 650 minutes (13 episodes on six discs), updated special effects, archival documentary, new documentary, in conversation interviews, convention footage, actor tribute, audio commentaries, TV interviews, continuity announcements, HD photo galleries, deleted scenes, gag reel, written archive, character introduction, and more
VIDEO: 1.33:1 1080p (episodes), 1.78:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)/ 1.33:1 for extras
AUDIO: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English SDH

STUDIO: BBC/ BBC Studios/ SDS
RELEASE DATE: 12-10-2024 (North America)/ 11-19-2024 (Barnes and Noble)

DISC ONE- THE WAY BACK/ SPACE FALL/ LIBERATION documentary (on season 1)
DISC TWO- CYGNUS ALPHA/ TIME SQUAD/ Sally Knyvette IN CONVERSATION
DISC THREE- THE WEB/ SEEK-LOCATE-DESTROY/ Stephen Greif Tribute
DISC FOUR- MISSION TO DESTINY/ DUEL
DISC FIVE- PROJECT AVALON/ BREAKDOWN/ Michael E. Briant IN CONVERSATION
DISC SIX- BOUNTY/ DELIVERANCE/ ORAC/ unreleased making-of documentary
BLAKE'S 7 was one of three major sci-fi shows that Terry Nation worked on during his career. BLAKE'S 7 and SURVIVORS were the shows he created while the creation of the Daleks helped cement the longevity of long running time travel show DOCTOR WHO all thanks to the talent of Terry Nation. BLAKE'S 7 was described as Robin Hood in Space, but Terry Nation's sci-fi action drama is complex and dark. This low budget sci-fi show from the BBC only lasted for four seasons, but it has fans since it debut in 1978 stretching from British fans who watched it on the BBC to PBS stations in the USA to new fans who discovered it on BritBox or the BBC Sci-Fi Channel on FreeVee. Since it never got a DVD release in the USA, BLAKE'S 7 sees its first physical media release (since VHS) with the packed blu-ray release of BLAKE'S 7 THE COLLECTION SERIES ONE.

BLAKE'S 7 follows rebel Roj Blake who is framed for crimes he didn't do and he ends up gathering a crew of criminals like Kerr Avon, Jenna Stannis, Gan, and cowardly thief Vila along with telepathic rebel Cally. They use the alien ship as the Liberator and the computer Zen to fight against the tyrannical Federation and Supreme Commander Servalan and Space commander Travis. It is a very adult sci-fi action series with mature themes and some violence. The characters get developed over time, but the clear favorites are Avon and Villa with Blake being too much of a straight man devoted to the cause. It is very different from Doctor Who while it shares some of the same low budget/ no budget DNA that classic Doctor Who had from some of the same guest stars, writers (Chris Boucher), quarries as other world locations, and one of the most iconic Doctor Who composers (Dudley Simpson).

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BLAKE'S 7 is packed with new and old special features including hour long interviews, TV promotional segments, HD photo galleries, making-of documentaries, audio commentaries on three episodes with the cast, continuity announcements, rare convention footage from HORIZON in March 1998, featurettes, character introductions, model footage, DVD Easter eggs, studio footage, the blu-ray trailer, a deleted scene, and outtakes. Each episode also has optional updated CGI special effects.

DISC ONE-
LIBERATION is a newly produced HD documentary on the origins and making of the first season of BLAKE'S 7.

DISC TWO- SALLY KNYVETTE IN CONVERSATION is an hour plus interview as Matthew Sweet talks to her about her career and playing Jenna on BLAKE'S 7

DISC THREE-
Friends, family, Stephen Grief (through interview footage), and colleagues remember and talk about actor Stephen Grief and his career as an actor including getting fired by Orson Wells for poor penmanship.

DISC FIVE-
Director Michael E. Briant talks about his life, acting career, directing DOCTOR WHO and BLAKE'S 7, and his passion for sailing in a conversation with Matthew Sweet in MICHEAL E. BRIANT: IN CONVERSATION

DISC SIX has a deleted scene, outtakes, studio footage, and an unreleased MAKING OF BLAKE'S 7 documentary which was originally going to be included with the UK DVD release of the series.

FINAL ANALYSIS: It is great to see BLAKE'S 7 get such a fantastic blu-ray release in North America and the UK. It has a slide out slip cover, case art, and a booklet on the series and what is on each disc. Too bad the North American blu-ray releases of Classic DOCTOR WHO don't get this treatment like it does in the UK.

This blu-ray review is ©12-29-2024 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com