DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
 
 
 
'Breaking Bad': The Series, The DVD, My Life
June 7, 2011  | By David Bianculli
 
breaking-bad-pizza.jpg

Today I intended to present a lengthy review of the Season 3 DVD set of AMC's Breaking Bad, which just came out. Instead, I'm at NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, about to step in to replace Terry as host, because she lost her voice yesterday while recording an interview (running today, Tuesday) with Keith Olbermann. (She was sick, not yelling.) Good thing TVWW Eric Gould just posted a brilliant dissection of Breaking Bad, which you can read HERE. And keep reading, for my one can't-resist observation about this new DVD set...

Anyway, what Eric didn't tell you is that the Extras on this Sony Home Entertainment set of Breaking Bad -- which you can purchase by clicking HERE -- are alone worth the purchase price.

My favorite is an entire mock mini-documentary called Pizza of Destiny: Cranston's Greatest Shot, which details the long-odds success in capturing, on the first take, an easy-to-write, hard-to-film action shot.

Bryan Cranston, as Walter White, had shown up at his own house, from which he is temporarily exiled, with a giant pizza as a combination peace offering and entry bribe. Instead, Walt's wife rebuffs him, shutting the door in his face -- and Walt, angry, tosses the pizza on the roof.

How to make it fly out of the box, clear the roof lip, and land, face up in camera range? How much rehearsal? How many tries?

Cranson (Extra Spoiler Alert!) nails it on the first try.

Also, these are among the most enjoyable audio commentary tracks since the original DVD releases of The Simpsons. This team of writers and actors really likes one another, it's clear, and I've seen a lot of TV comedies that are less funny, scripted, than these folks' playful ad libs.

To enjoy those moments, you have to watch the episodes with audio commentaries twice -- once as a regular show, then again with the commentaries on. But both of them, in their own way, beat most other forms of DVD entertainment out there...

Now it's off to prepare for Fresh Air. Feel better, Terry...

 

1 Comments

 

Michael said:

I enjoy your site.

Unfortunately I no longer get AMC, and Season 4 begins next month.

Do you happen to know how long after a new BB episode airs on AMC it becomes available to download/view on iTunes? Days? Weeks? Months? Thanks! (I can't get the people at AMC to respond to me).

[Usually the day after - so be patient. But not TOO patient. -- DB]

Michael

Comment posted on June 9, 2011 5:10 PM
 
 
 
 
 
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