Dexter Season 4 (DVD/BluRay)Dexter, the notorious Showtime saga about a kinder, gentler kind of serial killer, has never quite climbed back to the heights of creepy nirvana it attained in its first season. But season four manages a solid rebound, returning the series to its place among the best shows on TV today.
Dexter season three was never exactly bad; but with the central conflict of its first three-quarters being the neurotic relationship between the title character and his new stab-happy buddy, it felt less like Dexter and more like a soap opera featuring a slightly higher number of murders per episode.
Season four covers darker ground out of the gate. We're immediately introduced to a less principled serial killer in the form of Arthur Dent (John Lithgow, who spends a distressing amount of time in the first episode naked) as he begins the latest cycle in a 30-year string of murders. Dent is instantly a stronger rival for Dexter than season three's Miguel Prado ever was, and he grows into a steadily more complex and interesting character as the season unfolds.
But Dexter's Achilles' heel has always been its believability, and season four scrapes as low as the series ever has on this front. As with many shows late in their lives, Dexter's plot has begun to determine its characters rather than the other way around. The source of all dramatic tension this time around is the characters' total lack of common sense. None are worse than Dexter himself, who could have cut the plot short after two episodes if he had stayed his usual cautious self; instead we see him inexplicably hanging out with a target for an entire season, exposing himself by an unprecedented degree and acting surprised over the inevitable fallout when it comes.
Also on the gripes list is the dull and irrelevant romantic subplot between Batista and Laguerta-shoehorned in by some producer, I suppose, who thought he could grab the elusive demographic that would love to watch a show about a psychopathic killer if it only had more kissing.
John Lithgow gives a stern reminder of his range as an actor here: his character has many sides, and all of them demand attention. Michael C. Hall as usual accomplishes more than ought to be possible as Dexter, slipping emotion into an emotionless character. And Jennifer Carpenter is refreshingly real as Debra Morgan, although some might find her annoying.
Unrated for naked John Lithgow. Oh, and ritualized murder.3.5 out of 5
Gunless (DVD/Blu-Ray) -- Dir. William Phillips. Starring Paul Gross, Sienna Guillory, Tyler Mane.Tolerable comedy about an American Old West gunslinger (Paul Gross) who finds himself stranded in a cheerful Canadian town.
Since 2002's Men With Brooms, Paul Gross has found a niche as the star of insecure Canadian "cultural" films that all but scream "We are Canadian, look at how different we are from Americans."
Perhaps that's a fair reflection of our country's self-image, but it doesn't make for good films. Good films don't need to broadcast their nation's culture, because it's an intrinsic part of what they are.
Mercifully, Gunless gets most of the awkward Canadian-vs-American gags out of the way early and settles into being another mediocre fish-out-of-water comedy. It's never what you would call funny, but it does manage to be mildly amusing at times.
Director William Phillips gets along well with a low budget. The generic, almost cartoony Western soundtrack was the only thing that stood out to me as gratingly amateurish.Graham Greene's brief appearance is a highlight.
Something to beware: the movie is strictly safe PG-rated fare, but the after-credits bloopers are not.2.5 out of 5
