Getting Lost Again. Lost Season Two Review.

In the last season of Lost, a lot had happed. Lives were lost, trust was lost, and the only thing that the survivors of the Oceanic Flight 815 were left with was hope.

The second season opens with the discovery of what lies behind the hatch –– the discovery that the island isn't really what it appears to be. The survivors have already realised that there are "others" on the island. Just what the "others" are is something even the survivors are not sure of. The original cast has returned and this time, though we are familiar with what they have been through, we do not know who they are. Individual past stories continue to reveal shocking and sometimes outrageous twists. And then there is the meeting with the "others."

Giving too much information would spoil the show in this review, but this much is true: there are few series that keep you on the edge and with this show, you will find that there is no edge, because even the edge is lost.

Another feature in this show — something that other shows lack — is the soundtrack. Also labelled as incidental soundtrack, pieces of music are tailored to the moments of the scene, rather than to the characters. Because the characters are so rich anyway, the focus of the music shifts to the moments, particularly the twists and cliff hangers.

The boxset is again loaded with goodies. Behind the scene features, special documentaries, plus special commentaries on selected episodes. There is so much to view that you will only end up getting Lost.

Sex and the City

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Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her friends journey through singlehood in modern day New York in Sex and the City, a truly girly show based on a book by Candace Bushnell of the same name.

Though there is no coherent plot , the show is narrative driven with Carrie's colourful comments on the lives of the four stars within. We have Carrie herself, who is a columnist, often interacting with fictional and non-fictional celebrities. The character is brilliantly portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker, who up until now was not finding much success on the big screen.

Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) is a young, almost aristocratic, art dealer who sternly believes in traditions. Cynthia Nixon plays Miranda Hobbes, the career minded lawyer who has a pessimistic view of the world and yet is the voice of reason for the entire group. We finally come to Samantha (Kim Cattrall), the eldest of the group, but the youngest at heart and the secret star of the show.

The first season introduces us to each character and also the premise of the show — New York City, which is a star of the show itself, not to mention a supporting cast of shoes, dresses and jewelry.

The DVD box set is loaded with special features such as commentaries and behind-the-scene footage. Also included are cast interviews. This is a must-watch and must-have, especially for slumber parties.

From the Earth to the Moon - A Review

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There are very few wonders of the 20th century that continue to amaze us in this day and age. Man’s journey to the moon is one of them. HBO’s mini series From the Earth to the Moon looks at this journey from its very inception. Based loosely on the book by Andrew Chaikin, the series has a cast of epic proportions whose stories span the generation of the infamous space race.

The series starts off with a setback against the United States it is 1961 and Yuri Gregarian is the first man in space. Inspired and urged by the words of John F. Kennedy, the team at NASA was determined to achieve the target of putting a man on the moon by the end of that decade. We’re shown that every person on the team, from the contractors, subcontractors to even the wives of the astronauts, played an important role on putting a man on the moon. Perhaps the highlight of this series is the episode, Mare Tranquilitatis, the sixth episode in the series; we see Neil Armstrong (portrayed brilliantly by Tony Goldwyn) and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin (Bryan Cranston) make their journey into history books, and of course we get to see the infamous “small step” and the “giant leap” on the moon.

This series comes with behind the scene features, including a special introduction to each episode by Tom Hanks (the executive producer of the series), and commentaries on selected episodes. So sit back, relax and enjoy the journey From the Earth to the Moon.

(This review was originally published in the January 07, 2007 Edition of Dawn Images)