Whether you celebrate Christmas or embrace the War on Christmas (Happy Holidays!), there’s always room to enjoy a good Christmas tune…especially if it’s got an edge to it.
On last night’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Stephen Colbert unveiled a segment he called “A Very Rollins Christmas” as he began a rendition of the Christmas classic “Carol of the Bells” alongside Henry Rollins. Let’s just say that there’s a little punk in this Christmas carol, and it’s awesome.
Via Rolling Stone, we also have a very unconventional reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” that Rollins performed in 1991 for A Lump of Coal, an Australian compilation album. And it’s definitely not the standard take on an old Christmas gem! As Rolling Stone says, “By the end of it, not a creature is stirring.” Not even a mouse?
Photo Credit: CBS
2015 TV on DVD & Blu-ray Gift Guide
2015 TV on DVD & Blu-ray Gift Guide
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Avatar: The Complete Series + Book (Amazon Exclusive)
Avatar: The Last Airbender is the animated series that put to rest the idea that American companies can’t put together an animated series as compelling as an anime series. In fact, Avatar even blurred the line between the anime and American style by using actual anime animators.
Amazon.com has a new Avatar: The Complete Series box set including all 61 episodes, with a graphic novel and a few training cards included for under $50. That’s a steal!
Photo Credit: Nickelodeon Animation Studios
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Black Sails: Seasons 1 & 2
For the holidays, the first two seasons of Starz’s pirate drama, Black Sails are being packaged together. But if you’re expecting a retread of the Pirates of the Caribbean then think again. Black Sails has a much darker tone than Disney’s pirates and it places the focus on Captain Flint and Long John Silver, two characters from Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, Treasure Island.
Black Sails is also one of the more R-rated action shows on TV. It’s not for everyone, but it fills its niche well.
Photo Credit: Platinum Dunes
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Better Call Saul: Season 1
As a spinoff of Breaking Bad, it shouldn’t have been that surprising that Better Call Saul was one of the best new shows on TV.
Somehow, Bob Odenkirk and the writers of Better Call Saul have made Saul Goodman’s younger self, Jimmy McGill into a truly sympathetic and compelling character. We know what Jimmy’s going to become, but we feel for him along the way.
Having Jonathan Banks back as Mike only makes the series even better.
Photo Credit: Sony Pictures TV
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Doctor Who: Christmas Specials Giftset [Blu-ray]
BBC’s Doctor Who has a long tradition of airing new Christmas specials every year on December 25. To date, there have been ten Doctor Who Christmas specials in the revived TV series, with an eleventh coming this Christmas as well.
This year, BBC is getting a little festive with its Doctor Who box sets by releasing a collection of the last ten Doctor Who Christmas specials. And these are not meaningless episodes either. They contain the Tenth Doctor’s first and final adventures, as well as the Eleventh Doctor’s ultimate regeneration, and the first appearance of the Twelfth Doctor as well.
As a bonus, this giftset comes with a replica of the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver.
Photo Credit: BBC
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Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]
DC is finally starting to make its move into live-action, after letting Marvel dominate with its films. But on TV, DC has long had the very best animated series. Justice League Unlimited is simply put, the best of the best superhero shows...and it’s finally out on Blu-ray!
The extras haven’t received much of an upgrade from the previous Justice League Unlimited DVD set, but the big attraction here is the show itself. Bruce Timm, the late Dwayne McDuffie, and several other writers treated their audience with respect and they delivered a more mature and compelling Justice League that was well-written, with great voiceover artists, and amazing animation.
Ten years later, Justice League Unlimited is still the gold standard for superhero cartoons. Nobody has even come close.
Buy it now!Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Animation
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The Flash: The Complete First Season w/Figurine [Blu-ray]
The CW’s incarnation of The Flash has been so good that it’s hard to imagine the movie version of The Flash doing it any better.
Unlike the majority of the live-action comic book TV shows, The Flash doesn’t shy away from its comic book roots. That means that the show’s creators were free to use a telepathic gorilla as a villain, and the main adversary called himself Reverse-Flash as he hid in plain site.
It may sound goofy when you read the description, but The Flash is truly entertaining. This Blu-ray set also includes an action figure of Reverse-Flash, which is another nice touch for comic fans.
Photo Credit: DC Entertainment
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Star Trek: The Original Series - The Complete Series
For the first time, the original Star Trek series is available on DVD as a single box set for under $50. That is a ridiculously good deal for one of the all-time great sci-series.
This is also the remastered edition of Star Trek: The Original Series, which means that the special effects have been improved, and the space scenes have a more modern look. Not every Trekie has welcomed these changes, but it does make some of the chessier episodes easier to watch.
Photo Credit: CBS TV/Paramount Television
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Empire: Season 1 - Gold Record Edition [Blu-ray]
Out of nowhere, the first season of Empire became one of the breakout hits of 2015. It stars Terrence Howard as Lucious Lyon, a music mogul who has to deal with a seemingly fatal illness and the return of his ex-wife, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) while attempting to decide which of his three sons will take over his business.
Make no mistake, Empire is a melodrama and a soap opera wrapped in a hip-hop package. The second season may complete Empire's shark jump before the end of 2016, but the first season of Empire was a lot of fun.
The Gold Record Edition of the Empire Blu-ray is a fitting way to own it on home video.
Photo Credit: Imagine Television
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The Walking Dead Season 5 Limited Edition [Blu-ray]
Sure, you could buy The Walking Dead on DVD or Blu-ray at a much cheaper price than The Walking Dead Season 5 Limited Edition. But then you won’t get this impressive recreation of the asphalt walker that appeared to have been fused to the hot streets of Atlanta.
It’s a great display piece, especially if you’ve already grabbed the other Walking Dead limited editions.
Photo Credit: AMC
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The X-Files: The Collector's Set [Blu-ray]
The X-Files is coming back to Fox in two months with a six-episode miniseries. That’s just about enough time to get through all 202 episodes of The X-Files’ original run on Fox.
This is the first time that all nine seasons of The X-Files have been collected together on Blu-ray. This set is also the priciest item on our 2015 gift list. But if you know someone who loves The X-Files, this is the ultimate gift.
Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox Television
