{2jtab: Movie Review}

If you conduct a Google search about Syfy’s Haven, chances are you won’t find a wealth of information about this ongoing television series.  That, my friends, is a shame.  Based loosely of Stephen King’s The Colorado Kid, the remarkable mythology behind the supernatural series has a chance to be better connected and more satisfying than ABC’s Lost.  I’m not kidding either.  Its mysteries are answered (imagine that) before new ones are introduced and the superb cast, led by Emily Rose, Eric Balfour and Lucas Bryant, keep bringing their A game and enthusiasm to each episode with remarkable intrigue.

The show centers on FBI agent Audrey Parker (Rose) who arrives in the town of Haven, Maine to solve the murder of a local ex-con, but she soon discovers that the city is a refuge for people with supernatural abilities.  Some are helpful, some are not.  Both sides know a war between the two factions is coming.

She also discovers a personal connection to the town and its ‘Troubles’ as a seeming war begins to build between the old guard and the younger generation.  And, as we saw with the ending of Season One, she discovers that even she isn’t immune to the strangeness in the town when she watches a woman enter the town and introduce herself as … herself.  Audrey isn’t Audrey anymore.

Season Two of Haven, involving twelve regular episodes and one Christmas-themed episode, isn’t your standard television show.  Each episode features a heavy bout of supernatural occurrences involving various members of the idyllic town, garnished with a hint of Stephen King source material, and an over arc that pushes the intrigue forward for its main cast and minor characters.

This season the characters of Evi Ryan (Vinessa Antoine), the other Audrey Parker (Kathleen Munroe), Dwight Hendrickson (WWE Superstar Edge), and Chris Brody (Jason Priestly) are introduced while the character of the Rev (Stephen McHattie) is expanded as he assumes leadership of the fight against the Troubled.  The new additions to the cast expand on the weirdness in the town and help tighten the arc involving our three main characters as their own individual relationships are tested.  While the romance angle between the three is played down, there is a strain of that running through the series and, when the show settles on its first relationshippy episode, it is done with success and leads straight to a third season (premiering on Syfy on September 21st).

Science Fiction has always served as a metaphor for the human condition.  The writers of Haven know this and ground each episode with intelligence and charm.  Season Two flexes its muscles and stops simply being a Monster-Of-The-Week type show with a major plot line that shows no signs of wearing thin.  Gone are the filler shows of the first season.  Being a fan of the look and feel of the show, Season Two is a major step in the right direction.  The writing has sharpened and so, too, is the mythology.  Simply put, everything improves with this season of Haven.

Welcome back to the town where everyone has a secret that can lead to your own death.  Enjoy your stay.

{2jtab: Film Details}

MPAA Rating: This title has not been rated by the MPAA.
Runtime: 572 mins.
Cast: Emily Rose; Lucas Bryant; Eric Balfour; Nicholas Campbell
Genre: Drama| Supernatural | Sci-fi
Tagline: Haven
Distributor: Entertainment One | Syfy Channel
Release Date: July 9, 2010
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: September 4, 2012

Synopsis: After a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the areas new razor-toothed residents.

{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}

Component Grades Movie Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Experience

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - September 4, 2012
Screen Formats: 1.78:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Four-disc set (4 BDs)

Presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Entertainment One with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer, Haven: The Complete Second Season has a generally good, sharp appearance a great deal of the time. Aerial establishing shots of Nova Scotia and other exterior shots are some of the sharpest and most appealing sequences every put on blu-ray. I imagine this is great for Canada’s tourist business. Digital grain does have a tendency to crop up in dark sequences and while an overall filtered disposition pulls the visual flow down in some places, the transfer shouldn’t disappoint its fans. Accurate flesh tones and contrasted textures look smart throughout the presentation. Of course, as this is a Syfy production, the CGI gets a bit soft at times, but the quirk of the show masks this well. This season has quite a number of winning FX shots.  Colors pop well and crush is at a minimum. The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that kisses each episode is pretty substantial for a weekly television broadcast and the tracks are loaded with nice surround sound, even if you have to pump the volume to catch the distribution of the some of the front-loaded dialogue.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• There are a total of 10 wonderfully informative cast and crew commentaries gracing various episodes. The commentaries tend to be on the chatty side, but also include a smattering of information about filming, special effects and character backgrounds. You’ll hear from creators/writers Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn, actors Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant and Eric Balfour, and some of the various directors.

Special Features:

The supplemental material is deep and, when it discusses the show’s great mythology, very interesting as it shows just how far along the writers are with it. They are always ahead of the game; not throwing stuff at a wall to see what sticks (like those pesky Lost writers did). Production design is detailed, the cinematography and acting is discussed in another. Most of the featurettes can be viewed in 40 or 25 minute segments and never become repetitive in what they cover. There’s a great interview with Adam Copeland (Edge) on one featurette and an hour long Q&A session panel discussion with actors Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant and Eric Balfour, writers Jim Dunn, Sam Ernst and Charles Ardive. This is great material. Once again, the little companies show the big boys up  in how to release a television show on blu-ray.

• Making of Haven (40 min)
• Behind the Scenes (25 min)
• Interview with Adam Copeland (8 min)
• Haven Panel from NY Comic-Con (51 min)

{2jtab: Trailer}

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