‘Dovekeepers’ miniseries is on DVD this week
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A new CBS miniseries from the producers of “The Bible” arrives on DVD this week.
“The Dovekeepers” (CBS/Paramount/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, two discs, two episodes, featurette, TV promos). Two-part CBS miniseries from Roma Downey and Mark Burnett (“The Bible”) chronicles events leading up to the A.D. 73 Roman siege of Masada, a mountain fortress where more than 900 Jews sought refuge after being routed from their homes. The story is told from the viewpoint of women known as “dovekeepers,” who have the communication birds in their care.
Fictionalized retelling of historical events based on the novel by Alice Hoffman. Stars include Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan, Kathryn Prescott and Sam Neill. (Exclusively available at Amazon.com.)
“A Place to Call Home: Season 2” (Acorn/DVD, 2014, three discs, 10 episodes, featurettes). Often compared to “Downton Abbey,” this Australian soap opera focuses on a nurse (Marta Dusseldorp) in post-World War II Australia who becomes involved with a wealthy family, which lends itself to multiple storylines involving class differences, anti-Semitism and a murder that was covered up.
“Gangland Undercover: Season 1” (History/Lionsgate/DVD, 2015, two discs, six episodes). Fact-based spinoff of the History cable channel’s “Gangland” series, this one is about Charles Falco (Damon Runyan), a former drug runner who takes a deal to become an FBI informant and infiltrates a dangerous biker gang, climbing in the organization while secretly facilitating arrests. Based on Falco’s memoir.
“Frog Kingdom” (Lionsgate/DVD, 2015, PG, featurette, mini-episodes, trailers). Echoes of Pixar’s “Brave” reverberate through this Chinese animated feature about the Froglympics, with the top prize being the Frog King’s daughter in marriage. But she has other ideas, runs off to train as a commoner and then enters the contest herself. Voice actors include Bella Thorne, Cameron Dallas, Rob Schneider, Drake Bell and Keith David.
“My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Cutie Mark Quests” (Shout! Kids/Hasbro/DVD, 2015, five episodes, singalong). Episodes include “The Show Stoppers” and two two-part stories, “The Return of Harmony” and “Cutie Markless.”
Chris Hicks is the author of “Has Hollywood Lost Its Mind? A Parent’s Guide to Movie Ratings.” He also writes at www.hicksflicks.com and can be contacted at hicks@deseretnews.com.
