Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Bored to Death: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

"Men face reality. Women don't. That's why men need to drink."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown October 1, 2010

Delusions of grandeur are a comedy staple. Now take those delusions, wrap them in good intentions, self-loathing, neurotic naiveté and pithy, soft-boiled detective dialogue, and you have a television rarity: a sharp genre satire and quirky noir comedy that breaks the rules and defies expectation. Admittedly, Bored to Death is hard to lock down and even harder to hate. Some will tire of its meek comic stylings, some will call it aimless from the outset, perhaps even pretentious, and some will find its lack of belly laughs to be a complete turn off. Others will simply throw in the proverbial towel after two episodes. (I almost did.) But Bored to Death is one of those shows that slowly but surely grows on you. By the end of its first-season broadcast run, I was hooked. I didn't know exactly why at the time -- its characters, oddly endearing as they may be, are discontented, self-indulgent nitwits, its overt nods are infectious but narrow, and its truncated debut season draws to a close just as it finds its footing -- but after watching all eight episodes a second and, now, a third time, the source, or rather sources, of my intoxication have become all too clear.

Jonathan Ames, on the case...

Meet Jonathan Ames, former New York Press columnist, novelist and creator, producer and writer of HBO's foray into neurotic noir comedy, the slyly titled Bored to Death. Now meet Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman), New York City local, white wine addict, struggling writer, lovelorn loser and self-proclaimed unlicensed private detective; a man whose only professional qualifications for his latest obsession are, by his own admission, the stack of dimestore detective novels scattered around his apartment. After placing an ad on Craigslist -- Private Detective for hire. Specializing: missing persons, domestic issues. I'm not licensed, but maybe I'm someone who can help you. My fee is reasonable -- he attracts his first client, a distraught young woman whose sister has gone missing. Ames is hardly the man for the job, his quirky insecurities and fragile ego are only amplified by his recent breakup with his girlfriend (Juno's Olivia Thirlby), but he has a plan. "Instead of cherchez la femme, I'm going to try something different. Cherchez l'homme. Find the man." The man being her hot-tempered, tattooed boyfriend who soon traps Ames in a motel bathroom with nothing to defend himself but a plunger. Inevitably, he solves the case (more or less anyway), leaving him with a renewed sense of purpose.

His friends aren't exactly supportive though. Morose comic artist Ray Hueston (Zach Galifianakis) is dealing with a number of debilitating personal issues -- a taxing relationship and shattered dreams, among others -- and boss George Christopher (Ted Danson) is a wealthy, narcissistic pothead with little to offer aside from self-centered junk philosophy. But even after a stern police officer orders him to stop impersonating an investigator, he takes the next case... and the next and the next. Over the course of Bored to Death's all-too-short, eight-episode first season, Ames tracks a man (Peter Hermann) at the behest of his suspicious girlfriend (Kristin Wiig), searches for a missing skateboard, contends with a Craigslist blackmailer, identifies the source of threatening phone calls and helps Ray find a pair of lesbians who had, until recently, been purchasing his sperm. Along the way, he loses an opportunity to pen a screenplay to Charlie Kaufman, deals with eccentric filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, is seduced by a client (Parker Posey), contends with George's rival, GQ editor Richard Antrem (Oliver Platt), and falls in love with someone new (Jenny Slate).

Divisive? Naturally. Comedy has always and will always divide audiences. Personal tastes and experience will determine whether or not you enjoy Bored to Death, as will a fondness for Golden Age noir, offbeat gags and the mind-numbingly mundane. To that end, Ames and series writers Donick Cary and Martin Gero nail nearly everything they set out to accomplish, walking a fine line between parody and homage, embracing the unique flavors of their genre gumbo and embracing their actors' punchy deliveries with some truly inspired writing. There isn't a scene that goes by that won't leave Ames' fans grinning a sly little grin, and the performances only serve to make each one all the more entertaining. Again, big laughs are few and far between. Bored to Death celebrates subtlety and takes the comedy paths least traveled. And while that limits the show's broader appeal and risks alienating the masses, devotees needn't worry. HBO isn't quick to cancel anything, regardless of a series' ratings, and Bored to Death's second season looks to be as winning an eight-episode outing as its first strangely tantalizing season.

Bored to Death: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

HBO's 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation isn't a flawless femme fatale, but it will turn its share of heads. Director of photography Vanja Cernjul's savory, shadow-draped palette is rich and sultry, embracing the series' faux-noir charm with enticing primaries, absorbing blacks and warm, generally lifelike skintones. Lipstick reds, nightcap blues, coffee-house browns and golden earthtones are beautiful, yet starkly lit interiors and sun-struck exteriors lend a reality to Ames' fledgling fantasy world. Better still, detail remains sharp and satisfying throughout, despite the fact that the series' lighting is in constant flux. Fine textures are wonderfully resolved, object definition is crisp and clean, delineation leaves little to the imagination and many a closeup and midrange shot look fantastic. Some filmic softness creeps into the episodes, but each instance is most certainly intentional. Likewise, noise spikes at times, but rarely gets unruly. As technical encodes go, The Complete First Season doesn't falter very often. Some minor, arguably negligible mishaps pop up from time to time -- a hint of ringing here, a spot of over-saturation there -- and a smattering of blink-and-you'll-miss-em anomalies appear and disappear without rhyme or reason, but the whole of the presentation is nothing short of impressive. HBO delivers yet again.

Bored to Death: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bored to Death's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track doesn't fare as well, even if the series' flat, front-heavy sound design is the likely culprit. Dialogue is natural, convincing and neatly prioritized, and my only issue is that a faint, metallic hum sometimes undermines the integrity of quieter lines. The LFE channel, meanwhile, is reserved but involving, lending just enough weight to each episode's heftier elements to grant them welcome presence. Unfortunately, the rear speakers fail to take advantage of the busy cafés, bustling restaurants and moody bars, diners and dives Ames and his cohorts frequent. All in all, The Complete First Season features a passable, relatively proficient mix, but I hope the series showrunners have more sonic surprises in store for Season Two.

Bored to Death: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 2-disc Blu-ray edition of Bored to Death's opening salvo may not boast an abundance of special features -- four half-hour audio commentaries, two decent production featurettes and a handful of deleted scenes doesn't sound like much -- but for a four-hour, eight-episode television release, it's quite generous. And it's all presented in high definition to boot. I, for one, walked away satisfied.

• Audio Commentaries: First up are four fun and forthcoming cast and crew commentaries -- "Stockholm Syndrome" with series star Jason Schwartzman, creator/writer Jonathan Ames and director Alan Taylor; "The Case of the Missing Screenplay" with Schwartzman, Ames and director Michael Lehmann; "The Case of the Beautiful Blackmailer" with Schwartzman, Ames and director Adam Bernstein; and "Take a Dive" with Schwartzman, Ames and actor Ted Danson -- all of which delve into the series' writing, tone, performances, humor, music, dialogue and, really, everything you might want to know about Ames little noir that could. If you enjoy the show in any capacity, don't let the first season's commentaries pass you by.
• Jonathan Ames's Brooklyn (HD, 13 minutes): An "On Location" EPK with Ames and Schwartzman. Granted, it will strike those who already listened to the discs' commentaries as a bit repetitive, but its low-key demeanor and humble hosts make it worth ten minutes of your life.
• The Making of Bored to Death (HD, 20 minutes): A more extensive glimpse behind-the-scenes, albeit one laden with too many episode clips, unnecessary plot synopses and a mildly distracting musical score.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 4 minutes): Last but not least, several unaired scenes are included alongside "The Case of the Missing Screenplay," "The Case of the Stolen Skateboard" and "Take a Dive."

Bored to Death: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I heart HBO. The Blu-ray release of Bored to Death: The Complete First Season isn't perfect -- its excellent video transfer and notable supplemental package are hindered by a dull, front-heavy DTS-HD Master Audio track -- but, at the very least, it's worth a rent. Give it a spin and see if HBO's smartly restrained noir comedy appeals to your sensibilities as much as it did mine.