Mad Men: The Complete Collection [Region 1]

Product Information

Season Two - Audio Commentaries, Mad Men Season Two Music Sampler, Birth of an Independent Woman Part 1, Birth of an Independent Woman Part 2, An Era of Style and Time Capsule - Historical Events of the 1960s. For those of you who live in some kind of subterranean lair (or reside in an orbiting space shuttle), let me recap the basics of AMC’s award-winning series ‘Mad Men:’ The show takes place in the early 1960’s in an ad agency in New York. Our main character is creative director Don Draper (Jon Hamm). Draper has a beautiful wife (January Jones), a couple of cute little kids, and a kind of wizardly ability to come up with the perfect way to sell a product, no matter how bland it may be. Earth Day 1970 (HD, 3 Mins.) - This focuses on the start of the movement that wanted to make the planet better, ecologically. Laurel Canyon (HD, 3 Mins.) - Things are focused on the hippie movement and certain place in California, where some of the show took place this season. Mad Men has garnered intense critical acclaim, becoming a multi-award-winning series and sustaining a massive 7 seasons across its time on air. With its impressive collection of Emmys and Golden Globes, this incredible show has cemented its place as one of the all-time greats of the late 2000s, alongside such hits as Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead - a bold but supported claim.

Mad Men: Season One Blu-ray Review | High Def Digest Mad Men: Season One Blu-ray Review | High Def Digest

An Era of Style (HD, 21:44) This is a historical overview of the fashion styles of the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s (“one of the most important times in fashion history,” says the show’s costume designer). It’s just as snappy as the feminist documentary, with a lot less heft. Still, it’s a lot of fun to watch (and anyone who loves the show, should) and a great little doc, but could have done with a longer running time. There are two main dramatic thrusts at work in ‘Mad Men’ (at least at this point, in season two): One, will Don Draper ever get his shit together, stop cheating on his wife, and open up about his mysterious past? (Spoiler alert: his real name is not Don Draper.) Two, how will our characters and their lives buttress and collide with the tumultuous historical events swirling around this period. The two complement each others in certain ways, and the show always walks a fine line in terms of what it’s telling us (about history, about the characters) and what it’s keeping from us. Time Capsule: Historical Events of the 1960’s This is a really cool little feature. Basically, it lets you go through each episode, if you stop on an episode, you can then look and see a small video or series of images pertaining to the historical importance of that episode. Sometimes it’s something as simple as “The Top 10 Television Shows of 1962,” or sometimes it’s heavier like “Space Race” or “Cuban Missile Crisis.” This is a wonderful feature and one that I hope they take forward with future seasons of ‘Mad Men’ (season 3 is even more historically centered).And joining Hamm in his seminal role as Draper is a stellar cast of endearing actors and actresses, featuring Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, Vincent Kartheiser as Pete Campbell, January Jones as Betty Francis, and so many more names you will become closely attached to over the course of this encapsulating 92-episode epic. Following the escapades of the Sterling Cooper advertising agency, join the womanising, hard-drinking, chain-smoking Don Draper (played by the charismatic Jon Hamm), and immerse yourself in his life both personal and professional as you discover the ruthless competitiveness of this dog-eat-dog business world. Everything in ‘Mad Men’ has an almost three-dimensional level of texture, from the different fabrics (and metals and plastics) used in both the costumes (particularly Joan’s outrageous getups) and the set design, to the way everyone’s hair is so expertly coiffed. This texture is wonderfully strong here. Skin tones look amazing. Colors vibrantly pop. Shadows are deep and inky. Everything looks divine. Engulf yourself in the 7-series phenomenon Mad Men, which follows the dynamic events which take place in Manhattan, New York, on the wealthy Maddison Avenue. If your last experiences of Mad Men were the closing episodes of the final series – with Don Draper making like Kerouac to the west coast – then to revisit the series at its very beginning, in the smoky cool of 1960 New York, is to land with the judder of a Mohawk touching down at Idlewild airport. This isn’t just a different decade; it might as well have been a different century.

Mad Men: The Final Season, Part 2 Blu-ray Review | High Def Mad Men: The Final Season, Part 2 Blu-ray Review | High Def

Less bombastic but still quite good is the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. (This is the set’s only audio option, by the way.) Presenting a historically authentic rendition of the 1960s, Mad Men provides insight into the developing social mood of the United States throughout this time period. Presenting an ego-driven world of clashing personalities, there is a whole assortment of dramatisation and well-acted scenes for you to sink your teeth into. An award-winning sensation Birth of An Independent Woman (HD, 43:09) This is, bar none, the highlight of the entire set, special features-wise. It’s a really wonderful, two-part documentary examining the roles of women in the world, before and during the period that ‘Mad Men’ is set. Occasionally they try to shoehorn the show into conversation in weird ways (“You wanted to be called Mrs. Draper,” one feminist theorist says), but man, this is a snappily edited, intellectually stimulating, and 100 percent engaging documentary, drawing from a number of leading feminist organizers, professors and theorists. If you don’t think that ‘Mad Men’ is one of the most smartly feminist shows on television (it has one of the most female-heavy writing staffs on television), then this should clear that right up. Essential. Directors: Phil Abraham , Michael Uppendahl , Jennifer Getzinger , Matthew Weiner , Scott Hornbacher , Lesli Linka Glatter

Picture Quality

Still, ‘Mad Men’s’ second season is compulsively watchable (and makes way for its even crazier third season), beautifully photographed, expertly written (largely by series creator Matthew Weiner, a ‘Sopranos’ vet), and wonderfully acted. It’s now that I’ll say that when I started watching the show, in preparation for this review, I was afraid it would be all machismo swagger, a kind of period ‘Entourage.’ I’m sure others fear this too. But what I was so impressed by, from the very beginning of season one, was that the women characters are the most fully fleshed out and interesting, particularly Joan and Peggy. While the show may be called ‘Mad Men,’ it’s the women that keep you watching. Mad Men: The Final Season Part II' comes with an excellent 1080p HD transfer presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. If you've seen the previous seasons, then you know just how great this video presentations look, and this one is no different. Detail is very sharp and vivid throughout with excellent closeups that showcase the amazing textures in that 60s/70s clothing and furniture. Mad Men’ is a dialogue heavy show, for sure, so most of the action is in the front, with little use for the more dynamic surround sound elements we all clamor for. (The rear channels mostly handle the score and finely chosen songs.) But this is okay when the dialogue is reproduced as crisply and clearly as it is here. Occasionally other channels get used, and generally the effect is one of subtle immersion – you feel as though you’re just down the hall from the steno pool.

Mad Men: The Complete Collection [Blu-ray] [23 Discs] Mad Men: The Complete Collection [Blu-ray] [23 Discs]

The Final Season Part 1 - Audio Commentaries, Technology: 1969, Gay Rights, The Best Things in Life Are Free, Gay Power, Trial of the Chicago Eight Part 1 and Trial of the Chicago Eight Part 2. This is a comprehensive set, with so many extras it will take you just as long to get through them as it will to watch the entire series.Show your advertising skills by building your own collection of Mad Men merchandise to show off to your friends and family. Every stitch and and imperfection can be seen clearly. Closeups reveal every individual hair, bead of sweat, and fancy makeup blemish nicely. Wider shots also look excellent too, as the image never goes soft. Colors are bold and bright, simply popping off screen with vast array of those iconic 60s/70's color schemes. It's really a joy to watch whether the characters are in an interior office setting or outside by the beach. It's simply marvelous.