| The Dresden Files - The Complete First Season |
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Product Details
The Dresden Files is about a wizard named Harry. "Good marketing," a cynical observer notes in one episode from the Sci-Fi Channel's one-season wonder based on the books by Jim Butcher. "Couldn't you come up with something a little more original?" Actually, this series manages to be plenty original despite echoes of The X-Files and the 1970s cult classic The Night Stalker. Paul Blackthorne stars as Harry Dresden, a scruffy Chicago private eye whose gift comes in handy for children menaced by skinwalkers, or for offering Lt. Murphy (Valerie Cruz) of the Chicago police "an unconventional point of view" concerning grisly, bizarre cases involving werewolves, vampires, and other decidedly unfriendly spirits. The Dresden Files is a paranormal noir (para-noir?) that deftly balances genuine scares, hard-boiled moxie, and tongue-in-cheek humor, delivered with panache by "Bob" (Terrance Mann), an ancient English spirit who resides in a skull and gives.Harry supernatural assistance. Harry's backstory--magician father, wizard mother, treacherous uncle--is revealed over the course of these 12 episodes. The eighth broadcast episode, "Things That Go Bump," was reportedly intended as the series pilot, and may be the best place to start. But Harry's world-weary voice-over in the classic tradition ("If you're a wizard and you fail, people can end up dead") keeps viewers oriented. Low ratings made The Dresden Files disappear, making this DVD set welcome for the series' hardcore fans who mounted the ultimately unsuccessful letter-writing campaign to save Dresden from the "Brilliant, but Cancelled" files. But even those who are unfamiliar with Butcher's books or are not on the Sci-Fi Channel's wavelength will be charmed. --Donald Liebenson
Product Reviews
 (4 stars) - Been looking for this DVD
We've been looking of and on for the is DVD for some time now... remember watching it on the Sci Fi channel some time ago, but it just left the air without any warning or explanation. Now that we are all caught up with season 1, it's too bad they didn't see the wisdom in making season 2. Highly recommend the book series!
 (5 stars) - Excellent Quality for the Price
This product was still in the package and was priced at a very reasonable price!! I am very happy with my purchase.
(4 stars) - The Dresden Files
This was a series that suffered from two main problems -- it only ran for 12 epsidoes, and it was cancelled after the first season.
This was a fun and entertaining show. The "hero" - Harry Dresden had painted on his front door "Harry Dresden / Wizard" and of course, there were jokes about Harry Potter from one or two of the characters.
Harry was the reluctant hero. Mostly he just wanted to be left alone, but somehow he was always dragged into some problem or crime that was supernatural in nature - vampires, demons, werewolves, etc.(similar to some of the storylines of "Charmed").
There was the obligatory attractive female detective, Lt. Connie Murphy (played by the very capable Valerie Cruz), that he had to keep from finding out about the supernatural world while solving the crime of the week.
And there were other interesting characters, such as Bob, a ghost who was cursed to live in his own skull for trying to raise his lover from the dead, and served as Harry's advisor. And there was Morgan, a Warden of the High Council, which is the governing body of the wizard community.
For the price - less than $15, this is certainly worth the money. The only downside is that it will make you wish there had been a second, a third, and even a fourth, season.
(4 stars) - One worth adding to the collection.
Loved the Dresden Files when it was on the tube... I still can't believe it didn't get another another season or two! It's amazing how many partial season TV shows I have in my collection... stuff the Networks just didn't give a chance: Wonderfalls, Firefly, and Dresden Files to mention only a few.
Fun to also see Joanne Kelly, currently playing Myka Berin on Warehouse 13 in 3 episodes as Bianca, the hot vampire! I'm totally voting her, best upper lip on any actress!
If you missed this series when it was actually on the tube and your a fan of this kind of stuff... get it and start enjoying, The Dresden Files!
 (2 stars) - Step By Step
Is my opinion of this TV series skewed because I read the first three novels before approaching the DVD? Maybe. But I think, if I encountered this series cold, I would have been just as disappointed. It aims low, has remarkably little respect for the audience, and has no ambition. Regular science fiction, fantasy, and mystery audiences are likely to be justly disappointed.
That said, if you want to enjoy this series, let me give you a step-by-step guide to the process. Step one is to put aside anything you know about the novels. This series borrows character names and a handful of core concepts, but it is essentially a wholly separate beast. If you can clear the novels from your head, you might have a chance of liking this. A small chance.
Step two is to have modest expectations. One trait I have enjoyed in the Dresden novels is the epic scope, which is a rare characteristic in recent paperback fiction. The novels seem huge, but these episodes seem small. So if you come in looking for heroic grandeur you will be frustrated, but if you can simply appreciate the story in small nuggets, maybe you'll like this.
Step three, watch selectively. Toward the end of the series, you'll find two episodes, "Things That Go Bump" and "What About Bob," that are actually quite good, if inconsistent with the novels. It seems that, as the series was running out, the creative team found their courage and began making episodes that respect the audience's ambition. Too bad it was already too late.
Step four, go easy on the actors. Terrance Mann's fake British accent is good, but he plays a dead Englander as an immobile starched shirt. Paul Blackthorne's fake American accent sounds like he's working lines with a mouth full of quick-drying cement. I really enjoyed Valerie Cruz as Murphy, but she was criminally underutilized, which I felt was an insult to the audience.
My fifth and final step is to simply put aside all critical knowledge of TV. If you take on this show as an attempt to create the Hill Street Blues of fantasy, you're in for a disappointment. If you can just watch the show as is, maybe you'll be transported by its serviceable special effects and workmanlike acting. Or maybe you won't, I don't know.
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