Bitten: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Laura Vandervoort, Greyston Holt, Greg Bryk, Paul Greene, Steve Lund

Format: Multiple Formats, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 4

Studio: Entertainment One

Release Date: August 12, 2014

Run Time: 572 minutes

 

 

        The popular literature business is apparently no different than the mediums of television and film, and that is apparent in the vast number of supernatural soap opera novels that followed in the wake of Twilight’s inexcusable success. And because Twilight was adapted from a poorly written book series into a sloppily constructed film franchise, many of the imitators have followed suit with their own film and television adaptations. The clearest example of this is “The Vampire Diaries,” though “Bitten” follows very closely with canine steps. Replacing the vampires with werewolves, many of the story elements remain the same.

 

        “Bitten” is adapted from the Underworld book series by Kelley Armstrong, which I’m understandably unfamiliar with. At the center of the storyline is a mysterious attractive and young family living in a mansion on the outskirts of a town called Bear Valley. The vampire Cullen family is replaced with the pack at Stonehaven, which also refrains from feeding on humans as a method of blending in. This is fairly successful until a lone werewolf wanders into their territory and begins killing. This incident starts off the pilot, and gives reason for many of the departed werewolves to return home to help hunt the rogue killer. Among these returning wolves is prodigal daughter, Elena Michaels (Laura Vandervoort), whose departure to Manhattan signaled her attempt at a normal existence.

 

        It wouldn’t be a supernatural melodrama series without an adequate love triangle, and “Bitten” doesn’t waste any time establishing the fact that several men are in love with Elena. She has her oblivious human boyfriend in New York, who she must lie to in order to escape to feed when sex arouses her hunger, as well as the former flame waiting for her in Stonehaven. This all unfolds quite predictably enough in the episodes without my helping the flimsy structure to fall apart with overly detailed plot description. Let’s just say that it shares far too many similarities with the past film and television franchises in this medium. This show also relies heavily on melodrama, which is often unsuccessfully played out with the mediocre cast, and special effects that nearly never live up to the standards of modern technology.

 

        The Blu-ray release of season one has all thirteen episodes and special features on four discs. The extras include deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, commentary track, and a split screen for the stunt choreography. The commentary track includes the show’s producers and the author Laura Vandervoort.

 

Entertainment Value: 5.5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 5/10

Historical Significance:  2/10

Special Features: 7/10




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