Lowdown-Season 2 (2010)

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Featurette-Making Of-Beyond the Masthead (16.45) Outtakes-Goof Reel (5.52)
Rating
Year Of Production	2010
Running Time	190:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Dual Disc Set	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Amanda Brotchie
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Adam Zwar Kim Gyngell Paul Denny
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Casey Bennetto

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (256Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Everyone's favourite muckraking journalist Alex Burchill is back in Series 2 of Lowdown, bringing 8 more episodes of social satire to bear on the entertainment machine and those who watch it, feed it and ride it.

     The first season introduced us to Burchill, played by comedian Adam Zwar, trying desperately to get that next great story as a journo working for the less than respectable tabloid the Sunday Sun, providing Melbourne with its gossip and scandal each weekend.

     When the series returns Alex's former editor Bruce (Kim Gyngell) has been confined to the obituary doghouse for his sins. It doesn't take too many embarrassing stuff ups from Alex before the new boss is shown the door and Bruce gets his hands back on the tiller.

     In the last season Alex broke up with his long term girlfriend Rita and it remains a kind-of relationship throughout this series as Alex can't help but to call on her in moments of need - and those moments are many. Alex moved into a flat with his bestie, cameraman, Bob (Paul Denny) but Bob’s new girlfriend puts a stop to this and poor Alex to is forced to seek refuge with his doctor, now a converted hippie.

     The series follows the path of the last with each episode introducing a story for Alex to investigate. Some are ripped straight from the news - misbehaving actors, gay sports stars, people marrying their cats. A sexting cricket captain proves a moral challenge for cricket tragic Alex.

     It is just close enough to reality to keep the series earthbound and relevant. So too Alex is just walking the edge between annoying self-centred jerk and flawed human to keep us interested in his predicament.Adam Zwar is a fine actor who is unafraid to let his character be seen in the cold light of day. Paul Denny also allows Bob to be lovable and pathetic, in his infatuation for Alex, at the same time. Geoffrey Rush does another good job providing the wry voice over.

     Those who watched and enjoyed Lowdown last season will get a similar buzz from this season. There are a host of Australian guest stars (Australian celebrity chefs too!) popping up to create an extra laugh. The characters have changed little and the stories are just as crazy but, importantly, the wit is the same and each episode is both funny and dark.

Video

     Lowdown was shot on high definition digital video. It was broadcast at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio which has been preserved for the DVD release. It is 16x9 enhanced.

     The series was clearly shot on a limited budget yet the image quality is fine throughout.

     The colours are bright and clear.

     The flesh tones are accurate.

     There is no hint of compression nor are there any other technical issues.

    There are subtitles in English for the Hearing Impaired.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
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Film Artefacts
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Audio

     Lowdown features an English Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack running at 256 Kb/s.

     The dialogue is clear and easy to understand throughout.

     The theme song from the first season Nick Cave's There She Goes, My Beautiful World is nowhere in evidence. More media cost cutting perhaps?

     The music is quirky throughout and a good accompaniment to the show.

    There are no technical defects with the sound.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     There are only two extras included.

Beyond the Masthead (16.45)

     This is a fairly decent Making of feature. Co-creators Zwar and Brotchie talk about the background to the series and we get a lot of behind the scenes material, including the work (very hard work!) on the Bollywood sequence. An interesting feature.

Goof Reel

     A series of line fluffs, outtakes and general hilarity.

   This is a Region 4 only release.

     Lowdown is a great Australian comedy. It straddles the line halfway between high and low brow and should have a wide appeal. Series 2 is up to the standard of the first. May there be more!

     The DVD quality is fine in sound and vision terms. The extras are brief but enjoyable.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall