Crossbones: Season 1

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

First of all I could not believe I was seeing such an extraordinary show on network TV. The opening shots of the two ships before they engaged in battle were breathtakingly beautiful, and the battle itself was perfectly directed so I felt threatened sitting at home. From there the sets and locations for this pirate haven were filled with so much action and characters and sets it felt like a real place and a busy one at that with everybody in character doing work and looking authentic while doing so.

Then there is the writing which took me to a place I have never been before with this version of Blackbeard. I need to read the book this story is based on. I lived on the Carolina coast and heard many chilling tales about the atrocities he allegedly committed while pillaging there, so I had the impression that he was just a bloodthirsty madman and not much else. Well with John M. playing him he is certainly that but with layers so you are not sure just what you are getting. Intriguing and mesmerizing. So now I am onto actors. This is an astounding cast that has been assembled for Crossbones and what brings all the other parts together. What I am trying to get at is that all the parts to the Crossbones’ package are top notch; nothing has been spared to bring this epic to the screen. John M. is as you would expect him to be, and I can see why he signed onto this project, the quality of the parts, and what a part for him to lend his talent to. To make it even better he has an actor in Richard Coyle, and the character of Tom Lowe who we find out is as ruthless and devious as Blackbeard because even though his cover is that of a ship’s doctor, he is an English spy. Watching these two actors spar and match wits is the heart of this drama, and because the are both so talented there is an immediacy and intensity to their scenes that had me on the edge of my seat, Just watching these two would be enough for me to recommend Crossbones. The bonus is that everything about this show, including all the other actors, create the perfect setting for their cat and mouse game to play out. This was an impressive first episode.

– Elisea

I like pirates and I like pirates. That’s how much I like pirates. I had to say it twice. Is this show great? Yes. Is there lots of piratey things going down? Yes. What accent does John Malkovich think he’s doing? I have no idea. And I’ve watched the entire season twice now. If you like pirates you will enjoy this series. If you like incredibly questionable accents by incredibly eccentric actors, you will enjoy this series. Oh yeah, and Julian Sands is in it being really Julian Sandsy (you know, swinging for the cheap seats every time he has to deliver a line. This dude doesn’t do subtle. At all.) so there’s that.

-Silly Pete

Fantastic show; I can’t understand why NBC cancelled after only one season! The show is complete within itself though, no cliffhanger frustrations. I found it much more engaging than “Black Sails”, there were actually likeable characters albeit flawed. Often, one has to wonder who was really the monster and who the hero. The writing was better than most found on TV; good stories that make one think. Maybe that is why it was cancelled: viewers weren’t spoon fed the stories. The acting was exceptional. Malkovich was at the top of his game as Blackbeard, and the rest of the cast was phenominal. Richard Coyle is was a casting coup! His portrayal of Tom Lowe is emmy worthy. He brought so many subtle layers to the character that it makes you scream for another season. Claire Foy does a magnificent job as Kate Balfor.
I love a good pirate yarn and this, in my opinion, is one of the best.

– Leahna

DVD Wholesale Main Features:

Actors: John Malkovich, Richard Coyle, Yasmine Al Massri
Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Release Date: September 2, 2014
Run Time: 386 minutes