Product Description

Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Erik King, Lauren Velez

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #248 in DVD
• Brand: DVD Boxsets
• Released on: 2008-05-19
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Subtitled, Colour
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: French, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English, Finnish, Dutch
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: .50 pounds
• Running time: 626 minutes

Amazon.co.uk review

An interesting and original idea that's very skillfully executed, Dexter is never less than watchable, often quite compelling and sometimes thoroughly riveting. As the 12 episodes from the show's first season reveal, it's also the epitome of "high concept," a kind of Silence of the Lambs for the C.S.I. generation. Creator-executive producer James Manos Jr.'s title character, one Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under renown), works for the Miami Police Department as a blood spatter analyst, visiting crime scenes and helping figure out what happened. He has an avocation, too: during his off hours, he tracks down some very, very bad people who for various reasons have eluded the proper authorities. Seems his adoptive father, a cop himself, taught the kid how to channel his dark side in a 'positive' direction and so, having captured these evil doers (including a child molester-murderer and a recidivist drunk driver with a trail of bodies in his wake), Dex dispatches them with clinical precision, thus making him a serial killer who snuffs serial killers.

But there's more--much more, as it turns out. By his own description, Dexter is 'a monster,' an empty shell who fakes all human interactions and admits to no real feelings for anything or anyone, including his foster sister (Jennifer Carter) and his nominal girlfriend (Julie Benz), a former crack addict and battered spouse who's as uninterested in sex as he is. There's an explanation for Dexter's weirdness, of course, one so deep and traumatic that even he isn't aware of it. It's gradually revealed over the course of the season as he and the cops (who include Erik King, Lauren Velez, and David Zayas, all first-rate) track down the so-called 'Ice Truck Killer,' a fellow monster whose grisly m.o. both fascinates and taunts our hero, leading to a genuinely shocking and squirm-inducing finale. Dexter can be a bit arch, with an ironic, too-hip-for-the-room tone that get a little old. Still, it's a safe bet that anyone who views this first season will be salivating for the second. --Sam Graham

DVD Description
The Emmy award-winning and Golden Globe nominated TV series Dexter is based on the story of Dexter Morgan. Orphaned at the age of four and harbouring a traumatic secret, Dexter (played by Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under fame) is adopted by a police officer who recognises Dexter's homicidal tendencies and guides his son to channel his gruesome passion for human vivisection in a constructive way – working for the Miami Police Department as a blood spatter analyst, visiting crime scenes and helping to solve murders. However, during out of hours (and with the support of his father), Dexter focuses on capturing the heinous perpetrators (including a child molesting-murderer and a drunk driver with a trail of bodies in his wake), and dispatches them with clinical precision, thus making him a serial killer who murders serial killers. By his own admission, Dexter is "a monster", an empty shell who fakes all human interactions and admits to no real feelings for anything or anyone, including his foster sister (Jennifer Carpenter, The Exorcism Of Emily Rose) and his nominal girlfriend (Julie Benz, Rambo), a former crack addict and battered spouse who's as disinterested in sex as he is. There's an explanation for Dexter's weirdness, of course, one so deep and traumatic that even he isn't aware of it. It's gradually revealed over the course of the season as he and the cops track down another fellow monster whose grisly motives both fascinate and taunt our hero, leading to a genuinely shocking and squirm-inducing finale. This box set features all 12 episodes from the show's first season. Extras include audio commentary on two episodes, a featurette about real-life blood spatter analysis, and a variety of DVD-ROM items.

Synopsis
After playing a mild-mannered funeral home director in SIX FEET UNDER, Michael C. Hall makes a smooth transition to serial killer in this original crime drama. But the twist in this smart show is that Dexter chooses to prey only on other serial killers. As a child, Dexter is adopted by a cop (James Remar) who soon realises that his new son is no ordinary boy. Since Dexter is compelled to kill, his law-abiding father pushes him to choose his quarry in a way that will best benefit society. As Dexter grows older, he works as a blood splatter expert in Miami, giving him a close view of other murderers and their handiwork. Stylish and blackly comic, this drama is adapted from Jeff Lindsay's novel DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER. This release includes the entire first series, which largely focuses on Dexter's pursuit of the coldblooded Ice Truck Killer and his own efforts to evade detection.

Customer Reviews

Fantastically Different
I love, love, love this DVD! I got into the TV series about 3 episodes in and became instantly addicted. Wednesday nights were never better!

From the opening credits you know that the show is going to be a good one - it's so cleverly done. This sets the tone for the whole series which is brilliantly written. I'm sure most will know the plot by now, but just incase........Dexter is a 30-something forensic scientist (he analyses blood spatters for the Miami PD). His sister, Deb, is also a cop with the MPD who is on her first big case, tracking down the "Ice Truck Killer" who is a serial killer who drains his victims of blood and chops them up. Nice. Dexter, however, not only helps the police track down serial killers but he also dabbles in the odd bit of murder himself. Through a series of flashbacks during the series we learn that Dexter was adeopted by Harry (a cop, and also Deb's Dad) and that Harry recognised from a very early age that Dexter was showing signs of becoming a killer (murdering small animals, that sort of thing) so he taught him to channel it in the right way - i.e. killing those who evade the law.

I have now watched the whole series on DVD, having missed the first few episodes and it's still as great as it was watching it the first time around. If you haven't seen this yet, be prepared to not be able to stop watching at the end of an episode. It's like a book, when you get to the end of the chapter and you can't put it down cos you just have to know what's going to happen next.

Highly recommended for being very cleverly written and different to all the other stuff. Hope you enjoy.

Excellent TV Series.
I had heard of Dexter when it was shown on FX on Sky and was wondering if they would have it on normal tv which they did on ITV 1. But due to really late times at night, I fell asleep during many of the epsodies which really annoyed me. So on my birthday, I went to get it and had finally finished it last night savouring every single one. Dexter is a serial killer with a heart, caring for his foul-mouthed but sweet foster sister and being the boyfriend of a beaten woman with two kids that he really adores. But behind the scenes, he kills only the bad people and tries to be semi normal around Doakes who is very suspious of him. With a shocking serial killer called The Ice Truck Killer, Dexter dosent' realise that this person is going to be hugely involved in his life and everything that he holds dear could be in total danger. It's excellent, twisted, shocking at times, gory, sexy and just good fun. Every epsoide has some dark laughs and brilliant pefomances from the stars inculding Michael C Hall who was outstanding in Six Feet Under. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a series with twists and turns only to be warned that it's qutie gory and you may eat a lot because he surely does! A perfect buy.

HE'S A SERIAL KILLER WITH A HEART - JUST MAKE SURE IT'S NOT YOURS !
This classic American series has already won a slew of Emmy nominations and is a huge cult hit across the pond. Tucked away in a graveyard (ahem) slot over here in the UK a couple of year ago, Dexter failed to make much impact and slipped quietly away. With both the first and second seasons now available to buy on DVD there has never been a better time to aquaint yourself with the forensic blood splatter specialist (and part time serial killer) known simply as Dexter.
Micheal C Hall plays the hero(anti-hero) who talks, and takes, us through his adventures on both sides of law. The humour is jet black and the ever evolving storyline absolutely gripping. Hall is perfectly cast as the everyman monster who juggles his bloody nocturnal escapades with the more mundane activities of everyday life - the opening credit montage of Dexter simply making himself breakfast is wonderfully creepy.
The premise of the show is that our titular hero only kills badguys - mainly murderers who have escaped more conventional methods of law enforcement - and it's hard not to see Dexter as some kind of Batman figure crossed with Hannibal Lector. Throw in a large helping of prime CSI and a dash of House and you get the picture. Yes it's grusome at times but the intelligence and sheer brilliance of the writing means that Dexter never becomes a Saw or Slasher parody. Dexter is smart, funny and original stuff that once again shows that no one does grown up TV quite like the Americans. Take a bow Dex you just joined House, The Shield and Heroes in the big league.