Short Circuits: 'Hawaii Five-O' not complete on DVD

Out Tuesday is "Hawaii Five-O: The Complete Series" (CBS/Paramount, $350), a collection of the 12 seasons of the original TV series starring Jack Lord, plus extras. But some fans have taken issue with that "complete" in the title.

The back of the box plainly states that a Season 2 episode, "Bored, She Hung Herself," "has not been re-broadcast or released in any manner since its original airing and is not included in this collection." The package bases that decision on "viewer reaction following the original telecast."

As the Honolulu Star-Bulletin noted when the episode was left out of the original release of the second-season "Five-O" DVD: It "was about a Five-O investigation into the supposed suicide of a woman by auto-asphyxiation, which she was practicing as part of a health regimen. A viewer reportedly died trying the same technique." Hence the pulling of the telecast.

That second-season set didn't call itself "complete," but the new box set does. The distributor might have been better off calling this a megaset — which would still apply considering the package has 73 discs.

Akron Beacon Journal

Also out Tuesday

Movies: "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones," "The Smurfs 2," "The Wolverine." TV: "Hot in Cleveland" (Season 4), "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (full series), "The Simpsons" (Season 16), "Transformers Prime" (Season 3). Blu-ray: "Argo" (extended edition), "Black Swan" (1942), "Call of the Wild," "Carmen Jones," "Desk Set," "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion," "Jesse James," "The Little Mermaid," "Nashville," "North to Alaska," "Saturn 3," "Serpico," "The Undefeated."

With vivid graphics that will remind players of the gritty, neon future depicted in '80s blockbusters, "Resogun" feels retro in all the right ways. But while the look feels old-school, the game play is anything but. Although the controls aren't hard to figure out, they're difficult to master, and success comes from being able to deftly juggle multiple controls to reach your goal.

Players also have to be careful to prioritize their enemies, or they might feel overwhelmed by all the on-screen action. If you get strategic, however, "Resogun" is a joy to play and proves that simple doesn't mean easy.

Washington Post

The SmallHands ($15, www.felixbrand.com) is a portable stand that clips on the back of your smartphone to hold it up hands-free in horizontal or portrait positions. It's a cool looking and durable device, which is made of a combination of aluminum, plastic and silicone. The design lets it work with Apple and most Android smartphones.