Get Smart
It was only a matter of time before Get Smart was made into a movie. In this age when every classic show is getting brought to life on the big screen, you had to know this one was coming. Based on the popular 60’s show, Get Smart stars Steve Carell as Agent Maxwell Smart. Along with Carell, the cast also includes Anne Hathaway (Agent 99) Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Agent 23). Now I have my reservations about Steve Carell, but I thought he was convincing as Maxwell Smart. From the nasally voice to the mannerisms, he really wound up pulling off the role. The film itself is one that I wouldn’t have paid to see in the theaters. But it is a decent film to pop on for movie night at home. The combo of action/comedy was funny at times, yet seemed forced at others. Had anyone else other than Carell played the main role, it probably would have been a disaster. Like I was saying, it’s a film that is better to watch on DVD than in the theaters. The 2-disc special edition offers extra bonuses such as a digital copy of the movie, interviews with the cast and crew (some were as funny as the skits in the film), and a behind the scenes look at how the film was made (including the task of filming in Russia). So if you’re going to get the DVD, it’s worth it to get the 2-disc edition with all the extra bonuses.
To be able to hear your favorite comedians have a therapy session would be priceless. We can thank Dr. Katz for giving us that opportunity to eavesdrop in his animated therapy sessions! On December 2nd, the BEST of Dr. Katz will be released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment and Comedy Central. This DVD includes the funniest moments of this animated series where guests such as Conan O’Brien, Ray Romano, Dave Chappelle, Denis Leary, Sarah Silverman, and Janeane Garofalo come in for therapy. Each “session” turns out to be a hilarious time where you get to see the stars’ neurosis! It’s too bad this show isn’t on the air anymore. At least a DVD has finally been released where you can relive these classic moments! If you do watch it, be prepared to laugh a lot. I think the warning on the back of the DVD cover says it all:
WARNING: This collection of comedic confection contains quite simply the most obsessive, compulsive, and tormented patients to ever grace the good doctor’s couch.
Spin City finally gets its DVD debut with the release of the complete first season. One of the best series of the 90’s, this witty show took you into the life of a quirky NYC City Hall staff. Its depiction of the staff that ran the city was downright hilarious. Things never came easy for Michael J. Fox as he had to keep a bumbling Mayor from looking like an idiot, along with working with a dysfunctional staff. How dysfunctional is the staff? For starters there’s the insecure press secretary, a sexist chief of staff, a gay activist that runs minority affairs, and a man-crazy accountant. It’s the perfect oddball team that was needed to make this sitcom work. This new collection released by Shout! Factory captures all 24 episodes in a 4-DVD set. Along with the episodes there are all new interviews and commentaries with the cast and creators of the show. In case you never got to watch this smart sitcom when it was out, now is your chance. And if you’re a fan that’s been wondering when the hell the show would get put on DVD, the wait is over…
Hearing the phrase "reality show" leaves a bad taste in my mouth. To me, "reality" TV usually equates to "bullshit" TV. Most of it is like a baaaaad soap opera where people act in front of a camera to show how "real" they are. Even though the show Long Way Down is categorized as "reality" TV, its way above the level of other shows that are in that category. In case you're not familiar, Long Way Down is epic motorcycle adventure TV series that follows Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on a motorcycle trip from Scotland to South Africa. All 10 episodes of the series are out now on a 3-DVD collection. It truly is an eye-opening series. Watching it, you see a side of Ewan McGregor other than the "celebrity". It was an amazing experience to see these guys bike over 15, 000 miles through countries like Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Namibia. For all the excitement that came along with the trip, there were also lots of setbacks and frustrations too. All of the struggles that came with such an exhausting journey were not edited out, which made it much more interesting to watch. If you haven't had the chance to see it yet, the DVD set is available now for your viewing pleasure.
SHREK the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la…
It’s getting into the Holiday season, and you know what that means. Shopping, get-togethers, and CHRISTMAS SPECIALS! For a while, Rudolph, Frosty, and A Charlie Brown Christmas were the traditional holiday favorites. Well, with Shrek The Halls, the big green Ogre has now joined the ranks of those great ones. Who would have known that Shrek would be included among the classics? Now, this holiday special is out on DVD. I’m sure after you watch it, you’ll agree that it’s one of the better holiday specials. It runs about a half hour long, and no minute is wasted in this hilarious attempt by Shrek to try and make Christmas special for his family. Of course with Shrek, you can expect some sort of chaos to occur. From Shrek getting a copy of a "Christmas for Dummies" book, to Donkey, Puss In Boots and the rest of the gang crashing his sacred family time, nothing goes right for the green guy. However, as in most holiday specials, an important lesson is learned at the end. In the midst of all the holiday madness, make sure to set aside a little time for the green Ogre to bring some laughter to your home.
The cool thing about limiting the time you watch TV is that you don’t have to worry about spending too much time on a show. TV shows released on DVD however, feed that addiction. Speaking of addictive shows, I have been spending too much time watching 30 Rock Season 2 on DVD. I love it! It’s smart. The comedy is subtle. And I never knew Alec Baldwin could be so damn funny! Seriously, since Seinfeld went off the air, it’s been hard to find a show that can fill its shoes. Well, 30 Rock comes close to doing the job. The entire second season is out on DVD in a 2-disc set. All the hilarious episodes starring Tina Fey, Baldwin, Tracey Morgan, and Jane Krakowski are here. This season also has guest appearances by people like Jerry Seinfeld, David Schwimmer, and James Carville. If you own it, it’s easy to blow a few hours watching one episode after another. In fact, with this set you may need to detox after getting your 30 Rock “fix”.
