DVD/Movie Review: Private School

 

Private School is a coming-of-age comedy from 1983 starring Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, Matthew Modine, Kathleen Wihote, and Ray Walston. The best way I can describe this movie is a combination of Porky's and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, yet nowhere near as good as either of them. However, if you were a boy anywhere near puberty in the 1980s this was one of the movies you always hoped came on cable late at night when you got to stay up late. The script and acting are atrocious. Even though the movie had some young stars who would go on to be relatively good actors, they were not given much to work with, even by teen sex comedy standards. There were also some whose careers never made it out of the 1980s. It has about every 80s movie cliche you can imagine (right down to the cheesy music montage). 

The DVD is very bare-bones. There are no extras such as deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, or the like. Realistically, given that it was not one of the major teen comedies of the 1980s and is far more of a cult classic, it is not surprising that it did not get a more expensive DVD release.

The two best things about the movie are Betsy Russell and having some relatively good songs on the soundtrack. Phoebe Cates was the big star in the movie, coming off her role in Fast Times. And although she was the "sexy one" in that movie, she plays the rather bland "good girl" in this one. She is of course still gorgeous and did show a little bit toward the end of the movie, but Betsy Russell is the one who amps up the sex factor here. Ultimately you know what you get with this. It is not great by any means. Do not expect an Academy Award winner, but if you fall within the demographic who remembers this movie from your youth, you can have a good laugh at how good you probably thought it was when you were young and fondly remember ogling Betsy.

DVD/Movie Review: Office Space

 

Office Space is a 1999 comedy written and directed by Mike Judge. It stars Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, Gary Cole, John C. McGinley, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, Diedrich Bader, and Richard Riehle. The movie centers around three guys who have crappy jobs at a corporation called Initech. Ron Livingston plays Peter, who is the lead character. He becomes completely apathetic toward his job after a botched hypnotherapy session and basically tries to get fired. He ends up hatching a plan to rip the company off that goes haywire. As I said, that is almost ancillary to the real purpose of the movie, which is to poke fun at office life and the various characters.

I really think this movie will hold up in any era. Really as long as corporations exist this movie will be hilarious. To the extent there is a plot it almost takes a back seat to making fun of the corporate culture. And let's be honest, for those of us who work in the corporate world, some of the things they are making fun of (albeit in over-the-top ways in some instances) still very much exist. It was made from an animated short by Mike Judge the creator of Bevis and Butthead and King of the Hill.

The DVD does have a handful of extras. Those include an approximately half-hour retrospective made in 2005, about 10 minutes of deleted scenes, and the trailer. There is definitely enough to satisfy those who like going through the extras.

The movie has a true ensemble cast, which was made up of relative unknowns. They made a pretty big casting coup in landing Jennifer Aniston when Friends was immensely popular. She really did not dominate the movie though and really fit in well with the ensemble cast. The two most memorable characters in my opinion were Milton, played by Stephen Root, and Lumberg played by Gary Cole. All the actors did a wonderful job, however, even those with the smallest roles. It really seemed like they were all having fun with it, which along with the well-written script (which has tons of quotable lines) really make the movie.

It is really a "cult classic" kind of movie. The brand of humor is probably not for everyone, but it holds up as well or better as any of the more modern-day comedies do. I think anyone who likes any of Judge's other work will find this enjoyable. There is a lot of swearing in the movie, and in that respect, it earns its R rating, but it is really nothing more than you get in any R-rated comedy. It is absolutely worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: My Cousin Vinny

 

My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 comedy starring Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei (in her breakout movie role), Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Austin Pendleton, and Fred Gwynne. The plot involves Macchio and Whitfield's characters, Bill and Stan, being arrested in Alabama for the murder of a convenience store clerk. Bill's cousin, Vinny (played by Pesci), who is a personal injury lawyer in New York, agrees to represent them for free. He travels to Alabama with his fiancee, Mona Lisa Vito (played by Tomei), where the two stick out like sore thumbs, and Vinny is in over his head trying a murder case and dealing with the hard-ass judge (played by Gwynne). 

This movie really was kind of a lightning-in-a-bottle type movie. I don't think anyone would have guessed that it would turn out as good as it did. Pesci, who up to that point was best known for being in mobster movies, the burglar in Home Alone, and a sidekick in the Lethal Weapon movies, got to show off his comedic chops in a leading role. And he pulled off the New Yorker thrown into the Deep South perfectly. Tomei, of course, stole every scene she was in and ended up winning an Oscar for her role as Lisa.

The DVD version of the movie is pretty light on extras. It does include the trailers, a couple TV spots, and a commentary by the director, Jonathan Lynn. Overall, the movie is wonderful. The two things that made the movie work were the fact that it did not take itself too seriously and made fun of everything and the excellent supporting cast. Fred Gwynne, who was a great comedic actor himself, was a great straight man to Pesci's Vinny in what ended up being his last role. It is a movie that, even after 30+ years, stands up on its own, never needing multiple sequels to water it down, and will hopefully never be remade. It does have quite a bit of swearing and some sexual innuendo, but compared to what is in some of today's movies, even that is pretty light. But if that turns you off to a movie then you should probably skip it, but for everyone else, I cannot recommend the movie highly enough.

DVD/Movie Review: Mallrats

 

Mallrats is a 1995 comedy written and directed by Kevin Smith as a part of his View Askewniverse. The movie stars Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Claire Forlani, Shannen Doherty, Jeremey London, Ethan Suplee, Smith and Jason Mewes (playing Jay and Silent Bob), and Joey Lauren Adams. The premise was simple. Two friends get dumped and go hang out at a local mall. From there, hilarity ensues. (Historical note for those who care, the mall involved looks totally different after massive renovations).

Kevin Smith has repeatedly said that Jason Lee makes Mallrats, which is true. He was definitely the best part of a very underrated movie. Ultimately, Mallrats had a very uphill battle to overcome, being the movie that followed up Clerks. If you have only seen Clerks at this point, you will recognize some of that story put into this one, and even actors from Clerks playing different roles in this movie. That is the one thing you have to accept with Kevin Smith's movies. He uses a lot of the same people in his movies, but casts them in different roles.

This DVD includes the theatrical cut of the movie, as well as a 2-hour extended cut (which is given an 11-minute intro by Smith and Scott Moser). There is also a 50-minute Q&A session with some of the cast and crew. 

While I do not think the movie is as good some of Smith's other movies, such as Clerks, Chasing Amy (which Smith made a couple of years after this one), Dogma, Or Jersey Girl, it is still a very good comedy (if you enjoy Smith's brand of comedy). All in all, if you are a fan of the movie itself, a fan of Smith's movies in general, or just a fan of good comedy (all be it raunchy comedy), then definitely check this out.

DVD/Movie Review: A Knight's Tale

 

A Knight's Tale is a movie from 2001 starring Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, Mark Addy, Laura Fraser, and Alan Tudyk. In the movie, Ledger plays William Thatcher, a squire to a man named Sir Ector, who dies before competing in a jousting tournament. Willam, along with the other squires, Roland (Addy) and Wat (Tudyk) devise a plan to have William impersonate Sir Ector in order to win the tournament and then devise the identity of a Noble named Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein for William so that he can continue to participate in other competitions. Paul Bettany, in his breakout role in the US, plays Geoffrey Chaucer, a destitute con man with a gambling problem who agrees to forge a patent of nobility for William (and to be his hype man) in return for his protection (and payment). Fraser plays Kate, a widowed blacksmith who makes and repairs Williams's armor, Shannon Sossamon plays a noble lady named Jocylen and love interest for William, and Rufus Sewell plays a count who is a rival to William both in the competitions and for Jocylen's affection.

This is a movie that does not take itself too seriously. That is evident from the opening scene, where a medieval jousting match is set to Queen's We Will Rock You. In fact, there are rock songs from the 1970s and 1980s throughout the movie. The strength of the movie is the cast. If the Joker in Dark Knight ended up being Heath Ledger's signature role, this is the one that established him as having Hollywood lead potential. His character, William, was a blend of heroic, prideful, stubborn, and naive, and he pulled them off very well. As well as adding an element of humor. 

The supporting cast was also great. Paul Bettany stole nearly every scene he was in, especially when announcing William's matches. Mark Addy, Alan Tudyk, and Laura Fraser all did great in their respective roles as William's crew. I also thought Shannyn Sossamon did a fair job as the love interest, although her performance was nothing to write home about. It was one of her first movie roles, and she was relatively green. The role called more for her to look pretty than it did for an Academy Award-winning acting performance. Looking at the movie now 20-plus years later, it was definitely a breakout movie for Bettany and an establishing movie for Leger (whose breakout was in 10 Things I Hate About You a couple of years before this). It surprises me that Sossamon did not have a bigger career after this movie because, while she was very green when it came out, she certainly had the potential to be a bigger star than she ultimately became. 

The DVD has a decent amount of extras, including a commentary track on the movie with the director, Brian Helgeland, and Paul Bettany, an HBO first-look making-of special, several behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, trailers, cast filmographies, production notes, and more. If you have a computer with a CD drive, the DVD also includes a screen saver (which may or may not be able to be installed on contemporary operating systems).

Ultimately, the movie is not going to appeal to everyone. It does not even really attempt to be a very serious or overly dramatic movie and certainly does not try to be a historically accurate period piece. It was meant to be a fun, even silly at times movie that blended action and comedy and mixed in a little bit of drama. To that end, it pulled it off well. And if you are a fan of those kinds of movies or any of the actors involved, it is a fine way to spend a couple of hours. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Jennifer's Body

 

Jennifer's Body is a 2009 movie starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, and Chris Pratt. The movie was written by Diablo Cody and is a blend of horror and comedy. The movie does as much to make fun of the horror genre as it does to actually be a horror movie itself. It tells the story of two lifelong friends (Fox and Seyfried) that have grown apart, and Seyfried's character only realizes it after Fox's character is possessed by a demon and starts killing off the boys in their high school. It is not just a hack-and-slash kind of movie, and if that is something that you need in a horror movie, then best to just skip this. 

The A/V quality of the movie on Blu-ray is very good, and for those who do get the discs, there is quite a bit of behind-the-scenes and making of material. You also get the theatrical and unrated versions of the film. The unrated version just adds a little more footage but is not radically different than the theatrical version. There are commentary tracks on both editions of the movie by Cody and the director of the movie, Karyn Kusama. Then there are deleted scenes, a gag reel, trailers for other movies, and almost an hour's worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Ultimately, whether you like this or not is going to be totally subjective. I don't think you have to like it because Diablo Cody wrote it, or a particular actor or actress is in it, but chances are if you are fans of any of the individuals involved, and the horror genre (depending on your tastes) you will like it. There are funny moments, gory moments, and even dramatic moments in the story, and they all work well. The acting is decent to good. The script was good. The script was generally much better than what you get in a lot of horror movies, but there were some eye-rolling moments here and there. There is not the gratuitous nudity that you get in a lot of horror movies. Megan Fox is in some skimpy outfits, but everything stays covered up. There is however a good two-minute sequence of her and Amanda Seyfried making out which is as spectacular as it sounds (if you are into that sort of thing). So, if you are looking for something that is not a cookie-cutter kind of horror movie, this is worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The House Bunny

 

The House Bunny is a 2008 comedy starring Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Katherine McPhee, and Colin Hanks. In the movie, Faris plays Shelly, an aspiring Playboy Playmate who is living at the Playboy Mansion. When she turns 27, she gets a note from Hef (who does appear in the movie) kicking her out. She ends up being a "house mother" to a college sorority of nerdy outcasts (whom she ends up mentoring and unleashing their beauty). Of course, you have to buy that Stone, Dennings, McPhee and company are all homely nerds who actually need beauty tips, but the story works. 

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is good, but nothing to write home about. It gets a decent HD transfer, but it is not what audiophiles and video wonks would consider reference quality. It has a few bonus features, including deleted scenes, a music video, and almost an hour's worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes. 

I have seen reviews comparing the movie to Legally Blonde and Revenge of the Nerds. That is pretty accurate. Fans of Anna Faris know that she has very good comedy acting chops (from the scary movie franchise and Waiting). She is not afraid of saying or doing something stupid and ridiculous. She pulls off the ditzy Playboy Bunny with a kind heart and smarter-than-she-seems quality very well. There is definitely not a lot of depth to the character she was trying to play, but what depth there was, she played it well.

The movie has a mix of stars who have become A list or B list (mainly Emma Stone and Kat Dennings, which the movie did an awesome job of making look plain and downright unattractive, respectively, before the "makeover") with reality TV stars, musicians and lots of cameos from celebrities. Even though it was not meant to be a movie that was going to win the actors any awards, the fact that at least some of the stars had the ability to act made it as good a movie as it is. It is definitely not a movie designed to make you think, and it is definitely making fun of the whole fraternity/sorority culture. It did not try to do too much and stuck to the comedy it was meant to be.

Ultimately, this movie will not appeal to everyone. It is, for the most part, a mindless but good-hearted comedy. And, for those who care, it has a lot of cute girls in skimpy outfits and/or showing lots of cleavage (but no actual nudity). If that is not the kind of movie that entertains you, skip it. Otherwise, it is definitely entertaining enough to occupy an hour and a half of your time and give you some laughs.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Hot Tub Time Machine (Unrated)

 

Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 comedy starring Rob Corddry, John Cusak, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson, Chevy Chase, and Lizzy Caplan. The plot involves three friends vacationing at a ski resort. They end up in one of the resort's hot tubs and get transported back in time to 1986. The three adults are transported back to their younger selves, and Jacob (Duke), who was not born in 1986, is transported back as himself but flickers in and out of existence. The rest of the movie involves the group trying to figure out how to get back to the present.

The movie is not intended to be deep or make you think. It is just stupid, fun humor that has a plot device to flashback to the 1980s. There is a bit of a "would you live your life over differently if you could" theme to the movie that a lot of people tend to feel as they hit middle age, but that is about as deep as the movie gets. It actually would have been a little better to see more of the characters as their younger selves, but the point was they looked young to everyone but were experiencing things from their adult perspective, so when they were interacting with each other, they appeared as their adult versions. Rob Corddry was awesome as the jackass friend who nobody really liked all that much. And although he "kind of" learns something by the end of the movie, he is still a jackass till the end. There is an awesome Karate Kid Part III reference for anyone who actually remembers that movie, and Crispin Glover (from Back to the Future) makes several appearances throughout the film. 

The movie's A/V quality is good. The colors (especially when they are transported back to 1986) really pop and look great in HD. The extras are pretty light. You get about 11 minutes of deleted scenes, some promotional spots for the movie (that total about six minutes), and the theatrical trailer. Ultimately, this is a good and slightly underrated comedy. The humor is definitely not for everyone, but if you are into raunchier comedies, then this is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Horrible Bosses (Totally Inappropriate Edition)

 

Horrible Bosses is a 2011 comedy directed by Seth Gordon. It stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and an almost unrecognizable Colin Farrell. The movie also has a strong supporting cast, including Donald Sutherland, Julie Bowen, Wendell Pierce, Lindsay Sloan, and Jamie Foxx, who steals every scene he is in, playing a character named Motherfucker Jones. The plot is pretty simple. Three friends named Nick, Dale, and Kurt hate their bosses. They go from joking about killing their respective bosses to actually planning to kill them when things go wrong.  It is mainly about the stupid plan put together and badly executed by the main characters. From trying to find a hitman to the reconnaissance gone wrong, everything they try spirals out of control. 

You will likely love this movie if you like vulgar, sometimes over-the-top comedies. I think all of the actors did a great job. Bateman was very much like his character from Arrested Development with looser morals. Aniston really stole the show in a role that was totally different than anything she had ever played before. You can tell she was just trying to play it as over the top as possible. The other one who just really got into the role was Spacey. He played his character without any redeeming qualities and really did make you hate him. Of course, Spacey has become a persona non-grata since the allegations of sexual harassment and abuse have come out against him, so you kind of wonder how much his slimeball character was made up. 

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. Each version of the movie (the theatrical and the extended unrated cut) is on its own disc. The extended cut adds about 8 minutes of additional material, none of which changes the movie in any significant way. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is good, but not outstanding. The special features include deleted scenes and a handful of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes. The bonus content totals about half an hour, give or take. Ultimately, this is an enjoyable movie if you like the brand of humor. The movie is absolutely not family-friendly. There is a lot of sexual humor (mostly involving Aniston's character), and some bathroom humor, but no nudity. If you are not into hard-R rated comedies (which this undoubtedly is), or are easily offended, you will hate it. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Heartbreak Kid

 

The Heartbreak Kid is a 2007 comedy starring Ben Stiller, Malin Akerman, Michelle Monaghan, Jerry Stiller, Rob Corddry, and Danny McBride. The movie was directed by the Farrelly brothers. The plot is pretty simple. A lifelong bachelor named Eddie (Ben Stiller) finally decides to get married, but only after knowing the bride, Lila (Akerman) for a few weeks. On the way to and during the honeymoon, he discovers she is totally crazy and, while on his honeymoon, starts to fall for Monaghan's character, Miranda.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is excellent. While there is not much (if any) in the way of special effects or CGI, the location shots look wonderful, and the video transfer looks especially good on a large screen. The extras include a commentary track by the Farrelly brothers, deleted scenes, a gag reel, the trailers, and a handful of behind-the-scenes featurettes. If you are expecting a traditional romantic comedy, this is not it. It is more like a spoof of a romantic comedy, with jokes that can get very vulgar. So if those kinds of comedies are not something you find entertaining, then stay away from this one. Malin Ackerman totally plays up the crazy role and runs with the totally over-the-top jokes. The part of the movie that is the more traditional romantic comedy is when Stiller's character meets Miranda and tries to woo her, but it is coupled with trying to keep her from learning about his wife. 

Ultimately, this is a good comedy that is definitely not family-friendly or for those who don't like the more vulgar kind of humor. There is a lot of swearing and sexual content (both nudity and sex jokes) in the movie. If you are offended by that kind of material, it is best to avoid this one, but if you do like that kind of humor, then it is worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Harold and Kumar go to White Castle

 

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is a 2004 stoner comedy starring Kal Penn and John Cho. The premise of the movie is mostly evident from the movie's title. A couple of friends get stoned and then crave White Castle. In making a trek to get to White Castle to satisfy their case of the munchies, hilarity ensues.  The rest of the cast includes Paula Garces, Bobby Lee, Christopher Meloni, David Krumholtz, Malin Akerman, and Neil Patrick Harris, playing a hilarious version of himself. There are also appearances by Ryan Reynolds and Eddie Kaye Thomas.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is good, although it is not really a film that needs to be seen in HD since there is not much in the way of effects (aside from just getting a better picture and sound in general). There are a lot of extras included with this release including three different commentary tracks on the movie, several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, a sneak peak of, and the Red Band trailer for, the next movie, Harold and Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay, deleted scenes, a music video, and a couple of trailers for other movies.  Ultimately, the movie is a good, but not great, comedy. You definitely need to be into crude humor and stoner comedy to like this. If those kinds of movies are not up your alley, you want to skip this because you will only find it offensive and stupid. The humor is random and a bit all over the place but that is really the point. Personally, I think the best parts are the racist cops, the "extreme mixes", and NPH's love-stain comment. Malin Akerman's topless scene was not bad either. There is kind of a story beyond the two of them trying to find White Castle, but it is so in the background that it is really not the point of the movie. I do not really think there was a need to make more than just this movie, and it is the best one in the franchise. If you are looking for a mindless comedy and enjoy the brand humor in this kind of movie, you will like this and it is worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Hangover (Unrated Edition)

 

The Hangover is a 2009 comedy starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, and Ken Jeong. The basic story is that a group of friends go to Vegas to throw a bachelor party for Justin Bartha's character, Doug. They wake up the next day to evidence of a night of debauchery but do not remember anything and with the groom missing. The rest of the movie is about them trying to piece together what happened by retracing their steps and trying to find the missing groom. The movie also includes appearances by Heather Graham, Mike Tyson, and Jeffrey Tambor.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is good, but not outstanding. For people who are not total A/V wonks or snobs, the transfer quality is perfectly fine. The extras are very light. The most extensive extra is a picture-in-picture commentary track on the movie by director Todd Phillips. Then there are a few short making-of featurettes, an 8-minute gag reel, a stills gallery, and an interactive map of the locations the characters went in the movie.  

Overall, the movie is very good if you enjoy a raunchier, more adult brand of humor. Of the main cast members  Zach Galifianakis playing the awkward and kind of creepy brother-in-law was the standout. Ken Jeong also was great in his crazy kind of way but his character was a little too close to his character on Community. That said, the way his character, Mr. Chow, is introduced in the movie is very funny. I also liked Justin Bartha as the missing groom, who basically plays the straight man to all of the absurd comedy. Although he ultimately was not in the movie much, his deadpan sarcastic delivery was very entertaining. There were quite a few cameos in the film but the best was by Mike Tyson. He ended up being in a couple scenes and was actually quite funny. While this was not the best comedy of all time as some have billed it, it was one of the better comedies of the late 2000s/early 2010s. Definitely one of the better ones in recent memory. The movie will not appeal to everyone, but if you enjoy adult comedies that are not family-friendly and are not easily offended, this is worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Beetlejuice

 

Beetlejuice is a 1988 comedy/horror movie directed by Tim Burton, starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Catherine O'Hara, and Jeffrey Jones. The movie's premise is that a family (Ryder, O'Hara, and Jones) moves into the home of a recently deceased couple, Adam and Barbara Maitland (Davis and Baldwin). Unbeknownst to them, the Maitland's spirits are still in the house and cannot leave. The Maitlands hire a "bio-exorcist" named Beetlejuice (Keaton) to scare the new homeowners away only to regret the decision as they befriend Ryder's character, Lydia (who is the only one who can see them).

The blu-ray set is very bare bones. It just contains the movies without any extras aside from a couple of cartoons and the theatrical trailers. Hopefully, since a sequel is set to be released in September of 2024, this will get a 4k release and have some bonus features included. Given that everyone involved in the movie is still alive it should not have been that hard to get at least some of them together to give some substance to the extras. The A/V transfer of the blu-ray is okay but could be better. Given the lack of bonus content, if you own the DVD, I would wait to upgrade until a 4k version is released (as it most assuredly will be). 

Ultimately, the movie is very good. The movie was made at what was arguably the height of Michael Keaton's acting career. During the same time frame, he did Clean and Sober, Beetlejuice, and the first two Batman movies. It is not really a scary horror movie. It is best described as a comedy with some jump-scare moments. Keaton is not in the movie as much as I remember when I saw it in the theater years ago, but he steals every scene he is in. Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin do a great job in their roles as the dead couple trying to spook the buyers out of their house, and Winona Ryder is very good as the awkward teen who can see the ghosts. It very much has the look and feel of Tim Burton's other movies. It was made before the modern-day special effects era, so some of the effects are cheesy and fake-looking, but they do not distract from or reduce the quality of the movie. It is absolutely worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: 10

 

10 is a movie starring Bo Derek, Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, Dee Wallace, and Brian Dennehy. In the movie, Moore plays a man named George Webber who is a famous music composer going through a mid-life crisis. He sees a young couple getting married and becomes obsessed with the bride (played by Derek). He discovers that the couple is going on a honeymoon in Mexico and follows them to the resort. It is partly a comedy and partly a drama about a guy discovering that he is content with the life he has. 

All the hype around this movie was about Bo Derek and rocketed her to a 1980s sex symbol. This was one of her first movies and she did look spectacular in it, but what is lost in all that hype was the fact that it was a funny movie about a guy going through a midlife crisis. What makes it funny is that Dudley Moore was not a typical leading man.  You do have to keep in mind this was made in the late 1970s and the humor in it is very different than it is in today's comedies (even the good ones). Whether or not you will find it entertaining is completely subjective. There is a little bit of nudity and some sexual content (which is tame by today's standards). If you have seen the movie on TV and enjoyed it or just grew up in the era of Bo Derek being a huge sex symbol, it is certainly worth a DVD purchase.

The Greatest American Hero: The Complete Series

 

This is the complete series of the campy superhero series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellica, and Robert Culp, that aired on ABC from 1981-1983. The series was created by Stephen J. Cannell to ride the wave of popularity (and in some ways spoof) the original Superman movie, which came out a few years before this aired. The premise of the show was that a regular guy named Ralph Hinley (his last name was originally Hinkley, but his last name was changed after the assassination attempt on Ronald Regan), played by Katt, who is a high-school teacher is given a suit that gives him superpowers (by aliens) but he loses the instructions so he has no idea how it really works. He teams up with an FBI agent (Culp) and his attorney girlfriend (Sellica) to fight crime. So, the show is really part superhero series, part buddy cop drama, and part comedy. The show is mainly a procedural following a case-of-the-week format in which the stories are resolved by the end of the episode. But, the show occasionally calls back to something from a prior episode.

Since the show aired in the very early 1980s, the special effects were pretty cheesy, and the writing in some areas is hilarious today for different reasons than they were when the show aired. For example, the kids they were trying to portray as tough or bad were not threatening in any way, shape, or form. Many of the storylines were Cold War-themed given the era. Because of that, if you did not at least grow up around that time you probably will not get all the references. 

What I liked about the show is that it never tried to take itself too seriously. And while it did go off on some strange tangents (like the electricity monster episode) it managed to stay entertaining throughout its run. I think all three of the main actors did a great job with their characters. William Katt really did feel ridiculous in the suit, and that came across in his performance. Robert Culp was great as the chauvinistic "my way or the highway" FBI agent, and Connie Sellica was more than just eye candy on the show. Many times Sellica played the "straight man" role to Culp's eccentric character even more than Katt did. As different as the characters were, it seemed all the actors had very good chemistry which came across in the performances, and you bought that the characters really cared about each other. And the relationship between the characters was really what made the series work even when it could get a bit silly.

Some reviews on Amazon mention that the music was not the same as when originally aired. I was too young when the show was actually on TV to remember any of the music other than the main theme song. However, as is the case with many older shows, the studio likely ran into copyright issues when putting together the DVD release and had to change some of the songs that were played. Chances are the lack of original songs will not be an issue for a lot of people since they did not seem to use canned instrumental replacement music (for the most part anyway), but it may be for some. Personally, I would rather have the series available on DVD without the original music than not have it at all. The only unfortunate thing about the series is that it never had a proper ending. It only had a 13-episode final season, and the way it ended seems like it was canceled abruptly halfway through season three. So the final episode of the series really feels just like any other regular episode. Even though the show is dated, it holds up pretty well (but not perfectly) and is definitely worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Friends: The Complete Series

 

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the two biggest comedies on TV were probably Friends and Seinfeld. Friends was aimed at the younger demographic, going for the viewers that were in their mid to late 20s, while Seinfeld was aimed at the demographic about a decade older. Friends premiered in 1994 and was about a group of friends living in New York. The series starred Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc. I actually never watched the series consistently when it was on the air. I was a senior in high school the year it began, so I just never really got into it and never appreciated how good it really was.

Friends was one of those shows like ER, where the cast was made up of relative no names (at least at the time), but unlike ER the main cast stayed together for the entire run. I think that allowed the show to keep the same feel and tone throughout the series. The writing was very very good in that they allowed the characters to evolve and grow over the course of 10 years but never lost the core of who they were over that time. They also did a great job of referring to old jokes without (for the most part) making them stale. For the ones that did, it got to the point that they would even poke fun at it (for example "We were on a break"). I also liked how the show relied on more than just sex jokes for the comedy (unlike many of the sitcoms of today). While there were certainly sex jokes throughout the series, the show did not lean on them and there were a lot of smarter jokes in the series too, that presumed the audience was smart enough to be entertained by other material.

The Blu-Ray set is a 21-disc set. The 234 episodes and some of the bonus content are spread across discs 1-20, and disc 21 has additional bonus content. The A/V quality of the set is good, but not outstanding, especially if you are a big A/V wonk. Even though the A/V quality is not perfect, it is a step up from the A/V quality of the DVDs. One big drawback (for some) in this release is that the episodes were only the ones that were broadcast. Apparently, the DVD sets included a lot of extended episodes, but this is just going to give you the show as it was intended to originally be seen. If that is a deal breaker for you, then don't waste the money. The extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, trailers, "Friends of Friends" featurettes, which give a breakdown of all the guest stars for that particular season, featurettes on the fans, the on-location episodes, gag reels, and more.  The final disc also includes appearances by the cast on The Tonight Show and the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the "I'll Be There for You" music video, a couple of series retrospectives, and the original version of the episode "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" which aired shortly after 9/11 and was edited because of a bomb joke. 

DVD/Movie Review: The 40-Year-Old Virgin

 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 movie that is one of the "Appatowverse" comedies (written and directed by Judd Apatow) starring Steve Carell (who also co-wrote the movie), Paul Rudd, Catherine Kenner, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, and Seth Rogan. In the movie, Carrell plays a 40-year-old introvert who works at the fictional equivalent of Best Buy and has given up on trying to date or have sex. His coworkers find out he is a virgin and try to get him laid, giving him advice on how to meet and talk to women. 

If you generally do not enjoy Apatow's brand of humor, you will not like this movie. For those that do, you will find yourself laughing a lot. Yes, Carell does a great job in the lead role, but it is really all the supporting characters that really make the movie work as well as it does. The movie does have some raunchy comedy in it, but it is not really over the top. Unlike some of what passes for comedy these days, the movie does have a lot of smart humor in it along with the raunch humor. Although the movie does not take itself too seriously, there is a point to it and it ends up being pretty wholesome. That said, it is definitely not appropriate for very young kids. Chances are, if you enjoyed movies like Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Knocked Up, you will like this one too.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Jumanji - Welcome to the Jungle

 

This is the 2017 movie that is mostly a reboot and quasi-sequel to the 1995 movie, Jumanji, which starred Robin Williams. This version starts out with almost a vibe of the movie The Breakfast Club with four high school students named Spencer (played by Alex Wolff) who is a gaming and science nerd, Fridge (played by Ser'Darius Blain) who is a football star, Bethany (played by Madison Iseman), a self-absorbed hot chick, and Martha (played by Morgan Turner), an introverted loner, are assigned detention and forced to clean the school basement. They find an old video game that sucks them into the game when it boots up, with the twist being that they inhabit the bodies of the game characters, and find out they each have three lives with which to finish the game. Spencer becomes the leader Smolder Bravestone, (played by The Rock), Fridge becomes Smolder's sidekick, Mouse (played by Kevin Hart), Martha becomes Ruby Roundhouse (played by Karen Gillian), and Bethany becomes the cartographer played by Jack Black. 

The movie is about the video game characters playing people who are totally opposite themselves, so the Rock is a sickly nerd who suddenly becomes a 6'5" musclebound tank, Karen Gillian plays an introvert who basically becomes Laura Croft (inappropriate jungle attire included), Kevin Hart plays a football player turned into a 5'3" loudmouth, and Jack Black has to play a hot high school girl turned overweight middle-aged man. The movie is a good blend of action and comedy, and the cast all play off each other very well. There are some very funny moments, including Karen Gillian commenting on the short shorts she is wearing and Kevin Hart's character's inability to eat cake. There are some tie-ins with the original movie, including paying homage to Robin William's character from the original movie. The movie has to walk a fine line between honoring the original with doing its own thing, which it does well. 

For those who get the 4k set, the UHD disc just has the movie and then all of the extras are included on the regular blu-ray disc. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good, but it is not what I would call far beyond the a/v quality of the regular blu-ray disc. Both are pretty comparable. The extras include a gag reel, a music video by Nick Jonas (who has a role in the movie), and a handful of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes that vary in length from about four minutes to just under fifteen minutes. All totaled there are about 40 minutes, give or take, worth of extras if you like going through them.

Overall, the movie is very good. As I said above, it has a good blend of action and comedy, and all of the actors fit their roles very well. The Rock, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillian, and Jack Black all play their parts perfectly, and each of their characters get their moments to shine during the movie. It is definitely a more "adult" movie than the 1995 movie was and does include swearing and sex jokes. So, be aware that it is not as family-friendly as the original movie. That said, it is definitely worth watching. 

DVD/TV Series Review: The Good Place: Season 1

 

The Good Place is a comedy about the afterlife created by Micahel Schur (who was one of the writers/producers of The Office; and also played Dwight's cousin Mose), that skillfully manages to avoid religion (save for a line in the first episode) despite being about the concepts of Heaven and Hell.

The series stars Kristen Bell as Elanor Shellstrop, a woman in her 30s who lived a trainwreck of a life and was killed in a grocery store parking lot. She has managed to go to "The Good Place" despite being a truly awful person. There she is welcomed by Ted Danson's character, Michael, who is the architect of the neighborhood in The Good Place where Elanor will be living for eternity, along with other residents. Basically, Michael is an immortal being that has the equivalent of a 9-to-5 job, getting his first chance to design a neighborhood. Elanor quickly figures out that another woman with the same name was supposed to be in The Good Place, and she was not. She enlists the help of another new resident of the neighborhood, Chidi, played by William Jackson Harper, who was a philosophy professor in life, to help her become a better person. The neighborhood starts falling apart through a series of ever-increasing disasters as Elanor tries to hide who she is, and change her ways. The rest of the main cast includes Jameela Jamil, who plays Tahani, a wealthy English philanthropist who is totally self-absorbed, Manny Jacinto, who plays Jianyu, a monk who has taken a vow of silence, and D'Arcy Carden, who plays Janet, a programmed guide (think Siri or Alexa) that can take physical form and provide the residents anything they desire.

In the DVD set, the 13 episodes are spread across two discs. The extras include commentary tracks on four episodes with Schur and various members of the cast. There are extended editions of the pilot and the season finale, a gag reel that is hosted by Adam Scott in-character, as Trevor, a featurette on the special effects, and the table read of Episode 12. So, a good amount of material if you like watching the extras.

Overall, the show is very good. As I said above, it really avoids religion of any kind, aside from a line that says each religion gets something right. Kristen Bell is hilarious as Elanor and Jameela Jamil, who is in her first major acting role, does a great job with her character as well. The main cast are all wonderful and the show also has a strong supporting cast, including the aforementioned Adam Scott, Tiya Sircar, Marc Evan Jackson, and more. The show is definitely not appropriate for young kids as it does have a lot of sex jokes, drinking, and disguised swearing (fuck becomes fork, and shit becomes shirt) because there is no swearing in "The Good Place". So, if you are looking for a good, but more adult sitcom, this one is definitely worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: American Dad!: Volume 11

 

Volume 11 of American Dad! continues the crazy episode selection for the DVD releases. As most are likely aware, as has been the case with the Family Guy DVD releases, early on, instead of just releasing Season 1, Season 2,...etc., they released volumes that had episodes from different seasons. It does not help that after the show started airing on Hulu, they tweaked what episodes were a part of particular seasons. What is clear is that this set has the last three episodes that aired on FOX (some places list those as the final three episodes of Season 9, others call them Season 11) and then the first 15 episodes that aired on TBS after the show was moved from FOX to TBS (which in some places are listed as Season 10 episodes and in other places listed as Season 12 episodes). At any rate, this set has 18 total episodes.

As for the episodes themselves, they are pretty much as they have been the past few seasons, self-contained plots within the episodes with occasional callbacks to things that occurred in prior episodes. Different episodes tend to focus on different characters, although pretty much every episode at this point involves Roger and one of his personas. There is less of a focus on Stan's job at the CIA, which is what I liked about the first few seasons, and focuses on the more silly, crazy things that happen in the show (like Jeff being abducted by aliens and the evil Kris Kringle episodes).

The DVD set just has the episodes themselves. There are no extras like commentary tracks, interviews with the cast or writers, or things like that which were included in earlier season releases. You do, however, get uncensored episodes which include uncensored jokes and swearing that gets bleeped out on the broadcast and streaming versions of the show. If you do not care about the uncensored episodes, however, you will not get anything more by getting the discs versus just streaming the show.

Ultimately, you probably know by now if you like the show or not. It has been on the air long enough that some people might be getting tired of it or may fall in the category of they just don't like it as much as they did in the beginning. While I definitely liked the first couple of seasons more than I do the later seasons, I still find the show, on the whole, to be funny and entertaining. It is definitely not a cartoon that is suitable for young kids as it has a lot of raunchy jokes that definitely push the bounds of what the writers could get away with.