TV DVD Reviews
Reviews Archive
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| 30 Rock: Season Two   |
South Park: The Cult of Cartman  |
Pushing Daisies: The Complete First Season |
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| Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius |
Doctor Who: The Invisible Enemy |
Sports Night: The Complete Series |
Cashmere Mafia: The Complete Series
Chuck: The Complete First Season
Dirty Sexy Money: The Complete First Season
Private Practice: The Complete First Season
Samantha Who?: The Complete First Season
DVD QuickTakes
QuickTakes Archive / QuickTakes Archive (pre-May 2008)
Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might / Lord Slug
It’s a shame that the Dragon Ball Z movies aren’t as good as the series itself, but I guess that’s the price you pay when you’re only given 60 minutes to tell a story. You’d also think that with the sixth season hitting stores on the same day, we’d be a little further along in the DBZ timeline, but “Tree of Might” and “Lord Slug” take place pre-Namek – when Gohan was still an annoying little kid and Goku had yet to become a total badass. “Tree of Might” is definitely the worst of the two, and it might even be the worst of all the Dragon Ball Z movies. By now, we’ve already seen Goku go toe-to-toe against his brother Radditz, as well as his father Bardock (albeit in a strange dream sequence), so the idea of pitting Goku against another Saiyan that looks just like him is, well, kind of lame. Additionally, the battles are boring and the movie ends so abruptly that it isn’t even worth your time. It’s a good thing that “Lord Slug” is included in the set, because “Tree of Might” probably wouldn’t be worth owning on its own. Though it does have its share of similarities to the series, (the villain hearkens back to the days of Lord Piccolo, while his lackeys are reminiscent of the Ginyu Force), “Lord Slug” is still one of the better movies to be released thanks to some entertaining fight sequences. Not even Gohan and his stupid dinosaur friend can ruin that.
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Jason Zingale
9/18/2008
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The Presidents Collection
In today’s world of 500 cable channels, the television documentary has become very common. Few, however, rival the consistent quality of “The American Experience” on PBS. Now, with the release of “The Presidents” on DVD, some of the best documentaries from this series are available in one collection. This award-winning series includes documentaries of the following presidents: FDR, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. The series is comprised of 52 hours of broadcast programming detailing the lives of these men. There are several interesting omissions, one being John F. Kennedy. The series never included a documentary that just covered JFK, instead doing one on the Kennedys, hence the omission. Also, the Ike episode was also not included. Each documentary provides an intensely personal portrait of the person, not just a chronology of their presidencies. Most of these men were very complex figures, and each documentary digs deeply into their triumphs and failures. I would recommend this series to anyone who loves history, and it’s an excellent resource for young people who want to learn about the history of America in the 20th century.
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Gerardo Orlando
9/15/2008
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Rob & Big: The Complete Third Season
In the farewell season of MTV’s reality series, “Rob & Big,” the guys make the most of their final months living together as Christopher “Big Black” Boykin prepares for fatherhood. Though it’s kind of sad to see them leave the air (the show is, after all, one of the better reality-themed guilty pleasures on TV), season three features some of the duo’s best moments to date. Rob and Big would be lying if they said the show wasn’t scripted, but despite its “Jackass”-like setup, there’s still some sincerity that shines through – like when the pair give away a truckload of clothing to the homeless, or the look on Rob’s face when he holds Big’s baby for the first time. The rest of the season is made up of the usual high jinks – from racing turtles to terrorizing Rob’s cousin, Drama – but there are some especially cool episodes as well, including one in which Rob breaks 21 Guinness World Records for skateboarding in one day, and another where he buys a net gun. You have to see it to fully appreciate its awesomeness, but let me say this: watching Hollywood Spider-Man get shot with the net gun is the single greatest moment in the entire series.
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Jason Zingale
9/13/2008
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