On DVD |
by M. Faust |
|
|
To state the obvious: this whole TV-series-on-DVD thing has gotten completely out of control. Among the releases that are likely to show up on the shelves of mainstream renters and retailers in the next two weeks, nearly half are collections of television shows.
And we’re not talking “Masterpiece Theater” here. As of sometime next week, you can own the first two seasons of “Full House” on DVD. Or the sixth and seventh seasons of “Saved By the Bell: The New Class.” Or the fourth season of “MacGyver.” Or (hold on, I haven’t hit rock bottom yet) the final season of “Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica,” just in time for their divorce (and don’t think there aren’t video cameras rolling on that procedure).
I will admit that I’m just as greedy and materialistic as the next person. (Why do you think people get into my line of work if not for the promise of freebies?) I would love to own a copy of the “Monty Python 16 Ton Megaset,” featuring every episode of the British series, and if someone buys it for me for Christmas I promise to look tremendously appreciative when I unwrap it. But to be honest, much as I would admire the way it looked on my DVD shelf, I don’t know how much I would actually watch it. I can pretty much guarantee that I wouldn’t get $200 worth of enjoyment out of it, which is what it costs.
And that’s a bargain compared to the $300 price tags for complete sets of “Friends” and “Sex and the City.” Am I being draconian in suggesting that anyone who would even consider paying $300 for shows that are still being broadcast on a regular basis should be knocked down and have their money taken away from them? (Ditto the people who keep buying the same movies over and over again in each new “improved” package—like the three-disk Wizard of Oz set that just came out—but that’s a different rant.)
I suppose the popularity of TV on DVD has something to do with the fact that while many people have been talked into getting rid of their “obsolete” VCRs, they haven’t yet gotten around to buying DVD recorders, leaving them unable to record the shows that are broadcast for free on television. Planned obsolescence—where would we be without it?
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I haven’t left myself much space to write about other (non-TV) DVD new arrivals. It’s not a particularly strong week anyway, as Hollywood tries to eke more dollars out of some of its worst summer movies—Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Dukes of Hazzard, Fantastic Four. But be on the lookout for Murderball, the documentary about rugby-playing quadriplegics; Puddle Cruiser, the long-awaited release of the 1996 debut film by the collegiate comedy troupe Broken Lizard, which went on to make the cult hit Super Troopers; Berlinguer I Love You, the 1977 debut of Roberto Benigni; Where the Sidewalk Ends and Kiss of Death, two classic film noirs (or “films noir” for you grammar purists); and Konga, one of the worst King Kong ripoffs of all time, though a film with nostalgic appeal for those of us who used to see it on TV all the time.
|
Issue Navigation> Issue Index > v4n48: Buffalo Schools: Sleeping Giant or Giant Mess? (12/1/05) > On DVD This Week's Issue • Artvoice Daily • Artvoice TV • Events Calendar • Classifieds |
Subscribe 