Best DVD gifts, Seinfeld complete series, Studio 60 DVD, Black Donnellys, Benny Hill, Bladerunner
11/23/2007
Stuff to Buy / Bullz-Eye Home
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We all know that the tragically impersonal gift card is one of the biggest don’ts of the holiday season, so what do you buy someone you know very little about? The advent of the DVD has made this dilemma practically extinct. DVD's are cheap, easy to find, and can even act as the perfect stocking stuffer for all you last minute shoppers. This year also offers one of the strongest selections of movies and TV releases you’ll ever see, including re-issues of fan favorites, new single-season releases, and more than 20 different complete series box sets designed with the ultimate collector in mind.
Holiday Gift Guide Sections
TELEVISION
So, that special someone in your life is a diehard “Seinfeld” fan, but they haven’t yet bothered to pick up any of the individually released season sets? Perfect! Right on the heels of Season Nine, Sony has released the complete series of perhaps the greatest sitcom ever made, and they’ve packaged it all in a compact box that doesn’t waste nearly as much shelf space. The contents are pretty much the same – all nine seasons are spread across 32 discs – with the exception of an additional bonus disc (which includes an alternate cut of “The Betrayal”) and a 226-page coffee table book filled with photos, quotes and trivia that stands as an absolute must-have for any fan of the series. And if you act fast, you can also snag an exclusive “Seinfeld”-branded mini-fridge available only at Best Buy that acts as additional protection from your friends’ grubby little fingers. That’s definitely worth a little high five action!
Three reasons to be angry at NBC's programming executives:
Everyone remembers how great “Heroes” was, and the critics won’t let you forget how great they think “Friday Night Lights” is, but somewhere along the way, NBC got so focused on those two series that they let three other series slip through the cracks and into The Hall of Shows That Were Cancelled Before Their Time. Granted, Aaron Sorkin’s hour-long dramedy about the backstage shenanigans at a late-night sketch comedy show never lived up to the promise of the premise like “30 Rock” did, but by the time the show started to breathe, NBC had already given up hope. And as for “The Black Donnellys” and “Kidnapped,” both shows were fantastic dramas that proved consistently gripping from episode to episode. So, of course, they never had a chance to grow into a regular viewership, either. Thankfully, however, they’ve at least made it onto DVD, so you can see how much promise this trio of series had, and then get really pissed off that NBC didn’t agree with you.
It speaks volumes about the comedic worth of Jonathan Katz’s long-running animated series, “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist,” that we watched it religiously on Comedy Central even though that damned Squigglevision animation gave us migraines. After releasing Seasons 1 and 2 of the show as individual sets, Paramount wised up, cut to the chase, and just released the whole damned series into one monster set. All six seasons of “Dr. Katz” are here, along with a ton of special features: three “lost” episodes (featuring Dave Attell, Whoopi Goldberg, and Conan O’Brien), a live performance of the show which was recorded right around the time Season 1 was first released on DVD, follow-ups with former patients, commentaries, and more. Plus, hey, there’s even a 28-page booklet for those of us who still read! With voice appearances from the likes of Ray Romano, Dave Chappelle, Garry Shandling, Jon Stewart, Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Silverman, and even Rodney Dangerfield doing their stand-up while lying down on Dr. Katz’s couch, consider this to be one of the funniest complete-series sets this side of the “Seinfeld” box.
If you aren’t hearing the strains of Boots Randolph’s “Yakety Sax” running through your brain at this very moment, then perhaps you should move on to the next item. But if your brain has now additionally begun providing you with visions of a lecherous, cherub-faced Brit chasing after scantily clad yet thoroughly buxom young ladies (with a skinny old man in hot pursuit), then you’ll find hours of cheeky fun in this 18-disc collection of Benny Hill’s greatest moments. Also included are documentaries, backstage featurettes, and trivia quizzes, but, really, it’s all about the dirty jokes and double entendres, isn’t it? Oh, right, and the tits, too.
If you want the God’s honest truth, we really shouldn’t be spotlighting this set here. After all, it’s a perfect example of a studio taking pre-existing full-season collections and just repackaging them into a cool-ass box without actually adding a single new piece of content. Ultimately, though, we look at “Miami Vice: The Complete Series,” and we’re swayed by two things: 1) after the tremendous disappointment of Michael Mann’s feature film based on the show, picking up all five seasons of the original series is a perfect way to wash that bad taste out of our mouth, and 2) seriously, it really
is a cool-ass box. C’mon, people, we’re talking about a set with an exterior that’s made to look like alligator skin, hinges on the box itself, and a velvet-lined interior to keep the sets comfy. If that doesn’t scream “Ricardo Tubbs,” we don’t know what does.
It wasn’t on for very long – and hey, let’s face it, it was a ratings hit for an even briefer period. But for a little while, “Northern Exposure” was the preeminent quirky dramedy in the golden age of quirky television dramedies, and chances are, you know a TV aficionado or two who loved this show when it was on, and probably still looks back on it fondly today. Of course, if they’re fans of the series, they’ve probably bought at least a few of the parka-clad season sets that Universal has been releasing over the last few years – but this handsome set of 26 satchel-bound DVDs will fill in any gaps in those collections. It won’t fix the music-licensing issues that have robbed these episodes of their original soundtracks (and infuriated hardcore fans), but if you’ve got a yearning to see younger versions of Rob Morrow, John Corbett and Janine Turner in the “Alaskan wilderness,” this is the best game in town.
It came quick and didn’t stay long, but in its short run on ABC during the early 1990s, “Twin Peaks” set a new standard for just how weird broadcast television could be. Although both seasons of the show have previously seen DVD release, there’d never been a complete series set, let alone an official U.S. release of the show’s pilot episode on disc. Finally, however, this “Definitive Gold Box Edition” culls everything together, adding brand new special features, one of which even brings co-creator David Lynch onto camera to discuss the series. There’s a fantastic feature-length documentary that provides the history of the show from start to finish, including interviews with most of the show’s major players. It’s not
really definitive, of course, since it doesn’t include the series’ theatrically-released prequel, “Fire Walk With Me,” nor do several of the extras from the previous season sets carry over to this release, but it’s still sufficiently exemplary to be defined as a damn good set.
Damn good.
Dear Mr. Echo: some British television fan can’t be fenced in by terms like “highbrow” and “lowbrow,” you fascist bastard, and for those folks, we present the latest reissue of one of the greatest BBC comedies of the 1980s. We say “latest” because this is the second time we’ve seen the 12 episodes of “The Young Ones” released in a single package, but at least this time we’ve been gifted with some additional special features: there are a few new featurettes, which serve to both educate and show us just how old Nigel Planer and Alexi Sayle are looking these days, along with audio commentary. These days, however, there’s almost as much fun to be had by picking out the guest stars who went on to become more famous, such as Hugh Laurie (“House”) and Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid in the “Harry Potter” films), as well as Stephen Fry (“Bones”), Jennifer Saunders (“Absolutely Fabulous”), and Emma Thompson (Professor Sybill Trelawney in the “Harry Potter” films, along with countless other flicks). You kids who think Dane Cook is as funny as comedy gets really need to buy yourselves a clue, and a copy of this “Extra Stoopid Edition” set.
If “Get Smart” was the definitive television
parody of the James Bond movies, then “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” was the loving but occasionally tongue-in-cheek tribute to the world’s most famous secret agent. The
United
Network
Command for
Law and
Enforcement employed two particularly notable spies – Messrs. Napoleon Solo (
Robert Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) – and TV viewers thrilled to their adventures against the evil organization known as THRUSH from 1964 to 1968. Echoing their “Get Smart” box from last Christmas, Time-Life has produced a complete series set for “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” just in time for the holidays, and it’s about as good as any fan could hope for. Housed in a cardboard attaché case, the 41-disc set contains all 105 episodes of the series, re-mastered to pristine condition and surrounded with new interviews with Vaughn and McCallum, audio commentaries, home movies from the set, promos, TV appearances, and featurettes galore. To borrow a phrase from many a late-night commercial, however, it’s not available in stores and can only be purchased from Time-Life. So what are you waiting for? Open Channel D and order it!
“Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.” The History Channel’s box set release of “The Universe – The Complete Season One” proves just
how mind-bogglingly big it really is. Spanning a dozen 45-minute episodes, the series covers each planet in our solar system, alien galaxies, the search for extra-terrestrial intelligent life, Big Bang theory and much, much more. Through interviews, deep space photography and some stunning computer imagery, the vastness of the universe comes into a much clearer focus. Space
is big and this highly informative series will make you feel small by comparison. It’s in-depth, but never so much that the casual viewer would feel lost. This would make a super gift for the science geek or even sci-fi fan in your life – a teen who’s got the science bug would be in “the heavens.” It’s a shame Adams didn’t live to see the utter bigness of “The Universe.”
If you know someone who’s practically worn out his DVD set of the fantastic “Planet Earth” documentary, then BBC Video has the perfect dessert course: “The Blue Planet: Seas of Life.” This ambitious undertaking chronicles every facet of the waters that cover our globe. Eight separate 45-minute docs with titles such as “Ocean World,” “The Deep,” “Tidal Seas” and “Coasts” may not sound particularly engaging, but proof is in the viewing. There’s stuff in our oceans to rival even the most alien of outer space imaginations. Best part is, it’s all real. This expansive collection was produced by Alistair Fothergill – the same guy responsible for “Planet Earth” – only it was created before that global journey began. Again narrated by David Attenborough, the set boasts plenty of behind-the-scenes extras as well as a fifth disc devoted to all new material. Hey, it beats an aquarium, and it’s much easier to take care of.
Maybe it’s your mom, older sister, or a crazy aunt, but almost everyone knows someone who’s a Fanilow. If you do, the ideal gift for them is the DVD bonanza, “Barry Manilow: The First Television Specials.” The five-disc set is comprised of the five 50-minute TV specials that have been commercially unavailable since their initial broadcasts (the first four span ’77 to ‘80, while the last is from ‘88). The specials are part live performances, part music video, and even some sketches where Barry gets to show off his acting chops. Adding to that, each hour features guests: Penny Marshall, Ray Charles, John Denver and Dionne Warwick are just some of the most noteworthy. Charles’ solo rendition of one of Barry’s lesser known tunes, “One of These Days,” is exceptional. But the specials are also crammed with Barry belting out his hits, and what’s even nicer is how little repetition there is (only three tunes are played twice). For anyone devoted to all things Manilow, this is the holiest of all grails. I know, for (cue the dramatic music)
I, too, am a Fanilow.
This one’s for the parents who understand that reading books and watching TV aren’t mutually exclusive, but let’s get the rough stuff out of the way first: this is a 16-DVD set, and it’s got a list price of $99.95. Okay, if you’re still breathing, then you’ll be glad to hear that Scholastic has put together a phenomenal collection of some of the most time-honored kids’ stories. “Where the Wild Things Are?” Got it. “Harry the Dirty Dog?” Right here. “Harold and the Purple Crayon?” Most certainly. The publicity materials downplay the level of animation, focusing instead on the fact that artwork from the original stories is utilized, but don’t worry: these look great. Plus, they’re accompanied by narration which is, on occasion, contributed by such luminaries as James Earl Jones, Sarah Jessica Parker and so forth. It’ll keep even the littlest couch potatoes entertained for an extended period of time (all told, it’s almost a 15-hour run time), but it’ll also challenge them to read the original stories as well. If your options are “Barney,” “Caillou,” or this set, Scholastic deserves to win every time.
More TV DVD suggestions: "Flight of the Conchords: The Complete First Season," "Lost: Season Three," "The Wire: The Complete Fourth Season," "Heroes: Season One," "The Office: Season Three," "Everybody Loves Raymond: The Complete Series," "Futurama: Bender's Big Score," "My So-Called Life: The Complete Series," "Saturday Night Live: The Complete Second Season," "Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Complete Series"
MOVIES
Over the last six years or so, Judd Apatow has proven that he knows a thing or two about sex (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up”) and awkward teenagers (“Freaks & Geeks,” “Undeclared”), so the fact that protégé Seth Rogen managed to successfully squeeze both into one film is definitely worthy of applause. Comparably raunchier than the aforementioned projects, “Superbad” doesn’t aim quite as high, but it’ll still go down as the best teen comedy of its generation. Every teenager in America can identify with at least one of the characters in the film, and as such, “Superbad” is probably the safest gift idea for anyone under the age of 21. Though both DVD releases have been graced with the unfortunate addition of the unrated footage (a tragic DVD practice that almost always ruins the film), you’re better off picking up the two-disc special edition, which includes cast audition footage, on-set video diaries and more.
Big. F**cking. Robots. That seems to be the unofficial motto for Michael Bay’s big screen adaptation of the popular Hasbro toy line, but if you saw the flick (and it’s $700 million worldwide box office take leads us to believe that you did), then you probably also agree that the motto is very fitting. After all, you certainly didn’t go to watch Shia LaBeouf save the world, and while we haven’t exactly conformed to the kind of home theater system required to experience “Transformers” in high-definition, seeing the movie for the first time on HD-DVD makes us want to remedy that immediately. Of course, the disc is also jam-packed with more special features than you can shake a stick at, but for once, it’s the film’s presentation that we care about most, and for the high-def fanatic on your holiday shopping list, there’s really no better option.
It shouldn't surprise you that Pixar's wildest idea (about a rat who dreams of becoming a world-renowned French chef) is also the company's best movie to date. After all, these are the same people responsible for featuring toys, bugs, fish and cars as main characters in past films, and while it's become common knowledge that Pixar can do no wrong, it doesn't make it any less amazing with the release of each new film. Pixar has always managed to maintain a healthy balance of both child and adult humor in all of their projects, but they've never done so quite as effortlessly as they have here. The casting is flawless (there's no other studio in the world that would ever –
ever – hand a no-name comedian like Patton Oswalt the lead) and the animation remains top-notch. As you can imagine, "Ratatouille" looks spectacular on the Disney Blu-Ray release, and while most parents are probably more concerned with their day-to-day expenses than such luxuries as high-def DVD players, we will admit that watching the film in HD makes the experience all that more magical.
Those who purchased the single-disc release of “Hot Fuzz” will surely look at this entry and scoff at the idea of succumbing to the dreaded double dip, but what you don’t realize is just how much better this three-disc set is in comparison. Essentially an ultimate compilation of everything from the U.S. and U.K. DVDs, the “Hot Fuzz: Collector’s Edition” features a whopping five commentaries (including one brand new track with director Edgar Wright and “guest”), an extended cut of the Fuzzball Rally featurette (AKA The “Hot Fuzz” American Tour), an entire second disc jam-packed with making-of featurettes and video blogs, and Wright’s student short “Dead Right.” By the power of Greyskull, that’s quite the collection of bonus material! Add to the fact that you’re also getting one of the best films of the year, and it’s not quite the unholy rip-off you imagined it to be. In fact, it’s a pretty good deal at just under $25.
We know what you’re thinking: why would anyone purchase a collection of the first five “Harry Potter” films when a) most people already own them, and b) an even cooler collection will be available when the last movie arrives on DVD? We don’t really have an answer for that, but that doesn’t make this limited edition gift set any less limited or, quite frankly, visually appealing. The guys over at Warner Bros. have done everything in their power to make this re-issue of Years 1-5 as stylish as it can be, including collectible trading cards and bookmarks for the kiddies, additional behind-the-scenes footage for cinephiles, and an interactive Hogwarts Challenge DVD game perfect for those mandatory holiday hours spent with the family. Oh yeah, and it all just so happens to be packaged in a miniature replica of Harry’s luggage. It may not be worth the asking price, but with Pottermania dying down now that the worldwide phenomenon of Book 7 has come and gone, this is the perfect way to shine a little magic back into someone’s life.
There’s no better way to make a DVD collector giddy than to package one of the best sci-fi films ever made in super-cool packaging (I’m still waiting for a giant Darth Vader head, by the way, Lucas) – unless, of course, it also includes a digitally remastered director’s cut of the film inside. In the case of Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner,” both are true, and while most fans are simply frothing at the mouth for a chance to see Scott’s cut of the film, the fact that it’s packaged in a miniaturized version of Rick Deckard’s briefcase makes this one of the hottest DVD releases of the year, if not the decade. Along with the film itself, the five-disc set also includes three commentary tracks, a comprehensive making-of documentary, the 1982 theatrical and international versions of the film, the 1992 director’s cut, more than 90 minutes of deleted scenes, and a workprint that is the most radically different of all the many cuts of the film. Perhaps most amazing, however, is that it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to afford – a fact that will make your piggy bank very happy come the holiday season.
Yes, yes, we know: this is, like, the millionth time they’ve reissued the James Bond flicks. And we know that a lot of you probably already picked them up before, which means that you think you don’t have any use for this set. Hey, you’re probably right. Of course, this is when we once again prey on the completists in our readership and ask the question, “Does your set include ‘Casino Royale’?” Don’t lie to us: we know damned well it doesn’t. Clearly, it’s time to sell the current versions of the Bond flicks in your collection and invest in this sparkling new 42-disc set, which goes all the way up to present day. Of course, it leaves out the original “Casino Royale” as well as Sean Connery’s last gasp as JB, “Never Say Never Again,” but everything else is here, along with a separate disc of special features to accompany each flick. But if you’re one of those who still hasn’t taken the plunge on the cumulative adventures of 007, you’d better go ahead and make your move now, before Daniel Craig gets around to filming the next adventure in the ongoing saga and necessitates the
next “James Bond Ultimate Collector’s Set.”
After their fallout with Paramount, many were left wondering what Tom Cruise and longtime producing partner Paula Wagner would be doing with their spare time, but no one could have guessed that a takeover of classic movie studio United Artists was in the works. Now, in celebration of both new beginnings and its 90th Anniversary, the studio responsible for introducing Rocky Balboa and James Bond to millions of moviegoers across the world is being honored with a massive box set that will definitely set you back a pretty penny. Or, more specifically, a pretty half grand. The “UA Prestige Collection” is just that – a collection of the studio’s 90 most memorable films (including eight Academy Award-winning Best Pictures) spanning from 1944’s “The Woman in the Window” to 2004’s “Hotel Rwanda.” Packaged in a linen-wrapped book the size of most dictionaries, the “UA Prestige Collection” isn’t just for anyone. In fact, it’s probably the worst example of ecological conservation we’ve seen in years, but somehow, we can’t help but be drawn into the magical allure of such a ridiculously over-the-top collection. We have a feeling that many other DVD aficionados will feel the same way, but if you don’t have the extra coin, you can always buy the smaller (and more cost effective) 30-disc set being released the same day.
It seems almost obscene to suggest that a film called “Revenge of the Nerds” is a classic of any sort, but when it comes to ‘80s comedy, the flick’s fondly remembered by more than a few people. To be fair, the three sequels don’t get nearly the same kind of love (and if you’ve ever seen them, you know why), but, still, if you pride yourself on being a “Nerds” completist, then the so-called “Atomic Wedgie Collection” is the only way to go. The second, third, and fourth DVDs are relatively feature-free, but the original flick is decked out in what’s described as a “Panty Raid Edition,” which sounds very special, indeed; it includes audio commentary from director Jeff Kanew and actors Robert Carradine (Louis), Timothy Busfield (Arnold), and Curtis Armstrong (Booger), deleted scenes, the wisely-rejected “Revenge of the Nerds” TV pilot, and a great retrospective featurette entitled “I’m A Nerd, and I’m Pretty Proud of It.” All those who are excited, give a big ol’ nerdy laugh…and then push your glasses back up on your nose, because you look ridiculous.
The term “Spaghetti Western” has always seemed more derogatory than complimentary, but most of the directors got stuck being labeled with the term came to tolerate it; unfortunately, however, there are still a lot of Westerns fans who think that the genre flicks that came out of Italy are sub-par at best. It’s not true…and here’s the proof. Sergio Leone is generally remembered the defining director of the “Spaghetti Western” movement, and this set provides not only the three biggest reasons why – the Clint Eastwood trio of “A Fistful of Dollars,” “For A Few Dollars More,” and “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” – but also a flick which proves definitively that Leone’s success wasn’t strictly to do with his Eastwood collaborations (“Duck, You Sucker”). The latter film, which stars James Coburn and Rod Steiger, might not be as well known as Leone’s “Man with No Name” trilogy, but it’s almost as much of a classic.
We realize it might seem weird to shove Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s “Grindhouse” flicks down to the “also consider” section in favor of a bunch of flicks you’ve never heard of. Here at Bullz-Eye, though, we’re major proponents of having the proper historical perspective before watching flicks that are paying tribute to a past genre, and you won’t find a better look at the so-called “Grindhouse” movement than these box sets. Each contains 20 flicks which cover the gamut of the various types of flicks that make up the genre. Women in prison? Check. Blaxploitation? Check.
Sexploitation? You bet your sweet ass. Before it’s over, you’ll also get a look at cannibalism, police drama, disaster flicks, mafia movies, horror, and badly-dubbed kung-fu. The movies are pretty uniformly awful, of course, but that’s hardly the point. Just back, pretend you’re sitting at a drive-in, and let the cinema of the ‘70s engulf you.
Film noir is, according to the never-wrong Wikipedia, “a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation.” Fair enough…but what does that even
mean? Okay, try this: if you like “The Maltese Falcon,” “The Big Sleep,” “Double Indemnity,” and “Strangers on a Train,” then you like film noir. And if you
do like film noir, you’ll be pleased to discover that Warner Brothers has been releasing some awesome box sets which provide reissues of some long-out-of-print classics from the genre. To be fair, everything in these sets
isn’t a classic, but if you start with Vol. 1, which is 100% successful in its selections (“The Asphalt Jungle,” “Gun Crazy,” “Murder, My Sweet,” “Out of the Past,” and “The Set-Up”), by the time you get to Vol. 4, you won’t care about the perfection percentages; you’ll just want to keep exploring as many of these stylized flicks as you can get your hands on.
If you’re a fan of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” but you sometimes find yourself thinking, “Man, I wish those damned robots would shut the hell up so I could enjoy the movie,” we sympathize. Sometimes, all you want to do is kick back and groove to a really cheesy flick from the ‘50s or ‘60s for what it is: good, clean, campy entertainment. Enter Warner Brothers’ ever-popular “Midnight Movies” series, which has compiled four awesome new box sets, each of which provides three flicks in a particular genre. Funny thing is, some of these films used to be considered real classics, like “Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman”; that particular description was probably never said of Zsa Zsa Gabor’s 1958 vehicle, “Queen of Outer Space,” however. Film scholars may be amused to watch Sergio Leone’s first credited work as a director (“The Colossus of Rhodes”) in Vol. 4, but the “Terrorized Travels” set probably contains the greatest gem of the bunch: “Zero Hour,” where two airline pilots choose to eat the fish dinner on their flight and become incapacitated, requiring former flyboy Ted Stryker to overcome his "war record" and land the plane. Yes, this is the movie that inspired “Airplane!” Lemme guess: you’re heading over to Amazon right this second, aren’t you? You’re welcome.
More Movie DVD suggestions: "The Simpsons Movie," "Live Free or Die Hard," "Ocean's Thirteen," "Hot Rod," "Hairspray," "The Evil Dead: Ultimate Collection," "Stanley Kubrick: Director's Series," "Die Hard Collection (Blu-Ray)," "The Jazz Singer: Three Disc Deluxe Edition"
Holiday Gift Guide Sections
