Friday the 13th, Part 2 (Deluxe Edition)

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Friday the 13th, Part 2 opens two months after the horrific events of the original. We see Annie, the heroine and sole survivor from Part 1, is still living in the town of Crystal Lake trying to put her life back together. A phone call from mom and a quick shower later, Jason is jamming an ice pick into her temple as she stares at the rotting, severed head (her own handy work form the climax of the previous film) of Jason’s mother, Mrs. Voorhees. Revenge has been served, establishing our new killer, setting the tone for the next 80 minutes.

Now, why Annie didn’t leave Crystal Lake (or New Jersey, altogether) is the first thing to come to mind, but if you’re looking for convention and logic in this series, or any fine slasher film for that matter, then you should probably just leave the room and make it easier on the rest of us who are well aware of what we are in for, and eager to play along.

So, now it’s five years later and a new group of kids has gathered at a near by camp to train as counselors for the upcoming season. Paul, the guy in charge, assures everybody that the past is the past: Jason drowned, his mother was killed, and “Camp Crystal Lake is off limits.” The only thing he’s right about is Jason’s mother being dead.

What ensues is a killing spree as Paul and half of the team goes out to the local bar, while the other half stay back to fuck and get high. Teen stuff. The staples of the genre. Paul and Ginny, his girlfriend and this chapter’s heroine, return to find the carnage and the masked man responsible. Before we know it, we are in Jason’s all-too-creepy ramshackle shack, deep in the surrounding woods, for the final showdown and eventually Jason’s first ever unmasking.

Released in 1981, Part 2 saw Sean Cunningham handing director duties over to producer and longtime friend Steve Miner, who would also go on to direct the series’ next installment. With the tagline “The body count continues,” Friday the 13th, Part 2 was to be bigger and bloodier than the last, and apparently it was, until the MPAA got a hold of it. They had been gearing up for it since the last one, which they had obviously slept through the first time around. What results are ten delightful kills where the payoffs remain on the cutting-room floor. Unlike the cut scenes from the first film, these scenes are not included here, are said to be lost forever, and will likely never be seen again.

The 10 kills are:

• ice pick to the temple
• barbed wire strangulation
• claw hammer to the head
• upside-down throat slitting
• stabbing
• machete to the face
• double impalement
• knife to the stomach
• One presumed death (Paul)

The most notable of these being the Jeff and Sandra sex-kabob, and of course wheelcahir-bound Mark’s machete to the face and push down the stairs in the pouring rain. Now Texas isn’t the only place where wheelchairs aren’t off limits.

While it’s hard to pick a hands-down favorite in the franchise, I do feel Part 2 is the scariest. With this sequel we see the birth of Jason Voorhees as our killer. He’s not the unstoppable killing machine we’ve come to know over the years. You’re not rooting for him the way it came to be around the sixth installment in the F13 franchise (where it all went downhill in my opinion). In this one he’s terrifying as fuck and you just want him to go away. Say what you will about his now-iconic hockey mask, but Jason has never been scarier than with the potato sack, with the one eye cut out, over his head.

The newly released DVD, sadly, isn’t anything to rush out for. The transfer looks suspiciously similar to past releases and the featurettes are pretty goddamn rotten. It does have the infamous theatrical trailer with the continuing body countdown (“14…15…”), which is a real treat, but nothing new to past purchasers. There is one featurette with the author of Crystal Lake Memories, Peter M. Bracke. While the feature itself is pretty worthless, it is a great plug for the book, which I cannot recommend enough. It is a must -have for any fan of all things Friday. It really is the definitive companion, and a huge resource for this review. In fact, don’t spend your money on the new DVD (keeping in mind it has nothing to do with the film, rather this particular release), and instead save up for this book.

PRIDE AND GLORY

Written by Pollo Misterioso

Why do cop films try to not be cop films? Trying to expand on the genre is always refreshing, but when you deny the genre completely, what are you left with? Pride and Glory, the Warner Brothers film featuring Edward Norton and Collin Farrell, has the skeleton of a cop film, but it misses the meat that makes films like these so entertaining and worth watching.

Director Gavin O’Connor attempts to make a film that is more about the psychological nature of cops, showing what is happening behind the badge and the gun, but it never goes far enough into the characters and fails to short in the plot.

The stereotypes for a cop film are all there. You have the bad cop and good cop. Ray (Norton) is introduced with a scar on his face, which is the visual indicator that this man is emotionally wounded. He is about to get a divorce and has a troubled past. Don’t worry, he also seems to be the only person that can speak fluent Spanish, making him a valuable translator later in the film. Jimmy (Farrell) is the bad cop that is more of a hoodlum and thief than most people on the streets of New York. They are brother-in-laws, and both are cops with the NYPD.

Four cops are killed in the beginning of the film. Ray is asked by his father, played by Jon Voight, to head the task force to find the killer. Farrell and his men are after the same guy, but for reasons to cover up themselves in their own misdealing. Ray’s older brother Francis (Noah Emmerich) is also involved because it was his men that were killed. It turns out, that as Ray gets closer to finding the truth, the family becomes more involved and the consequences grow larger as we find out how everyone is involved in the crime. As it turns out, Jimmy is the ring leader for the corruption that is happening within the system.

The problem here isn’t hard to identify. Movies of this genre get its suspense and entertainment from solving the crime. It is the way that the film presents the problem that creates confusion and concern for a cop movie. O’Connor spends a good part of the film establishing the family and its importance to our characters. Unfortunately, the way that it is shot and edited together, the small vignettes with loved ones, become unnecessary flashes that seem more like forced sympathy than anything with substance. Francis’ fiancé just got engaged and is battling cancer, but I had no idea what her name was. A little too forced?

Unfortunately, the writers are to blame for this one. The cop characters become such stereotypes when they are trying to play against it. They are tough, but sensitive; troubled and lost within the system. It seems to be written as a series of short films that are strung together by the characters and loose plot line. But in jumping from scene to scene, the development that wants to be created, is lost. In fact, there is just too much emotion that drives each small scene, that there is no grit.

There is no connection to any of the characters, no interest in the crime, instead we are left watching cops think, cry, and emote about what is going wrong. This is not to say that there isn’t any good violence (there is a scene involving Farrell, a baby and an iron that gets very intense), but even this can’t straighten out the plot that is supposed to drive the film. The drunken father-figure Jon Voight says “keep the rage, cut the rest of it loose”—if only the movie could have taken some of its own advice.

The DVD extras that accompany this film are almost better than the movie itself. There is only a documentary on the special features entitled “Source of Pride: The Making of Pride and Glory” that is worth watching. You get to see the kind of training and preparation the actors went through to participate in this film. In trying to make the actors more like real cops, they followed around NYPD officers for weeks on the job and some of the stuff they did is very intense and they talk about their experiences with it. If only the movie were this interesting to watch.

Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (I Love the 80's Edition)

Written by Hombre Divertido

In 1980 the Zucker Brothers (Jerry and David) and Jim Abrahams would bring their Airplane to the big screen in a spoof of the classic disaster films of the seventies, and the genre has yet to come in for a landing, yet few have flown as high as this talented trio.

Two years later our team of three would attempt to bring their brand of comedy to the small screen with Police Squad, which would spoof the classic cop shows of the sixties and seventies. Leslie Nielsen played bungling detective Frank Drebin who fumbled his way though gag after gag in this thirty-minute sit-com. Though the comedy was certainly as creative as that found in Airplane, the show lasted a mere six episodes.

Even though the sit-com had been a failure, six years later our three comedic minds would once again delve into the files of Police Squad and bring the interesting case of The Naked Gun to the big screen. Drebin would again attempt to solve cases and prevent crimes surrounded by an equally inept police force and criminals portrayed by an all-star cast. The comedy was extremely creative and even exceeded Airplane in its depth of story.

Paramount released The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad as part of the I Love the 80’s collection which would appear to include a total of 67 (Why not 80?) different films. Taking advantage of the popular show on VH-1 to market a collection of films from the decade of the eighties would certainly appear to be a good marketing plan, but may serve to irritate fans. It’s certainly not unreasonable for fans to expect that a new release of such films would include additional material often entitled “Bonus” or “Special Features.” Not so in this case. The new release contains no new material. There is a commentary, which is informative and humorous, and the original theatrical trailer, but these were included in previous releases. The packaging does list Widescreen Version enhanced for 16:9 TV’s, Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French Mono, and English Subtitles as Special Features, but that is a bit generous.

To be completely accurate, the new release does include a CD entitled Music from the 80’s, which includes four, yes four, songs from the decade. “Lips Like Sugar” by Echo & The Bunnymen, “Chains of Love” by Erasure, “Need You Tonight” by INXS, and “Take On Me” by a-ha. Now this would be a great way to encourage people to buy the new releases in hopes of building their music collection, unfortunately all releases in the “I Love the 80’s” DVD collection include the same four songs.

Recommendation: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad is an innovative, and creative endeavor that is brilliant in its execution, though some simply may not appreciate that type of humor. Rated PG-13 for some content, it is generally a fun film for the majority of the family.

The new release is generally disappointing in its lack of new material. Where are the cast interviews, outtakes, deleted scenes, etc? Hopefully we can expect more from a 25th anniversary release.

Friday the 13th: Uncut - Deluxe Edition (1980)

Written by Hombre Divertido

In 1980, wanting to piggyback the success of Halloween, which had hit the big screen two years earlier, director/producer Sean S. Cunningham and writer Victor Miller sent some kids out into the woods. Said outing would spawn 10 sequels and a 2009 remake due to hit theaters Friday February 13th.

The kids sent into the woods were camp counselors set to reopen Camp Crystal Lake despite the opposition of the local town folk who had tagged the place Camp Blood, after two counselors had been murdered there many years earlier. Our new soon-to-be-corpses would go about their business not realizing until far too late that they were being killed in grizzly fashion one by one.

The film did exactly as intended in that it scared audiences and raked in money. Almost thirty years later, it still manages to be frightening, but the thanks for those goose pimples need to go directly to Harry Manfredini who was responsible for the intense music that brings true terror to what is essentially an incredibly weak story.

Though excitement is easily created as an unknown assailant kills our camp counselors in creative fashion such as an axe to the face, and arrows from under the bed that penetrate the throat of anyone not footloose enough to get away, and the blood-dripping special effects were certainly innovative for their time, but too many opportunities were missed from a storytelling perspective. Had even the slightest amount of time been dedicated to story and character development, this could have easily been an excellent “who dunnit?” as well as the innovative slasher film that it was.

The newly remastered release with a 5.1 surround mix in holograph-covered packaging looks and sounds great, but includes some less than spectacular bonus features. The standard commentary is reasonably entertaining and informative, as are “Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th,” and “The Man behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham”, though the insight tends to get repetitive. “A Friday the 13th Reunion” is scary in its awkward geekiness as it serves to perpetuate the tacky stereotype of all such conventions and those who attend. The addition of previously excluded unrrated footage goes virtually unnoticed and “Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 1” screams: “College production!“ and should have remained lost. The original theatrical trailer is not only wonderful to watch and makes it easy to see how horror fans of that era were enticed to see this film, but will be appreciated more when you see the trailer for the 2009 film.

Recommendation: A rainy Saturday night, a bowl of popcorn, and this film will certainly make for a fun evening and have you yelling at the screen as weapons are left behind and rooms fraught with danger are backed into. Even if this isn’t your cup of blood, the bonus feature “A Friday the 13th Reunion” is worth watching for all the wrong reasons.

HULK VS (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Written by Puño Estupendo

There's always something a little disturbing about seeing a cartoon aimed at thirty-something-year-old comic-book guys. Now I'm not talking about animated movies aimed at an older audience, I mean something that has the look, design and feel of a Saturday morning superhero action fest but is aimed right at the middle-aged fanboy. Even though I am said fanboy in a lot of ways, it just kind of throws me off a little bit. For this reason, I was surprised when the over-the-top action of Hulk Vs started up.

Split up between two short features, Hulk Vs breaks into "Hulk Vs Wolverine" and "Hulk Vs Thor." In the first, you have a small Canadian town that's been destroyed. Carnage everywhere, military taking control of the investigation, and everyone's favorite X-Man being asked to go after The Hulk (who is being blamed for the destruction). In fast form, Wolverine tracks the "toxic scent" of The Hulk and is stupefied when all he finds is a scrawny little crybaby of a man wearing tattered purple pants. Doesn't take too much to figure out what happens next, bring on the fight! And fight they do, crazy style!

I was honestly surprised at how brutal it was: blood, stabbing, severe pummeling...that's when you realize it's aimed at the fanboys. The problem was that it kind of made me laugh at how blatant it was about it. Once the fighting started (of which there is a lot of), it came off like it was trying to live up to robots fighting alien werewolves while Jessica Alba ran around in a skimpy outfit; completely blatant in who it was targeting.

Aside from that, it was a fairly fun ride. There's actually a bit of story thrown in between the fighting, and the appearance of several more villains make for a slug-fest of proportions you would expect from something that has The Hulk and Wolverine in it. Wolverine actually turns out to be more of a focus in this than Hulk does. There's flashback sequences to his origin and the villains are all from his past: Deadpool, Omega Red, Lady Deathstryke. The Hulk just serves as a vehicle for a Wolverine story. Not that that's such a terrible thing at all, but it came off as kind of a bait and switch to me.

Sort of the same can be said for the second feature of the set, "Hulk Vs Thor." This time around the Hulk is brought to the mythical realm of Asgard where he is possessed by Thor's evil brother Loki and is used as a weapon against all that is good. The beatings commence, and it's a whole lot more fighting.

These are not necessarily for the young ones. The violence is the prominent factor and it's not exactly adults only, but there's blood, severed limbs, head-bashing and even a pointblank gunshot to the face courtesy of Deadpool in the Wolverine segment. It's machismo with superheroes and it's fun stuff if you're into that. I did like the character designs quite a bit, more so with the Wolverine movie than the Thor one, but both are nicely done. As a comic-book fan, it was a treat to see some of these characters handled like this and I would definitely be interested in more.

A surprising amount of extras are included for both movies including making-of's and plenty of behind the scenes interviews with the directors, writers, and designers. Each film runs 40 minutes so they really did include more bonus features than a lot of films twice their size. Hulk Vs is the kind of fun where you just check your brain at the door a bit, kick back, and watch the mayhem unfold. Fans of these characters won't be disappointed but probably won't exactly be blown away either, but should definitely give them a watch if you've been sitting on the fence about it.

Night Court - The Complete Second Season

Written by Hombre Divertido

In the early 1980s the landscape of television situation comedies began to change from the trite stories that served to move from one punch line to the next that spotted the television horizon of the late ‘70s, to stories of depth that found humor in well-developed characters. Many series did not survive the transition. Night Court which began in January of 1984 managed to evolve and subsequently become a hit, breaking into the Neilson top-30 (#11) in 1985 and the top-10 (#7) from ‘86 to ‘88. Yes, the show certainly benefited from being a part of NBC’s stellar Thursday night lineup, but Night Court benefited more from growing along with the taste of the audience.

In the first few seasons, Night Court was more like a series from the ‘70s, driven by obvious “set up and punch” humor. As it matured, the characters were developed, an ensemble was formed and utilized, and the stories were allowed to drive the comedy rather than the other way around.

Warner Brothers Home Video has released the complete second season on DVD. Though this well packaged three-disc set is enjoyable, at this point in the show’s evolution, it is more reminiscent of a ‘70s sit-com than that of the time period in which it was aired, and thus has a more nostalgic feel to it than one might expect.

Following the goings-on at a New York Manhattan night court presided over by youthful Judge Harold T. Stone (Harry Anderson) who had a penchant for magic, jokes, and Mel Torme, Night Court not only featured a colorful cast of characters, but was consistently visited by some of the best comedic character actors in the business.

Anderson had made a name for himself in a few appearances on Cheers as con man “Harry the Hat,” and would anchor Night Court for its entire eight-year run. Also along for the entire run was John Larroquette, as assistant D.A. Reinhold “Dan” Fielding, who would manage to turn one of television’s most lecherous characters into a beloved comedic icon worthy of four Emmys, and Richard Moll as gentle giant bailiff Nostradamus “Bull” Shannon. The second season would also include Selma Diamond as wisecracking bailiff Selma Hacker, Charlie Robinson as court clerk Mac Robinson who was the calming influence in the room, and representing the accused was Billie Young played energetically by Ellen Foley.

This cast was good, but had yet to find its working chemistry this season. With respects to Ellen Foley who added much to the ensemble, the cast really came together with the addition of Markie Post as Christine Sullivan who appeared in one episode in season two and would become a regular the following season.

In season two much humor was generated by the constant flow of unusual characters through the courtroom on a nightly basis. These roles in season two included such stars as Michael Richards, Lou Ferrigno, John Astin, Stella Stevens, and many more.
The new release is packaged nicely and looks great, but includes no bonus material.

Recommendation: Though the series would get much better in future seasons and the constant set-up punch formula grows tiring, there is some fun here. It’s a nice addition to the collection of a true fan, or just someone who wants to hear what Dan or Selma our going to say next.

OLIVER AND COMPANY

Written by Hombre Divertido

When you discuss the animated films of the eighties, you may find that films such as An America Tale, The Land Before Time, and All Dogs Go To Heaven are mentioned before anything from Disney makes it’s way into the conversation. This was not a good decade for Disney until The Little Mermaid floated onto the screen in 1989. Prior to our introduction to Ariel, the Disney landscape in the eighties was spotted with The Fox and the Hound (1981), The Black Cauldron (1985), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), and Oliver and Company (1988).

On February 3rd 2009, Disney will release Oliver and Company - 20th Anniversary Edition on DVD. With a story based on the classic Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, an all-star cast featuring Bette Midler, Dom DeLuise, Cheech Marin, Billy Joel, Robert Loggia, Richard Mulligan, Joey Lawrence, and a soundtrack with songs from Midler, Joel, Huey Lewis, and Ruth Pointer, it is certainly tough to see where this could have gone wrong. Not that this is a bad film, but it should have been better.

Oliver (Lawrence) is a kitten that is abandoned in New York City circa 1988. Oliver is reluctantly befriended by Dodger (Joel, who auditioned for the role over the phone) and eventually accepted into the gang of dogs who have run of the city as they attempt to help their human friend Fagan (DeLuise) raise money to pay off his debt to the evil Sykes (voiced masterfully by Loggia). Oliver fits in with the gang but is eventually adopted by sweet, little Jenny (Natalie Gregory) before being reluctantly rescued by Dodger and friends, and subsequently kidnapped by Sykes

The story has some holes, but is generally fun, though the opening sequence of Oliver being abandoned and chased by vicious dogs may be a bit much for young children and turn them off before the film really gets started.

The cast is excellent but Marin steals the show as the other performers are hindered by a lack of character development.

Where this film really struggles is with the animation and music. In the bonus feature “The Making of Oliver and Company” the fact that this is the first Disney film to truly embrace the use of computer animation is touted. Unfortunately the result resembles a Saturday morning cartoon from the late seventies or early eighties. The background seems flat, and there are inconsistencies in the artwork.

The music does not quite work either. It had been some time since Disney had made an animated musical, and apparently it was deemed necessary at this point, whether the story supported it or not. The songs are fine, and certainly performed by top talent, but they just don’t seem to fit in the film and are sporadically placed.

Add the flat animation to the forced musical aspect, and it is tough to make it through this 74-minute outing without becoming distracted.

There is not a lot of bonus material that wasn’t included in the 2002 release, and what is here is weak at best, except for two bonus shorts from Disney’s animated library. Appropriately the two cartoons feature Pluto dealing with cats. Both are great fun, and actually surpass the main feature in animation and storytelling.

The other bonus features include the previously mentioned “Making of,” which is informative and entertaining but insultingly brief. The kids may enjoy the bonus sing-along sections and the “Oliver’s Big City Challenge Game,” but Disney could have included all the songs and the game will only appeal to the youngest of viewers. The featurette “Disney’s Animated Animals” is too short and a bit self-serving, but the “Oliver and Company Scrapbook,” “Fun Film Facts,” and Publicity materials are enjoyable to view.

Recommendation: This will appeal to an audience within a select age range. Not so young as to be disturbed by the emotional opening segment, and not too old to notice how the film fails in comparison to some of Disneys more recent classics. Adults will certainly appreciate the performance of Marin who gleans a smile with every line, and may enjoy trying to spot the homage to other classic Disney canines and some inconsistencies in the artwork. There are much worse ways for a family to spend an evening, but other Disney fare might be more fulfilling.

MARY POPPINS (45th Ann. Ed.)

Written by Hombre Divertido

In 1964 Walt Disney brought P.L. Travers’ character Mary Poppins to the big screen in what was considered his crowning achievement. Julie Andrews, in an Academy Award performance, embodied the magical nanny that glides into the lives of the Banks family and teaches them the importance of priorities and family along with some catchy tunes. On January 27th, 2009 Disney gives this 1964 classic the anniversary treatment.

Though the animation is slightly flat by today’s standards, the restored and remastered film looks great and is sure to entertain children of all ages and adults will certainly be impressed by what was accomplished over four decades ago. Adults may find the combining of stories from books by P.L Travers to result in a collection of scenes rather than a complete story, but what it lacks in continuity, it makes up for in outstanding performances by Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, and an incredibly talented and versatile supporting cast.

As the film itself is obviously a beloved classic, it is the bonus material that gets much focus, as that is what may draw someone to a purchase of something they already own. This two-disc release contains many of the same bonus features included in the 40th anniversary release, but there is some new material, and that which has been previously released is thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable. It is slightly annoying that the packing does not include a list of material and thus the discs need to be loaded to determine their contents.

The highlight of the bonus material is “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making of Mary Poppins” which does an outstanding job of chronicling how this gem made it’s way to the big screen.

Another wonderful bonus feature consists of available footage and radio recordings from the World Premiere Gala Red Carpet event, which have been masterfully combined into a magical look back at Hollywood in an era of true stardom and glamour. It is interesting to watch the interviewers and how awkward they are when compared to the talent of today.

The audio commentary with Andrews, Van Dyke, Karen Dotrice (Jane Banks), and songwriter Richard Sherman, combined with “Poppins Pop-Up Fun Facts” make for a unique viewing experience even for those who have visited with Mary and the Banks family many times before.

“Movie Magic” lends far too little insight into the effects used to bring the enchanted world of Mary Poppins to life, and is clearly geared towards children.

The Dick Van Dyke make-up test is interesting to look at briefly, as are some of the trailers and still art galleries.

The “Music and More” section of the menu is full of fun for the whole family. The sing-along section is great to help all join in with the classic tunes, and the “Magical Music Reunion” with Andrews, Van Dyke, and Sherman, is casual, comfortable, and engaging to the audience.

“A Musical Journey with Richard Sherman” is informative and enjoyable as Sherman obviously has a great love for this project and he conveys it with great enthusiasm when reminiscing over many aspect of the production.

The inclusion of deleted song “Chimpanzoo,” though interesting, is redundant as it is also included in the same format as part of the previously mentioned “A Musical Journey with Richard Sherman”.

The bonus short “The Cat That Looked at the King” from a chapter of P.L Travers’ sequel Mary Poppins Opens the Door features not only Andrews, but an all-star cast of vocal talent as well. Unfortunately the result is somewhat awkward. Though the intent is clear and the information certainly valuable, it is a bit too convoluted and thus the message may be missed by those most in need.

Unfortunately the new material on this 45th anniversary release does not compare well to previously featured bonuses. “Disney on Broadway”, which should be viewed after the features already mentioned in this review even though it appears first on the menu to form a logical historical storyline, consists of:

“Mary Poppins From Page to Stage” attempts to tell the story of how Mary Poppins made her way to a live performance, fails on many levels. Far too much effort was put in to making it appear artsy; it lacks continuity and takes too long to provide interesting information.

“Step in Time” consists of the Broadway cast performing the classic number from the show. Unfortunately it translates poorly simply due to the production quality related to how it was filmed. It fails to capture the true energy associated with the Broadway production. There is a downloadable MP3 version of the Broadway cast singing “Step in Time.”

Scenic and Costume Designer Bob Crowley provides a video intro as well as Design Galleries.

Recommendation: If you own the 40th anniversary release, the new material is simply not enough to warrant another purchase unless you are a huge fan of the Broadway production, and even then you may be disappointed.

If you don’t own Mary Poppins on DVD, than this is a valuable addition to your collection as there is enough bonus material to fill an entire rainy Saturday with enjoyable viewing. Of course, with the 50th Anniversary release right around the corner, you may want to wait.

My Three Sons: Season 1, Volume 2

Written by Hombre Divertido

CBS/Paramount has released the second installment of the first season of the classic television show My Three Sons which ran on CBS from 1960 to 1972. This release, which completes the first season, comes roughly four months after the release of volume one.

The series chronicles the life of consulting aviation engineer Steve Douglas (Fred MacMurray) who was raising his three sons with the help of his father-in-law “Bub” played by William Frawley, who had previously co-starred on I Love Lucy. Steve’s wife passed away before the series started, and now, Steve would handle the challenges generated by college-bound Mike (Tim Considine), young teen Robbie (Don Grady) and rambunctious seven-year-old Chip (Stanley Livingston), with a lit pipe and a calm that one could only hope for in a parent.

Running for twelve years, the show set records in its day. The family would shrink, as Mike would marry and move away never to be mentioned again, and the family would grow through adoption and marriage. In the first season it was simply our five men, six if you count the family dog Tramp (Canine), struggling to cohabitate and survive.

It’s interesting that the packaging of this three-disc release touts the episodes as smart, funny, and extremely well written. This will seem very generous as you delve into the eighteen episodes in this collection. The scripts seem to fall into three categories: “Misunderstandings,” that would later be a staple of “Threes Company”, where someone gets the wrong impression due to something they saw or heard and then jocularity insures as in “The Delinquent;” “Disney,” where the story is cute, has a lot of physical antics, and is not very realistic as in “Deadline” which features a young Beau Bridges and Mark Slade, who would go on to star in High Chaparral; or “Nothing,” where there simply does not seem to be enough story to fill the time as in “The Croaker” where far too much time is spent watching Bub play with a frog.

The “Disney” dynamic could be easily explained simply due to the actor’s roots. MacMurray and Considine both had individual Disney projects and had appeared together in the hit Disney Movie The Shaggy Dog, and Grady had been a Mouseketeer. The “Nothing” stories may simply have been due to the extensive editing process associated with what was termed the MacMurray method. The actor agreed to do the show only if the time associated with his participation was limited. Thus many scripts were written, and several scenes from different episodes, such as those taking place in the kitchen, would be shot all at once, and then pieced together in postproduction. There are scenes in many episodes, such as “The Croaker,” that seem to go on far too long, as if they are simply trying to fill time. This may be a result of the previously mentioned editing process. As for the “Misunderstanding” episodes, though ahead of their time, are simply too staged and far-fetched to be anything but trite.

What does make this series work are the performances and chemistry between the actors. Though Grady has yet to fit into his character and often seems just a bit off, generally these characters are believable as a family and enjoyable to watch. There is an overall energy generated by the young actors that is complimented by the subtle humor generated by the endearing MacMurray, and the classic comedic timing of Frawley.

Recommendation: There is simply not enough here to recommend this endeavor. Without any bonus material, and not even the first episode of the series included since this is volume two, this is a very tough sell. There does not appear to be a logical reason to have split the first season of this iconic series into two volumes other than to glean more profit. CBS/Paramount has released other series with as many first season episodes in a single volume, so there is little explanation for this dual release. Also unacceptable are the changes made to the music from this classic series denoted in ever so small print on the backside of the packaging.

My Three Sons - Season 1, Volume 2 is only for the true fan who already has the first volume and can’t wait for the full series to be packaged together.

IGOR

Written by Fantasma el Rey

Igor is a fun little tale of a hunchback who yearns to be more than an evil scientist’s assistant and with his knack for invention he may well be the first. Along with two of his creations, he sets out to prove that even an Igor can be equal and more than just a “switch puller.” In 87 minutes we get the whole story told in a nightmarish Tim Burtonesque fashion, have a few laughs, and smile as Igor makes his mark in the dark world that he lives in.

Our hero Igor (John Cusack) is an Igor because he was who born hunchbacked in the land of Malaria, dooming him to serve evil scientists pulling switches, doing the manual labor, and being all around lackeys. Igors aren’t born with these “skills,” so they must learn them through longs hours of schooling. The art of switch pulling; slurred, accented speech; and a “yes, master” degree are just a few things an Igor must excel at. Our Igor is different and determined to change it all. He himself is a brilliant inventor and is the one who makes most of his evil scientist’s, Dr. Glickenstein (John Cleese), ideas work.

With the death of Glickenstein, Igor and his sidekicks Brain (Sean Hayes), a somewhat robotic brain in a glass jar, and Scamper (Steve Buscemi), a rabbit that is now immortal thanks to Igor, jump on the opportunity to enter the annual evil science fair under the guise of the deceased evil scientist’s last invention, which is really Igor’s. And Igor’s invention is…a giant female version of Frankenstein’s monster that he has brought to life to do evil and win the fair. The only problem is that his creation, who dubs herself Eva (Molly Shannon), has an evil bone that fails to activate, causing her to want to become an actress. She is also caring, loving, and not at all evil, to Igor’s horror.

From there we get the same old song and death dance of how the reigning science-fair champ, Dr. Schadenfreude (Eddie Izzard), steals Eva, claims her as his own invention, and attempts to do away with Igor. All the while the good guys chase the bad and race against the clock to save the lady monster that Igor is now quit fond of. By the end, all is well as Igor saves Eva and reveals the true story behind how the once happy, sunny land of Malaria became a “storm cloud filled,” dark evil place. Igor also achieves his grand goal of breaking the hunchback barriers and has become, along with all other Igors, accepted as equals among the people of Malaria.

Not a bad movie, a bit formulaic at times in its story which is a good one with its message to stand out, be yourself, and do what’s right, set perfectly in a dark land with monsters of all types. Placed well in the movie are some goods lines about that very subject. One from Igor himself is “I tried to be someone different but the world wouldn’t let me.” I love that line as well as Eva’s delivery of “Better to be a good nobody than an evil somebody.” Brilliant.

While some of the animated characters seemed recycled from Burton’s “Nightmare Before Christmas,” the cast does a fine job in their voice work. Cusack as Igor is great and Steve Buscemi’s voice is perfect for Scamper, whose attempts to do himself in are filled with sarcasm and wit. Izzard as the villain is also good as is Shannon, and through the film we get to hear from Christian Slater and Arsenio Hall as well as Jay Leno. DVD extras include audio commentary by director Tony Leondis, writer Chris McKenna, and producer Max Howard as well as an alternate opening sequence that doesn’t work as well as the chosen opener.

Igor may be too creepy for some children while other little creepy kids may come away with a spine-tingling good time with a message. As for the adult chill-dren and creepy sorts who find laughs and entertainment in the things that go bump in the night, it provides some evil laughs and a dark smile much along the lines of television classics The Addams Family or The Munsters.