How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
September 21, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who don’t conform: Community: The Complete First Season
When I look back on the first season of Community, I think about the big risks. The episode with the paintball war, the one where they parody Goodfellas with cafeteria chicken lunches, the one where Abed literally becomes Batman.
And now, for the upcoming season’s Christmas episode, there’s been chatter that they’ll be doing an animated stop-motion episode a la Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Yet it won’t be a dream, and characters will refer to the episode’s events later in the season.
Community may have the most ballsy writers’ room on television.
I wouldn’t have said this after those first few episodes, though. There were clever moments – Jeff and Pierce’s Spanish presentation – but the comedy didn’t sustain. Some stuff stuck, lots didn’t. I thought the show was a decent start to NBC’s Thursday and not much else.
But then that Halloween episode hit, with Annie’s Dia de los Muertos party, and everything seemed to change. The comedy was funnier (“Before AIDS, sex was like shaking hands”), more self-referential (“It’s December 10th!”) and entire episodes – not just scenes or even moments – felt like they’d be remembered for some time.
By the end of the season, Community had transformed itself from a quirky comedy to something I really hadn’t seen before. And that’ll continue into the second season with that Christmas episode, a reportedly “extravagant and insane” Halloween episode and even a space-themed episode.
For those who haven’t seen Community, don’t read these special episodes as gimmicks, because they’re not. Instead, they’re challenges. Challenges, actually, that Community’s writers are literally knocking out of the park every time.
Disc includes: Extended episodes, outtakes, never-before-seen footage, audio commentary
For people who thought their family was weird enough: Modern Family: The Complete First Season
Having believed going into its premiere that Modern Family was like The Office in the suburbs, I remember my hopes being nothing short of high. Then that wonderful pilot aired, and I laughed my ass off. And I knew Modern Family was destined for greatness once they queued the theme to The Lion King.
Like most family comedies, Modern Family mines a lot of its funny from the dysfunction of its core cast, which is split into three family units: An older father married to a much younger Colombian woman, and his two children. One (Julie Bowen) is married and has three kids, while the other (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) lives with his boyfriend and adopted Vietnamese daughter, Lily.
Even the name Lily is the butt of a joke. I believe that, too, was in the pilot.
On the show, no one’s a lead. The kids get as much play as the adults. And it’s a good thing, too, since an episode just wouldn’t be the same without a healthy dose of Manny, who’s unintentionally hilarious and wise beyond his years.
Like The Office, Modern Family takes advantage of a faux documentary crew to tell its story. Yet unlike the NBC comedy, Modern Family’s camerawork is completely refined and less, I guess, “guerilla.” What’s similar between the two are the talking heads and the morals commentary at episodes’ end (a thing The Office did much more in its earlier years).
To watch Modern Family and not get the comedy just wouldn’t make sense to me. Even homophobes don’t have an out because Cam and Mitchell never even smooch!
Disc includes: The Making Of featurette, deleted family interviews, Real Modern Family Moments featurette, Fizbo the Clown featurette, Before Modern Family featurette, deleted and alternate scenes, Modern Family “Hawaii” gag reel
For people who like to have heart to hearts with peacocks: 30 Rock: Season 4
For the first time in its history, 30 Rock proved its mortality when it didn’t win Outstanding Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys a few weeks ago.
Not that the award show should be taken seriously – I mean Jim Parsons won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy… - yet the defeat may be evidence that 30 Rock isn’t that small but mighty comedy in the pocket of the academy anymore. It’s now got formidable competition in Modern Family, which won the prize, as well as a few other newbs.
And you know, voters did right in shutting the show out of the award. (Well, this goes for Outstanding Comedy Series as well as the 14 other Emmys it was nominated for). Season four was easily the least memorable run of episodes so far.
I noticed something, though. As crazy as this sounds, I actually liked it when 30 Rock attempted actual storylines in the new season. Chiefly, that new cast member search, which drove the first five or so episodes of season four. I liked Jack Donaghy goin’ country. And I liked the actual audition (a la American Idol) that featured Don Geiss’ mute daughter, Kathy, as an impeccable parody of singing sensation Susan Boyle.
Following that, however, the season reverted to its one-off ways and the comedy didn’t seem as sticky as in years past.
Disc includes: Extended versions of “Secret Santa” and “I Do Do,” audio commentary, deleted scenes, behind the scenes of “The Moms” and “I Do Do,” Food Network’s Ace of Cakes: 30 Rock (and Roll) featurette, full-length Tennis Night in America featurette, photo gallery
For people who like their comedy on late: Saturday Night Live: The Best of 2009/2010 (Widescreen)
While on the topic of uneven comedy, I don’t think anything does it as “well” as Saturday Night Live. Though I watch regularly, and feel like I know the show fairly well, I can’t say I ever know which SNL will show up on new episodes. Kind of like that football team you probably love to hate.
For instance, Taylor Swift’s great episode – probably one of the best of the season – was followed by one with January Jones, who was so awkward and unfunny so as to make that 90 minutes some of the worst the show has literally ever done. It was painful.
So, I think a lot of it has to do with the guest star. The week’s host seems to dictate how good the comedy may be since they’ll likely be appearing in just about every sketch.
SNL seems to have taken this to heart for the venerable show’s 36th year, as the first handful of hosts are all comedians or have at least done comedy. (In order: Amy Poehler, Bryan Cranston, Jane Lynch and, in my mind the only questionable one, Emma Stone). Mad Men favorite Jon Hamm, who has hosted the show twice already, will be back on October 30th.
Disc includes: N/A
September 21, 2010
Blu-ray
All Hell Broke Loose
American Beauty (Sapphire Series)
Being Human: Season Two
Calvin Marshall
Chelsea on the Rocks
Death Kappa
The Experiment
Horror Classics Collection
Human Target: The Complete First Season
Michael McDonald: This Christmas Live In Chicago
Modern Family: The Complete First Season
National Geographic: Collapse
Ondine
The Peacemaker
Racing Dreams
Robin Hood
The Secret in Their Eyes
The Secret of Moonacre
Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Complete First Season
Stomp the Yard: Homecoming
Triple Dog
(Untitled)
Vigilante
XAMD Collection 1
DVD
30 Rock: Season 4
All Hell Broke Loose
America: Live at The Ventura Theater
American Beauty (Sapphire Series)
Being Human: Season Two
Calvin Marshall
Castle: The Complete Second Season
Chelsea on the Rocks
Community: The Complete First Season
Death Kappa
Designing Women: The Complete Fourth Season
Desperate Housewives: The Complete Sixth Season
The Experiment
Ghost Hunt: The Complete Series (Set)
Hell's Kitchen: The Complete First Season
Hell's Kitchen: The Complete Third Season
How I Met Your Mother: Season Five
Human Target: The Complete First Season
Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Season 3
Law & Order Special Victims Unit: Year 11
Madonna: Out on the Floor, Story of a Dancer
The Mentalist: The Complete Second Season
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (Criterion Collection)
Modern Family: The Complete First Season
Ondine
Peanuts: He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown (Deluxe Edition)
Racing Dreams
Ride the Divide
Robin Hood (Unrated Special Edition)
Rolling Stones: Born Under a Bad Sign
Saturday Night Live: The Best of 2009/2010 (Widescreen)
The Secret in Their Eyes
The Secret of Moonacre
Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Complete First Season
Stomp the Yard: Homecoming
Triple Dog
Two and a Half Men: The Complete Seventh Season
(Untitled)