Artie Lange: Jack and Coke DVD Review

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Synopsis: As raw and offensive as ever, Artie Lange returns to his roots in Jack and Coke, shot at one of his favorite clubs in his beloved New York City. One of America's funniest stand-up comedians, Lange's irreverent, uncensored humor gets huge laughs from this NYC crowd. The culmination of nearly four years of touring, Jack and Coke includes nearly an hour and a half of insanely honest, hilarious material.

Review: We love Artie.  Ever since Dirty Work we've been interested in what he was up to, and when he became a Stern regular we started getting a good, steady dose of his humor.  Stand-up specials are hit and miss, but this one was spot-on.  Its honestly a collection of a lot of jokes you may have heard previously if you follow Artie much.  It kinda felt like a greatest hits.  Waaaah! (Lange humor)

Jack and Coke was laugh out loud funny.  What more can you ask of a comedy special?  We're very picky around the Legion offices when it comes to comedians.  We get into Eddie Izzard and Ricky Gervais a lot.  Artie is another end of the spectrum..he's the everyman's comic.  We definately recommend picking this one up.

I can't get through this review without mentioning what has recently happened with Artie.  I'm a long-time Howard Stern listener...in fact I'm listening now as I write this review!  Its well-known to Stern fans that Artie has battled his demons in the form of drugs for many years, but recently Artie made a rather brutal attempt on his own life.  I'd like to take a moment to say that we wish Artie and his family well and we hope that he recovers and finds the peace that he needs in life.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

10 Things I Hate About You, Volume 1 DVD Review

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Synopsis: From the director of the original hit movie comes the hilarious ABC Family Series 10 Things I Hate About You. Viewers will experience the ultimate sibling rivalry with the show that Jennifer Goodwin of E! Online calls “wickedly funny, smart and sweet” and meet Kat (Lindsey Shaw) and Bianca (Meaghan Jette Martin), two very different sisters who have their own unique views on high school life and teenage love. Kat is a feisty, smart student activist who wants to stand out, and Bianca is a sweet social butterfly who just wants to fit in. Things get a lot more complicated, however, when Kat meets the mysterious Patrick Verona (Ethan Peck). Fans can experience every episode of Volume One, complete with exciting bonus features, available only on DVD. 10 Things I Hate About You is a witty and fun family comedy with something for everyone.

Review: There is an epidemic with movie-to-tv adaptations.  They tend to be an awful re-hash of what you've already seen on the big screen.  The great thing about this show is that it actually breaks away from the film just enough to carry on a life of its own.

10 Things I Hate About You the series makes only minor changes to the storyline and sets up the characters to have a long-running dialogue, rather than the enclosed situations of the film.  We get a lot more time to witness the development of the characters.  This Volume One set includes the first half of season one, which is ten episodes.  You can get all caught up on the show and prepared for the second half of season one!

The extras on this DVD volume includes a lot of audio commentary and some bloopers from the show's filming. Its more than you typically recieve in a volume one set like this.  I highly recommend this one for anyone thats into teen drama.  This is great for tweens, teens and their parents.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Video: You can see some bloopers, click HERE

ER: The Complete Twelfth Season DVD Review

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Synopsis: Look who's checked in at County General: Dr. Victor Clemente arrives with a motor mouth, a load of talent, and a questionable past. Imposing, no-nonsense Eve Spellman takes charge (and almost takes over) as the new nurse manager. And hunky paramedic Tony Gates proves he's more than a guy on the make. Season 12 also brings spiraling drama and suspense to the lives of ER veterans. Abby and Kovacs share unexpected news. Gallant comes home from Iraq to be with Neela. Pratt goes to Darfur to work with Carter. And burn victims, stabbing victims, gunshot victims, assault victims--young and old, male and female, grateful and combative--keep the ER on edge. And sometimes over the edge.

Review: My wife made me watch ER every Thursday on NBC.   When I say that she made me I mean to say that...well, she made me.  I've never been much on the medical drama, but this one really started to grow on me.  This was my issue with the show..shell out some money and keep a cast member for more than three seasons.  After awhile it just got crazy, because to watch a show I have to be invested in the characters..its not the ER itself that I care about, so why keep switching it up on me?!  That being said, ER was a phenominal show.

In season 12 they added one of my favorite actors, John Leguizamo, as Dr. Victor Clemente.  This most definately saved this season for me.  They did something very topical and sent Carter to Darfur.  This move split the show between two locations, which in retrospect worked very well and added depth and scope to the show, but when it aired I was annoyed.  I really liked Carter and I could feel that this drastic creative move signaled the beginning of the end for him.  It was obvious to me that the actor was interested in more interesting writing for his character and he wasn't going to stay long.  Low and behold, he didn't.  Thats neither here nor there now that the show isn't airing new episodes anymore. 

I'm complaining a lot here, but honestly season 12 was FULL of great moments and tons of dramatic storytelling.  The Leguizamo story arc alone was both shocking and exciting.  I was sad to see him go.  It was sad to see how Gallant and Neela related after his military service.  This is a must-have for any ER fan and if you never saw the show, what better time than now.  Get this on DVD and get caught up.  The great part about ER changing it up so often is that you can jump in at any time and get caught right back up..you don't need to watch seasons 1-11 to get season 12. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Video: You can watch clips from the show HERE

Links: www.ertv.com

Spaceballs: the Totally Warped Animated Adventures DVD Review

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Synopsis: May the farce be with you! Modern filmdom and popular culture get lampooned at ludicrous speed as “Spaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures!” comes to DVD December 29 from MGM Home Entertainment. Re-introducing the art of ridiculous satire to the small screen, the animated half-hour episodes pick up where the cult-classic feature film left off, showcasing rollicking parody of pop culture for a new generation of fans, including hilarious imitations of James Bond, Harry Potter and the video game “Grand Theft Auto.” Executive produced and Co-Created by Academy Award winner Mel Brooks* (The Producers, Young Frankenstein), “Spaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures!” reprises the roles of the original Spaceballs cast, including Joan Rivers (“The Joan Rivers Show,” Shrek 2) as the droid Dot Matrix, Daphne Zuniga (“Melrose Place,” “One Tree Hill”) as the lovely Princess Vespa and Brooks as the comic sage Yogurt. Joining the fight against the evil Dark Helmet are unforgettable characters Captain Lone Starr and his half-human-half-canine sidekick, Barf.

Special Features

• The Moron’s Guide
• Episode I – “Outbreak”
• Intermission – “Satisfied Customers”
• Episode II – “Skroobinator”
• Intermission – “Thanks For Your Order”
• Episode III – “The Deep Ship”
• Intermission – “Sing Along With Skyroob”
• Episode IV – “Grand Theft Starship”
• And That’s Not All
• One More Goodie

Review: Who doesn't love Spaceballs?   Its one of the all time best spoof movies.  Now the animated adventures are an entirely different story.  I'd only heard negative comments made about the four episode run of this animated spin-off.  It has a great voice cast, including Brooks himself, but I'd heard that it was terrible, so I was a little apprehensive going into it.  I have to say that the negative reviews are far overblown.

When I popped this one in I found a charming cartoon that definately provided some laughs.  The animation comes off more like a net flash cartoon, but the voice acting was well-done and there were a lot of PG-13 jokes and sexual innuendos.  The characterizations weren't spot-on from the film and some details were changed, but Mel Brooks made this, I think he can be given room to do whatever he wants with his own franchise, right?   It comes off a lot like the Drawn Together series from a few years back.

Bottom line, I wish this show wouldn't have been cancelled.  With some more time it could've hit a great stride and become a regular show.  I definately recommend this DVD for any Spaceballs fan.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Honey and Clover Box Set 2 DVD Review


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Synopsis: Can life's answers be found where the road ends? Shinobu has disappeared to America, leaving both Yuta and Hagumi with very mixed feelings. But talk about mixed up! If Takumi's feelings are so tied up with Rika, why is he tied up in knots over his coworker Nomiya's romantic pursuit of Ayumi? Plus, senior projects are getting everyone down, but none more than Yuta, who in a sudden burst of reckless abandon takes off on his bicycle on an epic journey of self-discovery...Ah, the enthusiasm of youth! (Episodes 13-24 – includes Bonus Episode F)

Review: There is a misconception amongst some people that anime is all action or sexual violence.  That is definately not the case.  In Japan anime is a legitmate form of storytelling.  Honey and Clover is a fantastic example of this with its slice of life themes and dramatic performances.

This box set collects episodes 13-24 of the series and we follow the relationships, romances and pitfalls of these fantastic characters, as we would any real-life soap opera.   The pacing of this series takes us through the daily life of the characters, everything from job hunts to ackward moments amongst friends, as one tries to let another down easy in the realm of love.  If you're looking for action or faced paced story, this isn't your cup of tea. 

This show is a perfect way to get your girlfriend or sister into anime.  This may be geared more towards female viewers, but I think that open minded males can enjoy it, as well.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Yayoi Kusama: I Love ME · New People Artist Series Volume 2 DVD Review

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DEATH NOTE: RE-LIGHT 2: L’s Successors DVD Review

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Synopsis: Four years have passed since Light claimed his victory at L’s grave. Light has joined the National Police Agency and taken on the identity of the “new L.” Kira’s judgments of the citizens of the world have intensified, and many nations have come to accept Kira, either from fear or adulation. Near, L’s successor, must ponder the question of how L was defeated if he is to succeed where his famed predecessor failed. At the headquarters of the anti-Kira organization the SPK, he proclaims that the new L is none other than Kira and calls upon the Japanese task force to declare war on Light. 

Review: Death Note has become a very popular animated series in the United States.  They even released the live action Death Note movie into theaters last year!   Death Note has been a force in Japan for some time and now its leaked its way into the US.

This Death Note Re-Light 2 series is all 37 episodes of the anime series condensed into two DVD sets.  This one is only 90 minutes long.  This is really a recipe for disaster for serious fans of the show.  Its not as bad as a lot of reviews have stated.  Basically it opens with new footage of L explaining some of the story.  A lot of characters and situations are cut out completely for time and there is a new ending put on it, as well.

Honestly, this is a good release for fans to check out.  Its a nice overview, especially if you already know the series very well and don’t need to go over every single detail, but want to watch the series again.   Its a great DVD release.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars