Off-topic: Can anyone provide a review of the recently released "Simpsons" DVD?

[Larry T]

Has anyone picked this up yet? How's the content and quality?

[PlopKat]

I got the Simpsons set last Tuesday. I'd been looking forward to getting it as it was one of the reasons I'd decided to get a DVD player (along with the Bob Clzmpett Beany & Cecil disc).

The picture and sound are fine, but then I wasn't expected to be blown away by any digital remastering of them.

The set seems kind of light on extras. Only one of the Tracey Ullman shorts is included (the first one, "Goodnight Simpsons"). I expected more as there's only one episode on the third disc. There's a short clip from a BBC documentary about the Simpsons phenomenon. There's a stills archive of character designs. There are two easter eggs: one's a still archive of diffenernt magazine covers featuring the Simpsons; another's a news report about bootleg Simpsons t-shirts.

The best extras are the audio commentaries which feature Matt Groening on most of them. Pertinent writers and directors are also on these tracks. Matt Groening greets the viewer with a "Welcome to the Simpsons Animation Fun Club" on a couple of episodes whtich sets the tone for them. The commentaries are loose yet informative.
One of my favorite lines from the commentaries comes during the "Bart The Genius" episode during the bit where Principla Skinner compares Homer's signature to another on a permission slip. One of the writers says there was much discussion over how stupid they could make Homer's handwriting where as now it's uncertain if Homer even knows the alphabet.

Several references are made about a trip to a real nuclear power plant that some of the staff made. One real sign that they saw was "If you hear a loud buzzing emanating from this room, notify your supervisor IMMEDIATELY."

Another good extra is some of the unused animation from "Some Enchanted Evening." It looks really bad and the commentary for it is amusing also.

If anyone has any specific questions about something not mentioned, please ask.

-PlopKat

[hippety hopper]

The DVD's are great!

As Plopkat said the best bits on the DVDs are the audio commentry.
I love the way they talk about "Some Enchanted evening"(they say the original version is S***!)

The Albert Brooks out-takes are really funny too.

Pick them up Larry,you wont be dissapointed :D

[Larry T]

Actually, they're at the very top of my Christmas list... I just want to know how loudly I should whine to make sure I see them under the tree on Christmas morning!!! :D

There's no doubt I'll be looking for further releases as well. I think that my personal favourite season will be Season 2- there were a lot of good episodes in that year IMO- the show was at it's best then!!

Thanks for the reviews- I was kind of hoping that the Easter Eggs would be the first set of Tracey Ullman clips UNEDITED!!!

Oh well-

[billyjoelfan]

does the dvd feature any tv spots ( tv promos for the shows)

how much and where did you get it from

thanks

[Thad Komorowski]

Media Play (I don't think they're every where) has them on sale for $29.99.

-Thad:D

[billyjoelfan]

and its a 3 or 4 cd set?

wow the surpranos was like 88.99-115.99 and that was the whole frist season


thanks for the info guys