| Product: |
The Simpsons - The Complete Season 1 (DVD) |
| Date: |
07/10/01 (184 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: great show , good presentation, commentary tracks
Disadvantages: R2 is overpriced, extras are far too short
Since the advent of dvd users have been calling for the release of certain title over everything else. Little by little they are coming with next weeks release of The Godfather films, the first entry for a star wars film and of course now we see the release of The Simpsons Season 1 on dvd but is it worth the wait. Well here's my view on the three-disc set.
The release comes in silver grey gatefold style packaging with some nice artwork. This slips into a metallic case with great artwork again and an almost rainbow effect on it. Overall a nice start with the addition of a small booklet listing the episodes, some trivia and air dates.
Spanning three dvd's we get the whole 13 episodes of season one that breakdown as follows: -
Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire
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Homer doesn't get his Christmas bonus and has to moonlight as a Santa as the department store. Meanwhile the festive cheer is all around the Simpson’s home unaware that presents aren't forthcoming.
Bart the Genius
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Bart swaps IQ test with Martin and as a result is considered a genius. As a result he is sent to a school for gifted children where he is really out of his depth.
Homer’s Odyssey
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After getting fired Homer is at his lowest ebb. An event transpires that leads him on a one-man crusade to make everything safe in Springfield.
There’s No Disgrace Like Home
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One of the early classics that has the family enlisting the help of Dr Marvin Munro for some family therapy. Of course once everyone is strapped into electro shock treatment the fun really begins.
Bart the General
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Nelson inflicts his wrath on Bart but soon finds himself the victim of a revolt from all the kids he has bullied. The leader of this military operation? Bart of course!
Moaning Lisa
r>-------------
Lisa has a case of the blues that is uplifted by a late night journey. On her walk she meets Bleeding Gums Murphy and finds out that the blues can really help your problems.
Call of the Simpsons
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One of the classic episodes in my opinion. Some classic moments as Homer purchases a mobile home to try an out one over on Flanders. The family find themselves stranded in the outback where homer gets mistaken for Bigfoot while Maggie gets adopted by bears. Worth it just for the rabbit trap moment.
The Telltale Head
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Bart cuts the head of the town statue off just to get into a cool gang. As a result he finds himself running from the angry mobs of Springfield's citizens.
Life on the Fast Lane
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Marge takes up bowling after Homer buys her a bowling ball as a birthday present. At the alley she gets swept away by a seemingly Frenchman with a smooth line in chitchat.
Homer’s Night Out
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Bart takes candid photos of Homer at a bachelor party. Soon the photos are circulating around Springfield much to Marge's annoyance.
The Crepes of Wrath
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Another classic episode as Bart is shipped off to France in an exchange programme. he finds himself being used as slave labour whilst back in the USA Homer takes a liking to his new foreign visitor who seems to have some secret plans.
Krusty Gets Busted
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Krusty the Clown is framed for robbery and put in jail. Sideshow Bob takes over the TV show and seems to be a success. Yet all the while Bart is trying to clear Krusty's name.
Some Enchanted Evening
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Homer and Marge go out for the night and leave the children with a babysitter. Yet this is a babysitter who is a wanted criminal and naturally she didn't count on sitting for the kids from hell called Bar
t.
Some say the first season is the worst in the whole of the Simpsons. In some ways I can see this as being fair but they are not terrible by the standards of other TV shows. In comparison some of this stuff is genius. The animation is rough, the voices not fully polished and overall it's ropey but this was a show still trying to find its feet. Creator Matt Groening even acknowledges this in an introduction on the dvd packaging.
The episodes themselves are presented in their original broadcast format of 1.33:1 and the transfer is very good considering the material. Colours are very vibrant and many of the rough spots are results of the crude animation in season one. There is some occasional shadowing but this is the best you'll ever see the show in.
The episodes have also been remixed into Dolby Digital 5.1. To be quite honest there isn't a great deal of benefit with practically all the sound in the front speakers. The opening title sequence has a bit more punch but there isn't much going on in the rears. I'll be perfectly honest and say you might as well just watch the episodes through your normal TV speakers.
A quick word about the menus. They are scored with the theme tune but not animated. However they are simple and to the point, sometimes-animated menus get on my nerves so this is a welcome change. The scene selection however does have full motion video clips of the chapters.
As for the extras well what you get is decent but not great in my opinion considering the high profile of the release.
Each episode comes with an audio commentary. Each one varies with who contributes but every one is entertaining. Hidden jokes are pointed out as well how the episode came about and what ideas were left on the drawing board. Simpsons fans will love to listen and get some great info. Considering each track only runs for 22 minutes approx it's not a chore to sit through.
Also included in
a series of still gallery formats are some of the scripts to the show. The episodes featured are: -
BART THE GENIUS
MOANING LISA
BART THE GENERAL
SOME ENCHATNED EVENEING
The great thing about these scripts is that they are the actual ones used. What I mean by that is you get to see the handwritten scribbles and script notes, changes etc. These aren't just bog standard finished versions that most companies throw on to their product.
Fans who can't wait to see the featurette on the making of the show will be bitterly disappointed. The whole segment runs for around four minutes and mainly features comments from Matt Groening on how the show came to be. This is all very well and good but this is only four minutes of a 30+ minute programme that aired on the BBC when they first started airing the show. Why the whole thing wasn't included I’ll never know.
Another short clip features an animatic of a show that comes with commentary. This shows the process of the animation through simple pencil sketches through to the finished product. It's interesting but again incredibly brief.
The Simpsons evolved from a rough incarnation of shorts on the Tracy Ullman show in the USA. One of these segments is included and sees the family saying good night to each other. if you thought the first series had rough animation then wait till you see this! Again though it's very short.
On initial announcement some though that this set would come with a previously unaired episode of the show. Well in reality it's some unshown footage from the episode 'Some Enchanted Evening'. Again nothing too special and it's incredibly rough. There's nothing sensational and is really just some extended footage of a kitchen scene and some establishing shots.
One of the best extras is a short segment that features audio outtakes from Albert Brookes who does the French voice for one episode. The
re is some funny stuff here and tyou can actually hear other people cracking up at the skit.
It doesn't end there, you also have still gallery’s of early character concept drawings that show how the initial ideas evolved into the characters we all know and love. Add to that some clips from the show that have been dubbed into international languages with comedy effect. These clips also show up on the X-Files releases and to be honest they are amusing but ultimately pointless.
Finally if you look hard then you'll find two Easter eggs that amount to a collection of stills that show the various magazine covers the family has adorned whilst the other is a news report on the simple slogan on a Simpson’s T-Shirt that had some schools up in arms.
So there you have it. I think the release has been worth the wait but the extras amount to very little and you have to wonder what they'll be able to come up with for future releases of the Simpson’s. The presentation can't be faulted but I have a major issue with the price of the package. If you have a multi-region player then this baby can be picked up for as little as £17.99 on the R1 market. Yet here in the UK we are being asked to stump up anything between £29.99 and £39.99 for the same set. When you consider that each of the episodes only runs for 22 minutes and the extras don't have a lot of length then I think you'd agree that this is very overpriced.
But then again it's a good set and I can't wait for future releases. Just make sure you shop around first otherwise you may be saying DOH!
Summary:
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