| ||||||||||||||||||||||
MALL.ShopperFavorites.com
Best Prices
Shopper Favorites Web Search |
DVD : Saturday Night Live - The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse |
- Outrageous'A fine collection of cartoon humor as Robert Smigel attempts to offend everyone possible. Some of this is almost cruelly funny. I had seen most of these over the years and now enjoy holding them on one collection. The SNL "Best of Commercial Parodies," is a comparable bookend collection. Enjoy.
Rating:
- A Must Own for Any SNL FanSaturday TV Funhouse has consistently been the best part of SNL for the past few years now. Focused, topical, biting, smart, and hilarious, Robert Smigel and company knock it out of the park on a regular basis. So naturally, when I saw that Universal was releasing a DVD of the special that Smigel prepared for an off week in 2006, I jumped at the oppurtunity to add it to my collection.
Simply put, it's one of the smartest DVD purchases I've ever made. Not only for the program, highlights of which include 'Saddam and Osama' and 'The X-Presidents,' but for the additional HOUR of extra cartoons (including the controversial 'Conspiracy Theory Rock') and the "All-Star" commentary, which is one of the best I've ever heard: it's intelligent, insightful, and funny in its own right.
This is a must own for any fan of Robert Smigel, TV Funhouse, or SNL period.
Rating:
- Where is the first Michael Jackson cartoon?...the one where he's trying to catapult himself into the kiddie pool in the compound and ends up reaming himself (to his delight) on the flagpole? The one with Marlon Brando? What kind of rights issues kept that one off the DVD, but not the second one that's in this collection. Also, I hope the Speed Racer parody with George Clooney and the Paparazzi can clear rights sometime in the future. Otherwise, an essential companion to the season sets, which won't be getting around to the Funhouse-era anytime soon--perhaps ever.
Rating:
- Mostly hilarious and a great valueWhile Saturday Night Live certainly seems to have its periods of peaks and lows, a segment that is always a highlight when it is included on the program is the Saturday TV Funhouse cartoon shorts written by Robert Smigel. Short and subversive, every cartoon is guaranteed at least one laugh (and often many more).
This disc features a "Best Of" special that aired on television last season that runs for about an hour and a half, as well as about another hour of "bonus" cartoons. Highlights include the Ambiguously Gay Duo, X-Presidents, and Fun with Real Audio shorts as a whole, as well as the "Saddam and Osama" and "Inside the Disney Vault" segments. Also of note is the commentary by Smigel who is accompanied by guests pertaining to which short is being aired, ranging from Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert (the Ambiguously Gay Duo) to Al Franken and Mr. T. This runs throughout the entire feature segment and--to my surprise and delight--many of the "bonus" cartoons are also accompanied by commentary.
Some shorts are funnier than others, and some of the "extra" cartoons were better than ones included in the featured program, but all in all you are paying $15 for over two and a half hours of hilarious content PLUS a good two hours of commentary. I wish a little more had been included regarding the production process of the cartoons themselves, but I'm a film buff and that kind of thing interests me.
Not a perfect set by any means, but apart from buying a full season of the better television comedies (South Park, Arrested Development, Seinfeld, The Simpsons) you're not likely to find more laughs or variety of jokes in a single purchase. For the price of the latest lame "rom-com" that's been dumped on the public this year, you can have a truly worthwhile collection of comedy.
Very highly recommended.
Rating:
- Loads of LaughsGet ready for some uproariously funny cartoons in "Saturday Night Live - The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse". Four former US presidents who are turned superheroes by a hurricane-powered dose of radiation, a well known television icon who's desperately trying to find work, two clueless gay superheroes and the wild misadventures of a controversial music star and his strange friends are just some of the highlights in this 60-minute uncut comedy special. "Saturday TV Funhouse" is a frequent sketch on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" featuring twisted cartoons created by long-time SNL writer Robert Smigel. These animated sketches are hilarious parodies of educational films, Saturday morning Hanna-Barbera cartoons and classic holiday specials. They often poke fun of celebrities, political figures and corporations especially the Walt Disney Company. Some segments include actual recordings of presidential debates and celebrity interviews against a backdrop of some very outrageous cartoons.
If you are a fan of bold sidesplitting humor, then check out "Saturday Night Live - The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse". The entire 60-minute television special is presented in its original full screen format. Its picture quality and 2.0 Dolby Digital audio ranks slightly above your standard television broadcast. Its special features include over one-hour of extra uncut cartoons, original storyboards and a fun audio commentary with creator Robert Smigel, voice stars Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert (The Ambiguously Gay Duo) and other surprise guests. Overall, "The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse" gets a "B-".
MALL.ShopperFavorites.com
|