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The Simpsons - The Complete Second Season

The Simpsons - The Complete Second Season

List Price: $49.98
Your Price: $37.49
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Season
Review: While the first season, like many TV series, had some oddities before they nailed-down things like Homer's voice, and their home's floor plan, the shows from the second season can run side-by-side with shows from later seasons. We're still meeting some regular characters, like Comic Book Guy, for the first time, but for the most part, The Simpsons are in full-swing this season.

As with the first season, the real value of the DVD is the commentary from Matt Groening, Al Jean, and the various directors, writers and animators. Occasionally they get so involved in a discussion of The Simpsons and the old days that they seem to forget we've got an episode running, but that's okay. A real fan has seen the episode many times already (and can turn off the commentary with the press of a button), but I think the commentary connects us more with The Simpsons than simply watching the episode again.

Each time I see a Simpsons episode I see things I never noticed before. The episodes all work on so many different levels. While the idea of studying an episode of a TV show over and over again sounds pretty geeky, The Simpsons is one of a small number of shows I can imagine doing this to. And when there's nothing on TV to watch, a quick 22-minute Simpsons episode can fill a void.

If you're interested enough to have read this far, and if this isn't the first customer review you're reading, then I would say you're interested enough in The Simpsons that you will find value in this 4-DVD set.

Have you bought it yet? Have you bought it yet? Have you bought it yet? Have you bought it yet? Have you bought it yet? Have you bought it yet? Have you bought it yet? Have you bought it yet? ...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My husband is addicted to the Simpsons!!!
Review: I bought this for my husband. He will watch every episode of the Simpsons 10 times and then over again so this was a great gift!!! A must for Simpson Fans.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: the menu"TIP"
Review: The three time menu spin(head wheel). can be bypassed to get to the shows.while on the spin three times menu,just press dvd menu on your dvd remote control and you won't have to spin the head wheel at all;it will go directly to the simpson shows.works for each 4 disc.Well worth the money.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Can't wait for season 4
Review: Don't get me wrong. I love this Special Edition but I've seen all these episodes hundreds of times. I don't believe the show really hit it's stride until the fourth season though, which I still think hasn't been surpassed. Note: Season 3 is out now! We're getting to the pinnacle of perfection! You'll want to own th first two seasons for reference.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Collector's Must Have
Review: The menu is a slight better improvement over the first season. The "spinning heads" intro on every dvd losses its nolvety the first time you see it. However, the animation and voice talent is much better and this season comes with 22 spanking eps!!! The special features were decent, but noting spectactular. Then again, you mostly buy this set for the shows which there are 22 of!!! A better improvement over season one, however the menus still need work.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Kings of Comedy
Review: What can I say?... The second season has, in my opinion, 20 of the best chapters in all Simpson's history so far. If you enjoyed the first season, you're gonna love the second one. Worth every penny.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Getting better--where's our "Play All"?
Review: In general this package is above reproach. Content-wise, how can you go wrong with a full season of one of the funniest sitcoms of all time?

By the second season the Simpsons has hit its stride--I won't go into the detail on the episodes, but we're already getting some real classics.

In terms of the value of the DVD format, I have to give two thumbs up to the full-length commentaries on each episode by Groening et al. Those alone are worth the price of the set.
The clarity and sound of the episodes are good as well.

The bads? Well, I don't care for the packaging. Something more permanent (a clam-shell like the M*A*S*H DVD releases would have been nice) and less difficult to get into would've been preferable, though this looks nice next to the season 1 set.

Irritating: The fact that you have to get through the "intro joke" on each disk by hitting 'play' three times before you get the menu (cute once, obnoxious every subsequent time). Also irritating: The fact that there's no playthrough feature! GIVE US A PLAY-ALL OPTION on that first menu, Fox! It's not hard--Monty Python and Blackadder do it, as does the Twilight Zone releases put out by CBS. It can be done--and should be!

Worth it? Yes. Perfect? No. Not yet. And where are our Region 1 Futurama DVDs, anyway?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My Cat's Breath Smells Like Cat Food
Review: WOW. This is even better than season one. The special features are cool, the episodes look and sound great. I can't wait for season three and beyond. This has some classic episodes that Matt said took a lot of blood, sweat, andtears. This is a collection of episodes that shows a maturing show, evolving characters, and stellar writing that is starting to go all over the place. A must have.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Simpsons hit their stride
Review: While the first season contained funny moments, there really weren't any shows that stand up to repeated viewings over and over again. The second season shows are denser, much funnier, and occasionally touching. The sly pop-culture references are much more accessible than they have become in the most recent shows, and the episodes are also more coherent. For my money, Seasons 3-8 are the best, but season 2 is approaching greatness.

Personal highlights of this package include (in order of appearance):
1. Simpson and Delilah - where Homer bilks the company med plan for hair-growth drugs, and is promoted to manager. Homer's secretary (the "other" Carl) is fantastic.
2. Three Eyes on Every Fish - the Simpson's first extended ripoff of Citizen Kane (I thought the episode should be called Citizen Burns), where Mr. Burns runs for governor. Also the first episode to centre on a non-Simpson.
3. The Way We Was - the first flashback episode, now legendary and oft-repeated. Marge and Homer's first date, and an appearance by John Lovitz as Marge's other prom date.
4. Homer vs. the Eighth Commandment - Homer steals cable TV and Lisa attempts to guilt him out of it.
5. Oh Brother Where Art Thou - starring Danny Devito as Homer's long-lost 1/2 brother, and owner of Powell Motor Company.
6. Lisa's Substitute - probably the most touching of all Simpsons episodes, ever. Lisa's crush on her substitute teacher, starring Dustin Hoffman (although under a pseudonym).

There are many, many other high points and first appearances of characters we come to know and love throughout the succeeding seasons. And all the stories are presented without ads and without edits - there are many scenes I've never seen before, having only seen these episodes in reruns (Fox was not available on my local cable system until Season 3). There are still a few growing pains - Carl has Lennie's voice in one mid-season episode, and Mr. Burns' voice and animation varies randomly throughout. However, they are minor flaws, and the animation and characters have mostly settled into the forms we've come to recognise and love.

The extras are enjoyable, especially the inclusion of "The Bartman" video and some interviews with Matt Groenig and others recorded as 2nd-season publicity material. Painful to watch is a pregnant Nancy Cartwright dressed in a Bart suit handing out an award at the American Music Awards. Finally, there's the commentaries, which are not nearly as useful or interesting as those on the 1st season disc, but there are some interesting tidbits, and by the time you've gone through 24 shows (plus the 13 from Season 1), you feel like you are getting to know the regulars in the commentaries.

All in all, a very satisfying package, especially for the low price! At a time when many shows are costing over $100 for a season, the show that Time Magazine dubbed the Best of the Century is offering great deals on its complete Season 2 set.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Necessary for all Fans
Review: I love the Simpsons, I just wish they could make a DVD with at least 1/2 the season on it!


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