Rating: Summary: Best DVD Ever! Review: This is, by far, the coolest product ever made using The Simpsons liscense. What you get here are the original 13 episodes, all on three disks, all in order by airing dates. While the animation is occasionally crude, and the characters themselves were still evolving somewhat, many of these episodes are still valid and extremely fun to watch after all these years. It was particularly fun to watch greats like "Bart the General" and "Krusty Gets Busted" again, and the satire on video games in "Moaning Lisa" is still valid today (I know partially from being a gamer myself). All of the episodes are surprisingly funny, even today, and it is great to see them as they originally aired, meaning that there are no syndication cuts to deal with, plus there are no commercials. As if the episodes weren't enough, though, you get plenty of extras, most notably the audio commentaries from creator Matt Groening, as well as various writers and directors, that are present for each episode. The commentaries are full of little known trivia and behind the scenes info, some of which will definetely shock even the most hardcore Simpsons fan. There is also an animatic from one episode (which helps show off the animation process), audio outtakes from another episode by guest star Albert Brooks for another episode, early sketches and designs for various characters, the specific "Life in Hell" cartoon that prompted a Fox exec to phone Matt Groening, clips from the unaired version of "Some Enchanted Evening", complete scripts for four episodes (complete with more production sketches), the very first "Tracy Ullman" short, foreign clips, clips from a BBC behind the scenes special, and even a couple hidden features: magazine covers and an ABC special on the Bart Simpson t-shirt controversy of the early days. Every bit of this should please hardcore fans like myself, and should make this a must have for any Simpsons fan. Start trashing your VHS tapes! The Simpsons have started coming to DVD.
Rating: Summary: Put the 'spring' in "Springfield" Review: The television series THE SIMPSONS boasts some of the greatest television writing in the past 20 plus years. This 3 DVD set features the first 13 episodes from the premiere season. The art was much rougher back then and it adds to the charm of the series. Additionally, many of the character voices have changed drastically since. But, even these early episode are nothing short of hysterical.I give the set 4 stars instead of 5 for a couple of reasons. Firstly, its difficult to justify buying it when many of the episodes are on television up to 3 times a day. And since it was done for [television], it is in the same aspect ratio as well. The other reason for a four star would be that the running commenatry (on all 13 episodes) is awfully repetitive. The creators have not seen the episodes in ten years and we're constantly reminded of it. It's a funny commentary but, theres a long way to go to get through. Hopefully, we'll get the next season rather quickly! "Hello, Can I Speak with Mr. Butts, first name Seymour?"
Rating: Summary: Not as fast, but still funny Review: The Simpsons is some of the only comedy on TV that can make me laugh out loud. I love the crazy antics of Homer, how quickly the plot can change, and the "intellectualness" of Lisa. However, this first season is not as fast-paced as the more recent episodes. Still, there are moments that can leave you laughing hysterically. Also, you finally understand why the dog is named "Santa's Little Helper." If you really do like the Simpsons, it's a must have. Hear Homer with a slightly different tone. Hear Mr. Burns with a completely different voice. Watch Bart go to a school for the gifted. Watch Lisa first become the brain of the show. And all the while, laugh.
Rating: Summary: Excellent, but need more! Review: I'm giving this DVD 5 stars for its entertainment value, despite the fact that the extras aren't much to write home about. Anyway, if you're like me and don't normally care all that much about the usual DVD extras, it won't bother you. What matters is the episodes, and we're finally getting them. This is one of my favorite DVD purchases ever. My one disappointment in all this, is that these DVDs can't come fast enough for me; I really hope we see subsequent episodes offered soon. At the rate of some DVD marketing schemes (don't get me started on George Lucas), the format itself will likely be obsolete before we can complete a given collection. Here's to hoping that we see subsequent seasons offered quickly...I can't wait for number two. Oh, and one more peeve: the packaging is horrible, at least with my copy. The holders for the DVDs are such that I have to be very careful forcing them out (and yes, it ends up being forcing), or they'll bend and break (which has almost happened). Other than that, this DVD is terrific entertainment and value.
Rating: Summary: Good Glaven it's good. Review: Outstanding. The best DVD I have in my collection. I must say at my school I'm the biggest Simpson fan, and for sure, this DVD is not disappointing. I love every episode on this DVD(although I never have been known to dislike a Simpson's episode). My favorites are Bart the General, Moaning Lisa, Bart the Genious, and Call of the Simpsons. The only bad part is this is the first season, and Homer isn't as dumb as he is in other years, and you don't get as many dumb comments throughout the episodes. The features are great, a little too short though. And, I love watching the old clip from the Tracy Ullman show. They all look and sound so stupid. I have to say, you can't do any DVD better than this. THE SIMPSONS, with extra, cool features, commentaries, outtakes from episodes, and old shorts. You can't possibly get any better! Except for maybe when season two comes out...
Rating: Summary: Good, but can't wait for later seasons! Review: It's good, but I hope they release other seasons soon. The first episodes are great, but pale in comparison to the later episodes. Not just the animation, but the subtle jokes that have you pausing to study them. If you are a Simpsons fan, this is a must have though.
Rating: Summary: Great! Review: The Simpsons is my all time favorite television show.It is wonderful to see the entire first season out on DVD and hopefully subsequent seasons will be following soon. On these DVDs the picture quality is extremely sharp(from deep blues to rich looking reds and yellows-I've never seen the show look better!)and the sound is outstanding as well. Overall,with the way the show looks and sounds on DVD,and some cool special features-how can any fan of America's #1 family resist?!
Rating: Summary: Supurb Review: First of let me just say that this DVD is excelent and well worth the money for any simpsons fan. The video transfer is chrisp as is the audio, and the 5.1 is a nice feature. Some of the bonus material is really good, like all the commentarys are actually fun to listen to, but like most everyone else said this set really didn't deliver on all the extras that fox said it would. As far as the episodes go, I really enjoy watching them, its a drastic change of pace as to the... fest that the last few simpsons seasons have become. Sure the drawing and voices werent as good, and they may have not been as blatently funny as seasons 3-8 (even though there is a lot of subtle humor in season 1) but the plots are excelent, and that is what counts. I cant stand watching the new episodes because they pretty much took everything the simpsons were and threw it out the door, making homer a complete baffon, and having incredibly stupid plots, it just makes it hard to watch. Pointless, blatent cameos (unlike in the older seasons where guest voices would play a new simspsons character instead of themselves) that seem have been more of a consideration of the writers than the plot have pretty much ruined the last few years. Im not saying that season 1 is the best, because the middle seasons had a perfect blend of plot and humor, but its definatly a good season and in my opinion infantly better than most anything the last couple of seasons have been able to produce.
Rating: Summary: "My tummy hurts", or "I'm going crazy!" Review: When I got this set and started watching it, it was like stepping in a time machine and going back to fifth grade (the grade I was in when these episodes aired). Maybe it happened subtly, but the differences between how the show is now and how it was back then are surprising. I don't mean the animation or the voices, I mean the tone of the show. It seemed a little more (and I know this sounds stupid, since it's a cartoon) emotional back then. It's actually sad to see Homer depressed enough to want to kill himself, or to see Marge think about cheating. Now it seems more over the top and much more sarcastic. Don't get me wrong, I love it now and I loved it back then, too. It was just kind of surprising to me to go back and re-visit the old episodes. The Simpsons is a show that I've truly grown up with. I remember my dad letting me sneak out of bed back in '87 to watch the Simpsons shorts during the Tracy Ullman show, and my mom getting mad because I was supposed to be sleeping because I had school the next day. Now I'm 22, and I still love watching one of, if not THE, most refreshing and funny shows on t.v. Get this set. The price is good for what you get, too. P.S. Is anyone else having trouble getting that sticky glue off of the back of the box where the paper that had the special features and episode titles listed was attached? That stuff is driving me crazy!! Small price to pay, but still...ARRGGG!!!
Rating: Summary: Fox does DVD's right! Review: This compilation is nothing less than superb, the episodes are reproduced with exceptional quality and the never ending list of extras are absolutely wonderful. Fox could have easily slapped something of much lesser quality together and sold just as many copies, however they took the high road and accomodated its legions of loyal fans. Bottom line, if you own a DVD player and you're a Simpsons fan, this compilation is worth every cent.
|