Write Here, There, And Everywhere

Wow, I haven't posted here in a bit. Well, let's do some catch up.

I have added another site to the places I write for. It's called Blinded by Sound and it's an awesome music site run by Josh Hathaway. You can find a link to my profile in the sidebar.

Well, here's everything I've been up to online since my last post:

Blogcritics

Reviewed Cee-Lo Green's latest album called The Lady Killer

Listed my Favorite Albums of 2010

Checked out a collection of Tweety & Sylvester cartoons on DVD

Reviewed RJD2's first album under his new alter ego The Insane Warrior called We Are The Doorways (a song is embedded below)


Reviewed the latest (and potentially final) Go! Team album called Rolling Blackouts

Blinded by Sound

My inaugural review for this site takes a listen to Daft Punk's score to Tron Legacy

My goal for 2011 is to create more content versus 2010. With three sites to contribute to (Blogcritics, Blinded by Sound, and ThaHipHop), I just might achieve it.

Here's What You've Missed

It's been a while since I've posted here. I haven't quite had the urge to do so but that doesn't mean I haven't done at least a little writing. So, here's the stuff I've done since the last post...

The first review is that of the re-issue of Passion Pit's debut album Manners. It was on my fave albums of 2009 list and the new version adds two bonus tracks. Here's an excerpt from the review which was first published on Blogcritics back in May:

The biggest test of an album is how it holds up over time. My opinions of some albums have changed over time and not necessarily for the better. Fortunately, Manners remains excellent nearly a year after its initial release. The three bonus tracks may not be enough for fans to double-dip but this release is perfect for anyone just discovering the group.

Next up, is a review of Janelle Monae's debut full-length The ArchAndroid. It's a likely shoo-in for one of my favorite albums of 2010. Here's an excerpt from the article which was first published on Blogcritics in June:

Monae tackles a wide variety of styles on this release from R & B/soul to rock, pop, and electronic. While it could have been a disjointed mishmash of an album, instead it's wonderful from start to finish. The ArchAndroid is endlessly creative and marks the official arrival of a unique voice in music.

Then, for a change, a DVD review. This one is of the Tom & Jerry: Deluxe Anniversary Collection. The H-B cartoons are great. Everything else is a little questionable. Here's an excerpt from that review also first published on Blogcritics in June:

To mark the occasion, Warner Bros. has released a new Deluxe Anniversary Collection DVD featuring 30 cartoons that span nearly every aspect of the Tom & Jerry legacy. Animation enthusiasts and collectors who have picked up the Spotlight Collection releases will probably be a bit disappointed. However, if you're a fan who just wants some cat-and-mouse antics at a reasonable price, this set is for you.

Finally, here's my most recent review. It's of The Chemical Brothers newest release Further. Further is not only a departure for the electronic duo...it's their best album in years. Here's an excerpt from that review which was first published on Blogcritics just a couple of days ago:

In a bold move, their new album contains just eight songs and no featured guest stars. Relying only on themselves (and a sparingly used female vocalist), the duo has crafted one of their best albums in years and an experience best enjoyed as a whole.

Well, that gets you up to date on my writing activities. I want to get back to blogging in the near future. I won't make any promises because when it comes to this blog, I usually don't keep them. Instead, I'll ask you to keep watching this space.

DVD Review: Big Windup! – Part One (Episodes 1-13)

The new anime series Big Windup! is one of the select few sports-related anime series to ever get released in America. Based on the manga by Asa Higuchi, the show is now available on DVD in a Part One set collecting the first 13 episodes. This drama about a fledgling high school baseball team is filled with appealing characters, good sports action, and strong character development. Whether you're an anime fan, a sports fan, or neither, Big Windup! certainly entertains.

The story begins with Ren Mihashi, a student who has transferred from the private Mihoshi Academy (which his grandfather owns) to the public Nishiura High School. As the ace pitcher for Mihoshi's baseball team in middle school, he was blamed by the team for their losing record. Many felt that nepotism was the only reason Mihashi was the ace in the first place.

Mihashi is a character you will either feel sorry for or hate with a passion. He's a bit of a mess who startles easily, acts awkward around others, and is prone to crying. When he's recruited for Nishiura's new baseball team, he's paired with the team's catcher, Takaya Abe. Abe is pretty much the complete opposite of Mihashi. An intelligent, confident player, Abe is easily annoyed by Mihashi's quirks. However, he's also the one who realizes the true extent of Mihashi's talent.

One of the major strengths of Big Windup! is the way it handles its characters. The first major arc of the series, where the team takes on Mihashi's former teammates at Mihoshi Academy in a practice game, is a good example of this. The show doesn't take the easy way out and completely vilify the Mihoshi team. Instead, it shows things from both teams' perspectives. It lets us get inside the characters' heads and find out their thoughts. As a result, the arc's ending has a bit more resonance than just simply a win or a loss.

Fortunately, the show is not too serious for its own good. There is a good amount of humor, much of it coming from the awkward relationship between Mihashi and Abe. They clash, as one character notes, “like an old married couple.” There are also some homoerotic undertones that produce both intentional and unintentional laughs. Things don't get too silly as to disrupt the drama, though.

This DVD set contains both English and Japanese language tracks (with available English subtitles). The English dub is quite good and the voice actors are well cast in their roles. Listening to the show in English makes some of the more technical scenes easier to digest. The extras on the set are few, consisting only of textless versions of the opening and ending along with some trailers.

Watching Big Windup! makes you wonder why more sports-themed anime aren't brought over. It makes the sport of baseball appealing in a way that's not unrealistic or over-the-top. It also gives non-fans and casual fans a good idea of how much effort really goes into the game. This Part One set definitely leaves you wanting more and with the Part Two set also available, you don't have to wait long.

If you're interested in checking out the show without buying the DVD set, the first four episodes of the show are available to view on a number of sites including Hulu, YouTube, Anime News Network, and Funimation.com.

[Note: Look for the review of the Part Two DVD set to appear on Blogcritics very soon.]

DVD Review: Death Note - Volume 2 Box Set

The anime version of the popular Death Note manga concludes in the Death Note Volume 2 Box Set. The series comes to an end but not before a flurry of new characters, twists, and shocking character deaths.

[Note: If you are not familiar with Death Note, you should probably check out the review of the Volume 1 Box Set first to learn about the characters and premise.]

When we last left the characters of Death Note, Light had relinquished ownership of his notebook in order to lose all his memories of it. He did this in order to gain L's trust and eliminate suspicion that he was Kira. He even arranged it so that another person, an exec at a large corporation, could continue killing as Kira in his absence. The episodes on the Death Note Volume 2 Box Set begin with L and Light working together to find the current Kira.

The current Kira is caught in dramatic fashion but when Light touches the man's notebook, all his memories involving the notebook return (as well as his evil personality). Light kills the current Kira and resumes his plans to stop L from within his organization. L and the task force also learn of the existence of shinigami, the gods of death that normally use Death Notes.

Much happens over the course of the episodes on this set. Light triumphs against one foe only to gain a brand new one just as suspicion of him grows in the Japanese anti-Kira group. He grows colder and more sinister in his attempts to keep enemies off his trail and further his goals for a new world. He manipulates a shinigami's feelings to make it do his dirty work. He exploits the affections and admirations of two different women to get them to kill as Kira. He considers killing his own sister when her kidnapping threatens his plans. He even uses his own father to attempt to kill one of his enemies. The scene with Kira in the hospital with his father shows how evil Light has truly become.

These episodes also give us a look at how the world has reacted in the years since Light first used the Death Note. Tasteless TV producers make programs appealing directly to Kira and his fans. One man even claims to be Kira's official “spokesperson” and organizes a riot against the headquarters of the new group going after Kira. People's names make them vulnerable as criminals refuse to reveal their names and kids threaten bullies with the promise of putting their names on the Internet. Even whole countries aren't immune to Kira. The President of the United States receives a call from Kira and gives in to his demands.

There are many interesting themes and questions within Death Note. However, the simplest one is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. At the beginning of the series, Light is a brilliant young man with a bright future. By the end of the series, he is a shell of his former self. He has become a sociopath with a God complex who is hellbent on ruling a new world with only those he judges worthy. The contrast between the the young man he was and the man he has become are what make the final sequences of the series so haunting.

The five-disc Death Note Volume 2 Box Set is packaged in a handsome digipack with a slipcover that mirrors the Death Note Volume 1 Box Set. Inside, you will also again find representations of the instruction pages of the Death Note (the text is different this time around). The first four discs of the set contain the episodes. The fifth disc is a brand-new bonus disc exclusive to this set.

The excellent presentation from the last set is carried over to this one with little to complain about transfer-wise. The episodes are available with both Japanese and English audio with available English subtitles. Unfortunately, the ridiculously long sequence before the main menu remains on these discs. However, the sequence is also skippable like the previous set.

There are a nice amount of extras on this set. The first four discs each feature a behind-the-scenes featurette with voice actors for the English dub of the show, audio commentary on one episode each with people involved with the English dub, and production art. The first disc also has the clean version of the show's second opening and ending.

The extras on the fifth bonus disc revolve around the original Japanese version of the show. There is a behind-the-scenes featurette with the Japanese voice actors along with an interview with the the show's animation director and character designer. There are also conversations with the Japanese cast and crew as well as the original Japanese interstitials and a larger gallery of artwork.

If you enjoyed the first Death Note anime box set, then you will likely enjoy this one too. These episodes leave you at the edge of your seat until the very end. Although things get a little confusing at times, the journey to the show's conclusion is often exciting. While this is the end of the anime series, there is plenty more Death Note out there including three Japanese live-action films, a companion novel, the original manga series, and a Hollywood remake potentially on the horizon. This is likely not the last time you'll ever hear of Death Note.

DVD Review: Death Note: Volume 1 Box Set

If you had the power to kill anyone just by knowing their name and face, what would you do with it? That's the premise behind the anime series Death Note, now available in its first box set. Containing the first 20 episodes of the series, this set takes you on an dark and entertaining ride.

Based on the manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, Death Note focuses on a brilliant Japanese high school student named Light Yagami. Despite his popularity, considerable intelligence, and loving family, he is bored with his life and the world. Things change, however, when he finds a mysterious notebook called a "Death Note." Inside the book, he find instructions to use the book to kill a human. All that's needed is a name and that the person writing that name in the book have the person's face in their mind. Conditions, causes, and even time of death can be dictated by writing them next to the name. If nothing else is written, the person dies of a heart attack within 40 seconds.

Curious about the note's power, Light tries it out first by writing down the name of a criminal holding a school hostage. Although the criminal dies just seconds after he writes down the name, Light isn't really convinced until he uses the note to kill a man attempting to rape a young woman in front of his eyes.

When he realizes that the note truly works, he becomes mad with power and decides to rid the world of all the people he thinks are bad. He writes down the names of many major criminals and, in an attempt to gain notoriety, has them all die of heart attacks. Light's deeds bring him a visit from the Death Note's actual owner, a shinigami (god of death) named Ryuk. With Light coming into possession of the Death Note, the two are connected. Only Light and those who have touched the Death Note can see Ryuk.

As Light continues to kill criminals, the world at large starts to take notice. People take to calling the unseen force "Kira" and devote websites to him. The U.N. brings in a mysterious, freelance detective known only as "L" to find and capture Kira. What follows is a war of wills as L and Light try to stay one step ahead of the other. In the process, Light's father, the Japanese police, the FBI, and even a "second Kira" are all caught in the crossfire.

Death Note could have easily been a disturbing horror series (imagine what someone like Jigsaw could do with a Death Note) but it works well as a suspenseful drama/mystery. The show has a very dramatic feel from the use of choral music in some scenes to surprising camera angles. There are times when it almost veers into self-parody (a scene involving Light and a bag of potato chips has to be seen to be believed) but the show doesn't take itself too seriously to keep it from being entertaining.

Apart from the sometimes twisty plot, the various character relationships are what makes this show good. The unusual connection/not-quite-friendship between Light and Ryuk is unique. Ryuk stays pretty neutral but is amused by what Light does. He's the only person Light can talk to about the perils of being Kira, although that doesn't stop Light from trying to manipulate him when he needs to. Then, there is the relationship between Light and L. The two of them are similar in that they are brilliant minds who can't be themselves and must stay a bit detached from the rest of the world.

The animation, done by famed studio Madhouse, is pretty good for a TV series. The character designs match the manga well and the color palette is surprisingly varied at times for a show like this. The English dub is solid with good vocal performances all around. If there is one gripe to be had, it is about the opening menu on each disc. The menu takes far too long to get to the main screen. Fortunately, it can be skipped.

The Death Note Volume 1 Box Set contains the first 20 episodes from the 37-episode anime series across five discs. The discs are housed in a handsome digipack with the inside artwork replicating instruction pages from the Death Note. All the episodes feature either English audio or Japanese audio with English subtitles.

There are a good amount of extras in this set. Each disc features a behind the scenes featurette with a different English voice actor from the series and production artwork from the series. Each disc also has one episode available with audio commentary by people who worked on the English dub. In addition to the extras mentioned, disc one features clean versions of the opening and ending, disc two features an interview with the Japanese director and character designer, and disc five has a trailer for the live-action movie version of Death Note.

The Death Note Volume 1 Box Set is great for fans of dark, suspenseful drama or those who may have missed the show when it aired on Adult Swim. Considering that it packs the first five individual volumes in one set at a better price, it's also a great deal for fans of the show who have yet to pick it up on DVD. By the time you finish this set, you'll be looking for the rest of the show just to see how it all ends. The inevitable Volume 2 Box Set can't come soon enough.

DEATH NOTE based on the comic "DEATH NOTE" by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata
originally serialized in "WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP" published by SHUEISHA Inc.
© Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha
© DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse

DVD Review: Ouran High School Host Club: Part One

After a two-year wait, Ouran High School Host Club finally comes to DVD from Funimation Entertainment in a Part One DVD set. Containing the first half (13 episodes) of the 26-episode series, this set will delight fans and nonfans of shoujo anime/manga with comedy, romance, great characters, and sly in-jokes.

Based on the manga by Bisco Hatori, the show takes place at the prestigious Ouran Academy where Haruhi Fujioka is a scholarship student. Looking for a quiet place to study, Haruhi stumbles upon the Ouran High School Host Club, a group of young men dedicated to pleasing female patrons.

Each guy plays up certain traits to appeal to young women. Tamaki, the “king” of the club is a traditional gentleman. Mori is a “strong and silent” type while his companion Honey looks a lot younger than his age. Twins Hikaru and Kaoru hint at a “forbidden” relationship between them and club director Kyouya is cool and calculating.

Haruhi gets mixed up in the host club after accidentally breaking an expensive vase. Unable to pay the exorbitant debt, Haruhi ends up working for the club as a host. However, unlike the rest of the members, Haruhi is actually a girl.

There are a lot of very funny moments in Ouran High School Host Club but what makes the show stand out are the sly ways it parodies traditional shoujo anime/manga conventions. It is to shoujo anime what Scream was to slasher flicks. Even if you're not familiar with shoujo anime or manga, there is still plenty of wacky humor to enjoy. A lot of humor is mined from the class difference between the rich host club members and “commoner” Haruhi. One hilarious scene has the group being shocked by the idea of instant coffee.

Haruhi herself doesn't act like your typical shoujo anime heroine. She doesn't care if people mistake her for a boy. She refuses most attempts to make her more of a “girly girl.” Tamaki is the one who sometimes gets flustered regarding Haruhi, not the other way around. The relationship between the modern Haruhi and more traditional Tamaki is a lot of fun to watch as are the ways the other guys react to her.

The 13 episodes on Ouran High School Host Club: Part One are spread out across two discs housed in clear thinpak cases. Both Japanese and English audio are available along with English subtitles. Those who watch dubs will be happy to know that English dub is pretty good. The actors get into their roles quite well and the dialogue is close to the original Japanese. Certain Japanese terms and honorifics like “senpai” and “-chan” are left in. These terms are not used enough in the series to confuse those unfamiliar with them.

There are a decent amount of extras on this set as well. Three episodes on disc one get audio commentary with some of the English voice actors. The rest of the extras are contained on disc two. Pages from the original manga version published by Viz are featured. There are over 15 minutes of dub outtakes included as well as textless versions of the show's opening and closing and some trailers for other Funimation properties.

If you are a fan of shoujo anime/manga, you should definitely check out Ouran High School Host Club: Part One. If you're not a fan, it's still worth checking out for the comedy, high production values, solid English dub, and likable characters. With five hours worth of episodes on this set, there's more than enough to get you hooked.

Ouran High School Host Club DVD Sneak Peek

I received my copy of the Ouran High School Host Club Part 1 DVD set on Friday. I plan to review the set for Blogcritics Magazine but I did take a look at the set so here are some initial thoughts:

-The dub is pretty good. I watched the first episode and it was still quite funny in English. The dialogue was very close to the original and the dub keeps in some honorifics, particularly "senpai" and "-chan." One change that got a great laugh out of me was the description of Honey as a "boy lolita."

-Like other Funimation shows, the opening and ending songs are redone in English for the English dub. The opening fares better than the ending.

-The subtitles on the set are white. That was probably done because yellow is a prominent color on the show (the female uniforms at Ouran are yellow) and they didn't want the subtitles to blend in.

-The set has two discs packed in clear thinpak cases that have reversible covers. The outer cardboard sleeve is kind of thin. It also has a decent amount of extras. I'm looking forward to checking out the commentaries.

Well, that's the end of the sneak peek. Look for the full review on Blogcritics Magazine sometime close to the set's official street date. Also, I plan to share my thoughts on some of the new Fall anime shows very soon.

DVD Review: Freakazoid! Season 1

Of all the WB/Steven Spielberg cartoons of the 1990's, Freakazoid! is the most unusual and probably the most cultish. Originally pitched as a semi-serious superhero show, Freakazoid! instead became a full-on comedy. Now, the show finally makes its way to DVD in a season one set. While this show was supposedly made for kids, it's really perfect for the adult who's a kid at heart.

Freakazoid! is about a geeky teenager named Dexter Douglas. After activating a flaw in a computer chip, he gets zapped into the Internet and emerges as Freakazoid, a madcap and supremely nutty hero. He's essentially a big man-child, someone who runs with his hands in the air instead of flying and can get distracted at a moment's notice to go get a mint with his friend, Officer Cosgrove. Freakazoid fights an almost as silly array of villains from The Lobe, a man with a large brain for a head, to Longhorn, a guy who made himself look like a bull and is an aspiring country singer.

Freakazoid! also has its share of side characters. They include The Huntsman, a gruff hero who never gets a chance to fight crime, Lord Bravery, a British superhero clearly inspired by John Cleese, Toby Danger, a hilarious pre-Venture Brothers parody of Jonny Quest, and the Lawn Gnomes, a not-so-hilarious parody of Disney's Gargoyles. The show also has a top-notch vocal cast whose regulars and guest stars included Ed Asner, Ricardo Montalban, Stephen Furst, Stan Freberg, Kenneth Mars, David Warner, Craig Ferguson, and even the late Jack Valenti.

What elevates Freakazoid! above a typical kids' cartoon comedy, however, is its style of humor. It's closer to Monty Python in style than the Looney Tunes. It throws typical comedy conventions of timing and storytelling right out the window. A Freakazoid cartoon could be "interrupted" at just about any time for any reason including the aforementioned Jack Valenti explaining the MPAA ratings system, Freakazoid praising the actors in the cartoon, or "Paul Harvey" telling us "the rest of the backstory." Gags often go on longer than expected (the episode "Handman"). The show combines utter silliness with sly (and sometimes obscure) pop-culture references that go far over the heads of the supposed target audience. One moment there might be a joke about "poo gas" and the next moment there might be one about Marty Ingalls.

The first season's 14 episodes (technically 13 episodes since one episode is made up of content from other episodes) are spread over two discs with the second disc being a flipper. The video quality is on par with the other WB/Spielberg shows meaning that it will look good on a standard connection and not-so-good on a computer or HD connection.

The extras on this set are a bit better than on previous WB/Spielberg DVD sets. "Freakazoid: The Original Freak" tells about the making of the show from its semi-serious origins to the silly reality. Three episodes receive audio commentary with producer Tom Ruegger, writer (and voice of Freakazoid) Paul Rugg, and writer John McCann. These commentaries are great fun to listen to as the trio crack jokes, reveal some of the more obscure references, and talk about how some of the most memorable gags came about. The final extra is a series of bizarre promos made to promote the show. They are parodies of a series of popular-at-the-time cruise ship ads and don't feature any footage from the show.

More so than Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures, or Pinky & The Brain, Freakazoid! is a show that you will either love or hate. It's unabashedly silly and sometimes quite childish but at the same time, its sensibilities are more appealing to older audiences. This show somewhat anticipates the type of humor that would later become popular on Adult Swim and shows like Family Guy. While some of the jokes are a little dated, most of this show holds up quite well. So, sit back, watch "Candle Jack" and enjoy the hilarity of Frea

DVD Review: Tiny Toon Adventures - Season One, Volume One

Before Animaniacs, Pinky & The Brain, or Freakazoid!, there was Tiny Toon Adventures. The first collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Warner Bros. Animation finally comes to DVD with Tiny Toon Adventures: Season One, Volume One. While it hasn't aged as well as the shows that came after it, Tiny Toon Adventures is still quite a bit of fun.

Premiering back in 1990, Tiny Toon Adventures was meant to be an update of Looney Tunes for a new generation of fans. The show takes place in the fictional Acme Acres, home of the Acme Looniversity where Looney Tunes characters like Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck are professors. The characters on Tiny Toons consider the Looney Tunes mentors and many of them are inspired by them.

The stars of the show are Buster and Babs Bunny (no relation). The two, clearly inspired by Bugs Bunny, are best friends and sometimes a couple. In addition to starring in their own cartoons, they usually act as hosts appearing before and between cartoons.

In addition to Buster and Babs, there is a large cast of supporting characters. Plucky Duck has a big ego and doesn't want to get upstaged while his best friend Hamton J. Pig is quiet and a bit of a neat freak. Shirley The Loon is a New Age waterbird with a Valley Girl accent. Furrball is an unlucky kitten who never speaks while Fowlmouth's speech is profane. Gogo Dodo resides in Wackyland and Fifi La Fume is a skunk whose scent drives away the boys.

The villains of the show are Montana Max and Elmyra Duff. Montana Max is a short-tempered, spoiled rich kid who tries to use money to get whatever he wants. Elmyra Duff is a dimwitted girl who quite literally loves animals to pieces. Elmyra is the only one from this show to spinoff to another show, Pinky, Elmyra, & The Brain.

Just like the shows that would come after it, Tiny Toon Adventures takes a "something for everyone" approach to its humor. There's slapstick in cartoons like "Optical Intrusion" (where a pair of defective 3D glasses sends tons of objects hurtling at Furrball) and "The Anvil Chorus" (which features many, many anvils dropped or almost dropped on Plucky).

There is more dialogue-based humor in a cartoon like "To Bleep Or Not To Bleep" (where Buster tries to help Fowlmouth get rid of his cursing habit) and contemporary references in a cartoon like "Hollywood Plucky" (which features caricatures of various actors including Meryl Streep, Clint Eastwood, and Michael Keaton).

There are sly nods to the Looney Tunes beyond the occasional appearance of Bugs Bunny or Elmer Fudd. "Her Wacky Highness" has Babs becoming Queen of Wackyland. The sometimes surreal gags (such as the WB shield chasing after the old Warner Communications logo with a mallet) are inspired by the classic "Porky in Wackyland." A crucial scene towards the end of the cartoon turns a traditional cartoon cliché on its ear. The cartoon "Fields of Honey" essentially introduces the early WB characters of Bosko and Honey to a whole new generation.

Not everything about Tiny Toon Adventures has held up in the 18 years since its debut. Like other shows of its time, many of the episodes try to have some sort of message. While sometimes the message is nicely integrated, there are times where the message is handled in a ham-fisted way. Also, the pop culture references date the show a bit. References to the 1990's and celebrities like Joan Rivers, Roseanne, and Cher only relate to older audiences.

This DVD collection contains the first 35 episodes from the 65-episode first season across four DVDs, three single-sided discs and one flipper. The discs are housed in a space-saving clear DVD case with episode listings printed on the flipside of the cover. The video quality is okay for standard definition connections but looks kind of bad when viewed on a computer.

Apart from trailers for other WB animation releases, the only special feature is a featurette on the making of the show called "From Looney Tunes to Tiny Toons – A Wacky Evolution" on side B of disc four. It features interviews with some of the people who worked on Tiny Toon Adventures along with Ruth Clampett, daughter of legendary Looney Tune director Bob Clampett. It starts with a brief history of the Looney Tunes before going into the origins of the show.

While it may not have gotten as much credit as it deserves, Tiny Toon Adventures is still a good show and quite funny. It's also an important show because it began the resurgence of WB animation. Many talented people who would later work on Animaniacs, Batman: The Animated Series, and Justice League all originally worked on Tiny Toon Adventures. This collection is a great introduction to the show and with more than 12 hours worth of cartoons, it will keep you entertained for a long time.

The "Initial Buy Curse" of The Spielberg Animated DVD Sets

I bought the first season of Freakazoid! on DVD yesterday and it was the victim of the "initial buy" curse that seems to plague those Steven Spielberg presents animated DVD sets I buy.

You see, I've had to exchange the first copy I bought of these sets for a new copy because of various issues.

I had to exchange the first volume of Animaniacs after buying it because one of the hubs in the packaging was broken. Then, I had to exchange both the second and third volumes of Animaniacs because of scratches on discs.

Everything seemed perfectly fine with my copy of Freakazoid! season one when I got it on Tuesday until I looked at the bottom of the box (which is a clear, slim, 2-disc DVD case) and discovered that it was broken. A noticeable chunk of plastic was missing. So, fearing an influx of dust onto the discs at a later date, I exchanged my set on Wednesday for one that's nice and normal.

I should probably mention that I bought all these sets from Best Buy. Perhaps I should go someplace else to get them next time.

DVD Review: Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (The Complete First Season)

Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes is the latest animated take on the Marvel superhero team. After out-of-order airings on Cartoon Network and random episode releases on DVD, the show finally gets a chance to shine in its first DVD box set. With a look and feel that's quite different from other superhero shows, Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes is a great deal of fun.

Just like the comics, TV shows, and movies before it, Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes features a group of superheroes who gain their powers after being exposed to cosmic rays. The four of them live and work together to keep New York and the world safe. Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) is a brilliant scientist who can stretch his body like a rubber band. Ben Grimm (The Thing) is super strong and almost indestructible thanks to his rock-like skin. Susan Storm (The Invisible Woman) can turn invisible and create force fields while her younger brother Johnny (The Human Torch) can manipulate fire at will.

Once you get past the basic plot, there are things that set FF:WGH apart from the other incarnations of the Fantastic Four. The most noticeable thing is the look of the show. Produced by France's Moonscoop, this show has a colorful, anime-influenced look that features a combination of 2D and 3D animation. The animation is nice for a television series and the 2D and 3D animation integrate quite well.

What also sets this show apart is its use of humor. While most superhero shows may have a funny part here or there, FF:WGH can genuinely be called an action comedy. The banter between the four main characters is usually pretty funny and the characterizations are strong. Reed Richards, for example, is portrayed as someone obsessed with science almost to a fault. His idea of a morning out is to only spend "49% of his attention" on his lab. Villains are also often played for humor. The Skrulls, who are a big part of the Marvel Comics universe right now, are portrayed as somewhat dumb and ignorant of human culture in "My Neighbor Was A Skrull."

Several other Marvel characters make appearances throughout the series. The Hulk battles The Thing in "Hard Knocks." "Shell Games" has various forms of Iron Man's armor wreaking havoc. She-Hulk, along with a slew of obscure Marvel heroes, try out for a position in the Fantastic Four in "The Cure" and Namor The Sub-Mariner appears in two episodes. There's even an episode that features an appearance by an unnamed photographer obviously meant to be Peter Parker.

The 26 episodes of the first season (which include nine episodes never broadcast in America and 14 episodes new to DVD) are spread out across four discs in an unusual fashion. The first three discs each contain eight episodes with the final disc containing only two along with the majority of the extras. The episodes are arranged in production order meaning that this set is the first time the show is seen in the order it was meant to be seen. The show is also in its original widescreen format unlike the previous DVD releases.

The extras are fairly light but pretty good. One episode each on discs one, three, and four feature audio commentary with Executive Producer Craig Kyle and Story Editor Christopher Yost. All of the other extras are on disc four. There are three featurettes. "From Origins To Animation" features an interview with Stan Lee about the origins of the comic book along with interviews with comic book writers Marv Wolfman and Mark Waid about their own work on the comic. "Rise Of The Rogues" deals with the various Fantastic Four villains. "Traveling To New Dimensions" is a brief overview of the show's design and animation process and takes us inside Moonscoop's facilities. In addition, there are four galleries of artwork featuring art from the comic book and the series.

Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes is a fresh, unique spin on these classic superheroes. It's not faithful to the comic book but doesn't disrespect it either. It's a fun (and funny) show that aspires only to entertain and this season set is a great value compared to the single-disc releases. If you don't mind a superhero show that wants to make you laugh as much as it brings you action, give Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes a shot.

DVD Review: Academy Award Animation Collection (Winners And Nominees)

At one point, the only way you'd have seen Tom & Jerry, Droopy, Bugs Bunny, Superman, and Popeye in one sitting was to watch cartoons on local TV. Now, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings them together on their new Academy Awards Animation Collection featuring 15 Academy Award-winning and 26 Academy Award-nominated animated shorts. Although classic animation fans will notice some overlapping with previous DVD sets, there is more than enough here to warrant checking this collection out.

The first thing to note about this set is that all the cartoons are uncut. Two of the three discs in the set begin with a text disclaimer similar to that on the Looney Tunes Golden Collections. The 41 cartoons on the set are spread across three discs. Disc one features the Academy Award-winning shorts while discs two and three feature the Academy Award-nominated shorts.

There is great variety to be found on this set. Many of the nominated and winning shorts feature the first appearances of popular characters including Tom & Jerry (“Puss Gets The Boot,”), Speedy Gonzales (cartoon of the same name), Bugs Bunny (“A Wild Hare”), and Foghorn Leghorn (“Walky Talky Hawky”). This set also includes the first Sylvester & Tweety cartoon (“Tweety Pie”) and the first Superman cartoon.

Although this collection is somewhat dominated by Tom & Jerry cartoons (there are 13 here in all), there are many other excellent cartoons. Friz Freleng's brilliant “Birds Anonymous” has Sylvester attempting to give up birds. “Peace On Earth” is a haunting anti-war cartoon that has animals living in a world without humans. It's on the same disc as Tex Avery's hilarious “Blitz Wolf,” a twist on “The Three Little Pigs” with the Big Bad Wolf being a thinly veiled parody of Hitler. Little Ralph Phillips daydreams in school in Chuck Jones' excellent “From A to Z-Z-Z-Z” and Popeye sparkles in full-color in “Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor.” The inclusion of “So Much For So Little” is notable because it's the only cartoon on this collection that wasn't nominated for a Best Animated Short Subject Oscar. This informational film won in a tie for Best Documentary Short Subject.

The extra on this set may pale in comparison to those on the Looney Tunes Golden Collections but they are great nonetheless. Roughly half of the cartoons on this set have either a commentary track or a music-only track available. The set's two other special features are contained on disc three. The first is a bonus short, Bob Clampett's “What's Cookin' Doc?”. This short features Bugs at the Academy Awards trying to convince the crowd that he's deserving of one. It even features a clip from “Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt,” an Academy Award-nominated Bugs Bunny cartoon also included on this set.

The other special feature is the documentary “Drawn for Glory: Animation's Triumph At The Oscars.” Running for about an hour, this documentary is essentially a history of the Best Animated Short Subject category at the Oscars. Featuring narration by Bonnie Hunt and commentary by animators, historians, and creators, this documentary is informative and well-made. Despite being made for a Warner Bros. DVD set, the piece is fairly impartial and doesn't gloss over the importance of Walt Disney.

Overall, the Academy Award Animation Collection is a very good set for animation fans. If you don't own any of WB's previous classic animation collections, this is a good way to start. If you already own some WB classic animation collections (such as the Looney Tunes Golden Collections), this set is still worth a purchase for the new-to-DVD cartoons (such as the restored “A Wild Hare”) as well as the commentary tracks and excellent documentary. Let's hope that this set also gets WB to release more of the non-Looney Tunes cartoons in their library.

DVD Review: Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection

Fred “Tex” Avery is widely considered one of the most original and influential animation directors of all-time. After a career at Warner Bros., where he helped create and define the Looney Tunes style as well as characters like Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and Bugs Bunny, Tex Avery moved to MGM. It is there that he created one of his most enduring characters, Droopy.

Now, Warner Bros. brings this classic character to DVD in Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection. Featuring every theatrical Droopy cartoon, including those not directed by creator Tex Avery, this 2-disc set marks the first time that non-Tom and Jerry MGM shorts have been released on DVD in the U.S. Although some video issues pop up on some of the cartoons, this set is well worth your time.

First appearing in the 1943 cartoon “Dumb-Hounded,” Droopy isn't your typical cartoon hero. While characters like Bugs Bunny are filled with energy, Droopy is not. He moves slow, talks slow, and rarely shows any emotion. Yet Droopy always succeeds in the end. Usually, he succeeds not because of things he actively does, but simply because he's “the hero,” the one who goes up against arrogant jerks who always underestimate him. Droopy, as a character, is a jab at the traditional notion of a cartoon hero.

What makes the Droopy cartoons so great is the wild world that Tex Avery created for them. Avery's cartoons, especially those he made at MGM, move at a breakneck pace with gags that come a mile a minute. Anything could happen in Tex Avery's cartoons and it often did. Characters broke the fourth wall and commented on the action in the cartoon. Gags always defied expectation and every scene was a chance for another laugh. Even though some of the cartoons on this set are over 60 years old, they feel fresh and contemporary in an age of shows like Family Guy.

Twenty-four cartoons appear on this DVD set, with 17 of them directed by Tex Avery (not 18 as indicated on the packaging). The cartoons are presented in chronological order across the two discs and they are uncut. This is notable because a couple of the cartoons contain some outdated racial gags. The DVD packaging makes it clear that this set is intended for adult collectors and if you somehow miss that, a disclaimer also appears at the start of each disc.

The video quality on this set is pretty good overall. Most of the shorts look pretty nice with the quality varying from short to short. The final seven Droopy cartoons were done in CinemaScope and they get anamorphic widescreen transfers on the DVD. When these shorts were broadcast on TV, they were usually pan-and-scanned, so it's wonderful to see them in widescreen for the first time.

Unfortunately, there are also some issues caused by the use of DVNR (or Digital Video Noise Reduction) software in cleaning up dirt and scratches. Most of the time, DVNR software works well in cleaning up old movies. However, caution has to be taken when using it on animated films. If the DVNR software isn't calibrated correctly, the software will mistake lines of animation for scratches and erase them. This is exactly what happened to four cartoons on this set. Things look relatively normal when there is little movement in the cartoon. As soon as things start moving, the DVNR errors are noticeable. With some lines of the cartoon missing, things look blurry in motion. The affected cartoons (“From Wags to Riches,” “Daredevil Droopy,” “Droopy's Good Deed,” and “The Three Little Pups”) can be enjoyed despite the DVNR errors, but the video is still disappointing.

There are not a lot of extras on this set, but they are enjoyable nonetheless. The short documentary “Droopy And Friends: A Laugh Back,” is a look at Tex Avery's career, the creation of the Droopy character, and Tex's legacy. “Doggone Gags” is a short compilation of some of the funnier gags from the Droopy cartoons. There are also various trailers for animated DVDs on the set including one for the highly anticipated Popeye The Sailor Volume 1 DVD set.

Overall, Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection is a set that serves as a nice introduction to the world and characters of Tex Avery. These cartoons have held up pretty well over time and audiences weaned on cartoons influenced by Avery will find something to enjoy here. Considering there are over three hours of cartoons to be found, the price is pretty low as well. This set is definitely worth picking up whether you're a classic animation fan or just someone who wants a good laugh.

DVD Review: Animaniacs Volume 1

In 1990, Steven Spielberg helped usher in what some would later call the "Silver Age" of Warner Bros. Animation with the animated kids' show Tiny Toon Adventures. With Spielberg as executive producer and a talented crew of animators, writers, voice actors, and composers behind the scenes, it became a big success. The next Spielberg/WB collaboration to follow that hit was Animaniacs. Premiering in 1993, Animaniacs took everything Tiny Toon Adventures did to the next level. This animated gem is finally available on DVD and fortunately, it is just as great as it was 13 years ago.

The stars of Animaniacs are the Warner brothers Yakko and Wakko and their sister Dot. This trio of kids are cartoon characters that were created in the 1930's. They caused so much havoc at the studio that they get locked up in the Warner Bros. water tower. They escape in the present time and cause havoc for studio psychiatrist Dr. Scratchnsniff, CEO Thaddeus Plotz, Ralph the Security Guard, and the studio nurse (or "Hello, Nurse!" as Yakko and Wakko like to call her). Part zany cartoons and part Marx Brothers, the Warners are the most prominent part of Animaniacs.

However, the Warners are just one part of a menagerie of characters. These other characters star in their own cartoons as well and give the show a variety and flexibility that few animated comedies have today. These characters include:

Pinky & The Brain: The only Animaniacs characters to spinoff and get their own show, they are genetically altered lab mice who try to take over the world in each cartoon. The Brain is a hilarious sendup of Orson Welles while Pinky is kind-hearted but incredibly dim.

Slappy Squirrel: Slappy is a retired Looney Tunes star who takes care of her nephew Skippy. Featuring great voice work and dialogue by writer/creator Sherri Stoner, Slappy Squirrel cartoons skewer both old Hollywood and old cartoon conventions.

Buttons & Mindy: Mindy is a cute but overly inquisitive child and Buttons is the faithful dog who is always put in charge of her safety. These cartoons are somewhat of a parody of Lassie but they also work as a none-too-subtle jab at parents who don't parent.

The Goodfeathers: This parody of Goodfellas paints the three main characters from that film as pigeons. The quality of these cartoons are hit-or-miss.

Rita & Runt: These cartoons revolve around Rita, a sassy cat voiced by Bernadette Peters, and Runt, a dog who doesn't realize that Rita is a cat. These cartoons are almost always musical.

Chicken Boo: These bizarre cartoons revolve around Chicken Boo, a human-sized, non-anthropomorphic chicken who tries to blend in with humanity.

Katie Kaboom: Katie is a teenage girl who literally becomes a monster when she gets angry.

The Hip Hippos: These cartoons about a couple of rich endangered hippos are the only ones that are consistently unfunny.

In addition to the regular cartoons, there are interstitials that keep things fresh and interesting. They range from the Warners figuring out new ways to escape their water tower to a boy telling stories about his friend, a mime that has bad things happen to him, and the Goofus and Gallant-esque "Good Idea/Bad Idea." You really never know what to expect in each episode and the only things you're guaranteed to see in each episode are the Warners.

Animaniacs is really more of a family show than a kids one. Kids will love the slapstick humor and parents will like that this show even has its educational moments (the great "Yakko's World," for example). At the same time, there is plenty for the adults to enjoy including pop culture references and sly dialogue that will fly right over the kiddies' heads.

Volume 1 of Animaniacs contains the first 25 episodes of the first season across five discs. The packaging of this release is very well-done. The front cover nicely combines the flat and the glossy while the digipak containing the discs features a lot of brand-new artwork. My only complaint with the packaging is with the overlapping style trays that contain discs 1-2 and discs 3-4. In order to get to disc 2, for example, you have to take disc 1 out.

The audio on this release is very nice. Each episode has been remixed in 5.1 channel sound and the remix especially highlights the show's wonderful music. However, the video leaves a little to be desired. It's dirtier than you'd expect and some episodes may not look that good if you play them on a computer or a HDTV. I hope that on the next release, Warner cleans up the video a little better.

The biggest disappointment of the set is the special features. Apart from some trailers on disc 5, there is only one special feature. That special feature is "Animaniacs Live!", an interview of the various voice artists of the show presided over by Maurice LaMarche, the voice of The Brain. This 20-plus minute featurette appears on disc 3 and is a joy to watch. The voice actors seem to all like each other and it's fun to see the faces behind the characters. However, this featurette also reminds you of what could've been. Why is there not a single commentary to be found on this set? I'd kill for just one commentary with the voice actors behind Yakko, Wakko, and Dot.

From its stellar writing and voice acting to its excellent orchestral score and refreshing variety, Animaniacs is certainly one of the best animated TV shows of the 1990's, if not one of the best ever. This is a high-class production that certainly belongs in the collection of any animation or comedy lover. If you haven't seen the show before and want to check it out before you think of buying the DVD set, then go to AOL's free In2TV service where you can watch streaming versions of many of the episodes contained on the DVD. With Animaniacs (and Pinky & The Brain) finally on DVD, I hope to see the other Spielberg/WB shows (especially the cult classic Freakazoid!) on their way to DVD soon.