Panasonic CT-30WX52 30" 16:9 HDTV-Ready Pure Flat Screen TV
by Panasonic
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $1,999.99
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Editorial Review

The CT-30WX52 is loaded with features to make DVD and HDTV viewing as simple and as pristine as possible. The set's 30-inch PureFlat picture tube enhances contrast while reducing glare and reflections. Even better, its widescreen aspect ratio (16:9) is custom-made for movies and high-definition broadcasts, while its HDTV/EDTV display capability (1080i, 480p) lets you view high-definition and enhanced-definition TV programming from an external DTV set-top box with an ATSC receiver (which is not included; an external over-the-air antenna may be required). Progressive Cinema Scan (3/2 pulldown) provides faithful reproduction of film-based materials. DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; Progressive Cinema Scan digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.

Two-tuner, split-screen picture-in-picture lets you view two programs at once by dividing the screen in half down the middle. Each program is shown at full height, with one program on the left side and the other on the right. A motion-adaptive 3D-Y/C digital comb filter displays bright colors and action scenes with incredible clarity by minimizing the "color rainbow effect" in closely spaced patterns, compensating for the motion that occurs between fields. Included 10-bit, 60 MHz analog-to-digital image processing boosts conventional gray scale from 256 to 1,024, to deliver four times as many shades of black and white.

Digital velocity-modulated scanning is advanced circuitry along the neck of the CRT that senses transitions from black to white in the video signal. The black and white portions of the signal are sped up and slowed down, respectively, resulting in sharp black-to-white transitions. For a more filmlike picture when you're watching movies, you may want to selectively turn off this circuitry. Other features include horizontal and vertical edge correction, three rear and one front-panel audio/video inputs, 15 watts per channel stereo sound, fixed/variable audio outputs, Artificial Intelligence Sound Control (prevents variances in sound level), and simulated stereo sound (which works with stereo and monaural programs), and a lighted-disk universal remote control, which can be programmed to control many current video and audio devices. ... Read more

Features

• Digital velocity-modulated scanning improves the definition at picture edges
• 30-inch widescreen (16:9) aspect-ratio PureFlat tube TV with 1080i and 480p compatibility
• 2-tuner PIP, 8-bit PIP image processing, and split-screen option
• Progressive Cinema Scan (3/2 pulldown) provides faithful reproduction of film-based materials
• Motion-Adaptive 3D-Y/C digital comb filter further enhances resolution by removing blurred edges between colors and reducing dot crawl

Reviews (5)

Problems! VERY low quality 16:9 tv.
My wife and I purchased this TV new in Oct. 2002 from a reputable eletronics store, and it was plagued with problems - Possibly because it was a very early production model. It was replaced under warranty in Dec. 04 due to these problems:

Problem #1.
After approximately 2 months, the set started making an incredibly loud, high-pitched screeching noise. It was repaired under warranty and returned to us after 4 weeks.
Problem #2.
The picture tube failed. The colour red started to bleed and the bottom right-hand corner of the screen became very fuzzy. It was especially noticeable when trying to read any text on the screen such as film credits. We lived with this problem for about 6 months. It was never fixed because the next problem occurred and changed everything....
Problem #3.
The final problem we experienced was with the glass. The inside of the glass became distorted with rainbows making it impossible to see proper colours. It was similar to when gasoline is spilled in a puddle of water. This problem could only be solved by replacing the entire picture tube, under warranty, which Panasonic refused to do. Instead, they honoured their warranty by replacing our entire TV with the 2004 model.

I would steer clear of this particular older model. The poor quality of the components is likely due to the fact that it was a very early production 16:9 TV and the bugs were not worked out before it was mass produced. Quality has drastically improved with newer models.

GREAT EVEN WITHOUT HDTV INPUT
I have had this TV for almost a year now and it continues to work flawlessly. Even though I dont yet get HD signals the set significantly improves the cable signal and blows me away with DVD's. At the current prices you can't afford to buy a regular 4:3 TV. I have a fairly small Media room so the 30" set is just perfect for us...about 10 feet -me to set. I usually set my picture to "Just" or "zoom" and never have a problem with regular TV pictures. It also has many high capacity connectors...I have a cable box, a direct cable connection (so I can use the setscontrols), TIVO, DVD, VCR & I route sound thru my Stereo.And all this works from the one remote supplied with the set. I have no negative comments about my set.... I love it.

Serious reliability problems and terrible service
I have had this product for 6 months and it has broken 3 times with the same problem.There is something wrong with the power supply, as out of the blue it simply refuses to power up.To make matters worse, Panasonic does not do their own service (in the NY area, at least) and the 2 different shops I have tried both failed to fix it.Each kept it a few weeks and returned it, only to have the problem re-occur.I also had trouble with picture quality, which one shop denied existed but the other improved.Panasonic hasn't helped me at all, despite contacting their consumer affairs division.When it works, it's a nice TV, but thus far it's been out of service for over 6 weeks in 6 months. ... Read more

Asin: B00006ANXE
Subjects:  1. HDTV (HDTVs)    2. High Definition Television    3. enroute    4. Television (Televisions, TV, T.V., TVs)   

Panasonic DVD-S35S Ultra-Slim Progressive-Scan DVD (Silver)
by Panasonic
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $99.99
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Editorial Review

Proving that big performance doesn't necessarily mean "big ticket," Panasonic's ultra-slim DVD-S35K DVD player handles standard DVD-Video, DVD-R and DVD-RAM, CD-R and CD-RW, MP3- and WMA-encoded CDs, and even JPEG picture discs. Blending astounding performance with an elegant design, the DVD-S35K is slimmer and sleeker than its predecessors. The deck features a progressive-scan video processor that doubles the scan lines of an interlaced signal (from 480i to 480p) by scanning all 525 lines in 1/60 of a second for each pass. The higher-density video signal (designed for high-definition and HD-ready TVs) brings a film-like quality to DVD images, extraordinarily close to the way they originally appeared in the cinema, with rich detail, incredible depth of field, and precise color reproduction. The high-resolution picture is also free of motion artifacts.

For optimum viewing enjoyment, the monitor-select function lets you choose the best connection option according to the type of display being used. Other video enhancements include Cinema Mode (which diminishes glare and improves the visibility of details in dark scenes by automatically adjusting picture contrast), Depth Enhancer (which reduces image background noise), and Hi-Speed Smooth-Motion Scan (which enables fast-forward/reverse at up to 200 times normal speed, offering a quick way to access desired scenes).

You'll also enjoy audio features like Bass Plus (which enhances bass when connecting the player with an optional subwoofer), Dialogue Enhancer (which boosts the volume of the center channel during Dolby Digital 5.1-channel presentations), and an optical digital-audio output for channeling DTS and Dolby Digital surround sound to a surround-decoding audio/video receiver. ... Read more

Features

• Dialogue Enhancer boosts center-channel volume during Dolby Digital 5.1-channel presentations
• Plays DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, CD-R, CD-RW, JPEG, and MP3/WMA CDs
• Progressive-scan video output for seamless, flicker-free picture on high-definition and HD-ready televisions
• Cinema Mode diminishes glare and improves the visibility of details in dark scenes; Depth Enhancer reduces image background noise
• Bass Plus enhances bass when you connect the player with an optional subwoofer

Reviews (84)

H02 Error for me too
I too had the H02 error after about 18 months of flawless performance.

Since everyone is having the same problem at about the same time, is it reasonable to suspect engineered, PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE? Maybe just poor product.. Panasonic wouldn't make so much money if you didn't spend $100 every 1-2 years on another DVD player. Think about it..

Like a few others, however, I am again watching movies on my S35S after taking it apart, blowing in it a bit, fingering and jiggling the gears a bit, and putting it back together (we were going to throw it out anyway, why not play with it freely beforehand? Make sure to unplug it first!). This solved the problem, at least for the time being - may have to do it periodically from now on. I'm too poor to buy a new one every year, so I tinker.

The actual problem is that the spindle-motor stopped turning, thus the laser cannot read the initializing track of a disc to determine that a valid disc is indeed present. Hence, "H02"(Must be Pana-Geek-Speak for 'farked up'..), and finally "No disc."

To be accurate and honest, Panasonic should - instead of "H02" - have their DVD players display a scrolling marquee "P4n450n1k PWNES j00!1@!11one" because that's what they're doing to us with these cheap motors designed to fail at 1 to 1-1/2 years.

Upon opening and observation it was obvious that the spindle motor/flywheel thingy was unable to turn freely, too much friction to get started apparently, too "sluggish," it just simply hummed before disengaging and giving up. Perhaps it needs a bit of re-lubrication; just lightly touching the top of the spindle housing/cover (specifically, the white round thingy that resides above the disc) made it start spinning again.

3 stars for the great flawless performance for 18 months, minus 2 stars for the cheap/underpowered/etc. spindle-motor that goofs up at this time making me spend a couple of hours toying with it just to watch my movies. Luckily I have a PS2/dvd to hold me over for a while if this DVD player craps out for good. Maybe I should try TOSHIBA next time?

known defect - tends to die within 12 - 24 months
I bought this DVD player in July 2003 and enjoyed it until Apr 2005, when it stopped working with a "HO2 - NO DISC" error.

It turns out that premature death is a common problem with this player. A search on "Panasonic DVD-S35" and "NO DISC" will bring up these reviews.

Reviewers share a common complaint -- the player is great for the first year, and then dies (I got 18 months out of mine).

I strongly advise that you do not buy one of these used, as it is unlikely to last even a full year.

--Pat

Worked well until HO2 error, but fixable.
Two days ago my DVD player died with an HO2 error.After reading online that the problem was pretty widespread, I was ready to junk this player and buy another non-Panasonic player.Then I ran into the review from K00l Me! "Vic" saying a little cleaning should help.After much difficulty getting the side screws off the case, I was able to get to the lens.It did the trick, no more HO2 errors, everything plays beautifully again.Hopefully this lasts a while, and hopefully some others of you with these errors will not junk your player too quickly.

3 stars out of 5 for good operation for nearly 2 years, but lost the other two stars because shame on Panasonic for creating a player with such a widespread defect. ... Read more

Asin: B00008IP5G
Subjects:  1. DVD Player (Digital Versatile Disc Players)   

Super Mario Sunshine GameCube Bundle Pak
by Nintendo
Average Customer Review:
Electronics (17 October, 2002)
list price: $189.99
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Editorial Review

This special Nintendo GameCube bundle includes the 3-D adventure game Super Mario Sunshine. In Super Mario Sunshine, players chase a vandal who has been spreading graffiti around an island paradise and framing Mario for the misdeeds. The bundle also includes a Memory Card 59 so you can save your progress through the game.

Though it looks like a toy, don't be fooled: the Nintendo GameCube is a powerful video game console that rightly deserves its place among the other next-generation game systems. In fact, its playful, appealing design and small size (the unit is a not-quite-cubed 6 inches) aren't the only features that set it apart from the others.

For starters, Nintendo has quite clearly made this a game-only machine. It doesn't try to play your CD collection, run your movies, read your e-mail, or store your MP3 files. The company has concentrated its efforts on games. All the prelaunch titles we've seen play smoothly, with bright, fast graphics and great sound. Nintendo says its engineers have removed traditional bottlenecks that have, in the past, slowed down processing. New components designed by IBM and MoSys, as well as a large-capacity secondary memory cache, keep instructions moving through the system's microprocessor (MPU) at peak levels. In English: the GameCube is optimized to push speed up while pushing costs down; hence its position at the lower end of the price spectrum.

The GameCube is the first Nintendo video game system to use a disc-based medium rather than cartridges for its games. Moving the software to disc media generally means lower development costs for the publishers, which, in turn, trickles down to the consumer not only in price, but also in availability and quality, as it's then easier to try out untested game ideas (Pikmin, anyone?). While most other systems likewise have their games stored on discs, the GameCube's 3-inch format is smaller than everyone else's, and is so designed to fit in a shirt pocket as much as to deter would-be software pirates.

Of course, the main advantage of the GameCube is that it's the home field of one of the world's premier game designers: Nintendo. While powerhouses Electronic Arts and Sega make games for all systems (including this one), you can play Nintendo games only on a Nintendo system. And Nintendo, you might recall, has been hitting them out of the park since it started with Donkey Kong. In fact, here's a roll call of characters and series you won't find on the other consoles: Mario, Legend of Zelda, Perfect Dark, Metroid, Kirby, and, of course, Pokémon. A few names that the GameCube will share with the other guys: Madden, Tony Hawk, Sonic, Batman, and Star Wars.

The system also comes with four built-in controller ports, so you can easily plug in extra controllers and let friends join in for the multiplayer games--it's even got a built-in handle so you can easily move it to a friend's house. It comes with two memory card slots for saving your progress through games, and there's the capacity for future expansion into the world of online gaming.

In short, the GameCube isn't an all-in-one entertainment system, and neither is it the most powerful of the modern video game consoles. But for video game enthusiasts who want to stick with their favorite characters, its value cannot be beat. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• MPU (Microprocessor Unit): 485 MHz custom IBM PowerPC Gekko
• Graphics Processor: 162 MHz custom ATI/Nintendo Flipper
• Texture-Read Bandwidth: 10.4 GB per second (peak)
• Main Memory Bandwidth: 2.6 GB per second (peak)
• Pixel Depth: 24-bit color, 24-bit Z buffer
• Sound Processor: 81 MHz custom Macronix 16-bit DSP
• Sound Performance: 64 simultaneous channels, ADPCM encoding
• Polygon Performance: 6 to 12 million polygons per second (peak)
• System Memory: 40 MB
• Main Memory: 24 MB MoSys 1T-SRAM
• Disc Drive: 128 ms CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) system
• Data Transfer Speed: 16 Mbps to 25 Mbps
• Media: 3-inch, 1.5 GB capacity disc
• Controller Ports: Four
• Memory Card Slots: Two
• Audio-Video Output: Analog and digital
• Dimensions: 4.3 by 5.9 by 6.3 inches (height by width by depth)

... Read more

Reviews (41)

Boooo to you
Every GameCube System you have is out of stock. I checked about a two months ago and still out of stock. You never get'em no more. When you will get some then your cool,but for now boooo to you

Mario Sunshine Nintendo GameCube Bundle Review
Absolutely fabulous system.It has great graphics and the game included was very fun.If you can get this system, do so right away.Or if Mario isn't your thing then they have a great Zelda bundle also.Overall great system.

Cool system
[This review is ONLY for the Gamecube console. For my review of Super Mario Sunshine, check out the item's respective page.]

In late 2001, Nintendo released its latest console - The Gamecube (or GCN.) The new console would be doing battle with the other two big consoles - The Playstation 2, and the XBOX. To this day the battles for sales continue. Read on for pros and cons on this system.

PROS:
-Nintendo's first 128-bit system
-More affordable than other next-gen consoles
-Small size makes it easy to transport
-Features the most comfortable controller ever made for any system
-Large variety of games (this ISN'T just a kid's system)
-Can be connected to Game Boy Advance with some games
-Many games are available on this system only
-More powerful than the PS2
-Nintendo is the most trusted name in gaming
-With an LCD screen (sold separately,) you can make the system portable
-A reliable wireless controller is available

CONS:
-It uses discs, not cartridges. Discs can't save data, so you need a memory card. Likewise, it doesn't have a hard drive like the XBOX.
-No DVD or CDplayer. These are features considered standard on most modern consoles.
-Variety of games pales in comparison to the PS2
-Not quite as powerful a system as the XBOX
-Only includes one controller, and NO game
-Not enough "anthology" games (collections of games from past Nintendo systems)

Overall this is an excellent systems, but you may want to look the shortcomings over before you make the purchase. Still, Nintendo is the most trusted name in video gaming, and this console, in many ways, shows you why. ... Read more

Asin: B00006JZC5
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Gamecube (Game Cube, Game-cube)    3. Consoles    4. Bundles   

Game Boy Color Console in Atomic Purple
by Nintendo
Average Customer Review:
Game Cartridge
list price: $69.99
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Reviews (91)

Game Boy Color
I don't see all the hype in this portable gaming device. The games graphics are so terrible (So is Game Boy Advance). The only good Nintendo graphics is the brand new Nintendo DS which has Nintendo 64 graphics which isn't too shabby. But I really hate the Pocket and Color because it's a waste of money. Why would you get something in black and white with terrible graphics and then get one with only some colors (It's not that good) and plus the addition of bad graphics...now that's what I call a bad deal.

great and fun
this isnt bad i have it and it works great i think this is better then alot of older systems like game boy or super nt but still its a good system.

Ok..... but not as good as ngpc.
I got this system last year and it worked fine until a month ago. then the sound blew out. Also the graphics on many games suck. Still it's a hardysystem and I would recommend buying it if you like a classic look in color, but if you want something with good graphics, nice small comfortable size, and a motherload of great games, buy an NGCP(neogeo pocket color). ... Read more

Asin: B00000J97G
Sales Rank: 2617
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Hardware    3. Game Systems    4. Nintendo Game Boy (Gameboy)    5. Console   

The Simpsons - The Complete Third Season
by Twentieth Century Fox Home Video
Average Customer Review:
DVD (26 August, 2003)
list price: $49.98 -- our price: $32.49
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Broadcast in 1991, the third season of The Simpsons contains a host of candidates for "Best Simpsons Episode Ever." Homer is in such good form throughout that a reasonable case can be made that he has superseded the importance of his Greek namesake in the annals of culture and civilization.The opener, "Stark Raving Dad," for instance, features a guest appearance by an uncredited Michael Jackson, who plays an obese white inmate whom Homer meets while confined to a mental institution. Other standout episodes include "Like Father, Like Clown," in which Krusty reveals he is estranged from his Rabbi father; this is The Simpsons at the height of its powers, mature, ironic, erudite, and touching while bristling with slapstick and Bart-inspired cheek. "Flaming Moe's" features Aerosmith and sees Homer invent a cocktail that desperate, sleazy bartender Moe steals from him. "Radio Bart" is another demonstration of the series' knack for cultural references, parodying the Billy Wilder movie Ace in the Hole. Finally, there's "Brother Can You Spare Two Dimes," in which Danny DeVito reprises his role as Homer's brother, regaining the fortune Homer lost him by inventing a Baby Translator. Immensely enjoyable at any level, this third year demonstrates conclusively that The Simpsons is quite simply, and by a large margin, the greatest television show ever. --David Stubbs ... Read more

Features

• Animated
• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Box set

Reviews (219)

Morphing Into A Legend By Season Three
Of the first three seasons of The Simpsons, Season 3 is definitely my favourite. This show has been running for so many years now, that it was clear from the start that it would gradually get better and better by each season. For example, the show didn't peak in Season 2 or 3 like most shows do; it only continued to get stronger through Seasons 4, 5, 6 and 7. This is the point where a lot of television shows are packing it up and calling it a day because the show isn't as good as it was in its early years. Not the case with The Simpsons. By Season 3, the show was the most popular cartoon in the world and had infiltrated popular culture in a way that was completely unprecedented. If Matt Groening and his team of devoted writers had actually lifted their heads from their drawing boards, they would have surely been shocked at the impact of their creation.

Season 3 opens with "Stark Raving Dad," where Homer is sent to a mental institution and meets Michael Jackson, just not as we imagine him! It's also Lisa's birthday and her present is one she could never have dreamt of. In "Mr. Lisa Goes To Washington," Lisa gets involved in politics after winning an essay writing contest, and soon learns the injustice of the big world. In "When Flanders Failed," Ned Flanders opens a store devoted to merchandise for left-handers. Homer secretly wishes his store will fail, and has to rectify the problem when it does. "Bart The Murderer" sees Bart become a Goodfella and getting into all sorts of trouble, while the rest of his classmates are out enjoying a field trip to a chocolate factory. In "Homer Defined," Milhouse begins avoiding Bart because his mother says Bart is a bad influence on him. Meanwhile, Homer inadvertently saves the nuclear power plant from a meltdown.

In "Like Father, Like Clown," Bart and Lisa track down Krusty's rabbi father, whom he has not seen since his youth when he was shunned for wanting to make it big as a clown. In "Treehouse Of Horror II," a monkey's paw that grants wishes leads humanity to fall prey to sadistic space aliens. Bart also acquires incredible powers for mischief, which results in turning Homer into a giant Jack-in-the-Box. Finally, Mr. Burns puts Homer's brain into a robot, only to find that the robot is lazier than even the original Homer was! In "Lisa's Pony," Homer buys Lisa a pony after she is humiliated at a school concert because her sax doesn't work properly, even though Homer promised to buy her a new one. Homer gets a second job to afford the pony, but the long hours soon take their toll. In "Saturday's Of Thunder," Homer builds Bart a soapbox derby racer after he fails a quiz designed to test how well he knows his son. In "Flaming Moes," Homer gives Moe the idea for a new cocktail. Moe steals Homer's creation, and the cocktail becomes a huge, nationwide success. In "Burns Verkaufen Der Kraftwerk," Mr. Burns sells the power plant to a group of German investors for $100,000,000. They discover the plant is not all it seems, and are willing to sell it back to Burns, who is also desperate for his plant back.

In "I Married Marge," we are treated to a flashback to the early stages of Marge and Homer's marriage in a casino wedding chapel. In "Radio Bart," Bart receives a microphone for his birthday which he uses to play a prank on the town, in which he pretends to be a boy trapped down a well. In "Lisa The Greek," Homer discovers that Lisa has a great knack for picking football winners. He takes advantage of her 'powers' and wins tons of money from Moe through gambling. Lisa is upset when she realises his true aims, thinking that he actually wanted to spend quality time with her. In "Homer Alone," Marge has a breakdown in the middle of a bridge and decides to take a break to Rancho Relaxo. Bart and Lisa are left with Patty and Selma, while Homer must take care of Maggie. In "Bart The Lover," Mrs. Krabapple is searching for love in a local ad. Bart messes with her mind by pretending to be a fictious lover, but feels remorse when she is stood up on her date with her secret lover. In "Homer At The Bat," Homer rules the power plant softball team with his homemade baseball bat, until Mr. Burns hires a troop of professional baseball players to win a bet. They all fall victim to misfortune, however, and the game is left in Homer's hands.

In "Separate Vocations," school tests show that Lisa is destined to be a simple housewife and not the famous sax player she dreamed, while Bart is set to become a police man! He goes on to become the school hall monitor, while Lisa rebels against her previous goody attitude. In "Dog Of Death," The Simpsons discover their dog needs an expensive operation to survive. They didn't realise this to begin with, because lottery fever had gripped the nation, with a jackpot of $130,000,000. The family pay for the operation, but the dog runs away when they resent the cost of the op. In "Colonel Homer," Homer finds himself in a country-western bar after a big row with Marge, where he stumbles on Lurleen, a beautiful songstress. He gets her a record deal and she becomes a big star with him as her manager, but Homer must decide between his superstar and his family. In "Black Widower," evil Sideshow Bob reappears intent on marrying Selma. Everyone is happy for the marriage except Bart who sniffs trouble, and finally proves that Bob intends to murder his new bride for the money.

In "The Otto Show," Otto loses his license after a riotous visit to a Spinal Tap concert. He moves in with the Simpsons but is urged to get his job back. In "Bart's Friend Falls In Love," Milhouse falls madly in love with a new student, Samantha Stanky, after a sex education video at school. Bart's jealously drives them apart, landing Samantha in a Catholic School. The final episode of the season is "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" in which Homer's half-brother Herb Powell returns off the streets and attempts to resuscitate his sagging fortunes with an invention that allows babies to talk to adults. Mr. Burns discovers that Homer is sterile, and that he could sue the plant for millions. Instead, he presents Homer with a cheque for $2000 at a phoney awards ceremony. Herb begs for the money to invest into his new creation, and gives the Simpsons presents they've always wanted after it becomes a huge success.

This season is an incredible collection of 24 episodes, in which every single one is of superb quality. Most TV shows have at least a few rubbish episodes per season, but this is simply not the case for The Simpsons. The quality is astounding, and the minor characters add immensely to the feel of this show. Selma and Patty, Mr. Burns, Moe, Barney, the 'tortured soul' Krusty, Otto Man and Mrs. Krabapple are just some of my personal favourites. This DVD box set includes running commentaries for every single episode. I've not actually listened to any of them, because I've only just finished watching each episode on their own. I think it is a bit excessive to provide running commentaries for EVERY episode, but I guess there's so much genius that goes unnoticed in each episode that it would be criminal not to point them out! All in all, *essential* - nothing more. A must have!

Unrivaled by its animated peers...
Originally a spin-off from a one-minute segment of The Tracy Ullman Show, The Simpsons morphed into the then-burgeoning FOX network's most successful program. As the longest running animated television show in history, and the longest running prime show of any type, The Simpsons is an American treasure - a combination of humor, wit, and satire that examines not just the lives of its eccentric characters, but also the society, culture, and world in which we live. Fun for adults and children alike, The Simpsons is a cutting edge television comedy that, like Seinfeld, changed the television landscape in the 1990's by creating a new genre of TV fun - spawning large network investments in new series such as King of the Hill, Futurama, and The Family Guy.

Like all new things which smash the paradigm of life, The Simpsons is unrivaled by its knockoffs, and the show doesn't show signs of slowing down. If you haven't yet visited Springfield, then I definitely recommend that you pick up The Simpsons DVD (Season 1) to catch a glimpse for yourself. You have no idea what you've been missing...

The Simpsons (Season 3) DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere in which Homer's co-workers have him committed after they mistake him for a mental patient. While in the New Bedlam Home for the Emotionally Interesting, Homer meets a tall, stocky white man who claims to be Michael Jackson. The Simpsons befriend the man who eventually admits to being bricklayer Leon Kompowsky... Other notable episodes include "When Flanders Failed" in which Ned Flanders opens a store at the local mall called the "Leftorium" (catering only to left-handed customers) and "Lisa's Pony" in which Lisa's overwhelming desire to have her own Pony nearly drives Homer to an early death as he works 24-hours-a-day to afford the expensive pet...

Below is a list of episodes included on The Simpsons (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 36 (Stark Raving Dad)
Episode 37 (Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington)
Episode 38 (When Flanders Failed)
Episode 39 (Bart the Murderer)
Episode 40 (Homer Defined)
Episode 41 (Like Father, Like Clown)
Episode 42 (Treehouse of Horror 2)
Episode 43 (Lisa's Pony)
Episode 44 (Saturdays of Thunder)
Episode 45 (Flaming Moe's)
Episode 46 (Burns Verkaufen Der Kraftwerk)
Episode 47 (I Married Marge)
Episode 48 (Radio Bart)
Episode 49 (Lisa the Greek)
Episode 50 (Homer Alone)
Episode 51 (Bart the Lover)
Episode 52 (Homer at the Bat)
Episode 53 (Separate Vocations)
Episode 54 (Dog of Death)
Episode 55 (Colonel Homer)
Episode 56 (Black Widower)
Episode 57 (The Otto Show)
Episode 58 (Bart's Friend Falls in Love)
Episode 59 (Brother Can You Spare Two Dimes?)

The DVD Report

hilarity continues to ensue
just as funny as season 1 I have on dvd. working on getting 2,4,5 when I can
see this show if you haven't
it's gut busting laughter
cruel jokery sometimes
but very funny
... Read more

Asin: B000067DNE
Subjects:  1. Television   

iRiver iFP-190T 256 MB Digital Audio Player
by iRiver
Average Customer Review:
Electronics (28 February, 2003)
list price: $99.99 -- our price: $75.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Supports playback of MP3, WMA, and ASF music files
• Integrated digital FM tuner with presets and built-in voice recorder
• Record to player directly from FM tuner
• Comes with Sennheiser MX300 earphones, neck strap, AA battery, USB cable, and printed manual
• 256 MB built-in memory

Reviews (130)

disappointed
I did a lot of research on the different players below $100.This one seemed to be the best.It took a while to receive from Amazon.com.I've had it for 4 days and must have spent 10 hours trying to get it working.The iRiver website and customer service are unacceptable.The customer service line rang busy for 20 minutes.When I did get through, I waited on hold for an hour and 4 minutes for someone to come on the line.When I did get someone, he was rude.He did not want to stay on the line and walk me through the steps to address the problem.As soon as I got off of the phone, I had another problem.Called back and got busy signal.Held again.After a few minutes on hold, a message came on that they were closed.Only open for support M-F 8-5.(And only then when you can actually get a live person.)The CD that comes with the device is not up to date.You have to go to the iRiver website to download the latest version and then update firmware.Then, you cannot use iRiver Music Manager.You have to go to Windows Media Player.Sometimes it would recognize the device and, other times, I had to reboot the computer to have the device recognized again.I was finally in a position to download music and had the songs selected.When I tried to sync, I got a message that said there was an unknown error.After hours of frustration, I decided to pack it up and send it back.I gave 1 star because it is small and seems to be a good device, if only it wasn't such a hassle to set up.

Durable, lightweight, great sound, yadayadayada...
Well, here's what I have to say: I've had this little sucker for over a year now, and thus far, this is what my mp3 player has been up against:

1. NW Washington weather. Need I say more?

2. It's been dropped onto hard marble floors from chest height (roughly 5' 7") TWICE, and worked (although it developed a minor joystick anomaly that lasted about three days to a week) just fine, still works like a charm.

3. It's been on several camping trips in NW Washington (again, need I say more? This place is WET).

4. It's survived a day in Hana, Maui (even wetter than WA).

I'll tell you, this thing is pretty tough for a little device such as this. I also use it to play music in the halls, on my own sound system, and because my sub is a little funky, I have to readjust my equalizer, and it's VERY simple, once you get the hang of it (if you're having trouble with the custom equalizer, just hold the knob straight down for three seconds, and from there you can figure out how it works).
It's been with me all over the country, and in all sorts of situations. This mp3 player is like a Timex (takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!), and the best part is, it gets GOOD sound, too. I have a pair of Sony (also a year old) headphones, and a set of Bose QC2, and the sound through both is phenomenal. I am thinking about trading up to a bigger mp3 player, and I think an iRiver is where I'll be aiming.

P.S. My advice on music transfers is to stick with the provided software, and get the firmware upgrade, and still stick with the software. WMP10 has the strangest ability to add clicks and whops to songs saved at 192 kbps, that are then transferred to the player. The iRiver software does none of that. That's all for now! Tata!

good sound and bad interface
I just got this player for exercising. It's small and light enough to carry around. The sound is excellent. The interface is bad, the buttons are confusing. Everytime I tried to lower the volumn, it took me to the menu. USB 1.0 is slow. But I will probably buy it again, just for the price. ... Read more

Asin: B00008N6VM
Sales Rank: 60
Subjects:  1. MP3 MP 3 Player    2. MP3 Player (MP 3)    3. Portable Audio   

Super Mario Brothers Deluxe
by Nintendo
Average Customer Review:
Game Cartridge
list price: $29.99
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Editorial Review

One of the best things about the Game Boy Color is that it'sbasically an original Nintendo Entertainment System that can fit inyour pocket. What this means for gamers is that many of the great gamesfor the classic system are being ported to the Game Boy Color, givingus a chance to re-play (or in some cases discover) the best game titlesfrom the '80s.

Nintendo's own Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is among the first ofthese conversions, and it certainly remains one of the best. Actually,calling this game a conversion really doesn't do it justice. Thisversion actually contains more levels than the original game, includingthe entire Japanese version and a slew of extras (such as a two-playermode).

The controls in this game are easy to grasp--even for novice gamers.All Mario can do is jump (and shoot fireballs with the right power- ups), but it is amazing to see how much gameplay can be squeezed fromthese simple actions when the controls work in direct harmony with aplayer's thoughts. The only element of this game that could have beenbetter is that the Game Boy Color's screen isn't quite large enough toshow the entire layout of the original game screen, so players mayoccasionally need to press up and down on the control pad to see someoffscreen action. While this can be distracting, it ultimately hasminimal impact on gameplay. If you are looking for the quintessentialside-scrolling platform game, you can't do much better than SuperMario Bros. Deluxe. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Classic side-scrolling action gameplay
• Lots of extras

Cons:

• Screen isn't quite big enough to show the entire layout of thegame

... Read more

Reviews (159)

Momma mia, what a come back!!!!!!
I was a vivid gamer back in the day, and Mario was always one of my all time favorites. I have long since moved away from the video game scene, but now and then I play the classics on the PC. And when I played this version, I was amazed at how great it had been revived to the GBA. The graphics are the same, the gameplay is the same, the sound is the same, but there is new extras and bonus stuff, a pathway to choose, multi player ect.. I have to say this is the best Mario Bros. (1) game ever! Even better then Mario All Stars (snes) version!!!

the best
i had this game and its great i love the fact that it is exactly the same except for the fact that instead of 3 lives you start out with 5 and when you die you are asked if you would like to continue or start over. two great pros to the classic game which make it even better. also the new levels are challenging but great. i lost my copy of this game a fewyears and now i cant find it anywhere! :'(

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe - A True Classic
Super Mario Deluxe was my first Gameboy game ever.It was my first video game ever.It was my best video game ever.Even after buying 16 other Gameboy Color and Advance Games, this is still one of my favorites.
I know what you are thinking: This is a Gameboy Color game!It must have horrible graphics and ridiculously simple gameplay.Well, you are wrong.Yes, it is a Gameboy Color game.Yes, I bought it 2000.But, it is a great game.The graphics are blocky (What do you expect from a Gameboy Color game?) but still pretty good, and the gameplay is anything but simple.
You play as Mario, and you have to collect gold coins, jump on enemies, and save Princess Toadstool, more commonly known as Princess Peach. Once you complete every level in Regular Mode, you have to go through the same levels again as Star Levels.They do have minor changes to make them harder, such as replacing Goombas with Buzzy Beetles, but they are pretty much the same as their regular counterparts.Also, as you complete each level in Regular Mode, it becomes available in Challenge Mode.When you complete a certain amount of the game, the You Vs. Boo Racing Option becomes available. (You can also race against a friend via a link cable.)After you complete more of the game, the Super Mario Bros. 2 Option becomes available.But, that is still not all.You get a table of ten high scores that you can combine with a friend's table.You unlock pictures for your photo albums and other features that can be printed with a Gameboy Printer (which hardly anyone has) and you can tell your fortune and record important events on a daily calendar.Whew, that's a lot of features!
As you can see, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is a very complex game.It took me two months to complete the Regular and Challenge Modes alone, and I haven't fully completed any of the other modes.Super Mario Bros. Deluxe never gets old, though.When I brought it to school in 2003, four or five kids were swarming around me asking to play it, more people than were ever asking to play a Gameboy Advance SP game all at once.I have summarized my review in the following list of pros and cons:

Pros:

It has tons of different features and modes.
It takes a very long time to fully complete.
Even after you beat the game, it never gets old.

Cons:

It has blocky graphics.
Many of the features require a Gameboy Printer, which not many people have. ... Read more

Asin: B00000J9J9
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Action and Adventure    3. Exploration    4. Nintendo Game Boy (Gameboy)    5. Action    6. Adventure    7. Classics (Classic)    8. Retro    9. Arcade   

Me Talk Pretty One Day
by Back Bay Books
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (05 June, 2001)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

David Sedaris became a star autobiographer on public radio, onstage in New York, and on bestseller lists, mostly on the strength of "SantaLand Diaries," a scathing, hilarious account of his stint as a Christmas elf at Macy's. (It's in two separate collections, both worth owning, Barrel Fever and the Christmas-themed Holidays on Ice.) Sedaris's caustic gift has not deserted him in his fourth book, which mines poignant comedy from his peculiar childhood in North Carolina, his bizarre career path, and his move with his lover to France. Though his anarchic inclination to digress is his glory, Sedaris does have a theme in these reminiscences: the inability of humans to communicate. The title is his rendition in transliterated English of how he and his fellow students of French in Paris mangle the Gallic language. In the essay "Jesus Shaves," he and his classmates from many nations try to convey the concept of Easter to a Moroccan Muslim. "It is a party for the little boy of God," says one. "Then he be die one day on two... morsels of... lumber," says another. Sedaris muses on the disputes between his Protestant mother and his father, a Greek Orthodox guy whose Easter fell on a different day. Other essays explicate his deep kinship with his eccentric mom and absurd alienation from his IBM-exec dad: "To me, the greatest mystery of science continues to be that a man could father six children who shared absolutely none of his interests."

Every glimpse we get of Sedaris's family and acquaintances delivers laughs and insights. He thwarts his North Carolina speech therapist ("for whom the word pen had two syllables") by cleverly avoiding all words with s sounds, which reveal the lisp she sought to correct. His midget guitar teacher, Mister Mancini, is unaware that Sedaris doesn't share his obsession with breasts, and sings "Light My Fire" all wrong--"as if he were a Webelo scout demanding a match." As a remarkably unqualified teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago, Sedaris had his class watch soap operas and assign "guessays" on what would happen in the next day's episode.

It all adds up to the most distinctively skewed autobiography since Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia. The only possible reason not to read this book is if you'd rather hear the author's intrinsically funny speaking voice narrating his story. In that case, get Me Talk Pretty One Day on audio. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (593)

10 STARS
best comedic book ever written. Sedaris has the way with words. a total laugh out loud, wipe tears from your eyes memoir. a definite worth of $10 or however much you pay.

a MUST BUY!

It just doesn't get any funnier than this, folks.
ME TALK PRETTY is one of the funniest books you'll ever read.And I quote from the book: "I hate computers for any number of reasons, but I despise them most for what they've done to my friend the typewriter. In a democratic country you'd think there would be room for both of them, but computers won't rest until I'm making my ribbons from torn shirts and brewing White-Out in my bathtub. Their goal is to place the IBM Selectric II beside the feather quill and chisel in the museum of antiquated writing implements. They're power hungry, and someone needs to stop them." The reason why David Sedaris, the character, works so well in the book is because of his flat-out honesty on any number of subjects and issues. He also has an extraordinary sense of self-awareness most do not possess, or at least are less than eager to broadcast it. Sedaris has managed to convert ordinary happenings from one's life to incredibly comical vignettes worth discussing. His linguistic tongue most closely resembles a sharp and oddball Woody Allen for his clever ability to make situations funnier than they normally would be and his over-the-top affair with words. In creating something more valuable than a simple comedic story-telling book, he has both educated and entertained us with his personal experiences and observations of the world. Like other great reads of his: NAKED and BARREL FEVER, this is a wonderful and laugh-out-loud book. I also enjoyed Jackson McCrae's THE CHILDREN'S CORNER as it too is funny, though has a disturbing side as well. Whatever you do, take on "Me Talk Pretty" first as it's quick, easy, and just a whole lot of fun.

innovative, but irrelevant
Looking for an edge away from the "same ol' same ol'", I picked up this book on a recommendation by a friend.In reading the first chapter, I was extremely delighted in this non-timeconsuming and simplistically funny book.However, the further I got into the book, the more abstract the humor was and the harder it was for me to believe the outlandish situations that David Sedaris claims to have experienced.Though this was not true for every chapter, I found that the far-fetched chapters that slightly pinched a nerve had then made many of the other chapters unbelievable, thus ruining the chance of finding ANY meaning in this book and, instead, making it a book purely for entertainment.The chapters don't even run together in any plausible and linear format, and instead seem to be formed in the succession of a scattered memory.

Though I have nothing against books meant for entertainment purposes only, I do not wish to spend much of my time reading them.Luckily, each chapter contains a short story in itself that could be picked up at any moment I desired.So, despite my criticism, I did enjoy the book...but only sparingly.

In conclusion, this book is innovative in the way it is written and in it's contents.However, if you are a fan of philosophy fiction and stories with hidden meanings,I would recommend this book only if you're the type that needs a complete break once and a while.Though the book is funny, I would only fully recommend it to those who don't mind spending hours reading scattered stories with no meaning for the lone purpose of being mindlessly entertained.

... Read more

Isbn: 0316776963
Subjects:  1. Americans    2. Essays    3. Form - Essays    4. France    5. Humor    6. Paris    7. Paris (France)    8. Humor / Essays    9. American Satire And Humor   

Understanding Comics
by Perennial Currents
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (27 April, 1994)
list price: $22.95 -- our price: $15.61
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

A comic book about comic books. McCloud, in an incredibly accessible style, explains the details of how comics work: how they're composed, read and understood. More than just a book about comics, this gets to the heart of how we deal with visual languages in general. "The potential of comics is limitless and exciting!" writes McCloud. This should be required reading for every school teacher. Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman says, "The most intelligent comics I've seen in a long time." ... Read more

Reviews (72)

I AGREE WITH ALL THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWERS . . .
...UNDERSTANDING COMICS is surprisingly comprehensive while being oh-so accessible. Excellent overview and deep in all the right places.

Entertaining read, learned a lot
This is a remarkable book at some turns academic and thorough, at others highly entertaining. "Understanding Comics" is extremely well drawn and written, stimulating the reader in ways that prose or poetry could not.Unfortunately, my knowledge of comics is limited to Herge (Tintin) and Goscinny and Underzo (Asterix), although I've seen more recent work (Batman, 1990s) that departs from linear narrative and the kind of realistic Hergé backgrounds McCloud draws and describes. This book serves as an excellent guide for those who haven't fully considered the form but are willing to learn more about it.

Notably, the publisher categorizes this book as "cartoons/art history." The art history component stretches from prehistoric to abstract expressionist art: seeing the narrator deform from realistic, representational form to Dadaist scribble is one of many aspects that make this book so special. McCloud plays with time and conveys a massive volume of information during this time (it's a quick read). "Understanding Comics" takes an all-inclusive approach that doesn't focus exclusively on comics, but also considers all forms of artistic expression and the rôle of comics within this spectrum.McCloud argues (forcefully) that comics are overlooked in favor of other fine arts - he demonstrates how cave-paintings, hieroglyphics, and even alphabets are all forms of comics, the later a derivative case.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on levels of abstraction on the presence of iconography in the human experience.Even a line on a page has expressive potential, as McCloud demonstrates. I am reminded of readings in Genet and Melville, where tattoos document the human experience and the body becomes a tableau for storytelling. Artists draw, write, direct moving pictures, and create music - this book would argue that no form is superior, but that comics are established, have been forever.

A Fantastic review of a media
Recently, I have started to be a fan of webcomics, and my boyfriend, a long-time comic reader introduced me to this book. I read it in less than a day, and was amazed at how little credit I was giving to this artform, as well as the even littler credit others were giving it.When I finished, I immediately read the sequel: Reinventing Comics, then went to the comic book store and had a good browse around.I would suggest this book to anyone interested in literature, visual arts, and combined medias.Read it! ... Read more

Isbn: 006097625X
Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Authorship    4. Comic books, strips, etc.    5. Comics & Cartoons    6. Humor    7. Juvenile literature    8. Periodicals, Publishing of    9. Techniques - Cartooning   

Clerks - The Animated Series Uncensored
by Miramax
Average Customer Review:
DVD (05 August, 2003)
list price: $14.99 -- our price: $11.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Writer-director Kevin Smith revives the characters of his indie classic film Clerks for this animated series created for network television. Though it aired for just two episodes on TV, the two-disc set has all six episodes plus a bevy of special features.

The episodes feature store clerks Dante and Randal and their ongoing adventures among the shelves of your local corner store. Never far from the epicenter of these adventures are the irreverent Jay and Silent Bob. Whether it's getting trapped in the walk-in cooler, attending their high school reunion, or fighting rival Leonardo Leonardo (who wants to dominate the local Quick Mart market), Clerks spoofs TV and movies with mocking pop-culture jokes and cameos by a number of celebrities. Ultimately, though, Clerks: The Animated Series suffers at the hands of network censors, lacking the obnoxious punch that made Clerks the film so offbeat and amusing.

Smith doesn't disappoint, however, with the inclusion of a number of special features on the DVD set, most notably the ever-insightful director's commentary with guests Jason Mewes (Jay), Brian O'Halloran (Dante), and Jeff Anderson (Randal).So while the series itself may be ill-fated, featurette on the making of the animated series--including storyboards and information on character development and the comic book influence on the drawing style--make this a robust offering for Kevin Smith completists. --Adam Medros ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated
• Closed-captioned

Reviews (137)

Clerks Uncensored!
A spin off series of the movie, Clerks Uncensored only had two episodes shown on ABC in 2000. We get to watch Dante and Randal deal with more problems within 6 episodes. Cancelled by "the company" (as Kev calls 'em on the Uncensored commentaries) after two episodes. We get all six eps on this set! Seriously, Kevin Smith is a genius! Awesome show, too bad ABC cancelled it. Watch it!

Could have been great
I watch these episodes and I know that this show would have been great had it been allowed to continue, just look at "Family Guy." This series is unique to that, in that it stays true to the film characters humor, while also magnifying the medium of animation and the restricted confines of network TV.The commentary tells an interesting tale of the life of the series even though it sometimes does so at the expense of scene specific.All in all, this release gives you just about all anyone could ask for considering this series.By the way, I'm waiting for the feature.

Clerks makes it's way to cartoon format
The cartoon adaptation of Smith's classic movie "Clerks", may have been short lived, but the six episodes we're left with are nothing less of classic. Follow Dante and Randal into even more obscure adventures than what takes place in the actual film. Be advised there are only six episodes. Only two were ever aired on television. As far as I know there will not be any more. That's not very fair since this cartoon is on par with all of the hit comedies out there like Family Guy, Futurama and The Simpsons. If you're a huge Kevin Smith or Jay and Silent Bob fan, then you should definitely consider picking this up and owning it. It's also got low price tag, so that's a plus (I mean it's only six episodes). Here's a quick run-down of the episodes :

1) "Nothing Exciting Ever Happens" - Business at the Quick Stop is threatened when billionare Leonardo Leonardo opens a quicker stop. Dante and Randal have to stop it.

2) "Trapped" - Dante and Randal get trapped in a freezer at the Quick Stop and remember old times together.

3) "Discreeto Burriots" - Leonardo Leonardo gets a very bad stomach virus and the Quick stop is investigated for foul play.

4) "Take The Case" - Jay trys to sue Dante and Randal.

5) "Class Reunion" - Dante becomes the coach of Leonardo's little league team

6) "The Fair Across the Street" - well isn't really about anything.

So like I said if you like Jay and Silent Bob, Clerks, Kevin Smith, or anything related to those three things, you need to buy this DVD set. It's very cheap and shows some very entertaining episodes of what would have been a great tv show, had it been given a better chance. Maybe one day it will come back, or may Smith will just release them through DVD. Who knows. All we can do is hope. ... Read more

Asin: B0000541WH
Subjects:  1. Television   

Family Guy, Vol. 1 (Seasons 1 & 2)
by Fox Home Entertainme
Average Customer Review:
DVD (15 April, 2003)
list price: $49.98 -- our price: $37.49
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

To the ranks of shows too brilliant and outrageous for prime time (The Ben Stiller Show, Andy Richter Controls the Universe), add Seth McFarland's Family Guy. This animated series, which debuted after the 1999 Super Bowl, simply sparked too much controversy and offended too many sensibilities to survive (Entertainment Weekly dubbed it "the Awful Show They Just Keep Putting on the Air"). That the Fox network also played hackysack with its schedule, ensuring viewers would not be able to find it, sealed its fate (it was cancelled in 2002). This boxed set containing all 28 episodes from the first two seasons is payback for the show's devoted cult following, who may be moved to echo the words of infant Stewie Griffin, the megalomaniacal 1-year-old bent on matricide and world domination: "Victory is mine!"

The dysfunctional Griffins of Quahog, Rhode Island, invite comparisons to The Simpsons. The testicular-chinned father, Peter Griffin, is a clueless oaf in the Homer mold. "Peter, what did you promise me last night?" asks his long-suffering wife Lois in one episode. "That I wouldn't drink at the stag party," he replies. "And what did you do?" she asks. "Drank at the stag part--oh ho ho, I almost walked into that one," he cackles. Other family members include teenage daughter Meg, a desperate high school social pariah; 13-year-old son Chris, a chip off his father's blockhead; and Brian, the family's sarcastic talking dog. But this series' true inspiration is football-pated Stewie (voiced by McFarlane, who earned an Emmy), who was born to be a Bond villain once he escaped his mother's "ovarian bastille." Family Guy recklessly ventured where The Simpsons feared to tread. In one episode, Meg's one and only friend turns out to be the member of a suicidal cult. In another, Death (voiced by Norm McDonald) becomes an unwanted houseguest. Each episode plays fast and furious with surreal flashes (in one episode, Peter turns his house into a puppet) and pop-culture references and TV, movie, and commercial parodies that invite repeated viewings. Freed from its own family-hour bastille and the whims of dim network executives, Family Guy can be appreciated at last on its own profane, sacrilegious, and irreverent terms. Welcome to the DVD family, Griffins. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Box set

Reviews (554)

Who Would Be A Stupid Dumb Idiot To Watch This Stupid Show!
I agree with the review and it was titled This Show Is Not Funny At All. But anyways i hate family guy. I wish this show was cancelled because this show is stupid. I don`t know why people are saying this show is funny. Peter and Lois argue and thats boring and stupid. The Simpsons are better than this stupid show. Homer is way funny and better than Peter. Chris is stupid and annoying. Maggie is better than Stewie. You know what something is stupid because how can a one-year-old baby talk. Thats stupid. Maggie don`t talk. So don`t waste your money on this crap. I suggest that y`all waste on The Simpsons because it has a lot of laughs.

An icredibly funny show but...
it loses a star for being so, so unoriginal. The griffins are basicly the Simpson family only more extreme in most senses. Peter is Homer only fatter and stupider. Plus they have a stupider son, avery socially inept daughter, and Lois is the same patriarchal mother figure as Marge. Stuwey is pretty much Maggie only even smarter (and pretty much a rip-off of Rex in the episode where Ralph falls in love with Lisa) I can say though that Brian is pretty original.

The simpsons has competition
Family guy is hilarious. It's funny, fast, and cool. The way everything talks in the show, and of course some of the funniest jokes ever on a sitcom.

It may seem like a rip-off of the simpsons, but It has things that make it different. First is the humor. the humor isn't exactly for children. They use cuss words like bastard, and make racial comments that will offend some people. the characters aren't alike. peter is way more stupid than homer. The baby is a crazy baby. The dog talks. There are no cats in the family. The son is not a trouble maker. And Meg isn't exactly a brain like Lisa. Lois is the only one Marge can relate too.

The humor is hilarious. Original jokes, knock-offs of culture, and more. Another thing is the way it bends from reality. Like Peter falling asleep on a fork, and a baby that actually wanders around town. he went to the Airport once.

the thing that beats the simpons is the music. the sompsons theme song is annoying after 16 years. the numbers are great and enjoyable to watch. The simspons only really good number was everybody hates Ned Flanders.

The one downside is the special features. Ony a total pf 8 commentary episodes were recorded. That's bad cause there are many jokes i don't get but are not explained because there are no commentary on the episodes that have the joke. And it has no special features but stupid promos and a dumb behind the scenes.

If you are tired of those stupid shows like King of the hill, this show is probaly one should check out. But remember T=the rating TV14.Also check out americian dad, ... Read more

Asin: B000083C6V
Subjects:  1. Television   

Futurama, Vol. 1
by Fox Home Entertainme
Average Customer Review:
DVD (25 March, 2003)
list price: $39.98 -- our price: $25.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Set in the year 3000, Futurama is the acme of sci-fi animatedsitcom from Simpsons creator Matt Groening. While not as universallypopular as The Simpsons, Futurama is equally hip and hilarious,thanks to its zippy lateral-thinking contemporary pop cultural references,celebrity appearances (Pamela Anderson and Leonard Nimoy are among a number ofguest stars to appear as disembodied heads in jars), and Bender, a distinctlyHomer Simpson-esque robot. Part of Futurama's charm is that with decadesof sci-fi junk behind us, we've effectively been living with the distant futurefor years and can now have fun with it. Hence, the series stylishly jumblesmotifs ranging from Lost in Space-style kitsch to the grim dystopia ofBlade Runner. It also bridges the gap between the impossible dreams ofyour average science fiction fan and the slobbish reality of their comicreading, TV-watching existence. Groening himself distinguishes his two seriesthus: "The Simpsons is fictional. Futurama is real."

The opening season (premiered in 1999) sees nerdy pizza delivery boy Frytransferred to the 31st century in a cryogenic mishap. There, he meets thebeautiful, one-eyed Leela (voiced by Married with Children's Katey Sagal)and the incorrigible alcoholic robot Bender. The three of them join Fry's great(great, great, etc.) nephew Professor Farnsworth and work in his intergalacticdelivery service. Hyper-real yet strangely recognizable situations ensue--Frydiscovers he's a billionaire thanks to 1,000 years' accrued interest, Leela mustfend off the attentions of Captain Kirk-like Lothario Zapp Brannigan, and Fryaccidentally drinks the ruler of a strange planet of liquid beings. --DavidStubbs ... Read more

Features

• Animated
• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Box set

Reviews (154)

Great, superb!!!
I love this show!!! It's equally as funny as Family Guy and almost as funny as the Simpsons. A must buy if you love those 2 shows. The features aren't the best, but they are good enough to polish off this set. Good commentary, but otherwise lame animtics and deleted (for good reason) scenes, and a so-so documentary, but the shows are worth the buy. Get it now!!!

This season and the second season are great.
I have watched and owned every season of Futurama, except the 3rd season, and the first season I think is one of the best. The humor is new, and very funny. I like it much better than season 4, which was dry, stupid, and the humor made no sense, like they would make people saying, "Huh?" and that would be the joke. Get the first and second season, but borrow season 4. As for season 3, don't ask me.

Surprisingly strong season
Many of my favorite shows always tend to have a rough season because they have to establish their characters and all the relationships. Futurama, most likely due to the seasoned veterans who worked on Simpsons and this at the same time or did this after leaving Simpsons, ended up making a great show without the kind of mishaps first seasons tend to have.

The series starts off with the pilot Space Pilot 3000 when 24 year old Fry is working a dead end job and has a cheating girlfriend. While on a prank pizza delivery to a cryogenics factory, he accidentally gets frozen 1000 years, waking up on New Years Eve 2999. From there he meets strange aquatic semi-doctor Dr. Zoidberg, his great great great.... nephew Professor Farnsworth and his crush, one-eyed Leela. The Professor runs a delivery service through space to help fund his research projects so Leela, Fry and amoral bending robot Bender become his crew.

One thing you should know is that the series had many scheduling problems or pre-empts(thanks to Fox and their stupid football games), many episodes didn't even air during their original air-date or were only half-aired. So if you look at many first season guides, the 9th episode "Hell is Other Robots" is often regarded as the "finale" since it aired in May while next episode "Flight to Remember" was in November however on here the 13th episode "Fry and the Slurm Factory" is the finale.

This first season had many memorable moments including the secret of Slurm, the crew's trip to a big garbage ball with some familiar cameos, Fry and Bender as roommates or the introduction of the most self-absorbed captain, Zapp Brannigan and his sidekick, alien Kif Kroker.

Also, nicely done is the fact that all episodes have commentary with usually a big number of guests with series creator Matt Groening(also created Simpsons) and exec. producer David Cohen with a rotating staff of writers, directors and voice talent. None of that Family Guy 2 commmentaries-a-disc crap.

There's highlight episodes and is a great place to start for what was a very hilarious series(stupid Fox and their cancelling).
... Read more

Asin: B000083C6W
Subjects:  1. Television   

The Onion Ad Nauseam: Complete News Archives, Volume 13
by Three Rivers Press
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (24 September, 2002)
list price: $17.00 -- our price: $11.56
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Reviews (23)

Memorable Articles and Many Laughs
My friend bought this book last year and we became obsessed.We still quote from it on a daily basis. "You hurt me just now when you hit me with that shovel" and "I bet I wouldn't be laughing so hard if it was me in that fire" top our list, as well as "Your honking has shown me the error of my ways."Our amusement never fades and it is as funny the millionth time as it was the first.Even real newspapers remind us of the Onion, with headlines like "Pretty China Tea Set Just a Fake."The Onion really does hit the nail on the head.Some articles are slightly disturbing, but in a funny, if offensive, way.There are some incredibly blasphemous articles, but if you can take a joke you will be fine.+++

Lucky Thirteen
Strange to start a reprint series with number 13.Maybe they'll go back and fill in early year's of the newspaper's run.As it is, you have classic stories about the metric system taking off in the inner city (think 9mm).Rude, flippant stuff and very funny.

An excellent read
A great book. Even the little "news" tidbits they usually have on the front page of their site, in the sidebars that are not archived, are all there.

A slight gripe: most of the articles are spread over two - and sometimes three - pages. These pages are often not adjacent (e.g. article from p.48 is continued on p.50), so you often have to skip all over the place while other articles distract you.

Another gripe is that this is the only complete volume :). We need more! ... Read more

Isbn: 1400047242
Sales Rank: 18873
Subjects:  1. American wit and humor    2. Form - Essays    3. Form - Parodies    4. Humor    5. Topic - Political    6. Humor / Political   

The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even If You're Not
by Silman-James Press
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1994)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
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Reviews (22)

The Character and Plot Toolbox: Some Assembly Required
I love The Comic Toolbox and would recommend it to anyone interested in writing good fiction, whether it be comic or otherwise. If you are trying to write a stand up act, however, you'll probably do better with Judy Carter's books, The Comedy Bible and Stand Up Comedy: The Book.

Vorhaus has a very simple and useful method for creating satisfying plots and characters readers will love. Everything Tami D. Cowden said in her review is true:

"No other book on writing I've read - and I've read a lot! - kept me chuckling throughout. I'd recommend this book for the laughs alone, but I can also recommend it as the fount of writing wisdom it entails.

Vorhaus not only explains the basic types of humor and the elements of a comic plot, but also lays out an excellent plotting structure useful for any type of fiction writing. Whether you merely want to add a few touches of humor to an angsty story, or you want to write the next comic blockbuster, this book will help you on your way."

Although Tami D recommends chapter 9 (this entire chapter consists of the one line "Of course, no book on comedy would be complete without a comprehensive discussion on practical jokes"), I would recommend skimming chapter one. It includes Vorhaus's basic formula of comedy, truth+pain=comedy, which I don't agree with. A terrorist attack is truth+pain but tragic and not comic, while "what did the mayonnaise say to the refrigerator?" is comic without being true or painful. So don't take the first chapter too seriously, and know the good stuff is just around the page.

This book could help simplify writing a good story for a lot of writers. I hope it does.

A Must-Have
The Comic Toolbox analyzes, explores, and explains the science of comedy in all its glory. John Vorhaus is an extremely insightful, motivational, and helpful person, and any person with comic ambitions should earnestly observe and understand the perspective Mr. Vorhaus offers in this comprehensive How-To Guide.

Not a comic toolbox!
If you can get past the first 191 pages then the last page is great....its the page when you can close the book and thank god its over.
John Vorhaus gets confused with what a premise is and what most comics call a mix or a twist. If he is unsure of the basics maybe a book is beyond him.
In saying this its worth reading as it is a great tool for learning to push on no matter how bad things are. ... Read more

Isbn: 1879505215
Sales Rank: 41518
Subjects:  1. Comedy    2. Comedy (Performing Arts)    3. Comic, The    4. Comics & Cartoons    5. Comics & Graphic Novels    6. Form - Parodies    7. General    8. Humor    9. Performing Arts    10. Technique   

The Comedy Bible : From Stand-up to Sitcom--The Comedy Writer's Ultimate "How To" Guide
by Fireside
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (05 September, 2001)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $10.20
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Reviews (25)

As a graduate of the Comedy Workshops program...
Yes, I'm quite satisfied with the results.I headlined at my showcase night at The Improv - Hollywood, and thanks to Judy's personal touch, we played to a packed house of 250 with consistent unique and tight delivery, and came away with the experience of a lifetime.The audio CD's and DVD's help with understanding how you need to apply the step-by-steps found in this book - but the point is: you have to get out of your own head and work the material like a maniac.The average rate is about 200 hours of writing per hour of performance rough material, so there's lots ahead.

Judy herself points out that she didn't "invent" this methodology - she merely thought enough to actually organize all of the years of experience she's gained in writing, living and loving comedy and put it into a single tome.But that doesn't mean it will write material for you.It points you in the direction you need to go - which is start noting down every single premise you discover and forensically tear it down thoroughly.Then, grab your comedy writing "buddy" and start working it through to death.And get in front of every audience or person that will listen.

Think of this as a common sense guide to what are the "magical" things that make people like Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Robin Williams, and Billy Crystal funny.And how you can take your personal point of view and find the "funny" in it.

Covers comedy from stem to stern
An outstanding read. Anyone who even thinks they might want to get into comedy should read this book. The Comedy Bible is a step-by-step how-to guide to get into the comedy industry.

Judy thoroughly covers the art of comedy as well as comedy as a business. She helps you avoid some of the pitfalls, endure some of the travails of this crazy business and gives you advice on how to be successful in a business where many have fallen.

Many of the principles in this book could be applied to any business including consulting, freelance work and sub-contracting. Judy gives you a primer on how to network in the industry, build contacts and to put yourself in a position such that you'll be prepared when "luck" happens.

I found this a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable read.

From Standup to... Standup!
Probably a great resource if you're interested in being a standup comic.Other than that, there's not really that much in this book I found useful or interesting...a lot of name-dropping, though!Apparently every comedian throughout the history of standup has taken one of Judy Carter's classes! ... Read more

Isbn: 0743201256
Sales Rank: 4386
Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Comedy    3. Comedy (Performing Arts)    4. Form - Parodies    5. General    6. Performing Arts    7. Performing Arts/Dance    8. Stand-up comedy    9. Technique    10. Wit and humor    11. Humor / General   

Writing Television Sitcoms
by Perigee Books
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 September, 1999)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (14)

I scanned it straight to the money
I scanned right throught the pages like I needed the cool breeze and stopped on the "how much will I make" page and well, it looks good to me.I also looked in other areas of the book and before I even read it I know it's exactly what I was looking for.A must for even a dream sitcom writer like me.This is a real shortcut, it covers all the information you will ever need.

Inspiring to all students of writing.
Evan Smith introduces Writing Television Sitcoms as the all-in-one writer's guide to sitcoms.It sounds heavy, but honestly true.There is no aspect of TV sitcom writing a student, or otherwise, could dream up a question for which Smith doesn't have an answer.He covers how to create a sitcom, write it, and sell it.And in the first chapters he even details how anyone can make a career in writing.You will find yourself beaming with childlike enthusiasm as your eyes run through Writing Television Sitcoms.

Sitcoms from the ground up
Smith goes right to the foundations of sitcom writing, and leads his reader through all the steps to a funny, saleable product. He explains his 'premise-driven comedy' in terms a beginner can comprehend and put to immediate use; a pro will find suggestions for boosting his batting average, and will recognize the voice of someone who's been there, and done that. Kudos to Smith ... Read more

Isbn: 0399525335
Sales Rank: 28586
Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Performing Arts    3. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    4. Self-Help    5. Technique    6. Television - Screenwriting    7. Television Program Writing    8. Television authorship    9. Television comedies    10. Television plays    11. Language Arts & Disciplines    12. Composition & Creative Writing    13. Comedy programs    14. Television comedy writers   

DeLonghi CC100B Coffee Cappuccino Machine, Black
by DeLonghi
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $129.99
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Editorial Review

This deluxe coffeemaker is perfect for anyone who wants the control of a programmable timer, the comfort of auto shutoff, and the great taste of frothed milk in their coffee. The DeLonghi CC100 Deluxe Coffee Cappuccino Machine has all of these features, including a control panel with "smart system" electronic LCD, 24-hour programmable timer, ready buzzer, adjustable automatic shutoff, and cleaning alert. In fact, it will do just about everything for you but clean itself. It makes up to 10 cups so you can have a cup or two while getting ready for work, then pour the rest in a thermos for later. The permanent gold-tone coffee filter and built-in water filter guarantee the pure flavor of your gourmet coffee shines through. And, when you're in the mood for a little frothed milk--whether it's in your coffee or your hot chocolate--the easy-froth dispenser automatically froths milk for up to 10 "American-style" cappuccinos at once, right into your coffee cup and without any extra steps. For safety's sake, the sealed steam cap keeps you from burning your fingers. As if that weren't enough, this coffee machine also comes with a drip-interrupt feature, nonstick warming plate, and water level indicator. The 1-3/4-cup milk reservoir and drip tray are removable and dishwasher-safe. --Doree Armstrong ... Read more

Features

• Drip coffeemaker prepares up to 10 cups of coffee
• Built-in water filter and permanent gold-tone filter equal purest coffee flavor
• Smart system electronic LCD with 24-hour timer, cleaning alert
• Easy-froth dispenser froths milk for up to 10 cups of coffee at once
• Measures 15-3/4 by 14-1/4 by 11-3/4 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Reviews (23)

Excellent Coffee ...
My husband is an amateur (think "weekend") chef and coffee fanatic. This machine was WONDERFUL. I purchased ours in December 2001 - October 2003 was our first problem - frother broke (seems to be a common complaint- DeLonghi take NOTICE!)
We're not sure it's worth dealing with the hassles of a repair center, but are entirely too attached to the best coffee maker EVER to trash it completely (since it stillworks to make coffee)
It does NOT have an auto-off feature, but that really shouldnt be necessary and definitely shouldnt be a deterrent. We've never had problems with the carafe, filters, etc. We bought it new for $249.99 and that was steep, but I would consider doing it again (definitely if the frother worked for more than 2 yrs!)

~

Good product, except for replacement parts
I bought this version just before they went to a digital display. I have the simple "on/off" buttons with no timer.
This machine performs great, easy to use, durable, and very easy to clean and maintain. My only complaint is with Delonghi. This system comes with 2 of the carbon water filters when you buy it. (you can even see them in the pictures on Amazon).

Good luck in replacing them once you finish with them. I searched for 2 weeks (locally and online) to find out you can only get them from Delonghi directly (at 5.00 ea + s/h) and that's only if they can find them. I had to wait 3 weeks for a phone rep to "research" my part request and have them tell me that they are having trouble locating the item.

I was told to wait another month as they are getting an outside company to run their spare/replacement parts warehouse and they should be able find the water filters for me.

My advice, use the system with filtered/spring water and forget trying to replace the inline filter.

Beware
Four months after I purchased this coffee maker it quit working. I delivered it to the designated service shop where is has been languishing for two months. When I spoke to the service rep. at DeLonghi today, she told me they had lost the replacement part and would have to start all over again. She didn't know how much longer it would take, wouldn't send me another coffee maker, and wouldn't make a refund. Let the buyer beware! ... Read more

Asin: B00004RGAG
Subjects:  1. Automatic    2. Drip Coffee Machines    3. Coffee Makers    4. (Coffeemakers)    5. Espresso Machines    6. (Espresso Makers)    7. (Expresso)    8. (De Longhi)    9. (De Longi)    10. (Delongi)