DVD Review - 30 Rock Season 2

There are too many highlights to 30 Rock Season 2 to list them all, and the 15 episodes in this set (the season was shortened due to the writers' strike) are more engaging and in many cases, funnier than Season 1. The show won the Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series for its second year, and Tina Fey won the well-deserved Emmy for best actress in a comedy. It's not often that the award winners are really the best in their fields, but in this case, it is so.

Season 2 begins with a guest appearance by Jerry Seinfeld and any struggling comedy show would love the endorsement of the man behind one of television's most enduring and respected shows. But the truth is that 30 Rock is not Seinfeld; its characters may be as wacky and the show may put Liz Lemon in similarly uncomfortable predicaments, but Seinfeld was about four people, and it didn't matter much what their professions were. 30 Rock is about life on a television show and its corporate bosses. Audiences need a sense of what the business roles of the characters are to understand the dynamics of the show.

While it may be slightly more complicated than Seinfeld, 30 Rock may be funnier. Tracy Morgan's character is played as both a self-absorbed celebrity and a deranged lunatic. Both are divorced from reality. When Morgan does a 12-second bit from a music video called "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah," you can see the depth of the writing, putting thought and hilarious detail into the corners of the characters' backstories.

The second season had a lot of guest stars, none of whom dominated the show in the way the guests on a show like Will & Grace did. When Carrie Fisher guested as a former comedy show writer and Liz' hero, her real-life celebrity wasn't the basis for the show; instead, her character was a way for the show to examine the depth of social commentary in television comedy today and 30 years ago. It was about the character, not the star. The same goes for David Schwimmer's guest turn as "Greenzo" (an episode that featured an appearance by Al Gore as well), and Buck Henry and Andy Ritcher as Liz' father and brother. (It helps that the show doesn't have a laugh track, or audience applause when a new guest star emerges.)

Edie Falco's arc as a love interest for Jack (Alec Baldwin) provided some of the highlights of the season. After so many years of seeing Falco as Tony Soprano's long-suffering wife, it was a pleasure to see her as a confident, powerful and funny Congresswoman. Baldwin continues to be the show's steady straight man, providing wonderful delivery of lines like "'Businesswoman? I'm not sure that's even a real word."

With the exception of Jack McBrayer and Jane Krakowski, most of the supporting cast seemed absent in the second season. A show's focus should be on its stars, and 30 Rock does a lot with Fey, Baldwin and Morgan, but with talented supporting players (used to greater effect in season 1) like Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander, Katrina Bowden, Keith Powell, Lonny Ross, and more, it's hard not to want to see more of them and their eccentric characters. Of course, maybe the shortened season also shortened what we saw of the cast. But it's Fey's show and she commands your attention as Liz Lemon, who seems a sensible character with her own weird traits (she's more in love with food than anything). Fey clearly has a good time writing and playing a comedic version of a comedy show's head writer, and her enjoyment is infectious. Watching 30 Rock, you can't help but love Lemon and Fey.

Three moments to seek out in this group of episodes: Kenneth's party, which is only seen in brief flashbacks ("Greenzo") but is presented as the most insane gathering on screen yet; the cast singing "Midnight Train To Georgia" ("Episode 210") with Gladys Knight looking on; and Dean Winters' reappearance ("Subway Hero") as Liz' old boyfriend Dennis Duffy, who always provides some of the best moments of the season.

The DVD extras are pretty good and include one particularly special item: Video of the cast performing live in New York (during the writers' strike to raise money for their laid off staff workers). This was a very cool undertaking on its own, and for fans to be able to see this stuff demonstrates the dedication to the show's audience. Also, linger on the menu for the bonus material and you will hear the full audio for "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah."

30 Rock is the best and smartest comedy show in many years. If you're not watching it, you're really missing something. Tune in to the show in its third season and play catch up with these season two discs.

More info: 30 Rock - Official NBC Site
The 10 Best Moments From 30 Rock
Mind Grapes: A 30 Rock Fan Site

DVD Review: Battlestar Galactica Season 3

Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica is The Sopranos of science fiction.

More than just another well-made genre program, Galactica has changed the landscape for science fiction and given viewers something they've never seen before, and done so in a way that transcends the genre and is as mature - and as brutal - as what David Chase did with The Sopranos.

The original 1978 program was fun, and remains charming in a nostalgic way. But the original was fairly shallow; the characters weren't well-developed and despite the life-and-death premise of the show (a small group of survivors from a holocaust search for salvation), the mood on the show never seemed very dire. Of course, at the time, Galactica was made to cater to the 11-year-old Star Wars fans who were being merchandised to on a scale no one had ever seen before.

Enter Ronald D. Moore, one of the best writers to come out of the many Star Trek series. His work on The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine created a new standard for science fiction television, and even genre feature films often could not match the complexity and depth of the episodes he wrote. (Trek, especially Deep Space Nine, produced a wealth of great writers; DS9 is the best example of the potential of Gene Roddenberry's universe.) Moore took the original Galactica concept by Glen A. Larsen and developed it into a post-9/11 world. It's impossible to look at the show and not consider and re-consider the events of the world in the past several years. Like his hero Roddenberry, Moore has made a science-fiction show that is about now, but crafted in such a way that its stories are universal. Forty years from now, audiences will still be turning to this show for insight.

The third season of Galactica turns modern history on its head. Humans ("the good guys" - or not?) resort to suicide bombings as their land is occupied. They execute their own when they feel betrayed. They steal elections when they feel it's in the best interests of the people. They eliminate civil rights when they feel it's for the greater good. They torture prisoners. And all the while, they live in tough conditions and find themselves drinking too much and having too much sex.

In Edward James Olmos, the cast has its father figure and the show has its anchor. It would be hard to imagine a more world-weary figure than Olmos, whose presence brings the show the same kind of respectability Patrick Stewart brought to The Next Generation. Katee Sackoff plays Starbuck, and brings a rogue element to the show that the original show wanted but was never willing to go far enough to get. James Callis plays the traitor Baltar and brings humor, sadness and brilliance to the part. Among the supporting characters, it is Michael Hogan's Tigh - a throwaway character on the original show - who is the show's most remarkable player. He grips the audience in every scene he is in, and brings several dimensions to the show.

Universal's DVD sets have always left a lot to be desired. The DVDs of the original program were of the double-sided variety, which caused a lot of unplayable discs to arrive in customers' sets. The new show's DVDs have been pretty good. The transfers are nice, the sound is good and the extras are interesting. Even if you are not one to listen to commentaries, give Moore's podcasts a try, and don't forget to watch Executive Producer David Eick's video blogs - always interesting and frequently hilarious stuff. But is it really too much to ask of Universal to include scene selection menus on the discs?

If you're a fan of the show, be assured that the third season won't let you down. The four-part season opener (including the series highpoint Exodus, Parts 1 and 2) is worth the price of admission alone. If you've never seen it, start with the mini-series (included on the Season One DVD set) and go from there. Don't let the term "science fiction" stop you either; there are no bug-eyed aliens or talking muppets. This is serious stuff for an adult audience. Before long, you'll understand why the show is being labeled the best show on television -- a title that not long ago belonged to those guys from New Jersey.

More info: Galactica Sitrep: News, Interviews and Opinions
Ronald D. Moore Blog
SciFi.com: Battlestar Galactica Official Site

The Best Films of 2007

Once again, it's time for Oscar, and time to examine the best in movies in 2007. We caution again that all critical lists are subjective, so let's not take it too seriously. Our favorite films of the year are either on DVD, or are coming, as noted.

1. Enchanted. A Walt Disney picture that both sends up and celebrates the classic Disney film formula has to be a winner. Amy Adams - who was absolutely robbed of an Oscar nomination - carries this movie and makes it work. No other performance this year - not even Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, which is one of the great movie performances in recent memory - was as essential to a film. And anyone who's ever spent time in Central Park will appreciate the movie's show-stopping "That's How You Know," since you can almost seeing it happening with New Yorkers in a good mood. Any film that lets you see the enchanted village alive in the heart of the Big Apple is deserving of your time. Susan Sarandon plays the wicked queen with glee, and James Marsden lets us see that all those Disney princes are about as exciting as the Flanders kids from The Simpsons. On DVD March 18.

2. Zodiac. David Fincher's best film to date. More than a movie about the notorious Zodiac killer from decades past (about whom numerous movies and movie characters have been based), this captures the late 60s-early 70s era and works as a procedural and a thriller. No other images on the big screen this year were as terrifying or as chilling as the scene with broad-daylight murders at the lake. Great work by Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr. and Jake Gyllenhall. On DVD now.

3. Michael Clayton. The only Best Picture nominee on our list. The movie develops interesting characters as it tells a larger story about corporate shenanigans. Great performances by George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson highlight a film that seems like a long-lost cousin of the best dramas of the 70s, like Network, Serpico, and All the President's Men. On DVD now.

4. Ratatouille. At this point in time, we can still say that Pixar has yet to make a bad movie. In fact, they've made nothing but great movies. If Brad Bird - director of The Incredibles and The Iron Giant, both classics - can make a concept like this work (a rat makes delicious food), you know there are more great films to come. The animation is brilliant and will look even better when you get it home on those high-def TVs. On DVD now.

5. In the Valley of Elah. Much was written this year about how audiences didn't turn out for war-themed pictures, and this one got lost in the bunch. No box office smash, Elah was the best of them. Tommy Lee Jones - in one of the best performances of his career - plays the father of a murdered Iraq war veteran who decides to uncover what happened to his boy. Charlize Theron continues her streak of choosing great, unconventional parts. The movie's last sequence is the kind of social commentary that has been missing from movies for 30 years. On DVD now.

6. The Simpsons Movie. From the show that premiered nineteen years ago comes a movie that proves dedication to satire and wit can bring longevity. Matt Groening's characters really made the big screen their own, busting out of those tiny boxes in living rooms around the world. The animation is beautiful and way beyond what you're seeing on the small screen. The panoramic views of Alaska are worthy of the best Disney animation, while the satire is worthy of Mel Brooks at his best. On DVD now.

7. American Gangster. Ridley Scott's epic put Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe - arguably the best two actors working today - against each other, with great results. A subtle performance from Crowe, and a broad one from Washington, in a true crime story about one of Harlem's biggest drug dealers of the 1970s. On DVD now.

8. Superbad. The best comedy of the year. The humor was often crude, but the film still managed to pull out a story about friendship and innocence that we never saw in the crude movies of old. This is not a successor to Porky's, but rather is in line with Judd Apatow's great comedies of the past few years, including The 40-Year-Old Virgin and this year's Knocked Up. Michael Cera - also good this year in Juno - and Jonah Hill are the buddies who are trying to - what else? - get beer and meet girls. And if you think that sounds like a movie you've seen a hundred times before, you haven't met McLovin. On DVD now.

9. Blades of Glory. One of Will Ferrell's best efforts, and that's saying a lot. Jon Heder co-stars as Ferrell's ice-skating competitor in a comedy that (finally!) doesn't feel like one more Saturday Night Live skit gone too long. Great dialogue, hilarious stunts, and a wicked turn by Amy Poehler and Will Arnet as a slimy brother-and-sister skating team. On DVD now.

10. Live Free Or Die Hard. Who would have thought that the granddaddy of the modern action movie still had it? But Bruce Willis brings John McClane back to life after 12 years, and we can see why he's still welcome. Perhaps of the best of the average-guy characters in action films, McClane once again finds himself in situations worse than anyone could imagine. Justin Long is terrific as a geeky sidekick, with one-liners as funny as McClane. Parts of the film strain credibility even for a Die Hard movie, but this is perhaps the only sequel (in a year bursting at the seams with them) that didn't disappoint. On DVD now.

More info: Best Movies of 2007 by Kurt Loder
The Year's 10 Best Films and Other Shenanigans by Roger Ebert
Peter Travers' Best and Worst Movies of 2007

DVD Review: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - The Complete Series

One year after dazzling DVD fans with the release of Get Smart: The Complete Series (see review here), Time Life has done it again with another '60s spy series with similar elements of adventure, humor and style: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

At a time when U.S. aggression has made it very unpopular around the world, U.N.C.L.E. resonates, as its characters aren't trying to make the world safe for just American interests, but rather for those of the world. (The "U.N." in the title is no mistake.) The main characters are an American and a Russian - backgrounds that should have made for bitter enemies during the Cold War of 1964 (when the show premiered), but instead made for great working partners and friendship. The message then, as now, is that if these men can work together, anyone can, and everyone has interests that are greater than those of nationalism.

The United Network Command for Law & Enforcement is the organization that employs Napolean Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Ilya Kuryakin (David McCallum), and sends them to all corners of the globe in matters of espionage and intrigue. Vaughn and McCallum bring a lot to the series, and they were among the first on television to have cult followings. Watching these episodes, it's easy to see why. Both men have a charm and a sophisication that's evident. But their characters aren't flawless: Solo gets tripped up on occasion by emotional attachments, and Kuryakin is sometimes overconfident.

Much has been made of the fact that the show's best episodes were in the first and second seasons, and that the third season descended into camp. While it is true that the third season has weaker moments and made more attempts at humor, it is fun in its own way. The fourth, shortened season does its best to return the show to its roots. Whatever shortfalls it may have had, U.N.C.L.E. can sit proudly among its '60s spy counterparts: The Avengers, Secret Agent/Danger Man, I Spy, Get Smart and The Prisoner.

Time Life's set contains just about everything a fan of the show could ask for: clean, crisp transfers, hours and hours of bonus materials, and a cool - if not very convenient - package that puts all four season sets inside a briefcase. With complete series sets of U.N.C.L.E. and Get Smart under its belt, Time Life is going to have to work extra hard to impress fans with their offering for 2008. (Perhaps the long-missing-on-DVD Batman, with Adam West, could fit the bill; getting it out of rights hell alone would be a heroic feat.)

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.- The Complete Series is highly recommended.

More info: The Fans From U.N.C.L.E.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Episode Guide

'60s Spy-Jinks In U.N.C.L.E.