Cape Foure: The Simpsons Madness Goes On...

[Reply #360 on:]

I saw All's Fair In Oven War and Sleeping With The Enemy. My thoughts on them both are pretty much the same - while both episodes do have good storylines, the problem is that they both lack in the laugh department. Plus, they both have numerous inconsistancies with other episodes... AFIOW has Bart with a certain child-like innocence on the subject of sex, despite the fact that many other episodes have stated he knows quite a lot about it. Also a few inconsistancies with Nelson's family, too... Didn't find either of the sub-plots very interesting, either. Although Sleeping With The Enemy was the better episode out of the 2, despite the crappy, annoying end with Nelson's father.

I'm giving All's Fair In Oven War a C+, and Sleeping With The Enemy a B... it would've gotten a B+ if it wasn't for the ending. Like I said, both episodes had decent storylines & were fairly well-written, they were just lacking in the laugh department. Particularly Oven War (although I did enjoy the Apu stuff  ).

[Reply #361 on:]

 

Originally posted by Otis P Jivefunk:
Ok now I'm pissed off!  The wait for The Simpsons Season 5 DVD here in the UK has just doubled! An extra one and a half months which makes it an extra quarter of a years wait behind America! March 21st now! This is fucking ridiculous. I was angry enough having to pointlessly wait until February 7th, while America gets it before Christmas this year. Now though, a quarter of a year later is just utterly pathetic and inexcusable. Also the prospect of a knock-on effect to Season 6 now likely taking much longer here pisses me off highly, because that’s my favorite Season, it’s the Season I’ve been waiting for! 

What angers me the most is the utter lack of logical reason behind this. February 7th, knocked back to March 21st. Obviously the commentaries have all been recorded for the set to be released in America before Christmas, and obviously the artwork is all done. Converting to PAL is no cause for delay either. Even for magazine reviews, it wouldn’t take longer than February 7th tops. So what’s the fucking problem here? This is all I have to say for Fox Home Entertainmemts UK department, a big   ...

Well if you've got a reigonless player order it from an American site, I'm giving Playusa.com a try, on the Home page you can select the currency you use.
Thanks for brining this to my attention by the way, Febuary I could wait but March 21st is inexcusable, its not only after christmas, its after my Birthday (march 3rd)

I doubt with the length of shipping that It'll get here before Christmas, but I think I should do this as a protest against the delays.

[Reply #362 on:]

My player isn't regionless, only the downstairs player is, but the TV downstairs sucks. I know I could get it chipped and everything, but my plan is to one day get an additional DVD player which is a DVD recorder, and have that chipped. My main DVD player means too much to me to change, it's only the second DVD player ever made by Sony, and I don't wanna change it from how it was originally...

The main reason though, is I've started my Simpsons DVD collection with UK DVD's, and it’d just look stupid continuing with US DVD’s. take the PG logo’s for example. The first four sets would have them, then suddenly it’d stop. I want them all the same...

[Reply #363 on:]

Yeah I can see that argument, but to be honest it doesn't bother me, and besides the knock on effect could in the most extreme circumstances lead to americans being a set ahead of us.

[Reply #364 on:]

"She Used To Be My Girl" episode is on tonight on Sky1. It is a good thing now that Sky1 are showing episodes every Sunday and the episodes show week after America shows it.

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[Reply #365 on:]

Although I think this now might be the start of a lapse in them showing new episodes, if not after next week, I don't think the next new on is until jan the 9th.

anyway I grade the episode C+.

[Reply #366 on:]

Hmmm... I want to see this one again before I review it.

[Reply #367 on:]

Review of: Fat Man and Little Boy

I liked it.  I really liked it.  I never thought I'd say those words about a Simpsons episode ever again, but with this and "Sleeping With the Enemy," I think I can say the Simpsons are good again.  I hope I'm not jinxing the show now, but I think I'll watch this season every week now.

What worked:  Bart acting like a kid, Homer acting like an adult.  The t-shirt business Bart started was reasonable for a 10 year old.  I was afraid the shirts would be professional and therefore seem unrealistic.  Despite the whackiness (the novelty owner), everything turned out funny.  And I was surprised that Homer was actually able to build a nuclear reactor - it's odd that the writers actually made him competent for once.

Good lines: "Bolshevism! Bolshevism, I say!",  "What're you realizin'? / "I knew I was an adult when I was tried as an adult," Confederate Itchy, "Made for kids, by kids," "You broke into our house!", etc.

What didn't work:  Too much emphasis on Homer, not enough on Bart.  The ending seemed a bit rushed through, IMO.  Although it was sweet, seeing Bart and Homer get back together without a "whacky death-defying stunt."

Final Grade: B+

[Reply #368 on:]

I thought "Fat Man and Little Boy" was the best one of the season. Simply because it really held my attention. Now don't get me wrong, I am a big Simpsons fan but lately things have been getting kinda predictable.

I really like how in this episode they didn't make some joke about the story beinging random. It just told a good story with the typical mad cap simpsons humor, I really enjoyed it.

[Reply #369 on:]

I missed the episode, had to go to the hospital.  It sounds good though, I read reviews of upcoming episode, and with the exception of the 50 Cent episode, they all sounded pretty good, so i'll have to check them out.

[Reply #370 on:]

This episode definetely epitomizes "just a bunch of stuff that happens". It never stuck with one plot for very long and didn't really draw me into its story, although I don't think it was really intended to either. Bart's "midlife crisis" scenes with relatably amusing at least.

What this episode seemed to be aiming for was just to provide a solid bunch of gags from beginning to end, and personally I think it succeeded well. There weren't any glaring misfires, and there were lots of great moments: "We pass the slavings down to you!" and the various I and S shirts, most of Goose Gladwell's scenes, the key under the rock at the power plant, etc. It also had a good use of Simpsons canon: everything from Chalmers (another great bit), to the leftorium, to the power plant itself, often missing lately. The deleted scene in the credits was also great and probably one of the best gags all season. I hope they continue using the deleted scenes in the credits.

Solidly funny showing. Nothing too spectacular, but overall still a very funny episode.

B/B+

[Reply #371 on:]

Random, semi-coherent thoughts:
Plot was all over the place, but had a lot of nice single scenes, and didn't have any problem jumping around. Overall very funny, lots of great sight/freeze frame gags (some of the T-shirt slogans are too fuzzy to make out on my recording :-(), and a good new character in that wacky guy whose name I don't care to recall (or even to look at the post above me).

 I didn't like the beginning joke (excuse me, operator...), it doesn't sound that good when they slow it down to give Homer time to react (wasn't that the problem that was mentioned on the commentary for When Flanders Failed(I think)?). Every time I remember hearing it back in the day it was super fast.  I liked the lion documentary, the string of toy parodies, the entire novelty expo, and so forth. I noticed a few call-backs to previous episodes as well, just in little things like the Jews for Jebus shirt.  I hope the deleted scene in the credits is a new tradition.

 I think I'm done not organizing my thoughts.  A-. Would be higher with a better plot, but that isn't really a fault, so much as an area for improvement. I liked it just as much the second time around (Aired twice in Canada, at 7:00 and 8:00, thanks to Global showing every reality show they can get their hands on).

Edit: I forgot the Korean Animation bit, that was hilarious. I also added some semi-random paragraphing, to make it look like I have Englilish skills.

Edit 2:  I just had a Simpsons-related thought, and didn't want to double post.  I saw a Simpsons ad (last Friday, I think) with a clip I can't place, and it's bugging me. It had Homer carrying a Christmas tree and falling down the main flight of stairs in the Simpsons house. Anybody know where it is from?

[Reply #372 on:]

I was just wondering, does anyone know exactly how many full length Simpsons eps have aired to date? I know it's over 300, I was just wondering how much over?...

[Reply #373 on:]

Last night's episode was number 340, if I'm not mistaken.

[Reply #374 on:]

Awesome thanx  Only another 25 eps for one each day of the year then...

[Reply #375 on:]

And only 95 episodes to go if they want to match "Ozzie and Harriet".    (They produced more episodes per season at the time).

[Reply #376 on:]

I saw Fat Man and Little Boy again. I was going to give it 3/5, but then I realized I was docking marks from it because it wasn't the episode I wanted it to be. I wanted a Bart-centric episode but what I got was, as DTBM said, a bunch of stuff that happened. Upon a second viewing, I'm giving it 4/5. The plot still isn't as good as I think it could have been had more focus been on Bart, but there are some real classic lines in there.

[Reply #377 on:]

Does anyone know what the next episode will be?  And any possible thoughts on it.

[Reply #378 on:]

Fat Man and Little Boy:
Dear God, could the Simpsons be... *choke* getting good? This season, we've gotten three great ones, one good one, and one bad one. This is incredible! This episode was very well done. And I know I'm going to just retread on ground everyone has covered so I'll make this snappy.
 - Lisa and Janey playing was kind of funny, but the timing of Homer gasping didn't really work.
 - Other good things: "They Promised Me Ponies," "Of course I can twist it. I'm great!," that Action Man thing, and the callback in act 2, pretty much all of Goose Gladwell, Krusty's T-shirts
 - I particularly didn't mind a non-wacky Homer and Bart bonding ending. Nice change of pace. At least it wasn't as strange as LAST week's ending.
Yeah yeah yeah, a good episode was had by all:
Grade: 3.5/5
To Ranadok: ...I don't recall anytime Homer fell down the stairs with an Xmas tree. Maybe you imagined it. [waves hands in the air]

[Reply #379 on:]

 

Originally posted by Lrrr_2004:
Does anyone know what the next episode will be?  And any possible thoughts on it.

No real confirmation yet but it will likely be the final holdover, "Midnight RX".  It involves Homer and Grandpa going to Canada for cheaper prescription drugs I think.

[Reply #380 on:]

 

Originally posted by Shadowstar:
To Ranadok: ...I don't recall anytime Homer fell down the stairs with an Xmas tree. Maybe you imagined it. [waves hands in the air]

Pretty sure I didn't. I wasn't paying full attention to it at first, but I am positive that Homer fell down the stairs with a Christmas tree. I'm not crazy! [waves at invisible insects]

[Reply #381 on:]

I've been busy, so here's a late review of "Fat Man and Little Boy...

A very humor-based episode that didn't really put much focus on plot. That's not a bad thing, of course. The first act got the episode off to a pretty strong start, although Bart "giving up" his childhood seemed a little rushed. Still, an entertaining start.

The second act was even better. Everything after Bart started making T-shirts was funny with no jokes that really seemed to fall flat. Bart's roadside stand, the Itchy and Scratchy shirts, all of Goose's scenes. Lots of funny parts. I especially liked Homer's amused "You broke in!" (Classic Homer). And it's always nice to see Mr. Burns and Smithers again, even if it is just for a brief scene.

In the end, things were wrapped up pretty nicely and I liked the way the plots came together. Glad to see that Homer can be a good father without seeming out of character.

B+/A-

[Reply #382 on:]

Just saw She Used To Be My Girl. Despite some of the bad comments I read about it, I actually quite liked it. It had a fairly decent storyline (despite having strong similarities to other episodes, namely It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge) and it felt like an old episode. Like the other Season 16 episodes so far, it did somewhat lack in humour, with only a few jokes here and there, and even they weren't that funny. I know that it was sometimes for plot purposes, but I also felt that Homer was more annoying than usual in this episode.

Still, a decent episode, and definately nowhere near as bad as some of the comments on the previous pages here made it sound. Also liked the couch gag - the writers seem to enjoy using Moe for pointless humour (eg. Moe dressed as a nun in Catch 'Em If You Can), and it is usually pretty funny, too. 

B+

[Reply #383 on:]

I saw "The Way We Weren't" as a rerun the other day, then forgot I meant to post about it, then remembered just now.

Now, the reason I bother reviewing this ep, and the reason I sat down and watched it in the first place, was that it was nominated for an Emmy against the greatest episode of any show made in the last 15 years - The Sting.  Of course, that retarded Samurai Jack crap beat both of them, but that's a moot point.

Long story short, I thought it was good.  Emmy-nomination good even.  Perhaps not all that funny or even Simpsons-like, but it was (compared to most of that season) a very well-written, engaging story.

Good jokes: the callbacks when Homer lists worst stuff he's done ("remember when I wrecked Lisa's wedding in the future?" ), The sailing instruct-arr, who was actually funny for once, "counselor" Moe, and Camp Land-a-Man in general.

The ending was what made the episode any Emmy consideration, I'm sure.  It was sweet, almost too sweet for the Simpsons, not overly contrived* and had real emotions.

Conclusion:
The Sting > The Way We Weren't > the other nominees > The Birth of Evil.
Sorry for the shorthand and flaming of SJ, but I'm in a hurry and still feel a bit bitter.

*This is from a "The Sting" fan, remember.

[Reply #384 on:]

Anyone in the US got the Season 5 DVD's yet/have an inside packaging shot?...

[Reply #385 on:]

Picked up my set today. I laughed A LOT. I haven't seen some of these episodes in ages.

By the way, does anyone know what the hell is going on with No Homers Club?

[Reply #386 on:]

They seem to have changed the packaging from the previous norm from what I have seen. The side has the title in english and french (I assume that's just for Canada, though previously it was just the english) without characters, and the front view of the TV is just a flat picture, not a cut-out to the inner box (I have no idea if that is Canadian-only or not, anybody elsewhere on this continent care to inform?).  I don't have it myself, I'm waiting to get it until I see what Christmas brings me, but that's what I saw in stores today.  It bugs me, though. I like consistency, even the little changes on the sides of the Futurama DVDs bug me.

[Reply #387 on:]

 

Originally posted by Ranadok:
...the front view of the TV is just a flat picture, not a cut-out to the inner box (I have no idea if that is Canadian-only or not, anybody elsewhere on this continent care to inform?)...

Must be Canadian only. Mine has a cut-out to the inner box.

[Reply #388 on:]

Eeeenteresting...  I guess the set was manufactured differently for the two countries, for some reason.  I think I'm going to look in to getting it online (if I don't get it for Christmas, that is. It would be idiotic to return a gift because you don't like the box design...)

[Reply #389 on:]

I don't think so its just an additonal box, over the regular box, look at it again. and it'll have the regular cut out.

 

Originally posted by leelaholic:
By the way, does anyone know what the hell is going on with No Homers Club?

What technically? or just the influx of retarded newbies and absence of thought provoking old skool regulars.

[Reply #390 on:]

 

Originally posted by User_names_suck:
I don't think so its just an additonal box, over the regular box, look at it again. and it'll have the regular cut out.

That's good to know. Is it otherwise identical to the rest of the seasons, then?

[Reply #391 on:]

Finished my set.  I have a lengthy rundown at the NHC which I could post (if anyone would care to see it), but needless to say its a solid set and worth owning.  Best packaging design of all the sets so far too.

[Reply #392 on:]

 

Originally posted by Ranadok:
 That's good to know. Is it otherwise identical to the rest of the seasons, then?

I'm pretty sure, its just a box instead of the sleeve that would fit into the back.
I don't know though maybe R2 was different, and R1 had always been like that.

[Reply #393 on:]

 

Originally posted by DotheBartman:
 Best packaging design of all the sets so far too.

Any chance of us seeing this, as in the inside?...

[Reply #394 on:]

EDIT:  Screw my lame description.  Found these at another forum.  I'll post more of them if you want.





They're not as big here as on that forum but they should do.  If you're wondering I found them on Dvd File (dvdfile.com).  You'd have to register to see the images but its a thread in the "Toontown" part of their board.  There's some other images of the box as well as some menu screens.  Also I will add again that if you take off Disc one Sideshow Bob disappears, presumably pulled off stage by that cane.  Also you can't really see it here (you can in another image there) but in the middle you can see Maggie on top of Stampy holding a "100th Episode" banner.  And if you take off a disc is shows them bowing underneath.

[Reply #395 on:]

Saw Fat Man, Little Boy. Probably the best episode of this season so far. Unlike all the others, it didn't lack in the humour department, and it really managed to hold my attention. Entertaining the whole way through... a few structure problems with the episode, though. The whole story with Bart selling T-shirts seemed to be forgotten after the episode began focussing on Homer quitting his job, and was only really reprised near the end. Still, despite some issues with the story, I thought it was a very good and funny episode. Just a few problems that stop it from getting an A...

A-

[Reply #396 on:]

 

Originally posted by User_names_suck:
What technically? or just the influx of retarded newbies and absence of thought provoking old skool regulars.

It wasn't working for me, but it seems to be fixed now.

On topic, I've finished listening to the commentaries on my season 5 set. Some of the best yet IMO.

The deleted scenes are much better than on the season 4 set, too. I love the one from "Cape Feare" where Sideshow Bob is in the Simpsons' kitchen at night. And from "Rosebud" where Mr. Burns tries to cut off the TV and beer supply.

[Reply #397 on:]

I just joined the 'No Homers Club'.
Let me just say something that goes a little bit offtopic, the layout is no where near as good as PEEL and one of the first topics I saw there was "FUTURAMA IS NOT FUNNY". Is this person kidding!?! I think I'll stick to PEEL.

Back on topic, I should be getting the simpsons season 1 DVD tomorrow for Xmas. Could someone tell me any of the good special features?

[Reply #398 on:]

Don't get too discouraged.  If you actually look at that topic, most of the replies are people disagreeing and saying that they love Futurama.  In fact if you asked people there whether they'd prefer new Simpsons or new Futurama, most would probably say Futurama (including those who still love new Simpsons).

But on your question, the season one commentaries are all worthwhile.  A commentary for every episode of course, probably on Groening's insistance (thanks, Matt!).  There's some other nice things too, a few original scripts to look at, a brief animatic to see the animation process, the first Ullman short, etc.  Another nice little thing is some hilarious audio outtakes of Albert Brooks as Jacques, where he was improvising.  There's a couple easter eggs too, on the special features menu you can highlight Bart's shirt for an old ABC report from 1990 about the t-shirt controversies of the time, and another screen lets you highlight his comic book for a bunch of magazine covers. 

[Reply #399 on:]

Doesn't Season 1 have that original animation for Some Enchanted Evening (with commentary)? That was a hoot.