Mini-DVD Review: Alvin & the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason (Aug. 22)

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Mini-DVD Review: Alvin & the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason (Aug. 22)

This week we take a look at Paramount Home Entertainment's Alvin & the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason. Alvin & the Chipmunks is of course the hit animated series that ran from 1983-1991. It was most popular in the early-mid 80s and this set has a 1994 Halloween special and four mini episodes from 1988 and 1989. Cartoonist Dave Seville takes care of three chipmunks: Alvin, Simon and Theodore! See my mini-DVD review of Alvin & the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason:

Alvin & the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason (Paramount, $14.99) brings a classic Halloween special and four spooky animated episodes. This is the second set from Paramount featuring the Chipmunks. The last set was the Christmas special release along with a few holiday-themed episodes. Both releases have episodes only when the show was renamed to The Chipmunks in 1988 and 1989. DiC designed the show then and they don't look the same as from 1983-87, but they still look great! Paramount has also released the Chipmunk feature film from 1987 on a separate set. This set has a 1994 half-hour Halloween special that aired on cable, titled "Trick or Treason," hence the title of this DVD. Alvin wants to join the Monster Club this Halloween and you will get to see them perform a great rendition of the hit tune "Monster Mash." The set also has spooky episodes, like I mentioned. On this volume are all mini episodes, meaning each half hour had two episodes when they originally aired, and we get one of them here. The episodes on this set are: "Babysitter Fright Night," "Theodore's Life as a Dog," "Nightmare on Seville Street," and "No Chipmunk is an Island." Two of the four episodes do not have closing credits, as they probably were the first episodes of the half-hour; runtimes range from about 10-12 minutes each. The menu screen has Play All and Episode Selection, with a song from the Chipmunks in the background. When we go to episode selection, the episodes are listed with a screenshot from the episode. The menu is designed quite well and is easy to navigate. The video and audio are decent and very watchable. I highly do recommend any fan to pick up this set. New fans might also want to, but I am hoping Paramount (or any other studio) releases the series on DVD in order, and not just select episodes from The Chipmunks years. So, hopefully that happens, but for now go out and buy this set to make that happen before Dave says "Alvinnnnn!"
-- Reviewed by Pavan

(4/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Alvin & the Chipmunks TV.com Page

We might have two special mini-DVD reviews during the week this week. So stay tuned for that. And if all goes well, next Saturday we will have a special mini-review of not a DVD, but a TV-movie, about Diff'rent Strokes, which will premiere on Labor Day on NBC. We also will have a review of Barry Williams' (Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch) new CD. Should be fun!

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, December 11

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Bitin’, Spankin’ and a Load of Yankee Psychobabble" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie and Mandy get upset when Audrey disciplines CeeCee without their permission.

Ghosts - "The Life and Times of Esther Greene" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Now a successful podcaster, Todd Pearlman returns to profile Sam and Isaac’s book, but becomes obsessed with Jay. Meanwhile, Pete tries to get to the bottom of why Alberta changed her name, forcing her to admit a hidden truth.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 8)

Thursday, December 11

Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Catch Jamie Lee on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Rachel Sennott (I Love LA/Call Your Mother) - Rachel appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Elon Gold (Stacked/In-Laws) - Elon is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Zooey Deschanel (Physical/New Girl) - Andy Cohen interviews Zooey on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo. She also talks about Merv on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris) - Lucien talks about Emily in Paris on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Kyra Sedgwick (Call Your Mother/Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kyra and Kevin talk about The Best You Can with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Loretta Devine (Family Reunion/The Carmichael Show) and Lela Rochon (The Wayans Bros.) - Co-host Gayle King sits down with Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon, original cast of Waiting to Exhale, on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea talks about Broadway's Chess on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. She also performs in the 10am hour.
Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters - NBC's Today catches up with Daryl in the 9am hour.
Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Mila Kunis (Family Guy/That '70s Show) - Mila tells Drew about her role in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Ashley Park (Emily in Paris) - Emily tells Drew about what to expect in season five of Emily in Paris on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Joey McIntyre (Return of the Mac/The McCarthys) - Joey talks about Roku's Jingle Bell Wedding on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.