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Mini-DVD Review: Futurama - Bender's Big Score!; Solomon's Weekly Rant: Same 'Ole Merrython; TV One Is So Selective; Same TNT NBA Promos

It is Saturday, so that must mean it is time for mini-DVD reviews and Solomon's Weekly Rant! First up, are the mini-DVD reviews. Today we take a look at 20th Century Fox's Futurama - Bender's Big Score!. Futurama - Bender's Big Score! is a direct to DVD movie featuring the hit Fox animated series. See skees53's mini-DVD review of Futurama - Bender's Big Score!:

Futurama - Bender's Big Score! (20th Century Fox, $29.99) proves once again that animated Fox sitcoms don't die, but instead they just take on a new life elsewhere. This direct-to-DVD movie doubles as what will be the first episode of the new season of the series (which has been "on hiatus" for the past four years) as new episodes return to the airwaves sometime next year, this time on Comedy Central. All of the old characters that we knew and loved from the original airing of the series are back for this DVD, proving that a little time off doesn't always mean that everything is going to change.
The movie itself brings back the typical and bizarre plots that we have all come to know and love about Futurama. The movie begins with the Planet Express Corporation is taken over by scammers, thanks to the entire crew falling for a bunch of e-mail scams that they receive. Bender even ends up opening a virus infected e-mail, which of course considering Bender himself is a computer, he can be infected by the virus--and is. In fact, the virus that the scammers gave him cause Bender to turn on his crew when the scammers decide to fully take advantage of the crew. Matters only get worse when it is discovered that Fry has a tattoo of Bender on his butt that has a time travel code, which the virus-infected Bender uses to essentially destroy the past. How will it all turn out? The only way to know is to watch the movie for yourself... I don't want to spoil the whole plot! Guest stars in the movie include Sarah Silverman, Mark Hamill, Coolio, and even Al Gore.
The movie itself is presented in widescreen and the audio is presented in Dolby Digital surround sound. This being released by 20th Century Fox means that special features were not neglected. In fact, there are some very nice special feature on the DVD, starting with a commentary from Matt Groening and the stars of the show. Next, we have Futurama Returns!, an animated comic book reading about the story of how Futurama returned--is is mostly meant to be humorous. And if you really want to see something that is supposed to be a joke, you have to see the next special feature, Everybody Loves Hypnotoad. Basically, this is billed on the set as the TV hit of the future. It features 23 minutes of Hypnotoad blinking his eyes. Nothing else, at all. We have some animated storyboards of deleted scenes included on the set. Next, we have an animated promo for the movie, "An Inconvenient Truth." It even has a video commentary on it from Al Gore and Matt Groening. All of those math geeks out there will love the special feature "Bite My Shiny Metal X," which features an actual professor of mathematics giving a lecture about the math references in Futurama. There is a copy of the original script of the movie that you can read along with on the screen. And finally, there are some character and design sketches. Wow! That is a lot of special features!
Any Futurama fan MUST own this DVD, it would be foolish not to. Even if you are just a casual fan, you will definitely want this DVD. It will air on Comedy Central eventually anyway, but it won't be as impressive as this DVD for certain. This shiny metal DVD is definitely worth buying!
-- Reviewed by skees53
(5/5 stars)

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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Futurama TV.com Page


Solomon's Weekly Rant
Saturday, December 1, 2007
"Same 'Ole Merrython; TV One Is So Selective; Same TNT NBA Promos"
By Solomon Davis

Why does TV Land feel the need to start the Merrython today when it is the same type of Merrython that's been aired the last 7 years? It's not like it's nothing NEW and EXCITING just the SAME and PLAIN shows. I have no idea why TV Land was in a rush to show a full day of Christmas episodes from the TV shows already on their schedule. Do us all a favor TV Land and save this CRAP for the weekend before Christmas and stop pretending you are doing us TV fans a favor. TV Land has scheduled another Merrython Dec. 24, but yes same shows they always air.

Even though TV One is a cable channel geared toward African Americans, that doesn't mean that they have to be so SELECTIVE with the shows they put on their schedule. It's very strange that black sitcoms like The Jeffersons, Benson, Gimme a Break! and Diff'rent Strokes have not been added to TV One since day one of the network. And no that one day marathon of Gimme a Break! to promote the Season 1 DVD does not count! Why does it have to be only true black sitcoms like Good Times, 227, Roc, Eve, and Martin? I really hope this strange selection process of TV one shows changes in the future so TV fans can see sitcoms like Webster, CPO Sharkey, Getting By, and Anthony Anderson before he was in All About the Andersons in the sitcom Hang Time.

The new NBA season is in progress and when watching a NBA game on TNT you see the same commercials from last season. Why are NBA fans still watching all those Charles Barkley and Dwayne Wade commercials from last season? TNT has to know fans are sick of seeing Wade begging Barkley's to be in his T-Mobile Fave 5. Then you have that "3-2-1 and the crowd goes wild" commercial. That's the commercial with people pretending they are taking a last second shot before the buzzer sounds. Is it because Barkley is a TNT studio analyst that us fans have to continue seeing old cell phone commercials featuring Barkley? Seeing him in the studio at halftime and after the game is more than enough.

Agree or disagree with Solomon? Discuss it here.

DISCLAIMER: Remember, Solomon is not the voice of SitcomsOnline. He is just stating his opinions and does not reflect what SitcomsOnline says or thinks. It is just his 'View' but it is always quite entertaining.