Europe Has Weird Money! (10.02.09 – Day 155)

Europe Has Weird Money 10 02 09 Day 155 Picture

Europe Has Weird Money 10 02 09 Day 155 Image

Europe Has Weird Money 10 02 09 Day 155 Image

Europe Has Weird Money 10 02 09 Day 155 Image

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28 of 29 persons found the following review helpful.
Well, I guess it’s time to compensate the price…
By Michael Kluge
Sure it’s closely bereft of fanfare and staggering production values, yet Home Movies stands as one of the most endearing and clever creations ever to grace the little screen. It’s a show that never takes itself too severely or blows itself up to Hurculean proportions, and yet manages to exhude sincerity and meaning at closely each turn. Unlike most of the Adult Swim fodder, Home Movies actually formulates consistent plots, or is at least patient sufficient to focus on a mutual theme or motif, and has a sense of humor more akin to the uneasy awkwardness of Seinfeld and Arrested Development, with characters stammering over each other and launching into embarassing (yet hillarious) tirades that go nowhere. The kids behave like adults and the adults are inept and childish, if well-meaning. Charming, minimalist and with a real heart, but above all wickedly funny, this is a real treasure, no matter what the price…

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
“Of course you’re stupid, Brendon. All kids are stupid.”
By J. A. Hazelwood
Back in the dorms at college, I could suppose there to be a knock on my door each night at around 10:50. It would be one of my neighbors attempting to corral every one to watch Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup on the lounge TV. I think the reason why we always had to all watch it simultaneously was because that way no one could feasibly complain in regards to the noise from all of the raucous laughter. Anyway, I enjoyed a heap of of it though the shows that wrung humor from random nonsensicality grated on my nerves after a while. The only show that I found on Adult Swim that made me return to it outside of our nightly groupthink was Home Movies. It was a quieter show, a more thoughtful show, the kind of show that wouldn’t end an episode with a reputation being hacked to pieces with a chainsaw for no reason different from all the other shows that followed it on the schedule. Since then, I have been happily snapping up the well-produced DVD box sets, and I in truth must talk with regards to the third season set which is my personal favorite.

For the uninitiated, Home Movies is regarding a young boy, his camera, and his unquenchable dreams (and likewise his friends and his harried single mother and his slovenly soccer coach). Eight-year-old Brendon Small spends his spare time acting, directing, editing, and co-executive formulating his own short films with his two school chums (It kind of makes you wonder when it comes to what you did when you were his age. I was hitting fireflies in my backyard with a wiffleball bat, mostly). The movies themselves, though ordinarily ending up as subplots, are always unforgettable and prove to be one of the show’s most defining elements. Plus, no matter what genre of film you may think of, from Hammer House-style horror to Memento-esque twisted thrillers, you may bet that Brendon, Jason and Mellissa may cobble the props and costumes together from household merchandise and lawn gnomes and film it for your watching pleasure. Rounding out the necessary cast is Brendon’s ersatz father-figure Coach McGuirk, the oft-described “youth soccer coach who hates soccer and isn’t all that crazy with regards to youths”. He’s a lazy sod, he perpetually dispenses bad counsel and utter non-wisdom (like my review’s title), and basically he will have to join the ranks of TV’s most lovable depraved reprobates, like Bender from Futurama, Larry from Three’s Company, or Dr. Troy from Nip/Tuck.

The main draw of this set, of course, is that the third season holds effortlessly the best sequences that the show had to offer. The premiere, Shore Leave, features exceedingly good animation for a show that’s actually rather crudely drawn; the climactic moment that crosses references from El Mariachi and the Graduate is an sheer spotlight of the series. Renaissance, which is regarding a heated rivalry amidst a Renaissance Festival and a Sci-Fi Convention, was like a wet dream for my nerdy self (Mental Note: show this episode at my D&D game this Friday). Guitarmageddon may have lifted the plot from the Karate Kid but it features numerous blistering guitar riffs from Brendon Small (The actor, not the character. The reputation can’t actually play worth a lick, as you’ll see). Finally, in Time to Pay the Price, the kids’ trip to a minimum security prison for a Scared Straight program is altogether overshadowed by a .6 second-long shot of the main cast dressed as the X-Men (McGuirk as Colossus! Jason as Wolverine with colored pencils coming out of the back of his gloves! Brilliant! Plus there’s a new rendition of that scene of the cover of the second slipcase! This is the best DVD set ever!). Alright, so I’m a little biased towards that episode, but I may say with total objectivity that the other nine shows on this set are all outstanding too, you may trust me on that.

What’s also great are the extras. You’ve got commentaries on select sequences from Small and co-creator Loren Brouchard. They may not be as indepth and involving as your intermediate Simpsons commentary, but I thought they were each worth a listen (By the way, the commentary of Time to Pay the Price sounds like it’s going to be one long jazz fusion ad lib from get started to finish. Don’t worry though; they actually commence talking once the second act starts). The Decide-Your-Doom game is a cute elaboration on the Renaissance show with new inspired art that features closely each reputation that’s ever been on the program. If you persevere and reach all three endings, you’ll unlock Easter Eggs that you may have missed from the earlier box sets. Last and unquestionably not least, we have an NPR radio consultation of Loren and cast fellow member H. Jon Benjamin. Between Jon’s absurd robot voice modulation machine and his tragically flawed improv acting lessons with the call-in Petey, I was gorgeous much rolling on the floor and laughing the whole way.

Why do I like Home Movies so much? I think it’s because it combines galore of the best distinct elements of the most frequent current animated shows. It has the simple but distinguishable animation style plus the exceedingly precocious kids angle of South Park, the off-the-cuff pop culture references of Family Guy, and the well-developed characters and writing of the Simpsons. It actually is a shame that the show never found it is niche and lasted only four seasons (Personally, I blame the eye-straining Squigglevision and sub-par unscripted sequences of the initial season on UPN). It will be a little cathartic to pick up the final DVD box set when it comes out, peculiarly since the final episode is one of the saddest series finales since the Ice Age killed off all of the dinosaurs on Dinosaurs.

That’s why I wanted to take the time to talk regarding the superlative third season now. Well, Home Movies, at least we’ll always have the student’s lounge.

3 of 3 humans found the following review helpful.
Absolute Favorite
By Brian E. Young
One of my sheer bestloved shows, I had to buy this set. This season holds a good deal of of my bestloved sequences and characters. Everyone is at their best in this set and I’m glad I purchased it. They make very originative use of commmentary tracks to do letter responses, a music improve and yes even comment on the episodes. There’s a radio show segment with interviews. Really a well put together collection. The box set holds fun movie poster parodies, two per disc plus the box.

Really a fun show with timeless comedy. Very little is topical so the show is effortlessly watchable forever. It’s all in regards to the characters and clever plots. I in truth wish there was more than four seasons.

Also, if you didn’t catch it the real life Brendon Small posed in the April 2006 Playgirl with an article when it comes to his new project. Great pictures and a amusive guy

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