December 5th, 2018
The first installment of our Holiday Gift Guide dealt with First Run wide releases, which was dominated by super heroes, again. This week, we look at TV on DVD releases, specifically first seasons and Megasets. I limited this list to two types, because you don’t need me to tell you if someone will want the sixth season of a show. If they liked the first five, then season six is likely a good gift. However, like last year, I’m going to start this list with an exception. Sort of. On a side note, originally, I was going to lead with K-On: Limited Edition Box Set, but that got pushed back till February. You can still buy it and give them a print-out of the receipt at Christmas. “Merry Christmas. You’re gift will arrive in two months.” ... Yes, I’ve done that in the past. No, it's not tacky.
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November 27th, 2015
It's Thanksgiving weekend, which means Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and of course the first installment of our Holiday Gift Guide. This week we will tackle first run releases, as well as franchise box sets. I'm going to try to keep it to a dozen or so releases, as these columns are notorious for getting out of hand. Also, while there were a record number of $1 billion box office hits, there were not as many first run releases that earned stellar reviews this year.
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June 1st, 2015
On Friday, I got a package of half-a-dozen Nickelodeon releases ... all of which come out on Tuesday. Needless to say, I won't be reviewing all of them, but that's why the current box office prediction contest features Nickelodeon releases. The one I'm definitely reviewing is The SpongeBob Movie: A Sponge Out of Water, which earned great reviews and was a surprise hit at the box office. Did it deserve this success? Or will I be one of the dissenting voices?
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February 1st, 2015
It was a record-breaking January thanks entirely to American Sniper, which set records, both during its limited release run and especially when it expanded wide. There were a couple of other films that did well, but for the most part, it was a typical January. The question is, will American Sniper boost the overall box office, which would help February, or will its effects fade as it does? There are ten wide releases in February; there are a few films that may or may not open in the top ten. Of these, there are only two that have a real shot at true box office success. The biggest film in terms of buzz is Fifty Shades of Grey, which looks so, so bad. Personally, I would rather watch The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water a hundred times than sit through just the trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey. If Fifty Shades of Grey becomes the biggest hit of the month, it will mrean the end of civilization. Because. I. Will. End. Civilization. Last February was mostly mediocre, except for The LEGO Movie which was a huge early year hit. There's no chance any film opening this month will match The LEGO Movie; the top two films likely won't match The LEGO Movie. Because of this, 2015 will need to rely on depth to come out ahead. I'm not sure how likely that will be.
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October 5th, 2014
This is going to be a shorter review than normal, the third shorter review in a row. The reason for this is simple. I've previously reviewed the Jake the Dad DVD and many of the shorts on that DVD are included on this Blu-ray. There's no need to repeat myself here, so instead I will concentrate on the few episodes that are new to me and that were highlights or lowlights. Is this Blu-ray better than the mixed DVD release in terms of quality? Is it worth picking even if you already own many of these shorts?
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April 25th, 2014
SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob, You're Fired! is a little different than most SpongeBob SquarePants DVDs. It has more than 3 hours of episodes, starting with...
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February 24th, 2014
Adventure Time is in its fifth season, but the full-season sets are a little behind. This week, Season Three comes out on DVD and Blu-ray. If you've never seen the show, is it worth checking out? If you are a fan of the show, is it worth picking up, even if you have some of the previous smaller releases?
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January 7th, 2014
It has been almost a full year since I last reviewed a SpongeBob SquarePants DVD. The latest release is SpongeBob and Friends: Patrick SquarePants. Like previous releases, there are a number of stories, starting with...
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September 16th, 2013
Adventure Time began in 2010 (2008 if you go by the pilot) and very quickly became very popular, and not just with young kids. It's part of a wave of cartoons that have plenty of adults fans. This is not the first DVD release for the show, but it is the first that I received. So how does the show compare to other similar cartoons like My Little Pony, Phineas and Ferb, and others?
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January 14th, 2013
The latest SpongeBob SquarePants DVD to hit the home market is Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay. I've reviewed so many of these DVDs that there's no point introducing them, so let's get right to the stories...
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December 6th, 2012
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, there are still plenty of shopping days from now till Christmas. Like every year, we have a Holiday Gift Guide, starting with Part I, which focused on first run releases and franchise box sets. Part II focuses on TV on DVD releases. Like years past, we will be focusing on TV on DVD releases for shows making their debut on the home market, or for full season sets. That's not to say those are the only shows worth buying as gifts, but if you know someone who loved Futurama, then you don't need me to tell you Volume 7 would make a good gift or not. The number of really good TV series that made their debut this year is bigger than last year, including some that were so good they dominated Awards Season. The best of these was...
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November 4th, 2012
It's after Halloween, so it is now acceptable to release Christmas DVDs. This week SpongeBob SquarePants: It's a SpongeBob Christmas comes out on DVD. Is it worth picking up? Or is it better to wait for it to be released on a full-season set?
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