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"FAMILY GUY: PARTIAL TERMS OF ENDEARMENT" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
When “Family Guy” decided to do an episode about abortion, they probably figured it would have trouble getting on the air. But once the show was in the can, FOX didn’t air it in the regular schedule. Due to the controversial nature of the story – in which Lois Griffin agrees to be a surrogate for a couple who are then killed in a car crash, leaving her with the decision to abort or not to abort – the episode was banned from television. Thanks to the magic of DVD, the episode can now be seen by “Family Guy” fans everywhere.
WHAT I LIKED
I like a good “Family Guy” episode that pushes the boundaries of good taste, and for the most part this one did. You’ve got the obvious abortion elements, but you also have a nice dose of lesbianism to boot. On the whole, “Partial Terms of Endearment” is a pretty standard “Family Guy” episode. So if you like the show, you should like this episode.
Speaking as someone who has a pro-life stance, I appreciated the fact that the plot presented was (no pun intended) stretched to a ridiculous level. This episode doesn’t actually try to tackle the abortion argument, which is good because god knows that’s been done to death (again, no pun intended). Sure, you have Brian throw out all the standard arguments, but that’s what the character would do.
Rather than getting embroiled in the actual political debate, “Family Guy” does what it does best... it just makes fun of the entire situation. You really can’t expect these dreadful people in the show to make a decision that any of us would want to emulate. That’s the joy of “Family Guy”... it’s a comedy and really nothing more.
So, “Partial Terms of Endearment” made me laugh right to the bitter end, as almost every episode of this show has.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
For how controversial this episode was and how notorious it is for a network to not let it on the air, I was really expecting something racy. But really all this represents is just another episode of “Family Guy.” It wasn’t any more daring than other episodes. In fact, I can come up with a dozen examples of “Family Guy” stories that are far more offensive than this show.
So if you’re looking for something groundbreaking, you won’t find it here. It’s still funny, though.
DVD FEATURES
Because there’s just a single episode of the show on this disc, there are some nice special features to balance things out. There’s an audio commentary on the episode featuring Seth MacFarlane, Danny Smith, Joseph Lee and Alex Bornstein, as well as the animatics for the episode. There’s also a table read for “Family Guy: Live and Uncensored” as well as the variety show style special “Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s almost Live Comedy Show.”
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
“Family Guy” fans.
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"CIRCLE" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *1/2 (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Sociopath James Bennett (Silas Weir Mitchell) escapes from a mental institution and continues the series of ritualistic murders that he was originally tried for. The FBI teams up with the U.S. Marshals to catch the killer. Meanwhile, a group of students go on a retreat to study this killer, only to have a dangerous run-in with him.
WHAT I LIKED
The set-up to “Circle” works to a degree. It’s a pretty standard psycho killer backdrop, and there’s a bit of a mystery mixed in there. This gives the movie a little more depth than your standard serial killer story. It’s not a great mystery, and if you think hard enough, you can figure it all out. But at least the movie gets points for trying.
There’s a real mix of a serious police procedural and a teen sex romp thrown together. I did appreciate the modicum of nudity that we get in the film, but at times it just seems out of a place for an otherwise serious storyline.
As direct-to-DVD movies go, I’ve seen a lot do less with more, so “Circle” has some nice twists to it. Though it does feel like two different movies mashed up together.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
While the concept and acting isn’t that bad (well, except for the cops in the film), the writing just feels half-baked. I’m not sure if the screenwriter just phoned his part in or if he just wasn’t a good writer. As previously said, this movie doesn’t quite work as a police procedural because it gets mixed up with the college sex film happening along with it.
Ultimately, I didn’t like any of the heroes of the film. The college kids were all either pointedly shallow or two dimensional. The cops were cardboard cliches. And the guest stars like Gail O’Grady as the doctor in charge of the mental institution or Silas Weir Mitchell as the killer were underutilized.
DVD FEATURES
There is a decent if not full-of-itself and self-congratulatory behind-the-scenes featurette included on the DVD.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of low-budget police procedurals.
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"8213: GACY HOUSE" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: The Asylum Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
This fake documentary follows a film crew that ventures into the house built on the site of John Wayne Gacy’s demolished home. After the horrific outcome, their footage is assembled into a narrative that tells their story of what happened.
WHAT I LIKED
First of all, I give hella props to The Asylum for putting together yet another movie that isn’t just a knock-off of a current film in theaters. This relatively unique and chilling film uses the often overused fake documentary narrative to tell a spooky story.
“8213: Gacy House” is presented as something like “The Blair Witch Project” or “Paranormal Activity” with a series of found footage. It’s a slow burn, and paranormal events don’t start happening until well into the film. But with a good slow burn comes a good dose of suspense.
Unlike too many of these found-footage films, “8213: Gacy House” doesn’t overplay its hand. Like “Paranormal Activity,” it presents the footage in a relatively realistic manner rather than overloading it with special effects. It’s an exceedingly simple film but effectively done.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Most of the problems I have with “8213: Gacy House” result from overusing footage of nothing (presumably to pad out the film to its final running time of 85 minutes) and getting a little cheesy with some of the effects. It’s nothing that really crosses a line. But a mixture of mediocre acting and lingering too long on an effects shot can damage the illusion a bit.
DVD FEATURES
Along with the feature, the disc includes a documentary about the documentary (and yes, it does feature the characters rather than the actors), as well as some info on the real story of John Wayne Gacy.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Anyone who likes a good found footage horror movie.
