"SCARE TACTICS UNCENSORED: SEASON THREE, PART ONE"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Tracy Morgan as HIMSELF Not Rated Available on DVD October 6 WBShop.com Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The 60s had “Candid Camera.” The 80s had “TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes.” MTV had “Punk’d.” The SyFy channel has “Scare Tactics.” The premise remains the same for all shows: an accomplice targets a friend with a practical joke. The difference on “Scare Tactics” is the jokes are scary as hell and meant to make the victim terrified. Tracy Morgan hosts the series, which includes three or four jokes in each episode. The DVD comes uncensored with all swearing, fake blood and a modicum of nudity intact.
WHAT I LIKED
I will admit that at first I wasn’t thrilled with “Scare Tactics.” Not to sound like my mother, but it all seemed to be a bit mean-spirited. However, after watching a handful of episodes, the series really started to grow on me.
Watching these scenarios from the safety of my couch was hilarious and fun, though I can’t say I’d appreciate the joke if someone pulled this on me. But beyond the entertainment value of the series, “Scare Tactics” offers a window into the human psyche. It is a stark example of the fight-or-flight response. Some people cower in fear and get really quiet. Others go on the offensive.
It is the unpredictable folks in the latter group that make the show interesting. From a guy who charges the cast to a man who literally puts up his dukes and gets ready to fight his way out, these shows were fascinating beyond any level of sophomoric pranks.
I am also fascinated with the mentality of the accomplices. It’s pretty startling to hear how many of them want to bring the victim to tears. Wow... with friends like these...
Oh, and a final word on Tracy Morgan. I can’t stand the guy. Like Wanda Sykes, I don’t know why anyone finds him funny. However, he seems to have found his calling hosting this show. In the first season, Shannen Doherty was the host, and she was replaced by Morgan, whose oddly aggressive delivery works in the context of the series.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The structure of “Scare Tactics” can get old after a while, and it does target an audience of harder-edged viewers. I personally am stunned that no one has gotten seriously hurt during the show, especially when the victim gets violent. I can’t say that I’m going to set my DVR to record future episodes, but I will gladly watch another several hours of it on DVD.
DVD FEATURES
The biggest selling point to this DVD over watching it on SyFy is the uncensored aspect of the show. Like “The Girls Next Door,” which blurs out all the good stuff, “Scare Tactics” is loaded with profanity and some jumbly bits. These are bleeped and blurred on SyFy but in their full glory on the DVD. Considering how scaring the crap out of Generation X and Y leads to potty mouths, the uncensored DVD comes off as the most natural.
Additional features include never-before-seen footage on four episodes and some behind the scenes on the more “titillating” shots. There’s also a blooper reel with Tracy Morgan trying to make his money.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Anyone who thought “Punk’d” was for punks.
