The Simpsons: Season 12 – DVD Review

The Show:

After a three-season run, The Simpsons developed into a half-hour show and has gone on to be one of the most successful television programs in history. It’s the longest-running American sitcom, the longest-running American animated program, and in 2009 it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American prime-time entertainment series.

I’ve been a fan since day one - the show is as hilarious now as it was when I first became addicted to it back in High School. It’s more than just about the Simpson household. It’s Chief Wiggum, Milhouse, Apu Nahasapeenapetilon, Barney, Itchy &  Scratchy and hundreds of other characters that I’ve let into my heart over the years. They have become a part of me and I can’t imagine life without them. The Simpsons paved the way for similar-themed shows like King of the Hill and Family Guy, and put FOX on the map as a network to be reckoned with.

There are 21 Episodes in the 12th Season – so I won’t bore you with reviews of all them, I will though concentrate on the two that I believe are the best.

Treehouse of Horror XI is broken up into three vignettes: G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad deals with Homer’s horoscope saying he will die, which comes true via a piece of broccoli. He can’t get through heaven’s gate until he returns to Earth to do a good deed. Scary Tales Can Come True skewers Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and has the Simpsons clan running afoul of a wicked witch who wants to have them for dinner. The best is saved for last in Night of the Dolphin, which has the town of Springfield doing battle which a gang of angry dolphins. Some of the classic moments from Jaws and The Birds find their way into one of the best Halloween episodes in some time.

Worst Episode Ever sees the “King of Splatter” himself  Tom Savini making an appearance at The Android’s Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop. After Savini gives a gut-busting performance, the ornery “Comic Book Guy” has a cardiac episode while giving our favorite Pittsburgh make-up artist a tongue lashing on his lack of skills.

The Disc:

Audio/Video: the sound is good and the picture quality has improved a lot over the years. Details on faces and the surroundings of Springfield have never looked better(until the recent HD episodes we’ve see the last few years).

Commentaries: All of the episodes come with commentaries and my favorites are for the titles I wrote mini-reviews for.

A Comic Moment with Matt Groening: Matt gives a synopsis of the goodies you will see in the Twelfth Season - the 250th Episode, the many cameos, as well as the Annual Halloween Episode.

Deleted Scenes with intro and commentry: Executive producer Mike Scully chats about the  numerous scenes that had to be trimmed for running time. Some keepers were lost for the Halloween episode.

The Global Fanfest: on Sunday, October 29, 2000 the Fox Studios held The Simpsons Global Fanfest Backlot Bash! On stage: clips were shown with and without music, and there is a Q & A with the writers and cast.

Commercials: these are a necessity for me and we have 4 different TV spots for various products. Two for Butterfinger, one for Burger King, and one for Red Rooster.

Comic Book Guy: Best. Moments. Ever.- is essentially a “Greatest Hits” collection of his insults and geekiness, the highpoint of the extra features.

Treehouse of Horror XI: Picture-in-picture/Animatic-not much to see here unless you’re a fan of this kind of stuff.

Lisa and the Tree Hugger/Homer: Animators Steven Dean Moore, Mike B. Anderson, and Check Sheetz are entertaining as they talk about their work on various residents of Springfield.

Animation Showcase: Day of the Jackanapes-Picture-in-Picture/storyboards/animatic.

Conclusion: this is a must buy for any fan of The Simpsons. Fox has put a lot of time and effort into the packaging, the layout, the extra features, and the overall quality on these DVD’s. My only complaint is the amount of time it takes for seasons to be released. A little faster in that department would be much appreciated.

The Show: Rating:

The DVD: Rating:

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