NEW MOVIES AND ELECTRONICS YOU NEED

Monday, November 20, 2006

The Show:

At the 2000 Emmy Award the first season of The West Wing won an unprecedented 9 awards. That first season truly deserved such high recognition. The show was new and inovative, had excellent actors and very strong scripts. The day after the awards were handed out, creator Aaron Sorkin and director Thomas Schlamme started filming the second season's first episode. In one of the commentaries included with this set they admitted that they were a little worried after receiving so much critical acclaim. Could they continue to produce a quality show? The answer is "yes." The second season of The West Wing is just as good as the first.

For those of you who may have missed it, The West Wing concerns the day-to-day life of the people who work in the west wing of the White House for the President of the United States. It doesn't focus on policy decisions and how laws get passed, though there is that aspect. It concentrates on the lives of those people who work closely with the President: his speechwriters, the Chief of Staff and his Press Secretary. It shows what life must be like in a high-pressure job, where every mistake has the potential to turn into a scandal, and where hardball politics are a way of life.

The second season starts off moments after the first season's cliffhanger ending. I have to admit; I thought the weakest part of the first season was the way that it ended. I'm not a fan of suspenseful endings when you have to wait six months to find out the resolution in the first place, and the one that Aaron Sorkin came up with was a little too obvious. Having said that, the resolution that was presented originally as a two-part episode was splendid. They managed to take the story in a different direction than I was expecting and create a strong starting episode. The series doesn't let up from there either. This season has many funny, touching, and dramatic moments, some of the best that TV has to offer.

As with the first season, the acting is superb. All of the people on the show are very talented actors. In this season some of the secondary characters have a larger role, and they all succeed in not only playing the part, but in creating three-dimensional people from the scripts. As Thomas Schlamme said in a commentary "even our 4th string second baseman is an All-Star."

The writing continues to be very strong. Writer Aaron Sorkin has an ear for language that is rarely matched in television today. He can take a small incident, and turn it into either a brief touching moment or a huge laugh. He peppers his scripts with both humor and drama, and several times in the series has speeches that are very patriotic and moving.

Aside form the fine acting and writing, I think there is another reason that West Wing is so popular and well received. It is because President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is the type of President we would all like to have in the White House. We want someone with integrity and honesty, a person who is exceedingly intelligent and yet humble. We don't want a president that chases interns, falls asleep during briefings, or is inarticulate in front of the press. We want a Jed Bartlet! But as someone once said, we may not get the government we want, but we often get the government we deserve.

On thing that did disappoint me was that the character of Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) was not in the second season. She wasn't referred to at all in this set, as if she never existed. This is strange since it would have been very easy to write her out in the first episode without her even appearing.

Sorkin and Schlamme needn't have worried about the quality of their show decreasing in the second year. They produced a fine series of episodes that lived up to expectations. They also won an additional 8 Emmy Awards for this season.

The DVD:

This four DVD set contains all 22 episodes from the first season. It comes in a cardboard fold out book with a slipcase. I am really starting to dislike this type of packaging. It is difficult to remove and replace a single disc if you don't have four feet of counter space to unfold the book. The episodes are on the first three double-sided discs, with the fourth DVD being reserved for the extras.

Audio:

This DVD is presented in Dolby surround sound, as it was originally broadcast. There are no alternate language tracks, but there are subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

The audio on this set should please everyone. The orchestra music is full and rich and the dialog is clear and sharp, even when there is a lot going on in the background. Since this is a drama that was made for television, there are not a lot of major sound effects, but the music during the opening credits is powerful and fills the room. It is a very good sounding set.

Video:

This show is presented with an anamorphically enhanced widescreen picture, thought the opening credits were window boxed to 1.33:1. The video quality is very good. The blacks are appropriately dark and rich, and details can be seen in the shadows. The colors are accurate, though not overly bright. Being a recent show, there are no print flaws. Since they crammed four shows onto each disc, and there are some digital artifacts associated with the image. The lines in the fence in front of the White House will fluctuate as the camera moves across it. Still pictures, such as those shown during the ending credits seem to fare the worst, with curving lines having a stair step effect instead of being smooth. These defects are very slight though, and are only evident if you are looking for them.

The Extras:

The fourth disc in this box set is solely devoted to extras. This disc includes:

Constructing Two Cathedrals: a very interesting 18-minute featurette where Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme discuss the plotting and development of the season finale. They talk about how and why the story was constructed the way that it was. Very informative.

Access Granted: a blueprint of the White House where you can use your remote to travel to different rooms. Some rooms have still pictures, and the lobby has a 15-minute video piece on the sets that they use for the show, their construction and how they differ from the real White House. I liked the video tour, but thought it was a little hokey to have to cursor through the building to get to it.

Gag Order: A short (1:18) reel of goofs and missed takes. Pretty funny, but too short.

Deleted scenes: 10 minutes of deleted scenes.

In addition to these extras, 4 episodes have audio commentaries by writer/creator Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme. The episodes with commentary are: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen part 1 (joined by Bradley Whitford and Janel Moloney), In the Shadow of Two Gunmen part 2 (joined by Martin Sheen,) Noel (joined by Bradley Whitford,) and 18th and Potomac (joined by Robert Berlinger and Kathryn Joosten, but without Thomas Schlamme.)

Like the first season's commentaries, the ones for this season are a fairly sparse. There are many large (one minute or more) gaps in the commentary. This was disappointing since I was hoping to get more information. When they did talk it was generally interesting. They talked about how certain scenes and shows evolved, and related anecdotes concerning the episode. The commentaries where Sorkin and Schlamme are joined by a director are more chatty, but the still a pretty bare. My main disappointment was with the commentary track with Martin Sheen. After requesting such a track in , I was hoping for a more verbose commentary. As it was, Sheen offered few comments.

Final Thoughts:

The second season of this show was just as good as the first. The writing was still top notch, and the acting superb. This season saw the characters backgrounds fleshed out a little more, and produced many fine episodes. The audio and video were both excellent. If you enjoyed the first season, get ready for more of the same level of quality. DVD Talk Collector Series.

THE WEST WING SEASON 1 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Show:

Every ten years or so, a show comes along that reminds you just how good television can be.� A show that challenges conventional wisdom and wins. A show that leaves you speechless.� The West Wing is such a show.

This DVD set was my introduction to The West Wing.� I have never bothered to catch it on TV, although I had heard it was good.� I was expecting a solid drama, with decent acting.� I was very surprised.� It is so much more than that.� It has very high production values, excellent actors, and admirable scripts.� But the amazing thing about West Wing is that all these factors came together on one show, making it some of the best television ever broadcast.

The show takes place, as the name suggests, in the west wing of the White House, the area where the President works.� West Wing is not about politics, any more than ER is about medicine.� It is about what goes on behind the scenes.� The world of politics that people don't get to see.� It's about the people that advise the President and those he relies on. But mostly it's about getting through the day in a very high pressure job.� A job where a misstatement or something said in anger can end up on the front pages the next day.

Though the show's focus is not on politics, it does play a large part.� One of the bold moves that the show made was to give the fictitious president a party affiliation.� He is a Democrat, and he has liberal beliefs.� The fact that they are talking about real parties and real issues aids the show immeasurably.� It gives it the air of authenticity, that made-up issues and non-named parties wouldn't have.� It lets the characters be passionate about what they are fighting for, and differences in those passions lead to confrontation in the White House and on Capital Hill.�� The down side to that, is that they do not give equal time to all sides of an issue.� The show does make a token effort to be fair.� Not all Republicans are bad, but some of the� Democrats are.� They do bring up conservative view points in the show osccasionally, but the show does have a liberal bias.� But in the end, it is a show about the people and the politics are just the dressing.

The writing for this show is excellent.� From the characterization, to the plots, to the dialog, every aspect of it is outstanding. The solid scripts gives the series a sound foundation that the actors and directors build on.

The dialog in the show is wonderful to listen to.� The lines are very fast paced, but they have a good rhythm.� The back and forth between two people is rapid, yet natural sounding and easy to understand.� Often witty and sometimes profound, the show's dialog is one of its strongest aspects.

Something that struck me about this show while watching many episodes over a short period of time was that most of the characters were fully fleshed out from the first episode.� In many series the characters start out with one or two traits, and more are added as the show goes on.� The characters evolve into their own over the course of the first season, as writers become more comfortable with them.� Not so with West Wing.� The characters are fully three dimensional from the first episode.� They have their own personalities and foibles right from the start.� It is very impressive.

There is a very good balance of drama and humor to the show too, something which few series are able to do. The humor works very effectively to lighten the mood and break the tension on the more weighty episodes.� If the humor wasn't present, the show could become depressing.� The comedy works too.� Parts of the show are funnier that many sitcoms.

The most important aspect of this show though, is that it does not insult the viewers intelligence.� The creators assume the people will be able to follow the sometimes complicated plot lines.� The show does not recap the episode halfway through.� No one asks "So what is the President worried about?"� just so the viewers can get a synopsis of what they have just seen.� The humor is not just sexual innuendo.� The show is entertaining, and it occasionally makes you think.� That is a welcome feature.

The acting in this show is second to none.� The ensemble cast are top actors.� Anyone of these people could be the star of the show, but they all work together.� It's amazing to see the main characters as extras in the series.� You will often see the shows supporting actors in the background of a scene where they have no dialog.� When you think that that person had to be on the set take after take just to be window dressing it says a lot about the level of commitment the cast has.

This whole group of actors, there are nine major characters, has wonderful screen chemistry.� They relate well to each other.� The group is able to convey that, although there is friction between different members, they are all on the same team working towards a common goal.�� You can believe that these people were in the trenches together for a long time, working to get their man elected President.

The actor who is probably the most dynamic is Martin Sheen as President Jed Bartlet.� He brings charisma and dignity to the role.� He can project an emotion with just a look, and delivers his speeches with flair.� He is able to make viewers relate to him as a human being and impress them at the same time.� A wonderful job.
�
Many aspects of this production are top notch.� From the set design to the incidental music the level of quality is very high.� But it's the style of directing brings this series to life.� They are able to convey the fast and hectic pace that is standard in the highest echelons of power.� The directors also make the show interesting to watch.� Since most of the scenes are just two people talking, it is a challenge to make that look attractive.� So they shoot people through panes of glass, or with a lot of background action, or walking and talking through the halls, which sounds easier than it is.� (Be sure to check out some of the incredibly long single shot scenes.� Like at the beginning of the pilot episode as Leo McGarry (John Spenser,) the Chief of Staff, walks through the offices.� I can't imagine how long that took.)

If you can't tell from my raving, I really like the show.� There are a couple of aspects that I don't care for, but they are minor.� The lines that the characters say are a little too perfect.� Everyone always has that witty line of� banter ready at every moment.� Just once I'd like someone to be at a loss for words when they were insulted, only to think of the perfect line after its too late.�� The show will sometimes, thought rarely, sacrifice accuracy for a big dramatic moment. A good example of this is in the pilot where a conservative Christian evangelist does not know what the first Commandment is. Fairly unrealistic, but it does give Martin Sheen a great entrance line: "I am the Lord thy God..."

Another minor defect is that some plot points that are telegraphed a little too early for my tastes, but maybe that's because I've seen too many movies (is that possible?)

Overall a very fine show.� Excellent is so many aspects it's hard to mention them all.� This show is now tied in a tie for my all time favorite TV show with Hill Street Blues.� That's about the highest praise I can give it.
�

The DVD:

This four DVD set contains all 22 episodes from the first season.� It comes in a cardboard fold out book with a slip case.

Audio:

This DVD is presented in Dolby surround sound, as it was originally broadcast.� There are no alternate language tracks, but there are subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

The audio on this set should please everyone.� The orchestra music is full and rich and the dialog is clear and sharp, even when there is a lot going on in the background.� Since this is a drama that was made for television, there are not a lot of major sound effects, but the music during the opening credits is powerful and fills the room.�� A very good sounding disc.
�

Video:

This show is presented in it's original aspect ratio of 1.33:1.� The video quality is excellent.� The blacks are appropriately dark and rich, and details can be seen in the shadows.� The colors are accurate, though not overly bright.� Being a recent show, there are no print flaws.� The put four shows on each disc, and there are some digital artifacts associated with the image.� The lines in the fence in front of the White House will fluctuate as the camera moves across it.� Still pictures, such as those shown during the ending credits seem to fare a little worse, with curving lines having a stair step effect instead of being smooth.� These defects are very slight though, and are only evident if you are looking for them.

The Extras:

The fourth disc in this box set is solely devoted to extras.� This disc includes:

The Primaries:� A 17 minute piece with cast and crew interviews detailing how the show got on the air and the casting process.� Informative, though much of the information is repeated in the commentaries.

Inauguration:� 29 minutes.� More cast interviews, this time dealing with the production side of things.� They talk about the sets and how they were created, the high level of detail that goes into the show, the lighting, and the scripts.� It ends with the main characters talking about their favorite scenes.� A good film that wasn't just fluff.

Capital Beat:� 8 minutes.� The consultants on the show talk about the show's accuracy, and how close it is to working in the White House.

Sheet Music:� 6 � minutes.� Interview with the composer for the show, W. G. Snuffy Walden.

Deleted Scenes:� Four deleted scenes.�� They are rough cuts with the time code stamp at the bottom of the screen, and low quality video, but they were all good scenes.

Gag Order:�� A short 3 minute gag reel.� Nicely edited, though short.

West Wing Suite:� 2 minutes of poignant clips set to music.

Off the Record:� 3 � minutes.� Outtakes from the interviews that were done for this disc.

In addition to these extras, 5 episodes have audio commentaries by writer/creator Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme.� The episodes with commentary are:� The Pilot, In Excelsis Deo (joined by Alex Graves), Take This Sabbath Day, Celestial Navigation (joined by Christopher Misiano), and the concluding episode for the season, What Kind of Day has it Been.� Aaron Sorkin's commentary to the pilot episode was not done while watching the show.� It created from an interview he did for the extras.� (He did do the other commentaries while watching the episode in question.)� All of the commentaries themselves are a fairly sparse.� There are many large (one minute or more) gaps in the dialog.� This was disappointing since I was hoping to get more information.� When they did talk it was generally interesting.� They talked about how certain scenes and shows evolved, and related anecdotes concerning the episode. The commentaries where Sorkin and Schlamme are joined by a director are more verbose, but the still a little bare. I would have liked to have had commentary track by some of the actors on one of the shows too.� Maybe next set.

There is also a booklet listing the cast, episodes and a brief synopsis.

Final Thoughts:

Many big budget movies do not have the level of quality that this show does.� The direction is top notch, and the cast is one of the best ever assembled for a television show.�� But aside from being technically proficient, West Wing is able to tell interesting and compelling stories about characters that people can relate to.� All of the shows in this first season of 22 episodes are very good, and several of them great.� Some of the best television ever made.� This one belongs in the DVD Talk Collector Series.

LET'S GO TO PRISON DVD TALK REVIEW

John Leshitsky (Dax Shepard) is a lifelong troublemaker fresh out of prison, trying to make good on a personal vow to make life hell for the judge who put him there. Learning the judge has died while he was incarcerated, John decides to focus his anger on the judge's spoiled son, Nelson (Will Arnett). Framing him for a robbery charge, John follows Nelson to prison to begin his ultimate punishment. The problem is, once there, Nelson begins to blend in nicely with the ruthless prison system.

Since this stars Dax Shepard, a more appropriate title for "Prison" might've been "Relentlessly Awful, Laugh-Free, Cinematic Torture Device."

"Let's Go to Prison" is directed by Bob Odenkirk, a genuinely funny performer reaching back to the old days of "The Ben Stiller Show" and "Mr. Show." What attracted Odenkirk's fine-tuned instincts to the garbage heap known as "Let's Go to Prison" is the very reason DVD director commentaries were invented.

"Prison" isn't so much a comedy but a series of jokes about feces, supplemented with gags about the part of the human anatomy that manufactures feces. The humor doesn't reach any further than the most base elements, leading to my theory that "Prison" was actually made on a bet to see if Odenkirk could make a feature film that doesn't have a laugh in it. I'm being shockingly literal: there's not a solitary smile in the 80 minutes this hellish dud needs to tell a story.

If anal jokes aren't your thing, Odenkirk and his screenwriters cough up every last prison clich� they can get their sweaty hands on. Awful prison food? Check. Male rape? Check. Nutzoid white supremacist gang? Check. It's odd that Odenkirk is trying to pass this material off as humor, when this has to the 1,000th time someone has made these jokes about the prison experience. The only spark of originality I could find, and man oh man you have to squint hard to consider it creative, is a running joke about pungent toilet wine. Like everything else in the film, the gag is beaten to death soon after its introduction.

When "Prison" isn't making fun of the obvious, it rests upon the shoulders of Shepard and Arnett for merriment. These are the last two guys any director should seek out to anchor a funny flick. Shepard has his one deadpan speed that grinds on the viewer like a dentist's drill, but Arnett's lack of appeal is harder to pin down. Much like his contemporary Bradley Cooper, Arnett is another bland white guy with no discernable comedic timing or distinctive facial features. Teamed up, Arnett and Shepard poison everything they touch, and are quite insufferable to watch as they flounder for chuckles. Perhaps the next time Odenkirk directs, actual comedians might be a priority.

It comes as a surprise to learn that "Prison" is based on a, gulp, serious guide on how to survive incarceration written back in 1994. How something that was intended to help and inform was turned into a feature film that will harm your senses and steal your money, I will never understand. Suffice it to say, a real trip to the cell block has got to be easier than watching Dax Shepard and Will Arnett in a laugh competition.

PLAYSTATION 3 NOT SOLD YET BUT HERE IS A REVIEW AND DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSOLE

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

As DVD playback made the PlayStation 2 more than just a game machine, hefty multi-media features make the Sony PlayStation 3 an even more versatile home entertainment machine. Features such as video chat, Internet access, digital photo viewing, and digital audio and video will likely make it the central component of your media set-up. Still, it is first and foremost a game console--a powerful one at that.

Under the Hood
The PS3 features IBM's "Cell" processor and a co-developed Nvidia graphics processor that makes the system able to perform two trillion calculations per second. That's approximately 320 times more calculations per second than the PS2. Along with the traditional AV and composite connections, it also boasts an HDMI port, which delivers uncompressed, unconverted digital picture and sound to compatible high-definition TV and projectors. The system is capable of 128-bit pixel precision and 1080p resolution for a full HD experience.

PlayStation 3: Tower of power

A sleek new look

With the wireless, motion-sensitive controller

Blu-Ray is the New Way
Sony's PlayStation 3 games are encoded onto the Blu-Ray disc media format, which can hold six times as much data as traditional DVDs. This increase in capacity--combined with the awesome power of its processor and graphics card--promises mind-blowing games once developers have learned how to fully harness the new console's power. The PS3 will also support CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R formats.

Sensational Controller
New gamers intuitively move the controller while playing, even though that movement has traditionally had no relation to what's going on in the game. Sony has picked up on this tendency and is using it to bring a new level of control into the PS3. Inside the controller is a high-precision six-axis sensing system that accurately detects fine movements in pitch, roll, and yaw, as well as three dimensions of movement, to control games. This means that future PS3 games will be controlled by the movements of your hands rather than just your thumbs. For example, you might be able to steer a car by holding the controller like a steering wheel.

While the PS3 controller looks much like its Dual Shock predecessors, it will lack the force-feedback vibration since that would only interfere with the sensing system. It uses Bluetooth 2.0 wireless technology and can support up to seven wireless controllers at a time. It's a hot-swappable system, so if your controller is running low on power, just pause your game and connect a USB 2.0 cable. You can continue playing while your controller recharges automatically.

Plays All PlayStation Games
The PlayStation 3 will be backward compatible with PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, which means you'll be able to play all your favorite games without keeping all the old systems. The console will have slots for Memory Stick Duo, an SD slot and a Compact Flash memory slot. It comes with a pre-installed hard disc drive, which allows you to save games as well as download content from the Internet.

Gran Turismo HD

Resistance: Fall of Man

A Slew of New Games
A whole host of game publishers are already backing the PS3 and several have even confirmed games for the console. At the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), more than 30 titles were displayed for the system, including Gran Turismo HD, Resistance: Fall of Man, and Final Fantasy XIII. Previously announced titles include Metal Gear Solid 4, Devil May Cry 4 and Tekken 6.

Online
Sony has stated that the PS3 will have similar online connectivity and services as the next generation of Xbox Live. Calling it "an always on, always connected device," SCEI's chief technical officer Masa Chatani said the PS3 would be constantly in touch with a "PlayStation World" network "fundamentally based on community, communication commerce, and content." Technically, the infrastructure is there to make that connection. The PS3 supports 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, as well as IEEE 802.11 b/g wireless networking protocols.

Sony has confirmed a lot of information about its newest system, but until the PS3 is out on the market, the rumor mill will continue to churn with gossip -- both unconfirmed facts and bogus news. Nevertheless, with a powerful processor, an outstanding graphics chip, and an impressive list of new games, one thing is for certain: This console has firmly placed Sony on the cutting-edge of video game entertainment and technology.

DEAL ON ZUNE VIDEO MP3 PLAYER FOR $250.00

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description Zune is here. Designed around the principles of sharing, discovery and community, Zune will create new ways for people to connect and share entertainment experiences. The Zune experience centers around connection-- connection to your library, connection to friends, connection to community and connection to other devices.

Zune starts with a 30GB digital media player and adds a twist. You can wirelessly share selected full-length sample tracks, playlists, pictures or your home-grown tracks directly from Zune to Zune.

The Zune has arrived, sporting sharing features that may revolutionize the way we experience music.

You can listen to the full-length songs that you receive up to three times in three days, flag the ones you like and easily buy them the next time you sync up. You can discover new music in the Zune Marketplace, and show off your favorite pictures and videos on the big, bright screen.

Zune stores up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video. You can make playlists on the go and watch a slide show while you're listening. Watching video in landscape mode gets the most out of the vivid display. Zune has all that and a built in FM tuner, too. Zune comes in three colors: black, brown and white.

Wireless Zune-to-Zune Sharing
Every Zune device creates an opportunity for connection. Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing lets you spontaneously share full-length sample tracks of select songs, homemade recordings, playlists or pictures with friends between Zune devices. Listen to the full track of any song you receive up to three times over three days. If you like a song you hear and want to buy it, you can flag it right on your device and easily purchase it from the Zune Marketplace.

The 30 GB player comes in three colors.

Zune Marketplace
Zune makes it easy to find music you love--whether it's songs in your existing library or new music from the Zune Marketplace. Easily import your existing music, pictures and videos in many popular formats and browse millions of songs on Zune Marketplace, where you can choose to purchase tracks individually or to buy a Zune Pass subscription to download as many songs as you want for a flat fee. It's simple to buy music and sync it on your player. The Zune Marketplace works with the Microsoft Points program so you can purchase music online without a credit card.

To get started with great music and videos out of the box, every Zune device is preloaded with content from record labels such as DTS, EMI Music's Astralwerks Records and Virgin Records, Ninja Tune, Playlouderecordings, Quango Music Group, Sub Pop Records, and V2/Artemis Records.

Zune's three-inch screen can be switched to landscape mode--great for video.

Import Your Music
Zune software can automatically import your existing music, pictures and videos from iTunes and Windows Media Player in a variety of formats, including your existing playlists and song ratings, as permitted by the online service from which it was purchased.

Room to Grow
As Zune evolves, your device can be easily updated. The Zune software on your PC will let you know when updates are available for download. And with built-in wireless capability in each player, the future is filled with possibilities.

Zune Accessories
You can choose from a full line of accessories to outfit your Zune. Three Zune Accessory Packs provide complete solutions for Zune in your car, in your home or while you travel. Individual accessories are also available.

The Zune Car Pack includes everything needed to hit the road with a Zune device, such as the built-in FM tuner with AutoSeek and the Zune Car Charger.
The Zune Home A/V Pack enhances your experience in the home through five products that integrate Zune with the TV and music speakers: Zune AV Output Cable, Zune Dock, Zune Sync Cable, Zune AC Adapter and the Zune Wireless Remote for Zune Dock.
Zune Travel Pack is a set of five products designed to keep friends and family entertained on the road: Zune Premium Earphones, Zune Dual Connect Remote, Zune Gear Bag, Zune Sync Cable and the Zune AC Adapter.

Product Description The Digital Media Player reinvented. With the new Microsoft Zune you can wirelessly share selected full-length sample tracks, playlists, pictures or your home-grown tracks directly from Zune to Zune. Listen to those received full-length songs up to three times in three days, with the option to flag the ones you like to easily purchase them the next time you sync up. Browse the Zune Marketplace for access to millions of songs, old and new. Use the bright 3" LCD screen to watch your favorite videos or browse pictures of your family and friends. 30GB of storage means plenty of space for your music, photos, and videos. Never grow tired of your music with a built-in FM tuner for access to local FM radio broadcasts. Reinvent your digital media experience with the Microsoft Zune! Import unprotected music, photos and videos in WMA, MP3, AAC, JPEG, WMV, MPEG-4, H.264 from iTunes and Windows Media Player Purchase music from the continually updated Zune Marketplace using 79 Microsoft Points to purchase individual songs, or use a Zune Pass subscription for unlimited access to millions of songs for just $14.99 a month (Microsoft Points cards sold separately for purchasing music without a credit card) Optional Zune Car Pack allows you to play your tunes in your car with an FM transmitter with AutoSeek and Car Charger (Sold separately) Easily update your Zune via your PC when updates become available to add more features! Up to 12 hour battery life playing music with WiFi off Dimensions - 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.58 Weight - 5.6 ounces Requires Windows XP with Service Pack 2 and High Speed Internet Connectivity

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE FOR $250.00.

GREAT DEAL ON MP3 PLAYER THAT IS ALSO A VIDEO PLAYER

Product Description Amazon.com Review In its own right, the Creative Zen Vision:M is a very capable digital audio player, video player, photo viewer, FM radio, and more. Indeed, one could go on and on about how it has the right specifications to make it a constant companion for entertainment on the go. The really big news about this device, though, is that it's the first device to boast complete compatibility with Amazon Unbox, the new digital video and music download service from Amazon.com.

Design
Let's get things out in the open. The Apple iPod is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to the digital media player business and, unavoidably, every other device is measured against it. In most respects, the Vision:M matches up pretty well, and there are few things you may even like better. Length and width dimensions are exactly the same at 4.1 and 2.4 inches respectively. When it comes to girth, though, the iPod has the Vision:M beat; the Vision:M is .7 inches thick, while the iPod measures .4 inches. The Vision:M is slightly heavier, too. These details aside, the Vision:M feels comfortable, yet sturdy, in the hand, with curved surfaces in all the right places.

Creative takes a somewhat different approach with the Vision:M's controls, answering the iPod's Click Wheel with a vertical touch pad--which allows you to scroll up and down menus and control volume--plus four buttons that offer navigation through the user interface. The contextual menu button on the bottom right is a welcome addition, allowing you to make quick settings changes and view information about media files on the fly--functions that are more cumbersome on an iPod. Creative could have made the buttons a bit more sensitive--they require a firm press that gives an overall feeling of clunkiness to an otherwise well-designed user interface. Another annoyance is the touch pad's over-sensitivity; it's easy to make selections unintentionally, sending you on a wild ride through the user interface.

The Vision:M's screen, which measures 2.5 inches diagonally, offers sharp details, vibrant color, and excellent response with little or no video ghosting during high-action sequences. The 320 x 240 resolution is to be expected from a device this size, and although it's small, you'll likely have no trouble enjoying video while you're sitting on the subway or a flight, or in the back-seat of a car. Our only nitpick was the screen's less than stellar viewing angle, especially when compared side-by-side with a video iPod. While this can be good for maintaining privacy, the narrow viewing angle also means that friends beside you will struggle to see anything other than a black Music, Videos, Photos, and More The Vision:M's music organization scheme is standard fare; you can browse playlists, artists, tracks, albums, and genres. Equalizer settings are robust, with a nice range of automatic settings, plus a custom equalizer that's easy to control. The music library's "DJ" function is a nice touch, allowing you to listen to your most popular tracks. It can also pull up the tunes you listen to least frequently--in case you've got some forgotten tunes lying around on the Vision:M's 30 GB hard drive. Sound quality is everything you'd expect from a top shelf digital audio player, and DRM'd Windows Media files played without a hitch. The device fully supports a whole range of "PlaysForSure" download and subscription services, such as Napster and Yahoo Music. Creative also ships a CD-ripping and music transfer application called MediaSource with the Vision:M.

Playback of Windows Media DRM'd video files (WMV9) was also hassle-free. Purchased videos delivered crisp colors and detail, with no frame drops. Video playback consumes a lot of power, bringing Creative's claim of four hours of video playback into serious doubt. Expect under three hours when watching videos continuously. Thankfully, if you need to come back to your video later the Vision:M's software remembers the timecode of where you left off--unless you power the device down between viewing sessions. In addition to protected and unprotected WMV files, the Vision:M can play MPEG 1/2/4, Motion-JPEG, DivX 4 and 5, and XviD formats, making it a very flexible device with respect to encoding options.

The Vision:M can also store thousands of photos, letting you browse through them or set up a slideshow. The device's TV-out option comes in handy here, as you can present slideshows on a TV or projector. Videos can be displayed this way, too. An FM radio with easy preset tuning functions and great signal reception, plus a voice recorder feature, round out the extra media features. There's also a handy application on the Vision:M that formats a portion of the drive for use as USB 2.0 mass storage, letting you set aside up to 16 GB for data storage.

Connectivity and Synchronization
A Creative Sync Adapter ships in the box with the Vision:M, making it a snap to connect the device to a USB 2.0-capable PC. With the connection made, Windows XP recognized the device right off the bat and Windows Media Player immediately asked us if we wanted to load the PC's music onto the Vision:M. Music management and synchronization has come a long way on the PC, and the experience of organizing and transferring music to and from the Vision:M was, barring a few curious click-through boxes, pretty seamless. The Vision:M also supports synchronization of your Outlook contacts, calendar, and tasks, in case you want to use it as a personal organizer of sorts.

Amazon Unbox Integration
To be truly successful, the Vision:M has to be more than a great media device, it has to integrate with Amazon Unbox and make the process feel like second nature. Although the Vision:M was tested using a beta version of Amazon Unbox, things are looking good already. Amazon Unbox and the Vision:M go together like peas in a pod, making the process of purchasing, downloading, and enjoying content on the go a real cinch. The Amazon Unbox Video Player, which queues, downloads, organizes, and plays your purchased movies and TV shows, recognized the Vision:M right off the bat. An icon for the Vision:M appears in the devices panel of the application, and you can immediately begin transferring downloaded content to the device. Once you're all loaded up, the Vision:M offers a great way to bring Amazon Unbox entertainment along for the ride.

Pros

Crisp, vibrant color screen is great for video
Generous video format compatibility
Excellent sound quality and music management functions

Cons

Narrow screen viewing angle may be a problem for some
Finicky controls for some functions
Slightly more bulky than other competitors

What's in the Box Creative ZEN Vision:M, earphones, Sync Adapter, USB 2.0 cable, pouch, user's guide, and installation CD that includes Creative MediaSource and Creative Media Explorer software. Note: As of July 2006 Creative no longer ships the Zen M with the AC power adapter. Product Description Smaller and better than ever before. The ZEN VISION:M does more than play your videos, photos and music. It displays them in their true glory on a vibrant, large full-color screen. Perfect for road trips long or short, carry your entertainment in the palm of your hand.

BUY IT HERE FOR $230.00

DVD TALK REVIEW OF TALES FROM THE CRYPT THE FIFTH SEASON

The Movie:

Tales From The Crypt had it all � a fantastic roster of directorial talent, great writers, some amazing casting choices, and of course, a wise cracking undead puppet host voiced by John Kassir to open and close each episode. Steeped in the rich tradition of William M. Gaines' horror and suspense comics from the fifties - Tales From The Crypt, The Vault Of Horror and Shock Suspense Stories respectively � the series, which lasted seven seasons on HBO, has remained a fan favorite from the time its first episode aired on June 10, 1989 until it went off the air on July 19, 1996. Thankfully, once again the undead host and his friends have found new life on DVD and thanks to Warner Brothers the complete seasons of the show are now being made available completely uncut though this fifth season sees a lot less in the way of supplements than we've seen on prior sets. Season Five isn't quite as strong as the one that came before it but there are still some killer episodes here to enjoy.

Just like the notorious comic books that they were based on, the episodes almost always blended a twisted sense of black humor with the gore and shock scenes and twist endings that they became known for. Critics would often blast the comics for being too intense or too depraved for the younger audiences that they were aimed at, despite the fact that there was very often an obvious moral to the story and that usually the stories were quite tongue in cheek. With the TV show they didn't have to worry about that so much. Since it aired on HBO and not on a regular network, the shows was free from the standard censorship issues inflicted on regular broadcast television and as such, the series was aimed primarily at adult viewers � just like it should have been.

The thirteen episodes that comprise the fifth season, all of which, once again, come with the full opening scene in which the camera pulls us into the crypt with Elfman's music playing overtop, are spread across the three discs in this set play out as follows:

Disc One:

The Death Of Some Salesman: Season five starts off with a bang as Ed Begley Jr. plays a door to door con artist posing as a salesman named Judd Campbell. He makes the mistake of trying to sell a funeral plot to Ma and Pa Breckett (both played by Tim Curry of The Rocky Horror Picture Show) who soon catch on to his scam and turn things around on him by holding him hostage and giving him to their daughter, Winona (also played by Curry). A fun twist and a great performance from Curry in three different roles makes this one of the best of the season.

As Ye Sow: Directed by Kyle MacLachlan of Twin Peaks fame, this episode tells the story of a man who believes his lovely Irish bride to be cheating on him. A private eye figures that since she hits the confessional booth every day that she's probably nailing the priest and so the husband has him put a hit out on Father Sejac (John Shea). Of course, things don't go as planned and the parable that this episode is titled after proves to be true after all. You can see the twist coming in this one but it's still got a bit of a punch at the end thanks to some clever directing and good performances. Adam West of Batman fame has a small part in the opening scene.

Forever Ambergis: Dalton Scott (played by Roger Daltry of The Who) used to be the best combat photographer in the industry until his prot�g�, Isaac Forte (Steve Buscemi of Reservoir Dogs) beat him at his own game. Things get complicated with Isaac introduces Dalton, who he still considers a friend and a mentor, to his foxy young wife Bobbi (Lysette Anthony), which inspires Dalton to conspire against Isaac in hopes of regaining his spot at the top of the heap and maybe getting a little play from Bobbi on the side. Not bad, but far from a classic this episode is a little predictable but it does feature some fantastic gore effects and a strong performance from Buscemi. Roger Daltry's permed mullet also provides some unintentional hilarity and Lysette Anthony looks good in her birthday suit.

Food For Thought: Ernie Hudson of Ghostbusters and Penitentiary II plays Zambini, a man who makes his living as a mind control performer in a circus. His partner, Connie (Joan Chen), knows his act is the real deal even if no one else believes her and assumes she's just saying that because she's afraid he'll beat her. When she meets a nice guy named Johnny (John Laughlin) she falls for him but Zambini finds out and makes short work of the poor sod. When he tries to use his mind control powers to bring Connie back to him, well, let it suffice to say that it almost works but it doesn't go quite the way he figured it would. This episode is pretty strong thanks to Hudson and Chen who are both quite good in their roles. The twist ending is a bit of a surprise in this one and even if it isn't the most plausible, you've got to give it points for creativity.

People Who Live In Brass Hearses: Billy DeLuca (Bill Paxton of Aliens and Near Dark) is a small time crook who just got out of the joint. He and his slow brother, Virgil (Brad Dourif of The Lord Of The Rings), plan to get revenge on the ice cream man who ratted him out in the first place, Mr. Byrd (Michael Lerner), but sabotaging him at the ice cream factory where Virgil works. Their elaborate plan doesn't quite work out and they soon find out the unexpected truth behind Mr. Byrd and his ice cream business. One of the best of the thirteen episodes in this set, this one features a great mix of black humor and grisly gore effects. Dourif and Paxton make a great team and they're both very good in their parts and this one holds up really, really well.

Disc Two:

Two For The Show: Andy Conway (David Paymer) thinks that his pretty wife, Emma (Tracy Lords) is having an affair so to get her back he kills her and sticks her in the bathtub. When the neighbors hear her scream and call the cops, he decides to hide her body by chopping it up and putting it in a trunk which he intends to send off on a train unaccompanied. What Andy doesn't count on is a nosy cop (Vincent Spano) following him to the station, essentially forcing Andy to board the train with the luggage. Andy tries to dispose of the body along the way, but it doesn't work and he soon finds out that this cop knows way more than he's letting on. This is another strong episode thanks to some fine acting and a clever premise made all the more interesting by a really solid twist ending.

House Of Horror: Les Wilton (Kevin Dillon) is the head of a fraternity that initiates their new pledges by making them run through a house that they claim is haunted to try and scare them with rigged effects and props. The latest batch seem to make it okay until it comes time for Arling (Wil Wheaton of Star Trek: The Next Generation) to do his thing. Maybe, just maybe, some of what's happening in there isn't a prank at all. Could it be that the house really is haunted after all? Not a bad episode with a fun twist and some nice atmosphere. Look for Courtney Gains of Children Of The Corn in a small supporting role.

Well Cooked Hams: Martin Sheen plays an aging magician named Zorbin The Magnificent who is quite content performing his illusions until one day he meets a younger magician named Miles (Billy Zane) who steals his act and leaves him for dead. Miles seems to be about to get his shot at the big time, thanks to what he learned from old Zorbin, but of course, this being Tales From The Crypt and all, nothing goes the way he had hoped it would. A decent episode with a fun performance from Sheen, but far from the best that the series has to offer.

Creep Course: Anthony Michael Hall plays Reggie, a football player who desperately needs to pass his upcoming history test. To get an edge on things, he feigns interest in Stella (Nina Siemaszko), the resident nerd. He talks her into going to Professor Finley's (Jeffrey Jones) house to get the test answers and when she shows up she's taken by surprise when Finley and Reggie lock her inside the mock tomb that he has in his house. To complicate things further, Reggie gets poisoned by Finley. When he decides to go back to see what's happened to Stella, he finds that it's not always smart to mess with the brightest girl in the class as she just might beat you at your own game. This was another strong episode with some good performances from an interesting and oddball cast.

Came The Dawn: Perry King plays Roger, an antiques dealer who is heading up to his cabin in the woods one night when he spots a woman (Brooke Shields) stranded at the side of the road. Her truck won't start and so he puts her up for the night at his place and the two seem to hit it off despite the fact that he knows she stole that truck and she knows his wife or ex-wife is still in the picture. Soon, she'll learn the truth about Roger, however, whether she likes it or not. Borrowing heavily from Psycho this one is still fairly well done and you won't necessarily see the catch coming at the end despite some tell tale clues left early on.

Disc Three:

Oil's Well That Ends Well: Priscilla Presley and Lou Diamond Phillips are two con artists named Gina and Jerry who do in their third partner, Larry (John Kassir, the Crypt-Keeper himself) and make off with the loot. From there, they con four small town men into thinking that there's oil underneath the cemetery but when it comes time to complete the con, it turns out that Gina's the one who is caught off guard this time around. There's an interesting cast here but there's not enough suspense to make it stand out from the pack. It's not bad, and it is entertaining, but little more than that.

Half-Way Horrible: Roger Lassen (Clancy Brown) is making scads of money by way of a serum he's developed. Unfortunately, what most people don't realize, is that this serum stems back to an Amazonian tribe and it has ties to voodoo and to murder. Lassen knows this, but doesn't seem to care who he hurts or how he does it but as we all figured, his past does come back to haunt him. Cheech Marin has an amusing guest spot in this episode, but despite that a meandering plot and the weak pay off at the end keeps this one on the lower rung of the ladder.

Till Death Do We Part: John Stamos is a male prostitute who winds up getting engaged to an older woman named Ruth (Eileen Brennan). She thinks he loves her until she finds him screwing around with a younger and foxier girl behind her back, and when she catches them together, she forces him to murder her � or at least it looks that way until he decides to use the gun against her and her bodyguards. Frank Stallone has a supporting role in this episode that pays off with a nice build up and a worthy ending.

The DVD

Video:

By far the weakest part of this set is the video presentation however season four does show an improvement in quality over season three. The episodes are presented in their original 1.33.1 fullframe aspect ratio � that's the format they were composed for and the compositions look dead on. There is still some murkiness in a couple of episodes and fine detail could have been sharper but the color reproduction looks good and the skin tones look lifelike and natural (at least when they're supposed to). Edge enhancement and mpeg compression artifacts are kept to a minimum while aliasing appears only occasionally. Tales From The Crypt doesn't look perfect on DVD but it does look better here than the earlier episodes contained in the first two or three seasons. Things are about o par with Season Four in terms of quality.

Sound:

Each and every episode on this set is presented in a nice English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround mix with optional subtitles available in English, French and Spanish. The sound on these episodes isn't exactly home theater demo material but it does the trick on this set and there aren't any noticeable problems with the audio. Dialogue is clean and clear and free of any hiss or distortion. Bass levels are fairly strong and the sound effects and background music is well balanced to ensure that it doesn't overpower the performers or their dialogue.

Extras:

Here's where this season doesn't stack up against the earlier ones. We get some fun animated menus and episode selection options for each disc as well as chapter stops for each episode, but aside from that the only other extra is a virtual comic book reprint of the Death Of Some Salesman comic that the episode was based on. This plays out as a ten-minute slideshow and John Karris handles the narration in character as the Crypt-Keeper, which makes it fun, but unfortunately there are no interviews or retrospective documentaries here, nor are there any commentary tracks.

Final Thoughts:

While there are a couple of episodes here that are really only average, there are also some excellent ones that hold up well even now, more than ten years after they were made. Tales From The Crypt � The Complete Fifth Season has all the shocks and suspense and humor you'd expect from the series as well as some fun performances and interesting casting. The audio and video isn't bad even if it could have been better, though the lack of any substantial extras is disappointing.

DVD TALK REVIEW OF SNL THE BEST OF TV FUNHOUSE

The Show:

God bless Robert Smigel. While Saturday Night Live continues its long and inevitable slide from irreverence to irrelevance, Smigel's "TV Funhouse" still routinely hits the bull's-eye with scathing satire. As a longtime writer for SNL and creator of "Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog," he knows a little something about pushing the envelope of good taste without losing sight of the bigger directive: Be funny.

Characterized by a lacerating wit that borders on the pathological, "TV Funhouse" is among the consistent bright spots of the sketch-comedy show. Still, as this DVD demonstrates, the vignettes by Smigel and his talented crew of animators are most effective in small doses. There are some terrifically raunchy and uproarious parodies here, but this anthology is best enjoyed in several sittings.

This "best of" SNL special (originally aired on Saturday Night Live on April 29, 2006) features hosts Ace and Gary, better-known to "TV Funhouse" fans as the Ambiguously Gay Duo. If the voices sound familiar, there's good reason -- it's Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell.

The skits included are as follows:

"Are You Hot?"
This spoof of the now-defunct reality-TV game show finds such cartoon characters as Olive Oyl and Yosemite Sam being rated on their sex appeal. Needless to say, Olive Oyl makes Nicole Richie look like an opera singer.

"The Ambiguously Gay Duo: Blow Hot, Blow Cold"
A solid introduction to our not-so-ambiguously gay superheroes, Ace and Gary.

"Fun with Real Audio: Bush Dress-Up"
One of "TV Funhouse's" more inventive franchises, "Fun with Read Audio" is just what the name indicates; it takes actual audio from any number of sources -- political speeches, TV news, interviews, etc. � and puts them through the Robert Smigel looking-glass. In this episode, for example, George W. Bush takes pandering to new levels in a satire that spins off from the flight suit he wore in the infamous May, 2003, "Mission Accomplished" photo-op aboard an aircraft carrier.

"Bambi 2002"
Those dream merchants over at Disney offer a less-than-magical sequel to the animated classic, complete with profanity-laced bloopers and a rap sequence.

"Saddam and Osama"
A shining moment in "TV Funhouse" history, this cartoon is an inspired imagining of a jihad-styled children's TV network in the Middle East. It's a nifty take on propaganda, with Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein taking on the immoral forces of the West. Also included is an anti-Semitic version of "Batman" and a commercial that urges youngsters to throw colorful rocks at U.S. and Israeli tanks.

"Sexual Harassment and You"
Not quite on par with Smigel's typical output. This live-action skit, a parody of old black-and-white instructional films, answers the question of why attractive people rarely get accused of sexual harassment.

"Fun with Real Audio: Presidential Address Outtakes"
Remember the Bill Clinton years? This animated bit revisits Monica's notoriously stained blue dress for an over-the-top gag.

"The Michael Jackson Show"
A take-off of Hanna-Barbera's Saturday morning cartoons of the Seventies, this skit explores the King of Pop's weakness for the smell of little boys left sitting to cool on the windowsill.

"Journey to the Disney Vault"
This venomous, and hilarious, cartoon is a personal favorite of mine. Finally, we get a peek inside the chamber of horrors in the so-called Disney Vault. It seems as if Uncle Walt was a few notches shy of Josef Mengele.

"The Smurfette Show"
Combining E!'s (thankfully) canceled "The Anna Nicole Smith Show" with the Smurfs, the title character of this animated parody is one horny and stupid creature.

"The Narrator that Ruined Christmas"
This stop-motion animation is another testament to "TV Funhouse" at its best. In this brilliant spoof of those beloved Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, Smigel and company skewer the self-righteousness of celebrities in the immediate aftermath of 9-11.

"Fun with Real Audio: Televangelists"
Proving that "TV Funhouse" can also be poignant, this sweetly rendered skit manages to bash money-grubbing televangelists while offering a genuinely moving homage to Charles Schulz.

"Peanuts Christmas"
Speaking of Schulz ... have you ever wondered how the kids in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" could gather around a sickly tree and magically transform it into something healthy and full? Well, now you learn their secret.

"Divertor"
One of the weaker skits in the bunch, "Divertor" is a ham-fisted satire in which government officials dispatch a cartoon superhero to change the subject from unpleasant political realities. Still, its inclusion of a gibberish-speaking Jay Leno (is that redundant?) is worthwhile.

"Find the Black People at the Knick Game"
Self-explanatory, clever and mercifully short.

"Belated Black History Moment"
Host Dennis Haysbert relates the history of token African-American cartoon characters in the 1970s and '80s.It's funny stuff, but in true SNL fashion, the skit suffers from overkill.

"Christmas Time for the Jews"
A terrific send-up of Sixties-era stop-motion animation, the inimitable Darlene Love revisits the Christmastime rock she did for Phil Spector in this black-and-white skit.

"The All-New Adventures of Mr. T"
Spoofing Mr. T is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, isn't it? Even so, this cartoon of a nonsensical, catchphrase-barking Mr. T is mildly amusing.

"The X-Presidents"
X-Presidents, a recurring cartoon of "TV Funhouse," imagines four former commanders-in-chief -- Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford -- as trash-talking superheroes with special powers. A lot of folks love it, but this is a one-joke gag that -- for me, anyway -- just isn't very funny.

"The Ambiguously Gay Duo: Safety Tips"
More disturbing fun with Ace and Gary, this time as they teach children how to stay safe.

"Fun with Real Audio: Bryant Gumbel"
Manipulating audio of Gumbel interviewing "Survivor" contestants for CBS' "The Early Show," this vignette turns on the dubious proposition that he would have qualms whoring out journalistic integrity. Somehow, I don't see Gumbel as quite so admirable, but the shtick is funny, regardless.

"Fun with Real Audio: John McCain"
One of the best examples of "Fun with Real Audio." In this bit, the maverick Arizona senator finds it hard to live with himself while stumping for onetime opponent President Bush. Smigel gets extra points for interweaving a nifty Apocalypse Now parody.

"Shazzang!"
"TV Funhouse" takes aim at a long-forgotten Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the late-Sixties in this morbidly gleeful tale of a sadistic genie.

"The Anatromicals Show"
In a truly inspired bit, Smigel and company present an array of anatomically correct Hanna-Barbera-styled characters and then reveal a secret: Such infantile and tasteless humor is the result of SNL producer Lorne Michaels having made a pact with Satan. This marks one of the crown jewels, if you will, of the franchise.

Come to think of it, perhaps the greatest attribute of "TV Funhouse" is its sheer relentlessness -- even downright creepy, at times.

The DVD
The Video:

Shown in full-frame 1.33:1, the skits included here are in generally excellent condition, with robust colors and sharp detail.

The Audio:

No complaints with the Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track.

Extras:

The DVD producers are generous with a commentary track that features big helpings of Robert Smigel and additional insights from "TV Funhouse" cohorts David Wachtenheim, Robert Marianetti J.J. Seidelmaier, David Reynolds and composer Steven Gold. Also dropping by are Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell (the voices of Ace and Gary), Paul Begala, James Carville, Tracy Morgan, Fred Armisen, Bryant Gumbel, Al Franken, Tyrone Finch and some members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

While the commentary is generally good fun, the DVD's most worthwhile extra is a slew of additional cartoons, the vast majority of which have optional commentary. There are three more Ambiguously Gay Duo skits with a total length of 10 minutes, 51 seconds; and three X-Presidents skits with a total length of 12 minutes, 30 seconds. Six additional "Fun with Real Audio" skits have an aggregate running time of 16 minutes, 10 seconds. There are a few gems, too, particularly one featuring Dolly Parton and Tom Snyder as her tireless stalker.

Moreover, there are 11 extra "TV Funhouse" cartoons with a combined length of nearly 30 minutes. Some are must-see and sure to offend, including "Heteroy," "Passion of the Dumpty," "Religetables" and an irresistibly vicious jab at political polarization, "Santa and the States." The DVD also boasts unedited versions of "Fun with Real Audio: Bush Dress-Up" (2:48) and "Peanuts Christmas" (3:54).

Rounding out the supplemental material is original art and storyboards, as well as trailers for NBC's "30 Rock," "Saturday Night Live: The Best of Cheri Oteri," "Saturday Night Live: The Best of Commercial Parodies" and "The Office Season 1 & 2."

Final Thoughts:

What's not to love? As the most consistently subversive feature in Saturday Night Live, "TV Funhouse" offers a lot of laughs when its not digging fangs into some sacred cows. The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse is an excellent showcase for the skits.

THE WEST WING SEASON 7 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Seventh & Final Season

The West Wing is a television series that has been regarded with extremely high praise, whether it be in the form of a positive review or an award for a series as an outstanding drama series. For those unfamiliar with the series, The West Wing focuses upon the daily lives the President of the United States and several of his closest aides. More details about this series came by found by referring to DVD Talk's reviews of season one, season two, season three, season four, season five, and season six.

In the past season, the tempo and focus of The West Wing changed. There were diversions from the common daily issues in the White House that focused on the 2006 presidential election. Basically, it was a more detailed focus on campaigning than the Bartlet campaign offered in past seasons. The story looked at three different presidential candidates for the Democratic ticket. The candidates included Vice President Bob Russell, former Vice President John Hoynes, and Congressman Matt Santos. In the close of season six, Santos became the Democratic nominee with Leo as his running mate.

Season seven changes the show's pace by focusing on Santos' campaign for the presidency. The daily issues and operations in the White House have a small part in the storylines. In this respect, season seven did not feel like The West Wing. Another related change is that there were many new faces and supporting roles introduced. Because of the vast number of new players, the series regulars play a smaller part than they did in previous seasons. I thought that this was a shame. I also loved the character-driven approach Aaron Sorkin gave the show over John Wells' plot-driven. Bottom line, season seven just did not have the same level of attraction or excitement as past seasons. Of course, this does not mean season seven was awful or anything. The season episodes were still very engaging (just not as good).

In the White House, there are a couple changes for the cast. The already limited and overtaxed West Wing staff loses some more of its numbers (recall in season six, Josh, Leo, and Donna left to work on the campaign). A government employee leaked confidential information about a military space shuttle in season six. Now, Toby is heading the investigation to find out who leaked the information. Little did they know; it was Toby. After Toby confesses, he is prosecuted for committing a federal crime and becomes distance from his former co-workers and friends. Replacing Toby, Will becomes the Deputy Communications Director. I was sorry to see Toby's role minimized.

This season also has quite a lot of romance. There are several characters who have had significant chemistry throughout the series and they have finally acted upon it. The first couple is Josh and Donna. They have always had a great work relationship and playful banter. Their relationship is a decent story to the growth of their characters. Then there is C.J. and Danny. These two are the ones I have always wanted to see together. Their chemistry is fantastic and their development and relationship is a key development. The season also sees a romantic development between Will and Kate, although it is not nearly as strong as the other two couples (they lack the same chemistry built over multiple seasons).

The majority of the season seven focus is on the presidential campaign. Santos is the underdog and as the season progresses, he slowly works his way up in the polls and becomes a real contender for the presidency. The storyline focuses on different aspects such as gaining (and losing) political support, thwarting the opposition, Santos and his family adjusting to the heightened security as a candidate for president, making sacrifices in their own political beliefs, appealing to the minority communities, and more.

One of the notable storylines includes Vinick and Santos on the brink of a dirty campaign. Both candidates want to steer clear of personal attacks, but the situation escalates when a Republican pro-life organization puts an advertisement on TV that attacks Santos' pro-choice and takes a statement he made completely out of context. Vinick could have exploited the moment to his advantage, but he does not. The interesting aspect is how both candidates are given opportunities (more than just the TV attacks) to really hurt each other, but do not to preserve their personal integrity. It concludes with the two participating in a live telecast no-holds debate! (Yes, live. They did an episode live. Refer to the extras for more details about it.)

There was also a major shift in Vinick's support in his state of California from an event that basically cost him the election. Vinick was a strong supporter for nuclear energy and a deadly malfunction at the San Andres Nuclear Power Plant raised concern in all the states with nuclear power. Vinick was not the only one to have problems. Santos started to see the African-American community votes going to Vinick after a Latino cop shot an unarmed African-American boy. Another major shift in the campaign was the untimely death of Leo. John Spencer, who played Leo, died of a heart-attack on December 16, 2005. The loss of Spencer greatly affected the Santos campaign, as he no longer had the well-versed, experience running mate.

In the final portion of the season, the election comes to an end and the president elect prepares to move into office. Meanwhile, the Bartlet administration prepares to move out of the White House. This storyline is pretty intriguing because it takes the stories back into the White House and also brings in some old faces like Sam Seaborn and Ainsley Hayes. At this point, I really started to get into the show again and I was sorry to see it end.

Overall, I was happier than not with the seventh and final season of The West Wing. The season lacks the same excitement found in the earlier seasons. What I did not really like about it was how the focus on the presidential campaign took the stories out of the White House and how many of the main character's roles were minimized to handle all of the new faces and supporting characters. Still, while this was clearly not my favorite season of The West Wing, it is still a grade above the rest. There is enough exciting drama to keep your attention.

Episode Guide

1. The Ticket: 105 days until the election...and counting. The Santos/McGarry ticket hits the campaign trail, nine points down in the polls. Back in DC, White House counsel Oliver Babish grills C.J. about the press leaks.
2. The Mommy Problem: Bad news for Santos: The White House cancels its leak investigation and Vinick jumps at the chance to position himself as the integrity candidate. Good news (maybe): A prickly media honcho joins the team.
3. Message Of The Week: The Latino vote. Pro-life judges. Border security. The Santos and Vinick campaigns jockey for position ,media coverage and a few previous points in the poll.
4. Mr. Frost:The focus shifts to the White House as Bartlet deals with the suicide-bomb death of a Palestinian leader, and the leak investigation takes a shocking turn. On the hustings, Santos gets tangled up in the intelligent design controversy.
5. Here Today: Seismic shifts: A stunned White House deals with the revelation in the leak investigation. Santos, mired in the polls, shakes up his campaign staff. And Ellie Bartlet has big news for her parents.
6. The Al Smith Dinner: A pro-life 527 committee runs a sleazy anti-Santos ad. Soon both Santos and Vinick are slugging it out in the abortion wars. Will steps into Toby's job...and into a hornet's nest.
7. The Debate (West Coast): No red lights, no time limits, no rules. In his opening statement, Vinick challenges Santos to a real debate...and Santos agrees. Originally telecast live.
8. Undecideds: A police shooting in L.A. puts Santos slap in the middle of simmering black-brown tensions. And Ellie gets an inept wedding consultant - Will - when C.J. is called away to deal with the Kazakhstan emergency.
9. The Wedding: Here comes the bride - there goes the President. International strife takes Bartlet's attention away from his daughter's white House wedding. Josh draws fire as he crunches limited ad-buy resources.
10. Running Mates: Leo's practice for the VP debate goes from bad to worse, causing great concern among the campaign staff. Meanwhile, Santos returns home to Texas for a relaxing (not!) visit.
11. Internal Displacement: C.J. works diplomatic channels, trying to avert a humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Another problem on her plate: Bartlet's son-in-law, a New Hampshire congressional candidate, may be involved in a sex scandal.

12. Duck And Cover: Bartlet makes agonizing choices when a California nuclear reactor malfunctions, endangering the lives of thousands, if not millions. Vinick, a nuclear power supporter, suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of an urgent issue.
13. The Cold: At odds: China and Russia, Santos and Vinick. In synch: Josh and Donna, Will and Kate. In command: Bartlet, whose action in the Kazakhstan crisis will create consequences for the next President.
14. Two Weeks Out: As Santos soars in the polls, the Vinick campaign starts to panic. Then Bruno picks up a brief case Santos left behind, opens it and finds what could be Vinick's ticket to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
15. Welcome To Wherever You Are: Photo ops. Trick or treating. TV shows. Santos chafes at the onrush of events that keep him away from the Kazakhstan issue. The federal prosecutor's threat to issue a second indictment could undermine the Santos campaign - but Toby suspects he's bluffing.
16. Election Day Part I: All the planning, spinning and hard work come own to one day as the Santos and Vinick camps crunch numbers and try not to panic. As the polls start to close, Annabeth reports to Leo.
17. Election Day Part II: "He died, Josh." The loss of Leo McGarry stuns the Santos and Vinick campaigns, the White House and the voters as the election comes down to the wire.
18. Requiem: Old faces and new - political honchos and helpers, power brokers and those who've been broken - come together for Leo's funeral. And Santos may involve himself in the Speaker's race, despite Josh's advice.
19. Transition: Thousands of jobs to fill. Transition time sends Josh into interview overdrive...and may mark a transition in his personal life, too. Plus: Santos involves himself in the Kazakhstan situation before he takes office.
20.The Last Hurrah: While Matt and Helen Santos deal with setting up a new government (and a new household), Arnold Vinick considers another run at the White House. Then he receives a call from Santos.
21. Institutional Memory: Is there life after the White House? C.J., Will, Kate and more ponder their futures - professional and personal. And C.J. weighs asking President Bartlet about a pardon for Toby.
22. Tomorrow: Inauguration Day. As the Santos team prepares to take power, Bartlet bids his staff goodbye, reflects on eight turbulent years and makes a final Presidential decision.

The DVD

Video:
The video in this release is given in an enhanced anamorphic widescreen color format. The picture quality is quite good. It suffers from a slight grain, but detail remains to be sharp and clear. However, there are some occasional moments when the picture suffers compression artifacts. This is a rare occurrence, but it does happen.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is in English Dolby digital stereo. Overall, the sound quality is very good, providing an audible and clean audio track. Like most TV on DVD releases the majority of the audio track is spoken dialogue and sounds rather flat. However, music does sound very rich and vibrant.

This release also has subtitles in the French and Spanish languages. The release also has support for closed captioning.

Extras:
For extras, there are two featurettes. I was disappointed with them. Both cover different aspects of behind the scenes and interviews dealing with the live telecast episode "The Debate". While the featurettes are decent, I was disappointed it was the only focus of the extras. Considering this is the seventh and final season of the series, I would have appreciated cast and crew interviews/commentaries talking about this being the end of The West Wing, their experiences, opinions about the final season's direction, etc.

Live From The Director's Chair: A Multiangle View From The Truck's The Director Calls The Live Debate Episode (50:40) is a long extra. It has two video windows, one of "The Debate" episode and another on the crew running the episode from the director's point of view. The idea is to show how the camera angles are changed, cutting to commercials, and other things to provide a perspective of directing a live telecast. For the first few minutes, it is a pretty interesting behind the scenes look at the show's special episode. However, it gets boring fast because the individuals involved do not really do much. John Wells snaps his fingers (indicating camera angle change) over and over again. But other than that, nothing much happens. There is no interaction, interview, or commentary to make watching it more than a couple minutes worth it.

Countdown To West Wing Live: Anatomy Of The Debate (Episode 7) (25:17) is a long featurette that is all about "The Debate" episode. The participants of the episode talk about their experiences in preparation for "The Debate". The reason there is so much interest in this episode is that it was a live telecast. The specific details include writing prep, practice sessions (rehearsals), set design and construction, technical aspects, and more. It stars John Wells, Jimmy Smits, Alan Alda, Lawrence O'Donnell Jr., Alex Graves, Ron Silver, Forrest Sawyer, Michael Hissrich, Christopher Misiano, Tom Park, Eric Wilker, Chris Nushawg, Kenneth Hardy, Scott, DeShields, Keith Winikoff, Chad Persons, and Debbie Williams.

Final Thoughts:
The seventh season of The West Wing is much different than past seasons. The 2006 presidential campaign was introduced as a storyline in season six and in this season the majority of episodes deal with it--Santos and Vinick facing off. This story was interesting and entertaining, but it lacked the same punch the stories inside the White House provided. While this season was not my favorite, it is still a lot better than most of the stuff out there. It provides a great deal of drama, engaging storylines, and much more.