Bump In The Night – The Complete Series (1993 – 1995/Shout! Factory DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: B- Episodes: B
PLEASE
NOTE:
This DVD set is only available exclusively from Shout! Factory at their on-line
website store. You can find the link to that site below.
Something
is going BUMP in the DVD section and I think it is my childhood. Just released on DVD for the first time is Bump in the Night: The Complete Series. The stop-motion animation series that
appeared on ABC between 1993 and 1995 was a creatively twisted and all around
entertaining. Where other children’s
Saturday morning series were foolishly still playing it safe with sappy
sentimental messages, Bump in the Night wasn’t
afraid to take risks and go for all out insanity.
The
series followed the exploits of a green glob of goo named Mr. Bumpy, his blue
goo buddy Squishington and their gal pal Miss Molly Coddle (comfort doll). Mr. Bumpy (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a
stinky, green, purple-warted monster who lives under a 10 year old boy’s bed
where he causes havoc and gobbles up dust bunnies and socks like no other. Squishington (voiced by Rob Paulsen) is a
blue gooey guy who lives in the bathroom toilet and joins Mr. Bumpy in
terrorizing the night, where the rag doll Miss Molly plays it straight to try
to keep the boys in line.
The
series, whereas creatively crazy as heck, it does still utilize life lessons
for kids and does a more direct recap of that message at the end of the episode
along with a music montage.
The show
is great and does not feel dated in the slightest, managing to stay relevant
and visually stunning after over 17 years.
The
technical features are well done, but nothing fantastic. The picture is presented in simple full
screen that has its moments of grain and a fair bit of aliasing. Also the colors don’t appear as lively and
bright as they should, but light/dark issues are minimal. The sound is a Dolby Digital Stereo that does
nothing much to impress as it all comes from the front, but the dialogue is
clear and consistent throughout.
I am not
certain I would call the bonus features ‘extras’ as the one is truly part of
the series in the form of Twas the Night
Before Bumpy the hour long Christmas Special and the other being “Karaoke
Café,” which originally finished off each episode but now is just throughout
4-discs as an extra also.
I loved
this series as a child and I fell it remains fun and fresh today, as it has an
imaginative feel and creative storylines that hold your attention.
As noted
above, you can order at this link:
www.ShoutFactoryStore.com
- Michael P. Dougherty II
