Adventure
Time: Distant Lands
(2020 - 2021/Warner Blu-ray Set)/Head
Of The Class: The Complete Fourth Season
(1989 - 1990/Warner Archive DVDs)/Pinocchio:
A True Story
(2022/Lionsgate DVD)/Sing
2
(2021/Universal Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B+/B-/C+/B & C+ Sound: B+/B-/C+/B+ & C+ Extras:
D/D/C-/C+ Main Programs: B/B/C/B-
PLEASE
NOTE:
The Head
Of The Class
DVD set is now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner
Archive series and can be ordered from the link below
Here's
our latest family-friendly releases...
Adventure
Time: Distant Lands
(2020 - 2021)
follows Finn, Jake, Marceline, Princess Bubblegum, BMO, and
Peppermint Butler on their reverend quests to unusual and unexplored
places. The Cartoon Network-based show is a bit funnier and more
creative than most shows out there and isn't too over the time gross
like Ricky
and Morty.
The
series features the voice talents of Jeremy Shada, Olivia Olson,
Pendleton Ward, Ashly Burch, and others. There are four episodes in
the series including BMO, Obsidian, Together Again, and Wizard
City.
Adventure
Time: Distant Lands
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4
AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1, and English DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless mixes, which is of the
norm for the format. Being that this is an animated feature, the
picture quality is similar on Blu-ray to the original broadcast, but
a smidge better.
No
other extras.
If
you're a fan of the show and maybe don't want to mess with a
subscription to yet another streaming service, this limited edition
set is perfect to add to a fan's collection.
Leave
it to a classic television sitcom to calm the nerves and teach us a
life lesson along the way.
Head
Of The Class: The Complete Fourth Season
(1989 - 1990) stars the late great Howard Hesseman (WKRP
in Cincinnati)
and a bunch of other now familiar (and unfamiliar) faces. The basis
of the show is that there is a gifted class of students at Millard
Fillmore High that are taught under the easy going Charlie Moore
(Hesseman) who helps them deal with the struggles of being a teenager
and help them find themselves amidst all of the hormones. Some
aspects of it are a little outdated, but its message remains intact.
The
series also stars Robin Givens, William G. Schilling, Dan Frischman
and many others.
26
Episodes span 3 discs and include Back
to School, Viki and Eric and Simone and Alex, The Ring of Darlene M.,
Viki in Love, Blunden in Love, The Bright Stuff Parts 1 and 2, Gotta
Dance, Good Mourning, Arvid Nose Best, The Devil and Ms T.J., Why
Ronnie Can't Read, The Joker is Wild, Tough Guys Don't Sew, Reel
Problems, Alan Goes Crimson, From Hair to Eternity, Recruitment Day,
The Quiet Kid, Simone Goes Overboard, Queen-Queen-Queen for a Day,
Politics of Love, The Reel Charlie Moore, Cement Hi-tops,
and Teacher's
Pets.
Head
of the Class
has a standard definition DVD presentation with a full frame 1.37:1
aspect ratio and a lossy 2.0 Dolby Stereo mix. The show looks and
sounds fine considering its age and original broadcast.
No
extras.
Vasily
Rovenskiy's CGI animated Pinocchio:
A True Story
(2022) tries to do something different with the classic (and public
domain) character, but when you add the many live action attempts and
films playing on the legend (down to Spielberg's ineffective A.I.)
gives this little room to do anything new. Pauly Shore and Jon Heder
are among the voice cast that try to bring this one to some life, but
the result is very average and ultimately uninspired. I will say at
least the art design tries to be interesting and is consistent
enough, but the results are mostly forgettable.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image and lossy Dolby Digital 5.1
are as good as this will ever play in this older format, but despite
not having the latest CGI, I bet at least a Blu-ray edition could
deliver better overall fidelity for what does work here and there.
A
trailer is the only extra.
Garth
Jennings' Sing
2
(2021) has the tough task of following up one of the greatest CGI
animated features to date, 2016's Sing,
which we reviewed in the 4K format at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14808/Sing+(2016/Illumination/Universal+4K
The
voice cast, led by Matthew McConaughey as the irrepressible Buster
Moon (in some of the greatest work in his long career) are back after
having saved their theater. Now, they have to keep it going and need
to get a legendary rock singer, Clay Calloway, to join them. This
will include more interesting remakes of classic hits (some do not
work as well as others this time, but they are trying) and this
includes Bono.
The
money is here and on the screen, the graphics are as nice as before
and the characters stay in character, but I think the script just
plays it a bit safer than I would have liked and the great thing
about the first film is how its heart and soul synergized with clever
risks that paid off. Still, this is a respectable sequel that has
been rightly popular and I hope this becomes one of the longest
series in the history of CGI animated features, because the
characters and situations are there and potential enormous. Thus,
this is definitely worth a look, but make sure you see the original
film first.
The
film has also been issued in an apparently great 4K edition we'll
catch up to soon, but this 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition
image on the regular Blu-ray is still decent for the format and shows
how the makers have kept up the complex use of color and detail. I
like the look of both and expect a few more sequels where they can go
further and do more visually.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image on the DVD is as good as it
can be for the older format, but you can hear how much is lost in the
lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix here, especially from the impressive,
lossless Dolby Atmos 11.1 (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older
systems) included on the Blu-ray. It sounds fine and has some great
sonic moments too, so all serious home theater systems should give it
a spin.
Extras
include Digital Copy, while the discs add two mini-movies, Outtakes,
Super Sing-Alongs, How
To Dance,
How To
Draw
and a few other surprises.
To
order the
Warner Archive Head
Of The Class
DVDs, go to this link for them and many more great web-exclusive
releases at:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/ED270804-095F-449B-9B69-6CEE46A0B2BF?ingress=0&visitId=6171710b-08c8-4829-803d-d8b922581c55&tag=blurayforum-20
-
Nicholas Sheffo (Pinocchio,
Sing
2)
and James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/