That 70’s Show - Season Seven (Fox/DVD-Video)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Episodes: B-
Let’s
take one last trip down the street to Eric Forman’s Basement, while the whole
gang is still together. Now on DVD is That 70’s Show - Season Seven; the last
season staring Topher Grace. The same
old tricks and on going (inside) jokes still exist, but with this season the
‘kids’ seem to be getting a little more mature, while remaining their crazy
selves. With new life changes happening
Eric takes the year off to have fun before finding his true ambition, Donna has
her Radio Station, Jackie gets a television talk show, Hyde owns a record
store, Kelso is an absent minded cop, and best of all Fes finds his calling as
a Shampoo Boy. One of the best comments
about Fes’ new job is when Donna states to Jackie ‘It is like he has extra
fingers!’ with Jackie responding ‘HE MIGHT! He’s foreign.’ The show is pure gold and polyester! Nothing is lost and if anything this season
is a step up from Season 6, which showed some of the series weaknesses. This last season with the whole cast present
is not something to miss; showing the world why we fell in love with the series
to begin with.
In this
most recent installment of That 70’s
series on DVD, nothing much at all has changed.
The set is still presented on 4 Discs with a 650 minute running time
overall and continues to be not very impressive in any of technical areas.
The
picture quality continues to be surprisingly poor for being a newer FOX series,
being presented (sadly again) in 1.33:1 Full Screen, this reviewer still is
hoping for anamorphic widescreen on HD. The picture quality is lackluster
and seemingly washed; the DVD transfer still maintaining the poor and skewed
brightness that all previous seasons demonstrated. The sound is adequate
but still less than the series deserves, being presented in odd Dolby Digital
2.1 Surround. The extra features are similar to those included with
previous seasons, but should have been greatly stepped up for this last season
featuring Topher Grace as Eric Forman. The few special features offered such
as promo spots, 70’s flashback with
Don Stark, ‘That Seventh 70’s Season’
featurette, a behind-the-scenes featurette and select audio commentaries are
all uninteresting and poor quality. The series an instant classic and
will be watched, enjoyed, and laughed at for a long time, but the creators must
step it up a notch to get better technicals and special features.
The
series is not exactly the 1970’s, but a nostalgic coupling of the stereotypical
1970’s (minus the overburdening disco) and the timeless theme of friends
growing up together, trying to find their place in the world makes the show a
classic. This was the last truly great season
of That 70’s Show; the Eighth Season merely being a final gasp
of air. The Eighth Season will lose Topher Grace and bring in several new
characters in an attempt to replace his presence, but the series original
chemistry is lost. Still a GREAT Seven
Season run is nothing to cough at. So
fans should have no hesitation in picking up one of the best series around on
its last great season.
- Michael P Dougherty II
