Family Guy, Volume Seven

Description

Like John Waters' shock-value comedies of yore, Family Guy keeps moving the taste-be-damned line. "You laughed at that ?" these episodes spanning seasons six and seven challenge viewers. "Okay, then laugh at this !" AIDS, cancer, incest, September 11, and the films of Matthew McConaughey are all grist for the mill. Though it has taken its lumps from the South Park contingent, Family Guy merrily stays true to its absurdist, arbitrary muse. The stories are ludicrous: James Woods steals Peter Griffin's identity; Brian discovers he has a son; Stewie, Brian, and nebbish pharmacist Mort time travel back in time to Hitler's Germany; and Peter discovers Jesus Christ working at a used record store. You got a problem with that? "Go on the Internet and complain," Brian suggests. The pop-culture references are as ever arcane. "That's more of a letdown than Fruit Stripe gum," Peter remarks at one point. And the politically incorrect jokes can be jaw-droppingly wrong, as witness the game show Are You Smarter Than a Hispanic Maid , the flamboyant gay stereotypes flaunted in the episode "Family Gay," and a bit in which hearing-impaired actress Marlee Matlin tries unsuccessfully to connect with Moviefone. And how does a series on Fox get away with the moment when Stewie finds a McCain/Palin campaign button on a Nazi uniform? From Dane Cook to Jay Leno, Family Guy is always up for celebrity bashing, but some are in on the joke. In "Family Gay," Meredith Baxter spoofs her signature women-in-crisis Lifetime movies, and Seth Rogen good-naturedly supplies his own voice when Peter is injected with the Seth Rogen gene that "gives you the appearance of being funny even though you haven't actually done anything funny." And kudos to Andy Dick for his room-clearing cameo in "Tales of a Third Grade Nothing." Each episode can be viewed as originally televised or uncensored with F-bombs and other crudities unbleeped. Curiously missing in action from "Ocean's Three and a Half" is one of Family Guy 's most inspired bits in which Peter's voice is mixed in to the now-infamous Christian Bale rant tape (you can find it on YouTube). Loyal Family Guy viewers are also rewarded with deleted scenes, lively episode commentaries, an entertaining behind-the-scenes look at the episode "Tales of a Third Grade Nothing," featuring Frank Sinatra Jr., and the Family Guy 2008 Comic-Con panel discussion. Family Guy , observes Mr. Sinatra, "is not comedy. It's satire." What it is, still, is way more often than not flat-out funny. --Donald Liebenson The collection also features an all-star line-up of celebrity guests including Johnny Knoxville ("Jackass"); Bob Barker ("The Price Is Right"); Andy Dick ("The Andy Dick Show"); Sinbad (Jingle All the Way); Chace Crawford ("Gossip Girl"); Seth Rogen (Knocked Up); Frank Sinatra Jr. and Barry Manilow. "Family Guy" Volume Seven features 13 episodes from the hysterical sixth and seventh season in a collectible three-disc set loaded with never-before-seen extras only available on DVD; including UNCENSORED commentary on every episode; 29 deleted scenes; three animatic episodes with optional commentary and several featurettes. Review: Funnier than ever and well worth the price. - I'm with Seth on this folks, sorry. I watch the first 2-3 seasons of this show and it pales in comparison to the hilarity that has come since the show was renewed from cancelation. This season is as far out there as Family Guy has ever been and it makes for some truelly great moments. "Family Gay" alone is worth it(also one of the 3 episodes that finally got this show it's well-deserved Emmy nod). I payed just under $20 for this set, which to me is well worth it. I watch this show constantly while I'm doing whatever it is I do so I get my money back within a two weeks. Also, I was never one to listen to commentaries until recently, but if any show gives you great and hilarious commentary, it's this show. They offer you one for pretty much every episode as well, which should show to the nay-sayers out there that Seth is commited to giving you a consistent and worthwhile package. Not only that, everyone seems to be willing to pay $15-25 for dvd's and blu-rays of movies that only last 2 hours and offer even less of a return if you don't watch them constantly. I think people are simply expecting way too much from Fox. My favirote part of the show at this point, unlike so many, is their proclivity to recycle material as a sort of call out to longtime fans. Things like the emperor in the sinatra episode, or Buzz Killington, or the third iterance of Cleveland poor house being destroyed while he's in the tub are made that much more hilarious thanks to the repetitive nature. They always slightly adjust the jokes to make them fresh, but I see it as a gift for fans since the show started, as opposed to a slap in the face. My favirote episode may be the WWII time travel episode though, not for the humor, but simply because it really is incredible animation and musical score put to work on television. There is something amazing about the effect to me and I watch anime that destroys anything of this type. Seth and his team show real pride in their work. Like Seth said of all the complaints for the show later, everyone wants to complain about how "awful and unfunny" the show has become, but none of you are turning off your tv sets each sunday night. This show is the funniest cartoon on television, most likelly the funniest ever made. Review: Correct aspect ratio - a rare treat - THANK YOU for NOT hacking the original 4:3 into 16:9 pan & scan. I wish Prime Video would leave ALL 4:3 alone.