Comedy Central Movies

The cinema vérité police documentary parody Reno 911! dispenses law and disorder during its first season on Comedy Central. The season's unscripted, totally improvised episodes follow various members of the Washoe County Sheriff's Department going about their duties, under the guidance of Lt. Jim Dangle (Tom Lennon). It doesn't take long before the shorts-wearing Dangle is revealed as a closeted homosexual, nor to discover that former magician's assistant Deputy Clementine Johnson (Wendi Mclendon-Covey) may still not be totally weaned from her exhibitionist tendencies. In the series opener, Lt. Dangle's new "zero-tolerance" policy backfires when he becomes the first person to be arrested in a fender bender. Later on, Detective Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui) wins a scavenger hunt by bringing in an inordinately tall, tattooed Jewish crack addict; Deputy Jones (Cedric Yarbrough) learns, to his surprise, that there are consequences to being racially oversensitive; conversely, Deputy Trudi Wiegel (Kerri Kenney) discovers the advantages of attempting suicide; the department falls over itself trying to impress the FBI, who've come to Reno to investigate a homicide; and an impending terrorist attack makes everyone paranoid, but not for the usual reasons. Season one ends with a cliffhanger, sparked by the Halloween eve death of Deputy Jones and his bizarre videotaped legacy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The third volume of the beloved animated series Futurama comes to DVD from 20th Century Fox. Volume three contains 22 complete episodes on four discs, originally broadcast on FOX from 2001 to 2002. Each episode is presented with a standard full-frame transfer and Dolby Digital Surround Sound in English, Spanish, and French. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish and closed captions are also accessible. The box itself is pretty cool, with dual-sided character cutouts and two clear windows to see the inside sleeve artwork. Each disc is held in its own slim Nexpak plastic case. The bonus features start off with full-length audio commentary tracks for each and every episode. Each disc provides ample deleted scenes, storyboards, and still galleries. Disc four offers the most special features. A "How to Draw Characters" segment in the character art gallery creates Fry and Leela. Also, 3-D models show some rough-draft sequences. Animatics are included for "Anthology of Interest II" and alternate animation is provided for "Roswell That Ends Well." In addition, there are international clips featuring French, Italian, and Spanish language casts and a couple of Easter eggs. Overall, this is yet another highly recommended Futurama box set from 20th Century Fox in a series of fine releases.

More outrageous behavior from the South Park kids distinguishes the series' third season. Only one thing is sure in this year's crop of 18 episodes: Kenny won't survive till fadeout time...ever. Episodes include "Rainforest Shmainforest" (the horrible consequences of pro-environmentalism); "Spontaneous Combustion" (don't hold in those farts!); "The Succubus" (Cartman gets glasses, Chef gets a good woman); "Jackovasaurus" (some prehistoric beasts just shouldn't raise families); "Tweek vs. Craig" (the manly art of dirty boxings, and Kenny goes to Home Ec); "Sexual Harassment Panda" (Kyle's dad gets rich by suing everyone -- and we mean everyone); "Cat Orgy" (cats just wanna have fun -- at Cartman's house); "Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub" (Charlie's Angels meet the "Melvins"); "Jewbilee" (summer camp with that spoilsport Moses); "Korn's Groovy Pirate Coast Mystery" (rock music, defiled graves, and an Antonio Banderas blow-up doll); "Chinpokomon" (looks like Pearl Harbor is under siege again -- this time from a gigantic, er, member); "Hooked on Monkey Phonics" (dirty duct-tape doings at the big dance); "Starvin' Marvin in Space" (the planet Marklar is a great place for the undernourished -- but watch out for "Sally the Hutt"); "The Red Badge of Gayness" (the Civil War we never fought); "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" (all your favorite vocalists, from Satan to Hitler); "Are You There God? It's Me, Jesus" (Ground Hog Day for the Son of Man); and "World Wide Recorder Concert" (Yoko Ono and Kenny G., together again for the last time). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Since Futurama and The Simpsons were both created by cartoonist Matt Groening and share his frequently absurdist, often acerbic sense of humor, comparisons between the two series were inevitable, and while Futurama was often funnier than The Simpsons in the first two seasons it was on the air, it consistently lacked the emotional resonance of the earlier series — it never seemed to engage the mind the same way it massaged the funny bone. Similarly, the second multi-DVD Futurama box set — this one collecting the 19 episodes from the show's second season — seems to be modeled on the superb packages Fox Home Entertainment created for the first two episodes of The Simpsons, but the results aren't quite as impressive. The material included on Futurama, Vol. 2 has been transferred to disc in its original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, the audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Surround, and all the episodes look and sound terrific, with the images pin-sharp throughout and the sound crisp and cleanly defined. Along with the original English-language audio tracks, the discs include alternate dubbed versions in Spanish and French (also in Dolby Digital Surround), as well as optional subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

Like the Simpsons collections, Futurama, Vol. 2 is loaded with bonus material, but ironically this is where the set disappoints. Each episode here has an alternate commentary track, featuring Groening along with members of the show's writing staff, production team, and voice cast, but surprisingly often they don't have anything especially enlightening to say about the show, often getting bogged down in cryptic sci-fi references and inside jokes, and while fans might get a chuckle out of hearing them, their novelty wears out rather quickly. Deleted gags from most of the episodes are also included, though they tend to be brief and appear to have been scrapped for a good reason, and while the "animatic" for "Why Must I Be A Crustacean In Love?" is instructive for those interested in the show's production methods, it isn't especially entertaining on its own merits. Also, while the "international clips" are amusing enough, no one seems to have realized that while the versions in Italian and Portuguese are a novelty, the French and Spanish clips are redundant, since all 19 episodes can be viewed in those languages anyway. Also included is a gallery of production artwork and a key to the show's "alien alphabet," both of which are more interesting and useful than many of the set's more elaborate features. Fans of Futurama will certainly appreciate the care and technical skill that's gone into putting the show's second season on disc, but the additional bells and whistles ultimately don't add much value to the package.

Season two of South Park offers 18 raunchy misadventures with Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and (he should live so long!) Kenny. This year's crop includes "Terrance & Phillip in Not Without My Anus" (saving Canada from Saddam Hussein); "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut" (not really -- but she is a hermaphrodite); "Ike's Wee Wee" (Stan doesn't want his brother to "lose it" at his bris); "Chickenlover" (book reports are a cinch if you don't read books); "Conjoined Fetus Lady" (the title character is Kyle's nurse -- and there's even Chinese dodgeball!); "The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka" (Jesus imitates Jerry Springer as the boys learn about Vietnam); "City on the Edge of Forever" (a missing bus and remembrances of things past); "Summer Sucks" (no fireworks, no Mr. Hat, but plenty of snakes); "Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls" (an independent film festival collides with "The Call of Mr. Hankey"); "Chickenpox" (exposing "the parental conspiracy" and a herpes revenge as a bonus); "Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods" (an evil planetarium and exploding heads); "Clubhouses" ("Truth or Dare," Colorado style); "Cow Days" (never let cows see a statue); "Chef Aid" (Johnnie Cochran vs. Chef in a copyright suit, and Ozzy Osbourne gives up bats); "Spookyfish" (the one with the goateed Cartman and "hella cool"); "Merry Christmas Charlie Manson" (Charlie escapes, just as the boys visit Mr. Hankey in the Mall of Nebraska); "Gnomes" (a Harbucks coffee shop fights for the hearts and minds of the kids, while the gnomes demand underpants); and "Prehistoric Ice Man" (or "The Thing from 1996!"). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This three-disc set contains all 13 episodes from the first season of Matt Groening's satirical science fiction television series Futurama. Each is presented in the original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1. English, Spanish, and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. English and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include commentary tracks by a variety of people on every single episode, scripts, storyboards, deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a collection of still images. This is a solid release for fans of the series.

The first season of South Park wastes no time in serving up the sort of outrageous, in-your-face comedy that its fans craaaaave. Join nervous Stan, neurotic Kyle, obnoxious Cartman, and "Oh My God They Killed" Kenny in their first 13 cartoon adventures. Episodes include "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" (is he controlled by aliens, or a herd of cattle?); "Volcano" (a disastrous hunting trip and the search for "Skuzzle-Butt"); "Weight Gain 4000" (Cartman's award ceremony is interrupted by Mr. Garrison's efforts to assassinate Kathie Lee Gifford); "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride" ("starring" the voice of George Clooney; also, what's up with -- or in -- Stan's new dog?); "An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig" (cloning run amok); "Death" (Stan's 102-year-old grandpa wants to be euthanized, plus the first appearances of those flatulent Canadians Terrance and Phillip); "Pink Eye" (zombies, space stations, Edward James Olmos, and Jackie Collins); "Starvin' Marvin" (what does Sally Struthers really do with all that charity money?); "Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo" (with the touching Yuletide ballad "The Lonely Jew on Christmas"); "Damien" (the Son of Satan demands a showdown with Jesus -- and everyone's placing bets); "Tom's Rhinoplasty" (can the boys become lesbians like their gorgeous substitute teacher?); "Mecha-Streisand" (a Godzilla-like Babs smashes South Park like Tokyo); and "Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut" (who is Cartman's real dad?). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi