Judge, Mike

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Farley

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 02/06/2007

Saturday Night Live - The Best of Will Ferrell - Volumes 1& 2

The Best of Will Ferrell - Vol. 1
The latest in the line of Saturday Night Live's great character players (including Dan Aykroyd and Phil Hartman), Will Ferrell showcases his fearlessness in this 72-minute collection. Whether exposing skin or taking a pause beyond the normal limits, Ferrell induces hard laughs like with the cowbell rocker in the first sketch. The selection includes Ferrell's spot-on impressions of Cub announcer Harry Caray, game-show icon Alex Trebek, President Bush, and Inside the Actor's Studio host James Lipton. As with other SNL Best of... retrospectives, there are short snippets to go along with the full-length sketches that include excellent selections of Ferrell's returning characters Craig the Cheerleader and the swinging Culp brothers. A must for fans, and the DVD includes an intriguing audition footage in which Ferrell leaps from character and character.

The Best of Will Ferrell - Vol. 2
There is no drop-off in laughs from the first to second volume of Will Ferrell's work on Saturday Night Live. Giggle along with his recurring characters, including James Lipton (interviewing Kate Hudson as a wonderfully ditzy Drew Barrymore), a wickedly clever George W. Bush, and one-half of the smarmy Lovers couple. This volume spotlights Ferrell's ability to go successfully over-the-top whether as an overbearing boss (check out how long he keeps stabbing a doomed coworker), a strict airplane pilot, an absent-minded doctor, or the world's oldest baby. There's plenty of unabashed (near) nudity and risky violence, which keeps the SNL tradition of "Not Ready for Prime Time"; check out what longtime hosts of the morning talk show resort to when the much-needed teleprompter fails. All that plus "Janet Reno's Dance Party" (with guest Rudy Giuliani) makes this the perfect pick-up for those who could not get enough of Ferrell with volume 1. --Doug Thomas

Idiocracy

An average guy volunteers to be the subject of a hibernation experiment that goes awry. He wakes up 500 years in the future discovering that hes the smartest guy on the planet. Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 06/10/2008

Given that Office Space is a bona fide cult classic, it comes as some surprise that Mike Judge's follow-up wasn't more heavily promoted. Granted, this live-action comedy is a darker, more pointed proposition, but it's unfortunate that few theater patrons got the opportunity to, well, judge for themselves. In Idiocracy, the King of the Hill creator visualizes what would happen if Devo's proposition--that mankind is in the process of devolution--came to pass. The catalyst: the overeducated start having fewer children while the undereducated have more. Enter Joe (Luke Wilson), a military librarian with no family and even less ambition. The Pentagon chooses him for a top-secret hibernation project due to his extreme "average-ness." They select Rita (SNL's Maya Rudolph), a prostitute, for the same reason. When the experiment goes haywire, the two emerge 500 years later--rather than one. Now it's 2505 and they're the brightest people in the over-polluted land. Everyone else is, basically, Beavis and Butt-head. Yes, the satire couldn't be less subtle, but the premise gives Judge license to make as much fun of junk food pop culture as dystopian classics like 1984 and Planet of the Apes. Wilson wisely plays it straight, even if the actors who surround him sometimes succumb to excess. And the effects may be cheesy, but that just adds to the fun. Idiocracy features former footballer Terry Crews (Everybody Hates Chris) as President Camacho and Dax Shepard (Punk'd) as Joe's futuristic friend Frito. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Saturday Night Live - The Best of Steve Martin

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/23/2006

No other person has been a guest on Saturday Night Live as many times as the inimitable Steve Martin, which is what makes SNL's Best of Steve Martin compilation the finest of the series. This collection gives us not only clips of some of the show's funniest moments, but also a sense of how the show has evolved from the 1970s. Earlier monologues were rougher, less staged, but absolutely out of control in the best way, as Martin is given free rein to unleash his "happy feet," play the banjo, and generally explore his zaniness. The earliest clip dates from 1976 and the latest from the mid-'90s, showcasing the program's greatest players throughout the seasons--Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Mike Meyers, Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn, David Spade, Jon Lovitz. The beloved classics are here, from "King Tut," with complete Egyptian regalia, to the arrow through the head to, of course, a "wild and crazy guy." Not enough for you? Well, "excuuuuuuse me." Also included are the Coneheads at home (with Martin playing a hapless IRS agent), "Jeopardy 1999," "Common Knowledge" (one of the wittiest SNL sketches ever), and ads for "Rise" and for "Steve Martin's Penis Cream." This collection will satisfy longtime SNL fans and is a great way to show newer fans what comedy is really about. --Jenny Brown

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dana Carvey

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 09/05/2006

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Adam Sandler

Youll see opera man cajun man canteen boy gap girl and many other original characters created by superstar adam sandler. Includes guests alec baldwin courtney cox david duchovny and shannon doherty plus snl regulars chris farley david spade and rob schneider. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 12/20/2005 Rating: Ur

Saturday Night Live - Christmas

The best Christmas material from two-and-a-half decades of Saturday Night Live is collected in this video, which gets off to a raucous start by presenting Chevy Chase's (literally) unbalanced rendition of President Gerald Ford decorating the White House Christmas tree. A number of memorable Christmas satires appear, including Eddie Murphy's spoof of Mr. Rodgers, Ana Gasteyer appearing in the "Martha Stewart Topless Christmas Special," and even Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song." Some of the best material is from the show's early freewheeling years: a classic bit with guest Candice Bergen, playing an uptight newswoman, being suitably offended while interviewing an irresponsible and utterly sleazy toy manufacturer (Dan Ackroyd); John Belushi doing a silent yet brilliant turn as a hard-drinking department store Santa; and the entire original cast taking part in an elaborate (by the show's early standards) production number. Also appearing in the video compilation are cast members Bill Murray, Jane Curtin, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, and Dana Carvey, as well as guests Steve Martin, Danny DeVito, Paul Simon, William Shatner, and Alec Baldwin (who visits the NPR ladies to deliver a wickedly deadpan talk about his Christmas balls). Saturday Night Live has been notoriously uneven over the years, but this video is a full stocking of consistently inspired writing and performances. --Robert J. McNamara

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 10/03/2006

Saturday Night Live - The Best of Will Ferrell

The latest in the line of Saturday Night Live's great character players (including Dan Aykroyd and Phil Hartman), Will Ferrell showcases his fearlessness in this 72-minute collection. Whether exposing skin or taking a pause beyond the normal limits, Ferrell induces hard laughs like with the cowbell rocker in the first sketch. The selection includes Ferrell's spot-on impressions of Cub announcer Harry Caray, game-show icon Alex Trebek, President Bush, and Inside the Actor's Studio host James Lipton. As with other SNL Best of... retrospectives, there are short snippets to go along with the full-length sketches that include excellent selections of Ferrell's returning characters Craig the Cheerleader and the swinging Culp brothers. A must for fans, and the DVD includes an intriguing audition footage in which Ferrell leaps from character and character. --Doug Thomas

Will ferrell dominated snl with characters as different as craig the cheerleader and president george w. Bush. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/22/2007

Saturday Night Live - Best of Alec Baldwin

4-time emmy nominee alec baldwin has appeared on snl 12 times throughout his career. Hes become a snl regular playing in sketches with some of the greatest comedians including mike meyers adam sandler & will ferrell. Includes hilarious dvd extras & never-before-seen dress rehearsals. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 05/23/2006 Rating: Nr

There's a reason Lorne Michaels keeps asking Alec Baldwin back to host Saturday Night Live: He's really good at it. Baldwin may have made his name in hard-hitting dramas like Glengarry Glen Ross and The Cooler, but SNL has long allowed him to flaunt his skills in stage acting and mimicry. In other words, he never gets flustered or seems at all concerned about making a complete ass of himself--the essence of good sketch comedy. As with such versatile performers as Christopher Walken and John Goodman (who appears in the boozy Bill Brasky skit), these qualities have made him one of the show's most popular hosts. Granted, some may fault the man for a few too many sketches built around the double entendre, like pastry chef Pete Schwetty and his tasty balls, but there's no doubt the guy can sell even the silliest of lines with the straightest of faces. As for his impressions, Baldwin's Tony Bennett--by way of John Travolta--doesn't just capture the legendary crooner's voice and mannerisms, but his unstoppable optimism, as well ("I love things that are great!" ). His squinty-eyed, stiff-necked Robert De Niro is another treat. (His fidgety Charles Nelson Reilly doesn't hit the same heights.) Aside from more than a decade's worth of Not Ready for Prime Time Players, including Mike Meyers, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell, The Best of Alec Baldwin includes two deleted dress rehearsal sketches and dishy, occasionally profane commentary from Baldwin and producer Marci Klein. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

King of the Hill - The Complete Sixth Season

Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 02/06/2007 Run time: 495 minutes Rating: Nr

King of the Hill's sixth season, one of the best of this underappreciated animated series, is anything but "the same-old same-old" (Hank's euphemism for regularly scheduled Tuesday-night sex with his wife, Peggy). Fun-loving son Bobby (Pamela Adlon) and "nerd" neighbor Connie (Lauren Tom) break up (albeit amicably). "Renaissance woman" Peggy (Kathy Najimy) stirs up rebellion at the local Renaissance Faire. Luanne (Brittany Murphy) becomes the unwitting member of a cult. Conspiracy theorist Dale (Johnny Hardwick) discovers his father working in a gay rodeo. Through it all, Hank Hill (series creator Mike Judge) struggles to hold on to his core beliefs. It's not easy. "My wife lies to me, my beer company betrays me, Americans are giving Mexicans diarrhea," he complains in "Beer and Loathing." "What the hell's going on here?"

But not to worry. We can count on Hank, one of TV's few good men, not to waver. In the episode "Joust Like a Woman," a season benchmark, he is a vigilant father. "No tights, tassels, or skirts on the boy," he directs Luanne as he puts her in charge of the Renaissance Faire spending money, adding, to Bobby's disappointment, "Oh, and no bells." And he is a devoted husband, accepting "King Philip's" (regally voiced by Alan Rickman) jousting challenge to defend Peggy's honor. "No chump in a velvet costume is ever kickin' my ass," Hank declares. There's no two ways about it, as one Asian character looking for a token Caucasian observes in "A Man Without a Country Club." Hank is "super-white." In "Bobby Goes Nuts," another classic episode (and the sixth season is loaded with them), Hank beams after Bobby beats up a bully at school, thanks, he believes, to "good old American YMCA know-how." He is therefore shocked when he discovers that Bobby's been attending a self-defense class for women, and kicking his victims "below the belt" (while screaming, "Let go of my purse"). No matter how his sensibilities are offended, Hank manages to keep an open mind and heart. When aspiring comedian Bobby sells a joke to Branson's own Yakov Smirnoff in "The Bluegrass Is Always Greener," Hank is compelled to admit, "That is a good joke; it's Branson good." And this sixth season is great; it's King of the Hill great! --Donald Liebenson