Saturday Night Live - The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse

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The envelope-pushing cartoons created by Robert Smigel for "Saturday TV Funhouse" on Saturday Night Live are tasteless, crass, borderline offensive, and almost universally hilarious. This disc collects two dozen of the best, and viewing them together makes for a deliciously warped vision of Smigel and a relentlessly silly prism through which to view American pop culture. Case in point: The action-adventure heroes Ace and Gary, "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" (voiced, with deadpan earnestness, by Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert), are actually pretty unambiguous, but the joke is played just straight enough--while fighting to save the earth, they always allocate time to accessorize--and to pat one another on the bum for a job well done. In "Bambi 2002," Disney is roasted for its policy of pulling choice children's titles from the marketplace and releasing instead direct-to-video sequels that may not be up to the level of the original. In the "sequel," Bambi's mom is OK ("it was just a head wound, son"), and Bambi and his forest posse are hip-hop kids fighting terrorists in their spare time. "Remember, kids," the TV announcer intones, "it's all the Bambi you'll get for 10 years." Other highlights include the cartoon beauty contest "Are You Hot?" (in which Strawberry Shortcake beats out Betty Boop for sex appeal), and the black-and-white industrial training film "Sexual Harassment and You," which advises employees on the three rules for trysting with a co-worker while avoiding a sexual harassment lawsuit: 1. Be Handsome. 2. Be Attractive. and 3. Don't be unattractive. Elsewhere, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are skewered by their own words, and Michael Jackson reappears as a Hanna-Barbera creation--and still manages to be creepy. Extras include commentaries by Smigel, Carell, Colbert, Al Franken, James Carville, and others, as well as extra cartoon snippets and original art and storyboards. --A.T. Hurley

Customer Reviews:

Better Than Your Average SNL Special........2007-01-18

The comedy at Saturday Night Live comes and goes in spurts and currently (Jan. 2007) it is rare for an episode, let alone an entire season, to be all that funny. However, for over a decade there is one portion of the show that has remained consistently funny and that is when one of Robert Smigel's Saturday TV Funhouse cartoons air. The Saturday TV Funhouse cartoon first began showing up on SNL in the mid-1990s. The cartoons have always been a welcome break in the usual format of the show and when first seen brought a new dimension of comedy to the famed sketch-comedy series, the type of witty satire that first made SNL a staple of American culture.

THE BEST OF SATURDAY TV FUNHOUSE was a special that aired on SNL in spring of 2006. The special was a collection of some of the best Saturday TV Funhouse cartoons ever. From the Award-winning (I think it was even nominated for an Emmy) "Saddam and Osama" to the Ambiguously Gay Due and X-Presidents cartoon, THE BEST OF SATURDAY TV FUNHOUSE DVD is filled with hilarious, short snippets of satirical animation that both critique and comment on our society and culture. Some of the cartoons are nothing more than teasing nostalgia, such as the "Globetrotters Christmas" episode (found on the special features) or "The New Adventures of Mr. T." Others are clearly aimed at ridiculing powerful corporations in attempt to awaken public awareness, such as the many Disney parodies found on the disc--"Inside the Disney Vault" and "Titey" are the best of these--and the Schoolhouse Rock spoof, "Conspiracy Theory Rock" that shows the corruption of powerful media companies such as NBC. Other gems on the disc include "Smurfette" and "The Narrator That Ruined Christmas" and the delightful "Santa and the States" found on the special features.

There are many, many, many funny cartoons found on this disc. It's something that anyone whom is a fan of good SNL or satirical animation, e.g. THE SIMPSONS, SOUTH PARK, or ROBOT CHICKEN, will probably enjoy. I enjoyed almost all of the cartoons on the disc. However, I only purchased the disc because of one cartoon that is contained: "Fun With Real Audio Christmas". As Robert Smigel points out on the commentary, this is the most popular Saturday TV Funhouse cartoon of them all. The cartoon involves Jesus and the Peanuts, but its message is universal and isn't just limited to Christians are Charles Schultz fans. I remember watching the cartoon the first time it aired. Watching SNL was a rare occurrence for me then, but for whatever reason I saw the "Fun With Real Audio Christmas" and it stuck to me. Like the images from certain television specials, lines from popular movies, are snippets of overplayed songs, the cartoon has always remained with me. This DVD is worth owning for that one little cartoon alone and everything else is just bonus.

The DVD includes over an hour of extra cartoons, some of which are even better than the ones in the main feature. The entire main feature has a commentary mostly with Smigel and his chief animators. However, other guests, such as Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert, also comment at parts. Surprisingly, most of the extra cartoons also include commentary.

Outrageous.......2007-01-13

'A fine collection of cartoon humor as Robert Smigel attempts to offend everyone possible. Some of this is almost cruelly funny. I had seen most of these over the years and now enjoy holding them on one collection. The SNL "Best of Commercial Parodies," is a comparable bookend collection. Enjoy.

A Must Own for Any SNL Fan.......2006-12-28

Saturday TV Funhouse has consistently been the best part of SNL for the past few years now. Focused, topical, biting, smart, and hilarious, Robert Smigel and company knock it out of the park on a regular basis. So naturally, when I saw that Universal was releasing a DVD of the special that Smigel prepared for an off week in 2006, I jumped at the oppurtunity to add it to my collection.

Simply put, it's one of the smartest DVD purchases I've ever made. Not only for the program, highlights of which include 'Saddam and Osama' and 'The X-Presidents,' but for the additional HOUR of extra cartoons (including the controversial 'Conspiracy Theory Rock') and the "All-Star" commentary, which is one of the best I've ever heard: it's intelligent, insightful, and funny in its own right.

This is a must own for any fan of Robert Smigel, TV Funhouse, or SNL period.

Where is the first Michael Jackson cartoon?.......2006-12-22

...the one where he's trying to catapult himself into the kiddie pool in the compound and ends up reaming himself (to his delight) on the flagpole? The one with Marlon Brando? What kind of rights issues kept that one off the DVD, but not the second one that's in this collection. Also, I hope the Speed Racer parody with George Clooney and the Paparazzi can clear rights sometime in the future. Otherwise, an essential companion to the season sets, which won't be getting around to the Funhouse-era anytime soon--perhaps ever.

Mostly hilarious and a great value.......2006-12-06

While Saturday Night Live certainly seems to have its periods of peaks and lows, a segment that is always a highlight when it is included on the program is the Saturday TV Funhouse cartoon shorts written by Robert Smigel. Short and subversive, every cartoon is guaranteed at least one laugh (and often many more).

This disc features a "Best Of" special that aired on television last season that runs for about an hour and a half, as well as about another hour of "bonus" cartoons. Highlights include the Ambiguously Gay Duo, X-Presidents, and Fun with Real Audio shorts as a whole, as well as the "Saddam and Osama" and "Inside the Disney Vault" segments. Also of note is the commentary by Smigel who is accompanied by guests pertaining to which short is being aired, ranging from Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert (the Ambiguously Gay Duo) to Al Franken and Mr. T. This runs throughout the entire feature segment and--to my surprise and delight--many of the "bonus" cartoons are also accompanied by commentary.

Some shorts are funnier than others, and some of the "extra" cartoons were better than ones included in the featured program, but all in all you are paying $15 for over two and a half hours of hilarious content PLUS a good two hours of commentary. I wish a little more had been included regarding the production process of the cartoons themselves, but I'm a film buff and that kind of thing interests me.

Not a perfect set by any means, but apart from buying a full season of the better television comedies (South Park, Arrested Development, Seinfeld, The Simpsons) you're not likely to find more laughs or variety of jokes in a single purchase. For the price of the latest lame "rom-com" that's been dumped on the public this year, you can have a truly worthwhile collection of comedy.

Very highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

A HORROR FILM THAT TAKES PLACE INSIDE A DARK RIDE!
Unwatchable, Boring Film
Don't waste your time
Excellent Movie.
Tobe Hooper's Nightmare @ the Fair!

The Funhouse
Starring: Elizabeth Berridge , Shawn Carson , Jeanne Austin , Jack McDermott , and Cooper Huckabee
Director: Tobe Hooper
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Slasher Flicks | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Frighteningly Funny | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen Terror | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00023P4SS
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Customer Reviews:

A HORROR FILM THAT TAKES PLACE INSIDE A DARK RIDE!.......2007-07-07

It is hard to not like any film that takes place inside a dark ride. This is a classic monster on the loose tale with some nice atmosphere. It is slow at times and there are some "dumb dumb" moments,but isn't that always the case in these kind of movies? Tobe Hooper has done better,but a creepy trip through this dark ride never bothers me. It would be nice to see a better DVD treament for this film,but at least it is available.

Unwatchable, Boring Film.......2007-06-23

Every time I've tried to sit and watch this, I just can't get into it at all. It's slow, boring, and not at all scary. This film seems to answer the question of who really directed "Poltergeist". Tobe Hooper should consider himself very lucky to have been given credit for directing that which the "master" obviously did, Steven Spielberg. Much better ways to waste an hour and a half than this film. Avoid it.

Don't waste your time.......2007-05-29

Great Koontz book, terrible screen adaptation. Poor acting, poor effects, just plain poor. Great to watch if you have insomnia and want to sleep.

Excellent Movie........2007-05-14

This movie is good I like horror movies they are my favorite kind of movies.

Tobe Hooper's Nightmare @ the Fair!.......2007-04-11

In 1981, there was a barrage of slasher/horror films saturating theaters everywhere. And, the vast majority of them were pure junk, ranging from "My Bloody Valentine" to "Terror Train". Tobe Hooper, director of the 1st two "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" films, as well as "Invaders From Mars", and the tv mini-series adaptation of Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" delivered one of the most original and terrorfying films since Carpenter's "Halloween". As a matter of fact, the film opens with a homage to "Halloween" and "Psycho" in a scene that shows from the outset of the film that terror lurks in this story, but you're not going to know where and/or when until Tobe is ready to unleash it on you.
Setting the film in a very realistic fairground that will have any fair gowing public from the good ole days of the fair having flashbacks (most fairs are really lame anymore). He captures the whole mood from the parking lot, the rides, the freak shows, the Adults-Only Show, to the actual funhouse of the title.
The plot involves two couples who decide to spend the night inside the funhouse, something any fair going teen has dreamed of at one point or another in their lifetime. The only witness to the couple going inside but not coming out of the funhouse is the little brother of one of the two females, Amy. Inside the funhouse, the couples witness something far more strange, more sinister than any of the funhouse's horrors.
Sounds kind of silly and idiotic, but that is what makes this all the more realistic: Because teens are prone to do stupid and idiotic things for pleasure, and sometimes with horrible results.
But, the horror in this story is mainly Amy's horror. Played by perfection by Elizabeth Berridge (who looks a LOT like a young Natalie Wood), Amy's character goes through ranges of terror that makes one wonder just what Hooper did to get her to react in such a horrified manner (right up there with Shelley Duvall in "The Shining"). But, anyone familiar with Hooper's work knows that his films tend to have a very realistic/documentary look about them (that is until Speilberg ruined his career with the horrible "Poltergeist") that makes the viewer feel as if they are in the story instead of just watching it.
Also to help set a tone of pure terror for Amy before she and her friends even enter the funhouse is having Kevin Conway cast as not one, but three different 'barkers'; and having each one stare intensely at Amy as she is passing by. Also making a great appearance is the (always) terrific William Finley as a magician.
The tagline on this film was "Pay to get in. Pray to get out". That is so appropriate! This is definetly one horror film that will haunt you long after viewing it. Definetly one of the very few slasher/horror genre films to stand the test of time, and still be just as relevant and scary today as the day it was released.

Average customer rating:

A HORROR FILM THAT TAKES PLACE INSIDE A DARK RIDE!
Unwatchable, Boring Film
Don't waste your time
Excellent Movie.
Tobe Hooper's Nightmare @ the Fair!

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Slasher Flicks | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Frighteningly Funny | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen Terror | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00000F4O1
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Customer Reviews:

A HORROR FILM THAT TAKES PLACE INSIDE A DARK RIDE!.......2007-07-07

Unwatchable, Boring Film.......2007-06-23

Don't waste your time.......2007-05-29

Great Koontz book, terrible screen adaptation. Poor acting, poor effects, just plain poor. Great to watch if you have insomnia and want to sleep.

Excellent Movie........2007-05-14

This movie is good I like horror movies they are my favorite kind of movies.

Tobe Hooper's Nightmare @ the Fair!.......2007-04-11

Average customer rating:

Judgement Day
Starring: Sizzla
Manufacturer: Funhouse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Jamaica | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

Dance Hall | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000ENUWA6
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Description

Judgement Day is Sizzla's most memorable performance to date. Combined with an electrifying performance by featured artist Turbulance, Sizzla keeps the fires burning with his performance of all his crowd pleasing hits.

Average customer rating:

Living Legends in Concert
Starring: Yellowman , and Chaka Demus & Pliers
Manufacturer: Funhouse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Jamaica | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

Dance Hall | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

This concert showcases King Yellowman at his absolute best, singing and toasting all of his favorite songs that he's become famous for!! Chaka Demus & Pliers, considered one of the most successful duos in the history of Reggae music, was the first Jamaican act to place 3 consecutive singles in the top 5 of the British music charts. Sit back and watch them drive the crowd into a frenzy, performing their most memorable hits!!

In the Beginning, Vol. 2: Montreal International Reggae Festival

Average customer rating:

In the Beginning, Vol. 2: Montreal International Reggae Festival
Starring: Various Artists
Manufacturer: Funhouse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000JJ4DR8
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Average customer rating:

Sessions from the Vault, Vol. 1
Starring: Various Artists
Manufacturer: Funhouse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

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( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0007GFULG
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Average customer rating:

Platinum Reggae Concert Series, Vol. 1
Starring: Various Artists
Manufacturer: Funhouse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

Description

PLATINUM REGGAE CONCERT SERIES brings you 2 great Reggae concerts in 1 great package!! STING 21-ROOTS REGGAE: The Greatest Reggae Show On Earth is back for its 21st anniversary!! This Concert is the hottest ticket in town, featuring the biggest Roots Reggae artists, Capelton, I-Wayne, Turbulence, Chuck Fenda, Fanton Mojah, Richie Spice and many many more!! MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL VOLUME 1 Against the riverside background of Montreals historic Old Ports touristic site, the Montreal International Reggae festival catered to over 30,000 International fans. Featuring Luciano, Morgan Heritage & Gregory Isaacs, this is the ultimate Reggae Experience!!

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Cartoon Funhouse

Manufacturer: East West Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
Product Features:

Animated short stories

ASIN: B000OMQZ8A

Product Description

Children will love these animation classics from around the world, stop motion, cell animation and more. You'll be thrilled by the fun and variety contained in this wonderful collection of imaginative shorts.

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Sessions from the Vault, Vol. 2
Starring: Various Artists
Manufacturer: Funhouse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000F0V0BI
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Description

Welcome to volume 2 of Sessions From The Vault, the ultimate vintage reggae concert series! Volume 2 recollects those golden memories by featuring the biggest reggae dancehall artist of his time, the legendary Yellowman! Also featured are vintage allstars Sugar Minott and Eric Donaldson. Guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seat and singing along to your favorite songs, Sessions Of The Vault Volume 2 is the ultimate concert series.

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