Have Gun; Chappelle's Show
By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
Three winning DVDs are featured in this week's column.
Chappelle's Show: Season Two
Am I the only cynic who wonders why the release of the DVD came about the same time that Dave Chappelle went missing? He received a load of publicity about what happened to him and whether or not his Comedy Central show would continue just as this three-disc set hits the stores.
Well, I'll give Chappelle the benefit of the doubt and say that if you're a fan of the show, you have to have this new collection of his programs from season two.
There are a lot of comedians who have tried to pattern themselves after Richard Pryor and have missed the mark. It's easy to use profanity and talk about sex, but that's is not what Pryor was also about at his prime. Pryor was a social commentator who used humor to discuss race.
Chappelle does the same thing. He dissects pop culture and racial stereotypes in a way that few comics do today. Sometimes he's offensive and sometimes he confrontational, but he always makes you think.
This set contains a many great bits including the classic skit with entertainer Wayne Brady, in which Brady shows a dark side.
The extras include a lengthy collection of bloopers and outtakes that reveal a little of the creative process behind the show, as well as more stand-up from Chappelle, two unaired Charlie Murphy stories and audio commentary from Chappelle and series co-creator Neal Brennan.
Log onto www.paramount.com/homeentertainment for more information.
The Godfather Part II
In an industry in which little low-budget movies have DVD releases chock full of extras, I was shocked to receive this new wide-screen edition of The Godfather Part II and see that its only extra was a commentary from director Francis Ford Coppola.
No deleted scenes? No documentaries? No bloopers? That's right, it's just the movie.
Of course, it's a great movie, perhaps a better film than the first Godfather (and certainly far superior that the awful third film.)
What makes this film so compelling is that it shows the beginning of the Corleone family and the end (that is until Coppola made the third film). We see what motivated Vito Corleone to enter a life of crime and what compels his son Michael to stay in the family business.
So when you view this DVD, there will be no distractions other than the film itself. Perhaps that's a new trend.
Log onto www.paramount.com/homeentertainment for more information.
Have Gun _ Will Travel:
Season Two
In 1957, actor Richard Boone began a six year run as the star of Have Gun Will Travel, a half-hour western about a gun for hire.
At the time, television was awash with Westerns, but this show was different. Boone's character, Paladin, was essential a samurai for hire. Send him a $1,000 and he'll do your dirty work for you. He was, though, a man of great conscience and would turn the tables on his employer if he felt he deserved it.
This eight-disc set has the entire second season and the shows hold up well today. They are well written and feature Boone's charismatic performance. At the time, the show was considered violent, but it seems mild compared to what is currently on network television.
If you're a Western fan, a regular viewer of TV Land or you just watch to watch something intelligent, then hunt down this collection.
Log onto www.paramount.com/homeentertainment for more information.
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