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While
the Ninth and final season of Jerry Seinfeld's baby (in a rare move,
Seinfeld decided to end the show at the very peak of it's popularity)
is far from the best that the TV series ever offered, it does possess a
strangely high number of the most infamous moments and catch phrases
from the show.
In fact, that seemed to be the biggest surprise
to me. From what I can recall, I always thought that I never really
tuned in to the last few seasons of Jerry & Co - which is why
is
was so surprising that nearly every episode contained on this monster
box set are among my favourites.
"Serenity
Now!" (the now classic catch phrase from the superb Jerry
Stiller), "The Betrayal" (the insanely clever 'back-to-front'
episode) and "The Merv Griffin Show" (in which Kramer finds the old set
from The Merv Griffin
Show in
a dumpster and sets it up in his apartment) are among the best here -
however the big draw card of this particular box set is "The Finale".
Shrouded in mystery when it first aired in 1998, the final episode of Seinfeld
has been universally praised and critised equally. Many felt it lacked
the 'normality' that made the "Show about Nothing" so enjoyable, and
admittedly - there is something that doesn't quite sit right with it.
Perhaps it's the use of the laugh track, perhaps it was to sappy or (my
opinion) it simply lacked the feature players (Jerry, George, Elaine
and Kramer). Normally, parading the many characters that had appeared
throughout the show's run would be sublime - however - prior to the
final episode airing, there was a clip show which essentially served
the same purpose. It's a minor gripe, but a gripe none the less.
The
final season is also without creator Larry David (who went onto create
the award winning - and what is essentially spin off series to Seinfeld - in Curb Your Enthusiasm)at
the helm as writer, which explains the shift in tone and style from the
earlier episodes. The premises are far more absurd, and the actual look
of the show itself even seems to evolve somewhat from the shows
simplistic origins.
None the less, this is laugh-a-minute stuff.
Jerry is sublime, Kramer is in fine form, while George stands as one of
the funniest side kicks in comedy history. It's clever, it's silly and
- as selfish and absurd as the mundane coffee shop musings are - you
will find yourself going "Actually...that does make sense when you put
it that way".
It's a Festivus for the Rest of us!
DVD EXTRAS
Some
DVD collections can barely scrape together enough Extra features to fit
on one disc. So it's with great pleasure to see that, even after eight
volumes, the folk behind the Seinfeld
box sets are STILL churning out high quality (and quantity) extras.
The
four-disc boxed set includes all 24 episodes as well as heaps of
fantastic interviews & discussions of eps by the creators which
is
certain to please any fan.
"The Roundtable" (excerpts from a one-hour table discussion with the
cast & Larry David) is great, the bloopers are superb (try and
keep
a straight face during the out takes of Kramer on the Merv Griffin set!),
there's a cool little trivia setting, plenty of interviews and stand-up
comedy footage.
However,
the best additions here are the various mini docos on the more
noteworthy episodes. It's a fun and insightful look behind the scenes
(which, thankfully, is light on fluff - and rich with genuine
entertainment).
Am just have - and if you don't laugh...you are dead inside!
Conclusion:
Movie 95% Extras: 90%
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