Amy
Schumer: Live At The Apollo
(2015/HBO DVD)/Shameless:
The Complete Fifth Season
(2015 U.S. Version/Warner Blu-ray Set)/Ted
2: Unrated
(2015/Universal Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
C+/B-/B & C Sound: C+/B/B & C+ Extras: D/C+/C+
Main Programs: B/C+/C+
Here's
a look at a new slate of comedies, new ones that show where the genre
has gone for better and worse...
Amy
Schumer: Live At The Apollo
(2015) was a chance for me to see the comic actress doing a one-woman
show. I thought she had been good as other characters, but nothing
stood out. However, she is excellent here and when she gets gross,
her matter-of-fact way of handling it adds a touch of ironic distance
without trying. This HBO special is extended at 65 minutes and she
is really good, especially since she has things to say... more than
expected. And yes, she is funny, but I would add that she is
following greats like Joan Rivers in adding a new female discourse to
comedy that was not there before and because she is not over the top,
may just be getting warmed up. No wonder she has picked up slowly in
such a positive way. The showmanship is impressive, as is her
ability to interact with the audience. Definitely the best entry
here, worth going out of your way for.
There
are sadly no extras.
Shameless:
The Complete Fifth Season
(2015) is the hit U.S. Version of a British sitcom (reviewed
elsewhere on this site) that I was not fond of, did not stay with me
and still managed to last nine (!) seasons long there. A comedy that
confuses 'gross' for 'realism' ad the like, no doubt having a
well-cast show led by William H. Macy, Emily Rossum and Joan Cusack
has helped carry the show this dysfunction family/ dysfunctional
relationships show far and over its many flaws and more numerous
predictabilities, but here it is. Made by Warner and shown on the
Showtime Network, it is just above adequate entertainment for its
laidback audience, but it is not very funny, though it can be
interesting.
Setting
it in Chicago is a great idea, yet the show really does not take
advantage of the locale enough any more than it gets the most out of
the talent involved, so this is a for-fans-only show. I am still
curious about the early seasons and will have to catch up to them at
some point, but the writing is not great and show on automatic pilot
oat this point... unless that is how it started.
Extras
include Digital HD Ultraviolet Copy for PC, PC portable and other
cyber-capable devices & a paper pullout inside the Blu-ray case
with brief episode guide, while the Blu-ray adds Unaired Scenes, an
audio commentary track on Episode 7 and 2 Behind The Scenes/Making Of
featurettes.
Finally
we have Seth MacFarlane's Ted
2: Unrated (2015), the
sequel to the surprisingly funny R-rated comedy about a smart-alec
talking teddy bear who likes to abuse illegal substances, have sex,
is a victim of pop culture and be wacky. His best friend (Mark
Wahlberg back in comic form) I also back, but a new gal (a
scene-stealing Amanda Seyfried, who partly saves the film form its
many issues) enters to be their lawyer when an evil toy executive
wants to rob our title character of his personhood and make a fortune
off of him in the worst way.
Like
the original film, it works best when it is trying to be funny
without trying so hard, but more often in this sequel, trying too
hard is being more gross to the point of ruining the pace of the
screenplay. This kind of sloppiness is not good and undermines what
should have been a simple, surefire sequel hit. Instead, it was a
mixed critical and commercial success. Worst of all, some greta joke
opportunities were missed and that is the biggest tragedy of all,
even in the unedited version. It is worth a look at best.
Extras
include Digital HD Ultraviolet Copy for PC, PC portable, iTunes and
other cyber-capable devices, while both disc versions offer Creating
Comic Con, Roadtripping, Thunder Buddies 4 Lyfe and a feature length
audio commentary track. The Blu-ray exclusively adds Deleted Scenes,
a Gag Reel, A Giant Opening Dance Number and Cameo Buddies.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on Amy looks as good as
it can with its stable, static shots, but don't expect fancy editing
in a decent HD-shot show. The 1080p
1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on the Shameless
episodes are just fine, but also nothing special and can have slight
blur and slight detail issues. The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High
Definition image transfer on Ted
is the best performer here, also an HD shoot, looking good throughout
and the money is often on the screen. The look is consistent with
the last film, but only expect so much, yet the anamorphically
enhanced 2.35 X 1 image on the DVD version is softer than expected
and very hard to watch.
As
for sound, both Blu-rays offer DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless
mixes that are as good as you could expect from dialogue/joke-driven
comedies, though
Ted
has some more dynamic moments in between its quieter talk segments.
The DVD version has a
lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 and you can hear the drop in warmth and
fullness between the two versions to the
point that the lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo on Amy
can compete!
-
Nicholas Sheffo
