New on DVD
The Office: Season Five
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This season of The Office saw a lot happen including Michael (Steve Carell) fall in and out of love and then leave the company to start his own. Then of course you also have the blossoming of the romance between Jim and Pam (John Krasinksi and Jenna Fischer). And of course Dwight (Rainn Wilson) spices things up as he competes with Andy (Ed Helms) for the woman in the office he loves. What didn’t change however was the extreme level of inappropriate behavior from almost everyone, and the laughs are still as fresh as ever. I would have never conceived that the American version of The Office could go this long and still be innovative, but yet it still remains a blast to watch and is still incredibly relevant to the white collar work experience. The deleted scenes and gag reel are a must watch as are the strung together webisodes. At the time I’m writing this article the feature is not yet live, but as soon as the release date hits, BD-Live will allow you to take your blu-ray and share your audio mix of favorite one-liners from the season with your buddies. I think I might have to take that feature for a spin. A-
Parks and Recreation
Available on DVD
Nipping on the hills of The Office is this similar comedy from NBC that premiered during the past season. Amy Poehler stars as the aloof Pawnee, Indiana Parks and Recreation employee jonesing for a legacy when she happens upon a giant pit that a local citizen would like something done about. Armed with all ambition and no brains, she storms forward to turn the giant pit into a park. There is no doubt that the show has some good laughs and a talented cast, but the one thing it lacks is a relevant subject. Don’t get me wrong here – the subject of people getting involved with their government should be relevant, but in this case it is just not. Still, the laughs do save the day, and also saved the season seeing as the show was picked up again for the fall. B-
MASH
Rated R for sexual content
Available on Blu-ray
Robert Altman’s infamous 1970 Korean War comedy is making its Blu-ray debut in fine fashion with this new deluxe edition. The humor still stands up almost 40 years later and coming out so close to the death of the director’s death lends a gravity to it that only intensifies when hearing his voice during the commentary. The disc is loaded with special features and of course the movie itself looks and sounds better than ever. A-