New on DVD
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: It’s a Very Sunny Christmas
Unrated but contains adult content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Danny DeVito and gang at the FX original series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia are premiering a not-fit-for-cable special premiering on DVD and Blu-ray this Christmas featuring the guys and girl from the worst bar in Philly as they celebrate Christmas in the worst ways they possibly can. All they really want is nice, pleasant Christmas tradition to call their own when they realize that all of their traditions are less than desirable. This 45 minute special, directed by Fred Savage, contains some some-splitting laughs including a set piece with DeVito that made me laugh so hard I had to press pause until I could catch my breath. The gag was a copy from Ace Ventura 2, but worked so much better at a Christmas party than at a wild game park. This is such an offensive show, and there is neither a redeeming quality amongst a single one of the characters, nor a full brain between them for that matter, and because of that, the comedy works so much better like this when they aren’t censored. A
Funny People
Rated R for language and crude sexual humor throughout, and some sexuality
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When famous movie star George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is diagnosed with cancer, he hires a young comedian (Seth Rogen) to write jokes for him, live with him, and basically take care of him. Judd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin) was on quite a roll until this gamble didn’t pay off in theaters. It’s not that it’s a bad film. Quite the contrary. In my opinion, the box office didn’t hit because of two reasons: they don’t like to see Adam Sandler as a jerk and they don’t find cancer comical. It’s a tough sell. Those who saw the film were rewarded with an overall heartwarming experience with as many tears as laughs and Sandler’s image was only slightly tainted. One thing Apatow is excellent at is making sure his DVDs are full of extras and this one is the most packed yet. I watched for what seemed like hours and still didn’t get through it all. And I found it most of it enjoyable. Whether it be the new unrated edition, the hour’s worth of deleted scenes, hour’s worth of extended scenes, stand up comedy, or other miscellaneous documentaries, this thing is loaded down and well worth the dollars spent. If you are a fan of stand up comedy, I will go as far as to say this is a must own. A-
Four Christmases
Rated PG-13 for some sexual humor and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon can’t leave for vacation when their flight is canceled due to weather. But when a bad turn of luck puts them on TV discussing their misfortune, their four sets of divorced parents see them and demand Christmas visits over the next day. You might read the premise and say “Wow – that sounds pretty funny – how can they screw that one up?” Well they did, and big time. This is one of the dumbest movies that came out last year, with every silly turn feeling more and more forced. By the time Vaughn plays Joseph in the church play, most of you will have returned the disc to Blockbuster. Or at least you’ll wish you had. If you think at that point “It has to get better.” It doesn’t. Just get in the car. Or better yet, don’t pick it to begin with. F