posted by Kim Lee
Orange County Choppers (OCC) is a legendary custom motorcycle shop run by a father & son team. The Teutel family business consists of Paul Sr., Paul Jr., and Mikey featuring Vince DiMartino, Rick Petko, and Cody Connelley. Paul Sr. runs the show at OCC and Paul Jr. is the artistic genius behind custom bike fabrications while Mikey is the untalented son that’s there to bring humor and motivation to the shop. The cast of American Chopper is what makes everything interesting as each character brings a different level o… attraction to the show. The complete first season of American Chopper brings humor, sarcasm, and tension to every episode as these geniuses fight deadlines, delays, and sometimes each other to build the coolest choppers on this planet.
Video
Considering Discovery HD broadcasts this show in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, I’m surprised to see that the DVD discs are presented in a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. However, having said that, the full frame picture quality is fantastic as the colors are rich and the blacks are deep which is evident on each and every custom built bike.
Audio
The sound is in Dolby Digital 2.0 surround which is fine considering that the show is very dialogue driven. The surround speakers are only heard when the music is on (during the introduction of every episode and during certain scenes of the bike build). What I liked most was the clear and crisp rumbling sound of the choppers as they fired up for the very first time. Overall, the sound is pretty much what you would expect out of a television series DVD release.
Special Features
The special features (or lack thereof) are fairly weak in my opinion. The most entertaining would definitely be the Commercial Shoot Outtakes which will have you smiling from ear to ear. The rest of the features on the disc (Paul Sr. Interview Clips, Photo Gallery, and Full Throttle Preview) are fairly bland and boring.
Final thoughts
If you are a motorcycle, automotive, or mechanical enthusiast, this series is a must have in your DVD collection. From the unveiling of the Black Widow bike to the Fire Bike dedicated in memory of the “343 never forget” NYFD, American Chopper is a television series that is sure to get your motor running.
Special Features List
- Commercial shoot outtakes
- Paul Sr. interview clips
- Photo gallery
