Disc Reviews

When describing Greg Sommer, at first one would believe you are describing what most would consider a man-child.  You know, the 30-something male who still lives at home with mom and on the weekends dresses up in elaborate cardboard costumes and takes part in epic backyard battles.  But in this case that would only be a superficial look at a man that seems to have found the secret to happiness and has the tenacity to pursue his dreams unlike anyone I’ve ever met.  Skull World is a documentary that follows Greg over the course of three years, and what he manages to accomplish in that time, man-child or not, is still impressive.

In his high school years, Greg came up with the persona of Skull Man that at first was meant to only be a Halloween costume, but with time it has become his identity.  Friends and family seemed to of just accepted Greg for who he is with the mask as well as his fun, childlike personality.  He loves his rock-and-roll-like persona, but even more than his love for the band Clutch, nothing seems to mean more to him than Box Wars.

“I paid more than my dues for the right to call it like I see it.”

While most people can say they know who a celebrity is, very few get to know the person behind the fame. (Or infamy.) Unless you’ve walked in that famous person’s shoes, it’s difficult to understand where they’re coming from. It is only when we hear their story in their own words that we can get a glimpse into their world. In Letters from Jackie, MLB Films provides that glimpse into Jackie Robinson’s life via his correspondence. Hosted by New York Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson, this documentary combines excerpts from letters written by Robinson with interviews of his friends, family and the recipients of those letters. Starting from when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and continuing to the last letter he ever wrote, these letters span a range of topics and decades.

It's time to say goodnight and goodbye to that lovable country lawyer Ben Matlock. Andy Griffith managed to bring a new style and even comfort to the lawyer show when he first walked into a television courtroom as Matlock. That was March of 1986. After 182 cases and a handful of television daughters, the show came to a close in May of 1995. We lost Andy a year ago almost to the day of when the final season of Matlock hits the shelves. It might not be the show he will forever be remembered for. But it does hold its own in the life of a special entertainer. Now you can complete that collection.

Matlock began life as a television movie from Dean Hargrove, who brought us Columbo. Hargrove would later work the same magic with Dick Van Dyke in Diagnosis Murder. In fact, the two shows could easily have been companion pieces. Both featured sit-com stars from the 1950’s and 60’s who had become somewhat iconic characters. Both would don the role of professionals. Both shows would subscribe to the “formula” mode of storytelling. Diary Of A Perfect Murder would set up the Matlock formula. It’s simple, really. Matlock was a lawyer in Atlanta. Some wronged defendant, usually charged with murder, would show up asking for Matlock’s help. Matlock and his team would investigate the crime with an eye toward, as OJ Simpson is fond of saying, finding the real killer. In the pilot the Matlock character was less Andy Taylor and a little more slick at first. I’m sure that while it was intended to show Matlock’s prowess as a high-priced attorney, somewhere along the line it became obvious that the show’s finest asset was Griffith himself and that southern charm he was already famous for. Whatever the reason, you can see the character soften significantly during the early episodes of the season. And that decision was a smart one, as Matlock would continue for nearly a decade.

Without my girlfriend’s six-year-old daughter to help me out, I had the opportunity to tackle this 10-episode compilation DVD of the hit Cartoon Network series.  I can’t blame Makayla for her lack of interest in the show; after all, with the title character being a sixteen year old boy who fights robots and aliens, well, I don’t believe she fits the target audience.  On the other hand, as I started watching I began to see that anyone who enjoys aliens and robots is sure to enjoy the show at least to some degree.  For me in the 80’s when I devoured cartoons like Transformers, Thundercats, Mask, etc., it didn’t so much matter about the plot but about the crazy epic fights between my heroes of the animation world and the villains.  Had Ben 10 been out, I’m sure I would have had a blast with it as well.

As a kid, who wouldn’t want the power to transform into any monster and save the world from some terrible monster wrecking havoc on the city?  In a lot of ways Ben Tennyson is that kid we at some point daydreamed of being.  Sure, he has an inflated ego and is obnoxious most of the time, but can you blame him?  Every week some alien or robot created by some crazy doctor is out to kill Ben or attack his loved ones, and after surviving so many attacks, he’s pretty much earned the right to have some bravado.

Cartoons are for kids. Most of the time. Then there is Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. Adult Swim plays during the late night hours and is under much looser federal regulation. Much, much looser, I would say. In fact, it may be possible that the definition of the term loose has been stomped and squashed into a giant red stain on the sidewalk. I have not spent a lot of time watching Adult Swim, but I was not ready for the content of Superjail: Season 3. I think it would be hard to imagine something more offensive and shocking, but I'm sure it exists. Since it is a cartoon there are no limits in the ability to depict horrific gore and bodily destruction. This is a comedy show presented in the new format of compact 11-minute segments. I will say that I didn't see anything pornographic (at least that wasn't blacked out), but other than that there seem to be no limits in the hunt for  the ultimate hilarious gross out.

Superjail takes place in a maximum security prison in some post-apocalyptic future. Mutants, freaks and unwholesome abominations abound. Any kind of social norm has been eradicated in this nightmare vision of the future. I'm not saying I'm shocked or offended, but I feel it is my duty to say that millions will be insanely upset and some will be greatly entertained. If you buy into the premise, I would say it's lots of fun. But I think late night Cartoon Network is no place for kids.