This Week in DVD

Odd Couple Season 5: Sure, the music cuts in these sets are annoying, but at least the rest of the show is largely intact, and though Paramount half-assed them after the Time-Life Season 1 set, we at least have all seasons of this classic sitcom. And word on the virtual street is that the Paul Williams episode, a notorious Brooks Family Favorite, is mostly complete with all those great P.W. songs. Don't ask me to explain the greatness that is Paul Williams on "The Odd Couple." Just an old-fashioned looooove song...I tried to summarize his appeal recently when my wife came downstairs as I watched "Phantom of the Paradise." Let's just say my summary was ineffective.


Wall-E: Speaking of my lovely wife, I annoyed the hell out of her this summer by repeating "Wall-E" the way I heard the little robot dude say it in all the commercials. Then I started saying it over and over again even when I DIDN'T hear the ad. Now this one's on DVD, and I'm already starting to say it out loud again. My marriage might be in real trouble here, folks.


Tropic Thunder: So wait, now, I'm confused. It's OK to do blackface now, or only when you have an Academy-Award-nominated actor do it? And are we supposed to laugh with Tom Cruise now instead of at him? These Ben Stiller movies are so complex.


VCI Forgotten Noir/Crime Volume 4: These collections of old cheapo productions are great, but if you think they're really stretching the definition of the word "noir," well, so do they. At least they added the word "crime" to the title.

Burke's Law Season 1 Volume 2: I already enjoyed most of these episodes on American Life, and though I'm not sure what the rewatchability factor is on the show, VCI seems to be doing a great job for fans, notwithstanding the split seasons. And they're not calling it "Burke's Law Noir," so points for that.

The Texan: I know very little about this old western TV series, but I mention it, anyway, because...well, why not? I don't know much about "Hawaii Five-0," either, which gets a season 5 release this week.



Star Trek Season 3 Remastered: OK, so now that Paramount has put out all the fancy new tricked-out versions, that means we can all get the original versions dirt cheap, right? Right, Paramount? Right?


McHale's Navy Season 4: Shout Factory quietly keeps this series going.