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I Love Lucy - 50th Anniversary Special
Paramount // Unrated // October 8, 2002
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
While this DVD edition of the "I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary Special" isn't anything much - all we get is the main program - the piece itself is a more-than-involving look back at the history behind this groundbreaking television comedy. Introduced by Whoopi Goldberg, we hear more about what made this show so special (the first show filmed in front of a live audience, for example) instead of simply "how funny it was".
While there is a bit of "happy talk" scattered throughout this program, this piece does offer a nice mixture of celebrity interviews (Lily Tomlin, Dick Van Dyke, Whoopi Goldberg, Cher, Paul Rodriquez, etc) and discussion of the ten "fan favorite" episodes. We also tag along as children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Junior travel to their mother's childhood home, which becomes an emotional and moving experience. The special also shows a few great clips, such as Desi warming up the live audience before a taping, along with some minor clips from the rare pilot episode.
I certainly didn't go into this special with high expectations: most of these programs simply recall some of the show's finer moments and provide heaping helpings of praise in-between. While this piece didn't always stray from those expectations, I was very pleased that the producers have attempted (and succeeded) to provide a fine mix of affectionate praise and interesting facts about the show's influence on our culture, some of which I wasn't entirely aware of. This "50th Anniversary" program is good stuff - and that compliment is coming from someone who was never really a fan of the show.
The DVD
VIDEO: This special is presented in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio and, of course, is a mixture of new interviews in color and clips in B & W. The picture quality is actually quite good and fairly consistent. The older B & W clips offer less wear & tear than I'd expected, while the color clips looked bright and sharp. Aside from some shimmer, no concerns appeared. Overall, a very nice presentation of the material.
SOUND: The stereo soundtrack is basic, with dialogue and the light background score being the focus.
EXTRAS: Nothing.
Final Thoughts: "I Love Lucy: 50th Anniversary" is a pleasant walk down memory lane, recalling the significance of the show and highlighting some of its finest moments. Paramount's DVD is bare bones, but it does offer fine audio/video quality and is available at a decent price. Recommended for fans.
While this DVD edition of the "I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary Special" isn't anything much - all we get is the main program - the piece itself is a more-than-involving look back at the history behind this groundbreaking television comedy. Introduced by Whoopi Goldberg, we hear more about what made this show so special (the first show filmed in front of a live audience, for example) instead of simply "how funny it was".
While there is a bit of "happy talk" scattered throughout this program, this piece does offer a nice mixture of celebrity interviews (Lily Tomlin, Dick Van Dyke, Whoopi Goldberg, Cher, Paul Rodriquez, etc) and discussion of the ten "fan favorite" episodes. We also tag along as children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Junior travel to their mother's childhood home, which becomes an emotional and moving experience. The special also shows a few great clips, such as Desi warming up the live audience before a taping, along with some minor clips from the rare pilot episode.
I certainly didn't go into this special with high expectations: most of these programs simply recall some of the show's finer moments and provide heaping helpings of praise in-between. While this piece didn't always stray from those expectations, I was very pleased that the producers have attempted (and succeeded) to provide a fine mix of affectionate praise and interesting facts about the show's influence on our culture, some of which I wasn't entirely aware of. This "50th Anniversary" program is good stuff - and that compliment is coming from someone who was never really a fan of the show.
The DVD
VIDEO: This special is presented in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio and, of course, is a mixture of new interviews in color and clips in B & W. The picture quality is actually quite good and fairly consistent. The older B & W clips offer less wear & tear than I'd expected, while the color clips looked bright and sharp. Aside from some shimmer, no concerns appeared. Overall, a very nice presentation of the material.
SOUND: The stereo soundtrack is basic, with dialogue and the light background score being the focus.
EXTRAS: Nothing.
Final Thoughts: "I Love Lucy: 50th Anniversary" is a pleasant walk down memory lane, recalling the significance of the show and highlighting some of its finest moments. Paramount's DVD is bare bones, but it does offer fine audio/video quality and is available at a decent price. Recommended for fans.
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