The Simpsons - Go to Hollywood

Hooray for Hollywood! Blahblahblahblahblah blah blahblah…

As the success of The Simpsons started heading ever upwards in one of those heavens-seeking curving curvy things business peoples tend to go all gooshy over, movie stars, pop stars and any old has-been with tickets on themself started clambering to get their head – erm, voice onto the show. While the occasional cameos that appeared early on more often saw stars playing specific characters rather than themselves, it seems that later the producers and writers just couldn’t be shagged going to such effort, as all manner of leading lights and faded fizzles appeared more often than not as themselves, with the stories suffering accordingly for the fetid stench of obviousness their inclusion entailed.

For a supposed bunch of Hollywood-inspired episodes, this isn’t exactly showing the money. Still, getting past the crappy first instalment (which at least lives up to the DVD’s title), there are three pretty good episodes to dig on, even if one of them will already be in any real fan of the show’s collection as it appears within the complete season three set.

Like you know, whatever. Here’s what we get on yet another clunky old VHS compilation given the handball to DVD…

When You Dish Upon a Star (season 10):

Homer manages to avert his gaze from the muffin basket. Briefly…

A family trip to Lake Springfield and a parasailing mishap later sees Homer crashing through a skylight. Not just any skylight, however, it's built-in to the hideaway of Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin. Quickly inveigling himself into the lives of the two movie stars, Homer becomes a personal assistant type dealie, however his inability to keep a secret soon scuppers his newfound friendship as the star-hunting hordes descend…

"If celebrities didn’t want people pawing through their garbage and saying they’re gay, they shouldn’t have tried expressing themselves creatively." – Homer Simpson

Fear of Flying (season 6):

‘Pass the buck’, three of the greatest words in the English language…

After Homer gets banned from Moe’s the search is on for a new watering hole. Ending up at a pilots’ bar and inadvertently being mistaken for a fly-boy, Homer’s inevitable Homerness results in a bribe of a flight for the family to anywhere (well, pretty much anywhere) in the USA as a hush-up. This uncovers Marge’s (latest) secret shame, however, a severe fear of flying for which she undergoes psychiatric help…

"Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off! Let me off!" – Marge Simpson

Krusty Gets Kancelled (season 4):

Oy! What a shlump!

Gabbo! Gabbo! Gabbo! Krusty suddenly has well-promoted competition in the all important 4pm timeslot, and he doesn’t cope at all well. Losing Itchy & Scratchy in favour of Worker & Parasite and eventually his programme itself, all looks destitute for the Krustified one, until Bart and Lisa take it upon themselves to arrange a Krusty komeback special with some of their favourite clown’s oldest pals…

"Arghhh! My face, my valuable face!" – Sideshow Luke Perry

Flaming Moe’s (season 3):

Moe gets ready to party...

Business is bad for Moe, until Homer shows him his secret concoction with a secret ingredient – the Flaming Homer. Rather than giving credit where it’s due, the drink is reinvented as the Flaming Moe, bringing great success to Mr. Szyslak’s establishment and the chance to receive megabucks for the recipe when Tipsy McStaggers want to buy in – until a maddened Homer spills the beans as to just what that secret ingredient actually is at precisely the wrong moment…

"If there was any justice my face would be on a bunch of crappy merchandise!" – Homer Simpson

Oh come on, if you don’t know the drill by now you’re just not very observant. 4:3 as it was made, blahblahblah; early episodes don’t look quite as good as later ones, blahblahblah; odd bits of animation detritus here and there, blahblahblah; generally as good as we’re gonna see it so be grateful, blahblahblah…

Yep, you guessed it, Dolby Digital stereo with surrounding-ness added for the occasional bit of extra sonic woohoo-ness. Talky bits are suitably talkytastic and understandable, music is as cool and orchestratedy as usual, nothing bites anything else on the bum aurally, blahblahblah…

Yawnity, yawnity, yawn yawn yawn – the same old trailers for the first two DVD series sets and four of the compilations that have previously sought the bucks of gullible fans.

Sure it’s only four episodes and yes, one is already in most peoples’ collections. But ultimately is Simpsons on DVD, is good. The techy stuff is all as peachy as could possibly be expected (although some variety in the extras would be appreciated) while the inclusion of the classic Krusty Gets Kancelled seals the deal desirability-wise. If you’re a sucker for all things yellowy and overbitey then this is a must-shell-out-moolah for.

Blahblahblah blah blahblah…