Home Movies - Season Three
Critics and fans alike have described the third season ofHome Moviesas the animated series' finest moments, and now viewers that haven't immersed themselves in the wry and offbeat world of 8-year-old Brendon Small and his friends will get a chance to see for themselves with this three-disc set. Part of the reason for the season's high marks among admirers is the readjustment of its focus to rest squarely on the squiggly shoulders of Brendon (voiced by series co-creator Brendon Small) and his pals Melissa (Melissa Bardin Galsky) and Jason (writer Jon Benjamin) as they navigate the hazards of parents, adults (like the always odd Coach McGuirk), and school itself, and capture it all in their films. The shift allows for more development of these three unique characters, and in turn, their unique perspective sharpens the humor in the bizarre circumstances they often find themselves in, like a berserk Renaissance faire (the much-lauded "Renaissance"), detention hall ("Time to Pay the Price"), and in the path of an oncoming storm ("Storm Warning").WhileHome Moviesis unquestionably funny and eclectic, the show also has a sweet side, which is best summed up in the season closer, "Coffins and Cradles." That this warm and affectionate aspect never comes across as treacly is both a credit to the show's creators, and another reason why fans have taken the show to their hearts and helped bring it back from a premature demise in its first season. Said followers get an amusing nod in the set's supplemental features; the short featurette "SomeHome MoviesFans" sets to music some photos of the fans greeting the creators at a convention, while actor/co-writer Jon Benjamin's "A Featurette for People Who Don't Necessarily LikeHome Movies" should charm longtime aficionados with amusing testimony from the likes of David Cross and Todd Barry. Viewers can also have fun with the "Decide Your Own Doom Interactive Game," which allows them to participate in an adventure (of sorts) based on "Renaissance." Finally, there are commentaries by Small and co-creator Loren Bouchard on seven episodes, as well as a lengthy radio interview with Bouchard and Benjamin. Though there's enough in this set to charm the diehard admirer and the first-time visitor to theHome Moviesmini-verse, another season (the series' last) followed.--Paul Gaita