"Turn the Sun Down": Teen summer fun cartoon with Daria. . I saw the preview of this cartoon on Netflix. Seeing the teen characters dancing and having fun on the beach (minus Daria, who sits by herself reading a newspaper - with interruptions), I knew I had to buy this. And I love it!     "Is It Fall Yet?" deals with the main characters' experiences during Summer vacation. The highlight: "The Tom Thing" -as Trent Lane, Jane's musician brother, nicely puts it.  Daria and Tom have fallen in love, and are dating.  Tom and Jane have broken up.  This situation dents the friendship of Daria and Jane.      The two bonus episodes on the dvd ("Fire" and "Dye! Dye, My Darling!")  show how "The Tom Thing" happened.  It's recommended to watch those two bonus episodes FIRST as they lead up to the emotional turmoil and love triangle of Daria, Jane and Tom that is carried over into the movie.     Adding to Daria's anguish, her mother enrolls her to be a camp counselor at the `OK-to-Cry Corral' summer camp.  Working with her are her teachers, dorky Mr. O'Neill and Anthony DeMartino (with his trademark bloodshot eyeball that widens when he's very irritated).    The other `Daria' characters have their own situations.  Lovelorn Jane goes to a bohemian artist retreat that's out of Lawndale.  Dim-witted lovers Kevin and Brittany provide comic relief as they both work as lifeguards at a local pool.  They only have eyes for each other... and I won't go further than that.  Watch the movie, and see for yourselves!  Daria's spoiled brat sister Quinn and her `Fashion Club' gal pals get tutored due to low scores on their PSAT exams.  (How I remember my high school days!  I was a Junior when I took my PSAT exam - and passed it!)  Lead `Fashion Club' member Sandi (with the deep voice) reminds me so much of Khan from Mike Judge's "King of the Hill" series.  Like Khan, Sandi is often sullen-expressioned, and complains a lot!     Mack and Jodie also have their share of the `summertime blues'.  Mack takes a job as an ice-cream vendor, in a truck, and has to put up with bratty kids who aggravate him as they buy ice cream.  His girlfriend Jodie has her share of difficulties as she volunteers at an office, and is up to her neck in work.  The pair doesn't have time to date.      I love the opening 'beach' number with the `Daria' cast frolicking on the beach... and with Daria not participating, of course. It is reminiscent of the "Beach Blanket" 1960's movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Jane, too, is seen isolated on another part of the beach, painting. Her isolation gives proof of her rift with Daria.  The song "Turn the Sun Down", sung by the female band Splendora (who provide the theme song for `Daria'), is playfully catchy! Splendora sounds like the female version of the Beach Boys. The 'beach' segment concludes with the sun going down at the beach at dusk, with the frolickers still dancing...followed, in a dissolve, by the "Daria" logo in a similar 'dusk' color, with the film's title; and Splendora's melodic singing as the song concludes. This is a nice effect.      Another nice effect is in the dvd's Main Menu, with a scene taken from the opening of the `Daria' t.v. series.  A somber Daria is at the movies.  Her fellow moviegoers, surrounding her, are laughing at the scenes from the opening `Beach' segment. "Turn the Sun Down" is played in the background.       At the film's end, there are `Outtakes', which are cute and amusing involving the `Daria' cast.  There are a few gross outtakes also included.    "Is It Fall Yet?" got me interested in the "Daria" t.v. series.  To admit, Daria looks much nicer in her own series than when she was on Beavis and Butt-Head".  I purchased her "Daria Diaries" and "Daria Databases" books to help me get to know the Lawndale characters.  I'm presently reading her `Diaries'.  And I, too, hope that the complete "Daria" series gets released on dvd in the very near future.          But treat yourself to the interesting summer experiences -- as well as the summer fun -- at Lawndale with "Is It Fall Yet?"  And savor Daria's sweet smile at the near-conclusion of the opening sequence in the two bonus episodes.  A little girl in the film asks camp counselor Daria "Do you ever smile??"       The answer is Yes!  And this movie is sure to make you smile.  It's a gem in the "Daria" series!
Output: POS