Amazon.com video review:
Fans of South Park, Comedy Central's wildly successful
animated sitcom that's become a cultural phenomenon, can save cash by
purchasing all three of the available volumes in this one blandly
packaged box set. Each volume contains two episodes from the show's
hilarious first season, plus two very tongue-in-cheek, self-mocking
fireside chats with cocreators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The
controversial cartoon gained a devoted cult following for its
wonderfully unabashed assaults on dull sitcom formulas and political
correctness. While the show's animation is beyond primitive, with
goofy construction-paper cutouts acting as characters, its writing is
hilariously shocking and pushes the envelope of good taste off the
table. The six episodes explore the small mountain town of South Park
from the point of view of four foul-mouthed yet lovable
8-year-olds. They include level-headed coleaders Stan and Kyle;
the fat, terminally pissed off, and hysterical Eric Cartman; and the
hooded, incoherent Kenny (who dies in every episode). As such, it's
stuffed with toilet humor, graphic violence, and profanity; but
South Park also cleverly subverts TV clichés and acts as
a scorching satire of America's hypocritical attitudes toward social
problems like racism, homophobia, jingoism, neglectful parenting,
euthanasia, and so on. Tape 1 includes the sci-fi parody pilot, "Cartman
Gets an Anal Probe," and "Volcano," a send-up of Hollywood disaster
movies and a commentary on hunting. Tape 2 includes the show's
sharpest social critique, "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride," along with
"Weight Gain 4000." Finally, tape 3 wraps up the collection in
outrageous style with "An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig," about genetic
cloning, and "Death," which tackles euthanasia and, appropriately,
offensive television. --Dave McCoy
Amazon.com video review:
Volume 4 of South Park on home video couples 1997's
Halloween special, "Pinkeye," with the Omen-parody,
"Damien." In "Pinkeye," the town finds itself in the midst of an
epidemic of zombie-ism spawned by the mix of embalming fluid and
Worcestershire sauce in the cadaver of the bundled, mumbling
Kenny--who, for a change, dies at the beginning of the show. Outside
of being one of the more particularly gruesome and gory South
Parks, this episode is packed with all of the satire and dark
societal humor typical of creators Parker and Stone. Highlights
include Cartman's Hitler and subsequent KKK costume and Chef's zombie
dance à la Michael Jackson's "Thriller" choreography.
"Damien" has the makings of a classic both for its boxing match
between Jesus (of the public access, call-in show Jesus and
Pals) and the 350-pound red Beezelbub and for the twistedly
excessive celebration of Cartman's birthday. Viewers will find some of
the funniest Cartman lines here. He basks in the attention his
birthday brings by assigning out gifts to party invitees and stuffing
himself with pie, cake, and ice cream, provided by the eerily pleasant
Mrs. Cartman, of course. A great pairing of great episodes. One note:
even though South Park is animated, it's not for children. --Karen
Karleski
Amazon.com video review:
Volume 5 of South Park on home video pairs two
thematic, daring episodes that are among the louder commentary of
creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. "Starvin' Marvin" (1997's
Thanksgiving episode) touches on the opposing ideas of starvation and
eating in an attack on townspeople by genetically altered turkeys
while the boys adopt an Ethiopian boy accidentally sent to them via
airmail (they really wanted the complimentary sports watch). An acidic
portrayal of Sally Struthers spices this episode, and though the idea
of "Marvin" is at first difficult to swallow, the searing hilarity
provokes thought. Pointed and very funny.
"Mecha Streisand" was a chance for Parker and Stone to unleash their
hatred of Barbra Streisand (as they capriciously state in their filmed
introduction). Paying tribute to the Japanese monster-duel movies of
the 1960s like Godzilla, the story hilariously portrays
Streisand as a rich, egomaniacal celebrity (wonder why) hell-bent on
finding the missing relic that will transform her into a giant metal
Barbra--a monster who crushes South Park's buildings at one moment
while pausing to sign an autograph for Kyle's mother the next. Another
highlight of "Mecha-Streisand" is the portrayal of a cynical,
laid-back Leonard Maltin who, teamed with Sydney Poitier and Robert
Smith of the Cure, band together to battle the evil "Mecha-Streisand."
Don't miss "Mecha-Streisand." (For adults only.) --Karen
Karleski
Amazon.com video review:
South Park built to a frenzy with
its two-part special, "Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut" and "Cartman's
Mother Is Still a Dirty Slut." Who is Cartman's father? Chef? Chief
Running Water? The 1991 Denver Broncos? Well, folks following the saga
on Comedy Central were left wondering an extra week, because an April
Fools' special was shown between parts 1 and 2, an episode of The
Terrance and Phillip Show, the favorite program of young South
Parkers. And quite the April Fools' prank it was--even diehard
South Park fans may find an entire half hour of Terrance and
Phillip to be too much. The flatulence-loving Canadians are subject to
a soap-opera plot, in which Terrance is accused of murder, is plotted
against by Saddam Hussein, and has a daughter with Celine Dion--all
within the first five minutes. Drawn in the same chopped-head style of
South Park's Ike, this show is bound to offend everyone, and
thereby will probably greatly appeal to adolescent boys. One amusing
note, though, is the metacartoon aspect: Terrance and Phillip
entertain themselves by watching South Park on TV. While the
mockery of Celine Dion and the portrayal of Saddam Hussein taking over
Canada are vaguely amusing, unless you're a tremendous fan of farting
humor, you're better off sticking with the original South Park
videos, which seem almost mature in comparison. --Jenny Brown
Amazon.com video review:
Volume 6 bundles together 1997's holidays specials,
"Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" and "Tom's Rhinoplasty." Outside of the
usual mocking social commentary and piercing wit from writers Parker
and Stone, viewers will find some great musical performances in the
"Mr. Hankey" episode: Kyle's "I'm a Lonely Jew on Christmas" lament;
Mr. Hankey's "Howdy-Ho;" Chef's original, yuletide song (as only Chef
can do); Cartman's "Kyle's Mom Is a Bitch;" and the finale chorus of
the "Mr. Hankey" theme. While the town works to put on a
"nondenominational, nonoffensive" school play, Kyle tries to convince
family and friends that yes, indeed, the Christmas turd in a red Santa
hat that sang and danced in his bathroom is real. The "Mr. Hankey"
episode contains the debut of the hilariously true-to-life "um-kay"
school counselor, Mr. Macki--who after talking with Kyle about his
delusions of a poo, calls him "a twisted, little monkey." Also,
included is the unforgettably sick and repulsively funny Mr. Hankey
play-kit commercial. Of course, in the end, after all is parodied and
sung, people come together in the name of, um, the holidays, I guess.
If "Mr. Hankey" is the South Park musical, then "Tom's
Rhinoplasty" is the vomiting special (e.g., Mr. Garrison and
Stan). Teacher Mr. Garrison takes a leave of absence to have plastic
surgery (which turns his face into the cut-out of David
Hasselhoff's--a bizarre effect difficult to watch at first) while the
good looks of his substitute, Ms. Ellen, sends the boys reeling into
lovey-dovey land. As they compete to woo Ms. Ellen during Valentine's
Day season (Cartman: "I'm gonna buy her a vacuum cleaner; chicks love
vacuum cleaners…."), Wendy Testaburger's jealousy festers and grows
into an explosively funny climax (due in part to the twists on
Ms. Ellen's character). Volume 6 is not to be missed... except by
your children, of course. --Karen Karleski
Amazon.com video review:
Best of South Park is right. These two episodes--Rainforest Schmainforest and Chinpoko Mon--represent the potty-mouthed Colorado kids at their most hilarious and cutting, ruthlessly skewering politically correct environmentalism and toy-buying frenzy. In Rainforest Schmainforest our heroic foursome is drafted into the environmentally conscious singing group "Getting Gay with Kids," who sing pop confections about saving the rainforests, complete with variety-show-caliber choreography. On a Central American field trip, escorted by their earnest group leader (voiced by Jennifer Aniston), the kids get lost in the rainforest they're supposed to be saving and find it filled with poisonous snakes and unfriendly natives. Needless to say, the rainforest sucks. Chinpoko Mon, on the other hand, finds the kids in thrall of something that doesn't suck--the immensely popular line of Japanese toys that bears not a little resemblance to Pokémon. In their fervor to collect them all, they don't realize they're falling prey to a Japanese plot to take over the United States, in retaliation for World War II. Chock-full of hilarious details--including market testing for rival toys, and the fact that one of the collectible toys is named "Shoe" (and is indeed just a plain shoe)--Chinpoko Mon scored South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker an Emmy nomination and showcases the TV show at its satiric best. As always, the usual disclaimers apply--this cartoon isn't for kids (especially when the Japanese toy-makers try to distract the Americans by showing them their "very tiny penises--so small!") but for culturally savvy adults. Also includes part 2 of the British documentary Goin' Down to South Park. --Mark Englehart
Amazon.com video review:
This, volume 1 of three, contains two episodes from the first
season of South Park, Comedy Central's wildly successful
animated sitcom. In addition, viewers get two very tongue-in-cheek
fireside chats with co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The
controversial cartoon gained a devoted cult following for its
wonderfully unabashed assaults on dull sitcom formula and political
correctness. While the show's animation is beyond primitive, with
goofy construction-paper cutouts acting as characters, its writing is
hilariously shocking and pushes the envelope of good taste off the
table. Episodes explore the small mountain town of South Park through
the point of view of four foul-mouthed yet lovable
eight-year-olds. They include level-headed co-leaders Stan and Kyle;
the fat, terminally pissed-off, and hysterical Eric Cartman; and the
hooded, incoherent Kenny (who dies in every episode). As such, it's
stuffed with toilet humor, graphic violence, and profanity; but
South Park also cleverly subverts TV clichés and acts as
a scorching, very frank satire of America's hypocritical attitudes
toward social problems like racism, homophobia, jingoism, and
neglectful parenting. This volume is a perfect introduction to the
show, as it sets up the town's numerous and warped characters and many
of South Park's quotable catch phrases. The first, "Cartman
Gets an Anal Probe," is basically minor, though funny, as it sends up
UFO conspiracy freaks and shows like The X-Files when Kyle's
little brother, Ike, is abducted and the boys must get him back. The
second, "Volcano," mocks Hollywood's fascination with disaster movies,
as an erupting volcano threatens the town. Better, though, is its
subplot: when the kids are taken hunting, Stan is unable to pull the
trigger, and is ridiculed as weak and sick, thus mocking a prevailing
mindset among those who kill for sport. --Dave McCoy
Amazon.com video review:
Would you like to see an episode of
South Park in which, for once, Kenny doesn't die? Then volume
10 may be just what you're looking for. "Flashbacks" finds the kids
reminiscing over old times while stranded in their school bus, which
is teetering on the edge of a cliff. While Mrs. Crabtree goes off for
help (and instead finds a hunky truck driver), the kids go over some
of the best memories of their short lives, including Cartman's
realization that his father really was Broncos quarterback John Elway
(psych). There are a lot of plot twists on stories you may have seen
and you may wonder why everything's so out of whack--until the nicely
bundled ending. This is a solid two-episode pack that includes the
funny "Summer Sucks," in which Cartman just can't seem to find a
swimming pool free of weeing first graders. --Karen
K. Hugg
Amazon.com video review:
Animators Trey Parker and Matt Stone poke barbed fun at the Sundance Film Festival and its band of shallow Hollywood producers and hangers-on in this first of two South Park episodes in volume 11. While Chef tries to capitalize on South Park's influx of visitors by cooking up chocolate confections with the appetizing yet repulsive name of "Chef's Salty Chocolate Balls," Mr. Hanky chokes in the sewer from increased sewage flow. This last bit of plot is the hardest to (pardon the expression) swallow, but beyond this it's a wickedly funny tale that rips on Hollywood fads and pseudo-intellectual film lovers. "Chickenpox" is the wildly hilarious story of the boys' parents working together to get the boys to catch chickenpox by staying overnight at Kenny's poor, waffles-for-dinner home. When the boys discover they've been deceived and have "chicken herpes," they seek devious revenge using a herpes-laden prostitute whose antics will make you both cringe in offended horror and laugh hysterically at the same time. --Karen Karleski
Amazon.com video review:
A bit stale with cuss words and easy, mindless insults, South Park, Volume 12 offers "Roger Ebert Should Lay off the Fatty Foods" and "Clubhouses," two decent episodes that will please fans but not necessarily convert newbies. "Roger Ebert" tells the story of the local planetarium, about to go out of business, and its manager hypnotizing school children in order to save it. There are some funny moments here, mostly within the subplot of Cartman auditioning for the Cheesy Poofs commercial, but the much better half of this video is "Clubhouses." Stan and Kyle race against Cartman and Kenny to build clubhouses in order to play truth or dare with girls. In the meantime, Stan's parents are bickering and suddenly divorce, and Stan must cope with the change while pressured by Wendy and Bebe to finish the clubhouse. This is a fertile story, pitting young, experimental attraction against old, tired relationships inside a hilarious script that pokes fun at resentments common to long-married couples and parodies divorcés and their new lovers. A strong episode that could've been just as amusing without Bebe's dull references to Kyle's butt. --Karen Karleski
Amazon.com video review:
Not exactly the gift pack to gently introduce South Park
virgins to the joys of this TV series, the fourth set functions better as a
present for devoted fans. It kicks off with "Flashbacks," an episode
retracing many of the early classic episodes--with surprise twists, of
course, before celebrating South Park during the summer, complete with
fireworks and kiddie pee-pee swimming pools. Volume 11 captures the day
the Sundance Film Festival came to South Park in "Chef's Salty Chocolate
Balls," complete with Hollywood's short attention spans and
faux intellectualism, while "Chicken Pox" is an unbelievably gross yet
very funny episode dealing in the boys' parents' attempts at getting them
chicken pox for their own health. To round out this lovely set are
"Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods"--a tired title for a
somewhat tired episode--and "Clubhouses," the much more daring and
hilarious of the two in which ideas of love, attraction, marriage, and
divorce are all sharply parodied. A solid gift pack with classic
South Park schtick. --Karen K. Hugg
Amazon.com video review:
This, volume 2 of three, contains two episodes from the first
season of South Park, Comedy Central's wildly successful
animated sitcom. In addition, viewers get two very tongue-in-cheek
fireside chats with cocreators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The
controversial cartoon gained a devoted cult following for its
wonderfully unabashed assaults on dull sitcom formula and politically
correctness. While the show's animation is beyond primitive, with
goofy construction-paper cutouts acting as characters, its writing is
hilariously shocking and pushes the envelope of good taste off the
table. Episodes explore the small mountain town of South Park through
the point of view of four foul-mouthed yet lovable
eight-year-olds. They include level-headed co-leaders Stan and Kyle;
the fat, terminally pissed-off, and hysterical Eric Cartman; and the
hooded, incoherent Kenny (who dies in every episode). As such, it's
stuffed with toilet humor, graphic violence, and profanity, but
South Park also cleverly subverts TV clichés, and acts
as a scorching satire of America's hypocritical attitudes toward
social problems like racism, homophobia, jingoism, neglectful
parenting. The finest example is "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride."
When Stan's dog, Sparky, begins showing signs of homosexuality, the
boys can't cope and try to change his nature until he finally runs
away to a gay pet sanctuary. Meanwhile, Parker and Stone underscore
the social ignorance by mirroring this with a huge, macho football
game that demands all of the town's interest. Rarely has gay
commentary been this pointed or clever on television. "Weight Gain
4000," while humorous, is the weakest of the early episodes and
displays the show's unfortunately repeated fixation with celebrities
and popular culture. As the town prepares for the arrival of Kathy Lee
Gifford, one of her bitter former classmates prepares to settle an old
score, Taxi Driver-style. --Dave McCoy
Amazon.com video review:
This, volume 3 of three, contains two episodes from the first
season of South Park, Comedy Central's wildly successful
animated sitcom. In addition, viewers get two very tongue-in-cheek
fireside chats with co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The
controversial cartoon gained a devoted cult following for its
wonderfully unabashed assaults on dull sitcom formula and politically
correctness. While the show's animation is beyond primitive, with
goofy construction-paper cutouts acting as characters, its writing is
hilariously shocking and pushes the envelope of good taste off the
table. Episodes explore the small mountain town of South Park through
the point of view of four foul-mouthed yet lovable
eight-year-olds. They include level-headed co-leaders Stan and Kyle;
the fat, terminally pissed-off, and hysterical Eric Cartman; and the
hooded, incoherent Kenny (who dies in every episode). As such, it's
stuffed with toilet humor, graphic violence, and profanity; but
South Park also cleverly subverts TV clichés and acts as
a scorching satire of America's hypocritical attitude towards social
problems like racism, homophobia, jingoism, neglectful parenting,
etc. Of the three volumes currently available, this is the finest. "An
Elephant Makes Love to a Pig," is a crazy, raunchy look at genetic
cloning--not to mention a parody of Marlon Brando's embarrassing
performance in The
Island of Dr. Moreau--as the boys try to win a science fair by
mating Kyle's pet elephant with Cartman's pot-bellied pig. "Death"
addresses both euthanasia and, self-consciously, offensive
television. As Stan's 102-year-old grandfather tries to get anyone to
off him, South Park parents try and get their kids' favorite TV
show--starring the farting, swearing duo, "Terrence and
Phillip"--tossed off the air. --Dave McCoy
Amazon.com video review:
Four foul-mouthed tykes in parkas and wool caps navigate the
treacherous snows of adolescence such as puppy love, sibling jealousy, and
alien abduction in the cartoon that celebrates the American art of bad
taste with crude, cut-out animation and construction-paper color.
The pilot episode, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe," establishes the tone and
style of all episodes to come: gentle homilies and childhood innocence
arising from a twisted plot with grotesque and bizarre twists, in this case
involving UFOs, flaming flatulence, and a 20-foot antenna array that
springs
out of Cartman's butt. In "Volcano" the boys learn the masculine art of
hunting endangered species and meet the mythic wilderness monster
Scuzzlebutt while oozing lava threatens their town. In "Weight Gain 4000,"
"big boned" Cartman decides he must slam dietary supplements to beef up for
a TV appearance with Kathy Lee Gifford, while Mr. Garrison (egged on by
insidious hand puppet Mr. Hat) plots his revenge. Finally, Stan learns
tolerance in "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride" while his elementary school
struggles to beat the 72-point spread in the big homecoming game--a major
event in a town where many citizens never got past the fifth grade.
Sweater-garbed creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone introduce each episode in
bizarre
fireside chats in which they proclaim every episode their "very favorite" as
they exchange longing, moon-eyed glances and their dog Old Scratch changes
size and breed from shot to shot. --Sean Axmaker
Amazon.com video review:
Four more episodes from Comedy Central's animated sitcom South Park are included in the second volume of this series. In "An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig," a crazy, raunchy look at genetic cloning (as well as a parody of Marlon Brando's embarrassing performance in The Island of Dr. Moreau), the boys try to win a science fair by mating Kyle's pet elephant with Cartman's pot-bellied pig. "Death" addresses both euthanasia and, self-consciously, offensive television. As Stan's 102-year-old grandfather tries to get someone to off him, South Park parents try to get their kids' favorite TV show--starring the farting, swearing duo Terrence and Phillip--tossed off the air. In "Pinkeye," the town finds itself in the midst of an epidemic of zombie-ism spawned by the mix of embalming fluid and Worcestershire sauce in the cadaver of the bundled, mumbling Kenny--who, for a change, dies at the beginning of the show. "Damien" has the makings of a classic, both for its boxing match between Jesus (of the public access, call-in show Jesus and Pals) and the 350-pound red Beelzebub as well as for the twisted and excessive celebration of Cartman's birthday. Viewers will find some of the funniest Cartman lines here. He basks in the attention his birthday brings by assigning out gifts to party invitees and stuffing himself with pie, cake, and ice cream, all provided by the eerily pleasant Mrs. Cartman, of course. --Karen Karleski
Amazon.com video review:
Volume 3 of South Park on DVD contains four episodes from 1997. "Starvin' Marvin" (a Thanksgiving episode) features an attack on the townspeople by genetically altered turkeys while the boys adopt an Ethiopian boy accidentally sent to them via airmail. "Mecha Streisand" was a chance for the program's creators to unleash their hatred of Barbra Streisand. Paying tribute to the Japanese monster duel movies of the 1960s, the story hilariously portrays Streisand as a rich, egomaniacal celebrity hell-bent on finding the missing relic that will transform her into a giant metal Barbra--a monster that crushes South Park's buildings at one moment while pausing to sign an autograph for Kyle's mother the next. Viewers will find some great musical performances in the "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo": Kyle's "I'm a Lonely Jew on Christmas" lament; Mr. Hankey's "Howdy-Ho"; Chef's original, yuletide song (as only Chef can do); Cartman's "Kyle's Mom Is a Bitch"; and the finale chorus of the "Mr. Hankey" theme. While the town works to put on a "nondenominational, non-offensive" school play, Kyle tries to convince family and friends that yes, indeed, the Christmas turd in a red Santa hat that sang and danced in his bathroom is real. If "Mr. Hankey" is the South Park musical, then "Tom's Rhinoplasty" is the vomiting special. Teacher Mr. Garrison takes a leave of absence to have plastic surgery while the good looks of his substitute, Ms. Ellen, send the boys reeling into lovey-dovey land. As they compete to woo Ms. Ellen during Valentine's Day season, Wendy Testaburger's jealousy festers and grows into an explosively funny climax (due in part to the twists on Ms. Ellen's character). --Karen Karleski
Amazon.com video review:
Brace yourself for more of South Park's gross, goofy satire, with three outrageous episodes starring South Park Elementary's most special student. The first bit of animated anarchy introduces wheelchair-bound Timmy, the new "special needs" kid and unlikely school hero. After shortsighted grownups diagnose him with Attention Deficit Disorder, a Ritalin prescription becomes a get-out-of-homework-free card for all of South Park's preteens. The zombified kids shake off their pharmaceutical stupor when Timmy's new headbangin' group takes on a villainous Phil Collins in a battle of the bands. But that's not the last of Timmy. The next time show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone wheel Timmy out, it's to save the class from the frightening new fourth-grade teacher, who terrifies the kids into building a time machine out of Timmy's electric wheelchair. Finally, Timmy's fondness for a "different" turkey threatens to undermine the massive musical spectacle of the fourth-grade Thanksgiving play. (Warning to the weak-stomached: this episode includes a flashing montage of some very disturbing film images, a good reminder that South Park is not a kids' cartoon.) These episodes, while not as groundbreaking as the early shows, share the same sarcastic creed: leave no sacred cow unskewered. Pharmaceutical companies and factory farms are targeted by the same socially aware spitballs as Soylent Green, The Empire Strikes Back, Phil Collins, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. --Grant Balfour
Amazon.com video review:
On this second collection of South Park episodes,
there's more biting humor in the adventures of those lovable
8-year-olds in South Park, Colorado. This three-tape gift pack
features such favorites as "Damien," "Mecha-Streisand," and "Tom's
Rhinoplasty," as well as the Halloween, Thanksgiving, and holidays
specials. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are back
too--introducing episodes with their special brand of syrupy, sardonic
film shorts--this time donned in Western cowboy apparel as
"rootin'-tootin' Trey Parker" and "gun-slinging Matt Stone," complete
with canned callbacks from children à la Howdy Doody and
an Indian companion named "Indian Companion" (played by an
unidentified white guy). This second gift pack will well satisfy fans
while pleasing new viewers as all episodes gathered are fresh,
outrageous, and entertaining. While the first gift pack includes
gems like "Weight Gain 4000" and "Volcano," it also featured some of
Parker and Stone's more predictable shock-humor episodes. this gift
pack, however--though certainly containing shock humor (who can forget
Mr. Hanky, the Christmas poo?)--is devoid of any episodes worth
skipping over. It's nothing but the choicest South Park
hilarity: Cartman's Hitler Halloween costume, the Jesus versus Satan
boxing match, Barbra Streisand's evil plot to rule the world,
Mr. Garrison's David Hasselhoff face, Sally Struthers, Mr. Hanky--it's
all here ... for adults, that is. --Karen Karleski
Amazon.com video review:
Four foul-mouthed tykes in parkas and wool caps navigate the treacherous snows of adolescence, such as puppy love, sibling jealousy, and alien abduction, in the cartoon that celebrates the American art of bad taste with crude, cutout animation and construction-paper color. This collection contains all the episodes from previously collected in three separate volumes. Highlights of this winning set include the pilot, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe," which establishes the tone and style of all episodes to come. As with other episodes, gentle homilies about childhood innocence arise from a twisted plot with grotesque and bizarre twists--in this case involving UFOs, flaming flatulence, and a 20-foot antenna array that springs out of Cartman's butt. In "Weight Gain 4000," "big-boned" Cartman decides he must slam dietary supplements to beef up for a TV appearance with Kathy Lee Gifford, while Mr. Garrison (egged on by insidious hand puppet Mr. Hat) plots his revenge. "Damien" has the makings of a classic, both for its boxing match between Jesus (of the public access, call-in show Jesus and Pals) and the 350-pound red Beelzebub as well as for the twisted and excessive celebration of Cartman's birthday. "Starvin' Marvin" (1997's Thanksgiving episode) features an attack on the townspeople by genetically altered turkeys while the boys adopt an Ethiopian boy accidentally sent to them via airmail. Other episodes included in this set are "Volcano," "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride," "An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig," "Death," "Pinkeye," "Mecha Streisand," "Tom's Rhinoplasty," and the musical extravaganza of "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo." --Sean Axmaker
Amazon.com video review:
The seventh volume of the South Park
series contains the classic two-part "Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut"
and "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut." Now you don't have to be
left hanging to find out who Cartman's dad is (is it Chief Running
Water? Officer Barbrady? Mr. Garrison? The 1991 Denver Broncos?).
In these two soap-opera-type episodes, Cartman demands to know who his
father is and gets a charming explanation of how babies are made from
his mother: "Sometimes the man puts his hoo-hoo-dilly in the woman's
cha-cha." But Mrs. Cartman was with so many men at the 12th
annual drunken barn dance that it requires a DNA test to determine
Eric's father. Luckily, Kyle and Stan enter a video of Cartman's
stuffed-animal tea party in America's Stupidest Videos, and win
the $3,000 dollars that is needed for the test. But, before Mephesto
can reveal the outcome, he's shot by an unknown assailant. Meanwhile,
a major snow storm traps the adults of South Park in the school gym
where they're re-creating the attempted murder for America's Most
Wanted; and there's only one way they can survive the storm:
cannibalism. This hysterical South Park doesn't disappoint with
the ending (you'll never guess who Cartman's father really is) and
provides many memorable quotes. (Cartman singing the Styx's "Sail
Away" is irresistible.) Yes, this is a fun animated series, but unless
you're ready to do some serious explaining to your kids, remember it's
meant for adults. --Jenny Brown
Amazon.com video review:
The 8-year-olds of South Park are
back in Volume 8, which includes the hilarious episodes "Chicken
Lover" and "Ike's Wee Wee." In "Chicken Lover," someone in South Park
is copulating with chickens (only it's phrased a bit more
indelicately); unfortunately Officer Barbrady is unable to decipher
the clue notes--he can't read. Forced back to elementary school,
Barbrady deputizes the kids to restore order in town, as he tries to
master the alphabet. Eric Cartman rules with an iron fist ("You will
respect my authoritay!"), and we all learn a powerful moral: "Reading
totally sucks ass."
Kyle is excited about Ike's upcoming party in "Ike's Wee Wee," and some new
thing called a "bris." When he discovers exactly what that entails, he
plots to save poor Ike from circumcision--until he learns a secret about
his baby brother. Meanwhile, Mr. Mackey, after a stirring anti-drug speech at
the school ("And, uh, as for drugs, well, drugs are bad. You shouldn't do
drugs"), passes some marijuana around for the kids to smell. When the pot
disappears, he's fired. With no money, no job, and kicked out of his
apartment, Mr. Mackey escapes into a life of alcohol, pot, and LSD. You
haven't seen an animated acid trip until you've seen Mr. Mackey's head
floating like a balloon. Yes, South Park is a fun animated series. But
unless you're ready to do some serious explaining to your kids, remember
it's meant for adults. --Jenny Brown
Amazon.com video review:
The Comedy Channel's animated series
South Park has been known to push the envelope on good
taste. The first episode on Volume 9, however, jumps into the
stratosphere of pure bizarreness. "Conjoined Fetus Lady" is the story
of the school nurse who has a still-born fetus growth attached to her
face. In a misguided effort to eliminate discrimination in South Park,
Kyle's mom proposes Conjoined Twin Myslexia Week to enhance awareness
about the malady. Meanwhile, the kids of South Park are traveling the
world to compete in that most sadistic of all school events: dodge
ball.
The second episode on this video is "The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern
Sri Lanka." The kids need to talk to Vietnam vets for a school project, but
when they report back with Jimbo and Ned's stories of amusement park rides
in 'Nam, Mr. Garrison accuses them of lying and flunks them. For revenge,
the kids plant a fake Mexican staring frog of southern Sri Lanka (whose
deadly look has been known to kill) for Jimbo and Ned to air on their TV
show, "Huntin' and Killin'." When the ploy sends their ratings sky high (up
to 12 viewers), Jesus' call-in show ("Jesus and Pals") is forced to enter
a ratings war. It's all great fun, but remember, although this is an
animated series, it is meant for adults. --Jenny Brown
Amazon.com video review:
Cartman's mom sleeping around, a man
sodomizing chickens, and a school nurse with a dead fetus attached to
her face--these are just some of the exciting story lines in the third
South Park gift set. Included is the two-part "Cartman's Mom Is
a Dirty Slut" and "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut," in which Eric
Cartman goes on a quest to discover who his father is. In "Chicken
Lover," someone in town is "making love" with the chickens (the only
way it can be phrased in front of the delicate 8-year-olds of South
Park), but Officer Barbrady can't read the clue notes because he never
learned to read. He deputizes the kids in town when he returns to
school. "Ike's Wee Wee" involves (as if you couldn't guess) Ike's wee
wee, which is about to be circumcised, much to the horror of the kids.
"Conjoined Fetus Lady" is the story of the school nurse who has a dead
fetus attached to the side of her face, and the final episode, "The
Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka," has Jesus competing with
Jimbo and Ned in a TV ratings war. These episodes of South Park
are among the best, but they're better off in the hands of adults; this
is not a kid's animated show. --Jenny Brown
Amazon.com video review:
Don't be fooled by the innocent-sounding title of this South Park
collection: these episodes are as cheerfully rude and impertinent as ever. "A Very Crappy
Christmas" is flush with scatological humor as Mr. Hankey (the Christmas Poo) returns
with a whole family of droppings and celebrates the importance of feces in the circle of
life in song. Hiii-de ho! As an aside, the Christmas commercial the boys create is none
other than Trey Parker and Matt Stone's original video Christmas card "The Spirit of
Christmas." In other episodes, "Cartman's Silly Little Hate Crime 2000" parodies both
O.J. and Oz when Cartman goes to prison; Jesus plans a Las Vegas extravaganza
to celebrate the millennium in "Are You There, God? It's Me, Jesus"; and Cartman starts
a boy band in "Something You Can Do with Your Finger." --Sean Axmaker
