The Halloween episodes of “Roseanne” are probably some of the best moments on the series and very much a part of the tradition of ABC sitcoms to embrace Halloween as a fun and festive holiday. In the nineties, many ABC shows had Halloween specials. “Full House” had a few, “Family Matters” had some, and of course, “Home Improvement” often rivaled “Roseanne” in the Halloween department with their own hilarious specials celebrating the Halloween holiday. “Roseanne” however had a more home grown atmosphere toward their Halloween episodes, and most of them are absolutely entertaining. Much like the entire series, as the Halloween episodes go on, they utterly diminish in quality, but they’re still a wonderful tradition of the series.
Category Archives: Collector’s Den
Roseanne: The Complete Fifth Season (DVD)
With the rising star status of Roseanne from acclaimed female comedian to basic household name, Roseanne completely changed in season five from a light hearted show about a poor family trying to get by, to a darker but still very funny series revolving around family dysfunction, the pain family can inflict on us, and the struggles of women more than anything. Men became more evil and oafish as the series continued in to season five, and the lovable but hard working Dan Conner turned in to the lovable and somewhat moronic Dan Conner who still had good intentions. The shift is gradual but noticeable. And most of the season’s storylines revolve around the pain men can inflict, and how weak women can be around men they love.
Roseanne: The Complete Sixth Season (DVD)
One of the many things “Roseanne” Season Six has going for it is the casting of Michael O’Keefe as Jackie’s love interest Fred, who is the often mild mannered and funny boyfriend who is mostly played to react off of the dysfunction and lunacy of the Conners most times. It’s a shame O’Keefe was never brought on to be a permanent cast member like Johnny Galecki or Glenn Quinn, since the character’s mild temperament makes for some instant laughs. This season is much more a shift as the series continues its glimpse in to dysfunction and family pain while also shifting the cast yet again.
The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fifth Season (DVD) (2011)
“The Big Bang Theory” is currently my favorite sitcom on television and in its fifth season, it’s managed to show that its characters have evolved greatly since the pilot. Only four years ago, the series was very much about four geniuses who learned how to socialize thanks to their sexy and ditzy neighbor. And now in its fifth season, the characters have grown, changed, and evolved.
The cast grew from an original five in to seven characters, and the once womanizing obnoxious Howard Wolowitz is a man on the verge of marriage and experiencing a major step forward in his career as an engineer. As with all the seasons of the series, this season is ripe with geek references and major geek guest stars, and it doesn’t let its fan base down a bit.
Green Lantern: Animated Series – Series One, Part One (DVD)
Apparently now there are multiple colors of the Lantern and multiple sources of emotions that can fuel power. And none of it has to do with merchandising. That bit if cynicism aside, Green Lantern gets his much overdue animated series from the Cartoon Network here in America and leads what is a pretty entertaining action science fiction series overall. It’s not as sophisticated as “Batman” or “Justice League” and rarely exciting as “Batman Beyond,” but as a Bruce Timm byproduct it serves its purpose as entertaining science fiction fodder that thankfully pretends the movie never existed.
Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos: The Complete Series (DVD)
Ah, Chuck Norris, you were once an interesting figure of the eighties, even before you were revealed as a homophobic uber-patriotic. Back in the eighties once Norris was allowed to become an action star with no actual competition in the kung fu arena, Norris was appealing to just about every medium of entertainment, including the animated medium. Enter “Karate Kommandos.” Why it has Commandos spelled with a K is beyond me, but it’s Chuck Norris, you just have to go with the flow whenever Walker is concerned.
Sci-Fi Invasion: 50 Movie Set (DVD)
Do me a favor. If and when you buy “Sci-Fi Invasion – 50 Movie Set,” be sure to skip all of the features temporarily and pop in the DVD of “Future Hunters.” This Robert Patrick vehicle is perhaps one of the most inept and inadvertently hilarious movies ever made with a plot so convoluted and nonsensical it’s a pedigree above sucky and dabbles occasionally in to retarded. There’s post-apocalyptic nomads fighting over a spear of some kind, and Robert Patrick getting his ass kicked by literally everyone as the film’s inept protagonist who helps a young archaeologist find a way to keep the sacred spear from some evil collectors.