Seinfeld: Season Five
by Tom Cherones
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Actor: Jason Alexander, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Ruth CohenDirector: Tom Cherones
Brand: SEINFELD,JERRY
Writer: Jerry Seinfeld
Writer: Andy Cowan
Writer: Andy Robin
Writer: Bruce Kirschbaum
Writer: Carol Leifer
Writer: Charlie Rubin
Writer: Larry Charles
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 498 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-11-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Box set; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Full Screen; Subtitled; NTSC
DVD Reviews of Seinfeld: Season Five
DVD Review: 5 Stars for Episodes, 3 for Extras
Summary: 4 Stars
Seinfeld is, in my humble view, the greatest television series ever. In fact, I have almost religiously ignored TV for the last decade or so, believing it a major drain on society, culture, and thought. Seinfeld and The Simpsons are the only things I have let myself watch. Seinfeld is not only hilarious, original, and ever-inventive but did nothing less than revolutionize the very idea of what a TV sitcom could be. In stark contrast to shows before and since, it proved that a show could succeed and be funny without a conventionally likable character or clichéd, sentimental endings. "Anything goes" was truly the rule; famously called "a show about nothing," it was really about everything. Nothing was safe; nearly every subject was tackled, from mundane to profound. Seinfeld encompassed every type of comedy, from allegory to slapstick. It was often satirical, poking fun at many cultural aspects and also influencing popular culture greatly, introducing many famous catchphrases and some of the most well-known recent fictional characters. Seinfeld broke just about every conventional TV sitcom rule and was the better for it. I can say without hyperbole that there is more comic brilliance in one Seinfeld season than in nearly all sitcoms' entire runs - and more in one episode than in many. TV has not been the same since - but even a cursory look at current shows depressingly proves that it is more admired than imitated.
But everyone knows this, and anyone reading this surely knows it well. The twenty-two episodes contained here are of course worth five stars. The real question is, Should you buy this DVD set? Seinfeld is after all in heavy syndication; anyone wanting to watch can find it easily and often. It depends on how much one likes the show and how one wants to watch. It is of course convenient to have permanent copies in order to watch whenever one wants. This aside, there are many advantages. For starters, the footage has been remastered, resulting in higher quality - but many do not care about such things. More important is that these are the original episodes, which occasionally differ from syndicated ones in several ways, most importantly in being a minute or two longer.
However, the real treat, especially for fans, are the many extras not available anywhere else. There are not as many as could have been wished, and there are problems with some, but overall they are substantial. They include "Notes about Nothing," subtitle commentary for each episode revealing interesting facts about cast, crew, location, etc. They are always informative and often entertaining with revealing trivia and surprising insights. We learn much about the inspiration behind episodes and, surprisingly, much straight information about real things mentioned in passing; these last are almost like historical footnotes. This is certainly not what one expects from a comedy and is a pleasant surprise. The most revealing information, though, relates to deleted scenes. All this is good, but the notes can be distracting. They go by too quickly, and it is sometimes a struggle to keep up; one can occasionally even lose track of the show. The overly annoyed can simply not turn them on, but those who appreciate them may be disappointed by the less than ideal presentation.
The majority of episodes also have optional audio commentary, usually from writers, sometimes from the cast. It is of a piece with that of most DVDs and will be appreciated by fans. More notable are the deleted scenes - from one to three or so - that come with most episodes. A few were cut because of writing or acting deficiencies, but most were simply dropped for time or because something better came up. This means they are often as funny as what was used or nearly so; a few are even superior. Particularly interesting are alternate endings available for several episodes that sometimes change the whole plot; none are better than what was used, but several are close. The deleted scenes are probably the biggest lure for Seinfeld fans, and it is a shame there are not more. Some are certainly being held back, because deleted scenes referred to in the notes and elsewhere often do not appear. It is hard to imagine why this is but easy to regret.
Most episodes also have an "Inside Look" - a two to five or so minute mini-documentary about the inspiration behind the episode and the making of it done via cast and crew interviews. They are often very illuminating and sometimes even quite entertaining - a definite plus for anyone wanting additional material. However, the brevity disappoints; they really whet our appetites more than anything and end too soon. It is also strange that not every episode has one, as this could have easily been done.
There is also a longer documentary - about half an hour - about how the character of George is partly based on co-creator Larry David. It is also done with cast and crew interviews, and much interesting background material is given. Deleted scenes aside, this is the funniest of the bonus material and perhaps by itself worth the price for hard-cores.
Finally, there is additional Jerry Seinfeld stand-up footage, much of which is as good as what was used and thus quite funny. A hilarious and fairly long blooper reel rounds out the extras, as does a series of NBC promomotional spots featuring uncharacteristically pedestrian humor of interest only to completists.
Assuming all this interests you, the question becomes, Which DVD set should you buy? The answer is of course obvious if you have the money - buy them all. Even those able to purchase only one at a time should probably start from the start, despite universal agreement that early episodes are not the best, just for the benefits of chronology. It is interesting to watch all the story arcs in order and see how characters are developed. Needless to say, those unable to do this or who do not want to should buy their favorite season.
Those unsure where to start could easily do worse than season five. Chronology is of course ruined, but episodes are deliberately designed to be funny even to those seeing the show for the first time. Some jokes and other things will inevitably be missed, but nearly all of it will still be funny. Season five is notable for several reasons - some obvious to casuals, others important only to hard-cores. It has some of the best and most famous episodes, including some of my personal favorites such as "The Puffy Shirt," "The Cigar Store Indian," and "The Hamptons." Perhaps the most important is that this is when the show began moving away from its famous focus on the mundane. This surprising thrust came primarily from new writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross, who mixed the surreal and bizarre in with the trademark focus on "nothing" and inspired older writers to do the same. Later seasons expanded this, but watching it unfold in embryo in fascinating. The season is also notable for introducing some of the best-known and funniest recurring characters, including Jerry Stiller's immortal role as George's father and Danny Woodburn as Kramer's friend Mickey from among the "little people." Guest stars are also abundant, including notables like Courtney Cox as Jerry's girlfriend/"wife" and Judge Reinhold as Elaine's boyfriend. Season five is not least notable for introducing several of the show's famous catchphrases, including "low talker," "close talker," "shrinkage," and "the opposite." Finally, several other things are of note to hard-cores. For example, season five was a season of farewells. Tom Cherones, director since season one, made his bow, as did Larry Charles, one of the primary writers, who went out in flames - in a good way - with "The Fire."
In summary, anyone wanting a season's worth of comedy could hardly do better. As for the many who have already seen it all, the extras are enticing; there could be more, but there is plenty to attract fans, and the price is very good for a four DVD set. This comes highly recommended for all.
Description of Seinfeld: Season Five
The complete fifth season of the show about a group of friends living in New York City.Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 22-NOV-2005
Media Type: DVD
The fifth season of Seinfeld is without a doubt the series' best. By their fifth year, the Seinfeld gang had ironed out the bumps from the first two seasons, further developing characters. The loyal fan base that had been accumulating over the years was now more or less the entire nation?s viewing audience. The pressure was on to give this new, mega fan base a high dose of their unique, misanthropic comedy, and Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Kramer (Michael Richards) delivered in spades. Yes, other seasons may have funnier individual episodes, but as a whole season five consistently delivers the goods, including many of the show's all-time classic episodes. In the season opener, Jerry discovers the secret, sexual power of "The Mango." While vacationing in "The Hamptons" we not only learn that George?s date likes to sunbathe topless in front of his friends, but also that cold water has the power to shrink. In "The Stall? Elaine is rejected while trying to share toilet paper only to learn that the selfish neighbor is Jerry?s girlfriend. In order to really make a life change, George decides to do "The Opposite" of all his instincts and surprisingly everything in his life falls perfectly into place. And of course, who can forget the ridiculous puffy shirt Kramer?s low-talking girlfriend talks Jerry into wearing on The Today Show. This box set also includes the featurette "Jason+Larry=George" explaining how Jason Alexander embodied Larry David?s alter ego to create George Costanza, plus deleted and behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive stand up footage of Jerry Seinfeld. --Rob Bracco
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