The Comeback - The Complete Only Season
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DVD details
Actor: Lisa KudrowBrand: HBO HOME VIDEO
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 390 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-08-01
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Hbo Home Video
DVD Reviews of The Comeback - The Complete Only Season
DVD Review: Can you survive the first 7 episodes?
Summary: 3 Stars
Recently,I was watching "Ebert and Roeper", when guest reviewer,Director Kevin Smith(Clerks), highly recommended this series.I decided to give it a try because I like Lisa Kudrow.Though I generally despise reality Tv shows,this is actually just a satire about reality shows so I was pretty sure I would like it anyway.
Lisa Kudrow(co-creator of this series and co-writer of the first two episodes) plays Valerie Cherish,a former Tv star,who although is very funny at times,is mostly such a weak and pathetic character [except for one great episode(#8)],that many people won't even get beyond the fourth episode.
The first 7 episodes of the "The Comeback" spend too much time playing the same one note over and over again.Valerie Cherish is pathetic.Okay,I get it.Though each episode is only about 26 to 30 minutes in length, many scenes go on for too long or are dull to begin with, so that any momentum that the show often develops, disappears quickly.Normally,scenes like this are deleted, but because this involves the filming of a reality show,before it's edited,they are left in so that we can feel like we're actually part of the film crew and we therefore often see too much of the mundane stuff that happens in Valerie's life.
Yes,Valerie's timeout thing with the film crew is funny,as are so many other subtle things she does,but she also watches paint dry and does other mind numbing things that tempted me to fast forward the Dvd.As Valerie would say,"I don't need to see that!" However, I hung in there because I like Kudrow and hoped my pain would eventually subside.No pain,no gain,I kept thinking.
I survived the first 7 episodes of this 13 episode series because I like Lisa Kudrow rather than the mostly pathetic,sometimes dense,yet well-meaning Valerie Cherish character.However,I did chuckle and laugh often enough to keep me watching.
It's also important to note that the episode (#8) where Valerie Cherish visits Palm Springs and finally leaves the claustrophobic soundstage setting of her Tv sitcom "Room and Bored", behind, is an absolute gem!
The remaining final five episodes(#9-#13) are similar in tone to the first seven,but seem to have a bit more energy and more interesting plot points to follow(luckily less character development moments),so I feel they are all worthy of a B Grade,instead of the C Grade that the first seven deserve.They were also able to keep me much more interested and were much less painful to watch.
DVD EXTRAS:
Valerie After the Laughter: Valerie tries to film "The Comeback" Dvd Extras but keeps getting interrupted.
GRADE: B (Mostly cute,funny,typical Valerie)(8 minutes and 47 seconds long)
Valerie Backstage at Dancing with the Stars: No,you DON'T see Valerie dance.Instead she just mostly complains to Mickey,her gay hairdresser, while she's backstage,wearing a green, revealing outfit.
GRADE: C (only the last three minutes or so were funny enough to make me chuckle a few times,but because Mickey is always very good with Valerie,I still enjoyed it.) (6 minutes and 12 seconds long)
Six Commentaries: For Commentary GRADES,see Episode Notes below for Episodes: #1, #2, #3, #9, #12, #13.
Season Index (available on either disc):Brief previews of each of the 13 episodes;each about 36 seconds in length.
EPISODE NOTES:
Episode #1: While being filmed for her Tv reality series,"The Comeback",Valerie Cherish gets cast in a Tv sitcom called "Room and Bored".
GRADE: C minus (too many slow,boring parts interfere with the good stuff)
Cameos:
-Marilu Henner and Kim Fields @ 5:56-7:35 mark.
-Director James Burrows also appears as himself during filming of "Room and Bored".
Nudity: @ 20:46 topless Juna(played by Malin Ackerman-who looks and sounds so similar to actress Cameron Diaz,that she could easily be her twin sister).
Audio COMMENTARY:Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King(co-creator,writer,director,etc.):They both have enough energy,clear pleasant voices and enough fairly interesting stuff to talk about.
GRADE: C+
Episode #2: Valerie and the "Room and Bored" cast fly to N.Y. to introduce their show to the media.
GRADE: C minus
Audio COMMENTARY:Valerie Cherish(played by Lisa Kudrow IN CHARACTER)does the entire commentary.Here,Valerie kept me interested and didn't bore me at all.Funny stuff.
GRADE: B+
Episode #3: Valerie tries to bond with the "Room and Bored" cast.
GRADE: C minus
Cameo: Director James Burrows directing the show.
Audio COMMENTARY:by only Michael Patrick King.
GRADE: C
Episode #4: Valerie adopts a puppy and fights for a line change.
GRADE: C (Many good moments,but still dragged down by Valerie's painfully pathetic character.)
Cameo: Director James Burrows.
Episode #5:(written by Linda Wallem,who also co-wrote the great episode #8)
-Valerie gets an assistant.
GRADE: C+ (Great freeway scene with Valerie and Charla,too bad it's not the entire episode)
Cameo: Charla(The Amazing Race) @ 11:58 and more after.
@ about 20 minute mark,the funny Charla stuff begins.
Episode #6:Valerie tries to boost the cast morale.
GRADE: C minus(funny scene @ 2:43-4:52; Valerie watches "Room and Bored" at home with Juna etc.)
Episode #7:Valerie gets an episode featuring her sitcom character,Aunt Sassy.
GRADE: C (funny raunchy dialogue scene @ 13:33-16:15)
Watch this episode so you can enjoy Episode #8's last five minutes much more.
Episode #8:Valerie and her Husband in Palm Springs-written by Linda Wallem and Michael Patrick King.
GRADE: A (Ford Navigator Guy is very funny and the last five minutes are perfect.A real gem!)
Watch the entire episode.If you don't like it,you have bad taste,and probably won't enjoy any episodes.
Nudity: @ 17:22 Valerie's Husband's rear-end.
@ 17:42 topless girl sunbathing.
@ 18:55 Valerie's friend,Donna, topless.
Episode #9:Valerie hangs out with her step-daughter and cast.
GRADE: B (more variety in this episode than usual)
Audio COMMENTARY: Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King: Informative at times but they mostly just laugh and point out the obvious.
GRADE: C+
Episode #10:Valerie gets a Publicist.
GRADE: B minus (Valerie is a bit too pathetic again,though the episode still holds up.)
Nudity: @ 21:11 brief, topless Juna (Malin Ackerman)
Episode #11:On the Red Carpet
GRADE: B (many funny things scattered throughout the episode)
Cameos: @ 17:57 Melissa Rivers and Jane Kaczmarek
@ 19:24 Billy Bush(of Access Hollywood)
@ 22:20 George Lopez
Episode #12: Back on the set
GRADE: B (Valerie sings @ 25:56; she doesn't hold anything back,so it's funny)
Cameo: @ 10:46 James Burrows
Audio COMMENTARY: Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King.
GRADE: C
Episode #13: Valerie watches some of her reality show with everyone.
GRADE: B+
Cameos: @ 4:27 Cameron Diaz (on Tv monitor only-from Tonight Show)
@ 23:23 Jay Leno
Audio COMMENTARY:by only Michael Patrick King.
GRADE: C minus
So,although the first 7 episodes might seem at times like you're watching the same episode over and over again,they still have many funny moments scattered throughout,and I laughed out loud several times.As well, the final six episodes were more enjoyable to watch(especially episode #8),so I'm glad I hung in there and watched the entire series
Description of The Comeback - The Complete Only Season
IN THE SPIRIT OF REALITY TELEVISION, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO END TO THE HUMILIATING CIRCUMSTANCES VALERIE CHERISH WILL ENDURE, ALL IN THE NAME OF FAME.How wickedly ironic--and delicious--that Lisa Kudrow's single season of The Comeback provided the talented actress with enough meat for her to be nominated for an Emmy--after the show was canceled by HBO. Kudrow went for the Anti-Phoebe role after the demise of Friends, demonstrating her spectacular acting chops and range of comic abilities. The show centered on Kudrow's playing an actress, once the ingénue of the moment, trying ever more desperately to get back into the limelight. The vehicle of choice: a reality "series" that follows Kudrow's Valerie Cherish into scenarios with the deck more than stacked against her. Kudrow's acid delivery and willingness to show Valerie's raw pain, ambition, and obsequiousness make for engrossing and poignant, if squirm-inducing, viewing. Valerie's fond memory of being on Leno: when a fellow guest's monkey unexpectedly relieves himself on her head. "It was a real water-cooler moment," she says, desperately spinning. "And you know, this was Leno's first year. So it was a real important show for him too!" The boxed set includes all 13 episodes and some yummy extras, including a new "interview" with Valerie Cherish, an appearance by Valerie backstage at Dancing with the Stars, and backstage dish with series creators Kudrow and Michael Patrick King. The series, though short-lived demonstrates why Kudrow is one of our most talented actresses; here's hoping for a succession of more Comebacks. --A.T. Hurley
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