HTF REVIEW: Seinfeld Season 7 (RECOMMENDED) (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Silverman]

Seinfeld: Season 7

US Theatrical Release: N/ A (Sony Pictures Television)
US DVD Release: November 21, 2006
Running Time: Approximately 541 minutes
Rating: N/ A (Contains some adult thematic material)
Video: 1.33:1 (Extra Features: 1.33:1)
Audio: English DD2.0, French DD2.0 (Extra Features: English DD2.0)
Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish (Extra Features: Portuguese, Spanish)
TV-Generated Closed Captions: English (Extra Features: none)
Menus: Some background animation
Packaging: Cardboard slipcase containing 4 slim keepcases; 4-page insert lists production credits for each episode.
MSRP: $49.95

THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT IT: 4.5/5

Could this be it? The best season of a show that had so many classic moments? Even a catalog of its props evokes some hilarious memories: Kramer’s hot tub, fascist soup, rare and valuable sponges, the marble rye, Chinese gum, and those rotten old wedding invitations are just a few of them. This season also focused heavily on running storylines, most notably George and Susan’s engagement. Other bits are referenced in later episodes throughout the set.

You really can’t go wrong with this set (unless you simply don’t like Seinfeld). Every episode has more than its fair share of belly laughs. A good number of them, like The Soup Nazi and The Rye, remain popular to this day, but even the less-remembered entries are well-stocked with hilarity. If you only buy one season of Seinfeld, then season 7 isn’t a bad choice.


THE WAY I SEE IT: 4/5

The picture isn’t bad at all. Detail is quite good, if not spectacular, and there isn’t any noticeable color bleeding or digital noise.


THE WAY I HEAR IT: 4/5

It’s pretty much dialogue front and center, with music and the laugh track mixed into the stereo front and surround channels. The perfect presentation for a sitcom.


THE SWAG: 4/5 (rating combines quality and quantity)

The set is chock-full of extra features that run in the neighborhood of 150 minutes plus several commentary tracks and trivia subtitle tracks for every episode. Most of the extras are episode-specific, but there are a few standalone features included as well. The commentaries vary widely in quality, but the other material is mostly solid. The episode-specific features include “Notes About Nothing” (subtitle trivia tracks that feature things like the “George Girlfriend Counter” and the “Kramer Entrance Counter”), “Yada Yada Yada” (commentaries), “In The Vault” (deleted scenes), and “Inside Look” featurettes that feature new interviews with the cast and crew.

Disc 1:

Trailers

• The Da Vinci Code (0:32) (DD2.0; 2.35:1 non-anamorphic)
• Click (0:31) (DD2.0; 2.35:1 non-anamorphic)

Episode-Specific Extras

• The Engagement: Inside Look (4:03); Deleted Scene (1:39); “Sein-imation: Dr. Cosmo on Marriage and Family” (1:48); Notes About Nothing
• The Postponement: Commentary with Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus; Notes About Nothing
• The Maestro: Inside Look (4:22); Notes About Nothing
• The Wink: Notes About Nothing
• The Hot Tub: Deleted Scenes (2:22); Notes About Nothing
• The Soup Nazi: Inside Look (7:30); Commentary With Jerry Seinfeld, Director Andy Ackerman and Writer Spike Feresten; Notes About Nothing

Disc 2:

”Sein-imation: George & The Whale” (2:37)

Episode-Specific Extras

• The Secret Code: Inside Look (2:25); Commentary With Writers Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer; Notes About Nothing
• The Pool Guy: Inside Look (5:36); Commentary With Jerry Seinfeld, Director Andy Ackerman and Writer David Mandel; Notes About Nothing
• The Sponge: Commentary With Writer Peter Mehlman; Notes About Nothing
• The Gum: Inside Look (3:44); Commentary With Writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross; Notes About Nothing
• The Rye: Inside Look (7:18); Deleted Scene (0:48); Notes About Nothing
• The Caddy: Inside Look (2:07); Deleted Scene (1:28); Notes About Nothing

Disc 3:

Episode-Specific Extras

• The Seven: Deleted Scene (0:38); Notes About Nothing
• The Cadillac (Parts 1 & 2 – double-length episode): Inside Look (3:29); Notes About Nothing
• The Shower Head: Commentary With Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus; Notes About Nothing
• The Doll: Deleted Scene (0:59); Commentary With Writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross; Notes About Nothing
• The Friars’ Club: Inside Look (8:10); Deleted Scenes (3:53); Alternate Ending (1:06); Commentary With Writer David Mandel; Notes About Nothing

Disc 4:

Queen of the Castle: The Elaine Benes Story (16:09)

Cast and crew discuss the Elaine character and working with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, along with several clips of classic Elaine moments.

Larry David’s Farewell (7:49)

Cast and crew talk about David’s departure from the show and how they moved on.

Where’s Larry? Seinfeld’s Secret Guest Star (7:11)

Clips of Larry David’s many cameo appearances.

”Master of His Domain” Exclusive Stand-Up Material (8:40)

Some decent stuff in there.

”Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That” Bloopers (21:17)

This could have been a fantastic 5-minute blooper reel. Instead, it’s a few truly inspired crackups and improvs mixed together with a bunch of standard-issue on-set giggles.

Episode-Specific Extras

• The Wig Master: Inside Look (1:55); Deleted Scenes (2:23); Notes About Nothing
• The Calzone: Inside Look (2:06); Commentary With Jerry Seinfeld, Director Andy Ackerman and Writers Jeff Schaffer and Alec Berg; Notes About Nothing
• The Bottle Deposit (Parts 1 & 2 – double-length episode): Inside Look (5:29); Notes About Nothing
• The Wait Out: Notes About Nothing
• The Invitations: Inside Look (8:20); Deleted Scenes (3:34); Notes About Nothing

SUMMING IT ALL UP

The Way I Feel About It: 4.5/5
The Way I See It: 4/5
The Way I Hear It: 4/5
The Swag: 4/5

The top-notch collection of episodes, very nice A/V quality, and marathon of extra features make this set a no-brainer for fans. Heck, it might even convert a few nay-sayers. Try to forget last week’s little comedy club incident (could this be the exception that proves the rule about there being no such thing as bad publicity?) and treat yourself for the holidays. Definitely RECOMMENDED.

Note: For the purposes of this review, I watched about half of the episodes along with their associated extra features, as well as all of the non-episode-specific extras.

 

[Parker Clack]

I picked this one up too. I have the whole series so far and look forward to the last 2 seasons. Between the classic Soup Nazi and The Sponge episodes this was one of their best seasons for sure.

 

[Casey C.]

I have seasons 1-4 but skipped 5 and 6. Season 7, however, is a classic and a must-have for me. It's on my Christmas list and if I don't get it I'm definitely picking it up.

 

[Pete Battista]

I have all the sets to date except Season 7... I also have it on a Christmas wishlist... but if I don't get it I will before to long after. I am really looking forward to it.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

I'm finishing season 6. So, 7 is the best? Great, because I've been enjoying Seinfeld since season 4 (have all the previous seasons)..... and nobody is going to bring up the Kramer incident!

 

[Carlos Garcia]

That's because there was no "Kramer" incident. If you mean the Michael Richards incident? That belongs in a separate place in the history books, outside of Seinfeld, and it shouldn't hinder one's enjoyment of this classic series in the least.

 

[Mike Williams]

I picked up Season Seven on release day, just as I did with all the previous seasons. When watching on a 55 inch widescreen HDTV, which stretches the picture, the video quality is very good. When watching on a 27" standard 4x3 TV, the picture is fantastic.

Reviewers seem to really frown on blooper reels, when it's mostly people flubbing lines and laughing. THAT'S WHAT A BLOOPER USUALLY IS. The reviewer would rather have a 5 minute blooper reel (which, to me, in itself, would be "standard issue"). But a 21 minute plus blooper reel for Season Seven ALONE . . . that is above and beyond what anyone could have dreamed. If someone were to piece together all the blooper reels from each season, the entire reel will probably be at least 2 hours long, and in pretty good picture quality, especially when compared to the bootleg Seinfeld Bloopers VHS tapes that have been circulating for years.

The Sein-imations that appear on the past few sets are REALLY worthless to me however, and I could live without those forever.

IMHO, the folks at Seinfeld, Castle Rock and whomever else hit the ball out of the park again with this set.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

I actually like the Sein-imations and always watch them before the episode. I was shocked watching the Inside Look of the first episode. I have the impression that they spoiled the ending of the season which was totally unnecessary. They should design the Inside Looks in a way that they don't give away spoilers for the first time viewers further than the current episode.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I'm with you on that one. No skin off my back if others like 'em, though.