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MASH Box Set Reviews??

post #1 of 20
11/4/06 at 4:46pm
Thread Starter 
....anywhere?
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post #2 of 20
11/4/06 at 7:56pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

I could be wrong but I doubt that Fox is going to send out review copies since it's just a repackaging (of the first ten seasons and the movie anyway) and since it's relatively expensive.
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post #3 of 20
11/5/06 at 4:26pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Quote:
Originally Posted by TravisR
I could be wrong but I doubt that Fox is going to send out review copies since it's just a repackaging (of the first ten seasons and the movie anyway) and since it's relatively expensive.

As well as discs of extras. I don't think they sent any sets out for review - they haven't sent out complete series releases (Buffy) in the past either.

Gord
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post #4 of 20
11/5/06 at 5:42pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gord Lacey
As well as discs of extras. I don't think they sent any sets out for review - they haven't sent out complete series releases (Buffy) in the past either.

They do now send complete SEASON packages - for quite some time, they sent just the first and final discs in a season set but left out the ones in between. However, they didn't send me the big package and I can't imagine they will. I got the final season the other day and doubt anything else will arrive - that's an awfully expensive release to send to every schmoe like me!
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post #5 of 20
11/10/06 at 8:25am

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Someone over at www.mashtalk.com wrote these comments about the 2 discs of extra material:

Quote:
The "SERIOUS SITCOM" program is an AMC Biography program that spends three quarters of an hour talking about how great this show was. And as usual, nobody talks about if Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould or Sally Kellerman were asked to be involved with the show or not. Nothing new here. Move along...

The "BLOOPERS" thing on the first of the two extras discs is only 3:30 in length, and all of the out-takes focus on Alan Alda. There's more available for free on YouTube than on this DVD.

"MY FAVORITE MASH" is a 9:40 collection of intros by members of the cast filmed in the late 70's or early 80's and tagged at the beginning of some syndicated broadcasts of the show.

This includes:

Alan Alda introducing "DEAR SIGMUND" and "IN LOVE AND WAR."

Mike Farrell introducing "WELCOME TO KOREA" and "QUO VADIS CAPT. CHANDLER."

Loretta Swit introducing "HOT LIPS AND EMPTY ARMS" and "MARGARET'S ENGAGEMENT"

William Christopher introducing "DEAR SIS" and "MULCAHY'S WAR."

Harry Morgan introducing "U.N. THE NIGHT AND MUSIC" and "THE GENERAL FLIPPED AT DAWN."

Jamie Farr introducing "OFFICER OF THE DAY" and "BIG MAC."

"ARCHIVAL INTERVIEWS" is a 15 minute section which is really fascinating and includes what appear to be short interviews from the early 80's with most of the last season's lead cast while the show was wrapping up production. Best part I've seen so far. Great material, including Farr talking about almost getting killed over the Sea of Japan.

"LAST DAY OF FILMING" is fantastic.
It's about seven and a half minutes of raw material during the shooting of "AS TIME GOES BY." No narration, no gooey sentimental crap, just the cast, crew and director working and reworking the last scene ever done on this show. Amazing.

The "JOCULARITY" chapter is a complete waste of time. It's just recycled stuff we've already seen and talked about for 30 years, but this time they've intercut meaningless and uninspired "commentary" from what appear to be "fans" of the show. One or two overweight women and a couple of nerds who look like they've never had a date tell us what the show and the characters mean to them for 26 minutes. There is no reason for this "Special Feature" whatsoever. Any of us here at mashtalk.com know more than anything said during this cheap and commercialized silliness.

The "PSA" part in interesting. Members of the cast talk about various health and social issues for a couple of minutes.

"SELECTED PROMOS" is cute.
It's a collection of dated "THIS IS YOUR GENERIC ANNOUNCER SPEAKING" spots for a wide range of episodes covering various seasons.

The first disc of extras ends with a trivia game that again is a complete waste of time compared to the hours of other "never before seen" MASH stuff that is still hiding out there somewhere.
It's another "special feature" that isn't so special and doesn't tell you, me or the fence post anything we didn't know 30 years ago.

"Special Features" Disc 2:

This DVD starts off with the 30th Anniversary Reuniun, which runs about 90 minutes and is devided up over 16 chapters. No extra cut material or interviews, as far as I can tell.

Then there is a 25 minute thingy called "FAN BASE," in which the same few nerdy people from the "JOCULARITY" schtick on the first disc tell us what the show meant to them. Again, there's nothing in this feature that's worthwhile or that we don't already know.

This is followed by "MEMORIES OF MASH," which is spread out over 12 chapters and runs an hour and ten minutes. This isn't as sappy and sentimental as I remember it being, but it still never comes close to the missing PBS documentary I keep saying they should have included.

Finally, there's "HAWKEYE ON THE DOUBLE," the complete script to the unproduced episode from the first season. From what I've read so far, it's pretty hilarious.

That's all. Those are all of the extras. Nothing more.
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post #6 of 20
11/12/06 at 5:57am

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Well, I went ahead and bought the complete series box set anyway, and I have to agree with the person at mashtalk.com. Some of the extras are nice, some are ok, and some are downright stupid and useless.

But the packaging is really impressive. I'm glad I got it, but there has to be tons more M*A*S*H stuff somewhere in the vaults.
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post #7 of 20
11/12/06 at 7:18am

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Isn't Memories Of M*A*S*H the special that was hosted by Shelley Long ?

And for some reason I'm thinking there's another anniversary special that's missing. Also there was a very good edition of FOX's Behind The Sitcom about the show. I'm assuming that could have been included. There's also an excellent edition of A&E's Biography about the show that for obvious reasons wasn't used since FOX doesn't own the rights to that.

Does anybody know of any other obvious stuff that's missing ? It sounds as though they made little attempt to find other bloopers. I know of one infamous one where Gary Burghoff attempts to undress in front of Alan Alda and continually breaks into laughter.
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post #8 of 20
11/12/06 at 4:56pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Yes, "Memories..." is the one hosted by Long.

As the mashtalk person said, the Biography program about M*A*S*H is on this DVD. I've watched it already, and it's just sort of ok. It again rehashes old stuff, and isn't terribly enlightening.
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post #9 of 20
11/12/06 at 6:38pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Ahh, ok. I'm glad to know the Biography is there as I enjoyed it very much. There must have been a typo as AMC is a different channel than A&E. Makes sense now.

Can someone comment on the actual packaging ? Is it attractive ? cleverly designed ? easy to use ?
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post #10 of 20
11/12/06 at 11:05pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Just thought I'd chime in to say that with the 20% discount, this now goes for US$111 at DDD. Bargain!

(Yes, I placed an order; it was a no-brainer for me since so far I've only got the first three seasons and the movie.)
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post #11 of 20
11/13/06 at 3:56am

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Rain
Can someone comment on the actual packaging ? Is it attractive ? cleverly designed ? easy to use ?


The packaging is very cool. It's about the size of a big encyclopedia, and everything is encased in a big box/slip case. The 30+ discs are in slots inside multiple flippers that open and close easily. Definately attractive and very impressive packaging.

Looks like the same guy from mashtalk.com has posted his complete review here: http://www.talkabouttelevision.com/g...ges/96089.html
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post #12 of 20
11/13/06 at 8:48am

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

As far as extras missing from the box set, I wish they would have included Making M*A*S*H, a 90-minute documentary that aired on PBS while the show was still in production. It was narrated by Mary Tyler Moore.
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post #13 of 20
11/13/06 at 4:46pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

By the way, those Gary Burghoff bloopers are actually included in the "30th Anniversary Reunion" special.
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post #14 of 20
11/13/06 at 4:56pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

I had never heard of the Making M*A*S*H PBS special but I'd love to see it again. I doubt they could have included it in the set since it was a PBS production. That's a shame, though.

Still no commentaries, I guess. That's really inexcusable considering the enormous size of the cast. I hope the laugh track can still be turned off on these discs and that the menus have been re-designed. Doubt it.
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post #15 of 20
11/13/06 at 6:19pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Rain
I hope the laugh track can still be turned off on these discs and that the menus have been re-designed. Doubt it.
The content on the series set discs is exactly the same as the season sets.
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post #16 of 20
11/14/06 at 3:27am

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Rain

Still no commentaries, I guess. Doubt it.

Right. No commentaries, no redesigned disc art, no "Making M*A*S*H."

The couple of features in which 4 or 5 fans babble like idiots is just embarrassing and retarded.
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post #17 of 20
11/19/06 at 9:29pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

If anyone has not bopught season 11 yet.

BTW has anyone been as annoyed as me that they come out with the sets one at a time and then come out with a big set for far cheaper then the price of the separate sets? In my opinion this is a total rip off. Luckily I did not buy all of them because I just found the 1-11 set for 119.00 on this site. http://www.phrackinc.com I am glad I waited for this one to come out.
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post #18 of 20
11/20/06 at 12:36am

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

My personal opinion is that the packaging itself is kinda neat in theory, but in execution it's questionable at best. Someone above said it was easy to fold the pages out to get to the discs, but I know personally I found it anything but easy to juggle the thing to do so. On top of that, the cardboard slots that the discs go into were difficult to get the discs in an out of, and seem to me to be guaranteed to scratch the discs up pretty good if you take them in and out too many times.

From the outside I'd say it looks perfect, with the cloth covered box. Too tall for conventional DVD shelving, so I haven't quite figured out where exactly it'll go.
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post #19 of 20
12/8/06 at 5:46am

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

The Digital Bits has reviewed the box set:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/review...eet120606.html
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post #20 of 20
12/10/06 at 9:00pm

Re: MASH Box Set Reviews??

Quote:
Originally Posted by GarySchrock
My personal opinion is that the packaging itself is kinda neat in theory, but in execution it's questionable at best. Someone above said it was easy to fold the pages out to get to the discs, but I know personally I found it anything but easy to juggle the thing to do so. On top of that, the cardboard slots that the discs go into were difficult to get the discs in an out of, and seem to me to be guaranteed to scratch the discs up pretty good if you take them in and out too many times.

From the outside I'd say it looks perfect, with the cloth covered box. Too tall for conventional DVD shelving, so I haven't quite figured out where exactly it'll go.
I agree, It was really awkward and difficult to remove the discs closer to the spine, very tight in the sleeves, but it's a lot easier with the ones on the outer rows. A couple of the discs have scuff marks on them but they played without any problems, I just started season 3 and I'm enjoying the set emmensely, love the restored scenes.

I like the outer box but the inner book like tray is cumbersome to handle. I would have at least prefered that each section of 9 discs came out seperately, than all of them together. I just keep the disc that I'm watching out until I'm done with it, easier that way. My shelves are fairly tall, so the set fits nicely. I also thought the booklet was well done. Overall, a really good set so far.
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