From: =?Windows-1252?Q?Mathieu_Ren=E9?= <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca>
To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 03:02:59 -0400
Subject: [Puptcrit] Dinosaur TV series on DVD


I rented the first two seaons of "Dinosaurs" on DVD (just 4 disks).
This is a series done in the 1990s I guess.
I loved the show, but broadcasting was really bad, I only saw reruns of the same episodes all the time!
Re-discovering today (and yesterday) was a real treat!
NO commercials!

This show is more than yet another sitcom.
It's got puppets! It's all about puppets! Puppets everywhere!

Better yet, it's deep, it's full of questions about existence, it's even got preachy subjects without being really preachy!

There is this awesome inside joke about puppetry in one of the episodes in particular.
I don't want to spoil it, so I won't quote, but it's about the Sinclairs watching TV,  and seeing a puppet show  and one is judging it as a children's show, despite the obviously adult content!
These guys must have had a blast making that series, writers included!

Dinosaurs had all the stuff that makes Family Guy, and The Simpsons funny.
Without being "too" graphic or "distateful".
Then again, everything is relative.


I highly reccomend the whole series. Watch them in sequence!

The puppetry is cool, I totally forgot they were puppets. They were so great in fact that nothing clashed when they introduced human actors next to them (there was a cavewoman as a pet).


The image quality of the DVDs is as good as they could get it I guess, from the original tapes. I had to tweak it a bit with the configuration menu of my DVD software.
It should still look good on an actual TV screen. The old vintage 80s-90s color wash look.
Maybe they will make a remastered version for HD in future years.
But it's already much better than any VHS copy from the original years.

As is often the case, I was disapointed in the "Making of" that was included on the first DVD.
As most things of the sort, it was way too short, with way too little percentage of actual behind-the-scenes.
What was cool about it is that they actually brought back an old animatronics skull to show how they animated one of the heads. You could tell the eyes were much more detailed than what showd on the finished product. Those irises were so sharp and detailed!  I guess the "Making of" was made more recently.

With technology being so great and all, and so much space available on DVD format, why won't companies go the extra mile to bring us more extras?
The answer? Money. If they can get away with giving less, they will.

I guess I'm being a bit glooomy because the fun is gone. I'm done watching, and I'll have to return the DVDs.
I'll have the memories.
And some strategic Screen caps to keep in my archives.
Such AMAZING textures!




Mathieu René Créaturiste
Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
www.creaturiste.com
creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
(514) 274-8027
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