Customer Reviews

Daria - Is It Fall Yet? [VHS]

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I used to follow this show when I was in high school, and have since mourned the loss of the cable television with which to view the reruns. My craving for cynical humor having piqued, and there being few other outlets with which to quell this craving, I was compelled to buy the two available Daria DVD's.

This DVD plays out like one long (just over an hour) episode. Is it Fall Yet? tells a story of summer hiatus from the mundane pit otherwise known as school. However, is the summer break really much of a break from prosaic servitude? Quinn is getting help from a tutor in hopes of raising her college entrance exam scores, Kevin and Brittney are attempting to survive as pool lifeguards, Jane is attending an artists colony that might not be all it's cracked up to be, and Daria's mother signs her up for a stint at the OK-to-Cry Corral as a counselor. Furthermore, Daria is attempting to make sense of her relationship with Tom, her best friend Jane's ex-boyfriend (which is a conundrum in itself). However, all will wade through their various forays into humdrum subjugation and surface having learned valuable life-lessons.

In addition to the film, two bonus episodes are included. Fire! and Dye Dye My Darling both take place before the movie. In Fire!, Daria's father accidentally sets fire to their home, causing the Morgendorfers to temporarily move into a hotel while repairs are made. This is where the sparks begin to fly between Daria and Jane with regards to Tom. In Dye Dye My Darling, Daria is forced to help Jane recognize the tiger within by streaking her hair. When the dye job is somewhat less-than-successful, Jane views it as Daria's way of trying to break up Jane and Tom's relationship.

The repartee between Daria and Jane, the sardonic humor the two exchange between one another, is absolutely smirk-inducing. I love the dialogue in this show. Though Quinn's friends, in addition to Kevin and Brittney, can be horribly wretched to listen to at times, one cannot deny the fact that similar personas did exist in high school, and continue to persist in the world today, if not quite to the same extreme. Some episodes are of course better than others, but even after five years the show never got old, and I have yet to grow out of it.

Anyone who is familiar with, and can appreciate, the cast of characters and all of their idiosyncrasies will find this a welcome addition to their DVD collection. However, that does not mean that one needs to be acquainted with the series in order to appreciate the film. As far as I know, there is no word yet on forthcoming releases of the five seasons on DVD, so I suppose fans will have to appease themselves with the two released short films and their accompanying bonus episodes for now.

It's a bit of a paradox to think the station that brought us such tripe as The Real World and Tough Enough could have produced such a sharp, witty and well written show. The first movie "Is It Fall Yet?" is a magnificent turning point in the series as well as a stand-alone movie-length episode.

The movie centers on each of the characters' summer activities ranging from Quinn getting a tutor for the summer, Daria being forced into volunteering for a lame summer camp and Jane taking a two month stint at an artist's colony.

Even if you're not familiar with the characters, you'll be rolling at all the jokes and dry wit that Daria and Jane spout. What makes the movie a step up from the series is that several of the characters start to grow, especially Quinn. With a little help from her tutor she finds that she doesn't have to be as shallow or dumb as her fashion club friends. Some of the minor characters don't end up doing that much (Mack, Brittany and Kevin, for example). But I defy you to try not to laugh hysterically when Mr. DeMartino snaps, pulls the sink from out of the wall and throws it through the window after all of the campers are cooped up inside.

As a little bonus on the video, there's a music video for Mystik Spiral's "Frickin Friends". I only wish I could have seen the DVD to see what other extras there might have been.

"Daria: Is It Fall Yet?" is an excellent movie packed with great wit, humor and characters. Do yourself a favor and give it a look. You won't be disappointed.

I have just finished watching the final `episode' of the Daria series, "Is It College Yet." Daria was hands-down my favorite show on MTV. It was smart, crude, sarcastic and socially conscious at the same time. It had a quality to it that latter MTV animated attempts like "Spy Groove" and "The Undergrads," (Remember them?) didn't. That's probably why Daria lasted for five whole years and still went out in its prime. Anyway; that's pretty much wanted to say, but I'm forced to write a review of some kind, so here I go.

"Is It Fall Yet?" Originally aired on August 27th 2000. I haven't been able to get the DVD yet, but I taped the show when it was aired commercial free. Jane's ex-boyfriend, Tom just started to date Daria, and junior year ended in a... um... bang, I guess. Jane was accepted to stay at an art colony over the summer and Quinn's PSAT scores were low, forcing her to get a tutor. The thing I love is that "Is It Fall Yet?" evaluates each and every character so well in the short time (75 Min.) that it has. It'll still keep you laughing every time you see it.

I recommend that all Daria fans should pick it up as son as you find a copy. I know I will when I see it.

This TV movie shows what the characters do during summer break. Daria volunteers at the It's OK To Cry Corral, Mr. O'Neill's touchy-feely summer camp for overly sensitive children, where his regimen of staying indoors and exploring the "inner child" is not popular with the campers. Meanwhile, the other counselor at the camp, angry Mr. DeMartino, proves much more popular with the campers and rediscovers his passion for teaching, and Daria tries to bond with Link, a lonely young boy who is just like her.

Daria also tries dating Tom for a while, but becomes alienated by the lifestyle of his super-wealthy family and starts pushing him away. Jane goes to an artists' colony in the middle of nowhere for the summer--partly to get away from Daria, whom she still hasn't forgiven for stealing Tom away--and has trouble making friends with the other artists, whom she finds pretentious. She does make one friend, Allison, until she finds Allison is actually a bisexual who only wants her sexually. Eventually, Daria and Trent pay Jane a visit. Daria and Jane finally make up for good, and Jane even suggests that Daria give Tom another shot.

Quinn decides to spend the summer getting tutored so that she can improve her PSAT score (and get into a "party college"). She starts to like learning new things, and develops a crush on her tutor, David, who doesn't feel the same way about her but tells her that she has a lot more potential than the "loser friends" she hangs out with.

Brittany and Kevin get jobs as lifeguards, and naturally can't do anything right. Jodie is forced into spending every waking moment doing extracurricular activities, and Mack gets a hellish job driving an ice cream truck to pay off a debt to his father. These circumstances make it difficult for Jodie and Mack to see each other--until Mack comes up with the perfect replacement at his job once his debt is paid off.

Of course I would recommend this DVD - it contains some brilliant moments from a timeless series. I never tire of watching it - but sadly, it will only leave you hungry for more. When you're done watching, petition MTV for box sets of the full 5 seasons.

A great movie of one of the best cartoons ever created. MTV's Daria was a hillarous spoof on modern high school culture. It has sadly ended though, with a 2nd movie "Is It College Yet?" coming soon. I don't have this item yet, but I taped it when they showed it on MTV. "Is It Fall Yet" is about the struggles of summer break, with Daria's signature sarcastic outlook. This is my all-time favorite TV show and I would love to see the entire series out on DVD. Without Daria, MTV is mostly just Real World re-runs and overplayed music videos.

It's really great to see the Daria movies on DVD! Plus this DVD has 2 bonus episodes which makes it even better! We can only hope to see the Daria episodes on DVD soon!

I saw the preview of this cartoon on Netflix. Seeing the teen characters dancing and having fun on the beach (minus Daria, who sits by herself reading a newspaper - with interruptions), I knew I had to buy this. And I love it!

"Is It Fall Yet?" deals with the main characters' experiences during Summer vacation. The highlight: "The Tom Thing" -as Trent Lane, Jane's musician brother, nicely puts it. Daria and Tom have fallen in love, and are dating. Tom and Jane have broken up. This situation dents the friendship of Daria and Jane.

The two bonus episodes on the dvd ("Fire" and "Dye! Dye, My Darling!") show how "The Tom Thing" happened. It's recommended to watch those two bonus episodes FIRST as they lead up to the emotional turmoil and love triangle of Daria, Jane and Tom that is carried over into the movie.

Adding to Daria's anguish, her mother enrolls her to be a camp counselor at the `OK-to-Cry Corral' summer camp. Working with her are her teachers, dorky Mr. O'Neill and Anthony DeMartino (with his trademark bloodshot eyeball that widens when he's very irritated).

The other `Daria' characters have their own situations. Lovelorn Jane goes to a bohemian artist retreat that's out of Lawndale. Dim-witted lovers Kevin and Brittany provide comic relief as they both work as lifeguards at a local pool. They only have eyes for each other... and I won't go further than that. Watch the movie, and see for yourselves! Daria's spoiled brat sister Quinn and her `Fashion Club' gal pals get tutored due to low scores on their PSAT exams. (How I remember my high school days! I was a Junior when I took my PSAT exam - and passed it!) Lead `Fashion Club' member Sandi (with the deep voice) reminds me so much of Khan from Mike Judge's "King of the Hill" series. Like Khan, Sandi is often sullen-expressioned, and complains a lot!

Mack and Jodie also have their share of the `summertime blues'. Mack takes a job as an ice-cream vendor, in a truck, and has to put up with bratty kids who aggravate him as they buy ice cream. His girlfriend Jodie has her share of difficulties as she volunteers at an office, and is up to her neck in work. The pair doesn't have time to date.

I love the opening 'beach' number with the `Daria' cast frolicking on the beach... and with Daria not participating, of course. It is reminiscent of the "Beach Blanket" 1960's movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Jane, too, is seen isolated on another part of the beach, painting. Her isolation gives proof of her rift with Daria. The song "Turn the Sun Down", sung by the female band Splendora (who provide the theme song for `Daria'), is playfully catchy! Splendora sounds like the female version of the Beach Boys. The 'beach' segment concludes with the sun going down at the beach at dusk, with the frolickers still dancing...followed, in a dissolve, by the "Daria" logo in a similar 'dusk' color, with the film's title; and Splendora's melodic singing as the song concludes. This is a nice effect.

Another nice effect is in the dvd's Main Menu, with a scene taken from the opening of the `Daria' t.v. series. A somber Daria is at the movies. Her fellow moviegoers, surrounding her, are laughing at the scenes from the opening `Beach' segment. "Turn the Sun Down" is played in the background.

At the film's end, there are `Outtakes', which are cute and amusing involving the `Daria' cast. There are a few gross outtakes also included.

"Is It Fall Yet?" got me interested in the "Daria" t.v. series. To admit, Daria looks much nicer in her own series than when she was on Beavis and Butt-Head". I purchased her "Daria Diaries" and "Daria Databases" books to help me get to know the Lawndale characters. I'm presently reading her `Diaries'. And I, too, hope that the complete "Daria" series gets released on dvd in the very near future.

But treat yourself to the interesting summer experiences -- as well as the summer fun -- at Lawndale with "Is It Fall Yet?" And savor Daria's sweet smile at the near-conclusion of the opening sequence in the two bonus episodes. A little girl in the film asks camp counselor Daria "Do you ever smile??"

The answer is Yes! And this movie is sure to make you smile. It's a gem in the "Daria" series!

I'm a huge fan of the Daria series, and the same goes for its two movies on DVD...Highly recommend it.

Each character as his or her own distinctive personality- from Daria, her best friend artsy Jane Lane, Jane's slacker musician brother Trent, Daria's over-achieving workaholic mother and scatterbrained father, her shallow sister Quinn, etc etc etc...
The animation is very good too in my opinion.

It is a spin-off of Beavis & Butt Head, and Daria was probably the perfect character to do that with. Other than that, Daria has nothing to do with B&BH, other than the background that the Morgendorfer family moved from Highland to Lawndale early in Daria's high school years. She retains the same dry wit and droll personality (as though everything going on around her is somehow surreal) as she had in B&BH - its just better developed here.

Both DVDs give a couple of bonus episodes from the MTV show. I wish they included more, or better yet, that the whole series could be marketed. Its ashame that hasn't happened yet...

I have been a Daria fan for about as long as the series started. This last show (hopefully not) is Daria at her best, dealing with those issues of transitioning to college, before she gets to college. This would be a nice place to start another Daria series regarding her college life.
I love this girl's spunk and complete lack of respect for her classmates. While this is usually obtained after some problematic experiences as an adult, it is quite palatible. Makes me wish I had more spine when I was in high school. Get this DVD...there is a regular show included that i hadn't seen before...very good!!!