Customer Reviews

This American Life:Second Season

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

 

 

This American Life is easily the best show on the radio, and with season 2 it can safely be said that its television adaptation joins the ranks of the best on that medium as well. While Season 1 faltered slightly, constrained too much by the differences in format and perhaps a bit too indulgent in stories that weren't as interesting as the producers thought, Season 2 is nothing short of astonishing. It's funny, it's deeply moving, and introspective about what makes us all human. The final, longer episode, "John Smith", reduces me to a sobbing mess every time I watch it. It's simply one of my favorite pieces of film ever made, ever, and I've spent the better part of my life sifting through eclectic movies and television.

Unfortunately somebody at CBS DVD made the bone-headed decision to stuff all six episodes onto a single disc, which is a shame. With almost five hours worth of video including the extras, it's very over-compressed and some of the gorgeous cinematography really suffers. I would kill for a Blu-Ray of this series. Or even the exact same thing on a two-disc set.

With that limitation in mind, you simply need to see this show. Skip season one and head straight for this extremely low-priced disc. You will not regret it.

"This American Life, Season Two"
(Showtime, 2009)
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Like many fans of the PBS radio show, "This American Life," I have to struggle with myself regarding my feelings about the television version of the unique, irony-filled documentary program. Having watched the first two seasons of the TV show, I am still partial to the original radio program, which engages me more on an imaginative plane -- however, the Showtime program is still provocative and consistently surprising. This season seems less dependent on wacky imagery to compensate for thinner narrative structures, although the cinematography is still quite nice. The stories are frequently uncomfortable -- the first program is about a child who has a progressively degenerative skeletal disease; watching this bright, funny person trapped inside a crumbling, constrictive body is quite difficult, but also quite moving. Likewise, an episode that captures a marriage as it implodes is mesmerizing yet sad. The season finale is an ambitious project, in which several people of different ages -- from an infant to a senior citizen -- who all share the name "John Smith" have their life stories stitched together in a way that suggests a continuous narrative. The conceit is clever, but the concept seems somehow exploitative and misleading, particularly in sequences such as when "John" makes the unlikely transition from drug-rehabbing slacker to high-tech exec at Microsoft. There are some similar themes -- dealing with health issues, raising children -- but the John Smiths do not cohere into a working composite, and ultimately viewers may wonder what the point really was. Regardless, the show is still puckish and unique, and certainly more of a legitmate "reality show" than the tawdry contests seen on the networks. Definitely worth checking out. (Joe Sixpack, Slipcue film review blog)

This show always amazes me. Beautifully cinematography coupled with intriguing stories -- what more could you ask for?? They pack more in 30 minutes than your average feature length movie. Always look forward to watching it...speaking of..what is going on with Season 3? Did it get cancelled? That would be blasphemy!!

Basically, season 2 is plagued by the same lack of care in making the DVD as season 1 was, but the content itself is also not nearly as good. Don't get me wrong, its still better than almost anything else on TV, just not up to the high standard that season 1 set.