Product Details

• Actors: Brendon Small, H. Jon Benjamin, Melissa Bardin Galsky, Janine Ditullio, Ron Lynch
• Directors: Loren Bouchard
• Writers: Brendon Small, H. Jon Benjamin, Loren Bouchard, Bill Braudis, Kenn Navarro
• Producers: Bonnie Burns, Carl W. Adams
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Shout Factory Theatr
• DVD Release Date: November 15, 2005
• Run Time: 390 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000AXWX70
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,416 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #2 in	Movies & TV > Animation > Adult Swim > Home Movies
  #94 in	Movies & TV > Animation > Television

• For more information about "Home Movies - Season Three" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

• This is item 3 in The Home Movies Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Critics and fans alike have described the third season of Home Movies as the animated series' finest moments, and now viewers that haven't immersed themselves in the wry and offbeat world of 8-year-old Brendon Small and his friends will get a chance to see for themselves with this three-disc set. Part of the reason for the season's high marks among admirers is the readjustment of its focus to rest squarely on the squiggly shoulders of Brendon (voiced by series co-creator Brendon Small) and his pals Melissa (Melissa Bardin Galsky) and Jason (writer Jon Benjamin) as they navigate the hazards of parents, adults (like the always odd Coach McGuirk), and school itself, and capture it all in their films. The shift allows for more development of these three unique characters, and in turn, their unique perspective sharpens the humor in the bizarre circumstances they often find themselves in, like a berserk Renaissance faire (the much-lauded "Renaissance"), detention hall ("Time to Pay the Price"), and in the path of an oncoming storm ("Storm Warning").

While Home Movies is unquestionably funny and eclectic, the show also has a sweet side, which is best summed up in the season closer, "Coffins and Cradles." That this warm and affectionate aspect never comes across as treacly is both a credit to the show's creators, and another reason why fans have taken the show to their hearts and helped bring it back from a premature demise in its first season. Said followers get an amusing nod in the set's supplemental features; the short featurette "Some Home Movies Fans" sets to music some photos of the fans greeting the creators at a convention, while actor/co-writer Jon Benjamin's "A Featurette for People Who Don't Necessarily Like Home Movies" should charm longtime aficionados with amusing testimony from the likes of David Cross and Todd Barry. Viewers can also have fun with the "Decide Your Own Doom Interactive Game," which allows them to participate in an adventure (of sorts) based on "Renaissance." Finally, there are commentaries by Small and co-creator Loren Bouchard on seven episodes, as well as a lengthy radio interview with Bouchard and Benjamin. Though there's enough in this set to charm the diehard admirer and the first-time visitor to the Home Movies mini-verse, another season (the series' last) followed. --Paul Gaita

Product Description

"One of the funniest sitcoms anywhere on television." – Time

Home Movies is about a family, but Home Movies is not a family show. It’s got kids in it, but it is aimed squarely at adults. The series spotlights third grader Brendon Small, a young filmmaker who writes, acts, directs and "co-executive produces" his "groundbreaking early work" along with friends Melissa (age 8) and Jason (age 7). The show also features Coach McGuirk, a youth soccer coach who hates soccer and isn’t all that crazy about youths.

The third season of this half-hour cult-hit comedy towers as one of the greatest seasons in the history of television;. It includes the nearly flawless "Shore Leave" (which won an award at some festival), the fan favorite "Guitarmageddon," as well as the episodes "Storm Warning" and "Renaissance," which have some really funny parts.

Season Three represents an already great show truly hitting its stride. If you’re a fan of the show, then this season is a "must see." And if you’ve never seen Home Movies, this is a perfect place to start. Then work your way backwards.

Contains all 13 episodes of Season Three

Episode #301 "Shore Leave"
Episode #302 "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"
Episode #303 "Bad Influence"
Episode #304 "Improving Your Life Through Improv"
Episode #305 "Four’s Company"
Episode #306 "Renaissance"
Episode #307 "My Cheatin’ Heart"
Episode #308 "Guitarmaggedon"
Episode #309 "Storm Warning"
Episode #310 "Time To Pay The Price"
Episode #311 "Broken Dreams"
Episode #312 "Stowaway"
Episode #313 "Coffins And Cradles"

Plus these Special Features

*DECIDE YOUR DOOM INTERACTIVE GAME: "Revenge Of The Dorks"
*EPISODE ANIMATICS
*SOME HOME MOVIES FANS – A Music Video
*A FEATURETTE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T NECESSARILY LIKE HOME MOVIES By Jon Benjamin
*EPISODE COMMENTARIES
*RADIO INTERVIEW with Jon Benjamin and Loren Bouchard

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well, I guess it's time to pay the price..., November 4, 2005

By	Michael Kluge (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sure it's nearly bereft of fanfare and staggering production values, yet Home Movies stands as one of the most endearing and clever creations ever to grace the small screen. It's a show that never takes itself too seriously or blows itself up to Hurculean proportions, and yet manages to exhude sincerity and meaning at almost every turn. Unlike most of the Adult Swim fodder, Home Movies actually develops coherent plots, or is at least patient enough to focus on a common theme or motif, and has a sense of humor more akin to the uneasy awkwardness of Seinfeld and Arrested Development, with characters stammering over each other and launching into embarassing (yet hillarious) tirades that go nowhere. The kids behave like adults and the adults are inept and childish, if well-meaning. Charming, minimalist and with a real heart, but above all wickedly funny, this is a real treasure, no matter what the price...

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Of course you're stupid, Brendon. All kids are stupid.", January 29, 2006

By	J. A. Hazelwood "TheSynapZe" (Frederick, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Back in the dorms at college, I could expect there to be a knock on my door every night at around 10:50. It would be one of my neighbors trying to corral everyone to watch Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup on the lounge TV. I think the reason why we always had to all watch it simultaneously was because that way no one could feasibly complain about the noise from all of the raucous laughter. Anyway, I enjoyed some of it although the shows that wrung humor from random nonsense grated on my nerves after a while. The only show that I found on Adult Swim that made me return to it outside of our nightly groupthink was Home Movies. It was a quieter show, a more thoughtful show, the kind of show that wouldn't end an episode with a character being hacked to pieces with a chainsaw for no reason unlike all the other shows that followed it on the schedule. Since then, I have been happily snapping up the well-produced DVD box sets, and I really must talk about the third season set which is my personal favorite.

For the uninitiated, Home Movies is about a young boy, his camera, and his unquenchable dreams (and also his friends and his harried single mother and his slovenly soccer coach). Eight-year-old Brendon Small spends his spare time acting, directing, editing, and co-executive producing his own short films with his two school chums (It kind of makes you wonder about what you did when you were his age. I was hitting fireflies in my backyard with a wiffleball bat, mostly). The movies themselves, though usually ending up as subplots, are always memorable and prove to be one of the show's most defining elements. Plus, no matter what genre of film you can think of, from Hammer House-style horror to Memento-esque twisted thrillers, you can bet that Brendon, Jason and Mellissa can cobble the props and costumes together from household products and lawn gnomes and film it for your viewing pleasure. Rounding out the primary cast is Brendon's ersatz father-figure Coach McGuirk, the oft-described "youth soccer coach who hates soccer and isn't all that crazy about youths". He's a lazy sod, he constantly dispenses bad advice and utter non-wisdom (like my review's title), and basically he should join the ranks of TV's most lovable depraved reprobates, like Bender from Futurama, Larry from Three's Company, or Dr. Troy from Nip/Tuck.

The main draw of this set, of course, is that the third season contains easily the best episodes that the show had to offer. The premiere, Shore Leave, features extremely good animation for a show that's actually rather crudely drawn; the climactic moment that crosses references from El Mariachi and the Graduate is an absolute highlight of the series. Renaissance, which is about a heated rivalry between a Renaissance Festival and a Sci-Fi Convention, was like a wet dream for my nerdy self (Mental Note: show this episode at my D&D game this Friday). Guitarmageddon may have lifted the plot from the Karate Kid but it features some blistering guitar riffs from Brendon Small (The actor, not the character. The character can't actually play worth a lick, as you'll see). Finally, in Time to Pay the Price, the kids' trip to a minimum security prison for a Scared Straight program is totally overshadowed by a .6 second-long shot of the main cast dressed as the X-Men (McGuirk as Colossus! Jason as Wolverine with colored pencils coming out of the back of his gloves! Brilliant! Plus there's a new rendition of that scene of the cover of the second slipcase! This is the best DVD set ever!). Alright, so I'm a little biased towards that episode, but I can say with total objectivity that the other nine shows on this set are all great too, you can trust me on that.

What's also great are the extras. You've got commentaries on select episodes from Small and co-creator Loren Brouchard. They may not be as thorough and involving as your average Simpsons commentary, but I thought they were each worth a listen (By the way, the commentary of Time to Pay the Price sounds like it's going to be one long jazz fusion ad lib from start to finish. Don't worry though; they actually start talking once the second act starts). The Decide-Your-Doom game is a cute expansion on the Renaissance show with new inspired artwork that features almost every character that's ever been on the program. If you persevere and reach all three endings, you'll unlock Easter Eggs that you may have missed from the earlier box sets. Last and definitely not least, we have an NPR radio interview of Loren and cast member H. Jon Benjamin. Between Jon's ludicrous robot voice modulation machine and his tragically flawed improv acting lessons with the call-in Petey, I was pretty much rolling on the floor and laughing the whole way.

Why do I like Home Movies so much? I think it's because it combines some of the best aspects of the most popular current animated shows. It has the simple but distinctive animation style plus the extremely precocious kids angle of South Park, the off-the-cuff pop culture references of Family Guy, and the well-developed characters and writing of the Simpsons. It really is a shame that the show never found its niche and lasted only four seasons (Personally, I blame the eye-straining Squigglevision and sub-par unscripted episodes of the first season on UPN). It will be a little cathartic to pick up the final DVD box set when it comes out, especially since the final episode is one of the saddest series finales since the Ice Age killed off all of the dinosaurs on Dinosaurs.

That's why I wanted to take the time to talk about the superlative third season now. Well, Home Movies, at least we'll always have the student's lounge.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Favorite, March 26, 2006

By	Brian E. Young "artist" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

One of my absolute favorite shows, I had to buy this set. This season contains some of my favorite episodes and characters. Everyone is at their best in this set and I'm glad I bought it. They make very creative use of commmentary tracks to do letter responses, a music improve and yes even comment on the episodes. There's a radio show segment with interviews. Really a well put together collection. The box set contains fun movie poster parodies, two per disc plus the box.

Really a fun show with timeless comedy. Very little is topical so the show is easily watchable forever. It's all about the characters and clever plots. I really wish there was more than four seasons.

Also, if you didn't catch it the real life Brendon Small posed in the April 2006 Playgirl with an article about his new project. Great pictures and a funny guy