DVDTalk reviews the Eerie, Indiana boxset

Sep. 25th, 2017 08:29 pm
froodle: (Default)
[personal profile] froodle
In 10 Words or Less:

Two kids discover the weird world of middle America

The Show

Once in a rare while, someone in TV-land will realize that you don't need to talk down to kids in order to make a kids show. That someone gets his chance, sees his show run about half a season, and is promptly fired for his efforts. The executive who greenlit "Eerie, Indiana" is one of those someones. But thanks to his foresight, kids tuned into NBC in 1991 were able to enjoy a fun take on the themes "The X-Files" would start tackling a few years later.

Marshall Teller (Omri Katz) has been transplanted from New Jersey to the safety of the Midwest. His family settles in Eerie, Indiana, with a not-at-all-ominous population of 16,661. From the start he finds that his new neighborhood is a bit odd. From seeing Elvis to hearing dogs talk, Eerie is loaded with the bizarre. The only other local who notices these things is Simon, his next-door-neighbor and only friend. Together, they try to figure out what's going on in their town, keeping the evidence in a locker, away from prying eyes.

There's no real ongoing storyline to the show, with each episode mainly sticking to the current "case." The cases all involve some odd paranoid conspiracy theory on the part of Marshall, putting it into a genre populated by iconic characters. But in this case, our hero is a mix of some of the best there's been. Marshall's inner monologue serves to narrate the show, sounding like a junior Agent Cooper, lost on his way to "Twin Peaks," while his obsessive desire to root out the weird is inherited from Carl Kolchak of "Kolchak, the Night Stalker."

But the main character isn't the only one with a pop pedigree. Throughout the series, music cues, plot points and actions are lifted liberally from memorable movies and TV. In one of the most obvious references, the show added the character of Dash X, a silver-haired kid doing a bad Christian Slater in Heathers imitation. This mélange of pop culture references is sure to entertain any TV or movie fan.

The show takes place on level of reality similar to that of "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." Colors are brighter, behavior is exaggerated and personalities are cartoony. Because of this heightened reality, the outlandish storylines are more acceptable as they are free of pesky real-world expectations. Even the over-the-top performances by many of the actors don't bring down what is an entertaining show.

The DVDs

Some of the "E,I" fans out there might have been able to write this review a long time ago, as, in the grand tradition of Ed Wood, this set has been announced, cancelled, shipped, cancelled, announced, cancelled, announced again, and finally shipped. Now that all the show's followers can own the discs, we can take a look at a set approximately four years in the making. The 19 episodes (no, the follow-up movie is not included) are spread over five discs, each in their own keepcase (each individually wrapped in plastic for some reason.)

The five keepcases come packed in a cardboard slipcase. The entire package screams "careless," in my opinion, as well as cheap. There are several spelling and capitalization errors on the slipcase, along with the problem that it says the set includes just three episodes. Even the logo design looks weak. At least the disc art looks nice, with the well-known town sign figured prominently. The menus are animated, with scene selections, audio options and chapter stops in each episode. A "play all" option and DVD credits are included as well.

The first disc of the set should be familiar to anyone who picked up the original Volume One release way back in 2000, as it's essentially the same DVD. The set's episode breakdown, with synopses, is as follows:

Disc One:

• "Forever Ware" - Marshall and his family are welcomed to Eerie by a woman with the world's best "stay fresh" containers. This episode was directed by series consultant Joe Dante and written by the show's creators.
• "The Retainer" - When he finds out a retainer allows you to hear what dogs say, Marshall investigates. Well-known character actor Vincent Schiavelli plays the dentist, while Dante directs.
• "ATM With A Heart Of Gold" - Simon becomes friends with the town's sentient ATM, but the favors he gets come at a cost.

Disc Two:

• "The Losers" - Where does everything you lose go? Marshall wants to find out. "Laugh-In" veteran Henry Gibson appears as a guest on another Dante directed episode.
• "America's Scariest Home Videos" - Scream's rules for surviving a horror film can't help when the boys trap Simon's younger brother in a movie.
• "Just Say No Fun" - Anyone who ever mistrusted the eye exams given at school will enjoy this paranoia parade.
• "Heart On A Chain" - Dante's in charge again, as Marshall's friend gives his heart to a girl...literally.

Disc Three:

• "The Dead Letter" - Catch a young Tobey Maguire, as he guests on this episode, as a guy whose mail absolutely, positively must get there.
• "Who's Who" - A girl with a weird family finds her ability to draw has more power than she knew. This episode features the interesting "Bob" family.
• "The Lost Hour" - Against the wishes of the people of Indiana, Marshall follows Daylight Savings Time, and causes chaos. Written by "The Daily Show"'s Vance Degeneres and featuring a young Nikki Cox.
• "Marshall's Theory Of Believability" - Bob Balaban directed this episode where Marshall's chance to expose Eerie may not be what it seems.

Disc Four:

• "Tornado Days" - Matt Frewer is a meteorologist on hand to help Marshall battle the forces of nature, during Eerie's "Tornado Days."
• "The Hole In The Head Gang" - Dante's back and John Astin joins the cast, as Marshall and Simon investigate a haunted mill, that isn't, but might actually be.
• "Mr. Chaney" - Office Space's Stephen Root is the titular Chaney, while Marshall, the town's new Harvest King, is sent to face a challenge in the woods.
• "No Brain, No Pain" - Marshall tries to help a seemingly crazy homeless man, who claims he was attacked by a woman with a ray gun.

Disc Five:

• "The Loyal Order Of Corn" - The town fraternal lodge has some weird goings-on. When Marshall's dad joins, his son needs to check things out.
• "Zombies In P.J.s" - The World 'o Stuff gets a new financier (Rene Auberjois) and starts doing booming late-night business.
• "Reality Takes A Holiday" - Marshall finds a script and begins reading it, and thinks Eerie is turning into a TV set. Another Degeneres script, this time with an appearance by a younger Denise Richards.
• "Broken Record" - Never aired during the show's original run. Marshall tries to help a friend, but changes him into a ne'er-do-well, thanks to a heavy metal album.

The Quality

The 19 episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The video looks its age, coming across as grainy and soft. Because of this, the color can be dull, and blacks are actually dark gray. The special effects are on the level of a low-budget cable show, but if you accept the age of the show, they don't look half bad. The audio has been redone in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound, but the original stereo is also available. As expected, the surround track is bolder, with a deeper sound, but the audio effects you can achieve with 5.1 aren't plentiful. The stereo sounds good, just not as powerful as the 5.1 track.

The Extras

Sadly, not a one. With the two leads out of the business, and one out of the country, a look back at the show would have been nice. Considering how long it's taken to just get this set, some might be happy to just have the shows, but that should never be an excuse to not do bonus features. (Are you listening, Paramount?)

The Bottom Line

This show is simply fun, and way more intelligent than most kids shows, even today. At the same time, its not edgy or disgusting, so no one should have trouble sitting down to watch this as a family. Even today, watching the show is an entertaining experience, one that should be checked out by fans of good TV.
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DVD Talk on the Eerie, Indiana boxset

Nov. 3rd, 2016 12:39 am
froodle: (Default)
[personal profile] froodle
In 10 Words or Less:
Two kids discover the weird world of middle America

The Show
Once in a rare while, someone in TV-land will realize that you don't need to talk down to kids in order to make a kids show. That someone gets his chance, sees his show run about half a season, and is promptly fired for his efforts. The executive who greenlit "Eerie, Indiana" is one of those someones. But thanks to his foresight, kids tuned into NBC in 1991 were able to enjoy a fun take on the themes "The X-Files" would start tackling a few years later.

Marshall Teller (Omri Katz) has been transplanted from New Jersey to the safety of the Midwest. His family settles in Eerie, Indiana, with a not-at-all-ominous population of 16,661. From the start he finds that his new neighborhood is a bit odd. From seeing Elvis to hearing dogs talk, Eerie is loaded with the bizarre. The only other local who notices these things is Simon, his next-door-neighbor and only friend. Together, they try to figure out what's going on in their town, keeping the evidence in a locker, away from prying eyes.

There's no real ongoing storyline to the show, with each episode mainly sticking to the current "case." The cases all involve some odd paranoid conspiracy theory on the part of Marshall, putting it into a genre populated by iconic characters. But in this case, our hero is a mix of some of the best there's been. Marshall's inner monologue serves to narrate the show, sounding like a junior Agent Cooper, lost on his way to "Twin Peaks," while his obsessive desire to root out the weird is inherited from Carl Kolchak of "Kolchak, the Night Stalker."

But the main character isn't the only one with a pop pedigree. Throughout the series, music cues, plot points and actions are lifted liberally from memorable movies and TV. In one of the most obvious references, the show added the character of Dash X, a silver-haired kid doing a bad Christian Slater in Heathers imitation. This mélange of pop culture references is sure to entertain any TV or movie fan.

The show takes place on level of reality similar to that of "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." Colors are brighter, behavior is exaggerated and personalities are cartoony. Because of this heightened reality, the outlandish storylines are more acceptable as they are free of pesky real-world expectations. Even the over-the-top performances by many of the actors don't bring down what is an entertaining show.
Tags:
  • Add Memory
  • Share This Entry

DVD Talk reviews Eerie, Indiana

Jul. 24th, 2016 11:54 am
froodle: (Default)
[personal profile] froodle
In 10 Words or Less:
Two kids discover the weird world of middle America


The Show
Once in a rare while, someone in TV-land will realize that you don't need to talk down to kids in order to make a kids show. That someone gets his chance, sees his show run about half a season, and is promptly fired for his efforts. The executive who greenlit "Eerie, Indiana" is one of those someones. But thanks to his foresight, kids tuned into NBC in 1991 were able to enjoy a fun take on the themes "The X-Files" would start tackling a few years later.
Marshall Teller (Omri Katz) has been transplanted from New Jersey to the safety of the Midwest. His family settles in Eerie, Indiana, with a not-at-all-ominous population of 16,661. From the start he finds that his new neighborhood is a bit odd. From seeing Elvis to hearing dogs talk, Eerie is loaded with the bizarre. The only other local who notices these things is Simon, his next-door-neighbor and only friend. Together, they try to figure out what's going on in their town, keeping the evidence in a locker, away from prying eyes.

There's no real ongoing storyline to the show, with each episode mainly sticking to the current "case." The cases all involve some odd paranoid conspiracy theory on the part of Marshall, putting it into a genre populated by iconic characters. But in this case, our hero is a mix of some of the best there's been. Marshall's inner monologue serves to narrate the show, sounding like a junior Agent Cooper, lost on his way to "Twin Peaks," while his obsessive desire to root out the weird is inherited from Carl Kolchak of "Kolchak, the Night Stalker."

But the main character isn't the only one with a pop pedigree. Throughout the series, music cues, plot points and actions are lifted liberally from memorable movies and TV. In one of the most obvious references, the show added the character of Dash X, a silver-haired kid doing a bad Christian Slater in Heathers imitation. This mélange of pop culture references is sure to entertain any TV or movie fan.

The show takes place on level of reality similar to that of "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." Colors are brighter, behavior is exaggerated and personalities are cartoony. Because of this heightened reality, the outlandish storylines are more acceptable as they are free of pesky real-world expectations. Even the over-the-top performances by many of the actors don't bring down what is an entertaining show.
Tags:
  • Add Memory
  • Share This Entry

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