The Matrix. A film from the early 2000’s or a way to teach your grandkids a valuable life lesson about taking things that don’t belong to them? In the season opener of Rick and Morty, “Summer of All Fears”, Rick does the latter as he traps Morty and Summer in a phone charger based hellscape where they end up stuck for thirty years matrix time.

Summer during her time in the matrix becomes a corporate girl boss, whereas Morty has rougher go of it and ends up going to war. The situation is worsened when they leave the matrix but don’t get mindblown, leaving them with all the memories and burdens of the lives they led within the matrix including the weight of being a successful 40-something for Summer and severe PTSD for Morty. Lessons are learned when the kids decide to be mindblown, clearing them of the trauma the matrix caused. Sometimes it’s better to forget.

Moral of the story: Don’t borrow phone chargers.

Overall, a spectacular start to the eighth season. 

Rick and Morty airs Sundays at 11PM ET/PT on Adult Swim.

Do you like games? Do you like musicals? Do you like games with musicals? I’m pretty sure you didn’t have an answer for that last question not unless you played the new Adult Swim Game Peter Panic. Musical skills aren’t required on your part as they already provide that. You just need your time, fast fingers, and wit….oh and an iPhone or iPad since that’s what you’ll need to play.

About the Game:

Our main character is Peter who returns to his hometown after getting degree in directing and wants to be apart of his local theater. The thing is the local theater has been closed down. So Peter sets out to earn the money and people to help reopen it and provide the musical culture he so thinks his town needs again. In order to gain the money, you must help Peter go through different tasks (5 games with 3 levels of difficulty) that must be passed before moving on to the next one. And since the game itself is also a musical before and after each task there is a musical number that sort of explain the purpose of the tasks. The mini games are easy at first with some tapping, sorting, & puzzles involved. After awhile the difficulty goes up and it moves a little quicker. If you manage to pass with at least a 15, you’re free to move on to the next point in the game.

Thoughts:

Peter Panic is definitely a fun game. I assumed I’d be annoyed by the singing but it was actually good. Almost like you were listening to a soundtrack. Based on the information provided on the iTunes screen, actual Broadway talent was used so it’s the real deal. It does make the playing experience more enjoyable. They do provide you the option to skip the songs but I only suggest doing so after if you’ve grown tired of it. Just, at least, give each song a chance.

The creator (James Marion) and composer for the game (Ben Bonnema) made an appearance together which I wasn’t expecting. Their appearance is where they explain that you can play as much as you want, it’s just that you’ll have to pay $2.99 if you to save your progress.

The tasks themselves were weird put I eventually got the hang of it (after failing many times). Now I’m in no way a gamer but I think I did as well as I possibly could. I got up until the third task (“Game Development”) but the one thing that held me back was a mini game where you had to help the bird flap in between obstacles. I was never good at those sort of games and no matter how much I tried I just couldn’t get it. With that I couldn’t experience more of the game but based on the teaser provided, I can tell it gets more crazy. I’m still going to keep trying this out because I really had a good time playing this game and want to help Peter get musicals back in his town (and in my ears). The more you play and succeed the more songs you unlock you know.

If you want to play (and listen to) Peter Panic, it’s currently available for iPhone/iPad: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/peter-panic/id1058602106?mt=8

Throughout TV history, there have been many shows that touch and tug at your heart… unfortunately, this is not one of those shows, but is still a treasure. From the guys who brought you Adult Swim classics such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Too Many Cooks, comes Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell (and yes, that was taken from the Iggy Pop song of the same name).

YPF tells the story of Gary, played by Henry Zebrowski (The Wolf of Wall Street), a low-level drone who finds himself working for the big red guy, Satan himself, played by Matt Servitto (Banshee, The Sopranos). In each episode, Gary hopelessly attempts to be number one at gathering souls for his “boss,” whether it be by possessing houses, his friends, or Mexican baseball players. His intern, Claude (Craig Rowin) however always seems to piggyback off of Gary in order to get into Satan’s good graces. The entire show plays out like a reverse Flying Nun of sorts (which, now that I type that out, I know sounds like some bizarre sex position).

The rest of the cast is rounded out by comedian Eddie Pepitone (The Bitter Buddha) as a tormented soul in Hell, and (of course wouldn’t be a full-on Williams Street project without him) Aqua Teen’s Dana Snyder as Gary’s former roommate.  Being that the show is created by Aqua Teen’s Dave Willis and Too Many Cooks’ Chris “Casper” Kelly, it’s chock full of all kinds of crazy, silly, and hysterical concepts. In my favorite episode (titled Schmickler83!), Gary loses his “summon word” (which turns out to be “summon word”) and is summoned by a couple of stoners to do all sorts of silly and meaningless tasks.

The DVD itself contains all six, 22-minute episodes uncut and uncensored from the first season, surprisingly with their own respective deleted scenes, as well as a MINIMUM of one audio commentary by cast/crew of the show. Very strange for a Warner/Swim title to even get special features these days, especially without a BluRay release (which the show obviously didn’t, it’s not exactly held up to the same standards as a Venture Bros. or Rick and Morty).

Speaking of Special Features, I am also amazed at how many fill this DVD set. First off, you get the original YPF short that aired on 4am Swim as well as on certain parts of the Aqua Teen Live tour back in 2010. The original short has next to nothing to do with the series, except that during the creator commentary, co-creator Dave Willis makes mention about how Swim Head Honcho, Mike Lazzo suggested they make the series around the demon character (also named Gary).

In addition, there are also some quick 2-5 minute Behind the Scenes featurettes, featuring the cast as well as some of the people who did set decoration and makeup/clothing. Learn how to make your own demonized PC tower. You also get some quick promos from the show, as well as the original cast Screen Tests from Henry Zebrowski, Matt Servitto, Craig Rowin, and Eddie Pepitone.

If you’re a fan of YPF (which as of Sunday has begun it’s brand-spanking-new second season). Aqua Teen, Too Many Cooks, or just plain Swim humor, this is definitely a must-have.  You can pick up Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell Season One DVD TODAY in stores or online. No soul selling required!

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The Series

For those out of the loop (or living in a Tron-like world): Robot Chicken is the brainchild of Seth Green (Family Guy, Austin Powers) and Matthew Senreich (formerly of Wizard Entertainment). The duo started a web series called “Sweet J Presents.” The concept: a stop-motion sketch comedy show based on pop-culture from the 80′s and 90′s (when Seth and Matt grew up). Today, Robot Chicken graces [adult swim] screens everywhere, and even has specials based on popular movies and comic franchises such as Star Wars and DC Comics.

The DVD

The Full, Uncut, and Uncensored Sixth Season of [adult swim]‘s Emmy Award winning animated program comes on one big-assed BluRay with Special Features up the kazoo. A cavalcade of guest stars such as Sam Elliott, Stan Lee, Patrick Stewart, Olivia Wilde, Malin Ackerman, and many MANY others make this season just more spectacular. A multitude of skits in each episode, for instance how Pinky and the Brain truly spend their nights, Elroy Jetson finding a facehugger from Alien, even a grown up Dora the Explorer. While most of the skits aren’t terribly tasteful, the concepts are pretty humorous and fun to watch over and over. Super HiDef quality that you know [adult swim] delivers. In addition, this title comes with an Ultraviolet copy to throw onto your tablets and smartphone devices.

What RC set wouldn’t be complete without boatloads of special features. I’ll list some of them…

Featurettes:

From the development of Season 6, to a little Robert Kirkman info, even some “dirt” on Seth and Matt themselves. The featurettes section is endless, also un-informative… which makes for some crazy fun!

Deleted Animatics:

When I chatted with Matt Senreich at New York Comic Con this year, he’d mentioned that there are A LOT of skits that never made it past animatics. And he wasn’t kidding. Endless supplies of animatics are on this set (even more than the number of episodes in the season)! Then again, those who were lucky enough to make air had stuff cut as well…

Deleted Scenes:

Want to see more of the skits that made it to air? Here are some clippets that were taken out (either for time or lack of humor) from each episode.

Chicken Nuggets:

The Nuggets are back! If you saw RC:DC, you know that this is a pop-up style trivia add-on for episodes. Learn ins and outs, bits and bobs, so-ons and so-forths of each episode as you watch and listen.

So there you have it. A fitting BluRay Season Collection for an Emmy Award Winning Series. Not sure I could say any more than that.

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With over 100 episodes, conquering 1980′s toys, cartoons, nostalgia, and even the Star Wars Universe, what would be Team Robot Chicken’s next target? Hint: DC Comics’ Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns writes and contributes for the show…

That’s right! Robot Chicken has teamed up with DC Comics to bring you “Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special!” This one-disc set on BluRay (and also DVD) is jam-packed with your favorite DC Comics superheroes and baddies like Superman, Lex Luthor, Batman, Bane, Green Lantern, Sinestro, and of course… Aquaman. You can also expect a star-studded voice cast as only Robot Chicken Co-Creator/Hollywood Darling Seth Green can deliver. Voices like Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother,) Megan Fox (Transformers,) Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly,) Alex Borstein (Family Guy,) Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2,) Breckin Meyer (Garfield,) Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,) and many more!

The main feature is the special itself, which is in typical Robot Chicken fashion: It’s the only stop-motion animated sketch comedy show out there of its kind (only this time, with some DC Comics fun thrown in.) The main focus on this one is Aquaman and his (lack of) super-abilities. From the starting gate, we get a quick sketch on how the rest of the Justice League treat old Aqua. It eventually leads to an all-out brawl between the JLA, the baddies (known as the Legion of Doom,) and some of your Robot Chicken favs like the Nerd, Humping Robot, and others. Mixed in-between are some short skits such as Superman figuring out that kissing people (like he did to Lois in the Superman 2 film,) makes them forget. Also included are some recurring segments such as “Real Characters of the DC Universe,” including some lesser-known DC chracters (that you probably haven’t heard of.) The whole show is wrapped up with a tight bow of a power ballad, as sung by Aerosmith front-man, Steven Tyler.

Since this disc is on BluRay, it suffices to say that the HD quality looks and sounds phenomenal (at least as far as stop-motion animation with DC Superheroes goes.) In addition, like Swim’s last BluRay release, Metalocalypse Season 4, also included is an UltraViolet digital copy. So not only can you enjoy the RC:DC special on a super-hi-def 50 to 60 inch screen, you can also take it on the go with your smartphone, tablet, or laptop of choice. Personally, I’d go with an iThingy.

The Special Features on the disc are spectacular. I’ll break them down individually…

• The Making of the RC:DC SpecialIf this show looks easy to make, you’re dead wrong. You get to see the unsung heroes of Stoopid Buddy Stoodios hard at work to make this special. From the number of models they used for each character, to the different ways they utilized getting shots of specific scenes. If you like watching Behind The Scenes featurettes, I highly recommend this.
• RCDC’s Aquaman Origin StorySeth Green, Matthew Senreich, and the rest of the RC cast briefly discuss their take on Aquaman’s “origin.”
• Chicken NuggetsWant more “nuggets” on how the show was created? It’s essentially like one of those DVDs you get with the popup info. The Robot Chicken will pop-up at certain points of the special, you hit the button, and you’re sent over to commentary by Seth, Matt, and Geoff Johns about specific scenes in the special.

• Writers’ CommentaryRunning commentary track with writers Geoff Johns, Tom Root, Zeb Wells, Mike Fasolo, Matt Beans, and Kevin Schinick.
• Actors’ CommetarySame as Writers’ except with commentary by Seth Green, Matt Senreich, Tom Root, Abraham Benrubi, and Alfred Molina.
• DC Entertainment TourSeth and Matt are guided by Geoff Johns through the inner-workings of DC’s headquarters in L.A. They also raid some serious swag.
• Stoopid Alter EgosThe Stoopid Buddy crew make their own costumes based on characters from the RC:DC special for the broadcast premier party.
• OuttakesBloopers from the voice actors.
• Cut SketchesHear from the creators and writers for the special about sketches that were cut (either for time or because they were too silly,) and see early drafted storyboards. My favorite has to be the Harvey Birdman reference.
• 5.2 QuestionsDC Comics, featuring Geoff Johns, Seth Green, and Matt Senreich field questions from fans about the RC:DC special.

So there you have it! If you love stop-motion animation, superheroes battling women, villains battling BO, and Aquaman battling everyone. Then you need to grab ahold of this special NOW!

For those of you who may have been living the past few years in the deepest darkest part of the ocean floor, let me bring you up to speed: Metalocaypse follows the story of 5 members of the greatest Black Metal band on Earth (and the world’s 7th largest economy,) Dethklok. Each member has his own goals, struggles, etc. But ultimately, they are part of something much bigger. Deep within the bowels of the Earth, a Tribunal (led by the mysterious Mr. Selatcia,) plot to eradicate Dethklok before they bring upon “The Metalocalypse.” As this season is no different from the chaos, death, and destruction that we’ve seen in the past 3… we see even more of the plot begin to unfold.

The show itself was made for BluRay. While you’re not going to get a full-on Super Duper THX Star Wars-Avengers experience, the picture, clarity, and sound look fantastic. I ran my copy off my PS3 and it looked phenomenal! As far as episodes go, all of season 4 comes on one disc. My personal favs would have to be Dethvanity, Dethcamp, and Fanklok. In addition (for the first time in Swim history!) you can view all the episodes via Ultraviolet (the streaming media app, not the crappy scifi movie starring Milla Jovovich.) Now you can take Dethklok on the go, via your favorite iThingy or computer of choice.

Of course, the big part of every Metalocalypse Season Set (BluRay or otherwise) would have to be the jam-packed Special Features, made with love by Metalocalypse director, Mr. Jon Schnepp. You have clips such as “CFO Raps,” where you watch Charles Offdensen trying to lay a beat, clips of Dr. Rockso, and of course… everyone’s favorite… Nathan Explosion reading (or at least attempting to read) excepts from Shakespeare novels. I dare you NOT to find something in the Special Features you won’t like.

And that’s all there really is to it. Black Metal, Death Cults, and Rock and Roll Clowns rejoice, the Metalocalypse continues… in Hi-Def! Go forth, and watch… then die. 

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If you haven’t seen the show, either out of neglect or reluctance or something, Eagleheart premiered in 2011 on Adult Swim. It stars Chris Elliott as US Marshall Chris Monsanto, his sidekicks Brett Mobley (played by Brett Gelman) and Susie Wagner (Maria Thayer), and the various criminals and villains who steal, rob, kill, and commit various crimes in the sky who Chris fights to take down in the name of vengeance and justice. The first season ran 12 episodes back in 2011, and the show was later renewed for a second season.

The DVD was released back in April by Adult Swim and Warner Bros and if you like the show, or you want to check it out for the first time because your friends won’t stop telling you how good it is, it’s a pretty good buy. All 12 episodes are here, and they look pretty good, even on a nice HDTV. I watched them through an Xbox 360 and was pretty satisfied with the picture quality. Along with the episodes, you get some commentaries– there are 20 commentary tracks in all, dispersed amongst the episodes. Some with one track, some with two, and some tracks starring the cast, others starring the people behind the show. I personally haven’t listened to the commentaries myself, only really flipped through the tracks– but if commentary is a selling point for you, this should probably do the trick. A bit of insight, a bit of joking around amongst cast members, a bit of everything.

The disc also includes deleted scenes and outtakes, which, upon watching, become readily apparent why they were deleted. They’re not bad, per se– they’re just not particularly entertaining. A chuckle or two throughout the deleted scenes, but that’s really all. They mostly seem to be just dragged-on versions of pretty funny scenes in the show. They’re great to have on the disc, but I’m personally pretty happy they didn’t make it into the final episodes. Still, nice addition.

The special features include the regular ol’ promos that a lot of DVDs include, all quick 15-second-or-so Adult Swim spots promoting new episodes. It also includes some pretty awesome stuff like scenes from the original pilot, which was a way different show. In the pilot, Eagleheart is a show within a show, starring Chris Elliott’s character as a bumbling TV star trying to change his lines around and get a bear on set so he can do a “bear feces” line. The show’s producer kills himself in a trailer rigged to explode for a scene. In his place, a producer from The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien is sent in after he’s exiled from the famous NBC late night show after stealing a joke cue card, effectively helping to break Conan’s leg in a chase. Conan vows to make sure he’ll never work in the building again, so he’s sent to work on the struggling Eagleheart, and ends up saving a co-star who traps herself in the same trailer the old producer committed suicide in. It’s an incredibly different show in a lot of ways, and it’s pretty funny in its own right.

Also included is the New York Comic Con panel we attended last year! It was fun to see it again. And, also, for fun, there is a Kill Reel, which is a 2 and a half minute compilation of every single kill in the first season. Every single one. It’s nice.

There’s very little negative to say about the DVD. The features are plenty and pretty nice, and there’s an ample amount of commentary to go along with some pretty great episodes of television. The deleted scenes are a low point but not for their inclusion, for the content. They’re still an interesting watch, to be honest, though– it’s a good look at the show if it were ever to get a longer time.

The DVD is currently available in stores. If you wanna go order it right now, it’s on sale for $10.49 on Amazon. Check your local Best Buy, or other store-that-sells-DVDs nearby and pick this one up. It’s worth it. If I were to assign a rating, it’s probably a four and a half stars out of 5. I couldn’t think of anything silly for that for this show. Regardless, it’s real good. Go get it.

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For me, personally… when a show on [adult swim] premieres, it either makes an impression on me right away or it takes me a few episodes to warm up to it. In rare occassions (I.e.: Aqua Teen Hunger Force,) I end up worshiping the show immensely. Such is the case with Delocated as I absolutely love every minute of it. So much so that before a DVD release was even thought of, I strayed from my usual and purchased both seasons on iTunes. However (and at long last,) the first two seasons of Delocated will finally be gracing your DVD players this Tuesday (January 17th.)

The Story

Delocated is a pretty “simple” story involving a man who, for reasons that have yet to be explained, is in the crosshairs of a Russian crime family. Rather than staying on the lam in hiding, he pitches a reality show. With the help of the FBI, they give “Jon” (his witness protection program code-name) and his family ski masks and voice harmonizers, which they need to have on when the cameras are rolling. Without going into too much detail of the show (hey, [adult swim] needs to sell some DVDs,) hilarity ensues in each episode where “Jon” tries to balance his personal life with his reality show… while at the same time staying alive and safe from the Russian mob. Delocated stars Jon Glaser (who is also the creator and Executive Producer,) as well as a stellar cast of comedians and actors/actresses including Eugene Mirman, Nadia Dajani, Jacob Kogan, Zoe Lister-Jones, Kevin Dorff, Mather Zickel, Steve Cirbus, Jerry Minor, and Todd Barry. The show is also Exec Produced and written by John Lee from PFFR (creators of, among other shows Xavier: Renegade Angel.)

The DVD

The DVD is pretty much your standard [adult swim] DVD format. You’ve got 2 discs, one of which consists of the 6 episodes of Season One (all at 11 minutes each,) as well as the first 6 of Season Two. Two episodes (“Pilot” and “Mole”) also have commentary tracks attached if you select them separately, rather than “Play All.” The latter commentary is actually Jon Glaser and John Lee speaking in “Brando” while doing 22 minutes of commentary about the episode. The second disc (in addition to including the final 6 episodes from Season Two) and also includes some jam-packed special features which I will discuss in a bit. Normally in a DVD review you hear about Video and Sound quality. The obvious answer I can give (obviously) is that this is your usual [adult swim] DVD release. Fortunately, Delocated managed to be released after Cartoon Network’s HD conversion so all the episodes are in perfectly clear HD goodness. As far as sound goes… same dealie. This isn’t a Michael Bay production… though Glaser and co. definitely do their best to make it as close to it as possible…

The Special Features

…however, a definitely impressive list of special features:

• Deleted Scenes: Certain episodes had scenes taken out (probably either for time reasons or because Jon and co. felt they were unnecessary.) Some of the deleted scenes include a conversation between “Jon” posing as Sergei (from the episode “Mole”) and both the Mirminsky Crime family and the Arab terrorist family that Sergei is set to marry into. There’s also a scene from “Member’s Only” where “Jon” gets himself kicked out of being an “Honorary Black Man.” Personally, I think the best part of the deleted scenes is the fact that there is no vocal effect on “Jon’s voice, hence you’re hearing Jon Glaser’s normal voice in the scenes.
• Outtakes: Similar to the deleted scenes. They don’t add or subtract anything to the plot of each episode. For instance, there’s a scene from “Rage Cage” where a guy in Rage Cage is chainsawing the crap out of everything in the room for over 5 minutes.
• Flip Books: As Jon Glaser explains in the intro, in episodes “Good Buds” as well as “The Soother,” there were photoshoots taken depicting “Jon” and Mike as well as “Jon” and the plaster hand. Someone pointed out that they looked like flipbooks (where you flip through a book of images that look similar to stop-motion animation.) Thus, they were added as a special feature, along with some random “FRRT!” noises.
• Relocated Demo: This demo was screened at New York Comic-Con 2010 and was the demo that was handed in to [adult swim] when it was originally pitched. It features the scene from “Pilot” where Paul Rudd is killed by Yvgeny as well as “Jon” performing with band Yo La Tengo.

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The Set

The DVD set contains 2 discs chock full of hilarious episodes such as Blackwatch Plaid, X Gets The Crest, Gone Efficient, and the debut of Birdgirl and the Birdteam. Undoubtedly, this second volume hosts a slew of episodes which made characters like Phil Ken Sebben, Peanut, and Peter Potamus stand out over the rest. That and the driving star power of stars such as Gary Cole (Office Space, The Brady Bunch,) Stephen Colbert (Strangers With Candy, The Colbert Report,) Peter MacNicol (Ally McBeal, Dragonslayer,) and Paget Brewster (Andy Richter Controls The Universe) one of the more ideal DVD sets for any [adult swim] fan to buy.

The Content

Disc 1

Disc 1 Contains many of the classic eps you’ve come to love:

Back to the Present: Harvey (Cole) helps out the First Family of the Future: The Jetsons

Blackwatch Plaid: An obvious spoof on America’s color-coded Terror Alert System. As orchestrated by Phil (Colbert)

Grape Juiced: where Harvey defends a rather roided-up version of Hanna Barbera’s classic Grape Ape.

Peanut Puberty: Peanut finally matures and learns about his super-powers… in a rather unusual way.

Gone Efficient: In a way to cut costs to the firm, Phil hires Dvd (David, but shorter to save time) to “help” Harvey save time.

Droopy Botox: Hilarity ensues after Harvey wins a case for a company that specializes in plastic surgery.

Guitar Control: Phil runs for office while Harvey defends
a Chuck Heston-inspired Quick Draw McGraw.

Booty Noir: Reducto’s (Colbert) fetish for large round posteriors knows no bounds.

This disc also contains a bit of easter egg goodness in regards to Peanut Puberty.

Disc 2

Disc 2 gives us four more yummy episodes:

X Gets The Crest: X the Eliminator (MacNicol) after winning a poker game, finally manages to get Harvey’s crest of power.

Birdgirl of Guantanamole: Phil’s daughter Judy (Brewster) after meeting Harvey, takes on the new persona of Birdgirl.

Beyond the Valley of the Dinosaurs: Harvey and Peter Potamus find an ancient world through a hottub.

Evolutionary War: Harvey defends Captain Caveman (and Son) and the theory of evolution.

The lack of episodes on this disc make for a seriously jam-packed lineup of goodies such as:

Naked Scene: A rather naughty version of the Birdgirl episode. Not for the little children.

Record of Records: A look at the actors behind the voices.

Birdman Stripper: Just what it sounds like. Only worse.

CGI Clip: A CGI to Final comparison of the ballroom scene in Evolutionary War

Harvey Promos: Just what it sounds like. Only better.

Bluetube Moments: Watch the sound editors mess around.

Deleted Scenes: From X Gets The Crest

Also noteworth: Both discs include episode commentary from Gary Cole, Stephen Colbert, and many other stars of the show.

Final Analysis:

So there you have it: Superheroes, Lawyers, Girls, Cookies on Dowels…. you couldn’t ask for more from the man in the suit. In my honest opinion, the set is even better than Volume 1. Let me put it this way: If you don’t like lawyer shows, if you hate dramas, but you would love nothing more than to die laughing… I highly recommend you go to your nearest DVD purchasing vendor and throwing it up on your collector’s shelf (preferably between some golden bird bookends)

== For technical specs, don’t hesitate to click here ==

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