DVD Review: New Video Group Dr Horribles Sing-along Blog [dvd]: Movies & TV

Jun04

DVD Review: New Video Group Dr Horribles Sing-along Blog [dvd]: Movies & TV

Posted by admin | on 4 June, 12:26 AM

Amazon.com
Conceived as an “online miniseries event” during the 2008 writers’ strike, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is a 42-minute musical romp that bears the distinctive stamp of Joss Whedon. Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) plays the title character, who video-blogs about his twin goals to join the Evil League of Evil and to woo the fair Penny (Felicia Day, of Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Web series The Guild), a woman he met at the local laundromat. Dr. Horrible is foiled on both fronts, however, by his arch-nemesis, the self-absorbed superhero Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion, Whedon’s Firefly).

Dr. Horrible was written by Whedon, his brothers Zack and Jed, and Jed’s fiancee Maurissa Tancharoen, and the songs were written by Joss and Jed (who also produced, orchestrated, played, etc.) with some lyrics by Tancharoen. (Jed and Tancharoen have backup singing roles.) The offbeat, off-the-cuff humor is laugh-out-loud funny, and just like Dr. Horrible wants to take over the world, the songs will take over your head: they’re engaging (”My Freeze Ray’), stirring (”My Eyes”), and sweet (”Penny’s Song’). “So They Say” is particularly evocative of Jonathan Larson’s Rent, but as with Joss Whedon’s musical episode of Buffy, “Once More with Feeling,” the influences are diverse. It’s hard to imagine a better cast. Harris, who’s sung Sondheim on Broadway, is a great lead and clearly the best singer, Day is completely charming, and who better than Captain Tightpants to play the pompous superhero? One could argue about the ending, and the independent budget shows, but Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is a complete hoot for people who enjoy musicals with quirky humor. Plan on watching it multiple times. –David Horiuchi

On the DVD
If you’ve already watched or downloaded Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, a number of bonus features might entice you. There are two commentary tracks: Harris, the three Whedons, Tancharoen, Day, and Fillion recorded a spirited track discussing the movie, and there’s also “Commentary! The Musical” in which they ignore the movie and sing about the writers’ strike and each other (e.g., Fillion sings “I’m Better than Neil”)–the songs aren’t as good as the Horrible songs, but it’s good silly fun. A 20-minute making-of discusses the cast, the recording sessions, and how the movie became a phenomenon, and 10 videos (a half-hour total) were recorded by fans who want to join the Evil League of Evil. And when’s the last time you wanted to pause the FBI warning? –David Horiuchi

Product Description
Studio: New Video Group Release Date: 06/02/2009 Run time: 42 minutes

Nothing Short of Absolutely Amazing,

By A. P. Murrell (Detroit, MI) -

This review is from: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (DVD)

So it’s nothing short of a miracle that I ran into this webcast musical. I’d never dipped in the pond of Whedon’s work and at the time I wasn’t a fan of any of the actors, but boy did that change.

I first heard about Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog from a couple weekly podcasts that I listened to and everyone loved it, so I gave it a try. I came out of the experience singing the catchy songs for weeks, seeking out the actors’ works, and wanting to be a bigger Whedon fan.

The acting is spectacular. Neil Patrick Harris is one of the best actors of his generation and he shows real and refined talent by both singing and acting as Dr. Horrible himself. It’s a shame that Nathan Fillion, Captain Hammer, is not an exploding star. Felica Day, too, exhibits fine acting and singing skills and it’s hard not to fall in love with her character, Penny.

The Whedon team (+ Mo) do an amazing job of weaving together fine acting, extremely catchy and well-written songs, and witty, yet thought-provoking dialogue in the tragicomedy that is Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog and I, for one, cannot wait for more.

The horrible doctor is in!,

By M. Carter “MichyGeary” (Connecticut, USA) -

This review is from: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (DVD)

“Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” tells an incredible story of an aspiring villain… who blogs and sings. In this backwards world, the villain is the hero, and the hero is the villain. But which one will get the girl? If you’re a fan of “Sweeney Todd,” you’ll love this movie. The acting is impeccable, and the music is flawless. Not a scene, not a song, not a word is out of place. This is a story you won’t want to miss.

The fact that this DVD has two commentaries — a typical filmmaker’s commentary and, appropriately so, a musical commentary — is unique in and of itself. The fact that it’s the same stellar crew that put together the Sing-Along blog itself guarantees brilliance. The other special features, such as the “making of” videos, are horribly satisfying. I fell in love with the project all over again.

Wonderfully Evil, and just really really good!,

By M. Morgen “FamilyMan” -

This review is from: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (DVD)

This is an amazing piece of work, and was one of the first “created for the web” creations to really succeed, both artistically and virally. Neil Patrick and the whole cast are perfect, and the entire production is highly original in content, format, and artistry. The songs are great (you’ll be singing them for days, if not weeks) and bottom line, it’s just really, really good, and worth watching or buying or whatever!
Search New Video Group Dr Horribles Sing-along Blog [dvd]: Movies & TV from AmAzon

[asa]B001YB29HG[/asa]