Product Description

No Description Available.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 29-NOV-2006
Media Type: DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14182 in DVD
• Brand: IN LIVING COLOR
• Released on: 2004-09-28
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: .80 pounds
• Running time: 587 minutes

Amazon.com
To label In Living Color "the black SNL" is to not give this groundbreaking sketch comedy its props. Like its late-night counterpart, In Living Color pushed the envelope with sketches that remain in questionable taste ("Fashion Tampons"). It also presented its share of TV show, movie, and commercial parodies. But its racially charged humor that tackled race relations and subverted cultural stereotypes was something 1990 TV viewers were not used to seeing, especially in prime time. Among the most potent sketches featured series creator Keenen Ivory Wayans and brother Damon as the Brothers Brothers, two oblivious Toms who, in one sketch, act as spokespersons for the Arizona Tourism Commission in the wake of that state's controversial decision not to recognize Martin Luther King's birthday. In another, they are allowed to join an exclusive, all-white country club after proclaiming themselves to be followers of "Jesse" (Helms, not Jackson, about whom they profess to have never heard). Flunking all standards of political correctness is Damon's Handi-Man, the world's first handicapped superhero. "James" Carrey's skeletal Fire Marshall Bill and Damon's the Head Detective join the show's stable of breakout characters (Homey D. Clown, Vera De Milo, the flamboyant Men on Film, and homeless man, Anton). Kim Wayans's Grace Jones and Kelly Coffield's Andrea Dice Clay also make welcome returns. Other memorable characters include David Alan Grier's tell-it-too-much-like-it-is blues singer Calhoun Tubbs, and Coffield's Velma Mulholland, a nifty bit of pre-Pleasantville special-effects wizardry in which Damon's blind date turns out to be a quintessential dame right out of a black-and-white 1940s movie.

Episode 26, a "best of" compilation, serves as a representative introduction to the series and season. A bonus "Appreciating In Living Color" segment on disc 4 puts the series in cultural context. Unlike another Fox network sketch-comedy series, Mad TV, In Living Color has been lamentably missing in action on the syndication circuit, so for those who have never been "Colored," and especially for fans of current critics' darling The Chappelle Show, these 26 bracing episodes will be a revelation. Plus, it's fun to watch force of nature Carrey come into his own, and even try out a few moves that would bring him fame and fortune in his own feature films (in episode 18, he mutters the immortal, "All righty then"). --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews

Did They Think We Wouldn't Notice?
This release should be titled, "In Living Color: Season 2 (Edited and Modified for Your Viewing Displeasure)". The cheapos at FOX apparently didn't want to pay for certain music rights involved in the skits so they either replaced the music or cut the skit all together (as is the case with The Jim Carrey Vanilla Ice skit). What an underhanded move by Fox. I consider this false advertising. It's not Season 2. It's MOST of Season 2, MODIFIED. I LOVE "IN LIVING COLOR". This review is based on this DVD RELEASE ONLY. I am very disappointed and would advise others to avoid purchasing. Maybe FOX will get the message and do a re-release, but don't hold your breath. I've really lost respect for Fox and its Home Entertainment Division. They could have, at the very least, acknowledged the modifications on the DVD packaging.

Homey don't play dat. Neither do I.
I will NEVER buy ILC season 2. Not until Fox re-releases it, unedited. (and maybe gives a coupon for those who had bought it.)

Anybody who's kept up on my reviews, for better or worse, would know that I find nothing worse than editing - especially when they don't bother to say on the packaging. Television is supposed to be art. To chop it up and remove pieces, regardless of excuse, is no better than me going to the Louvre to paint over the Mona Lisa's nose with pea green paint or, worse, an advertisement for Tootsie Rolls in the nostrils.

I'm hoping season 3 will be full and unedited.

It's a shame; the show itself was not only funny at the time; it's held MUCH of its humor that many skit or sitcom shows have managed to lose over time. That is extremely rare, to say the least.

In Living Color is special. A cultural influence, no less, as it remains as fresh today as it did in 1990 (unlike many other skit shows...). To neuter it by replacing music soundtracks (while not updating the end credits either) and removing entire skits (namely the Vanilla Ice parody for no apparent reason) crosses the line. Particularly when, as said by others, no word of the atrocity had been mentioned on the packaging!

Now if this set was $20, then I would buy it. But not for $40.

One other note, I want to send a gigantic note of thanks to amazon.com, for being an invaluable service. In terms of both price and especially with allowing consumer reviews, I turn to amazon.com first to find out what users have to say about new releases.

Poor DVD set
I'm sorry but this is not a true representation of the show in 1991. The editing company RUINED it. The original songs from the dances were not the same and have missing skits.
Now that TV on DVD is all the rage these days we don't deserve to pay a lot of money to have these sets so poorly altered.

Anyone wanting to buy the set to have a reminder of how it really was when it originally aired will be disappointed.

I want a refund!