Product Description

In Moral Orel, a 15-minute stop-motion, animated series created by Dino Stamatopoulos, Orel, an 11-year-old boy who loves church, just wants to do God's work. His unbridled enthusiasm for piousness and his misinterpretations of religious morals, however, often lead to disastrous results - including self-mutilation and crack addiction. But no matter how much trouble he gets into, his reverence and faith keep him cheery to the bitter end. The DVD contains 15 uncensored episodes from the first and second seasons, along with all-new uncensored bonus materials!

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes
Featurette:Behind-the-scenes Featurette
Other:God's Chef - Director's Cut Unedited Version Original Opening Credit animation End Credit Animation

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9522 in DVD
• Brand: ADSIT,SCOTT
• Released on: 2007-04-24
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Special Edition, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .40 pounds
• Running time: 11 minutes

Amazon.com
What exactly makes this double disc of Moral Orel's first season just so "unholy"? Well, for starters, it's uncensored, but that label is really just an amusing ruse, because if anything, the original episodes, which ran as part of Adult Swim's programming, are more offensive than anything you're likely to see on network or cable television. The brainchild of TV writer Dino Stamatopolous (Mr. Show, The Ben Stiller Show), the animated series Moral Orel skewers both conservative viewpoints and children's shows like Davey and Goliath, from which Orel borrows its animated style and naïve world view. The series follows the thoroughly misguided adventures of Orel, a very impressionable young resident of the small town of Moralton. The citizens of said burg live by a very strict interpretation of Christian beliefs, and this rigid interpretation tends to land Orel in very hot water when he attempts to apply them to the less-than-black-and-white world around him. Over the course of the first season's ten episodes (which are all included here, as well as five episodes from the second season), Orel accidentally unleashes a plague of zombies on his townsfolk ("The Lord's Greatest Gift"), develops a horrific crack addiction ("Charity"), gets pierced in an unmentionable place ("The Blessed Union"), and in the series' most jaw-dropping episode to date, "God's Chef," turns a wrong-headed interpretation of sex into a town-wide rash of unexpected pregnancies.

If you're no longer shocked by South Park, chances are that Moral Orel will fill that void, but it's important to note that like South Park, Orel isn't just about breaking taboos. There's a lot of very clever dialogue here, and the "lessons" taught to Orel by his dad, Clay, and the miserable Reverend Putty, do much to skewer the double-talk that permeates zealous types on both sides of the religious and social fences. Supplemental features on The Unholy Edition include eight commentaries by Stamatopoulous and his production team (which includes fellow Mr. Show alum Jay Johnston, who also provides many voices for the series), which cover the trials and tribulations involved in the show's productions, as well as the many headaches incurred by the network over content and thematic issues. Several featurettes are also included, and the most entertaining of these is "The Awkward Comic-Con Panel," in which a seemingly deranged Stamatopolous gets into an argument with Venture Bros. creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer; commentaries by both sides of the fracas are also included. The extras are rounded out by deleted scenes, network bumpers, and footage of Stamatopolous recording the voice of Reverend Putty (he was replaced by William Saylers). --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews

Here's a more intelligent review than monseigneur's...
It's from Common Sense Media:

"Created by Dino Stamatopoulos, a writer known for his regular contributions to adult comedy shows like Late Night with Conan O'Brien and TV Funhouse, this sinfully clever stop-motion series packs a wallop of a message in a short amount of time -- and, in essence, that's part of the problem. In fact, so much controversial humor peppers the show's 15-minute run that the shock value of the humor could overshadow the program's subtle message.
So while adults are more likely to see MORAL OREL for what it is -- a biting social satire mocking religious fundamentalism and hypocrisy within the Christian church -- kids (even some older teens) probably won't be able to appreciate the true sophistication of the humor. (And in case you were wondering, young children definitely won't get the joke.)
Borrowing its distinctive animation style from classic Rankin-Bass shows like Davey and Goliath, Moral Orel follows the often-shocking misadventures of 11-year-old Orel Puppington (voiced by Carolyn Lawrence), a devoutly Christian boy who tries his best to live life by "the book" but often misinterprets God's teachings. Week after week, Orel's good intentions lead to disaster.
But instead of learning from his mistakes, Orel is usually led astray by his pseudo-reflective father, Clay (Scott Adsit), whose advice is rarely helpful and always misses the mark. For example, at the end of an episode chronicling Orel's brief addiction to crack cocaine, Mr. Puppington cautions Orel that crack "is a gateway to slang," prompting the boy to solemnly vow: "When I do drugs, I'm going to speak properly." Parents should be aware that those are the types of "lessons" kids could inadvertently learn from watching this show.
Fans of Moral Orel will undoubtedly enjoy South Park and will probably also get a kick out of revisiting old episodes of Davey and Goliath for some pointed comparisons. Other recommendations include Strangers with Candy, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons."

And a Common Sense Note states:

Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that while this satirical Cartoon Network comedy is animated, it's part of the Adult Swim line-up for a reason: It's rife with graphic humor and isn't appropriate for young children. (For example, when the 11-year-old Orel takes a drag from his very first crack pipe, he snaps at his talking Jesus figurine and tells him to shut up.) Troubling content aside, however, the show can serve as a way for parents and older teens to talk about the pitfalls of religious fanaticism -- although families who are deeply religious may find the program offensive.
Families can discuss the ways in which religious dogma can be misinterpreted by those with good intentions. Does a person who is considered to be religious always act morally? What statement are the creators of this series making about the state of modern-day Christianity? How does this cartoon compare with Davey and Goliath, the early 1960s animated series it gently parodies?

One of the most sophisticated shows on TV - and funny too!
Yes, there are jokes about crack addiction and zombies, but the real gems in this show are the clever wordplay, the well thought out characterizations, and hidden details. Moral Orel is not a show with pop-culture references, cheap cartoon violence, or stoner non-sequiters. It is a refreshingly honest and relevent satire - not to mention some incredible character animation!

One of the funniest shows ever!
This show is one of the funniest shows ever made. I first stumbled upon this show on Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network, I thought it was an episode of Robot Chicken poking fun at Davey & Goliath. Turns out it was Moral Orel! Orel is a young boy who wants nothing more than do right in the eyes of God. However despite his best efforts no matter how hard he tries, he always screws up in the end. What makes the show funny is as the viewer you can see the trainwreck that is about to happen and just sit there and wait for it to happen.
The show isn't for everyone, but for those with a slightly off sense of humor you will love this show.