Goofy comedy is the order of the day with these new DVD releases, along with a few kiddie discs:
— "The Beautician and the Beast" (Paramount, 1997, PG, $19.99). Fran Drescher, with her nasally Brooklyn accent intact, made a bid for big-screen stardom with this farcical fantasy, developed during the height of her popularity on the TV sitcom "The Nanny." Here, Drescher plays a beauty-school grad who is whisked off to a fictional East European country to tutor the children of a tyrannical dictator (Timothy Dalton).
She's not much of a teacher, of course, but she has street-smarts and heart, and eventually teaches the dictator how to meet-and-greet his people, rule with a velvet hand and communicate with his own children. Oh, and they fall in love along the way.
There are some amusing gags here, though it runs out of steam before it's over. The film is strictly for Drescher's following (she also offers an easygoing audio commentary, aimed squarely at her fans), but Dalton steals the show in an uncharacteristic stab at comedy.
Extras: Widescreen, audio commentary, etc.
— "Popeye" (Paramount, 1980, PG, $19.99). OK, "Popeye" is weirder than it is funny, but there's something about this box-office fiasco that makes it strangely watchable. The sets and props are amazingly faithful to the original cartoon, and Robin Williams (in his first starring role) captures the title character perfectly, with makeup-enhanced forearms and squinty eye, along with his gutteral pronouncements and soft-spoken comic asides. And was there ever any better casting than Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl?
True, Robert Altman's direction is quite cluttered and Harry Nilsson's odd songs are unmemorable. But if you're in the right frame of mind. . . .
Extras: Widescreen, etc.
— "The Brady Bunch Movie" (Paramount, 1995, PG-13, $19.99).
— "A Very Brady Sequel" (Paramount, 1996, PG-13, $19.99). Speaking of weird, these offbeat movies, each with virtually the same cast, are at once sequels, homages to and spoofs of the '70s "Brady Bunch" TV series, with liberal lampooning of the '60s and '70s in general.
The first film establishes the primary gag, which is that the Brady's still live in the innocent, oddball '70s — complete with colorful clothing and superficial music and giddy attitudes — despite the films' modern-day settings. Their home and yard are squeaky clean, but outside it's a gritty, nasty world. Yet, they don't seem to notice. (The films are also rife with vulgar sexual entendres, some funny and some not-so.)
Gary Cole and Shelley Long are perfect as the clueless parents, as are the actors playing all the kids. And there are inside jokes and cameos galore (several members of the original TV cast show up, as do Davy Jones of the Monkees, Barbara Eden in "I Dream of Jeannie" garb and others).
There are some big laughs in both films, but both also wear out their welcome long before the fade-out.
Extras: Widescreen, etc. (Sold separately or in a two-pack, $34.99).
— "Dora the Explorer: City of Lost Toys" (Paramount, 2003, not rated, $19.99). Cute children's yarn has Dora and Boots looking for the City of Lost Toys, with all sorts of games for kids who watch, with counting, putting out-of-place things back in place, etc.
Extras: Full frame, four episodes, parents' guide, flashcards, etc.
— "Blues Clues: Shapes and Colors!" (Paramount, 2003, not rated, $19.99). The title tells all with this entry in the "Blues Clues" vids.
Extras: Full frame, four episodes, parents' guide, etc.
— "The Little Bear Movie" (Paramount, 2001, G, $19.99). This feature-length cartoon has the title character camping with his Father Bear, meeting wild animals on the way. May be a little long for young ones, but it's aimed squarely at pre-schoolers.
Extras: Full frame, etc.
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