The Simpsons Season 4 DVD

13 reviews for The Simpsons Season 4 DVD

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   S. N. LLOYD-COOMBS – April 11, 2004

   Originally posted on Amazon.com · not a MarioShroomed purchase

   Finally….The Good Stuff!!!

   If you’re a true Simpsons fan, I think you’ll agree with me in saying that this was one of the Finest seasons in the show’s ongoing history. And Hey, its only taken 4 years for it to grace the DVD format…about time! But enough procrastinating, here are the goods, 22 episodes in all with a truckload of extras (like all Simpsons Boxsets) So here are the episodes and what happens in them if you need a little reminder. Enjoy!
   Kamp Krusty – After making a deal with Homer to get good grades in school, Bart and Lisa go away to Kamp Krusty, “The Krustiest Place on Earth!” While they’re initially excited about their summer, they soon learn that Kamp Krusty is a run-down prison run by the tyrannical Mr. Black and his C.I.T. henchmen, Dolph, Kearney and Jimbo Jones.
   A Streetcar Named Marge – Marge is cast in the role of Blanche DuBois in Oh! Streetcar, the musical version of A Streetcar Named Desire directed by the flamboyant Llewellyn Sinclair at the Springfield Community Center.
   Homer the Heretic – One Sunday morning, Homer decides that he’d rather sleep late than go to church. Marge is disappointed, but doesn’t argue with him. While home alone, Homer dances in his underwear, drinks waffle batter and loafs around watching TV.
   Lisa the Beauty Queen – To help Lisa get over her insecurities about her looks, Homer enters her into the Little Miss Springfield Pageant.
   Treehouse of Horror III – In this year’s scarifying special, the Simpsons gather for a Halloween party and exchange ghost stories.
   Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie – Every kid in the world waits with bated breath for the Itchy & Scratchy movie, but Bart is the only one who’s not allowed to see it.
   Marge Gets A Job – When the Simpsons’ house begins sliding off its foundation, Marge is forced to get a job to help make ends meet. Where else can she turn other than The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant?!
   The New Kid on the Block – Evergreen Terrace welcomes two new neighbors, Ruth Powers and her lovely teenage daughter, Laura. Bart falls hard for Laura, but she thinks of him as just a little friend.
   Mr. Plow – At the auto show, Homer impulsively buys a snow plow and starts a business as Mr. Plow. An incredibly snowy winter sets the business rolling, making Homer a success and earning him the key to the city from Mayor Quimby.
   Lisa’s First Word – While trying to get Maggie to say her first words, Marge tells Bart and Lisa about what they were like as babies.
   Homer’s Triple Bypass – In a series of terrifying X-ray shots of Homer’s chest, we see that his heart is dangerously clogged with plaque and doughnut residue and that he is in need of a triple bypass operation.
   Marge Vs. The Monorail – Mr. Burns is forced to pay a $3 million fine for illegally dumping toxic waste under trees in the park. At a town meeting where Springfield’s citizens discuss how to best use the new fund. All agree on a Monorail.
   Selma’s Choice – Aunt Selma realizes that she might wind up dying all alone and thinks that having a baby can relieve her loneliness. She takes Bart and Lisa to Duff Gardens to test if she can handle Parenthood.
   Brother from the Same Planet – When Homer leaves Bart waiting in the pouring rain after soccer practice, he must earn back his son’s love. Bart expresses his anger by going to a Big Brother program and claiming to be an abandoned child so he can get a new “father”.
   I Love Lisa – Trying to be nice to Ralph Wiggum, Lisa gives him a Valentine’s Day card. Ralph misinterprets the gesture and thinks that Lisa is in love with him.
   Duffless – Lisa conducts a secret experiment for the Springfield Elementary School science fair to see who’s smarter, Bart or a hamster. Meanwhile, Homer is forced to swear off beer after being arrested on a D.U.I.
   Last Exit to Springfield – Homer finds himself filling in for the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant’s union leader when it comes time to negotiate their new contract with Mr. Burns.
   So It’s Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show – Bart’s April Fools’ prank backfires and lands Homer in the hospital in a coma. At Homer’s bedside, The Simpson family reminisces about all of the good times they’ve had over the years.
   The Front – Convinced they can write better Itchy & Scratchy scripts than the writers who currently work on the cartoon, Bart and Lisa set out to write their own shows.
   Whacking Day – Everyone in Springfield is excited for Whacking Day, but as the holiday approaches, Lisa condemns it as violent.
   Marge in Chains – Marge gets busted for shoplifting at the Kwik-E-Mart and is sentenced to thirty days in prison.
   Krusty Gets Kancelled – After the most successful advertising campaign Springfield has ever seen, The Krusty the Clown show gets bumped in the ratings by Arthur Crandall, a droll ventriloquist, and Gabbo, his excitable dummy. Krusty puts together a huge TV Special to rival Gabbo after word his show would be cancelled.
   EXTRAS – We can be guaranteed the Commentaries on each episode, Featurettes, Early Drawings, Animatics, TV Specials and so forth. Forget about the Extras though, that’s just the glazing on the Donut so to speak. What you want this set for is the…
   …EPISODES. This is a definite MUST HAVE. Some of the greatest episodes ever created are in this box set. Do what Homer would do and act on impulse by pre ordering this baby ASAP. You will not regret it!
   Mmm, DVD!

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Amazon Customer – April 8, 2004

   Originally posted on Amazon.com · not a MarioShroomed purchase

   More classic episodes for your collection

   After really hitting their stride in Seasons 2 and 3, the Simpsons kept on rolling in Season 4. This season, Homer has completely supplanted Bart as the star of the show. Bart still gets a few starring episodes, along with some for Marge and Lisa. Even some side characters like Selma, Ralph Wiggum, Grandpa, Krusty, and Mr. Burns get their moments in the spotlight. Here is a look at the episodes that make up season 4:
   1) Kamp Krusty – Bart leads a revolt at Krusty’s summer camp
   2) A Streetcar Named Marge – Jon Lovitz guest stars as the director of the musical “Oh, Streetcar!”
   3) Homer the Heretic – Homer discovers the benefits of skipping church
   4) Lisa the Beauty Queen – a junior pageant sponsored by Laramie Cigarettes
   5) Treehouse of Horror III – includes an evil Krusty doll, Homer as King Kong, and some zombies
   6) Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie – Homer punishes bart (other than by strangling him)
   7) Marge Gets a Job – at the power plant, and Mr. Burns falls for her (features Troy McClure hosting “The Half-assed Approach to Foundation Repair”, and Smithers kidnapping Tom Jones)
   6) New Kid on the Block – girl of Bart’s dreams is stolen by Jimbo (features a great prank call to Moe’s)
   7) Mr. Plow – a classic episode – Homer and Barney compete as snow plow operators
   8) Lisa’s First Word – continuing the trend of flash-back episodes that provide Simpsons history (featuring Elizabeth Taylor as the voice of Maggie)
   9) Homer’s Triple Bypass – Homer tries to save money by going to Dr. Nick for surgery
   10) Marge vs. the Monorail – con-man sells Springfield a monorail, and Homer is the driver
   11) Selma’s Choice – Selma goes on a date with Hans Moleman, later takes Simpson Kids to Duff Gardens (also features Homer’s beloved 10-foot sub sandwich)
   12) Brother from the Same Planet – Bart and Homer abuse the “Big Brothers” program
   13) I Love Lisa – Ralph Wiggum reads too much into a valentine from Lisa
   14) Duffless – after a tour of the Duff Brewery leads to a drunk driving arest, Homer promises to quit driking for a month
   15) Last Exit to Springfield – Homer becomes a union boss (includes a scene where Burns parodies the Grinch)
   16) So It’s Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show – some new, some old – centers around Bart’s April Fools prank that nearly kills Homer
   17) The Front – Bart and Lisa use Grandpa’s identity to submit “Itchy and Scratchy” scripts
   18) Whacking Day – a Springfield annual tradition of clubbing snakes
   19) Marge in Chains – Marge spends time in jail for accidentally shoplifting, and the Simpsons home is a shambles without her
   20) Krusty Gets Kancelled – loaded with guest stars (Johnny Carson, Bette Midler, Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Sideshow” Luke Perry) and still manages to be a very funny episode

3. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Heather Baldwin – July 30, 2004

   Originally posted on Amazon.com · not a MarioShroomed purchase

   My parents won’t let me use scissors…

   One of the first classic Ralph Wiggum lines which appeared in this season, and an indication of many more to come.

   As a major Simpson fan, I naturally ordered this box set right away. There are many excellent episodes in this season, plus an increased depth to most of the characters and the introduction of some great new ones (Llewelyn Sinclair, Lyle Langley, etc).

   I’m giving this DVD only 4 stars (well, maybe 4 1/2) for the time being because this set lacks several things the Season 3 DVD set had. First of all, I’ve been a big fan of the commentary tracks in all four seasons, and I can listen to them over and over. However, I was disappointed that the cast members were not featured in the commentaries this year, with the exception of Hank Azaria and John Lovitz in “A Sreetcar Named Marge”. (In retropect, the commentaries may have been recorded around the time the cast was renegotiating their contracts, so maybe that’s why they didn’t participate.) Secondly, I have only come across one hidden commentary track, on “Marge vs. The Monorail”, while season 3 had four of them. Thirdly, the “Cajun Controversy” and “Bush vs. Simpsons” featurettes were just voiceovers by Jeff Martin and Jim Brooks, respectively, instead of videotaped interviews, which seemed odd. Finally, assuming there are Easter Eggs on this DVD, I haven’t found any of them yet.

   Despite these problems, I feel that that there are many improvements to the DVD presentation compared to earlier seasons. The menu organization is much better, the Special Features are easier to access, and there is now an option to play all of the episodes at once with the commentaries as well as without. Also, there are some really excellent Special Features, including Deleted Scenes on selected episodes, and the Animation Showcase, in which the storyboards and animatics for selected episodes can be viewed. Oh, and the little character animations in the menus are funny.

   Overall, I’d say the creators of this DVD set did a nice job, and I’m very much looking forward to the season 5 DVD set.