=$title?>
Five Easy Pieces
There's something a bit different about the 5th Season's graphics, plots, and the bonus extras that Simpson fans might find irritating (not my remarks; the techniques).
The graphics and color are rendered with an intensity that may disappoint those diehards, such as I, who like the less well-defined images of the earlier seasons. In Season 5, the color has a real Technicolor feel about it as opposed to the cheaper (but memorable) process of Hollywood in the mid-1940's where the producer, Ross Hunter, gussied up his romantic stories with a technique known as Pathe. Furthermore, there is sense that the producers and directors have really aimed toward high technical virtuosity and have, in fact, succeeded to the detriment of plot and story line. In previous Seasons, humor was mixed with melancholy and a pointed existential flair, but in Season 5 I sensed a zany three-stooges farcical thread. Additionally, there's quite a bit of profanity in 5; nothing to worry about for kids of any age, but a noticeable shift, I felt. Finally, the Bonus stuff isn't as complete or as well thought out as I'd wish to see. The section on animaniacs could be of interest to some Graphic artists, but was lost to me, and I don't really learn much when the producer, director, and writer are discussing an episode, but there is sometimes little connection between their words and the frames shown on the screen.
Don't get me wrong; I love Matt Groening work and just can't wait for the rest of the Season's to arrive.
|