Your Thoughts: Dog City DVD

[JJandJanice]

I'm VERY happy that Rowlf was allowed to be featured in this special. If he wasn't, the DVD would of been REALLY bad, not that the story itself was bad, just would of been really bare. I wish there was more bonus features, not adding the cartoons, even just one or two episodes would of really made it seem like you're getting your money worth.

I'm really happy that Lionsgate is releasing all these Henson specials on DVD and I'll probably keep buying them, I just wish they "step it up" when it comes to bonus features.

 

[matleo]

Found mine last week ay Barnes & Noble. Borders said they wouldn't be carrying it. BB&N is also doing it's buy 2 get the 3rd free sale for DVD and Blu-Ray, so I was able to get this and a few other things.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this but isn't it a little odd that during the credits there was no cast list?

--Matt

 

[minor muppetz]

I wonder if the lack of bonus episodes could be because of the Amazon burn-on-demand releases of the series.

 

[cabbageheat]

I'm on the fence.

I just watched it with my kids, and they really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed it as well, not having seen it in about 20+ years. It retained all the goofy humor I remember, and it still got laughs, the action and comedy were great to see and share again.

However. I feel as if, in general, its just a sloppy DVD. Where are the special features? Commentary by.... someone? More artwork and behind the scenes images? Isn't the Henson archive allowing anyone access to their father/founders legacy? And why in the world is the wrong music playing at the DVD menu screen? A completely different show (that is still not anywhere to be found) as the background music? yeah...it was a treat to hear, but ultimately out of place and ridiculous being on a Dog City DVD.

This is a hard thing to criticize to some extent, we all wanted to see this again, and its great to have it in hand, but on the same token, its just a lazy release, a bare bones release that leaves a lot of fans wanting more, and yet at the same time scratching their head at the choices that were made, and the lack of content. Is there really going to be another release in the future? A special edition? I don't think so.

So yeah...we got it. It's in hand, but its missing vital parts that would have made this a great addition to my growing Henson collection of DVD's. But, like many things coming out of the Henson, or HIT, there is this continuous vacuum, a lack of content, that just isn't getting out. George Lucas at least cracks the vault open every once in a while and lets stuff spill out.....they need to take a cue from Lucasfilm. I guess I'm just slightly disappointed....to say the least.

 

[dwmckim]

I'm on the fence.

a bare bones release

scratching their head at the choices that were made

You know you've watched too much Dog City when you keep making the dog jokes without realizing it!

I understand where all your thoughts are coming from, but i tend to share the opposite view on most of it.

Since Dog City originally came from the Jim Henson Hour (and in that episode was nearly the entire hour), i thought the JHH theme music was a really nice touch. I don't doubt that the Dog City series will make its way to dvd so if i want to hear the Dog City theme, that will be the place...and it will be at the beginning/end of each episode so i'll also probably get dog tired of it!

I'll give you the lack of bone-us features. But honestly there wasn't a huge deal they could have used. I know we were expecting some episodes of the series on there but again we'll get 'em soon enough anyway.

As per letting the vaults open, that's what we're seeing. I NEVER thought we'd see Dog City on dvd after the Henson/Disney split. Plus all the other recent stuff from Lionsgate is pretty much on the more obscure side that years ago seemed like pipe dreams to see on dvd. I can almost see them keeping this release a bit smaller because given the cooperation in getting the Dog City special released (even without the MT segments but with Rowlf and a bunch of dog puppets that came from the Muppet Show) and the upcoming Henson's Place, i think it may be a matter of time (maybe not super soon but eventual) where we could actually get a Jim Henson Hour dvd set with Muppet segments included. This is a step in the process. It may not seem like much right now but down the line, it could be quite significant.

 

[dwmckim]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this but isn't it a little odd that during the credits there was no cast list?

This was because in the full JHH episode, the performers' credits appeared at the very beginning of the episode (after the theme song when the show comes back from commercial, a bank of monitors are shown where they show Muppets played by particular Muppeteers with the Muppeteer's name given). They probably overlooked this when they redid Dog City for a standalone special.

 

[Drtooth]

I'll give you the lack of bone-us features. But honestly there wasn't a huge deal they could have used. I know we were expecting some episodes of the series on there but again we'll get 'em soon enough anyway.

2 episodes of the cartoon series were SUPPOSED to come with the DVD. I still don't see why even 1 was out of the question, unless there's some stupid holdup on Nelvana's end (which I doubt). Still... they could have at least tried to get an episode in. it's not like the bonus short episodes of the Fraggle Rock cartoons hurt the sales of the animated series collection.

 

[minor muppetz]

I downloaded the special on iTunes and the Jim Henson Hour closing theme music is included. Is that music on the commercial DVD release or is it different end music?

 

[minor muppetz]

Even though I downloaded it on iTunes, I finally found and bought a copy of the DVD today.

I always expected Ace You to have the same voice as Elliot Shag, since they were both performed by Kevin Clash. Was surprised to hear him sound like Clifford.

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

hey..IF any MC member is havin a hard time lookin for Dog City the Movie or Song of the Cloud Forest on DVD, I found it them in Kmart lastnight, $9.99 each,...just ONE copy of each tho shoved in between some Sesame Street dvds.. I bought them both... I had my girlfriend help me look for "Hensons Place" on dvd, didnt find it tho...but I found these 2 dvds! also on a side note I found the Sesame Street 20 years and counting" dvd at a local store for $7.99, there was a few of thos.