Brian_92gsr

I just finished watching Freaks and Geeks as a blind rent from Netflix and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately Netflix doesn't have the two bonus discs. If the funds were available I'd get the Yearbook Edition, but for now I have to make do with renting. Has anyone seen these discs up for rent anywhere?

Michael Corvin

I would be interested as well. I just finished the set a week or so ago. Brilliant. One of the best shows ever.

I can't justify spending $70+ more than the box set for 2 bonus discs and some fancy packaging. That is a bit much.

Libby

Been meaning to check that show out.

Dalvin

The Yearbook edition is quite possibly one of the best packaging DVDS ever released. Extras are incredible. This is only way to go with this.

OldBoy

i've heard many say the regular edition series is just as good and not missing all that much with the specialer edition yearbook except the very nice packaging. and that IS reasonably price.

critterdvd

I Bought the regular edition blind the week it came out and really enjoyed watching the show. But with that said I'm glad I didn't buy the yearbook edition, because I havn't gotten passed the commentaries on the pilot yet.

Michael Corvin

I listened to the commentaries on the deleted scenes and if the episodes are anything like those I will take a pass. They are pretty pointless.

"This one was cut for time"
"oh, this is a good scene, we're going to stop talking so you can watch it"
"This one was cut for time"
"This commentary is a bust, we'll do better on the next one"
"This one was cut for time"

etc. Nothing totally revealing, pretty much a snoozefest for me.

ThatGuamGuy

Yes, by the time they get to the deleted scenes -- especially on the later disc -- the more pointless those commentaries are. Generally "Nobody's gonna listen to this many commentaries, anyway, right?"

Most of the episodes have more interesting people doing commentaries on at least one of the tracks. (I still haven't listened to the commentary by the parents of the actors, or the fans one.) They're definitely better, though some of them get repetitive too when they get to be the same people. (But, for instance, Franco only does one, for the punk episode.)

I bought the yearbook edition, and I don't regret it. A great package. I just try not to think of how much it cost.

bboisvert

Me too. Still one of the best DVD purchases I've ever made.

Damed

What's this show about? It seems everyone loves it, but until this forum I had never heard about it?

majorjoe23

Best Place Ever, a video store in Des Moines, IA, has the bonus discs available for rent.

Daniel-A

It is about 2 outcast groups of kids in high school. F&G + MSCL are considdered the 2 shows most accurate to the HS experience evar.

kitkat

It's also a great period piece. It's set in 1980, which culturally belongs to the late 70's. They really got the era right, I mean it's spooky (except we didn't call them freaks - the correct term was "burnout"). The sight of Kim Kelly's jacket took me right back.

And I concur that the commentaries on the deleted scenes are mostly worthless. The episode commentaries vary in quality but are much better. Especially funny is the one that the teachers do in character.

Michael Corvin

Growing up in high school in 1980. As for characters, you have your 'freeks' aka, burnout/stoners and your 'geeks' aka those guys in your high school that always sat by themselves at lunch and are into the A/V club, D&D, etc. The freeks are seniors, and the geeks are freshmen. So you get the perspective from two points of view.

Regardless of whether you grew up in the 80's or not, this is the most realistic potrayal of high school students commited to film. You find yourself frequently going, "I knew a guy like that" or "oh my god, we did that exact same thing when I was in h.s." It is really a timeless show.

The soundtrack to the show is brilliant as well, much like the Wonder Years. Bands like Van Halen, Rush, Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Bob Seger, Billy Joel are all featured(as well as many others), and some have an impact on the plot of a given episode. This is the way it should be done. Are you listening Universal?

I caught maybe 3 episodes when it originally aired and thought it was decent, but the DVD makes this show shine. Seeing them all in order and getting to know the characters and watching them grow is amazing. I too read all the praise on here and thought I would give it a shot. Mostly a blind buy, but I had some experience, but my memory was hazy. I laughed when I read about people wishing they had watched the episodes slower, and laughed at the ones saying that they were watching them one a week(or so) so it lasts longer, but after seeing the whole season I can see where they were coming from. I, myself, couldn't get enough and watched the whole box in about 2 weeks. I wish there were more to be had. I guess the closest thing would be to have Undeclared on dvd. Not quite as good, but as close as we are going to get.

Pick it up, I doubt anyone would be disappointed with it, and I have yet to see a negative post about this show on this forum. It ranks up there with Sports Night. Always reading positive things about it, just makes you wonder why it didn't survive.

Daniel-A

Fully agree. The commentary by the pe, math, and counselor teachers, is by far the greatest thing on any disc possibly ever. I believe it is on the regular edition, as well (may be wrong).

Aside: Is the normal edition OOP too?

Michael Corvin

OOP? I doubt it. I still see it out, although I snagged mine through CH.

As for the Yearbook, I logged onto the F&G site a couple weeks ago and it was still up for sale.

kitkat

It's on the regular edtion. All of the regular edtion/episode discs are identical to the first six discs in the yearbook edition.

Upper pylon 3

MSCL?

THX7966

My So-Called Life

tikigod

After buying the regular box set as a blind buy, I fell in love with the show and bought the yearbook edition. Unfortunately, I wanted more. It does have many extras not included in the regular box set, but I wanted to see current interviews with the cast and crew to see what they were currently up to.

On a related topic, is "Popular" anything like F & G?

ThatGuamGuy

I won't insult the show, though I'm not a big fan of it, but they're not really comprable, other than both being set in high school.

'Popular' is a very campy satirical look at high school ... I wouldn't go so far as to say it doesn't ring true, per se, but it's more about getting at true feelings by exploring absurd extremes, whereas "Freaks and Geeks" is MUCH more based in reality.

Just my two cents; not to say you won't like 'Popular', just that there's no real reason to connect the two shows (except that I think one actress, once 'Freaks and Geeks' was cancelled, guest-appeared on 'Popular').

Daniel-A

Popular doesnt stand out like F&G does. IMO, Popular just mixes in with all the other teen dramas out there. It had a more comedic view than some of them, but it isn't anything so special that I would go after in on DVD.

kitkat

As others have said, not except for the high school setting.

I have to disagree. It does start out that way, and due to network interference it ends up pretty weak, but for a glorious time in the middle of it's two season run it was pure campy satiric brilliance. "Caged!", ep. 14, is where it starts to get really good for a while, although it does start to show its stuff as far back as "Queen B". It is wildly inconsistent, but it's definitely worth Netflix'ing.

Daniel-A

Hmm, as you have excellent taste I guess I'll have to take another look at it. Granted, I was only a lax viewer. I did enjoy the show, for what it was worth, jsut didnt see anything special in it. As your tastes are excellent (not anybody would love F&G as us 2) I'm swayed.

Buford T Pusser

I love this show and bought the Yearbook edition. I've also bought the script books, soundtrack and Paul Feig's hilarious book "Kick Me". If you like the show you'll like the book.


I let a friend borrow the bonus discs to watch and he ended up burning copies of them. For shame. But he didn't get the nifty yearbook.