Greg Garrison Presents The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show - Volume 5

The Best of the Dean Martin Shows, assembled by producer-director Greg Garrison, contains exclusive footage from the popular Variety Show series. Included in this irrestible blend of classic entertainment are many of Dean's celebrity guests over the years, including: Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Jack Klugman, Howard Cosell, Dennis Weaver, Johnny Carson, Ruth Buzzi, John Wayne Product Description

Garrison DVD Dated

Okay, first of all, I just would like to offer a bit of encouragement to all of those from the so-called 'greatest generation'. Please STOP STOP STOP gushing about the 'good old days' & a 'simpler time' & 'how comedy was so clean', WILL YOU? Do you have any freaking idea how all the later generations read all of this? Well, in case you don't, I'll tell you. We just shake our heads, roll our eyes, and ask the obvious question: where is the review? The whole idea here is to REVIEW, people! That means BE SPECIFIC, already! GEEZ! Get with the picture, will you? Okay, I'm done! Now, with that out of the way, here's my review.
First of all, I'm posting this review as a complete overview of these 'Best of Dean Martin...' videos. I'm not critiquing any specific one. Why, you may ask? Well, it's quite simple, really, 'The Dean Martin Show'(1965-74) was a favorite of mine as a child &, from what I've seen here from revisiting, it still holds up pretty well(outside of some of the vaudevillian slapstick). Overall, for the most part, it's pretty good(hence my 3 star rating). The real problem here, though, is with the packaging. Greg Garrison, longtime assistant to Martin, has just slapped this whole thing together without any rhyme or reason to content or style, whatsoever. We're offered simple, quick excerpts from various shows over Martin's nine years on the air. At times, the period jump between seasons is quite extensive-and quite jarring! For example, one of the videos I've seen had an okay sketch with Dom Deluise and Peter Sellers in a barbershop, apparently from the mid-late 60s, considering their dress and Martin's appearance. Then, suddenly, we jump to one of the final seasons & a silver-haired, slightly bedraggled Martin in a sketch with Jonathan Winters-??!?!! Not to mention, Martin seems a little wearier & less involved(perhaps, he was ready to get out of the weekly grind?) Also, there are these '1980s-video styled' reminiscences from a few different stars that appeared on the shows. These are clunkily dropped in, and @ odd moments, with no consideration for content, again. Jimmy Stewart appeared on the one I saw-and, yet, he's NOWHERE to be found on that particular video. Not to mention that all he really says is that it was a 'fun show'. Also, Garrison pops up every now and then saying things like, 'We never knew what might happen when it came to Dean!' WOOAAHHH! We'd better look out for that crazy Dino! No telling what he might do in one of these disorganized excerpts!!! Hold me back!
Okay, all I'm basically saying here is that this'll probably be fine for those EXTREMELY dedicated Martin enthusiasts who loved and adored this period and everything and anything that's released with either Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and the rest. However, for the rest of us who simply like Martin/the show, I would suggest to wait until Garrison has someone else do it right-ie. season-by-season sets(I mean HELLO! It's the most acceptable &, basically, common form of contemporary packaging in the new millenium! Get out of the 90s, Greg!) A friend of mine, who also likes this classic period of TV was just horrified when he saw this mishmash...and rightly so! Guthy-Renker, the company who has the rights here, is an extremely dated company and has done this very same thing to 'The Carol Burnett Show' & 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In', as well. I believe that TIME Life has also disemboweled 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'. Too bad! These are all great shows & should be seen correctly, as is only common now! I have a message for Guthy-Renker and the cheesy Mr.Garrison: It's 2008, folks, let's start acting like it! Get your silly heads out of the clouds! January 18, 2008

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