Even today, rural and city don’t mix well. Fifty years ago, the situation was even more prevalent, and hilarious.
“Green Acres: The Complete Series” (Shout! Factory) brings to DVD the first time every single episode of the series that ran six seasons from 1965 to 1971. Transplanted New Yorkers make a life-altering decision by moving to rural Hooterville, where they encounter wacky neighbors, from the distinct-voiced Mr. Haney to Arnold the Pig. This gives from farm to table an entirely new definition.
The 170 homespun episodes star Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor and, of course, feature the catchy and famous theme song.
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Another huge boxed set is “Dynasty: The Complete Series” (Paramount Home Video Distribution/CBS Home Entertainment). The 1980s nighttime soap opera stars Joan Collins, Linda Evans, John Forsythe, Pamela Sue Martin and Heather Locklear. A first-time DVD collection, this complete series is presented as a 57-disc set with all 217 episodes from 1981 to 1989. Bonus features include character profiles, behind-the-scenes interviews with creators and cast, an interactive family tree map, and an “Entertainment Tonight” interview with Evans and Rock Hudson from 1985.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment presents “Samurai Jack: Season Five,” featuring all 10 heart-pounding episodes, which include the conclusion that won acclaim in the animation category of the Emmy Awards. Exclusive featurettes “The Evolution of Jack” and “Pitch Movies” are included.
Krabby Patties are served in “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Ninth Season” (Paramount Home Video Distribution/Nickelodeon), a hilarious four-disc collection of all that season’s episodes featuring wet-and-wild adventures. Five bonus features grace the DVD, and all of them focus on Krabby Patties.
“Annabelle: Creation” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) arrives as a Blu-ray combo pack in time for Halloween. It’s the follow-up to the huge 2014 “Annabelle.” The new incarnation continues the horror, but notches it up even one more level, as a nun and several girls from a shut-down orphanage are welcomed into the home of a dollmaker and his wife. Bonus features include new interviews, original shorts, featurettes and deleted scenes.
Monarch Home Entertainment knows that the holidays are around the corner. Voila, the distributor now is offering “A Puppy for Christmas.” Cindy Busby stars as a young woman whose new puppy is so destructive that is causes her to lose her boyfriend, apartment and job. But, she visits a family farm for the holidays with her rugged coworker, and her life changes.
Next week, “Person to Person” (Magnolia Home Entertainment) will be released. It’s, in essence, a love letter to New York, and features Abbi Jacobson and Michael Cera. The movie examines the challenges of forging human connections.
Also next week, be on the lookout for “Richard Simmons: Sweatin’ to the Oldies: The Complete Collection 30th Anniversary Edition” (Time Life). However, you’ll have to surf the web on Amazon to purchase it, as it exclusively is marketed to the online retailer. The six-disc set includes the uncut, original exercise releases of Volumes 1-5 plus exclusive 100 minutes of bonus programming, most prominent of which is “Love Yourself and Win,” a featurette packed with testimonials and success stories. A 20-page album completes this 30th anniversary edition.