World Famous Comics: After School Specials: 1974-1976 DVD Set
After School Specials: 1974-1976 DVD Set
Starring: Christian Juttner, Lance Kerwin, Titos Vandis, Jack Manning (III), Jay W. MacIntosh Directed By: Jack Regas;Larry Elikann Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: G (General Audience) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: BCI / Sunset Home Visual Entertainment (SHE) Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product. Number of Items: 2 Region Code: 1 Release Date: October 12, 2004 Running Time: 180 minutes Theatrical Release Date: January 16, 1974
Product Description: After School Specials - 18th Emergency / Summer of Swans Martin Tahse is the most prolific and successful producer of After School Specials. His 26 productions have won numerous awards and prizes including 18 Emmys three Blue Ribbons in the American Film Festival the Peabody Award and First Second and Third Prize in the Chicago Film Festival in the same year - an honor which has never since been matched. His original contributions remain important to today's young and adult audiences. "The 18th Emergency" - After studying about prehistoric man in school Mouse Fawley (Christian Juttner) makes the mistake of mocking school bully Marv Hammerman (Jim Sage) by claiming Marv's ancestors swing from the trees. Marv does not react well to the comment and he makes Mouse feel his own pain the only way Marv knows how by landing him with punches. "Summer of the Swans" - The summer doldrums have engulfed Sara (Heather Totten) who finds life in a small town increasingly irritating. When her younger brother Charlie disappears Sara realizes the need to think of other people and not just of herself. With the help of handsome Joe (Chris Knight The Brady Bunch) who is interested in Sara they find the terrified Charlie and in the process also find each other. After School Specials - Skating Rink / Dear Lovey Hart Martin Tahse is the most prolific and successful producer of After School Specials. His 26 productions have won numerous awards and prizes including 18 Emmys three Blue Ribbons in the American Film Festival the Peabody Award and First Second and Third Prize in the Chicago Film Festival in the same year - an honor which has never since been matched. His original contributions remain important to today's young and adult audiences. "The Skating Rink" - Living on a poor farm in the South Tuck Faraday (Stewart Peterson) struggles with the insecurity caused by his stutter. Tuck is fascinated as he watches a deserted factory being transformed into an ice sk
I skipped detention to watch this!? I'm gonna share a Patriarch secret with you. I was born after the whole after-school special phenomenon. Or at least not while it was in it's prime. I never got to disembark the great Big Yellow and a wait for dinner under the tender embrace of the after-school special. Of course, after watching these I'm kind of glad that I didn't. Even though the 70s was the most evil decade, second only to the 90s, the shows weren't immoral and satanic like they are today. 8 years of Clinton can really mess up your global empire.
First we have the first after-school special ever, I assume, as it is the first one on the DVD series, The 18th emergency. This little film concerns some kid called rat, or mouse, or Benji. Mouse gets into a fight with the school bully over some evolution debate or something. Hammerman the school bully is a creationist so Mouse calls him a Neanderthal. It's like a remake of the Scopes monkey trial. Nah, I'm just kidding ya, except for the part about Mouse calling him a Neanderthal. See I like to lighten things up.
Anyway, Mouse runs around the city from the school bully for most of the duration of this film. Along the way he gets into little misadventures like having to take this vegetable stroke-victim guy around town. This scares me because I'm a cripple-phobic. From time to time, the scene cuts to a cartoon segment that gives you tips on how to survive in the wild. After watching this movie I don't feel like I'm more prepared to go vis-a-vis with the school bully anytime soon, but I know what to do if I'm ever attacked by a bear, lion, or ape.
Mouse also has this strange habit of drawing arrows all over the place, with an description. Example: he'll write doorknob and draw an arrow pointing to the doorknob. Give the kid a break this was before video games. I'm sure you're so excited to learn about how this classic film ends so I won't spoil how it ends for you.
All in all, 18th emergency was kind of fun, has me a pinin' for the good ol' days. The good ol' days being anytime before Clinton was sworn in. The second feature on this DVD is Summer of the Swan. This is like a girlie after-school special. But since the first feature was for boys, this makes sense.
Swan has to do with putting others before yourself, and that you should always spend time with your little brother. Sarah is having "the worst summer of her entire life." Mainly because she is stuck taking care of her borderline autistic brother. She also is developing manic-depressive order, "One minute I'm laughing and the next minute I'm crying!" That is if you beleive in that psycho-babble.
Anywho, she leaves her little brother outside where he is accosted by the bully's underling from the last episode. At least these specials are consistent. The bullies are playing keep-away with the boy when all of a sudden Peter Brady comes to the rescue! Later on while Sarah's washing her sneakers who should pop up but...Jan Brady! This special is like Night of the Living Bradys. It would have been better if she had arrived wearing her trademark black afro wig. "Look it's the new Jan Brady!"
After totally dissing Jan for no reason, she takes her brother to the lake to see some swans. Then the kid gets lost. That's about it. If you're a gawky seventies girl this show should cheer you up. It's like a remake of the ugly duckling.
When all's said and done I watched these and since I like the seventies I wasn't entirely bored. I did dock it one star for the evolution propaganda though. Can't let that pass. Bye everyone, stay funky.
Afterschool DVD Wished they put on DVD the PBS shows, Bread & Buterflies, Inside Out and Self, Inc.! Watched them in school!
Kids today should watch these..... Too bad ABC doesn't air After School Specials anymore. Kids today would learn alot about how to work things out a better way instead of the violent way. I'm buying all of the volumes so that my child can watch these programs just as I did when I was a child.
The Day My Kid Went Punk does anyone have this later afterschool special on tape?? i can't wait for the last season to come out on dvd!!
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