Freakazoid - The Complete First Season | 
| Actor: Paul Rugg
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.98
Buy New: $18.50
You Save: $8.48 (31%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 1085
Format: Animated, Box Set, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Portuguese (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 300
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7
MPN: 117185
UPC: 085391171850
EAN: 0085391171850
ASIN: B0017INRG8
Theatrical Release Date: September 9, 1995
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New!! Fast Shipping!!
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Product Description
Cyber nerd Dexter Douglas surfs the web one fateful night gets swept into a digital techno-electro smash-up that bites him in the gigabytes and ? ZAP! ? goes from geek to freak. To Freakazoid! that is a smart- mouthing butt-kicking mega-voltage superhero with things to do (unless there?s something really good on TV). It?s Freaka-Me Freaka-You fun!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 085391171850 Manufacturer No: 117185
Amazon.com
Conceived by the same team that created Tiny Toons and Animaniacs and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the animated series Freakazoid! was ostensibly about a mild-mannered teen who transformed courtesy a computer virus into a raving lunatic who battled a bizarre gallery of criminals. But as anyone who watched Freakazoid! during its brief network run in the mid-'90s will tell you, that's not what the series was about; in fact, Freakazoid! really wasn't about anything at all. The adventures of Freakazoid were just one element in a rapid-fire barrage of pop culture references, visual and verbal non sequiters (plugs for non-existent toys, stock footage of Bavarian folk dances), and parodies of then-current movies and television series, including other Spielberg-produced cartoons. First-time visitors to Mondo Freakazoid! via this two-disc set will be treated to the sight of the title hero imitating the Emergency Broadcast System signal (before passing out), lessons on how to say obnoxious statements in French, and whole segments devoted to peripheral characters like The Huntsman, who is constantly thwarted in his crime-fighting pursuits, and the Jonny Quest spoof Toby Danger. Suffice it to say that few cartoons are as polarizing as Freakazoid!; viewers will either eat it up or find the whole thing bewildering, as many kid TV viewers during its brief network run. Those ready to take the trip with Freakazoid and pals will find all 13 episodes of its debut season in this set (in what can only be seen as a Freakazoid-like movie, the episodes "Candle Jack" and "The Cloud" are included twice). Three of the episodes feature commentary by producer Tom Ruegger, story editor John McCann and writer Paul Rugg, who also provided Freakazoid's voice. All three are also showcased in an amusing making-of featurette; even funnier is a collection of the show's promotional spots, which mercilessly lampoon a series of artsy cruise ship commercials while providing no actual information about the show itself. --Paul Gaita
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
 Finally out on DVD August 28, 2008
I've been looking for this for several years now. This has to be the best cartoon in years. Thank God they finally put it out on DVD!!!
Can't wait 4 "Vorn the Unspeakable" in season 2! August 9, 2008
Squeeeee! I am so happy they released this on DVD. I hope they release season two soon.
 DVDs at last! August 7, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
The DVD itself isn't worth mentioning. If I were to rate this set on the merits of video quality and bonus content, it'd *maybe* rate a 3/5. The quality of the video isn't the nice, remastered stuff. This one, well, you'll see for yourself. It's not terrible quality, but it's not much better than if you were watching the show back when it first aired. The bonus content is about the same level - two little features and 3 episodes with commentaries (though I admit the commentaries were actually funny instead of the usual boring stuff).
In short, the four stars is mostly on the merits of the fact that this show finally made it to DVD. Sure, it may have been Emmy-winning at one point, but no one remembers it. People remember the Animaniacs and Tiny Toons, but this one has been lost in time, and it's not surprising considering the wackiness of the show.
Freakazoid is a fabulous cartoon, all sorts of crazy and zany. However, you're probably already aware of that if you're buying this DVD.
Too Funny! August 6, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
When a teen computer nerd named Dexter Douglas, with the help of his cat, types in a strange combination of letters and symbols on his keyboard followed by the delete key, he is sucked into the internet only to return a zany blue superhero in a tight red suit! As Freakazoid, Dexter defends Washington, D.C. against a rather unique gallery of rogues that includes The Lobe, Cave Guy, Longhorn, Guitierrez, Candle Jack, Cobra Queen, and more! Freakazoid's madcap style is part Robin Williams, part The Creeper, part The Mask, and channels Jerry Lewis quite frequently. He's a lot like a fourth Warner, if that Warner were a superhero. As a human, Dexter's still quite a nobody, but as Freakazoid, he hangs with Police Sgt. Cosgrove, drives a cool car, and has one of the hottest girlfriends I've ever seen, Stephanie, AKA Steff. However, all this stuff is only a small portion of the show. Most of your average Freakazoid episode is nonsensical comedy bits/skits ala Monty Python's Flying Circus. It's a lot like "Animaniacs", only much crazier! The result is a show that at times is just as funny as anything on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim without having to resort to R-Rated humor (or does that stuff pass for PG13 now? I guess it's TV14 or some boloney rating like that).
This 2 disc set is a great example of what certain OTHER studios SHOULD be doing with their beloved animated shows. Here is a show that has a fairly small cult following, yet WB has seen fit to give it a Season One set release complete with a nice crop of extras. Meanwhile, a big studio like Disney (which I for the most part LOVE as an obsessive Disney fanatic) with hugely popular shows like DuckTales gives us barebones releases of only a few of their titles and sometimes doesn't continue beyond the first season or season and a half if they don't think sales are high enough, and just reflects very little respect or appreciation for the material or the fans in doing so. This "Freakazoid" set provides creator commentary for 3 episodes that is a joy to listen to and provides great insight into what is on the screen. In fact, you'll wish every episode, or at least your favorites (which are bound to be different for everyone) had a commentary track. The set also offers a look at some curious promos for the show that give little clue as to what it's about, and there's even a great making-of featurette! Where is all this stuff on the TaleSpin, Darkwing, or Gummi Bears sets, Disney? At the very least, you'd think DuckTales would have had something...
The Steven Spielberg produced comedy show (which originally was going to be a Timm/Dini superhero show that was more hero than comedy, in the vein of Batman's Creeper) offers up 14 episodes in this Season One set, which consists of one single-sided disc and a second, double-sided disc. The episodes are as follows:
1. Five Day Forecast / Dance of Doom / Handman (optional commentary): This first episode is an absolute fave of mine. I'd call it the funniest of Season One, largely due to some zany improv work by the voice actors. Love it! The disturbing Handman bit that never ends when it should is hilarious too!
2. Candle Jack / Toby Danger in Doomsday Bet / The Lobe (optional commentary): Candle Jack is another really hilarious one, a supernatural villain who steals kids from a summer camp simply because, "He's a nut." Toby Danger is an extreme spoof of the classic Johnny Quest series, and The Lobe introduces one of Freakazoid's best villains, voiced by the always wonderful David Warner!
3. Mo-Ron / Sewer Rescue / The Big Question / Legends Who Lunch: Mo-Ron is an extremely annoying alien visiting Earth. British hero Lord Bravery attempts to prove his prowess by doing a reluctant sewer rescue. Some aging superheroes chat up a storm while they have lunch.
4. And Fanboy is His Name / Lawn Gnomes: Chapter IV: Fun in the Sun / Frenching with Freakazoid: A character many like but I find too annoyingly stereotypical gets introduced here, supernerd Fanboy. Still a pretty funny story though. Lawn Gnomes is a humorous spoof on Disney's Gargoyles, and Frenching with Freakazoid is a French lesson with the hero himself.
5. Foamy the Freakadog / Office Visit / Ode to Leonard Nimoy / Emergency Broadcast System / Coenversational Noerwegian: Freakazoid introduces us to one of his favorite failed sidekicks, Foamy the Freakadog. Lord Bravery tries to deal with copyright issues in Office Visit, and one of then comes one of the less funny bits of the show, when Fanboy gives us his Ode to Leonard Nimoy. Lastly, Freakazoid does an emergency broadcast test and gives us some instruction in Norwegian.
6. The Cloud / Candle Jack: In a Hitchcock spoof, a strange cloud in the mountains turns people into clowns. This one is most enjoyable to me because of a very personal Disneyland-referencing running gag. The second story in this episode is just a repeat of the fun Candle Jack.
7. The Chip: Part I: The fabulous origin story of Freakazoid is finally told!
8. The Chip: Part II / Freakazoid is History!: The fabulous origin story of Freakazoid is finally finished! Then, Freak spoofs Quantum Leap and travels back in time to stop the attack on Pearl Harbor!
9. Hot Rods from Heck! / A Time for Evil: Dexter's family has a highway run-in with the villainous Longhorn, and then the Huntsman, a Charleton Heston-like hero, is disappointed to find that there is nothing for a superhero to do when crime takes a break.
10. Relax-O-Vision / Fatman and Boy Blubber / Limbo Lock-up / Terror Palace: An encounter with the Lobe is repeatedly interrupted by the show's new feature, Relax-O-Vision, we meet a new superhero team that doesn't seem to be much help, Freak is subjected to the punishment of Fanboy's Disney sci-fi knowledge in the Limbo Lock-Up, and the Hunstman gets disappointed yet again.
11. In Arms Way / The Cloud: A Christmas shopping scene is disrupted when Freak encounters Arms Akimbo (after a delightful meeting with The Lobe). Then, a holiday-themed musical interlude, followed by a repeat of The Cloud.
12. Next Time, Phone Ahead / Nerdator (optional commentary): Steph looks hotter than ever in the background of an E.T. spoof where Mo-Ron returns as Bo-Ron (maybe they're two different idiots who look the same). Then, Freakazoid must save the world's nerds from a villain out to get 'em.
13. House of Freakazoid / Sewer or Later: Another fave of mine due to the subject matter, Lon Tallbutt (a great caricature of Lon Chaney, Jr.) seeks Freakazoid's help to cure him of his werewolf problem, and then Freakazoid must deal with his distaste for poo-gas when he has to go into the sewer to catch Cobra Queen.
14. The Wrath of Guitierrez: Finally, Guitierrez, a villain from the two-part Chip origin story, returns to exact his revenge on Freakazoid! Guitierrez is voiced wonderfully again by Ricardo Montalban.
The funny thing about the 1995 WB animated series "Freakazoid", and probably its downfall, is that the humor was really for a much older audience than the early Saturday morning crowd which was exposed to it. A few slightly older audience members with a never dying interest in animated shows are probably the ones who make up the Freakazoid cult-following today; those of us out there buying this great set. And we all hope the second and final season comes to DVD soon too! If you ever enjoyed Animaniacs, Monty Python, the Marx Brothers, or anything wacky, weird, random, and hilarious, you need to give Freakazoid a try!
Completely amazing fall off the chair entertainment that stands the test of time August 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Though this set dates from 1995, most every joke is as hilarious now as it was when the series first aired.
The only downside is this is only season one, and I really wish they would have included the 11 series two episodes and had made it a "complete series" set, as Freakazoid! was moved around so much not only were the S2 episodes hard to catch, WB never reran them after they canned the show.
Anyone who enjoyed the "Hello, Dolly!" references in Wall-E will not be able to contain themselves should the season two episode "Dexter's Date" ever be released.
In the mean time, be sure to pick up this set; not only will you be laughing hysterically throughout the 13 season one episodes, good sales will convince WB there are enough fans to release season two.
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