|
|
The Movie:
The debut of actress Melissa Joan Hart ("Sabrina: The Teenage Witch"), "Clarissa Explains It All" was a hit for cable network Nickelodeon in the early 90's. The show starred Hart as Clarissa Darling, the daughter of a suburban family who has to deal with her irritating, stuck-up little brother, Ferguson and her parents - a health-nut mother and architect father.
It's easy to see why the show was a success: it was easily relatable, with Clarissa and friend Sam dealing with many "issues" that kids the character's age have to deal with. The show's morals and lessons are presented in a way that seems a bit heavy-handed, but it's a nice show (with Hart providing a fine, charming lead effort) that still might appeal to a younger audience today.
Season 1:
Revenge (Originally Aired 3/23/1991)
No T.V. (Originally Aired 3/30/1991)
CNN (Originally Aired 4/6/1991)
Haunted House (Originally Aired 4/13/1991)
New Addition (Originally Aired 4/20/1991)
School Picture (Originally Aired 4/27/1991)
Urge To Drive (Originally Aired 5/4/1991)
Bully (Originally Aired 5/11/1991)
Brain Drain (Originally Aired 5/18/1991)
Bake A Cake (Originally Aired 5/25/1991)
Sick Days (Originally Aired 6/1/1991)
Cool Dad (Originally Aired 6/8/1991)
Parents Who Say No (Originally Aired 6/15/1991)
The DVD
VIDEO: "Clarissa" is presented in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The picture quality is fair, and is a rather decent representation of what the show originally looked like. Sharpness and detail is acceptable, as the picture appears crisp, but definition is never noteworthy. Unfortunately, there are moments where colors bleed somewhat and some slight traces of pixelation and shimmering appear. Overall, the picture appears watchable, but a bit dated.
SOUND: "Clarissa" is presented with a stereo soundtrack that offers crisp dialogue and music.
EXTRAS: A tour of star Melissa Joan Hart's house that appeared on MTV's "Cribs", Nickelodeon short promos that appeared on the network around the time of "Clarissa" (called "Nickelodeon Time Capsule") and promos for other titles.
Final Thoughts: "Clarissa Explains it All" was a great debut from Hart, as her performance is the highlight in a fun and good-hearted series. Paramount's DVD edition offers a somewhat dated-looking image, but fine audio and a couple of minor supplements. Recommended for fans, and some of today's kids who didn't grow up watching the show might find it fun.
|
