If you’re as obsessive compulsive as I am when it comes to hording everything with the words “Phillies” and “World Series Champs” on it (A paper weight? Mutherfucking right.), you really don’t need me to tell you which Phillies DVD to get this holiday season. I’m assuming you’ll own them all. However, there are probably a decent amount of rational people out there who are satisfied with just one DVD.

Well, that’s who I’m trying to help out here.

A couple of things to get out of the way before we move on: Out of the possible purchasing candidates, I’m eliminating one — the 8-DVD box set from A&E Home Video — from contention. That is the ultimate video treat (the crème de la crème, if you will). Perhaps thee greatest feature on this one is you have the option of watching each game synced up with Harry Kalas, Larry Andersen, Scott Franzke, and Chris Wheeler on the radio broadcast. You can’t put a price tag on that. Including it just wouldn’t be fair, so we’ll only be dealing with the MLB-produced version 2008 World Series DVD; and A Perfect Season, written and produced by “Video” Dan Stephenson.

Also, The Perfect Season isn’t actually out yet. I think you can pre-order it through Phillies.com, or else wait until the 12th of this month and pick it up at The Bank. I’m just letting you know that I haven’t seen that one — so keep that in mind when I give you my opinion. (Although I’m positive it won’t even matter.)

ATJ, a quick breakdown of each.

First up, we’ll discuss the MLB-produced 2008 World Series DVD. Now, I was fortunate enough to attend the screener of this at The Bridge on the corner of 40th & Walnut (I’m not special, I paid my way in) and got to watch the Blu-Ray version on a giant screen in a theatre packed with Phillies fans. I justified my spending of $30 to attend the event because they gave you a “free” copy of the DVD upon exiting. I was gonna spend $25 for it anyway, so what the fuck, right?

I mention that because the whole watching it in a theatre full of Phillies fans thing heavily influenced my opinion of the movie. I left the theatre thinking that was the most wonderful film ever produced. When I got home, I re-watched it and wasn’t as impressed as I originally thought. Honestly, I could endure watching just about any Phillies-related highlight clip from any season — especially 2008. But that doesn’t necessarily make it good.

The DVD is exactly one hour and twenty-six minutes long. There were under eight minutes of spring training and regular season footage combined. I know, I know, it’s the World Series DVD. But still, most of the fun in winning the ‘chip was everything that happened prior to that. It seemed like this documentary didn’t care at all about that part. And you know why? Because the fella who produced it obviously has no ties to the city. Listen to prducer Gary Waksman’s quotes about the film I dug up from MLB.com:

“On one side, you have Tampa, the ultimate Cinderella story, from worst to first. That was a great story to tell. And with great young players like Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton really coming into their own during October, it was very appealing, as was (manager) Joe Maddon’s whole ‘9=8′ mantra. Had they won the Series, that would have been a major part of the film.”

You don’t say! You mean, if Tampa had won the World Series, they would have been prominently featured in the World Series DVD? Well guess what, Waksman? They didn’t win it. So, as a Phillies fan, I don’t wanna sit through the 20 minutes-or-so that you dedicated to this team in the film. I don’t really care how they got there and I doubt there are many Rays fans eager to purchase a WS video where their team got their 9=8 asses handed to them. (It’s more like 8===D, AMIRITE?)

Here’s more Waksman:

“What’s bizarre in the sports realm and to fans is great for storytelling,” Waksman says. “The rain gave us that much more to work with. We shot this in HD, and night baseball, with the rain coming down on the batters and pitchers, it just looks great. It just enhanced the drama.”

Fuck your enhanced drama, fella — I want baseball footage. I can get my fix of pretty rain video in HD from that channel that shows it on a continuous loop (HD Net?).

To be dead honest with you, ya know which part of this film the other theatre-goers in attendance liked best? When Ryan Howard & Jimmy Rollins sang “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” And I had that up on TheFightins in fucking July.

***

Next up, I’ll review A Perfect Season, the Phillies entry to the World Series videos.

I own every Phillies team DVD dating back to 2002. They are incredible. “Video” Dan Stephenson is a legend at what he does, he’s obviously a fan of the team, and you can tell by watching 5 minutes of any video he made. Even though I haven’t seen it yet, I still give it 5 stars/4 mics/10 out of 10 or whatever rating system you want to go by. I guarantee you it will blow that other shit-disc away. Thank you.

The verdict? Wait until next week — the 12th — when it comes out instead of buying that other one. Trust me.

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