I have a confession. Even though I am an adult and parent of a teen, I watched all the Daria TV shows and movies when they first aired. Apparently, this show aimed at teens is something I could still enjoy--even though I am an old fuddy-duddy! Recently I bought copies of the two Daria movies. I would have bought the entire show, but so far they have not been released! How MTV could do that or allow the shows to have been rebroadcast a few years ago on Noggin (chopped up in many cases as well as only showing about half the episodes) is beyond me.Towards the end of the series, MTV released two made for TV movies. The first, IS IT FALL YET? was probably the funniest of the two, while IS IT COLLEGE YET? was much more angst-filled due to the characters on the show's pending graduation. Even the usually self-assured Daria is worried about life after high school--which is ironic, as she hated almost every minute spent at Lawndale High! I also think I liked this movie less because it meant an end to the wonderful series--a show that was far better than the Luke-warm reception it received. I think a lot of this was because Daria was on MTV and because the network moved the show around a lot on the lineup. The reason being on MTV probably hurt the show was because by the late 1990s, MTV was no longer a music video channel, but began producing near-pornographic "reality" shows that frankly were stupid and vacuous--appealing to audiences that probably wouldn't appreciate DARIA (since there was no sex or naked teens "hot tubbing"). People liking Daria were in most cases the type people who would have hated the rest of the MTV lineup.When you watch IS IT COLLEGE YET? there are a few things you should first know. First, don't watch it for the quality of the animation, since it's terrible. Instead, the show excelled because of the brilliant and insightful writing. Second, unless you have watched the TV show, much of what occurs in this movie probably won't make much sense. Still, if you are a fan, then this is a must-see.
... View MoreThis film, with IIFY preceding it, is by far the best made-for-cable movie I've ever seen. It does not help that I'm a devoted Daria junkie either. This piece really does send off the Daria legacy with all the class, humor, intelligence and respect the series always deserved but sometimes never received. I recommend that all Daria fans buy this on VHS or the expanded DVD form.Final Score: an eternally-sarcastic 8/10.
... View MoreBeing a semi-fan of the MTV days' Daria and a mega-fan of the reruns (I didn't know what I was missing!), I sought out the two made-for-TV Daria movies and was not disappointed.In this one, the series was given a great Finale, although I wished it hadn't ended at all. High school students planning for college and the changes it brings speaks to a great deal of Daria's audience. I always love to see the development of the characters, particularly Daria, Jane and Quinn, and this film continued to do so. I don't know of any other series that started off with a bunch of whimsical characters but somehow ended with histories and backgrounds to those characters and why many of them act and think the way they do (especially Quinn and Daria). While some thought-provoking events occur, there are also the highly amusing antics we've all come to expect (Brittney and Kevin, the future of the Fashion Club!!).While "Is it Fall Yet?" was funnier, "Is it College Yet?" opened many windows into the characters and their thoughts, and still managed to highly entertain. 10/10.
... View MoreYes, MTV there really is a way to market Daria. What started as a clever teenage angst-"comment on everything that sucks and make the viewer feel better about their sucky teenage life" sitcom now mutated into a "how you should deal with your problems"-charade. I used to watch Daria all the time and loved it. Now, sitting here after watching the so called "movie" I can only wonder what the point of this all was. Daria tells us how to lead out life in college? Excuse me? didn't the point Daria made every episode that what you like to do is ok, as long as it is ok with yourself no matter what the rest of the sick sad world thinks of it? This entire thing reminded me of the scene in "Reality Bites" the movie channel shows the documentry for the first time.
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