Questionable tactics
When Scare Tactics was first introduced to the world, the idea was fresh and new. For television that is usually ruled by crappy reality television and half-funny sitcoms, it was fun watching people get the holy crap scared out of them. After a few years, and a change of host, the show has worn a bit thin, but still maintains somewhat of entertainment value.
The pros of season three are that it has some of the most intense reactions from the people getting scared. Some of the best moments involve a woman giving birth to a devil baby, a taxi driver who hits a stranger (who comes back for revenge) and a health spa with a secret mixture to keep their cliental alive (and young). These types of episodes are very well put together and show some true emotion from the ‘victims’ in the episode. You’ll see some harsh reactions and some great acting in these episodes and wish they had extended them just a bit. The show, especially in season three, doesn’t look aged as it still brings the goods. For a gimmicky show as this, it’s impressive to see it hasn’t worn thin. Added to the main content of the show is Tracy Morgan’s wonderful personality. When I first read about this particular season, I was immediately convinced that Morgan probably just needed a gig and wouldn’t put any effort into the job. What I found is that Morgan not only puts effort, but he brings some great humor into the hosting position. Give this ex-SNL guy some credit; he still entertains.
As for the cons of the show, there were a few moments where the joke might have went too far. For example, the episode about the health spa might have been taken a little too far. The girl finds a customer getting bled (strapped down and cut open by the veins in the arms) into a bathtub where a naked girl sits bathing in it (she was old when she went in; now she’s young). The ‘victim’ is brought to tears, as she fears she has been trapped and possibly set up to be killed. This is the first time I’ve seen the show bring an actual ‘fear of death’ to someone’s eyes. That sort of fear is enough to permanently scar someone for the rest of their life. Another example of the joke being taken too far is when a guy thinks he’s helping out during a ‘cheating’ show. What ends up happening is that he almost kicks the crap out of the antagonist actor in the episode. This is my only really complaint that the show doesn’t fully evaluate the human reaction before going ahead of the joke.
Moving on, the features are as follows:
– Bloopers/Outtakes
– Extra footage on four episodes
While there isn’t a lot here, the bloopers/outtakes are a lot more entertaining then the extra footage. I wish there was a bit more, such as commentary from the producers. Commentary would have been gold on this DVD.
