Amazon had some HBO DVDs on sale, so I picked up the first season of Curb Your Enthusiasm at a bargain price. What a load of crap that show is. Considering it always seems to get lumped together with The Office and Arrested Development as one of the best comedies on the air, I figured it was worth giving it a second chance (I'd seen it once at a friend's house, and wasn't impressed). Just not funny. And it hardly seems as original as it's reputed to be, just some new gimmicks tacked on the same hackneyed jokes and a character who struggles to place himself in uncomfortable situations (surely I know I am alone in this friend's home, and can watch this porno video with no chance of being disturbed...no need to shut the door). Oh, well...with a little luck, I'll get more for it used on Half.com than I paid new.

Last night, I watched a couple episodes from Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected. I bought it, again, because I got a good price (20% off Deep Discount DVD's already low low prices), and because I was curious about anything with Dahl's name attached. I was suprised to see the pilot episode was "Man From the South," better known as that episode from Alfred Hitchcock Presents where Peter Lorre makes a wager with Steve McQueen. I was unaware Dahl had written for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, but looking over the episodes of Tales of the Unexpected, I see he actually wrote quite a few (or at least had quite a few short stories adapted by the show, I'm not sure which). Including "Lamb to the Slaughter," a rather infamous episode. The episodes I watched were pretty good, though you can't top Lorre's version of "Man From the South," which also includes one little flourish near the end, my favorite part of the story (I won't give it away here), that apprently was added to Dahl's version. The other episode I watched, "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat," was also apparently an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, but I don't recall seeing it. But I will assume I did see it, and assume that's why I was able to see the ending from a mile away. Still entertaining, and featured Julie Harris (they got a real all-star cast for the TV show). I'll be better able to say if I recommend this after watching more episodes, but seeing as Alfred Hitchcock Presents is not yet available on DVD (a few episodes are included as extras in boxed sets of Hitchcock movies), this is a good way to get some classic stories in another form.