In what I consider to be an indication of the lack of creativity in Hollywood, we've seen many remakes and reboots recently. A remake is a movie from the past is recreated using modern actors and technology, and something is considered a reboot when an existing franchise (Spider-Man, Batman, Star Trek) is updated and taken in a new direction. What we haven't seen much of are revivals, which is when a product which was shown in the past is brought back with few, if any changes. It's actually surprising that we don't see more of this, as there are plenty of things, especially in fashion, which go through cycles and become popular once again. One recent revival which was apparently successful is MTV's Beavis and Butt-Head.

Beavis and Butt-Head originated in 1993 on MTV. The show revolves around Beavis and Butt-Head (both voiced by series creator Mike Judge), two very stupid and very immature teenaged boys. Like most teenagers, this duo is obsessed with sex, food, and popular culture. Their problem is that they are incredibly dumb and (apparently) functionally illiterate. They spend their time slacking off at school, watching TV, or wandering their town looking for ways to get into trouble. Due to their general ignorance, they misunderstand most every person or situation which they encounter, and they often assume (for some reason) that they are going to get to have sex. Also, being incredibly immature, they will take any word or phrase and give it a sexual meaning.

Despite the fact that I wasn't exactly in the target demographic, I remember watching Beavis and Butt-Head when it debuted in 1993. I also recall the controversy created by the show. The first thing which comes to mind was how the show was criticized for Beavis' obsession with fire and the claims that this was leading to teenaged arson and injuries. Secondly, there was an overall outcry over the show's depiction of brain-dead teens who spent too much time watching TV and knew nothing of the real world. Sure, Beavis and Butt-Head

is an exaggerated view of life, but isn't there a nugget of truth in there somewhere? (I know that I used to work with some guys who acted exactly like Beavis and Butt-Head...and I don't mean that they were mimicking the show.)

The interesting things about Beavis and Butt-Head is that it's actually two shows in one. Most of the episodes are made up of two short segments. In these stories, we see Beavis and Butt-Head get involved in odd, often silly misadventures. However, within these stories are even shorter segments where the guys watch either a music video or an MTV reality show. (On the original series, it was exclusively music videos. Of course, that was back when MTV actually showed music videos.) Surprisingly, there is often a world of difference between these two portions of the show, and each can cater to a different set of tastes.

For me, I've always preferred the almost interstitial-like parts where Beavis and Butt-Head watch videos, going all the way back to the beginning of the series. This has a Mystery Science Theater 3000 vibe to it, as the duo watch the videos and both comment on the content and the quality of what they are seeing. While the two characters are incredibly vapid in their storylines, they are undeniably astute and insightful. This has always been the case, but they seem even more observant in this new series. As music videos are now few and far between, the majority of what they watch on the new show are MTV reality shows. The Jersey Shore segments, of which there are several, are very funny, because, let's face it, that show is nearly too stupid to skewer. However, the jabs at the likes of 16 and Pregnant and True Life are often very funny -- often laugh out loud funny. Likewise for the music videos here, most notably the one by Skillex, which brings forth some great comments.

As for the actual storyline episodes, those are decidedly hit or miss, with the former happening more often. I get that the point of the show is that Beavis and Butt-Head are nearly too stupid and immature to function, but this typically leads to a one-joke plot which is stretched out to ten minutes. Shows where the idiots like the automated voice in an elevator or where they think the world has ended seem to go on and on. Typically, the only humor here comes from Beavis’ gullibility and the fact that he trusts Butt-Head’s views and opinions. (When Beavis says, “Oh yeah...”, it’s always funny.) For years, I’ve been on the fence with Mike Judge’s comedy (I think that Office Space is half of a great movie) and Beavis and Butt-Head is no exception. There are some truly funny moments here, but most of the show is too stupid for its own good.

Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 appears to have some of the same animation as the 1993 series on DVD courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment. The two-disc set contains 12 episodes. The episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The image is very sharp and clear, almost shockingly so for a DVD. The colors look fantastic, most notably reds and blues, and the image is never overly dark or bright. Some of the animation has been updated for this series and it has a nice, layered look which works well here. There is some minor stuttering in the animation, but otherwise this looks good. The DVD contains a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track which provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The front and center channels provide most of the audio here. The dialogue sounds fine, as does the music. We occasionally get some stereo effects either to add space to the audio or to illustrate things moving off-screen. Otherwise, I didn’t detect any notable surround or subwoofer effects.

The Beavis and Butt-Head: Volume 4 DVD contains only a few extras. "2011 San Diego Comic-Con Panel" (19 minutes) is a Q&A session from the annual event. Johnny Knoxville joins Mike Judge on-stage to talk about the history of the show and the reasoning behind bringing the show back. "Beavis & Butt-Head Interruptions" are four one-minute segments where Beavis and Butt-Head are edited into scenes from Jersey Shore. "Silence Your Cell Phone" is a very brief piece which probably ran in some movie theaters.