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List Price: $19.97 | | Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Salesrank: 15895
Released: March 17, 2009 |
| Our Price: $8.00 |
| Used Price: $5.99 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Meet Dr. Elizabeth Goode, Ph. D (Alexandra Wentworth), a brash and judgmental therapist who uses her own unconventional methods of therapy to treat the elite of the entertainment, sports and music industries. Her unique brand of treating the celebrity psyche has made her the “it” therapist in Hollywood and NY with an undeniably thriving practice. Rosanna Arquette, Andy Dick, Ione Skye, Lea Thompson, Richard Kind, James Denton, David Alan Grier, Greg Grunberg, Monica Potter, Joel Madden, Christopher Lloyd, Jason Lewis, Jonathan Silverman, Jennifer Finnigan, Ahmet Zappa, Trudie Styler, Cindy Margolis and Jeff Goldblum guest star as themselves in this Starz Originals series that the New York Post hails as “unscripted, unusual, funny and real!”
Description of Head Case: Season 1, Vol. 1:
An original half-hour comedy series concocted for the Starz channel, Head Case arrives on DVD with eight episodes from its debut season, along with assorted extras. Alexandra Wentworth stars as therapist Elizabeth Goode, who caters (at a tidy $450 per hour) to a celebrity clientele in (where else) Beverly Hills. The series’ conceit is to turn the whole shrink-patient relationship on its ear. Dr. Goode is a billboard for unprofessional behavior: She insults her patients, asks them outrageously inappropriate questions (“How does it feel to be perceived as a homosexual?” she queries Jason Priestley), gives them terrible advice and later disavows any responsibility for it, discusses her own tumultuous personal life with them, interrupts sessions to take phone calls… In short, she’s a mess. So is everyone around her, including the patient-filching Freudian psychiatrist (played by Steve Landesberg) who shares office space and, to a slightly lesser extent, her wacky assistant (Michelle Arthur); in fact, in this world, it’s the doc and other “civilians” who are neurotic and needy and the stars who have their heads on relatively straight. And there are plenty of stars in this sky, as Rosanna Arquette, Andy Dick, Lea Thompson, Monica Potter, Christopher Lloyd, Trudie Styler, Cindy Margolis, and Jeff Goldblum are just a few of the actors who appear as (and obviously enjoy) themselves.
It’s an amusing premise, and Head Case is often really funny. But the lead character gets annoying, and the show is often so over-the-top as to move beyond what could have been subtle satire into the realm of broad parody. As several users have pointed out, the batch of shorts (ten of them, occupying about two hours) that preceded the series are found on the second of the set’s two discs (i.e., out of chronological order), along with a brief “making of” featurette. They’re a bit weirder (talk about odd pairings: one features bad boy actor Tom Sizemore and former pornstar Tracy Lords, another Ralph Macchio and musician Liz Phair), and arguably more enjoyable, if only because of the 10-to-15-minute running time. --Sam Graham
Stills from Head Case: Season 1 (Click for larger image)
Head Case: Season 1, Vol. 1 Reviews:
Not completely brilliant, but a good effort 
2009-11-19 - When I initially learned about "Head Case", I was 99% sure I'd connect with it. I thought it sounded similar to the show "Extras" -- after all, they both feature offbeat characters mingling with real-life celebrities playing wacky versions of themselves. And I love "Extras," so...
At first I wasn't too impressed with "Head Case." It was hard to like the characters. Finally, after about half a dozen episodes, I found myself warming up to Dr. Goode, Myron Finkelstein, Lola, and the others, and began to care about their lives. Meanwhile, each episode has several "celebrity" guest stars playing themselves as psychiatric patients of Dr. Goode. This is completely hit or miss. Christopher Lloyd does a fantastic job in his episode and is very funny. Greg Grunberg's appearance, on the other hand, has probably scarred me for life. And whereas on "Extras," the celebrity appearances are kooky and amusing, on "Head Case" (at least during the first season) many of these scenes seem contrived, even painful. I think the show could get by just fine without the celebrities, actually.
Just a few things to be aware of if you're getting ready to watch or buy this DVD. One -- if you're completely new to the show, watch the shorts (special features) on Disc 2 before watching the regular episodes on Disc 1. Chronologically, they go first, and I wish I'd known that ahead of time -- I think I would've enjoyed the regular episodes a lot more if I'd already gotten to know the characters via the shorts beforehand. Two -- some of the episodes feature some risque material. If you're used to cable shows, you probably won't care, but I'm more familiar with network TV, so I had a few jaw-dropping moments while watching "Head Case." This may not bother you at all, but I'm just saying, it's not a family show.
All in all, "Head Case" is pretty amusing. I like a good satire, and this show delivers smiles with regularity. Not as funny as "Extras" or "The Office," but a noble effort nonetheless. Not for everyone, but something I'd watch again.
Head Case 
2009-11-01 - For a show whose premise is that of an insane Hollywood shrink, and the comedic possibilities in her interactions with various celebrities, I found Head Case totally flat. Biggest problem; bad writing, or perhaps NO writing! One has the distinct sensation that these "skits" are purely improvised. Alexandra Wentworth, as Dr. Goode, lacks any subtlety, is mostly way over the top in her delivery, and is therefore rarely if ever funny. Steve Landesberg fares somewhat better in his more lackadaisical approach, and is a born comic, even if in this context he must play second fiddle to an hysterical, unfunny shiksa.
The show, which seems to worship Celebrity as such, gives said celebrities astoundingly little to work with. Jeff Goldblum, perhaps the biggest "name" to cameo in this turkey, and whose talent as a comic has been well-proved, is here thrown away in embarassing fashion. And when that's the case with one of Hollywood's biggest stars, what chance have the other lesser lights to shine in this clueless excuse for comedy?
I quit watching after 4 or 5 episodes.
I just could not get into this
2009-10-15 - It took me quite a while to think about why I didn't like this show. It had its funny moments and it was great to see the onslaught of characters, but there was something that just totally turned me off about this show, and I finally put my finger on it.
There are no redeeming characters on this show!
Every single character on this show could easily be the "bad guy" on any other show. You know: the ones people love to hate or the really annoying neighbors that nobody ever truly likes. If a show is to be successful you need to have characters to people care about and I found myself thinking that if every character on this show was trapped in a burning building, I think the world would be a better place if the fire fighters threw there hands up in the air and said, "Good riddance."
Please note I'm talking about the CHARACTERS, not the actors. Of course, save them! But I think the writers of this show would probably benefit from visiting a shrink themselves.
I only watched half the episodes and couldn't bare to watch any more.... good riddance!
HEAD CASE SEAS 
2009-09-17 - This is a show that I am able to watch over and over and enjoy. The characters are so believable I have to remind myself they are actors and not the characters they portray but so very funny.
A SHRINKING feeling
2009-08-28 - Alexandra Wentworth and Steve Landesberg star in this series about shrinks. I think this is Fraiser with an edge
This Starz cable channel show is enjoyable in small doses. So when watch this box set dont watch it all at once.
Otherwise this is cute and full of laughes. It is better thanDr. Katz: Seasons 1 and 2 DVD Bundleany day of the year.
Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD
