Make ‘Em Laugh – The Best Of British Comedy (Bedazzled/Nuns On The Run/Private Function/Privates On
Parade/Return Of The Pink Panther/The Rutles – All You Need Is Cash/She’ll Be Wearing Pink Pajamas/Time Bandits/Water/Withnail & I/Umbrella
PAL Region Four/4/DVD Import Box Set)
Picture:
C+ (Bedazzled: B-)
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Films:
[ratings inside after title]
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD set can only be operated
on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Two (2), Four
(4) and Five (5) PAL format software and can be ordered from our friends at
Umbrella Entertainment at the website address provided at the end of the
review. The following ten titles are in
this box set and links are included to previous coverage, while films we have
never covered are addressed for the first time.
Bedazzled (1967) [C] Stanley Donen was
trying a different approach to filmmaking and was experimenting ever since Arabesque (1966, reviewed elsewhere on
this site) so he decided to continue shooting his films in the scope frame and
go to England to team up with the very successful comedy team of Peter Cook and
Dudley Moore for this comedy (which they wrote) about a diner cook (Moore) who
wants to be with a waitress there when Satan (Cook) shows up to tempt him with
endless possibilities in his life with her.
The two comedy approaches produced a hit, but I never though they meshed
well here, though I like all involved.
Highlights include Raquel Welch as Lilian Lust, several jokes and comedy
moments that do work, a spoof of Pop Music culture that remains the remarkable
and a final statement that holds up as bold enough. This is still far superior to the 2000
remake, which totally gutted anything that worked here. The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is
the best in this set, with great color and impressive definition thanks to the
PAL format, while the sound is Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono as it was in its original
release. Extras include trailers for
other Umbrella releases, On Location Footage and an interview with co-star
Barry Humphries.
Nuns On The Run (1990) DVD [C]
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8664/Hand+Made+Films+Comedy+Wave+(A
Private Function (1985) DVD [C]
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8664/Hand+Made+Films+Comedy+Wave+(A
Privates On Parade (1982) [C] This military comedy from actor-turned-director
Michael Blakemore has John Cleese leading a cast as the British Major rounding
up a performance group circa 1948 as a Southeast Asian front needs the
entertainment, but this includes the men doing al the women’s roles and some of
them may have had more practice on the side by virtue of their sexual
orientation. A mixed film with a mixed
script by Peter Nicols (Georgy Girl)
is somewhat saved by interesting work by Nicola Pagett, Denis Quilley, John
Standing, Michael Elphick, Joe Melia and Simon Jones. The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image (shot
by Ian Wilson of Jarman’s Edward II
(1992) and Captain Kronos) and Dolby
Digital 2.0 Mono are not bad, but show their age and a Stills Gallery is the
only extra.
Return Of The Pink Panther (1975) DVD [B]
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3277/Return+Of+The+Pink+Panther+(Focus
The Rutles – All You Need Is Cash (1978) [C+] This is an odd choice here since this is
really a TV movie that was as much a U.S. as U.K. production with the original
producer (Lorne Michaels) and the original Saturday
Night Live cast. Everyone is good
here in this spoof of The Beatles written, co-directed and starring Eric Idle
in more than one role. The idea is to
imitate as a joke the entire history of the rise and fall of the actual Beatles
with their Pre Fab Four imitators (Idle is the reporter doing the fake
documentary as well as the clone of Paul McCartney) that is more hit than
miss. The more you know about actual
Beatles history, the funnier it is, but the illusion it is a parallel version
is thrown off every time SNL actors (as good as Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John
Belushi, et al are) show up. There are
also missed opportunities for more jokes and this does not go all the way. The belated sequels did not make up for this
either. Co-Director Gary Weis also
worked as a producer, did the cinematography (which is sometimes amazing in
reproducing the look of classic Beatles footage long before the digital era)
and George Harrison makes a great cameo.
Michael Palin and Al Franken also show up. However, the 1.33 X 1 image (mostly shot on
film) could use some restoration and should for a future Blu-ray, while the
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono ought to be upgraded for stereo. Extras include a new intro for the first home
video release by Idle, a songs-only option, trailers for other Umbrella
releases, outtake interview footage with Mick Jagger and Paul Simon (who appear
as themselves in the film) and a Directors Commentary are also included.
She’ll Be Wearing Pink Pajamas (1984) [C] Eight women (including Julie Walters of Billy Elliot and Educating Rita) with unhappiness, problems and issues go hiking in
a move that is supposed to change their lives.
Eva Hardy adapted her novel as a screenplay here and that is a plus, but
Director John Goldschmidt does not totally grasp the material and other lulls
stop this from being the film it could have been. This includes limits in Goldschmidt’s grasp
of a female discourse. The 1.33 X 1
image can be soft, but is not bad looking, but also looks its age with Director
of Photography Clive Tickner (The Secret
Policeman’s Ball) getting some interesting outdoor shots throughout, while the
sound is Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is more basic.
There are no extras.
Time Bandits (1981) Blu-ray [C]
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10258/Long+Good+Friday+(1980)+++Mona
Umbrella
DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9027/Time+Bandits+(1981/Umbrella+Enterta
U.S. DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/788/Time+Bandits+(Divimax+Edition)
Water (1985) [C] This satire by the
British comedy writing team of Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (Tracey Takes On…, Thick As Thieves) with That
Girl mastermind Bill Persky has locals in a West Indian/Caribbean nation
battling a U.S. drilling company whose discovery of natural mineral water sets
of a battle in what is left of the dwindling British Empire. This Hand Made Films production is the
typically quirky fare the company backed and the amazing cast includes Billy
Connolly, Michael Caine, Dick Shawn, Fred Gwynne, Valerie Perrine, Brenda
Vacarro, Dennis Dugan, Jimmie Walker and Leonard Rossiter in a film that does
not take off despite its ambitions and energetic performances by the cast. It’s subject matter has appreciated, so it is
more of a curio than ever, but only expect so much. There are no extras, though the
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is not bad, the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono shows
its age but is not bad and this was shot by the legendary Douglas Slocombe (Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Never Say Never Again) which is a plus.
Withnail & I (1987) Import Blu-ray [C]
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9716/Dogs+In+Space+(1986)+++Withnail
U.S. Blu-ray
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10258/Long+Good+Friday+(1980)+++Mona
Umbrella DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8664/Hand+Made+Films+Comedy+Wave+(A
As noted
above, you can order this PAL DVD import set exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
Nicholas Sheffo
