Gallagher – The
Smashing Watermelon Collection
Picture: C
Sound: C Extras: D Concerts: B-
Gallagher is a brave man.
He has been one of entertainments great, outrageous stage performers for
decades and in a time where people are either taking things too seriously,
laughing at the “wrong things” or not laughing at all, the new 3 DVD Smashing
Watermelon Collection offers something for everyone to laugh about. The collection of 11 past taped shows are as
follows:
1) Mad As
Hell
2) Two Real
3) Stuck In
The 60s
4) The
Maddest
5) Melon
Crazy
6) Over
Your Head
7) The
Bookkeeper
8) Overboard
9) We Need
A Hero
10) Messing Up Texas
11) An Uncensored Evening
There were those who for a very long time were able to
ignore, mock or easily dismiss Gallagher, but it is now quite apparent that he
was on a course of practical comedy that is often what comedy is all
about. There is nothing heavy handed
about him, though his politics are obvious, but he is not preachy and sincerely
funny. It reminds us that the reason
there was a counterculture is because people knew how top enjoy it and enjoy
life. We now realize he is more
important a performer than ever. The
shows themselves are good, with the physical comedy not bad, though there can
be repetition and he does push his personality forward like “Weird Al” Yankovic
would later, so a little of him might go a long way for many. However, he had the guts to put himself out
there without shame or censor, which is the reason why he will always have a
fan base that embraces him unconditionally.
This is what happens when you do not sell out.
The 1.33 X 1 image on all 11 shows vary slightly
throughout, all from the analog professional NTSC videotapings over the years
of his career. Some are softer than
others, but they average out. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 is usually simple stereo, as some of these shows were made for
cable, which often had stereo early.
There are no extras, but the watermelon-shaped paperboard case that
opens up (with fragility) like a cracked egg will make fans happy, even if it is
not in a standard shape to put into your DVD collection.
- Nicholas Sheffo
