The Norman Gunston Show V.4 – The Best Of The Last (1993/Umbrella Entertainment/PAL Region
Zero/0/Free/DVD Import)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras:
C Episodes: C
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD set can only be operated
on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0/Free 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 comic
actor Garry McDonald (The Doctor in the Nicole Kidman Moulin Rouge) has a wild comic persona named Norman Gunston that he
has been playing on and off for years and even shows up in The Who film The Kids Are Alright (1979, reviewed
elsewhere on this site). One of the last
times on record is a set of 1993 TV specials and The Norman Gunston Show V.4 – The Best Of The Last has episodes 4
& 5 as this cycle of shows wrapped up.
Oddly, they have actresses playing fictional guest hosts to real
Australian stars while Gunston does studio and location interviews with the
likes of Brian Austin Green when he still had his bad 90210 hair.
The two
shows are a half-hour in length and they are amusing, yet I never had any big
laughs or encountered any surprises, but it is a bizarre show at any rate. If you like wild characters in “reality”
situations, you might want to see this volume, but only the extras could
inspire you to want to look further.
The 1.33
X 1 image is shot on analog PAL video and for some reason, is softer than
expected. Color can be good, but even
the disc has a warning that the image may not be prime, so storage must be an
issue. At least the Dolby Digital 2.0
sound is not bad, barely stereo and holding up better than the video. Extras include stills, a Norman Promo Press
Excerpt, bizarre Norman and Effie (one of the fictional co-hosts) doing a Music
Video and interview segments by Gunston with Lionel Richie, Anthony LaPaglia
and Sally Struthers.
As noted
above, you can order this PAL DVD import exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
Nicholas Sheffo
