Comedy Film
 

Review YOUR Favourite Comedy film.

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The Early Bird (1965)
 

The Early Bird (1965)
The older I get more I notice how life is soooooo different from when I was a kid, amazing to think there is a generation of people who think that's a CD player is old fashioned ,let alone would know what a record player is, And what about a MILKMAN,yes kiddies a man dressed all in white would creep around our houses in the early hours of the morning leaving bottles of his best gold top and his cream. Any how its a good job we have Norman Wisdom films ,there kind of cultural foot notes to a bygone time, he's abit like David Starkey but not as patronising. So for everyone who remembers what a milkman was can it back and enjoy Norman Wisdom as Norman Pitkin a clumsy but good hearted employee of Grimsdale's Dairy, but there in danger of being put out of business by a massive organisation called Consolidated Dairies, especially as there top milkman ,Bryan Pringle as Austin goes around smashing Grimsdales empty bottles on customers doorstep's. This could almost be seen as an anti capitalist themed movie, with its small independent firm being threatened by the giant conglomerate ,a real David and Goliath tale,Imagine an anti capitalist rally organised by Norman Wisdom. There some rather cool miniature model effects that's adds to all the action and chaos, like when Pipkin smashes his way thru a greenhouse on a lawn mower which concludes with a tree falling and smashing into a rolls royce,or when he drives a fire engine into a building and the whole side of Consolidated Dairies factory cracks and splinters.Edward Chapman as Mr. Thomas Grimsdale is sort of a Capt Mainwaring character, the straight man to Pipkins antics, although Chapman was also very good in School for Scoundrels as a nemesis to Ian Carmichael. Kind of film people like to watch on a Sunday afternoon , Although I watched it again Friday night so they can f**k off for a start, sunday afternoons is for dogging.Be that as it may this is the simple slapstick fun that are parents use to enjoy before the Carry on films took over,Simple times for simpler people.I loved it.

:tongue1::tongue1::tongue1::tongue1: out of 5

Attachment 172575

Play It Again, Sam (1972)
 

Play It Again, Sam 1972
Allan Felix (Woody Allen) has recently separated from his wife Nancy (Susan Anspach) who wants to live a more exciting lifestyle, Felix is a film reviewer and spends all his time watching movies and when he's not doing that he is day dreaming about Humphrey Bogart (played by Jerry Lacy), who gives him advice on dating women and how to treat them . Meanwhile his closest friends Dick Christie (Tony Roberts) and Linda (Diane Keaton) keep setting Felix up on blind dates. But Felix's clumsy attempts at trying to impersonate Bogey only leads to failure on the dating front.Like most of Allen's early work he really relies on slapstick humour and great one liners, there's very little of the inner naval gazing you get with some of his later films. What Allen is very good at is mocking himself and his sexual prowess with the ladies , he doesn't mind sending himself up or looking the fool to get the joke across. He makes a fool of himself endlessly trying to chase women, there's a great scene where he's dancing with Keaton who encourages him to dance with woman he see's across the floor ,only to be rebutted with "Get lost, creep.". Many of these scenes although slightly exaggerated, most of us can identify with Felix's clumsy attempt at the dating game , especially if you have ever had a disastrous date , but I'm guessing not many have been beaten up by a couple of bikers, and then had the girl go off with them. "I snapped my chin onto a guy's fist and hit one in the knee with my nose. " Using Bogey and the plot of Casablanca is a really great way of seeing into Felix's mind ,he wants to be the hero but just can't pull it off. and the ending too is very clever as it uses Casablanca to tie up all the loose ends in a nice satisfying way.This is up there with Love and Death, Sleeper and Broadway Danny Rose just marvellous and funny. Also very envious of all the film posters and lobby cards in Felix's apartment.

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: out of 5

The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005)
 

The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse 2005
Like a few other people on its release I was a little bit disappointed with Apocalypse, when your familiar with a tv series you love you tend to want more of the same thing, In hindsight the ideas and story were much better than I remembered. Having an alternative universe where Royston Vasey is slowly being destroyed because the creators of the tv show are going to cancel the series is a stroke of genius and the kind of thing they do in comic book universe all the time. The other noticeable difference is how cinematic the Roydon Vasey universe looks , obviously let loose from the tv budget restraints the effects and sets are on a much larger scale than previously been seen before on the tv series .Its really strange seeing the characters from the television series interact with the real world and the real town of Hadfield, its genuinely confusing and especially when they sit down and watch there own tv show is a real head f@&K.It makes you wonder why someone has not done this before (if they have I haven't seen it) Some of the characters even realise that there two strange to mix with the real world. By accident Herr Lipp, Hilary Briss and Geoff Tipps are inadvertently chosen to travel to London and stop the real actors fron destroying the fantasy world of Royston Vasey .This is the first time ive re-it in quite awhile and I think time has been good to this film , its definitely improved over time,its not perfect but itys got so many good ideas running through the film. Having the actors play themselves, and then have one of the characters then pretend to be one of the real life actors is pure Twilight Zone.Im big LOG fan so and this film has definitely grown on me over the years. And any film with David Warner in it,well it has to be good.

:pound::pound::pound::pound: out of 5

Steptoe and Son (1972)
 

Steptoe and Son (film)1972
I'm as guilty as the next person for over using the words, genius and classic, but when it comes to the script writing of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson then I think its more than justified. Whether its Hancock's Half Hour or Steptoe and Son the duo have created some of the best written British comedy ever made. The characters they have created are so believable and the writing is so poignant yet funny at the same time. Harold's constant striving to better himself and Albert trying to thwart him at every opportunity pretty much touches everything we all go through in live. Although my old dad never had bath in the kitchen sink, but give it time. Problem with tv shows being translated to films, is that every bodys default position is that it will never be as good as the original tv show. This of course is total bollocks , while never actually equalling the shows the films in general are well written and well made,Likely Lads, Porridge, Dad Army (1971 version) and On the Buses films are all very funny and all add to the wonderful universe that these shows live in.Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett are just perfect in there roles, although as we al know stereotyping pretty much killed there careers after Steptoe finished, Its amazing to think that Harry H. Corbett was considered to be a British Marlon Brando and a classic actor to boot. The film itself is about Harold falling in love and marrying a stripper Carolyn Seymour as Zita .After a rather diabolical honeymoon in which Albert insists on coming then gets food poisoning, and has to be escorted home by Harold, leaving Zita behind with a lecherous tour guide. The break up of the marriage and subsequent finding out that Harold is a father is equally funny and touching the sense of loss ,and betrayal just proves how good and clever Galton and Simpson's writing is.

On the Buses (1971)
 

On the Buses (1971) Hammer Film Productions
On the Buses became Britain's top box-office film of 1971
making a profit to Hammer of £532,000. Its box office gross was nearly 28 times the amount of its budget.
As a social commentary on the early part of the 1970's On The Buses would make very confusing viewing for the proverbial Alien looking to see what are recent history was like. Ugly middle aged men with bad teeth chasing young women in mini skirts, and managing to have sex with some of them. In the 1970's being sexiest, and being racist was something that seemed to ingrained into the nations psyche, You can't condone it nor can you ignore it, its just there like flock wallpaper and safari suits. So when a woman is referred to as a bird or a black gentleman is called chalky, what are we supposed to do smash the television in and call Jeremy Corbyn around for some cake and brain washing. We can no more change what happened on television in the 1970's than we can change the British colonization of Africa in the 1800's.What has this got to do with the On the Buses movie, F$%k knows it just that its been a long day. Mean while back at the bus station Stan (Reg Varney) and Bob Grant - Jack Harper are having a terrible time with a bunch of newly hired bus drivers ,only this time they have hired WOMEN bus drivers. Back at the Butler household Olive (Anna Karen) finds herself pregnant, much to the surprise of Michael Robbins as Arthur Rudge. Stan is also facing a dilemma as he is having trouble with the birds, er I mean women. Its not sophisticated or clever and has absolutely nothing to say about mankind and the universe we live in , so it must be the crumpet.

:):):):):) out 0f 5

The Pink Panther (1963)
 

The Pink Panther (1963)
It' quite amazing to think that Peter Sellers went from the Goons radio show to British film actor to pretty much Hollywood star mainly due to the Pink Panther film series and Blake Edwards.It also surprised me on re-watching The Pink Panther how much more of an ensemble piece of acting it was instead of being wholly concentrated on the Jacques Clouseau character. In fact Pink Panther has a stellar cast David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, and Claudia Cardinale. I love Peter Sellers and the Panther films ,but wonder if they had all been abit more like the first film,and had more of ensemble cast instead on entirely relying on Sellers to carry the film they could of been slightly better. Perhaps Sellers ego wouldn't let that happen,and he needed to be the star attraction of the later films. David Niven is the elusive thief The Phantom, who has his eye on The Pink Panther a diamond with a flaw in the centre that resembles a Panther, but also has his eyes on the young Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale) .
Blake Edwards has a great talent for comedy. especially when directing Sellers as Clouseau ,although he's not as most destructive as he would in the later films,he's more clumsy in kind of Mr Bean fashion and sadly no Kato Fong in this film which is a shame as Burt Kwouk is about the only actor who can manage to steal a scene from Sellers, and is totally undepreciated as a comedy actor. The Pink Panther is such a well written and well made affair ,and is in a class of its own, its a million miles away from the Ealing comedies which Sellers appeared in,and more amazing still he would make Dr Strangelove a year later.
Also there's a chase with gorilla suits at the end what more could you want.

:):):):) out of 5

I watched an episode of this last week on ITV 3/4 whichever. I'd never really seen it for decades however.

The guys were attempting to weld part of their motorbike and side car.

Absolutely piss funny.

I will be buying the complete On the Buses very soon indeed.

Nice review. I must admit to never being overly fond of the first film. I much prefer A Shot in the Dark and Return of the Pink Panther. The moment in Return... when Clouseau wrecks an office trying to pick up a pen is fried gold.

Skin Game 1971
 

Skin Game [DVD] [1971]
James Garner as Quincy Drew and Louis Gossett, Jr. as Jason O'Rourke are a pair of con men travelling pre civil war USA, they've worked a con where Jason is sold as a slave then Quincy helps him escape and then they split the profits of the sale and move onto another town and do the same thing there again, You don't get that many comedy films that deal with race and slavery ,and before Blazing Saddles (1974) not that many comedies that used the N word either. Compared to Blazing Saddles, The Skin Game is fairly mild in tone and humour , and doesn't come close to its sheer loonesy. But the Skin Game is kind of uncomfortable to watch at times because the whole film revolves around the slave trade and uses it for humour . Louis Gossett, Jr character Jason was born a free man in New Jersey and has to play the part of a slave so he can be sold, In fact if his character even shows any sign of being well spoken or educated he's threatened with violence, Andrew Duggan as Howard Calloway a plantation owner does this in a scene where Jason un wisely tries to talk to Duggan as an equal. So if you can get past the rather unpleasant subject matter what you got is fairly light hearted comedy.James Garner and Louis Gossett, Jr. have a good chemistry together and make a great comedy duo, something they did again in James Garners tv show The Rockford Files a couple of times. If your a fan of films like Support Your Local Sheriff! and Support Your Local Gunfighter and are a big James Garner fan like myself then you'll appreciate his cool laid back likable self. Politically correct it aint, which is why I think it hasn't had a uk release on dvd,then again it may be just another forgotten film.

:):):) out of 5

Laughing Gravy (1931)
 

Laughing Gravy (1931)
As landlord goes Charlie Hall in Laughing Gravy has to put up with quite a lot,his two tenants are either hiccupping, barking like a dog or dropping bricks on his head while trying to get down his chimney. On top of all that they may be trying to smuggle a dog into there room .In fact Laughing Gravy can't get any sleep either , mainly because Stan's snoring keeps waking him up , Gravy is eventually discovered by Hall and is thrown unceremoniously into the cold and snow. Mr Hardy goes and retrieves the dog only for Mr Laurel to leave him outside in the snow instead.What I love about this film is the snow and ice is all fake,but for some reason in the confines of there world it looks more realistic than it should, for example when Mr Hardy falls into the barrel of icy cold water its not the ice that tells us its freezing but Hardy's shivering, and for some reason being in a barrel makes it seem even more colder, (whatever happened to wooden barrels),For some reason chimneys always seem to make an appearance as well,when Gravy is shoved up the chimney ( can dogs climb chimneys) Mr Laurel is sent up there to get the dog down again, only by now the dog has managed to get on the roof??? This then gives the opportunity for bricks to be dropped on peoples heads and toe's. Nobody does pain like Oliver Hardy,in reality there foam bricks and rubber objects that get launched at his head, but by sheer power of that thing they call acting you'd think they were the real McCoy.Cute little mongrels, fake snow,a horrible landlord, poverty and falling masonry aren't these the things we all face on a daily basis,I know I do.Stand out scene, when Olly says well take a bath,Stan says what about Laughing gravy,Olly replies we will wash him first,the look on Stan's face is one of confusion, obviously Olly loves the dog more than he loves Stan.

:):):):):) out of 5

I'm really enjoying this thread Inspector.

You're reviewing a lot of films i haven't seen before which is good.

Laughing Gravy is top quality Laurel and Hardy madness.

I'm now watching the French lang version of Laughing gravy, Olly keeps looking off camera so I assume he's reading it from idiot boards off screen.

Is that from the box set?

I've never bothered to watch it if it is.

should be disc 10 SNOW ,its called Les Carottiers, its Be Big and Laughing Gravy both together in French,it looks like they re-filmed with the actors speaking French phonetically , its worth at least one watch.

I'll try and remember that for January.

Are they subtitled or just in French?

just speaking French abit bizarre really.

Dad's Army (1971)
 

Dad's Army (1971)
With the remake due out next year, I should imagine there will be a ground swell of nostalgia for the original tv series as well. Repeated constantly throughout my childhood , I would always watch when it was on television, it was a sitcom that appealed to all ages .Written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft ( they must of wrote the majority of sitcoms for the bbc during the 1970s and 1980s) ,it was probably one of the few 70s sitcoms that didn't really on Double entendre or saucy carry on style humour to get it laughs, the characters were kind of childlike buffoons who muddled through there exploits, it was this childish kind of playground squabbling that the characters had that probably appealed to any kids watching, seeing a bunch of old men acting like kids and basically playing soldiers, that was what me and my mates did in the playground, you could emphasise with them. The film version re-treads the same story as the tv series, with Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring and John Le Mesurier as Sergeant Wilson forming the Local Defence Volunteers later renamed the Home Guard, after hearing a speech by Anthony Eden on the radio. With a film budget you do get a wider sense that Walmington-on-Sea is an actual town and the majority of the film is shot on location as opposed to there usual village hall training ground or that same stretch of road they used in the tv show. All the cast are present and correct,with minor characters added here and there, the only real change was to the character of Mrs Pike who was changed to Liz Fraser instead of Janet Davies who had been Mrs Pike in the tv series. If you liked the tv series then there's no reason not to enjoy this film version, its cast of silly eccentric characters defending England from those orrible Germans are just as funny and just lovable,heres hoping the remake is just as good. We're All Doomed.

Cpt. George Mainwaring: We have an invaluable weapon in our army, ingenuity and improvisation.

Pvt. James Frazer: That's two.

:):):):) out of 5

I think i'm going to pick up a fair few of these films you're reviewing Inspector.

It can be a little mission for early 2016 to brighten up bloody gloomy January.

County Hospital (1932)
 

Laurel And Hardy - County Hospital .
Mr Hardy is in the county hospital with a broken leg, supposedly taking a rest and recuperating, Mr Laurel decides to visit because he didn't have anything better to do .Being a thoughtful friend Mr Laurel brings a gift of hard-boiled eggs and nuts. This film fits very nicely into the theme of Mr Hardy leg, County Hospital ha has a broken leg, Them Thar Hills his foot is suffering with gout so they decide to hire a caravan and go into the hills, this then had a sequel Tit for Tat where Stan and Ollie return from there trip to open an electrical shop only to be neighbours with a couple they met on there trip. County Hospital is only about 18mins long but sure stuffs itself full of gags as it goes. But it will probably be remember for one of the best jokes probably ever written-

Oliver: [seeing that Stan has brought him a present] What have you got there?

Stanley: I brought you some hardboiled eggs and some nuts.

Oliver: Now, you I can't eat hardboiled eggs and nuts. If you wanted to bring me something, why didn't you bring me candy?

Stanley: They cost too much.

Oliver: What does that got to do with it?

Stanley: You didn't pay me for the last box I brought you.

Mr Laurel even gets the sex of the doctor wrong The Doctor: I hope I find you well? Stanley: Thank you, ma'am. Jugs of water are spilled bedpans are whacked over heads and hypodermic needles are sat on, and a good pair of pants (trousers for us limeys) are cut up by mistake. Mr Laurel now drugged up to his eyeballs with a sedative tries to drive Olly home. It has to be said that back projection is not the best effect ever invented but since this is a comedy where not really looking for realism are we.In the end they crash. I don't know what there secret is,maybe the Hal Roach studios have something to do with it,I do think the films they made outside of there studio were never this good, or its just that lightening in a bottle thing that only ever happens once in a blue moon. The looks to camera,the double takes the indignation have all been done since but never as good.Don't put your hand in there. I have to drink that water.

You keep reviewing Laurel and Hardy Inspector.

That'll save me some money. :lol:

1941 (1979)
 

1941 (1979)
Its hard to believe that even the great Steven Spielberg had a flop in his career, shock horror ,well sort of, it wasn't the blockbuster like his previous movies, but it still made money according to the world wide web. 1941 for those who have never seen it ,is a massive big budget world war two comedy, think Animal House meets Pearl Harbour. On top of that it has quite an all star cast Christopher Lee as Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt, Toshirō Mifune as Commander Akiro Mitamura and Dan Aykroyd as Motor Sergeant Frank Tree to name a few. The film starts with Spielberg homages his own film jaws, as a Japanese submarine is off the coast of California thinking of invading America, on board is Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt a German naval officer who is at constant logger heads with his counterpart Commander Akiro Mitamura. Mean while on shore Bobby Di Cicco as Wally Stephens is trying to date Dianne Kay as Betty Douglas, only Corporal Chuck "Stretch" Sitarski (Treat Williams) keeps trying beat up Wally and get Betty to date him. On top of that Dan Aykroyd as Motor Sergeant Frank Tree and his tank crew are causing all manor of destruction and if that wasn't enough John Belushi as Captain "Wild" Bill Kelso, U.S. Army Air Corps is causing mayhem across California in his Curtiss P-40 fighter plane. 1941 if anything is a spectacular movie, its big brash and bold, certainly no expense was spared to recreate USA in the 1940s . The reason I think it wasn't a major success (well not as big as jaws) is that its two zany too far out and set against the background of world war two it may of just been to jarring for a patriotic American audience, nobody in this film especially the U,S military come out of this looking normal, in fact everybody portrayed in the army or air force comes across as criminally insane or looney tunes mad. I first saw the film as a graphic novel,I didn't think the film would be anywhere near as crazy as the comic book suggested but boy was I wrong,thats probably the best description for the film is that its a comic in live action form,its a Road Runner cartoon, its like a crazy dream after you've eaten cheese the night before. The humour doesn't always work and some of the characters are some of the characterisations are so over the top you do wonder if Spielberg seems to of lost control over his own pet project.Still you probably won't ever get a film like this ever made again ,its so anarchic. Recomended for Spielberg completest and the criminally insane. Apparently some of the incidents that happened are true,zoot riots, sticking an Anti air craft gun on someone's lawn and the fact the American's actually bothered to get involved in WW11 at all.

:):):) out of 5

The Chimp (1932)
 

The Chimp (1932)
Laurel and Hardy are a pair of circus performers working with Jimmy Finlayson (Ringmaster) and Tiny Sandford (Destructo),we first see the pair come on as a pantomime horse, then they help Destructo with his stage act, they inadvertently fill his cannon up with too much gun powder and blow the circus tent down. Unfortunately the circus can't pay any of its employees so all the performers are given something form the circus as payment. Stan gets the flea circus and Olly gets Ethel the gorilla dressed in ballet tutu. While trying to rent a room in a hotel ,Billy Gilbert (Landlord) refuses them until they get rid of Ethel. Meanwhile MGM (lion) is also in town looking for a room. They decide to dress Ethel up in Olly's clothes because the landlord won't notice the difference? The Chimp is basically Laughing Gravy remake but instead of a little dog you get a bloody great gorilla Charles Gemora (Ethel the gorilla). Although I really love Laughing Gravy, There's some much more scope for laffs when you got a gorilla around, the constant looks of amorous affection that Ethel gives Stan are only equalled by antagonise Olly constantly. Ethel is also pretty light are on her see how elegantly she dances with Stan. Just to add confusion to all the merriment the landlords wife is called Ethel as well, which is sure to cause confusion because he thinks his wife is being unfaithful, and when he bursts into Laurel and Hardy room thinking that his wife is under the bed sheets ,he declares "the mother of my children", which is news to Laurel and Hardy as its there Ethel under the bed sheets. You know you got a great film when a gorilla in a hat winks, lovingly at Stanley, then proceeds to beat Olly with a bit of wood then stick him in a wooden cage. I also watched the colorized version and as I thought it looks horrible.

Oliver (Oliver Hardy): Well, I can’t sleep with the monkey!
Stan (Stan Laurel): Oh, she doesn’t mind. [to Ethel] You don’t mind sleeping with Ollie, do you? [to Ollie] No, she doesn’t.]

Bedazzled (1967)
 

Bedazzled (1967)
Peter Cook is the devil. Dudley Moore is Stanley Moon a cook at a Wimpey's restaurant (McDonalds to you kids) ,every day he day dreams about Margaret (Eleanor Bron). a waitress there, but cannot find the courage to ask her out. Depressed he decides to hang himself but is interrupted by the devil in the shape of George Spiggott (Cook). Spiggott explains that he needs 100 billion souls so he can get back into heaven, he offers Moon seven wishes for his soul ,Stanley see's this as an opportunity to romance Margaret. Based on a story by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore ,Bedazzled's main strength is Peter Cook performance his character and performance is so charismatic , Cook the actor is so underrated yet in the 1960's he certainly cut a fine figure, and revels in the part of the devil as he torments Stanley Moon (Moore) at every opportunity, this could also have shades of there real life relationship to come . The Rise And Rise Of Michael Rimmer would see Cook play another type of devil in the shape of a man who takes over advertising agency and then proceeds to manipulate his way into politics. Every time Moon (Moore) makes a wish Spiggott (Cook). twists his wish so that it eventually back fires and Moon has to cancel his wish and use up another one. While not tormenting Moon ,the devil whiles away his time getting pigeons to poop on people or phoning up women and telling then there husbands are cheating on them. The swinging 60's make a great back drop for the film and having Raquel Welch as Lilian Lust one of the seven deadly sins was a stroke of genius, she only has a minor role but if you have seen any the stills of her from the film then you'll understand why. While Cook is pretty damn good Dudley Moore also pulls the stops out, he can play sheepish little nobody's like no other actor can ,Stanley Moon soon realises by the end of the film that having his wishes granted is not the way to get what he wants in life, and he eventually reverts back to how he was at the start, a cook in fast food café. But this time he finds the courage to ask Margaret out, she's busy ,but does hint at maybe another night. I think there's a lesson to be learnt from all this but I'm damned if I know what it is, Still Bedazzled is a funny and at times crazy film, which poses the question whether its better to wish for what we want or just be happy with what we got in live. Although I would used all my wishes on Ms Welch.

:):):):) out of 5

If you are watching the film, and you don't like it, just blow a raspberry and the movie will stop. Then say the magic words 'Julie Andrews', and a new film will start in its place!

Holiday on the Buses (1973)
 

Holiday on the Buses (1973)
A word to Shane Meadows, This is England? no this was England As a kid all I remember was being dragged from one gloomy holiday to another, usually in the pouring rain, it was either that or an endless procession of aunts and uncles getting married, and me sitting in the corner of the room at the family disco while uncle Jimmy OBE tried to do the funky gibbon, or whatever the latest dance craze was, I wonder what happened to uncle Jimmy OBE. This is what Holiday on the Buses conjures up, men with side burns and flares drinking brown ale,nicotined stained fingers and everything seemed brown or beige ,the clothes, the wallpaper the sky. At the start of the film, Reg Varney crashes his bus while looking at a young lady running for another bus and her top falls, were only a few minutes into the film and we've already got breasts. Later on we get Anna Karen - (Olive Rudge) bum in the swimming pool after she loses her bikini bottoms, apparently this was not her bum but a stunt doubles, (Also this seems to be the only case of censorship with On the Buses, the bum shot was cut from an early afternoon showing of the film) Later on there's plenty of up skirt shots of women going up to the top of the double decker buses .So the level of nudity is slightly cranked up for a A cert ,Im wondering if they were worried about the competition from more risqué end of the market with likes of Confession films and Adventure of movies at the time. They needn't of worried although the British sex comedy was prevalent they were seldom ever funny. In all fairness to the makers they manage to film the location filming on mostly sunny days ,which only highlights how pale and badly dressed the cast are.Still Pontins at Prestatyn never looked so good,If your a fan you''ll luv it, and if your not a fan,then what are doing reading this.


:xmasnuts::xmasnuts::xmasnuts::xmasnuts: pot of 5

You're actually winning me over with these On the Buses reviews. That and finding that episode i watched the other week hilarious.

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970)
 

The Rise And Rise Of Michael Rimmer
Peter cook minus Dudley moore , is Michael Rimmer a mysterious gentlemen who turns up at a rather badly run advertising agency headed by Ferret (Arthur Lowe).Everybody assumes he has been employed by Dennis Price as Fairburn to do a time and motion study. Slowly Rimmer takes control of the company getting Ferret reduced to a tea boy and general dogs body. Peter Cooks Micheal Rimmer character effortlessly jumps from advertising agent to head of a polling agency, but his real aim is to become the prime minister or maybe President. It probably won't come to any surprise to anyone that this satire on fame and politics is just as relevant today as it was back then, probably more so now that people want fame but not the hard work of getting it .Rimmer manipulates tory leader Ronald Fraser as Tom Hutchinson ,for his sown aims of getting power in the future. Whether its big business, the military or student unions everybody seems to be open to corruption and bribery. The cast is pretty much a whos who of 60's comedy , from John Cleese , Ronnie Corbett and Arthur Lowe to name a few, but its Peter Cook who manages to convey a veneer of mischievous evil and pure smugness throughout the film without breaking a sweat,in fact his performance is almost robotic like ,which is just what the role needed, imagine in the film Westworld there was a Polticworld ,just full of smarmy grinning idiots who will tell you anything just to get your vote ,then that's Michael Rimmer, but instead of Yul Brynner its Peter Cook. Its the world of spin doctors and political shenanigan's, to win over the Home Secretary who doesn't want anything to do with a Tory party that condones racism , he's mysteriously beaten up by a black mugger. Now I never said the humour was subtle or in some cases politically correct, check out the close up shots of Valerie Leon bottom,but hey its tail end of the 60's the only thing that's missing is Arthur Lowe doing an impression of Lee Harvey Oswald,Oh wait he does.

:xmaslol::xmaslol::xmaslol::xmaslol: out of 5:snowman:

Wrong Cops (2013)

http://skyfall.a.ltrbxd.com/resized/...g?k=b5294c79d4

If you're familiar with Quentin Dupieux and enjoy his work (especially Wrong) then you don't need to read any further and you can just go off and enjoy Wrong Cops, but for those who aren't overly familiar with him or his films this is a spin-off from his film Wrong and revolves around a group of amoral, lawless, and generally screwed-up cops from Wrong's universe. Dupieux's style is certainly Marmite in flavour, and his comedy style whilst zany also resembles the particular yeast extract food-stuff in colour as well. Overall this was a fun ride and the mix of ridiculous situations, deadpan comedy and general weirdness really played to my sensibilities as I knew it would; even if it was a little too smug with itself at times... however that's just Dupieux I guess. Marilyn Manson also has a bizarre little cameo too which was a nice surprise.

Recommended for fans of all things f*cked up who like their comedy and their films a little bit off to side of the beaten path.

http://www.ew.com/sites/default/file...?itok=LmnzJ9FP

74/100

Them Thar Hills (1934)
 

Them Thar Hills (1934)
Olly has gout? to much high living , too which Stan replies : "Well maybe we should move down into the basement" , obviously Olly's not impressed with this suggestion but does indeed like his idea of renting a caravan and going to 'the high multitude'. But wouldn't you know it some moonshiners have been arrested, not before they pour the said liquid down an old mountain well. Probably one of the best discs in the boxset is Laurel & Hardy Volume 2 - Someone's Ailing, a great triple bill County Hospital,Them Thar Hill and Tit For Tat, Interesting to note Tit for Tat was the only genuine sequel they ever made to a film, being a continuation of the relationship between Stan and Olly and Charlie Hall and Mae Busch a married couple they meet in Them Thar Hills. Its Charlie Hall's grumpiness and antagonism that pushes the stories along, he is very suspicious of his wife around other men especially as she's very flirtatious with Olly in both films. In fact this happens allot Olly is usually the romantic out of the two and seems to be forever falling in love or trying to please the women in his life, usually unsuccessfully. Them Thar Hills is wonderful little comedy filed with memorable scenes like when Stan and Olly are cleaning the caravan, and Stan continually interrupts Olly singing, with Stan adding his 'pom-pom' tune . There's Evil Dead 2 style axe scene as Stan is chopping firewood on the floor and nearly cleaves off Olly's toes in the process. Mae Busch is her usually brilliant self abit saucy abit mischievous but never a push over ,as she always gives as good as she gets when being bossed around by Charlie. And poor old Charlie Hall is by the time the film has finished pretty much butt of the jokes, the last scene where he has molasses and feathers poured over him makes him look like a giant chicken, priceless.

:xmasnuts::xmasnuts::xmasnuts::xmasnuts::xmasnuts: out of 5

The Hound Of The Baskervilles [1978]
 

The Hound Of The Baskervilles [1978]
Directed by Paul Morrissey yes he of Frankenstein and Dracula goes carry on fame,he then turned his hand to Arthur Conan Doyle's Hound Of The Baskervilles,It's pretty much the same story we all know and have watched on countless occasions,but with the added attraction of having Peter Cook as a Jewish Sherlock and Dudley Moore as a welsh Watson.The cast is really impressive,Terry Thomas,Roy Kinnear, Max Wall,Penelope Keith as a prostitute, Denholm Elliott and Kenneth Williams and the marvellous Spike Milligan.With this sort of cast no one could really expect anything but the up most silliness I mean its really silly nearly Pythonesque in its silliness.Dudley Moore is exceptional in his daftness,the welsh accent is questionable to say the least but very funny.He also plays Sherlock's mother,sort of cross between old mother Riley and Doris Stokes and Mr Spiggott a one legged man who wants to be a mail runner for Shelock. Cook seems to be on auto pilot,pretty much sleep walking through his part,Terry Thomas is also on hand to give the film abit of much needed class,considering this was his last film performance he looks and acts surprising well,certainly not showing any signs of Parkinson's disease which would finally take him away.Moore also did the musical score,which has a very silent era piano score feel to it,which suits the film down to the ground.Denholm Elliot also appears as the chihuahua loving Stapleton,I don't think ill ever forget the scene were Elliot is holding a chihuahua while it pee's over Moore's face,If you thought some of the performances in Paul Morrissey's previous films was over the top should see Joan Greenwood as Beryl Stapleton doing an impression of Linda Blair from The Exorcist . Daft one liners and stupid accents aside,its not surreal enough to be as good as The Bed Siting Room,and not funny enough to be considered a classic,but it just may be the daftest film you'll ever see...

:xmasbanana::xmasbanana::xmasbanana: out 0f 5

I haven't seen that since I was a little kid, but I still remember the chihuahua scene! :hohoho:

Dirty Work 25 November 1933
 

Dirty Work

25 November 1933

Whats wonderful about the whole universe of Laurel and Hardy, is that reality or physics or even Darwin's theory of evolution don't have much credence in Stan and Ollys world. This means you can pretty much do anything to the characters ,drop Olly down a chimney, proceeded by half a dozen bricks which hit him on the head,nothing,when Stan sass's Olly by using one his own wise cracks "I have nothing to say" he's immediately smacked over the head with a large shovel, again nothing, in fact I've lost count of how many they've fallen into barrels or had there body parts twisted into unnatural positions. So it should be of no surprise that when they go to clean the chimney of Lucien Littlefield as Professor Noodle that he is working on the elixir of life, that will rejuvenate anyone back to there younger selves. What's also notable about this period in history is that people still had servants often see butlers, housemaids and nanny's in these film. Dirty Work is no exception meet Sam Adams as Jessup, the butler, who surely must be the most sarcastic butler the boys have ever come across, when the boys ask to see the fireplace, his response is "in that room, you'll find it standing against the wall", which is a dozy of a line. When asking where the closet is Jessop says "You will know which is the closet, it has a door on it." . Stan and Olly are always knocking heads with authority figures whether its the police or judges but they also seem to rub Butlers up the wrong way also. But the highlight of this film is the ending, after being shown what Professor Noodle's elixir can do, the boys decide to try it out themselves on a carp, which I think that anyone with an acquiring mind would do. Unfortunately for Olly Stan accidently knock's him into the water with Professor Noodle's formula. Its not so much that the gags funny, its just that if you stick a chimpanzee in a bowler hat and have Olly's voice emanating from the chimp, well he sort of kind of does look abit like Olly.

:santanukem::santanukem::santanukem::santanukem: out 0f 5

Rising Damp (1980)
 

Rising Damp (film)
Rising Damp is definitely in my top 5 of all time sitcoms, it's dingy setting and bleak looking boarding house was different to all those middle class sitcoms that were set in suburbia, where everyone has nice house and cars and money never seemed to be an issue except in The Good Life, but they deserved it with all there pompous self suffiency and grow your own vegetables. In amongst the hilarity Rising Damp dealt with race,money,sex or lack of it and a country that was in a political meltdown. Rupert Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter) was the slightly right wing compared to Alan Guy Moore (Richard Beckinsale) and Philip Smith (Don Warrington) left wing students, but Rigsby views were derived from ignorance and not malice and he never came across as a hateful character which could not be said of the same of Alf Garnet . In fact a lot of the time you usually feel sorry for Rigsby as he desperately tries to win the affection of Ruth Jones (Frances de la Tour) but seldom manages to win her affection, or when she does submit at the end of the film , Rigsby manages to trip over Vienna his fluffy cat and falls down the stairs ,there goes his back. The film version of the series not only changes location, TV series was up north the film down south. The other major difference is the sad loss of Richard Beckinsale who sadly passed away a year earlier in 1979. Whether he was contracted to make the film before he died I don't know, It seemed strange to decide to make a movie after one of the major actors had died. Any how his character is replaced by John Harris ( Christopher Strauli) who is basically given the same lines Richard had in the tv series, I'm afraid the major problem with the film is that all Eric Chappell has done is string about four or five tv episodes into one film, there's a few original set pieces in the film but a few to many ,its a real shame they could not of come up with something new for the characters to do. That said the cast are on fine form and Leonard Rossiter is a much missed comedy actor, there's also a great performance from Denholm Elliott as a love rival to Rigsby.Not as good as the tv show but a decent enough attempt at bring the characters to the large screen.

:xmaslol::xmaslol::xmaslol: out of 5

Rigsby: Permissive society? There's no such thing. I should know I've looked for it.



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The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) "Dance of the Vampires" (original title)
 

The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (1967)
Roman Polanski's nod to Hammer Horror Gothic films that does a very good job in capturing the feel and atmosphere of some of there earlier vampire films like Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and The Brides Of Dracula (1950) .Polanski plays Alfred a very nervous and twitchy assistant to Jack MacGowran 's Professor Abronsius an old and dusty vampire hunter formerly of the .University of Königsberg. Polanski not only has captured the tone and ambience of Hammers 1960's vampire cycle but also has added some wonderfully funny and odd humour along the way also,one of the hardest genre;s to actually get right is the comedy horror,Fearless has a whimsical and silly mood which is offset by this cold and snowy eastern Europe of Transylvania .The film looks absolutely stunning,with a soft hazy nightmare quality to it.but it also has an air of absurdity as well,especially in the scenes involving the great Alfie Bass as Yoine Shagal, the innkeeper,who gets turned into a rather sleazy and creepy vampire.As with allot of Polanski movies its filled with rather outlandish characters none more than Ferdy Mayne as Count von Krolock and his very camp son Iain Quarrier as Herbert von Krolock who live in the local Gothic castle.And to top it all we get a vampire ball which is hosted by Count Krolock and attended by all the crusty old vampire and ghouls buried in the local graveyard.But amongst all the cobwebs and skeletons comes the magnificent beauty of Sharon Tate as Sarah Shagal, hardly surprising Polanski would marry her a year later,doomed as it was to end in tragedy.Fearless looks wonderful,has a great soundtrack and is sure to put a smile on your face,if it doesn't then your probably a crusty dusty old vampire.

Busy Bodies (1933)
 

Busy Bodies (1933)
People are always complaining about Health and Safety, comparing to being politically correct (or as I like to call it not being a racist ) for some reason Health and Safety and political correctness have been demonised ,I can only assume the only people who don't like to comply with these sort of things are bigoted idiots who want to fall into a threshing machine at work or loose an eye when there working on a lathe or not wear a harness when your working on high rise construction. The facts speak for themselves, in 1974 651 people died from workplace injuries compared to 2014/15 where only 92 people died. God knows what the statistics are like for the 1930's especially in sawmills and especially in ones where Stan and Ollie work, Busy Bodies makes the Saw movies look tame in comparison. Olly is repeatedly smacked in the face with a plank, soaked by a leaky water pipe,he's hit on the head by a massive saw disc, gets his hands stuck in a wooden window frame he's working on, has his backside shaved by Stan . Has a paint brush glued to his chin and has it unceremoniously shaved off with a vice and a pair of clippers and when that doesn't work he decides to use lots of soapy water and woodwork plane . He gets whacked on the head with a sink and gets sucked into a chute sent along a conveyor belt around some more chutes and then stuck in a vent. Then launched out of the vent by a barrel and crashes to the ground taking Stan with him. In a scene not un similar to Jess Franco's Bloody Moon there car is the sawn in halve by a massive band saw. Ladies and Gentleman do we really want to live in a society where these things are common workplace occurrences.

:xmasnuts::xmasnuts::xmasnuts::xmasnuts::xmasnuts: out of 5

An isolated example of deadliest workplace accidents in the US from PBS:

1930s
Boulder City, Nevada
Over the five-year construction period of the Hoover Dam, there are at least 96 construction-related deaths, though accurate records were not kept. Many are caused by carbon monoxide poisoning in the diversion tunnels.

Probably of been a funnier story if say Harold Llyod had been hanging off the dame while pumping gas out of his trouser legs.

Or if it had been helium instead of carbon monoxide and the film was an excuse for grown men to talk in squeaky voices the entire time.

Whoops Apocalypse (1988)
 

Whoops Apocalypse (1988)
Taking a satirical swipe at the impending apocalypse caused by the British colony of Santa Maya ( read that as the Falklands) being invaded by its next door neighbour Maguadora led by Herbert Lom as Gen. Mosquera . While the President of the USA ,Barbara Adams (Loretta Swit ) tries to negotiate a peace treaty between the two warring nations , a terrorist called Lacrobat played by Seinfelds Michael Richards is out to disrupt any peace between the two countries. Mean while back in jolly old England Peter Cook playing Sir Mortimer is convinced that pixies and goblins are responsible for Britain's problems. What may of been a scathing satirical swipe at the Falklands war and nuclear weapons now comes across slightly weak and just abit silly. Which is a shame as the film has such a great cast of characters yet the script very rarely manages to be satirical or controversial. Based on the tv series of the same name but using a different storyline and in some case different actors. Both were written by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick who have excellent resumes between them , really missed there target this time. That's not to say there isn't some great gags in there somewhere, Peter Cook is excellent as an insane Conservative Prime Minister,his idea of getting the unemployed figures down by making thousands of people jump off a cliff is something which David Cameron will probably get around to eventually. But for me the true highlight is the late great Rik Mayal as an SAS soldier and his team attacking the wax museum they think Lacrobat is hiding in. Its pure Rik Mayall mayhem crossed with Monty Python gore and some great lines from Rik Mayall as he leads the most inept soldiers into battle. In fact its the only thing which really saves the film,just a shame they couldn't use Rik abit early in the film. Not a classic but it does have its moments just a shame there few and far between.

[after the SAS shoot-out at the wax museum]

Specialist Catering Commander: You ****ing bunch of dickheads. You mean to say we lost eleven men fighting a group of waxworks?

Specialist Catering Commander: Duncan! Post the heads to their widows. And get the addresses right this time.

Specialist Catering Commander: Desmond! Put your ****ing tiara on straight!

:xmasnuts: :xmasnuts: out of 5