Bollywood goes Hollywood

We've seen foreign adaptations of Western novels and movies. Some of them like Satte Pe Satta (heavily inspired by Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) actually do a good job crossing that cultural border. Then there are the misses, those creative renditions that just make you cringe and laugh ... at the same time. So what's on the list?

1. Someone grab the Kryptonite

Hmm, I always thought Superman and Spiderman should hook-up. But not in the sense implied by this video. This is an song from an 1980s movie called Dariya Dil. Don't judge their popularity by these awkward – and embarrassing – dance moves since, their heyday, the stars of this song were pretty famous. All I can say is, I wish the director had sat down and thought through the idea before making this song. The aerobics-inspired dance steps, the horrible boots and half-hearted Spiderman costume. Maybe they rented the costumes from a fancy dress shop and couldn't find the matching boots?

Click here to watch the clip


2. He looks way too happy in those pants

It was inevitable, someone had to do it. Yes, an ambitious director convinced an action star to try the Indian version of a famous Hollywood song. Well, in this case I would have set my sights a bit lower than Michael Jackson's Thriller. For the record, there are very few people who can dish out fancy footed moves like the King of Pop. So calling on an action star, who incidentally looks like he will be  more at home toting a gun, is kind of sad. It's definitely not something I would write up for my CV. The only one who will look semi-decent trying out these steps would be Prabhu Deva. By the way, is it me or does it look like the poor guy tried a Saturday Night Fever move?

Click here to watch the clip


3. Give the man a decent wig please

It took me a while to stop laughing so I could jot down this paragraph. In the two examples given above, I could always write it off as bad direction or bad judgment. But how in the world can someone come up with this video and not know that it looks laugh-out-loud bad? Don't they have well-meaning family members who could take them aside and give them an honest review of this song? I mean, I am willing to give some leeway to the fact that you might want your hero to dress up as a fantasy hero. Fair enough. But what's with the Orko look-alike? And is that the street-smart Teela draping herself over He-man? Might I add that no self-respecting skeleton can jiggle their bodies like that and still retain street-cred.

Click here to watch the clip


4. I want my money back for this one

Alright, so maybe you are a fan of the Beatles but it's a bit weird when you dress up as one. For your gig. And then emulate their moves.  I was going to say that the owners of the club probably wanted something more original but then again I could be wrong. Maybe he wanted the real thing and they charged way too much? And he was hoping (Ha!) no one would notice the fakes? My own personal view is that these guys are a decoy to take eyes off the really bad dance moves – and I am using the words rather liberally here – of the main actor.

Click here to watch the clip


I am pretty sure I missed a few classic adaptations. Can anyone think of any more? Wasn't there a Mithun version of James Bond? Or was that Jeetandra?

A Tour of Europe: An Introduction to Andrei Tarkovsky

Russian cinema is some of the most intriguing, yet it is often difficult to approach. Of all movie-making cultures, it's my opinion that those from the former Soviet bloc have approached the process most purely as art. This isn't necessarily a reflection of the culture, per se, but an unusual byproduct of what it meant to produce films under the various Soviet regimes.

To provide a crash course in the history of Soviet cinema (a deeply interesting topic for those who have the time and inclination to study it), here are a few fun facts: At the dawn of popular cinema, the Bolsheviks used to transport projection systems to rural areas so they could inspire the agrarian proletariat with pro-revolution films like Battleship Potemkin and Mother. For the frequently illiterate masses away from the bustling town centers of Russia's cities, the stirring images of Social Realist motion pictures weren't just entertainment, they were cultural education.

Later, Joseph Stalin reportedly reviewed every government-funded film produced during his regime. That would certainly account for the extremely flattering depictions of the Steel Man that are fairly ubiquitous in those movies. After Stalin, the Soviet government concerned itself less with the details of film production, though they still monitored the movies for content considered immoral or subversive. Watching Soviet films, especially from the 1970's, it becomes apparent that the censors weren't very good at their jobs, or that they were hopelessly corrupt. Indeed, many of these films are primarily subversive, however layered in symbolism and non-traditional storytelling.

The master of sneaky anti-authoritarian cinema was definitely Andrei Tarkovsky. Over the course of 30 years he produced eleven films, eight of which were made in and for the Soviet Union. He began by adapting Ernest Hemingway's The Killers as a student, making two more student films before his professional debut in 1962 with Ivan's Childhood. By the time he adapted Stanislaw Lem's book Solaris in 1972, Tarkovsky was in full-on Weird Mode. His films from that point on ranged from high-concept to non-narrative.

Tarkovsky, perhaps more than any director, requires an introduction. He's not quite as overtly mind-bending as, say, David Lynch, but he's still difficult to grasp from a traditional movie-going perspective. Tarkovsky is varsity-level Russian cinema and I'm dying to do a piece on The Mirror from 1975, but that's pretty much starting from the top of the Soviet art-film mountain. I'll definitely be coming back to Tarkovsky a few times over the course of this column. He's also a good point of reference for some other deeply weird movies that came out of places like Georgia in the same era. Especially when placed in stark contrast to blunt, Oscar-baiting dreck like Moscow Knows No Tears, the films of Andrei Tarkovsky are some of the finest works of modern art to ever come out of Russia.

Tarkovsky died in 1986 of lung cancer and there are a number of theories as to how he got it. His last Soviet film, Stalker, was shot on the grounds of an abandoned factory. Some of his close friends believed that hazardous waste from the location poisoned Tarkovsky, as well as his wife who was an assistant director on the film. Later, a conspiracy theory arose that the KGB actually radiated Tarkvosky for his subversive movies, but there is little credible evidence of this. Whatever the case, Andrei Tarkovsky died long before his career was over. Given a bit more time, he might have graced our shores with his particular brand of high cinema.

List of British Comedy Shows

A number of British shows have become famous all over the world. This includes sitcoms like the Coupling, sketch shows like A Bit of Fry and Laurie and of course, classic comedies like Black Adder series. But there are other brilliant shows that are underrated by viewers. Perhaps most folks have not heard about some of them. Either way, I figured it was time to mention three of my favorite British news satire shows.  

1. The News Quiz


As the name so aptly tells us, this is a quiz about the latest news. But it is far from being a serious, introspective event; rather, think of it as a satirical take on the most recent happenings. Best part is that the good folks on the show almost always makes great social comment on UK and its government through their jokes. By the way, I must point out that this is not a televised show. It is an annual radio show on BBC Radio 4. They usually broadcast the latest season of the show at end of April or the beginning of May.

 

The host of the show has been Sandi Toksvig who is well-known for her rather funny remarks about British political scene. The panel usually consists of Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy and Francis Wheen as well as an additional guest.

 

How does the show work? Sandi Toksvig will ask questions about recent developments and folks will try and guess the answer. The best part of this Q&A session are the additional comments and viewpoints brought forward by the whole group. For instance, in a recent reference to Libyan Leader Gaddafi, Sandi Toksvig asks if anyone saw what he was wearing. And Andy Hamilton points out that it was something similar to a cinema commissioner's uniform.


2. Have I Got News For You


This is quite similar to The News Quiz except it is broadcast on the television. Here's a bit of trivia to get you started; the BBC homepage states that this show might have been inspired by the radio show itself. Hardly any surprise there. While many may be big fans of this latter one, I've become a big fan of this comedy show. Have I Got News For You was broadcast annually on BBC 2 and looks like 2009 was the last year. Sure, the producers are aiming to continue it online but I get the impression that there will be geographic restrictions on accessing the show. Which in turn would be a great loss for overseas fans who have been watching the show regularly.


While there was a fixed host in the past, in recent years the show was presented by guest hosts. This includes popular comedians like Sandi Toksvig, Jack Dee and Lee Mack. There are two permanent panelists on each side (Ian Hislop and Paul Merton) and also guest panelists, a list which have included folks like Eddie Izzard and Ed Byrne.


How does the show work? Quite similar to The News Quiz, actually. The panelists are asked a bunch of questions and the ensuing answers brings forth a load of jokes, criticisms and excellent social commentary. Speaking of critiques, how is this for a bad turn of events? Apparently the ex-permanent host, Angus Deayton, was caught in this horrid scandal which was highlighted and commented on by the panelists. I suppose you should not dish it out if you can't take it.


3. Mock the Week


While this is actually a game show that is quite similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, I would still classify it along with other shows that dabble in news satire. This one is quite a new show and thus is still picking up followers as it goes along. Well, according to Wikipedia the show has over 3 million viewers so this young one is doing rather well for itself. As for the format, The guests on the show take part in more diverse activities than the other two show and thus, also comes across as more interactive. For those who are interested, check it out on BBC 2. Do note, there doesn't seem to be a set time period for its broadcast; so far middle of the year comes across as the best bet.


The game show is hosted by comedian Dara O Briain. It also has two groups of panelists whose players have been regulars for a while. The list includes Andy Parsons, Hugh Dennis, Frankis Boyle and Russell Howard.

 

How does the show work? Like I said earlier, it is along the lines of that other rather popular game show. There is of course the question and answer bit where everyone adds their two cents worth. Then there is also a stand-up comedy routine where the folks have to enact scenarios suggested by Briain. The 'Scenes We Would Like To See' bit is what reminds me most of the Whose Line ... show. Here folks have to talk about the strangest situations like 'What is in Prince Charles' Diary' and 'Things you would not hear in a travel documentary'.

Hustle: A Gift From The BBC

There's a particular brand of flashy, modern television production at which the folks with the BBC seem particularly adept. Using slick soundtracks, stylish editing and boatloads of clever details, these shows really capture the feel of 21st century television.

The big problem for us yanks is how hard it is to market these shows Stateside. J.H. Wyman tried to snag the style for his ill-fated Fox series Keen Eddie. As much as TV viewers complain about high-profile cancellations like Firefly, I was always much more heartbroken by Keen Eddie's unceremonious departure in 2003. It had a great cast, including a "before we knew her" Sienna Miller and an amazing visual style. Alas, the hair trigger on Fox's cancel gun squeezed back after only a few episodes.

It wasn't until 2006 that anything with the style of Keen Eddie hit American airwaves again. This time it was with the much more successful BBC original Hustle by Tony Jordan. The show centers around a group of con artists who combine their talents to pull off complicated, high-risk, high-reward scams on a series of unsympathetic marks.

As for why Hustle grabbed the audience that Keen Eddie never did, there are a lot of reasons. First, Hustle didn't aim for a major network like Fox. Every season of the show to come to America aired on the AMC cable network, so ratings were never as crucial an element. Additionally, Americans already proved that they like clever crooks by giving Steven Soderberg and company what is arguably the most successful remake franchise in history, Ocean's 11 and its sequels.

Whatever the reason, the first three series of Hustle are some of the most consistently entertaining seasons of television I've ever seen. They balanced top-notch writing with a perfect cast and a slickness seen nowhere else in TV land. Adrian Lester leads an ensemble comprised of familiar faces like TV veteran Robert Vaughn and talented newcomers like Jaime Murray and Marc Warren. The show was a comedy without a doubt, but it had an edge to it thanks to our characters' need to muck around with the shady side of the street. Most of the main cast also had some sad history that drove them to the life of conning strangers. They're less like classy Robin Hoods and more like damaged people backed into a complex addiction.

By the fourth series of Hustle, the cast lost Adrian Lester. He wanted to move onto other projects and was reportedly not fond of the show's transforming tone. Hustle definitely became lighter and more goofy in its two most reason series. These days, only two members of the original main cast are still on the show. Marc Warren and Jaime Murray went on to other projects. Warren has been building up a film resume and had a short but memorable part in Band of Brothers while Murray found a recurring role on the Showtime original series Dexter.

Hustle will be coming back for another series on the BBC with a mostly younger, lower-profile cast. Though I'm not really a fan of the last two runs, don't let that stop you from indulging. The earlier seasons are top-of-the-shelf and definitely worth a box set.

A Tour of Europe: Persepolis

One of the "In" things right now in the movie business is the adaptation of graphic novels for the screen. Most of these big-screen comics have been more toward the action side of the spectrum with films like 300 and The Watchmen. Every now and then a more arthouse project gets off the ground, even if few are even aware that the original form is a graphic novel, such as A History of Violence. There's always a debate surrounding how faithful to the books the adaptations are. Frank Miller has artistically disowned every adaptation ever done of his work. In that sense, Persepolis is rather refreshing.

Artist, writer and director Marjane Satrapi teamed up with Vincent Paronnaud to bring her series of four graphic novels to the screen in 2007. Between 2000 and 2003, Satrapi released the four volumes of the comic Persepolis in France, enjoying critical acclaim for her expressionistic art and frank autobiographical tone. The comics and their corresponding movie follow young Marjane from her childhood in Tehran through her various comings and goings in Europe. The adaptation is essentially direct. The only real changes only serve to tighten up the pacing. No major plot elements or characters are omitted.

Satrapi is unambiguously hostile toward the government and customs of post-revolution Iran. She certainly doesn't defend the Shah or the dubious meddling of Western powers in Iranian society, though. While the young Marjane of the story, who is never older than a 20-something, is deeply conflicted about her pride and disdain for her own heritage, the quiet omniscience of the narrative suggests a significantly more anti-Ayatollah sentiment. For Marjane past and present, Iran is where her family is, but over time she comes to realize that it's her family and not her country that she really loves.

Both the books and the film Persepolis received a critical reception that echoes these troubled feelings. Western critics have universally applauded it, while reviews from the Muslim world have been far more mixed. The film has played in Iran, though it was heavily edited for controversial content. It was also briefly banned in Lebanon, though that ban has since been lifted.

Persepolis was originally dubbed in French, though it received an English dubbing for a portion of its American release. It took home the Jury Prize at Cannes and a smattering of other international film festival awards, though it lost to Pixar's Ratatouille at the Academy Awards.

Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis is a fine animated film, even if the story doesn't go to such great lengths to challenge the audience's perceptions about the culture and history of Iran. It can't help but be a political project, though in the end I think it's more of a personal story than anything. Perhaps we're just too used to watching coming-of-age stories through the lens of our own culture. In her way, Marjane would have been just as much of a rebel and an outcast had she grown up in the West.

Ju-on: The Grudge 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guess what I came across in the bargain bin recently? The original Ju-on: The Grudge II, you know the one that does not have a re-adapted storyline with brand new cast members to suit a different audience? Alright, so I am not a fan of remakes and prefer the originals. After all, they retain the essence of what it a cult classic. Well, this is the second part of that fantastic horror series by Takashi Shimizu and it is well worth watching.

As you can imagine, the story followed a meandering flip-back-and-forth sort of pathway and thus, required a bit of intense concentration. That's right, no high-paced instant actions bits and cheap thrills here. If you watched the first part, the second part will certainly live up to your expectations. The basic storyline is about a variety TV show which talks about haunted houses. These guys get the brilliant idea to cover one episode in the creepy house (yes, it's that same freaky house from part one). And they decide to get the most well known horror actress for that episode. Later on, everyone who was part of that episode falls under the curse. Hah, didn't see that coming after the first spate of deaths in the first movie, did you? It also gets better; the horror queen, Kyoko, has a weird scum-spawn thing growing in her womb. I don't want to describe it in any other way as the narration style and timeline jumps unveil the rest of the story in a brilliant manner.

Ju-on II had a similar horror theme style to the first part. The director builds up suspense by flitting in between the present and the future. Once you realize that the frightening scene just now was a glimpse into the future, you know what to expect but there is always something new added to that scenario. Case in point are the disturbing death scenes involving Tomoka and her boyfriend Noritaka. Sure, we might have expected that ghostly kid's lengthy-haired mom to be involved by I never factored in the origin of the scary bumping noises.

And of course, the two main ghosts (Kayako and her sonny boy) pop up everywhere in this movie. That pasty-faced little boy act never seems to get old; but then again, the kid is thrown into the weirdest, most chilling circumstances. I mean, if you saw the pale brat grappling onto the steering wheel while you were driving, bet you would have a panic attack too. And the number of times Kayako flips her hair about and snares something/someone in it is kind of disturbing. I must confess that Kayako was not as frightening as the little kid whereas in the first part the duo worked together to give everyone the chills.

On an ending note, there appears to be good news for die-hard fans. Not for the folks in this movie but regarding any upcoming sequels for the Ju-on series. There are going to be two Ju-on sequels this year - Ju-on: Shiroi Rojo and Ju-on: Kuroi Shojo. The first one apparently means the "old lady in white" while the latter is "girl in black". These two seem to follow the same pattern of cursed murders and ghostly sightings, at least if these reports are anything to go by. I suppose the defining factor will be the direction and thrills used in the movie. Fans of the Ju-on series will want to keep an eye out for these two.

Ads that make you smile

I usually hate adverts (especially that horrible Monster Night advert on horror movie channels). That's also because the ones on television are some of the worst (read: cringe-worthy) ads gathered from the face of the earth. Well, that's not really true; some countries come up with really excellent adverts. Perhaps it is the gap between our cultures that highlight the creativity within these ads. Or (and I am with this one) some people just make really good ads.

Be true to yourself

Ah, so many countries could learn a thing or two from this ad. This Norwegian ad is a public service ad aimed at young gay folk. The overall message is reassuring them, telling them they no longer have to be afraid. It certainly is a touching ad. Messages like this will certainly help young folk as they go through difficult times. It is quite sad that despite how far we have come in all sorts of social progress and development, certain basic human rights are still being ignored? And of course, somewhere out there, someone will be getting really offended by this ad and fervently clicking the 'report abuse' button.

 

 

At least they weren't twittering

Not that I have something against Twitter. In fact, some of my best friends are Twitterers. Alright, so that was a bad joke. But I am quite sure that any new ads will refer to the microblogging site in the future. For now, this Macedonian ad is talking about cheap/free smses. As one of the comments noted on the Youtube site, it was interesting to find a non-offensive reference to nuns. It is in fact quite refreshing to see technological devices being used by every segment of the population. However, I do fear that there is going to be an easy-to-offend person out there who choked on their early morning coffee when they saw this ad. Lighten up, this was funny and really well-done.

 

HDTV = Yes

Okay, I am guessing this will ruffle quite a few feathers. On the other hand, I am probably way off on my bets; it is probably the least offensive looking ad that will bring out the pitchforks and cricket bats. This ad is from Israel and the good folks who made this seems to have a quirky sense of humor. Follow this link for a full translation of the ad. As you might have guessed, it's about HDTV and how it is now available/allowed in Israel. I am guessing it's the further rather than the latter.

 

Move out while you can

Speaking of pitchforks, check out this ad. They could have locked the front door, you know. But nooo! Well, catch a glimpse of this slightly disturbing ad from Norway. Poor kid comes home to find Mom and Dad trying out a bit of role-playing. Which in itself is not bad; the mask and devil impersonation might have been a tad on the loopy side. That kid is going to wonder about all the supposed Halloween costumes around the house now. Do what the ad says, kiddo. It's time to move.

 

Bird and bees never did this

I suppose if this was a single Dad it might have been a porn mag instead of Kama Sutra. If the guy is really unlucky, the kid will probably blurt it all out during the next big family get-together. The ad is really about family dinners and the ease with which you can whip up a meal. I must say, the guy in the ad was the funniest part of the ad; his frenzied movements combined with poker faced replies helped deliver the whole joke.

A Tour of Europe: Angel-A

Perhaps no French director has embraced American film conventions more than Luc Besson. Most of us Stateside cinema-goers know Besson through his masterpiece The Professional. It is a perfect synthesis of French narrative and American action, a tender story of good people hardened by rough circumstances. Luc Besson has had a hand in several other iconic action movies, most notably his breakout project as the writer/director of La Femme Nikita. That particular film is on the short list of movies later adapted for an American audience that stayed almost completely faithful to the original. Besson also wrote and directed The Fifth Element, a film that seems have inexplicably gotten better with age.

The shame of Luc Besson's filmography is that a majority of it is forgettable action fare. Despite the constant applause about the emotional balance and great casting of movies like Nikita and The Professional, Besson stuck with occasionally overwrought popcorn flicks like Kiss of the Dragon and Wasabi. In fact, he didn't really attempt a movie of any narrative depth since The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. He's put most of his energy into doing character development for the Transporter series and dabbling in TV. That's why his 2005 film Angel-A looked so intriguing. There was no mention of gunplay, no muscle-bound action heroes or car chases. Just a tall, blonde woman claiming to be an angel and the ineffectual man named Andre she promises to help.

But for a few truly beautiful moments, Angel-A is like the inverse to The Professional. Everything that ought to be French about it is American instead, while all the moments that would have been better served by a Hollywood approach end up settling for the Continental version. The plot is fairly simple: Andre is a short, cowardly loser who starts off the movie being harassed by thugs working for one of the many people around Paris to whom he owes money. Faced with insurmountable debt and no good ideas, Andre steps onto the ledge of a bridge and half-heartedly contemplates leaping into the water. The only thing that stops him (maybe) is a blonde woman who calls herself Angela. Together, they agree to solve each others' problems.

With the simple phrase "Je suis a vous", Angela devotes her day to saving Andre from himself, claiming to be his guardian angel. What follows is a series of harsh edits, usually uninspired dialog and unflattering sexual bluntness. Most of the time, all Angel-A has going for it is its sleek camera work. Even that seems a little wasted, though. This is the most egregious of the American-style elements of the movie. Flash without substance.

The movie that could have been is heartbreakingly apparent in a scene that comes about halfway through the film. Andre and Angela duck into a restroom for a pep talk. In front of a mirror, Angela forces Andre to confront the root of his problems, that he ultimately doesn't love or even respect himself, so no one else care much about him, either. Jamel Debbouze, who plays Andre, might just be a strong actor given a more focused director. He manages to sell the potentially lame moment when Andre says into the mirror, "Je t'aime, Andre". This scene is the one good "French" moment in the entire movie.

The ending is where Angel-A really falls apart. Although I don't see how it couldn't. If Angela really is an angel, that distracts from the emotional core of the film's premise, that two desperate people can help one another. On the other hand, if Angela is just a regular woman she ends up being nothing but a contrived narrative device with no real purpose other than to make the protagonist's life better. The fact that the big reveal at the end employs both cheap special effects and a sappy "happily ever after" only makes things worse.

Ultimately, Angel-A is the perfect example of how cultural influence can go wrong. It's easy to identify and trumpet the successful attempts to fuse the narrative conventions of one nation to the style of another, but for those who wish to appreciate and especially those who want to make movies, it's just as important to study the failures.

Funny British Comedians

There are a number of well-known British comedians who are famous worldwide. Eddie Izzard, Ricky Gervais and of course, good old Stephen Fry aka King of Twitter. But what about the many other comedians from Britain? Who else are fantastic performers who have been overlooked? This is my list of three favorite comedians.

 

1. Mark Watson

You might remember him from a number of famous British television shows like Have I Got News For You. Watson's the skinny, slightly jittery guy coming up with the most unexpected punch-lines. It is his comic timing as well as delivery that helps his the-sub-clause-is-really-a-main-clause jokes.

Recently, I have been listening to his comedy show on BBC4 called Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better. This is show went on for two series; the first part was all about human vices while the second part was dedicated to human virtues ... describing them in rather humorous manner, of course. Well, for those who are curious about this comedian, this is an excellent show to get to know his style of humor. So far every episode has been incredibly funny and very typical of Watson's style. My favorite joke from the series so far was from the Patience episode (Season 2). In it, Watson points out that Gandhi is everything we all want to be except shot.

 

2. Marcus Brigstocke

I first came across Brigstocke in the Giles Wemmbley Hogg series. Those were the rather mad tales of upper-class pampered boy Giles exploring the world ... and ruining side projects, one mishap at a time. In his more recent comedy shows, he has been going for the delivering jokes with a poker face look. Which rather suits his style, I would say. On television Brigstocke comes across as a rather serious minded person and thus, it is all the more unexpected when he pokes fun at something.

In the past few months I have been catching up with his latest comedy show I've Never Seen Star Wars. It's actually a sort of a talk-show where he invites famous celebrities and when their guard is down, he gets them to try something they have never tried before. Alright, it's not as nefarious as all that; he actually asks the folks beforehand what they want to try for the first time. The funny thing is the expression on most folks' face when they have to dive into their new venture. Case in point, how Steve Punt ate roadkill (cooked and nicely spiced up but roadkill nonetheless). The expression on the man's face was priceless. The best bit about this show is the down-to-earth manner in which Brigstocke conducts the interviews.

 

3. Ed Byrne

This is another familiar face from Nevermind the Buzzcocks. Byrne is a very expressive comedian and uses a combination of facial expressions and gestures to delivery his lines. You might think that's a bit pointless to make such an observation but remember the straight-faced humor styles of Mitch Hedberg. Byrne also makes a lot of social commentary and quips about pop culture now and then in his performances.

I haven't found any specific British show revolving around his work. Hopefully it won't be too long before he gets one. In the meantime, his most recent work that I quite enjoyed was his stand-up comedy on the Live At The Apollo series. It was his usual style of satire, poking fun at everything under the sun. The most noteworthy statement was about children dressing as adults. You know, the kids who dress inappropriately in mini-skirts, belt-like skirts and whatnot. He pointed out how he saw an eleven year old donning a pair of pants with the words Gorgeous on it. It was quite hilarious to hear how he almost approached the situation; apparently he was tempted to saunter up to the father and say "Damn right that's Gorgeous". Good point, very good point.

A Tour of Europe: Smack The Pony

My favorite period of Western pop culture so far has got to be that brief glimmer of innovation between 1999 and 2001. For two and a half to three years, a lot of new, progressive entertainment found its way into the mainstream. It was a time when the Internet was on the verge of achieving ubiquity, but it hadn't quite reached the square world yet. For obvious reasons, American culture underwent a hard shift away from optimism and unfortunately innovation by 2002, but things didn't slow down near as much on the other side of the Atlantic. Shows like the original UK version of Coupling and of course The Office served as powerful inspiration to TV comedy around the world, the US included.

One of the great precursors to these British comic innovations was a sketch comedy show called Smack The Pony. It was fairly successful in the UK and it had limited release Stateside. For us Americans, catching an episode usually meant staying up late to see if Comedy Central would air it at an odd, post-midnight hour, or waiting for the rare weekend showing. To this day, no complete video or DVD collection exists. A "Best Of" disc was released in 2003, but not in Region I.

Smack The Pony was created by a trio of tremendously talented comediennes. Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips wrote and starred in a series of extremely short, delightfully weird sketches that are deserving of the Monty Python mantle. The sketches were recorded instead of performed live, allowing for camera-based gags and on-location sets. This also allowed the show to flow seamlessly into bits that were dependent on pre-recording, like the popular dating video segments.

For fans of the original Coupling, you should have recognized a fresh-faced Sarah Alexander in that last clip. Smack The Pony was one of her first regular TV gigs, appearing in many, but not all, of the episodes. The show was also an early opportunity for puddle-jumping actor Darren Boyd, the only regular male performer in the series.

One of the many unique things about Smack The Pony was it's regular episode-closing music video. Allen, Mackichen and Phillips would put together an original genre parody song and an accompanying music video to round out each episode, never repeating a style in the show's four-year run. As with all comedy, some of them worked better than others. A failed attempt at lampooning American country music comes to mind, but that's the culture barrier for you. In that same vein, their send-up of British Indie Rock was much more successful.

Popular sketch comedy shows like The Mighty Boosh and to a certain extent the Lonely Island/SNL Digital Shorts owe a lot to the pioneering efforts of the ladies from Smack The Pony. For those who can find more than a few odd clips on youtube, the full series is a real delight. Aside from being reliably funny, it's a great time capsule for that millennial period full of progress and inspiration.

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