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(More customer reviews)Unless you have been lucky enough to catch the League Of Gentlemen series on Comedy Central, or, indeed, are a Brit like me who caught it on BBC 2 last year and this, you probably won't be bothered risking your hard-earned on this vid. If you stopped reading my review here I wouldn't blame you either. But please read on.
Ok, it's comedy, but what *kind* of comedy is it?
It's a very, VERY black comedy, presented in mini serial format. Based around a somewhat inward-looking village in Northern England called Royston Vasey, the series follows Royston Vasey's rather odd inhabitants, very similar to that of a soap opera. Nothing groundbreaking so far, I know. But what makes this series stand out from the crowd of other BBC also-rans ("Keeping Up Appearances" and "One Foot In The Grave" spring instantly to mind) is the quality of the show. Each episode plays out with all the cinematographic flair of a classic movie. A major contributing factor in this would be the use of 35mm camerawork throughout. The original musical score runs almost the whole length of each 28 minute episode and changes to reflect the situation onscreen, often quite upbeat, but every so often rather sinister. The comedic acting is absoultely brilliant. The League's three actors (the 4th member is the producer) have obviously spent countless hours watching classic horror films, as each of them delivers line after line of hilarious dialogue, overshadowed by sinister expression, and over-play.
The three actors play all the characters - A voodoo-like circus ringmaster, a German homosexual tour guide with murderous tendancies; a bizarre, almost creature-like, shopkeeper and his even stranger wife; the butcher who's most popular product, his "Special Stuff", is an addictive and secret 'something' only shared amongst a few of the villagefolk; a Job Centre Restart Officer who wallows in her ability to downput her 'Jobseekers'; the Cab driver - a big hairy bear of a man who wears a hot pink mini-dress and stilettos... etc etc...
This Vid/DVD I would only recommend if you have in the past laughed at something you knew deep down you really shouldn't have. It's that way.
If you are the above kind of person, though, You won't find anything, comedy-wise at least, as cutting edge or refreshingly new and entertaining as this.
If you do buy this, you'll want to tell your friends to come over and see it for themselves before the end of the first episode. I guarantee it.
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The League of Gentlemen: The Complete Series 1 (2000)Are you local?You are if you know The League of Gentlemen, the award-winning team who burned the remote town of Royston Vasey into the psyche of a nation.In a tour de force that has been called "Monty Python meets Twin Peaks," three actors bring an entire community of hilariously inbred characters to life.Once you're hooked on The League of Gentlemen and Royston Vasey, you'll never leave.VOLUME 1Welcome to Royston Vasey - Ben struggles to take in Auntie Val and Uncle Harvey's incomprehensible house rules, while Martin poses a threat to the precious things in Tubbs and Edward's Local Shop.At the local job center, Pauline is furious when someone lands an interview without her help. Taxi driver Babs makes middling progress through her sex change.The Road to Royston Vasey - The new road is good new for everyone except Tubbs and Edward.Pauline coaches a workshop in selling The Big Issue, and we meet butcher Hilary Briss, video hounds Henry and Ally, and the formidable Reverend Bernice.Nightmare in Royston Vasey - Tubbs sees a map and discovers the world beyond Royston Vasey.Pauline buckles under pressure in the interview techniques workshop, and a terrible discovery is made on the road building site.VOLUME 2The Beast of Royston Vasey - As the monstrous discovery drives workers to flee the road construction site, Mr. Chinnery is called in to investigate the find.Legz Akimbo, a theatre-in-education group, pays the school an eye-opening visit, and Ben is left alone with the twins.Love Comes to Royston Vasey - Mike's getting married.On retrospect it may have been a mistake to let Geoff be best man.Les McQueen regales the band with reminiscences of his rock-n-roll days.The Dentons mourn the passing of Uncle Harvey's beloved toads, Sonny and Cher.Escape From Royston Vasey - Tubbs and Edwards have an unexpected visit from their son, David.It's Geoff's birthday, but have Mike and Brian forgotten?Ben grows more desperate to leave his uncle's house, and it's Operation Day for Babs.
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