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For
years I was astounded at the absurd humour of Australia's Shaun
Micallef - it was such a breath of fresh air from the simplistic tripe
that was being churned out from Fast Forward or Hale & Pace. It
wasn't long until I went back through the archives and noticed the
remarkable similarity in style & characters Micallef had to the
original Monty Python series (for I wasn't around when it first aired, and have only recently rediscovered the four series on DVD).
Python is quite obviously a reference point to most of the comedy which exists in modern times, and Beyond the Fringe is very much responsible for a vein of comedy in Python.
This
rare DVD release is only filmed performance of the legendary comedy
revue which revoloutionised the comedy satire genre (and made it
mainstream - just look at SNL and The Daily Show
and how popular they are now). The 1964 Alan Bennett, Peter Cook,
Dudley Moore, and Jonathan Miller revue is filmed in London at the
shows gala farewell after a successful run on and off the West End (the
show eventually went to Broadway).
It features classic
sketches including "Man Bites God" and "One Leg Too Few." This is the
complete, never broadcast performance, not the abbreviated version that
aired on the BBC. And while many of the skits have aged quite badly
(most of the social and political statements are somewhat lost on a
modern audience) there are plenty laughs to be had.
Satire has always been a questionable form of comedy for mine. Sometimes comedians are guilty (especially Python, Fringe and The Chaser
in their earlier years) of being far to smart for their own good - with
long, over worded and...wordy skits which are far less amusing than
they are in the minds of the creators. As many Monty Python pieces
that were written about the political times in the UK in the 70s, at
the end of the day, it's a show that will be most fondly remembered for
"The Department of Silly Walks" and "The Lumberjack Song".
The same goes for Beyond The Fringe.
As hard as they try to be clever (most of the time, they speak so
quickly you don't have time to register the jokes...if they are even
present), again, this is a show that will be remembered for a sketch in
which a 'One legged man auditions for a two legged role". But themes
the breaks.
Dudley Moore and Peter Cook really do stand out
here, so it's by no means surprising that they were the two that went
onto bigger and better things. Both have such a fantastic stage
presence (especially Cook, who exudes an air of lovable arrogance) and
without the two - Beyond The Fringe wouldn't be the comedy benchmark that it is today.
A great bit of must-see comedic history for any hardcore comedy fan.
EXTRAS
Not
much on this release besides performer bios (I didn't even think they
still included them on DVDs anymore) which help fill in any of the
historical blanks which viewers might not be aware of.
A fantastic little nostalgic journey! Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: 30%
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