And
yes, that last sentence does have a somewhat negative tone to it, but
let me assure you that with this DVD, I was entertained in a way that was entirely refreshing. I was expecting an average DVD at best, as I'd never seen The
Bob Downe Show when it aired on Foxtel's TV1 in 2000 and 2001, and
hadn't heard much about it. And so this was a DVD the Editor would make
me watch and review whether I liked it not, so I did my job and got on with the viewing. I'd
seen Bob Downe here and there in the past, and found him to be quite
amusing in small doses, but 120 minutes of the stuff? That could be
hard to swallow... Yet,
after watching every last feature on the DVD, I must say that this Bob
Downe fellow is quite a lark, and impressively talented to boot. Firstly
the interviews. Bob Downe's character is as camp as Christmas and his
approach to
interviews is best described as 'relaxed'. Rather than ask the obvious
questions and talk about the tabloid stuff, he sort of waltzes through
the interviews with acertain nonchalance that almost comes across as
condescending for the interviewee, but is wholly engaging for the
viewer. The
way he stares at guests with mock interest as his eyes bulge out of his
head is hilarious, and many of his mannerisms and pronunciations are
really well executed, stirring the live audience into action. Bob is
also a very honest fellow, and when it comes to gratuitous product
plugs for the many guests, he tells it like it is, often imploring them
to get their plug out of the way. Some of the best interviews
are with Jimeoin and Nick Giannopoulos. Though the former is almost
always laugh-out-loud funny, Giannopoulos can be a bit forced at times,
but with Bob Downe the effect is really very amusing. A special mention
must also go to Rove McManus, who, during his interview, shows off an
artistic side as he presents Bob with a very thoughtful and creative gift. In
addition to the interviews with real stars, Bob Downe also chats with
some other ficticious personas, a couple of whom are directly from the
Fast Forward era. One of them is Coralee Hollow (played brilliantly by
Gina Riley), supposedly Bob's highschool sweetheart, and the chemistry between the host and his guest - both in
character - is very clever, and quite funny too. Both characters
are loving their work as they parody a home shopping segment, looking
like excitable children as they bounce witty repartee off oneanother. Janelle
(played by Marg Downey) is another very amusing interview/chat that Bob
Downe conducts, and like the Coralee Hollow interview, both host and
guest have a great chemistry and work well together. Though Bob Downe
won't be for everyone, I found myself laughing at much of the
Murwillumbah entertainer's wit. It's got a sort of Kath & Kim feel to
it at times, and blow me down if this guy can't sing! He's got a
sensational voice, and almost upstaged Marcia Hines at one point with his impressive vocal control. Though
it's not the longest of DVDs, there's plenty of footage here to keep
most people happy for more than a few hours, and it's the kind of
comedy that doesn't grate with repeated viewings. All told, The
Bob Downe Show: Highlights Vol. 2 DVD is an entirely entertaining
experience, and far more interesting and indeed witty than I
anticipated. The prince of polyester is quite the super star and his
traditional-style show works well, but I want to know is this: when
will we see the prince of polyester's more daring and flamboyant cousin
- "Ben Dover: The King of Kamp"? EXTRAS It's
kind of hard to tell the extras from the normal stuff here, as you
can't really watch an episode as a whole. Instead there's sections for
'interviews', 'songs' and so forth. As mentioned above, the duet
with Marcia Hines is just sensational, while other extras such as the
interview with Fast Forward character Janelle (Marg Downey) works very well indeed. There's
also stuff like a bonus Bob's Barrel segment, some very funny
outtakes and bloopers and an intriguing audio commentary featuring
Bob Downe (Mark Trevorrow) and his good buddy Coralee Hollow plus
producer-writer Doug MacLeod. Keep an eye for Steve Bisley too - well
worth a look. Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 60% 
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