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The
Chaser, consisting of Andrew Hansen (the singing one), Chris Taylor
(the cute one), Julian Morrow (the nerdy one), Chas Licciardello (the
wog one) and Craig Reucassel (Mr. Nice Guy) and although they sound
like a left-wing Backstreet Boys, they're one of the funniest things on
Australian TV. Nothing is left sacred, from Bono to the "Free Hugs"
campaign - and although many more prudish TV watchers disagree with
their guerilla-tactic-comedy, the majority have spoken.
Old favourites from Season 1
are back, like 'The Suprise Spruiker' and 'The Ad Road Test', but the
best surprise is the new segments: 'The Fixers' ("where we fix people's
problems whether they want us to or not") and the absolutely brilliant
'If Life Were A Musical!' (It's like they've put a camera in my head!).
Two things you'll notice throughout this DVD are:
1)
The Chaser boys seem to be genuinely nice, fun guys, who just want to
make people laugh, especially at the idiocy and ignorance of the world
around us and
2) The audience (in-studio and those at home,
trust me) frequently only have two different reactions: good,
whole-hearted belly laugh or horrified oh-my-god-I
shouldn't-be-laughing-at-that chuckle. And they're both fine! When will
people realise it's okay to make jokes about Bindi Irwin and terrorism?
If you don't laugh, you'll cry, is what I always say. And laughing is
drier.
A treat for The Chaser's left-wing-pinko fans is the
substantial amount of parody aimed at our American brothers (occasional
Chaser, Charles Firth, films in the US where he has managed to convince
more than a few citizens that Mount Rushmore was in Brisbane) including
many potshots at Bill "White Supremacy" O'Reilly and the rest of the *cough* reputable Fox News team.
Watch
for a choice scene in which O'Reilly tries to convince a woman that a
teenage boy (who was abducted by a child molester for four years)
actually enjoyed his stay with the kiddy-fiddler because, I'm seriously
not making this up, "he didn't have to go to school". And usually this
sort of ignorant, callous senselessness would infuriate me to the point
of chair-kicking, but then Julian Morrow comes in and makes a witty
remark or two and I feel better.
If nothing else, the guys
should be commended for literally risking their lives for comedy.
Especially poor Julian: he seems to get all the nutjobs. He has a
run-in with Sydney surfer gang The Bra Boys, almost getting bottled in
the process, and clearly shits himself when he angers Sheikh Al Hilaly
(but they make up later...watch and see).
I mean, I don't see Adam Hills sticking his neck out in the name of comedy, do you?
Say what you will about The Chaser.
Write into the MX and complain about the Eulogy Song even though you
secretly agree with it. Tell your kids not to watch them because
they're a bad influence, why not watch something healthy like the News
or Californication. I don't
care what you need to tell yourself to sleep at night in your big
Liberal bed, because you can either chill the hell out and let The
Chaser make you laugh out loud for 30 minutes, exploiting power-mongers
and evil-doers for comedy, or you can watch Tracy Grimshaw chide dodgy
builders and patronise an entire state.
Your call Australia, but remember...The Chaser tests display beds in bed stores....the nasty way.
EXTRAS
Bits and bobs; some delected scenes and rehearsel stuff, nothing too
monumental, but worth the extra quid in buying the DVD rather than
downloading. Conclusion:
Movie 80% Extras: 60%
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