DVD: Spitting Image – The Second Series

Following on from the success of the first DVD, the second series of the eighties latex-based satirical comedy that was Spitting Image gets released.

Consisting of eleven episodes, virtually uncut from the original broadcast, the series carries on in much the same vein as the first series, taking sharp pot-shots at politicians, celebrities and musicians of the day using grosteque puppet caricatures of the same. Much as before, the series blends surreal songs and sketches with political commentary, the savage wit aiming barbs at such luminaries as Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and that Spitting Image stalwart, Prince Charles.

Unfortunately, much like the first series, while there is little to doubt the quality of the writing, it hasn’t aged well. Although many of the characters in the series are still well known, some of the lesser known faces are lost to the mists of time and as a result, jokes which played well in the 1980s now seem stunted or contrived. Despite this, good satire is fast becoming a dead art form these days and modern day attempts to reinvent the show with CGI have bombed worse than a Big Brother contestant’s career.

As a history lesson on how it should be done, you can’t go wrong with this.

Spitting Image – The Complete Second Series is available now. Click here to get all nostalgic for satire.

CD: Todd Barry – From Heaven

Albums based around stand-up comedy routines are a tricky thing to get right. Recorded in a studio without the benefit of an audience, they can feel contrived and stuffy with the comic often unaware as to whether the material is working or not. At the other end of the spectrum, if they are recorded in front of a live audience, there’s often a sense that you’re missing out on something visual that the raucous laughter just can’t compensate for. Sometimes the biggest laughs on the CD are caused by elements that are simply not relayed well through your speakers.

Released in the UK to coincide with his recent London dates, Todd Barry’s third live CD, From Heaven, falls into the latter category. Recorded in, of all places, a Chinese restaurant (well, can you think of a better place to record a live comedy CD?), Todd Barry delivers his American deadpan style effortlessly, leading the audience carefully from out-and-out gag to humorous musing like some kind of whimsical Pied Piper. It’s clear from this recording that Todd has spent years perfecting his material and stand up style. His second-perfect timing and handling of the audience is evident in spades, and you find yourself listening to the album with a desire to be in the venue with the audience rather than listening to it from the comfort of home (or your nearest available Tube seat during rush hour).

If this album does one thing, it highlights a gap in the comedy market in the UK. In America, any remotely successful stand-up is be signed up to a minor record label and releases their stand-up material whenever they can, with a hope of getting more coverage and gigs. This was how acts like David Cross, Chris Rock and Bill Hicks got noticed and built a faithful underground fanbase. In Britain though, there is a bizarre and worrying lack of this practice, with often the only way to hear a particular act is by attending a live gig, watching dodgy footage of the stand-up on YouTube or buying a CD taken from the audio of a live DVD (the latter simply exacerbating the problem mentioned above since now you know for sure that there’s something visual you’re patently missing out on). Perhaps it’s time that some labels in the UK woke up and started to look into professionally recording stand-ups in their natural habitat, especially with Edinburgh just around the corner. Until then, I guess we’ll just have to do with Americans like Todd filling up the market. Come to think of it, that’s not such a bad thing after all.

Todd Barry – From Heaven is available now. Click here to buy the CD or click here to visit his website

DVD: Futurama – The Beast with a Billion Backs

Under-appreciated tv shows don’t die, they just go to DVD and find a new life in the vain hope of resurrection. Also known as ‘Matt Groening’s Other Show’, Futurama had a decidedly loyal but ultimately small fanbase that ensured the show was killed off arguably in its prime followed by a slavish campaign to encourage the network to bring the show back.

Alas, another series seems out of the question for the time being but Futurama has at least been granted a reprieve in the shape of four animated films which began with Bender’s Big Score, a much maligned effort that played more like an extended episode of the tv series.

The Beast With A Billion Backs picks up where Bender’s Big Score left off, with a giant rift in the universe opening over Earth. A month down the line and everything has returned to normal with our heroes getting back to their lives. Fry is struggling to cope with a polygamous relationship while Amy is getting married. Further exploration of the rift reveals that only living matter can travel through it but before anyone can go back, a mission commanded by Zap Brannigan is ordered to seek out and destroy whatever is on the other side.

Lo and behold, the crew of this mission run into the beast of the title, a many-tentacled creature (think pink octopus rather than Urotsikidoji-style anime violation) that upon its return to Earth with Fry, a stowaway on the mission, begins mating with everyone. What follows is a tale addressing the big questions of love and religion, often at the same time.

A vast improvement over Bender’s Big Score, The Beast With A Billion Backs still feels like an extended episode of the television series and as such there’s a tendency for it to occasionally veer into quite tired territory. Fans of Futurama will naturally not come away disappointed, even when its starting to drag, the show is still funnier than a great deal of other shows masquerading as comedy. There’s plenty here for ardent fans as well as newcomers but there is certainly an emphasis on the latter. For fans of the show, there are plenty of bonus features. This is a well-featured disc with plenty of extras that are often criminally more funny than the film.

With two down and two to go, it’s safe to say that Futurama’s foray into the realm of the direct-to-DVD feature works but it’s clearly a show that is more at home in half hour episodes.

Click here you buy your own shiny disc of animated pixelform mirth