So how are you all? What have you been up to in this moment of downtime? I myself have been working very hard, but also keeping up to date with all the latest films, and most importantly watching loads of DVDs!
In fact with the winter months ahead of us I've decided to stockpile some really good comedy to help me get through them, and thought I'd share my thoughts with y'all. These DVDs include, in no particular order..
The Thick of It - Series 1 plus Specials
I've only seen about 3 episodes of this so far, but it's absolutely brilliant (as frankly anything touched by Armando Iannucci tends to be). It's a political satire, but you don't really need to be that interested in politics to 'get it' or find it funny, as it's absolutely hilarious. It's also garnered a lot of fame for being the swearinest show on TV, as demonstrated here with a 'Tribute to Brilliant Swearing'...
Ok so that's from 'In the Loop', but it's essentially the same thing. The point is that it's well worth checking out, and seeing as the new series has just started on BBC then there's really no excuse not to..
Monkey Dust
Yet more satire, only this time looking at the decline of society and moral decay in Britain. It's pretty much the bleakest thing I've ever seen, and yet it's also very funny.. in a kind of depressing way. Definitely steer clear if you don't like your comedy to be pitch-black, as you'll be coming across cheaters, murderers, adulterers, paedophiles, and all kinds of close-to-the-knuckle sketches. It's scarily close to real life in a lot of cases - my favourite skit so far being an advert where David Beckham, Luis Figo and Ronaldo advertise sanitary towels during the World Cup - followed shortly by an ad for David Ginola tomato ketchup. Hilarious! Early contender for favourite character easily goes to Ivan the Meat Safe murderer who 'never done it'. His childlike enthusiasm and naivety offer some of the only rays of light on this otherwise bleakly hilarious show (or should that be hilariously bleak?)
Time Trumpet
Yet another Armando Iannucci production - the idea behind Time Trumpet is inspired, and uniquely brilliant. The year is 2031, and various celebrities and media figures cast their minds back to the early decades of the 21st century, offering insight and anecdotes from all areas of life. This includes (but is not limited to) The invasion of Denmark by Tesco, Cilla Black's live TV autopsy, Jamie Oliver's cloned flesh cutlets, David Beckham growing a vagina on his arm, and Charlotte Church vomiting herself inside out during a Royal Variety performance.
It's another case of Iannucci blending satire with his unique style of silliness, and it works really, really well. It features loads of great comics posing as moronic media-types, and also has actors playing older versions of celebrities to reinforce the idea. Check out the below Jamie Oliver clip to get an idea.. this show is brilliant!
Nathan Barley
Nathan Barley is the brainchild of Charlie Brooker, as first seen on his TV Go Home website in the show 'Cunt'. Described there as.. a "fly-on-the-wall documentary chronicling the life of Nathan Barley, a fuck-haired swaggering cock-about-town whose very existence indelibly tarnishes the world's already questionable track record."
In moving it to the screen, Charlie teamed up with Chris Morris (of the Day Today and Brasseye fame) and the pair created a truly scathing comedy looking at the new media world and some of the 'idiots' who fill it. Nathan Barley is still very much a swaggering cock, and in fact the series doesn't really contain a single likeable character - so it's just as well that it's funny enough to make up for the fact. Be warned that a lot of the humour is very subtle, but really if you like this type of cynical comedy, or anything previously released by Chris Morris or Charlie Brooker then this is essential. In my opinion, Nathan Barley is well fucking Mexico, and you'd be an idiot to miss out, yeah?
The Wasp T12 Speechtool - Well Weapon!Right! So that's what I'm currently watching. What are you currently watching? I want to know!
Peace and fucking.
- Jamie
