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James-134
Reviews
Phoenix Nights (2001)
I think this is my favourite.
Phoenix Nights is so funny.
I can't think of a bad thing to say about it. Yes it is very Northern. But that's great.
I'm pleased that a young British comedian has had the guts to produce a show without consciously thinking of "Cross over appeal". Do the Americans think that way. No.
If it doesn't go to America, who cares. We don't live there.
Mainstream British comedies that you see on BBC1 and ITV like Coupling and My Family HAVE cross over appeal, but they suffer. Well in other words, they're CRAP!!! Cliched, contrived rubbish.
My mother loves Phoenix nights and she's not even from England, let alone Bolton. This is a tribute to Peter Kay. His characters are so rich that the local dialect can't hide the great comedy. In actual fact it contributes, whether you understand it or not. There is a lot going on visually too.
The Office was great, Blackadder was great, Fawlty was great, Steptoe was great, but I think this is my favorite!!!
That Peter Kay Thing (2000)
Mr Softy Top
This guy is so funny.
The first time I ever saw Peter Kay was on one of those 100 best ever programs. Didn't have a clue who he was. Then I caught an episode of That Peter Kay Thing; the one where he played Mr Softy Top the ice cream man. I WAS IN FITS the whole time.
From that point onwards Peter Kay was the man for me. Even my mother likes him. She is not British born and can hardly understand the northern dialect but still manages to get the joke. He is a comic genius for our generation.
My mother also loves Phoenix Nights. But she can never remember Peter's name. She calls him MR SOFTY TOP!
The King of Comedy (1982)
BETTER THAN TAXI DRIVER
I've just watched The King Of Comedy for the first time. I've waited almost ten years for this film. I first saw a clip it when I was at college and have been waiting for a TV screening or a video release ever since.
I was not disappointed. This film was totally engaging and never boring.
Robert De Niro gives a faultless performance. Jerry Lewis perfectly underplays his role. Sandra Bernhard is crazy but has a great chemistry with De Niro. This is a great film.
Martin Scorsese directs one of his tightest scripts. Would have been nice to see PAUL D. ZIMMERMAN do more screenplays.
Another brilliantly made Scorsese film which also shows his versatility as a director as well as De Niro's as an actor.
In my opinion, this film is superior to the much talked about TAXI DRIVER. Its box office failure I can only guess, is due to the subject matter and its slightly misleading title.
I also recently saw MEAN STREETS(in its entirety) for the first time and that in conjunction with Raging Bull, Goodfellas and The King Of Comedy is enough for me to rate Scorsese as one of the great filmmakers of the last few decades.