2) Cute adaption of the stories I remember my mother reading me. Thestories remain true to memory, but the dialect was absent which kind ofruined it a little bit for me. DVD quality was excellent. Both mychildren ages 4 and 14 both had their attentions held on the screen.The colorful scenes held the young ones and Brer rabbit’s tricks keptthe older kids watching for whats next. The extra DVD games were alittle difficult for the younger children but fun for the older set. Afun story to watch with the kids. I just felt it was missing somethingI couldn’t quite put my finger on. I recommend seeing this just nothighly. A good rental!

3) Having a copy of "Song of the South" which this is the politicallycorrect replacement for, I was truly disappointed with this. "Song ofthe South" is not that great a movie by todays technical standards, butin its day it was revolutionary in the merging of animation and realactors. The Adventures of Brer Rabbit is nothing but modern politicallycorrect trash. The Adventures of Brer Rabbit, which some people mayfind offensive to their own spiritual belief systems today, lacks anybasis in the folk tales of a group of Americans that was part of ourheritage. Those folk tales were the story of Brer Rabbit, not thispolitically correct enhanced trash.

That story (Song of the South) is a part of our history, for better orworse. Slavery, as well as the way the Black actors of Song of theSouth were treated in Atlanta at the time of Oscar Awards was terriblebeyond belief. Anyone today who believes singing happy slaves were away of life in the old south is an idiot. But America is not the onlynation with a history of slavery. Most nations of the world have thatpractice in their history, some still do today. Stop beating ourselvesup over it, and pretending it never existed.

The history of the native American people is an even greater horrorstory. Some of it caused intentionally by Europeon immigrants to theAmericas. Some of it just twists of fate that befell them in thecollision of 2 cultures. But what a horror story that is.

Films weren't always based in total reality back when Song of the Southwas made, neither are they today. But the rewriting of our historicalmake believe films smacks of another film/story "1984".

Don't tease the people with this stuff, re-release the original moviewhere Brer Rabbit was made a star "Song of the South".

4) The film features many of today’s notable Black entertainers. My girls(4 & 7 y.o.) are loving it. It is a great way to keep these traditionalstories alive. It is also a good way to teach children aboutcontrasting mediums (film vs. writing). You may be also get them toread the stories in various editions. The songs are great! They too arepart of the Black cultural traditions. The film does a good job ofpresenting both sides of morality, that someone can do good and badthings. I am thoroughly enjoying myself watching the film with mychildren. It retells the stories I know plus many I don’t. Great forthe whole family.

5) I found this film at the bottom of the bargain bin at Walmart. The factthere was an adaptation of the Uncle Remus stories starting Wayne Bradyand Wanda Sykes meant it had to be interesting at the very least. I wasexpecting it to be quite terrible in a laughable kind of way.

However, it is a very well animated film with a talented voice cast.The character designs were wonderful and the overall art direction waswell developed. The score was excellent but the songs were on the vergeof unbearably cheesy, if not unnecessary.

Only complaints were that some of the jokes and gags missed the mark alittle in a tired hackneyed way. But those moments were short lived.Also, there wasn't enough Wayne and Wanda!

The Uncle Remus stories are a paradoxical dilemma for Americanaudiences. This adaptation removes the social stigmas of Post-Civil Warthemes but preserves important folk stories of African-Americanheritage, exposing these tales to a generation that might haveotherwise missed this experience.

6) Right now,this film is the only film based on the Tales of Uncle Remusthat I have, because the Disney Studios will not re-release "The SongOf The South" on DVD, because of some controversy regarding itscontent; but I have seen the movie online, and quite frankly I loveBOTH films (I am not one to take sides).

The film is loosely based on Julius Lester's take on the stories, andthe film starts with a bored little girl named Janey; and she met upwith Brer Turtle and he told the stories of Brer Rabbit's madcapadventures. You know, In "Brer Rabbit breaks up The Party" it was kindof mean that the others (critters) won't let Brer Rabbit join theparty; but he is lucky to have a friend like Brer Turtle.

7) I just watched this movie with my kids. We all loved it. They've seenthe original Song of the South and we all love that as well. I miss themixture of live action with animation that was in the first one. Iespecially missed the original music but, the music in "Adventures" wasvery good. The animation in this movie was excellent and I thought allthe characters were well played, especially Brer Rabbit. No doubt theUncle Remus character was replaced by Brer Turtle. So, in some ways itwas better than the original and in others it wasn't. We'll watch itagain! We're hopeful that one day Disney will pay tribute to anothergreat example of how African Americans have helped define Americanculture!

2):
Based on Shakespeare’s _Hamlet_. Bob and Doug Mackenzie play the roles Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. A hilarious (and accurate) representation.

• Director Trademark: [Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas] [Rush] Bumper sticker on the van, and reference to Rush song “Lakeside Park” in driving directions just after the van’s brake lines are cut.
• At one point, Bob says, “He saw Jedi 17 times, eh!” What isn’t obvious two decades later, is that Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) opened in May 1983, while production of “Strange Brew” had wrapped five months earlier, in December 1982. Not only hadn’t the McKenzie brothers seen “Jedi” – but they couldn’t refer to it by its full title, since the “Revenge”/”Return” issue was still up in the air while they were filming.
• The name of the brewery in this film is Elsinore Brewery. Max von Sydow, who played the Brewmeister in this movie, was also in the film Det sjunde inseglet (1957). In that film he and his squire were heading towards the village of Elsinore, but decided not to because the plague was there.
• The basic plot as well as many of the name of the brewing company are references to William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. The castle in “Hamlet” was Elsinore. The heir to Elsinore’s father was murdered by her uncle, who then comes to her as a ghost.
• Rick Moranis’ feature film debut.
• Among many others, the “If I didn’t have puke breath, I’d kiss you.” line was improvised.

• Continuity: When Bob is giving the man and his children their money back in the alley, a woman is passing them just as the camera changes angles. When it does, the woman is gone.
• Continuity: When Bob and Doug are in their parents’ kitchen fetching beer for their dad, they drop a full glass of beer. When the camera shows it smashing against the ground, the glass is clearly empty.
• Factual errors: The definition that Claude Elsinore gives for catatonic schizophrenia (referring to Pam) is word-for-word the exact same as the definition that Brewmeister Smith later gives for paranoid schizophrenia (referring to Bob and Doug). Although one may think that this is because of Claude Elsinore’s lack of education in psychology, the definition is actually a better fit for catatonic schizophrenia than for paranoid schizophrenia, so Brewmeister Smith, the psychiatrist, is farther off than Elsinore.

• Continuity: When Doug McKenzie types in the code to get the floppy from the safe, he hits a vertical row of numbers on the keypad. However, when Ted and Brewmeister Smith views the video, it shows a different video of Doug McKenzie’s hand hitting a different sequence of numbers.
• Continuity: When Doug and Bob go off the end of the wharf in the van, all interior shots show the rear doors closed and all the exterior shots show the rear doors open.
• Miscellaneous: When Bob and Doug are downing their beers at the beginning of the movie, Bob is obviously not drinking any of the beer.
• Continuity: The first time Doug plays the game, the display shows Pam Elsinore “Level 6″ 211,059 and she exclaims her birthday is 21-Oct-59. The screen clears and redraws showing John Elsinore “Level 7″ 040483 (no commas) and Pam Elsinore “Level 6″ 070483. When Pam looks at it the second time (later scene), she says 04-Apr-1983 is the date her father (John) died. The 070483 does not appear the second time and there is no explanation for what – if anything – happened to her on 07-Apr-1983.
• Continuity: When the van goes underwater, and LaRose jumps in to free Pam, you can see her swimming up to the top without shoes. When the rescuers pull her from the water, she has her shoes on.
• Continuity: When Bob and Doug are pulled up to the signs showing them which direction to go (The Insane Asylum, the Castle, the Brewery, etc) the first shot of them sitting in the cab show the dice hanging from their mirror have the sides showing the two dots. After a quick view of the signs we are shown the boys in the cab again but this time the dice have changed and we see the sides showing four dots on each one.
• Continuity: The van that goes into the water is clearly a different model of van (longer by at least a foot) than the van the brothers drive earlier in the film.
• Revealing mistakes: At the end of the court room scene, the picture behind the judge, which was obviously supposed to fall off the wall as he bangs his gavel, falls a couple of seconds too early.
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Bob and Doug go to the brewery and find Pam stuck in her Volkswagen convertible in the gates of the brewery, she says something to the effect of “Help I’m stuck and I can’t get out”. She is in a Volkswagen convertible and the top opens mechanically from the inside, which would be easily to unlatch and put down.

2) I don’t see how anyone can dislike this movie. It is laugh out loud funfrom beginning to end and there is not a single scene that is nothilarious. This team sure shows what a positive affect alcohol has onCanadian comedians. I would have to say this is the best movie evermade and I give it an A++ for effort, hilarity, and genius, eh. Thereason it is so great is that it is incomparable to any other movie ofits comedy genre. It is a journey into the world of two brothers whohave never been apart, and their adventures. While trying to get beerfor their father, they stumble upon Elsinore Brewery, and get jobschecking for rodents in the bottles. While there, they discover somestrange things are happening at the brewery. It is a must see for allages.

3) I have to take exception to imdb user "dwpoller" who touts this movie asbeing "one of the most un-funny 1 1/2 hour stretches" of a movie. Havingnever seen the SCTV skit until after the movie’s release, I found myselfrolling on the floor at the Canadian stereotypes from hell, known simply asthe MacKenzie Brothers. Being 1/2 Canadian myself, I never once feltoffended by the somewhat negative stereotypes. (i.e. ice hockey watching,doughnut slamming, beer swilling half wits.) But rather, I was able to laughat myself and my other Canadian bretheren through this VERY FUNNY movie.

OK, ok. So it didn’t win any major awards, nor should it have. "StrangeBrew" is not that kind of movie. You have to know going in that this is notAcademy award winning materiel. Oh, and guys, don’t bring the wives in towatch this either, they won’t get it. (For the same reason they don’t getthe Three Stooges) You just can’t explain why it’s so funny, it justis.

3 1/2 stars out of 5.

4) I love this movie so much, I even have a poster of it hanging on mydoor, eh! I first viewed it in my eighth grade geometry class (where wenever did anything but watch movies–this class also introduced me toclassics such as "Back to the Future" and "Little Shop of Horrors").

This is from the peak of the so-stupid-it’s-funny era of comedy (whichis starting to become popular again, only this time around it’s justnot funny), and it may very well be the best of them all, even betterthan "Airplane!". It’s one of those beautiful comedies where all thejokes are incredibly stupid and incredibly smart at the same time. Thecourtroom scene and the "death" scene rate as two of the funniestmoments in comedy history, in my opinion.

Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas have perfect chemistry together, too. Thestupid bickering between Bob and Doug is hilarious (I love it when theyhave to go in separate directions for the first time in their life). Ifyou haven’t seen this, I cannot recommend it enough.

9/10 stars. Now take off, eh!

5) Strange Brew rules. Those who have not seen the film must see it immediatelyor remain ignorant like the rest of the human filth. Strange Brew is yetagain one of those movies that I have been watching since I was a kid and ithas not lost any of it’s charm. Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis have come upwith two great characters in the McKenzie Brothers. Not too bright andsurviving on donuts and beer, the film follows the McKenzies as they get ajob at a brewery to get free beer and in the process stop a world takeoverby power mad Brewmeister Smith. This flick doesn’t really have much in theway of plot or acting or effects or anything that usually makes a moviegreat.It doesn’t need all that though because just having Bob and Doug onscreen isworth the price of admission or in this case the DVD. Just watching Bob andDoug attempt to function is funny enough. I heard that Moranis and Thomaswere working on a sequel and were just getting ready to film when thefinancing fell through. That really sucks and I hope that they can bring Boband Doug back to the screen before they get too old to play them. BottomLine: This movie is a must have. It’s great, deal with it, buy it and thenlook at Canada (The Great White North) in a different light.

6) If you love stupid comedy this movie is DEFINITELY for you! Animal House,Super Troopers, & The Blues Brothers. If you liked these movies you’llloveStrange Brew. It’s classic! A MUST SEE!!! Rick Moranis and Dave Thomasmake an awesome team of crazy Canadian brothers, or should I say "hosers",eh? The plotline is kinda sketchy, but then again, the movie isn’texactlymade for a great plotline. It’s made for the comedy. Made in 1983 and itstill kicks some royal butt! So sit back and enjoy as the two "hosers"bumble their way to some crazy times!

7) "Strange Brew" is a spin-off of the Bob and Doug McKenzie shorts onCanada’s export "SCTV" (which started in the early ’80s on UStelevision and won some awards). This movie is very much low budget anddoesn’t concern itself with continuity or much of a plot either — it’sa retread of "Hamlet" (that’s right!) and one William Shakespeare evengets a co-writing credit.

Anyway, the film is not by any means a masterpiece but it’s amusing ina so-bad-it’s-good kind of way. (And incidentally this was purposefullybad, and Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas — who directed and wrote it –make no effort to conceal this.) The best part is actually thebeginning when Bob and Doug reveal their movie about a man who survivesthe holocaust and wonders the earth in search of beer. I’ve rarelylaughed so hard. "Pss, act!" is one of the funniest lines in cinemahistory.

After that it goes downhill but remains entertaining… Bob and Dougbecome embroiled in a plot by mad scientist Mad Von Sydow, who wants totake over the world and all the other stuff mad scientists like to do.

I’ve never seen such a pieced-together, fragmented movie in all mylife. A number of scenes pay nothing to the film whatsoever. One hockeygame sequence goes on for about seven minutes and doesn’t really haveanything to do with… well… anything! On top of that, characterscome and go and disappear without mention again — towards the end ofthe film, one of the bad guys gets his comeuppance, but the filmdoesn’t even reveal how! Also the woman playing the ex-brewster’sdaughter is supposed to be about 21 but she’s clearly in her mid tolate thirties… and at one point her birthdate is revealed in thefilm, and according to the date of the film, it places her at a mucholder age… so evidently Moranis and Thomas didn’t really care at allabout trying to convince audiences of anything with this film.

And it’s better that way. This is a really smug and self-knowingcomedy, but in a good way. It’s light-hearted and doesn’t take itselfseriously. Even during the end credits, Bob and Doug give their film areview and mention its plot weaknesses, but claim it’s just good familyfun and worth five bucks, and I agree. On an aside note I will have tosay that the film’s best sequences are those in which Bob and Doug areactually hosting their show, and sometimes I wonder if that would havemade a better 90 minutes than attempting to come up with a half-a$$edplot. But oh well, it’s still pretty funny and amusing as it is.

This movie was amazing, you have to like SCTV to understand the humor.Thismovie is fully of stereo-typical canadian humor, but that’s why it’s good.It’s stupid humor at it’s finest. A true classic. This is a must see moviefor people who like: Beer, back bacon (or to you non-canadians, CanadianBacon), Flying dogs, murders, or just bob and Doug McKenzie. This is themovie for you

9) Much like Tremors, and Rocky Horror, some people Love this film, somepeopleHate this film, the rest haven’t seen it yet. If it doesn’t strike a cordwith you you are not alive. I personally, am one of the lucky few whothinkthis film is fantastic, and even have a whole group of friends who agree!Remember, you have to be in the right mindset to watch this. RentCanadianBacon, and Slap Shot first, and you should be primed for the ‘coup degras’with this classic flick (little french-canadian for you there,eh).-Shawn

10) Strange Brew in a word is… FUNNY! (Or at least I think so?!) I haveowned this movie for about 11 years, and i’ve shown it to most of myfriends at one time or another; However, only a few seem to share myenthusiasm for the McKensie bros. Here’s a tip for those who didn’tlike it. The lion at the beginning, it didn’t roar. No siree! It…burped. That is a huge clue as to what kind of movie you are watching.If you didn’t laugh, then SHUT THE VCR/DVD player off! If you almostlaughed, watch the next few minutes and then quickly make your decisionbecause that is a good indication of how the movie begins, flows, andends.

How many movies can you see 30 or 40 times and still enjoy? StrangeBrew is that type of movie for me. I have to admit though, that itisn’t quite as strong towards the end. It’s almost as though thewriters got tired. That is why I only give it 8 out of 10 stars.

You don’t have to be a fan of SCTV to enjoy Strange Brew, but it surehelps. Going back to the roots of Bob and Doug McKensie just makes themovie that much better for me, mostly because of the differencesbetween the characters in the movie adaptation.

Now given that this movie has been out for so long, and that Bob andDoug McKensie have crossed so many genres, you probably know all aboutwhat i’ve said and then some. If that is the case, quit reading and gowatch Strange Brew!

At this point, Billy protests and they decide to kill him. They lockhim in a shack while they decide which of them is to do the evil deed.Billy is rescued when a friendly dog carries a plea to help to a richfamily in the neighborhood. They subdue the tramps and adopt Billy.

Some of what I consider to be weakness in the story — the randomnessof the tramps' crimes — may well be an artifact of the short length ofthis film and the contemporary view of tramps. It may also be anattempt to tell the story from Billy's point of view, in which adults'actions seem capricious. Also, Griffith offers no clear solution to theproblem; but he never did. He always seemed more interested in statinga problem than solving it.

In any case, this particular short, while done well enough, suffersfrom these, in my opinion, uncertainties. While not bad, it iscertainly understandable that this is not one of Griffith'sbetter-known pieces.

"After he comes into a small inheritance, Barry McKenzie (Barry Crocker) sets off for England with his aunt, Edna Everage (Barry Humphries), to advance his cultural education. Bazza is an innocent abroad, fond of beer, Bondi and beautiful sheilas, but he soon settles into the Australian ghetto in Earls Court, where his old mate Curly (Paul Bertram) has a flat. He gets drunk (often), ripped off (more often), insulted by effete Englishmen (constantly) and exploited by record producers, religious charlatans and a pretentious BBC television producer (Peter Cook). He leaves England in disgust, after exposing himself on national television". (from http://australianscreen.com.au)

• Director Cameo: [Bruce Beresford] When Bazza first goes to the pub, he’s the one who gets him to try a local drop.
• When Bazza is talking to Groove Courtneay about the commercial, in the background on the wall you can see a photo of Barry Humphries.
• This was the first Australian film to earn $1 million, and kept the Australian film Industry alive.
• In his book “North Face Of Soho”, Clive James says he was an extra in the movie and because his part involved lying down, and was classified as stuntwork, he obtained a higher rate of pay.
• The final film of Judith Furse.

• Continuity: In Caroline Thigh’s flat Barry empties the curried chicken and beef aphrodisiac down his boxers, staining his t-shirt. When he is thrown out of her flat the t-shirt is clean.

2) A huge hit upon release with Australian audiences, it can still be funnytoday, but its over-the-top political incorrectness and blunt, unsubtlehumour can make it a bit of a cringer. It goes on far too long; some of

the content could have been saved for the sequel, Barry McKenzie Holds HisOwn, which desperately needed some new stuff anyway. Granted, his ockerAussie attitude is funny, but also becomes annoying as the film drags on. Some say Crocker’s songs are the best bits, and they are certainly original,but "hilarious"? The Adventures of Barry McKenzie will go down as alandmark in Australian cinema, but we should do everything in our power tomake sure that overseas audiences do not see the majority of Australians asBarry McKenzies (or, for that matter, Mick Dundees!). Rating:5/10

3) I saw this at the flicks when it was first shown in the UK. I think I wasabout 16 – I recall thinking that it was totally hilarious, but seeing itrecently on TV just made me squirm with embarrassment. I suppose seeingpeople "chunder" and hearing adults swear a bit must have seemed a bitspecial. Spike Milligan was funny as the landlord and Dennis Price was agood sport to send his "class" up. Dumb, devoid of any real intelligenceand juvenile. That goes for me and the film I will now waffle a bit to fill up the required 10 lines of review. Whathappened to the Aussie film scene ? You guys threatened to take over theworld at one point.

4) I worked with MCA Australia as the Assistant Film Promotions Manager onTheAdventures of Barry McKenzie. MCA was the film distributer throughoutthemajor cities in Australia of this film. At that time, it was rated themostpopular Australian film in their history. I worked directly with BarryHumphries who not only starred in the movie as four different characters,but was instrumental in introducing Foster’s Lager, the Bazza McKenzieHatand the Aunt Edna character (who manifested herself into Dame Edna, whoiswidely recognized world-wide). Not to forget Bruce Beresford and BarryMcKenzie! I still have a copy of the comic strip "Bazza Pulls it Off"and"The Wonderful World of Barry McKenzie" (which the movie script wasderivedfrom). Sadly, I lost the Barry McKenzie Soundtrack.

I’ll never forget the Grand Opening Premiere at The Ascot Theatre inSydneywith all the cast, producers, directors, etc. The after party was heldatThe St. George’s Club where Foster’s Lager was consumed inabundance.

If anyone knows how to obtain a copy of this film in a video format, I’dlove to purchase it. It would bring back so many of my memories of thewonderful experiences I had during the four and half years I lived inAustralia.

Please feel free to e-mail me at if you have any ideahow to access a copy of the movie.

Deborah Faurot, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

5) Fans will be delighted to learned that ‘The Adventures of Barry McKenzie’ isnow available on DVD. I bought my copy at JB HiFi at the bargain price of$11. It is a PAL Region 4 disk. However, like the VHS version, the printquality is appalling. It must have been taken from a well-worn cinemarelease. It is dark, horrendously scratchy at the reel changes and hasframes missing. The source must have been broken and repaired. Oh for adigitally remastered version of an unreleased print. Still, it’s a heck of alot better than nothing. One delightful small part is the first appearanceon film of John Clarke. He is an effete ex-patriate Australian, wearing atight paisley shirt and in a wig (or at least a hilarious comb-over),podgily overweight, and speaking in a pseud’s accent. Delightful.

6) This film is probably one of the most grotesque I have ever had to watch.But it is also a masterpiece of writing and comic genius. Barry Crockerisbrilliant as the naive Barry McKenzie, whilst Barry Humphries is superb asEdna Everidge.

There is also excellent support from the likes of Peter Cook, DickBentley,Dennis Price and William Rushton- actors and comedians who did what theydidwell.

An all-round classic: should be made compulsary viewing!

7) I love this movie like no other. Another time I will try to explain itsvirtues to the uninitiated, but for the moment let me quote a few ofpieces the remarkable dialogue, which, please remember, is all tonguein cheek. Aussies and Poms will understand, everyone else-well?

(title song lyric)"he can sink a beer, he can pick a queer, in hislatest double-breasted Bondi gear."

(another song lyric) "All pommies are bastards, bastards, or worse, andEngland is the a**e-hole of the universe."

(during a television interview on an "arty program"): Mr Mackenzie whatartists have impressed you most since you've been in England? (Barry'sresponse)Flamin' bull-artists!

(while chatting up a naive young pom girl): Mr Mackenzie, I suppose youhave hordes of Aboriginal servants back in Australia? (Barry'sresponse) Abos? I've never seen an Abo in me life. Mum does most of thesolid yacca (ie hard work) round our place.

This is just a taste of the hilarious farce of this bonser Aussieflick. If you can get a copy of it, watch and enjoy.

It’s a crying shame that this film is unavailable on video.

It really is a great film, crude yes, broad yes, but really very funny.There’s a whole new generation of film goers (admittedly British andAustralian, I can’t see this garnering a wide US audience) who think Badtaste comedy started with ‘There’s something about Mary’ and it’s ilk.Thisis so much better yet it’s being hidden. *sigh*

9) This film and it’s sequel Barry Mckenzie holds his own, are the twogreatestcomedies to ever be produced. A great story a young Aussie bloke travelstoengland to claim his inheritance and meets up with his mates, who arejustas loveable and innocent as he is.

It’s chock a block full of great, sayings , where else could you findsomeone who needs a drink so bad that he’s as dry as a dead dingoesdonger?great characters, top acting, and it’s got great sheilas and more Fostersconsumption then any other three films put together. Topnotch.

And some of the funniest songs you’ll ever hear, and it’s full of greatcelebrities. Definitely my two favourite films of all time, I watch thematleast once a fortnight.

10) The story centers around Barry McKenzie who must go to England if he wishesto claim his inheritance. Being about the grossest Aussie shearer ever toset foot outside this great Nation of ours there is something of a cultureclash and much fun and games ensue.The songs of Barry McKenzie(Barry Crocker) are highlights.

2):
Baron Munchausen is a character of European myth that might be considered the predecessor of American tales of Pecos Bill or Paul Bunyan. The Baron’s stories are taken to be outrageous and fanciful lies. This is the origin of the name of the psychiatric diagnosis of “Munchausen’s Syndrome”, a particularly bizzare form of hypochondria.

• Forms an informal trilogy with director Terry Gilliam’s previous films, Time Bandits (1981) and Brazil (1985). The three movies represent the three stages of Man (youth, middle age, and elderly) and the impact of imagination on each. Jack Purvis also appears in all three films.
• The role of the King of the Moon was intended for Sean Connery until the role was largely cut. Sean Connery didn’t think it was “kingly” enough, thus the role was played by Robin Williams.
• Robin Williams played the King of the Moon. The credits list “Ray D. Tutto”. This is the English transliteration of the Italian phrase “Re di Tutto”, which means “King of Everything”, which was how the King of the Moon introduces himself to the Baron. Robin Williams performed the part as soon as he arrived in England after a transatlantic flight.
• Director Terry Gilliam originally filmed a cameo for himself. He appeared in an additional scene set inside the fish, where he sat against the wall of the ship, coughing, and died almost immediately.
• In the scene in the King of the Moon’s bedroom, above the headboard is a small bust. In a close-up shot, the eyes of the bust are seen to contain lights that blink on and off, accompanied by the sound of a camera whirring and clicking. This is line producer David Tomblin’s homage to "The Prisoner" (1967), which he helped produce and direct in the late 1960s.
• Christopher Lambert filmed scenes that were cut from the final print.
• This film became notorious for its many production problems and cost overruns. Making matters worse was the change in regimes at Columbia Pictures. The new regime, not wanting any production from the old regime to “shine”, simply buried the film during its U.S. release. There were many markets, especially the smaller ones, in the U.S. where this movie was not booked at all.
• The name of the Baron’s horse is “Bucephalus”. This was the name of Alexander the Great’s horse.
• Munchausen throws out roses to all the women except one; when Sally asks for a flower, he throws her a scarlet pimpernel.
• Director Trademark: [Terry Gilliam] [burst] the Baron and his horse.
• One of the gunners is played by Michael Polley, the father of Sarah Polley who plays Sally.
• Jon Pertwee was a strong contender for the role of Munchausen.
• Part of the reason why the production ran into lot of problems was due to the climate in Rome. Most scenes in Rome could only be shot at night. When the new regime at Columbia took over, producer Arnon Milchan, whom Gilliam worked with on Brazil (1985), was fired. To this day, Gilliam blames the late ‘Dawn Steel (I)’, former Columbia Pictures president, for ‘burying the film’.
• According to director Terry Gilliam, Columbia Pictures opened the film in the United States with only 48 prints. He also claims that only 117 prints were in distribution, a mere fraction of of the number of prints normally ordered by a major distributor for even the most modest release.
• The song that is sung by the cyclops when Vulcan carries off Venus to the bedroom is the old Welsh Lullaby “All Through the Night”.

• Crew or equipment visible: A man can be seen wearing a satin stadium jacket in the lower right hand corner as the camera pulls back from the making of the petticoat balloon.
• Crew or equipment visible: A crew member is visible in the lower right hand corner during the pull back from the underwear balloon just moments before one of the guards says, “We’d better tell someone about this.” He is a man wearing a blue satin jacket, which clearly reads “King Kong Lives” in red lettering.
• Continuity: The lenses on Adolphus’ glasses swap position just after the Baron manages to save them from the giant fish. Once they’re ashore again, the lenses are back in their original position.

• Crew or equipment visible: During the long pull-back shot which shows how deep in the Sultan’s camp the Baron is being held, extras quickly move together as the camera moves back to cover the dolly track on the ground, but frequently do not succeed.
• Crew or equipment visible: When the Baron is being carried off by Vulcan, you can see a wire attached to the tail of his coat.
• Crew or equipment visible: As the ship moves across the sand after the storm, the shadow of the wire that is used to drag the boat can been seen on the sand in front of it.
• Anachronisms: A sousaphone is used in the victory celebration honoring the Baron. The sousaphone, however, was invented in 1908.
• Anachronisms: In the scene where Sally is correcting her fathers advertisement from Son to Daughter, she is using a filter pen, which wasn’t invented until the 1940s.
• Continuity: In the opening, when Sally is writing DAUGHTER on the poster on the statue’s base, she has finished writing it in the close-up. When the camera switches to the high angle, she only has DAUGH written.
• Factual errors: The Turkish treasure-master crosses himself when Albrecht walks out of the treasure-chamber with the complete treasure of the sultan on his back. This Christian symbolism seems to contradict the Turkish-Muslim background of the character. This crossing seems to be an “ad-lip” by the Italian actor Franco Adducci, who has of course a Roman-Catholic background. Note that the Ottoman Turks frequently captured Christians and turned them into slaves of the Sultan even in high positions. Such was the norm among the Janissaries, typically captured as boys from Christian villages in the Balkans. Even though such a slave may have converted to Islam, a moment of hysteria could have reverted to an old habit from youth, such as “crossing” oneself. The historian Arnold Toynbee relates such as a surprisingly commonplace occurrence.
• Crew or equipment visible: After the characters are thrown from the fish, there is a close up of a crows nest of a ship. On this shot you can see the joins on the canvas that the sky is painted on.
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: While on the boat flying to the moon, the Baron’s phrase “bodily activities” is dubbed.

I’ve seen "The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen" myself many timesand it never fails to fascinate me. It goes a very long way to explainmany things that are omnipresent in life (war, sex romance, childhoodinnocence, adult disillusionment) by illustrating, and somehow makingreal, well-known classical myths and fairy tales. Oliver Reed deservedsome sort of award for his portrayal of the god Vulcan. I read thatSean Connery was slated for the part of King of The Moon but it HAD tobe Robin Williams. Mork calling Orson indeed….

This is my first review in this forum and, therefore, I will not go onat great length except to say that viewing this movie again made medetermined to state that my favourite movies are movies like "TheAdventures of Baron von Munchausen", "Pirates of the Caribbean" and"Yellow Submarine". May you all develop a talent for living happilyever after!

2) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is one of those films that youeither love or hate. You may hate it because the inner child in you hasnot been released. You may love it because the inner child in you havefull reign and want a wonderful fairy tale. This film has all theelements, flying ships (A balloon made of ladies knickers), monsters (Agigantic whale that looks like an island), and a little girl observingall the fantastical adventures. A city is under siege and a theatertroupe is trying to perform a play during all of this. In comes anelderly man (The wonderful John Neville)who claims that the troupe hasit all wrong and that he, himself, is the real Baron and wants to tellthe story straight. From there, his adventure really takes off. He andSally (The cute as a button Sarah Polley)go off in search of hisfriends to help save the city: Berthold (Clever Eric Idle), the fastestman around; Albrecht, the strongest man in the world; Adolphus, the manwith the sharpest sight around and Gustavus, the man with the keenhearing and breath that can blow elephants off their feet. The gangsadventures bring them to the Moon, where the King (Wild as ever RobinWilliams)has trouble holding on to his head, to the Underworld, whereVenus (Beautiful Uma Thurman)drives her hubby Vulcan (The wonderfulOliver Reed) insane with jealousy. The story and the visuals(Especially the Moon) are beautiful and the ending is interesting. Youget so caught up in the story that the viewer gets lost in what is realand what is not. Great for teens and up. Kids may get scared at some ofthe scenes.

3) This is NOT a movie for everyone. This is not a movie for people whowant a fantasy plot… according to the rules of fantasy movies. Thisis a movie which has one great ambition and has ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY,UTTERLY, FULLY, UNQUESTIONABLY fulfilled: to present the story of BaronMunchausen as the real one would have seen it. This is a great piece ofvisualization of the culture of 18th-century Enlightenment (did younotice that the bad guys all wore uniforms from the Napoleonic age – asa sign of when this great period of human cultural achievementfinished?). It is a movie in which the sets and costumes are THEESSENCE – the mechanical giant fish, Venus getting out of the pearl,the small amours with the pink garlands, the pinkish clouds, thetwo-dimensional buildings on the Moon, the separation of the head fromthe body, the exoticising of the "Grand Turk" – these are all correctreproductions of both the imagery from, and the topics relevant for,the Baroque period. IT IS success.

4) Yet another wild, whacked out fantasy from Terry Gilliam, the onlyAmerican born member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.

This is the story of Baron Munchausen (Neville), an old man still beingchased by an Arabian king because after winning a bet Munchausen tooktoo much money out of the king’s vaults and now the king and his armyare apparently attacking a colony because Munchausen’s there. With thehelp of toothy little girl (Sarah Polley before she grew up to do theremake of "Dawn of the Dead") and rounding up his old comrades (amongthem Eric Idle, the "third tallest member of Monty Python"). All sortsof wild insanity ensues.

This was the last of Gilliam’s "trilogy of the imagination", the othertwo entries in this so called trilogy being "Time Bandits" and"Brazil". If Terry Gilliam has a flaw with his fantasies, it may verywell be that he drags out some gags too long, even if its a really goodgag. Though I’m not entirely sure I enjoy his work, I must say I admireGilliam and the recklessness of his projects, because at least he’s gotthe balls to try to do things differently. To this day, he still ranksas being one of the most off the wall, unconventional director chapsout there.

All in all, I think I liked this one better than either "Time Bandits"or "Brazil" (though "Brazil" probably has the most racy commentary ofGilliam’s so called trilogy).

Best line: "We’re out of virgins." – Jonathan Pryce

5) I’ve only known one other person who has even heard of this movie(alsothe only other one who’s heard of and liked Mel Brooks’ the TwelveChairs). This is certainly one of the most bizarre and unique moviesI’ve ever seen but the more times I see it, the more I like it. RobinWilliams and Eric Idle are great of course, but Neville does a good jobtoo. The story is truly unique, leaving you wondering where fictionends and reality begins. In fact, it’s much like "Adaptation" in thatrespect, come to think of it. While not on par with Monty Python andthe Holy Grail, this is a good piece of work. My advice: let your braintake a vacation for a couple of hours and just absorb it. You’llappreciate it better if you try not to make too much sense of it. If itreally confuses you, read the book. Yes, there is a book and therereally was a man who called himself Baron Munchausen. The book iscalled <u>The Adventures of Baron Munchausen</u> and the edition I hadexplained his whole story. Terry Gilliam did a great job of bringingthis man to screen and I highly recommend it if you’re tired of theusual Hollywood fluff.

6) A young Sarah Polly is swept on a grand storybook adventure when herfather's theater is visited by the source of its drama; the real Baronhimself (perfectly played by John Neville). The town is under siege bythe Turks and only Munchausen and his band of curious adventurers cansave it, so long as Death or a doctor doesn't catch him.

Terry Gilliam, having hit his stride with the 1984-and-a-half classicBrazil, went on to fulfill his ultimate fantasy film with a great castof actors (Jonathan Price included), beautifully detailed sets andcostumes, and a very strange yarn of a tale indeed. Bit parts arefilled out by Robin Williams, the late Oliver Reed (seen most recentlyas Proximo in Gladiator) serving up a fiery Vulcan – husband to a young(not to mention stunning) Uma Thurman as Venus.

A great deal of the magic that sparkled in Brazil seems to have beenrekindled here, and while it may have been panned at the time of itsrelease, time has treated it well. The effects have that pre-cg feelingthat makes me warm and fuzzy inside, and while its a little slow to getstarted, it surprises around every turn.

Fans of Gilliam's work (and those who still possess that curious innerchild) will find much to enjoy here – even if it is nothing more thanwonderful nonsense.

7) A magical film about the power and importance of story telling andimagination. The creation of the ever fecund mind of Terry Gilliam, this mayvery well be my favorite movie (ah, but it is so very hard to choose).Filled with a spirit of adventure, and a deftness far too rare these days,it is the delightful tale of the adventurous life of Baron Munchausen. He isa hero of the grand old sort, a kind of 17th century James Bond.

Baron Munchausen has a knowledge of fine wines, is popular with the ladies,and is the finest soldier in the kingdom. He has a band of sidekicks (thefastest man, the strongest, one with amazing sight, another with amazinglungs and hearing) who assist him in fighting the Turks; traveling to meetthe King of the Moon; falling into the center of the earth to meet VulcanandAphrodite; and playing cards with the Grim reaper, after being swallowed byan enormous monster-fish the size of an island.

Along the way Gilliam’s wit skewers rationalism, science, realism,practicality and pragmatics. As much an explication of faith as a depictionof what makes life truly worth living, and what is worth dying for, I rentthis again and again. It is only my own foolishness that has prevented mefrom purchasing a copy. Literally wonderful.

Watch for fabulous cameos from a whole host of unexpected people, includingRobin Williams and Sting.

This has to be one of my favourite films ever, I'll admit it's not thegreatest work of art ever made and to be honest it never tries to be. Iget very annoyed with these armchair film experts who think justbecause they've sat on their backsides for twenty years, neglectingeverything except their expanding waist lines feel they have a godgiven right to pass judgement on a great film maker's hard work. I'vemade films and let me tell you EXPERTS out their it's the hardest thingyou could ever undertake, harder even than getting off your butts andgetting some exercise.

Baron Munchausen is in my opinion a visionary masterpiece, like Braziland Time Bandits its pure escapism, but intelligent python-Esqescapism. I sat down recently and watched all three films with mygirlfriend, (not in one night) and was dismayed when she startedyawning and checking her watch every five minutes. I think I've come toa conclusion why……

Munchausen is a film that people with an imagination will enjoy, but ifsadly your a member of the Ally Mcbeal, lets go shopping watch AmericanPie and wear what every other moron wears generation, you won't getthis film. Mainly because Gilliam is far more intelligent than you,both in his use of visual metaphors and sexual innuendo but also in thefact as a director he thinks of things even Tim Burton would be jealousof.

Okay the film tales off towards the end, but after to been subjected tosuch a rich bombardment of visual genius can you blame Terry for beingtired.

9 out of 10 And my favourite bit is when Eric Idle chases thebullet!!!!! GENIUS!!!

9) My kids, who are great Monty Python fans found this movie at thelibrary. Thinking that I knew about all the successful Monty Pythonrelated movies I figured that this movie must have been a sleeper. Iwas greatly surprised by the movie.

In my opinion this movie was much better than Time Bandits. TimeBandits was weak mainly because of the weak (or non-existent) ending.This movie had a much better conclusion. Plus, this movie also had avery strong thread running through the movie, without hitting you overthe head with it.

I also enjoyed the literary references and Robin Williams as the kingof the Moon. My favorite reference was when Venus came out of the giantclam. It reminded me of Kilgore Trout’s "Venus on the Half Shell."(Kurt Vonegut). That was a very nice touch.

10) When this film came out in 1988 the criticism that followed was thatwhile it had some great special effects, it was too long and tooexpensive, and did not make sense. But THE ADVENTURES OF BARONMUNCHAUSEN, while certainly very expensive, may be among the best filmadaptations and adoptions of a well known fictional classic into amajor motion picture.

The stories it is based on are Raspe's 1780 collection of tall tales ofthat great adventurer and lover Baron Hieronymous Von Munchausen. Thebest known tale is how the Baron travels hundreds of miles back andforth during a battle by riding on top of cannon balls (as he does inthe film) and how he visits the King and Queen of the Moon. The bookmade Baron Von Munchausen's name a synonym for liar (albeit a colorfulliar). It was glorified by one edition in the 19th Century withillustrations by the great Gustave Dore, that was used by Terry Gilliamfor his inspiration in this film

I might add that this was not the first time the character popped up onfilm. There was a Czech film THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHASEN that wasmade in the 1950s by the same creators of THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF JULESVERNE. And in the early 1930s an "all star" comedy was made inHollywood called MEET THE BARON, based on a popular radio show of thattime called BARON MUNCHAUSEN, with a comic named Jack Pearl as theBaron. Although it had the Three Stooges, Jimmy Durante, and Edna MaeOliver in it, it also had Pearl. A bit more bearable as a dialog comicand "zany" than the abominable Joe Penner, Pearl gave a catch line thatgained national attention in that period. When his garrulous count wasquestioned by his suspicious trapped listener the Baron would say, "Wasyou dere Charley?", which would shut-up his questioner.

But Gilliam is probing the reason for tall tales. A town in middleEurope is under serious siege in the middle 18th Century by the Turks.It is under constant bombardment. There is only one open theaterworking, and they intend to put on a dramatization on the career ofBaron Munchausen. But they are finding that this dramatization is onlybeing begrudgingly allowed by the local authorities (led by JonathanPryce, as an obnoxious diplomat and civil servant). Pryce does notbelieve in fantasy, and feels that the people should see only reality.Of course, as the film progresses one sees that Pryce's idea of realityis bloody and deadly to most people, and will only glorify the"peacemakers" (a role he intends for himself).

As the play is put on by the father of the film's small heroine, SallySalt (Sarah Polley), a man appears who denounces the story as false. Heis Baron Von Munchausen (John Neville). He dismisses the actors (to theanger of the cast and the audience) but he manages to quell their angerby talking about why it was not a real version of his career. Soon heand Sally take a look at the deteriorating situation on thebattlefield. They construct a balloon, and take off. And the film thenfollows their adventures around the world, and on the moon, and evenwith Vulcan (Oliver Reed) and his wife (Uma Thurmond). I refrain fromgoing into detail but the part dealing with the King and Queen of theMoon (Robin Williams and Valentina Cortese) is very funny and exciting.In the end Munchausen finds his four old servants (Eric Idle, CharleyMcKeown, Winston Dennis, Jack Purvis)and returns to the town to saveit.

The film has a Chinese box type of construction. Surprise endingfollows surprise ending building to the climax – a peaceful one but onethat is shattering none the less. For after watching the destruction ofthe Turkis forces we learn that the Baron has been simply telling histales to the audience, and they have been spellbound. Pryce shows upwith a military bodyguard, berating the old windbag for wasting theaudience's time with all this romantic claptrap. Munchausen points outthe firing has stopped. Everyone notices (including an amazed andtroubled Pryce – he has missed his chance of gaining fame by ending thewar himself). The audience rushes to the gates, and finds the enemy hasabandoned the siege. Romanticism, and it's calming effects – it'spowers of giving our dreams and wishes wing to soar, has defeated thereality that Pryce offered. And the film ends.

I like it. It is saying that in this rotten world there is a seriouslyplace for imagination to comfort and sustain our spirits. The filmactually was one of the best philosophical lessons in movie history.

Being by Gilliam there are numerous Monty Python touches in it(including his pal Idle's appearances as the fastest man in the world -trying to outrun a bullet). Note too the "artistic" Turkish Sultan, whois composing an opera called "The Torturer's Apprentice", whichincludes a device torturing a half dozen prisoners to yell "Ow" and"Ooh" in time. The performances were good, including Pryce's priggishbureaucrat, but best of all was Neville. Aside from his appearance asSherlock Holmes in the film A STUDY IN TERROR, and his John Churchillin the television series THE FIRST CHURCHILLS, Neville never had amajor lead role (though plenty of good supporting parts: Lord Alfred"Bosie" Douglas to Robert Morley's Oscar Wilde in the film of thatname, for example). He certainly made the most of this one, proving tobe a wise old man, but having moments of serious doubt and personalsadness. In all it was a terrific performance in a remarkable film.

• First use of motion blur in computer animation.
• First use of squash-and-stretch motion in computer animation.
• The modeling program used at the time could only produce simple geometric designs (cones, cubes, spheres). John Lasseter wanted a flexible pear shape for the characters’ bodies, as is found in most cartoon characters. Eventually a teardrop shape was achieved by stretching the point of a sphere to infinity.
• John Lasseter made this film to entertain his children; ironically, it frightened them instead.

2) This is a short from Pixar, their first, I believe. It looks it, too. Theanimation is good, but there’s not much here to speak of and it looks morelike test footage than a full, coherent cartoon-a dry run, if you will.They did much better work with later efforts. Not bad, but nothingspecialhere either. Worth seeing.

3) From 1984, this short film was the first work that John Lasseter, EbenOstby and Bill Reeves made as a team but it was made when they stillwere part of Lucasfilm. Basically is just the beginning of all soeverything is quite limited. With only one and half minute this shortfilm can't be more than just the very important and fantastic beginningof something. Is great to hear the commentary of the Blu-ray and now isfun to hear the fact that Lasseter and pals could only made geometricdesigns with their program. Still the could create two nice charactersthat are the protagonist of a "one joke" story and with that they couldnot only show a project that was new in matters of technology but atthe same time they could put to it soul, they made that theircolleagues didn't care about the fact that when the short was showed,in a very known event by them, was not even finished. It was somethingnew, something different.

This is the kind of stuff that if -TODAY- you are going to show to yourgirlfriend, for example, and she doesn't really know about it youreally have to explain her everything behind it, make sure that shewill not judge it just for how the animation looks or how funny was thestory, make sure that she appreciate everything behind because andafter all it is just a must-see important piece of work and for me itwas absolutely great to finally watch it.

4) This is the first and earliest Pixar short. It’s also the oldest CGIshort I know so far. It’s only about 2 minutes long and the theme issimilar to a Chuck Jones or Looney Tunes short. Only has 2 charactersone who is Andre a Greenish Runner and Wally B. a Bee with 4 feet.

The animation is not bad for a CGI short from 1984. And this is madeway before Pixar became well known. The 2 main and only characters aresomewhat cartoony but very memorable. It’s only 2 minutes long, butit’s worth watching. You’re able to see it at Pixar’s official webpage.

After you see I bet you just wish they made more shorts about Andre andWally B.

Every Animation studio has it’s own start and this is Pixar’s start tofame and glory.

i give this one 7/10. Very good for a 2 minute short.

5) ‘Andre and Wally B’ isn’t strictly a true Pixar film (since it wasproduced mainly at Lucasfilms), but John Lassester was amongst thecreative team behind it, and it can still be found on their officialPixar site. A very early venture in making short animated films fromCGI, this definitely doesn’t rank up there as one of their coolest,perhaps because the limitations are all too obvious. The 3D animationisn’t really all that great – the characters look basic and chunky,like they were taken straight from some sort of video game – while thestoryline (if you can call it that) is too firmly-welded in the styleof classic Walt Disney shorts. This may be done in computer animation,but otherwise it’s just the same cartoony mayhem you’ve seen countlesstimes before, involving a strange character named Andre (you know, I’mnot really sure what kind of animal he’s meant to be), being chased bya malicious bee. To be fair, I do actually enjoy a lot of the olderWalt Disney cartoons, but the traditional 2D animation there had agreater fluidity that the more primitive CGI in this short film, whichfeels far too awkward and bulky to pull the same style offsuccessfully.

I’m guessing they didn’t really have the capacity back then to puttogether a CGI film with a great deal happening in, so all thingsconsidered this isn’t bad. It just can’t compare to the sort of thingPixar since went onto achieve, having adopted their own unique styleand approach to this medium – their studio’s first short, ‘Luxo Jr’ wasan absolute classic.

Grade: C

What people don’t realise is that beyond the ’slapstick’ humour andchauvinistic ’sexual titiliation’ there are intelligent and amusingsubplotsand sidelines that work on oh so many different levels.

Try appreciating this film, and others like it, from an analytical andintellectual perspective, and you’ll begin to pick up on some of the subtleironies and trademarks of the genre.

See beyond the characters: the taxi driver is actually representive of allof us, his taxi the vehicle that conveys us through our lives, picking upand dropping off other people along the way. The sexual encountersrepresentthe continuous cycle of human reproduction. The kidnapping and the finaltwist show that everything in life comes full circle.

This is far better than the inferior ‘Taxi Driver’ film, also made in 1976,with which it is often unfortunately confused.

2) There is a video game from Sega called Crazy Taxi, in which you drove a taxiall over a city in a haphazard matter to earn bigger money and tips fromyour fares. But that game pales in comparision to this movie, the true"Crazy Taxi".

Barry Evans (who would ironically live his last years driving taxis after asuccesful career as a British-sitcom star) plays Joe North, a taxi driver inLondon who is the subject of the adventure. There’s no real plot, just himgetting into all sorts of sexual situations with women of varying degrees ofbeauty. We see him talking into the camera to the audience about his plansto woo the women he meets into having sexual encounters withhim.

Evans is pretty good, about the same as Christopher Neil would be in thenext two films. Stephen Lewis (Inspector Blakey of "On The Buses" fame) hasa small role as a doorman in a strip club. The aging Diana Dors plays Joe’smother. An O.K. timewatcher, but it’s quite titalating at times (talky too).Bravo (The Canadian version) loves showing these 70’s British sex comedies;they’ve shown three "Adventures" movies.

For some reason, they borrowed a bit of Sesame Street’s theme song’s musicto create theirs.

3) The first in a series of abysmal Confessions-wannabes, the Adventurestrilogy are sterile, desperately unfunny sex comedies, with horrendousdirection and dire production values.

The first starred a miscast Barry Evans, trying hard to be laddish butdrawing somewhat short. He’s a sensitive chap, the sort that can tell"whether a bird’s had a right good seeing-to the night before" and cheershimself up by "picking up a bit of crumpet." Evans’s constant talkingstraight to camera is supposed to be endearing, but it’s really justirritating. Christopher Neil’s Bob West made this a more likeable trait inAdventures of a Private Eye, though it was toned down and notably droppedaltogether for the third film in the franchise.

The series always goes farther than Confessions ever did, too. So that whileTimmy Lea’s escapades were really the next generation of Carry Ons with afew more boobs, the Adventures have a slightly nasty edge. After four weeksof watching Robin Askwith’s rear end it’s a shock to see Evans’s and Neil’swilly flapping all over the place, and the sex scenes are notably moregraphic. In particular, a scene intimating a woman being penetrated by asnake lurches the film towards X-rated territory. Sex with animals seemed tobe a particular preoccupation of the series, with the second sequel,Plumber’s Mate, featuring a coupling with a mouse. Look out too forpathetically staged "squashed cat" scenario (cue man off camera makingunconvincing "cat" noises), the nadir of Plumber’s Mate, one of the mostamateurish films I’ve ever seen.

On the subject of the sequels, Private Eye surprises by being halfwaydecent, though still cries out for incidental music to perk up the somewhatlifeless atmosphere. Even performing the theme song, Christopher Neil givesa zippy, amiable performance, something he was unable to do with theobnoxious character of Sid South in Plumber’s Mate. One thing the series didbring to the proceedings was plots, so much so that Private Eye even largelyforgets to put the sex into sex comedy. It takes away the nasty edge foronce, and is more traditionally humorous. (Basically, it’s got some jokes init.)

But back to Taxi Driver, a picture that never gets started. The irksometheme tune is sung twice during the movie in a flagging bid to pep upproceedings, and five times as an instrumental. David Brierley (One of theK-9s from Doctor Who, no less!) provides an opening monologue, juxtaposingimages of cab life with an upbeat narration. So then when he talks about the"gallant knights of the road", we see a cabbie flicking the v-sign, and soon. And on. And on. Like the rest of the films pace, it’s a joke that wearsthin after the first three seconds, and positively aches by being extendedpast its natural lifespan.

Transvestites, prostitutes and oral sex references, the weirdest thing aboutall this is that this sexist tripe was written by a woman.

4) I have heard it said that this film took more money at the U.K. boxoffice than 'Taxi Driver' starring Robert De Niro! Easy to see why.Scorsese's film lacked the magic ingredient – Barry Evans' old boy.

Poor Barry. Having starred in the T.V. series 'Doctor In The House' and'Doctor At Large', he was fired for 'erratic behaviour' andsubsequently forced to appear in tat like this.

As you may have guessed, the 'Adventures' series is a shameless rip-offof the 'Confessions' movies starring Robin Askwith. The main gag in allthese films is the hero, in bed with a love-starved nymph, being caughtby her husband/boyfriend, and having to make a break for it by shinningdown a ladder/drainpipe, his bare bottom exposed to the world.

Evans' character is 'Joe North', a chirpy Cockney cabby who lives athome with his mum ( a criminally wasted Diana Dors ) and his youngerbrother and sister, the latter fond of throwing food around thekitchen. He is betrothed to Carol Hotchkiss ( Adrienne Posta ), whom hehates the sight of. He eventually moves in with his mate, garage ownerTom ( a pre 'Citizen Smith' Robert Lindsay ), and that's when the funreally begins ( sort of ) with knickers and bras flying about confetti.At the end, North gets involved with jewel thieves and you think'Great! We're going to have a 'Carry On Cabby' type finale!", but no,instead everyone stands around talking for what seems an eternity.

Another reviewer has stated how uncomfortable Evans looks in the role,and I would agree. Unsurprisingly, he was in neither of the twosequels. His career recovered though when he starred in the hit L.W.T.sitcom 'Mind Your Language'. In a sad irony, he became a taxi driverfor real when his acting career foundered.

As was the case with 'Confessions', there is a stellar line-up ofBritish comedy talent on display here, including Ian Lavender, StephenLewis, Brian Wilde, Liz Fraser, and Henry McGee, none of whom get thematerial they deserve. Three of Evans' co-stars – Angela Scoular,Adrienne Posta, and Judy Geeson – had acted with him a decade earlierin the superior sex comedy 'Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush'.Scoular charmed George Lazenby out of his kilt in 'On Her Majesty'sSecret Service', but looks a lot less sexy here ( probably due to thatawful new hairstyle ). Posta is rather good as the annoying 'Carol',even if her vocalisation of the title theme put me in mind of the micefrom 'Bagpuss'. Unable to secure the talents of Linda Hayden, producerStanley Long settled for her sister Jane, playing a would-besuicidalist.

There are some nice shots of late '70's London, especially at night,but much of the comedy is forced, at times resembling the 'Fast Show'parody 'Confessions Of A Cucumber Salesman'. However, there are atleast three genuine laugh-out loud moments, one involving two nuns,another a bathtub, and in the best scene, Liz Fraser's prostituteperforms fellatio on a rich client in the back of North's taxi. Hebreaks suddenly to avoid knocking someone down, the cab lurchesforward, and Fraser's client unleashes a terrible scream. Ironically,the movie showing nearby is 'Jaws'! Moments such as these go some waytowards making the film at least partially endurable.

5) What is to be said in the favour of Adventures of a Taxi Driver? Verylittle, it's sad to say. The film gives new meaning to the term secondhand: it's a rip-off of the Robin Askwith Confessions series of sexcomedies, which themselves were already sub-Carry On crossed withcontinental saucy fare. Taxi Driver also mixes in elements of Alfie(the direct to camera narration of the Lothario protagonist), On theBuses (the bickering family arguments) and British B movies of theearly 60s involving petty crime. This wholesale appropriation of otherpeople's ideas might be acceptable if they were used here with anyskill or aplomb; as it is, the film is tedious, plot less, poorlydirected and almost aggressively unfunny. It's attitude to women isdismissive and offensive, and even the usually charming Barry Evans -who made the infantile and racist sitcom Mind Your Language palatable -is heavy handed and dislikeable here.

The few pluses include good comic turns from Adrienne Posta and DianaDors, a winsome performance from Marc Harrison as Evans' thievingbrother and the chance to see, briefly, Stephan Lewis doing Blakey as astrip-show doorman. There's also some intriguing footage of mid-70sSoho which might be of value to social historians.

I suppose that the film does capture a certain mood of culturaldesperation which clearly reigned in the UK at the time. Evans' sexualshennanigans seem like the last resort of a man with nothing else todo; the sexual revolution has failed to make life interesting, aspeople are just as boorish and neurotic and dumb as they ever were.Whether this is a real reflection of the times or merely the projectionof the filmmakers' own limited intelligence and wit is a matter ofconjecture, although the huge box office success of the film suggeststhat it did offer the film-going population something they couldrespond to.

Although the film is about sexual adventures, the sex scenes themselvesare as sexy as bromide, with not a single moment of chemistry betweenEvans (who was gay in reality) and the various women he disrobes.

6) I could not recommend this film, unless you are a fan of similarly-themedfilms of this period, such as ‘Percy’s Progress’ and ‘No Sex Please, We’reBritish’, and of course the ‘Carry On’ films, although this is on a parwiththe worst of them, not the best. It consisted mainly of Barry Evans (whohadpreviously starred in ‘Doctor in the House’ and ‘Doctor at Large’) havingmeaningless sexual encounters with a number of women, and walking aroundwith his tackle out.

It is generally believed that Barry Evans appeared in this film to ridhimself of his wholesome ‘Doctor’ image. He never really succeeded (he waslater cast as the straight-laced English teacher in ‘Mind Your Language’).This film would not appeal to his mainstream fans, and its appeal as atits-and-bums English film (if you like that sort of thing) is pretty low.It was dismal.

7) This was the first film I saw on TV in 2003, in the early hours of Jan 1st(admittedly the little worse for wear after the New Year celebrations!Presumably this is why films like this are scheduled at such hours – theaudience is simply too drunk to change channels!). I have to say, it wasawful… simply too awful for words i.e. there aren’t any words strongenough to describe just HOW awful it was (and therefore quite watchable -inthe same way that most of us will stop in the street to watch theaftermathof a traffic accident). It is a perfect example of the pitiful decline ofBritish cinema following the boom years (in terms of talent, at least) ofthe 60’s. Perhaps a relaxing of censorship laws was partly responsible forthe plague of "tit and bum" "comedies" that broke out in the 70’s, most ofwhich appeared to star the comically ugly Robin Asquith. No Robin is thisone however, but Barry Evans, who went on to play the teacher in theexecrable racist sitcom Mind Your Language. One thing I will say about himwhich isn’t completely negative is that his physical resemblance to Neil -"Men Behaving Badly" – Morrisey in this film was quiteuncanny.

I would recommend this film, despite my criticism of it, to anybodysuffering from temporary brain death brought on by New Year celebrations,and to students of the absolutely appalling.

2) Poor man’s answer to Abbott and Costello. Leslie Goodwins directs WallyBrown and Alan Carney as a couple of Army Privates in this low-budgetRKO comedy. Jerry Miles(Brown) and Mike Strager(Carney)are a couple ofGIs on leave and wrangle invitations to a dinner party at a femaleboarding house. It seems the cook falls ill with scarlet fever causingthe house to be quarantined. Bumbling soldiers with a house full ofperky women…innocent enough. Funny? Well…I guess so. Brown andCarney honed their comedy in vaudeville and ended up making a couplemore inexpensive money makers for RKO. Other cast members: RichardMartin, Margaret Landry, Patti Brill and Erford Gage.

• Adventures of a Taxi Driver (1976) star Barry Evans was once again offered the role of Bob West but declined due to his TV commitment to "Mind Your Language" (1977).
• Final feature of Fred Emney.
• Final cinema film of Suzy Kendall.

However, the film perks up when Adrienne Posta comes in. Posta delivers asuperb impersonation of Oscar-winning actress Liza Minelli (named LisaMoroni here) who gives him shelter when the bad guys attempt to eliminatehim when he’s starting to get a bead on solving the case. Posta portraysMinelli from her role in Bob Fosse’s "Cabaret" and looks and sounds likeheras well. It’s a darkhorse candidate in my book for the best mimic job inthehistory of cinema. Otherwise, there’s not much here tolike.

2) Adventures of a Private Eye introduces us to a number of dense, almostunsolvable mysteries: has Britain ever produced a worse director thanStanley A. Long? why does Long not know, despite spending over 15 yearsin the film business prior to making this film, how to pace a sequenceor end one on a proper punchline? why does he hire enormously talentedactors like Harry H. Corbett, Irene Handl, Diana Dors, Jon Pertwee,Anna Quayle and Julien Orchard and give them absolutely nothing to do?why did 70s English audiences flock to see absolute rubbish like thisin their droves? It can't be the sex, as compared to the likes of thethen-contemporary Swedish and French cinema, there's hardly any fleshon display here, and none of it is even remotely erotic; nor can it bethe comedy, which is a lot of things (incompetent, mean spirited,offensive, banal, ignorant, half-hearted, old hat) but not evenremotely funny; it can't be the story, which makes British comedycapers of the period which were less successful at the Box Office(House in Nightmare Park for example) look like Chinatown.

To be fair, Private Dick is a smidgeon better than the first entry intothe series, purely because it actually has some kind of story asopposed to being a merely string of idiot vignettes. And the film doeslook good, especially on the new Region 2 Dvds, where the gorgeouslighting of the interiors and night time scenes is genuinely impressive(catch the shot of photographer Scott walking towards the mansion afterdark, the screen awash with breathtaking colours). And Adrienne Postadoes a mean Liza Minelli impression, supported would you believe by theboy from the Tomorrow People playing a Bugsy Malone-type Italiangangster, all school play amateurism and elbows.

"Bloody amateurs" is a phrase a police inspector in the film uses aboutprivate eyes, and it's apt given the star of the movie can't act:Christopher Neil is a nullity into oblivion as the title character,taking over from Barry Evans (who instead chose to appear in the flopsex comedy Under the Doctor). Yet another document on the sexual,spiritual and social dereliction of the UK in the 1970s. It does bearthe distinction of having a cameo by Shaw Taylor, tipping the wink toTV's then current Police 5, which just goes to show how narrowlyculturally specific an audience of TV morons the producer was aiming atwith this.