Official Synopsis:
Before his untimely death at the age of
42, television pioneer Ernie Kovacs left us with a sublime body of
comedy work whose influence can be seen on everything from Monty
Python to SNL and David
Letterman. He made eight TV specials for ABC in 1961, the final year
of his life, and these show Kovacs at the peak of his creative
experimentation with the medium, featuring many of his comic
masterpieces and iconic set pieces. Five of these programs are
presented here in complete uncut form, along with many of his
celebrated – and delightfully offbeat – commercials for Dutch
Masters cigars.
Our Take:
Many people currently only know of
Ernie Kovacs by footnote and annotation, but this collection of 50
year old TV specials will change that perception for you, and you may
never look at classic television the same way again.
A combination of (frequently silent)
slapstick vignettes and visual poetry set to music, these
shot-on-video specials surprise with witty, quick jokes that rely on
physical humor and absurd setups There is also occasional imagery
that may well have inspired David Lynch (a roasted chicken dancing in
kinescope or the series of faces during “The Story of Water,”
anyone?)
What you don't expect when sitting down
with this DVD is to see truly ahead-of-its-time experimental film.
Kovacs pushed and played with video technology in ways that have been
quoted ever since. To try and describe comedy is to kill the joke.
Similarly, to try and describe pioneering video art can do a
potential viewer a disservice. Sit down with these five short
specials and be inspired, impressed, and amused. The specials are
paced so nimbly you'll be amazed they were filmed so long ago.
Had Kovacs not died in an accident at
42, he would possibly have continued as a popular comedian and be
better remembered today (the last episode here aired after his
death). Judging from the quiet romanticism and truly dark humor of
these specials, though, I think he would have gone the way of Woody
Allen – from pratfalls and non sequiturs to aping Ingmar Bergman.
Special Features:
The image quality and audio here are
pretty good for 50 year old television specials. The only extra here
is a nearly 12-minute collection of commercials Kovacs did for Dutch
Masters cigars.
Conclusion:
Unexpected visual creativity in this
combination of comedy specials that are a mash-up of low-budget movie
musical numbers and MAD Magazine panels come to vivid videotaped
life. Highly Recommended!
Overall Picture:
Movie: A+
Extras: D
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