Customer Reviews

Bad News Tour [VHS]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Spinal Tap was phenomenal because it not only captured the essence of a British Heavy Metal band but also its detail. A remarkable achievement considering it was made by Americans. Bad News can be seen partly as a British answer to this, but its origins have more to do with Adrian Edmonson's interest in the metal genre. Famous for playing Vyv from the "Young Ones," by 1985, he had enough pull to get his own ideas and scripts produced. This time, through Channel Four's "The Comic Strip Presents . . . " The result was the first episode on this two part video, simply called "Bad News."

Assuming the format of a badly made 'Rockumentary,' the story follows the band, Bad News, as they embark on an epic tour to . . . Grantham! (This choice was hardly incidental as this small town is the birthplace of Margaret Thatcher). With Nigel Planner and Rik Mayall on board, the atmosphere and comedy is quite similar to "The Young Ones." Edmonson as Vim Fuego plays a less exaggerated, more intelligent, but still brutally straightforward working class character, while Rik Mayall plays a cooler but still embarrassingly pretentious middle-class prat, Colin Grigson. Nigel Planner's Den Dennis is brilliantly mind-numbingly down-to-earth in a very British way (see the scene in the roadside cafe where he complains about his sausage and chips). The fourth member of the band, Spider, the drummer, played by Comic Strip producer, Peter Richardson, is the only one who wasn't in the Young Ones. Female support is provided by French and Saunders playing a high school girl who runs away with the band and a spaced out rock journalist.

The low production values add to the charm of the piece and much of the humor is as good as anything in Spinal Tap. There is also a serious point being made about the way so-called 'realist' documentaries are manipulated and fabricated.

The mild success of this episode led to a sequel being made 2 years later with the same cast, called "More Bad News." This time the band members who have split up acrimoniously are the subject of a forced reunion sponsored by a TV and record company. Although more money was obviously on the table and production values were pushed higher, the writing and story line were somewhat weaker. The high points are when Colin Grigson is tracked down to his 9-to-5, working-in-a-bank, middle class life and tries to wriggle out of this by pretending to be his own twin brother, and also the visual comedy of the video shoot for "Warriors of Genghis Khan." The main interest this time round is the band playing the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donnington. They were actually on the bill and got bottled off the stage. Guest appearances are made by Ozzy Osborne and Lemmy out of Motorhead, basically slagging them off. Part of this may have been simply jealousy because the music by Edmonson and Simon Brint is actually very good metal music.

Despite its flaws this is still a very enjoyable video. Perhaps the main criticism is that it parodies something which is essentially beyond parody.

Entitled "Bad News Tour," the above video is actually comprised of both Comic Strip [Presents...] "Bad News" self-contained films; "Bad News Tour" (1983) and its sequel "More Bad News" (1988). The former 30 minutes; the latter 50 minutes. These two episodes are undoubtedly worth one's money due to the repeat value one gets. Each time you view it you will notice something you never caught before; it's called nuance, and no one does it better than the Comic Strip. Both are extremely amusing, to boot. Unfortunately, out of the current 39 episodes and 3 feature-length films in the Comic Strip series, only 2 videos are currently in print here in the U.S. ("Bad News Tour" and "Eat the Rich"). Bad News is: lead guitar/lead vocals, Vim Fuego (Adrian Edmondson); rhythm guitar, Den Dennis (Nigel Planer); drums, Spider Webb (Peter Richardson); bass, Colin Grigson (Rik Mayall). If you are a fan of the cult British Comedy series "The Young Ones," you may have noticed that 3 of the Bad News members; "Colin", "Vim", and "Den," make up 3 of the 4 main stars in the series; "Rick", "Vyvian" and "Neil," respectively. Bad News' self-titled album is also available on CD right here at Amazon. It was produced by non other than Brian May, of Queen fame.

I swear this is one of the funniest videos of all time. My friends and I first saw Bad News Reunion on MuchMusic (Canada's MTV-esque cable station) years ago, and it still remains one of our favorite films of all time. Anyone who has ever been in a garage band will laugh till they cry at the way band life is captured by these two films. It perfectly captures the absurdity that does often happen, and while standing on the shoulders of the classic "Spinal Tap", I personally find this a more honest and hillarious sendup of life in a metal band.

I give this movie my highest recommendation.

When I first heard Bad News I wanted a copy so bad that my friend copied his LP for me I now Listen to it every 2nd tape i listen too. ...

Hilarious two-part spoof in the tradition of "This Is Spinal Tap", Bad News is made up of the cast of "The Young Ones" which aired on MTV back in the mid eighties after originally appearing on the BBC. These two episodes were first shown on another BBC comedy called "The Comic Strip". Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmundson, and Nigel Planer are hysterical as the hopelessly out-of-touch and out-of-talent heavy metal act, Bad News. Watch their rise and fall as they go from playing empty local clubs clubs to somehow getting booked at Castle Donnington, and subsequently being beaten off-stage by angry metal fans. A little slow at times, but fans of British humor and send-ups like "Spinal Tap" will love it!

Bad news as an idea was formed in 1983 as part of the "Comic Strip Presents" TV series. Spinal was actually released in 1984, so therefore bad news actually do pre-date spinal tap.

Rock On, "Bad News". This video is great for those fans of Britcoms like "The Young Ones", "Bottom", or "Filthy Rich and Catflap". It has most of the same actors and even if you're not familiar with the comic genius of Ric Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, or Nigel Planer, you'll still appreciate this spoof of sorry cliched rock bands. This is the truly British equivalent of "Spinal Tap" with just as much venom but a bigger heart as well. The only question I have is "Where's the DVD?"

It's all anarchy, isn't it!?!

This melancholy romp through would-be stardom brings a tear to me eye, it does. It brings me back to the days when I was trying to make it big in Metal...now all me band is working house painting or at banks.

AHhhh YOUTH!

Vim!

Me and my family sat down to watch this video and we all had tears in our eyes. The acting, script and send ups are accurately portrayed. The sequel is just as good.

This was THE movie for my house when I was in college. You know how geeks get together and recite Star Trek and Monty Python dialogue? In our house, we did it for this film compulsively for like a year. Amazing script. Never a non-funny moment. Every scene is hilarious. The film has serious replay value as well. If you've been in a band, you can relate to how ego can overpower reality. Also, neat take on how, in every group, there is one guy who is the outcast (and is treated like one). This, to me, is the funniest movie ever made and should be a member of everyone's film collection! Buy it, it's worth it!