Customer Reviews

Bit of Fry & Laurie [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's a shame there's not more of these guys on video. It's much more consistent than Python, and Fry & Laurie's improvised bits are amazing. Great fun for language buffs too, as Fry likes to tweak the English language in a dozen different ways. Great, great stuff.

It's not often I have to stop a video tape so I can laugh it out before continuing, but this one did it to me several times. Even more than the manic and totally uninventable swerves in logic and direction ('ninety-two years old, and never had oral sex') and the blissful goofiness of the 'Sir' sketches, it's the stunning perception and pure acting ability of both Fry and Laurie that really stand out. The 'Flushed Grollings' sketch is both helplessly funny and socially brilliant.

Not all worthwhile satire is funny. The Blackadder series, under its loopiness, was very serious television, as anyone knows who's seen the ending of the very last episode. Fry is a formidable intellect and passionate adversary of many of our more damaging social shibboleths and conventions in real life, and much of the material on this tape showcases the same deadly underlying seriousness. It's too uncomfortably close to home about certain human traits and behaviours to bring belly-laughs, but this very quality is what elevates Fry and Laurie far above the sophomoric antics of the Monty Python team.

They are one of the best comic duos ever; I find the humour just as amusing now, as I did when the series first aired.

If you are having trouble finding it, as of this week 04/22/05 it is still available from BBC America (currently on sale).

I own this video and watch it frequently. Some of the skits are similar to Monty Python humour while others are unique to this great comedy team, whose strengths are their wordplay and linguistic phrasing and their personal chemistry with each other. The video consists of about 40 skits in 89 minutes; some of the skits are no more than a minute long and others more than 5 minutes. Most skits are not as crude as most Monty Python but there are some you might not want to watch with pre-teens (the hot cocoa skit, for instance). Like all good comics, Fry and Laurie make you laugh yourself silly while engaging both your brain and your heart.

Urinating nepalese maidens? rubbery english? Yes! 4 people define British comedy in the 80s and these are 2 of them. Blazing, pure creativity. Your BritCom collection is incomplete without a bit of Fry and Laurie.

Here in England we still marvel at Fry's quickness of mind, and Laurie's witty intelligence, aswell as their collective talent at acting and comic timing. Their chemistry in front of the camera here is unparalleled, and their sketches are as unique as 'Monty Python's' were when they first started. In many of the sketches, it becomes apparent (after viewing the sketch a dozen times) that the pair are improvising. I feel this adds to the hilarious and often unforseen result in a sketch. This also suits Fry's incredible intelligence and Laurie's hilarious facial expressions.

Good all round video, although the show is somewhat funnier. They have included some of their best bits here, but others get tiresome. "Dinner with Digby" is one of my personal favorites, along with the poetry reading sketch, containing Richard Mattox's lyrical poem "Institutions."

Institutions

Li-

I'm sure any fan of Fry and/or Laurie (although I don't see how you couldn't love them both!) or British comedy in general would very much appreciate this experimental, inventive comedy.

Steven Fry and Hugh Laurie host a british comedy show called, "a bit of fry and laurie." This video is some of the best bits from the show. Fry uses his amazing grasp of the english language and Laurie his ingenious comic timing to pack this video to the brim with laughs.

Forward & back said the old man in the dance / As he whittled away at his stick. Long gone, long gone, without a glance / To the entrance made of brick.

If you are in possession of a fine sense of humour, then Fry & Laurie can only be described as the single biggest boon to humanity since the invention of handy freshen up wipettes.

Stephen Fry is one of the absolute geniuses of British comedy and his show with Laurie was great. If you like Fry in Blackadder etc, you'll certainly enjoy seeing his roots.