Amazon.com
In creating MTV's contribution to the decline of Western civilization, perverse clay-animation wizard Eric Fogel took the same technique used in lovable children's specials and molded it into a twisted, bloody spectacle combining the best elements of professional wrestling, celebrity gossip shows, and
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. It's no surprise his hysterical result became popular enough to spawn its own series of home video highlights.
This clay-per-view special has legendary referee Mills Lane, tuxedo-clad announcers Johnny Gomez and Nick Diamond, and brassy interviewer Stacey Cornbred presenting as much muscle and mayhem as the rich and famous can deliver. Eerily detailed clay contestants include "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Cindy Crawford, Janeane Garofalo, and comedian Chris Rock, who attempts to feed Adam Sandler into a giant razor-sharp fan. On the minus side, the editing is fast and furious--at 45 minutes, the collection winds down just before it wears you out. The humor tends to be topical and relies on the same meat-rending joke played out in countless different ways: annoying celebrities-of-the-moment get all the agony they deserve. On the plus side, this one joke can be pretty darn funny. When snarling songbird Celine Dion starts yanking out punk rocker Keith Flint's body-piercings, you don't really need to know a thing about the players that isn't mentioned in the nonstop color commentary. Despite your higher instincts, you just start laughing... after all, as they say, it's just clay. --Grant Balfour
