Customer Reviews

Eddie Izzard - Glorious [VHS]

5 star:		(117)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first saw Eddie Izzard while watching HBO one Saturday night. The concert was entitled "Dressed to Kill". I had never heard of Eddie before, and by the time it was over, I was wondering what rock I had been dwelling under to have never seen this brilliant comic.

"Glorious", while not quite as even as "Dressed", still left me in tears. The show begins with a Eddie's take on the book of Genesis, then travels on towards the Trojan horse ("Bye! Well done! Here's a horse for you..per usual..Bye!"), takes a hard left into the British Monarchy, shower water temperature and baboons in mime, before ending up in the book of Revelations. And, as a previous reviewer noted, the encore is probably the funniest 8 minutes of comedy I have seen in a long while.

I ordered this video last weekend, received it Friday and have watched it twice so far. It is well worth the money for the newer fan (like myself), and I'm sure that seasoned Izzard fans will love it even more.

What can I possibly say about Eddie Izzard that someone already hasn't said here? In my opinion, he is simply the funniest, cleverest, and the most amazing comedian that I know. It's a big shame that whoever distributes his videos here in the States does not see just how popular he has become and release other titles.

It's futile to try to point out all the different funny bits from GLORIOUS because I pretty much laugh nonstop all the way through every time I watch it. The Trojan Horse, the Lawn Mower, Small Airplane and Digestive Cookies, the Encore on computers (simply genius! )... Watching GLORIOUS is the best stress-buster that I've got going these days. If you're not a believer at first, try Eddie Izzard out, and you'll become a fanatic like I and so many others.

I can't wait for him to come back to the U.S. on a tour.

I first saw Eddie Izzard while watching HBO one Saturday night. The concert was entitled "Dressed to Kill". I had never heard of Eddie before, and by the time it was over, I was wondering what rock I had been dwelling under to have never seen this brilliant comic.

"Glorious", while not quite as even as "Dressed", still left me in tears. The show begins with a Eddie's take on the book of Genesis, then travels on towards the Trojan horse ("Bye! Well done! Here's a horse for you..per usual..Bye!"), takes a hard left into the British Monarchy, shower water temperature and baboons in mime, before ending up in the book of Revelations. And, as a previous reviewer noted, the encore is probably the funniest 8 minutes of comedy I have seen in a long while.

I ordered this DVD last year, actually, way before they had an expected release date and was thrilled to receive it yesterday. I have the video, but the extras on the DVD make it well worth the purchase. Eddie's audio commentary on the show that he himself hasn't seen for seven years is priceless, "now, um...what AM I doing there? Oh yes... this is when I started saying Jam a heck of a lot". The "Lust For Glorious" intro is also featured, poking fun at the big summer blockbuster movie previews, and featuring Eddie in some very funny and very sexy situations. Another interesting feature is the english 'bleeped' audio track, which works very well when trying to share Eddie with one's Grandmother. (I know this from personal experience). Finally, there is a written triva commentary you can choose that displays below the subtitles. You can't say the man isn't giving his all! :)

Overall, I'd say Dress to Kill is the best and Glorious places a very close second in Eddie's stand-up comedy concert series. Both are must haves. You'll find yourself saying "so...yeah", "I'm covered in bees" and throwing the word "jam" into sentences when you can't find the right word, but those are small prices to pay for the sheer joy and laughter you'll get from Eddie's DVD. Enjoy!

There is a reason Eddie Izzard won an Emmy or two for his HBO special "Dress to Kill": he's a bloody genius. He's one of the absolute best physical comics I have ever seen. His style jumps all over the place, throwing in wild references when you are least expecting them. And his James Mason impression is right on!
"Glorious" is an earlier effort preceding the gem referred to by reviewers as D2K. Some reviewers are saying it's not as good as D2K. I think this is an unfair evaluation. This special was geared toward his audience back home, and it is ripe with references from his early shows. American viewers might say, "Who is Mrs. Badcrumble?" for instance. There is also a language barrier with American and UK audiences, something he brilliantly points out, if you'll remember, in D2K. You might feel tempted to find a British person and ask them to open their verbal dictionary for you. But I promise you, once you figure out what things mean, you will find so much more humor in his stories.
Some people also find it strange that he is a transvestite. I will just say that in today's world, nothing should shock you anymore. In the future, I hope that Eddie is known for his unique performance style and not for his skirts. I wish Entertainment Tonight would not refer to him as, "cross-dressing comedian Eddie Izzard." It should be "sensational talent Eddie Izzard" instead.
My suggestion to you is to check out some of Eddie's earlier works if you get the chance. It's difficult to get videos of his early shows unless you live in England, but if you're serious about getting to know this fantastic comic, Amazon sells an import CD set of his shows "Unrepeatable" and "Definite Article" in their Popular Music section. I've had a listen to these and they are wonderful.
In the meantime, enjoy this show featuring: Sean Connery building the Arc, God creating toasters and jam, the queen who lives forever, Achilles and his hoovering heel, and the evil habits of giraffes, ducks, and pilot fish. Fits of laughter are guaranteed!

I had never heard of Eddie Izzard until Dress to Kill, which I found remarkable for three reasons: he was funny for an hour and forty minutes, way longer than most comics can manage; he is intelligent, and assumes his audience is; and I can watch the show over and over. I generally watch things once and move on, but I saw this four times in less than a month--and loved it each time.

As most of the people here say, Glorious is not as good--it might only have an hour's worth of good material. That's an acceptable amount, easily, when you consider how funny he is when he's on. This can also be watched multiple times, even with its slow spots.

Why does a comedian have to be always at their best? Sure Eddie has had better shows,but this one is still better than 95% or other comedians performing today. There are some moments in this that will have you laughing for weeks after you see this video. I still love the encore as I'm sure will anyone who uses computers (which I would assume is everyone reading this). Buy all of Eddies stuff and make him more famous. He deserves it!

This is a great video, but if you get the Glorious tape that Eddie sells on his official merchandise site, you get extra stuff on the tape like "Lust for Glorious." Make sure you select the option for North America or you'll get a PAL version by mistake.

After discovering the talent of Eddie Izzard on his D2K HBO special, I made it my mission in life to learn more. Glorious was my second trip to the brilliantly funny world of Izzard. Not since Monthy Python have I laughed so hard for so long. Eddie wraps his mind around the most mundane and turns it into something fresh and wonderful. I only hope someone produces a movie and incorporates Eddie's view on what a computer user is like in the REAL world! If you haven't discovered Eddie for yourself, I highly recommend you join the growing contingent of Izzard fans and check out Glorious.

Izzard proves that he is the greatest living comedian in this video. While I had first caught glimpses of his act during "Dress Kills" run on HBO, it was this video that proved to me the real genius that is Eddie Izzard.

This T.V. Brit takes on every aspect of the human condition and inevitablely leaves you crying for more. His style is such a refreshing contrast from his contemporaries. His use of explicit language, while there, is used not to shock or offend, but as if you were thinking the same thing to yourself and goes by unnoticed (some moralists will have a field day with that concept).

In addition, Izzard's use of story and gesture to communicate his perspective on the world makes him better rounded than his New York megastar peer and master of observation comedy, Jerry Seinfeld. Also, Izzard's comedy is not bent on getting to the punch line and making you laugh. Instead, this is a show that is meant to last 90 minutes and makes you want more.

I bought this video nearly two years ago and it still gets play in my VCR. This is not one I leave out for show to prove my friends how cool I am; rather, I put it in the VCR to show how cool I am. This is by far one of the best purchases I have made and would gladly buy it for myself again or for a friend.

Izzard's humor is irreverent, but classy, intellectual, but slapstick, and hilarious, but hilarious... there is simply no other way to put it. You need him in your home. You really have no idea how much. You'll thank me when you buy it.

What makes Eddie Izzard work for me is the way in which he's able to be both grand and self-deprecating simultaneously. From the opening chords of music, carefully choreographed against a light show more common to rock stars than comics, GLORIOUS puts you on notice that this ain't just a guy with a mike. And indeed the reaction of the crowd to Izzard's spotlit entrance makes you believe that you are witness to royalty.

Until he speaks. And then you realize that he's just a guy. In drag. Who hasn't really rehearsed all that much.

Thank God.

Rehearsal would only cloud things with certainty.

Izzard attempts majesty-GLORIOUS is essentially a tour of the Bible's greatest hits-but doesn't mind if he forgets how to get there. He frequently looks spoilt for choice, slowly deciding where he should go next. And this is perhaps where he's at his most charming. Sometimes he seems liable to fall off the trapeze he's built for himself. But his gaffes are incorporated into his act to the point that you find yourself actively HOPING he'll screw up, just so you can witness his escape.

And that's his secret. By screwing up and laughing about it, he proves himself uniquely able to get an audience on his side. Far from being simply a hilarious way to spend a couple of hours, GLORIOUS should be required in freshman communication classes at college. It's masterful public speaking masquerading as comedy.

[VHS Notes: The recording here is of fine quality. The audio technicians were dead on target. Oddly, though, the choice of venue might have resulted in a performance that isn't as universally understandable as the show was in its original form. For reasons obscure, what had been a mostly off-Broadway, American show was recorded for posterity before a British audience. He's clearly energized playing to a home crowd, but if you were hoping this would capture the great live show you saw in New York, prepare to be slightly disappointed. Non-Britons definitely lose something in the translation. Also, parents should be cautioned that the language is probably unsuitable for younger viewers, though it doesn't sink to the level of gratuitous vulgarity in my estimation. Some parents may object to liberties taken with the Bible, but I think his act just proves the point of how central the Bible is to western civilization.]