Customer Reviews

Just for Laughs - Gags: Volume 1

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

 

 

This show took a page from Candid Camera and turned it on its side. It re-freshed the concept in that the practical jokes are all visual and done without an annoying voice-over guy. Many of the ideas are timeless and brilliantly funny. The pacing develops the prank in stages by getting reactions from several hapless victims before moving on to the next stage. This helped to build momentum and made many of the reactions priceless. Several of the pranks from this show are floating around the internet including the one of the two coppers in underwear. The only disappointing thing is that the DVDs are too short for the price. But these are not one-watch wonders, the gags are fun to watch over and over. For those with children, the vast majority of the pranks are family friendly. My kids love this show.

I bought this because I watched the DVD in Canada. This is not the same DVD as sold in Canada. The Canadian version was more in depth and lasted much longer. Instead of a minute for each skit, their version took about 10 minutes for each skit. This seemed more like a TV show than the Gags DVD they sell in Canada. It was funny, but I was disappointed that it was not the one I thought I would receive. The Canadian DVD was 10 times better.

I first saw some of these JFL gags when a friend in college showed me the gag of the gorilla costumed man popping out of the bushes at the zoo. Pretty funny stuff.

Later I was travelling in business and had my next encounter on a Japan Airlines flight of all places. I was laughing so hard that I wasn't able to communicate anything to the flight attendant at mealtime (she was pretty annoyed and I think she thought I was crazy, but I couldn't stop laughing- I was even laughing at myself for the fact that I was in this situation simply from watching a gag show like this, which made the laugter even worse, almost painful). Fast forward about a year, I bought the entire set on VHS. I turned on *some* of my friends (let's face it, it can be an acquired taste) to this stuff.

Enentually I discovered that my "complete set" was only complete at the time it was made in the 80s. So I bought a couple of these newer episodes on DVD. This one made me laugh so hard that I thought I might have to go to the Emergency Room to get the aqueous humor re-instilled into my ruptured eyeballs. One skit in particular just makes me laugh upon visualization. The only skit that ever made me laugh that hard was the one in Candid Camera's boxed set where the dentist tries to up-sell his patients jewelry after their procedures- jewelry and watches encrusted with human teeth- their responses are priceless.

If you are a conneisseur of gags and pranks, you'll like the newer ones. Some are pretty well thought out.

There is one

JFL created a masterpiece of light-hearted reasons to laugh. Volume 2 will be joining my collection as soon as it is released!

Was indeed great for laughs.

Enjoyed the humor and good party video

Thanks

Sharon R. Barnes

If you liked Candid Camera, you will like this series. It is one hour and 21 minutes long but I found myself fast forwarding through a number of gags that just didn't work. I did laugh a few times. Worth a rental; not worth buying.