Customer Reviews

Kids In The Hall - Same Guys, New Dresses

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

First off, let me say that anyone looking for the Kids In the Hall's answer to "Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl" will be sorely disappointed. This is more of a backstage documentary, though some live concert sketches are included (only a few full scenes, mostly segments). The audio was not taken from the theatre's sound boards, so it is a bit dodgy at times, though always audible. You want to pick up this DVD for a glance at the Kids' actual personalities and how they interact as a group. And it is fascinating as such, with as much insight as one could cram into 90 min. (obviously, you will not come away knowing the boys backwards and forwards). Also, don't expect a laugh riot - when offstage, they five are not always "on" and cutting up. Indeed, it's far more interesting to hear them discuss business and their methodology than simply trying to be funny constantly. Though, the commentary IS possibly funnier than anything in the film, as the Kids freely comment and rip on themselves and each other while viewing the film. Guest commentary by Mike Myers, Jason Priestly, and Andy Richter is amusing and interesting, though the comments from Trey Parker & Matt Stone are unfunny and obnoxious (they're trying WAY too hard to be funny). As far as the Kids go, McDonald and Thompson come off as the nicest (though Thompson seems rather, shall we say, eccentric), McKinney is amusing but the most businesslike, and Foley & McCulloch come off as the least likable. The extras are bizarre and irreverant, as one one expect from the troupe. Well worth picking up!

I discovered the Kids through Comedy Central re-runs a few months ago and was heartbroken when the network replaced their former 2-3pm hour with... more SNL reruns! We need more of those!

Anyway, before I get off on another Comedy Central diatribe, I want to say that this DVD is absolutely hilarious. I hadn't seen that much of the Kids work in comparison with the entire body of it, and was looking forward to getting a look into the guys' personalities and real life personas -- and that's exactly what I got. It's really easy to get a real idea of each of the Kids here. Scott definitely comes off as the most fun and the most like he is onstage. Surprisingly Bruce, who seems so lighthearted and whimsical on stage, is much more business-like and not as easily likable offstage.

There's not that much of the guys' 2001 tour on this DVD; it focuses more on the behind the scenes work. It's put together in a way that you can see the work that went on for the few sketches that are shown almost fully: the Tanya sketch, the opening credits, and perhaps most in-depth, Scott's monologue involving his robo-dog, a hilarious behind the scenes diversion that will keep you laughing.

Of course, the group's stage work is as strong as ever, but this DVD is especially recommmended to those who have seen everything KITH but want to know more about the individual guys, how they work, and what they're really like. As for extras, "Kevin Eating Soup" is hysterical to watch for some strange reason, as are the other extra features (one, "Phoner," is actually rather serious and shows Dave, Scott, and Mark's real feelings about the group), and the commentary from the Kids, especially Mark and Scott's, will keep you in stitches. A great KITH purchase!

In my opinion, there's In Living Color, The Ben Stiller Show, Mr. Show, and Saturday Night Live, and then there's Groucho Marx, Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Monty Python, Woody Allen, and The Kids in the Hall. There's talent, and then there is genius. Yes, genius. Is a comedic genius somehow less than a genius in Physics? Yes. But I don't laugh at kinetic energy (hey, I'm trying to be funny, look at that).

I watch only one hour of TV a day. The one hour of television I watch every day is the one hour of The Kids in the Hall I've recorded while at work. I was SO eager to watch this. I was grinning, looking at the cover as I headed over to a friend's to watch it ("Oh, look, Mark's put on a little weight, ha ha," and "Ooh, I never knew Dave had a tattoo. Hmm."). How could this movie miss? I thought I could watch the guys put on lipstick for an hour and a half and still somehow enjoy it. But oh my. What a cold, dreadful, bitter movie.

As Dave Foley admits, no one really wanted to shoot this documentary. Not even Jason Priestly for crying out loud (notice how quiet Priestly gets on the commentary when Foley brings up the idea). Foley ended up with hundreds of hours of footage of struggling lawyers and struggling technicians and struggling sketch comedy artists (oh, and some struggling, booing fans).

When I finished watching the movie (and then again with commentary), I really got the feeling that I had indeed just watched footage that "ended up" somewhere on some poor editor's desk and a certain reluctant "director's" office, that later "ended up" for sale, and ultimately "ended up" in my house.

What the videographers got was five middle-aged (nearly) men doing their best to somehow usurp one another (to what end at this point in their respective careers is beyond me) using techniques best known by rotten little children. At least Scott Thompson understood that--maybe subconsciously, maybe who cares--and used the robotic puppy to get his precious attention instead of acidic grumblings put into use by Bruce and Dave. It really did work: There is way, way too much in the final cut devoted to Scott and the dog.

The movie itself is absurd. The movie pokes fun at the absurdity of the childishness of the five men in the troupe. Matt Stone and Trey Parker poke fun at how the movie pokes fun at The Kids in the Hall (quite a clever little banter they had there). A lot of poking. The Kids in the Hall must think their fans are crazy or dumb or both for wanting to go the theater and pay to see these tired old guys do Sir Simon, Chicken Lady, and Buddy Cole. Why are they so cynical and jaded? What do they have to lose?

I loved hearing Mike Myers talk about his true love of the troupe and a little on his history with the guys. He talked so earnestly. Dave and Bruce just kind of lazily lobbed unfunny quips about what we see on screen, Kevin seemed like he's just along for the ride, Jason Priestly clipped on his mic and mostly stammered in this pseudo-serious tone, and Andy Richter said some very, very forgettable things. I really liked Mark and Scott's commentary (they recorded in a different locale). I thought their commentary was funny (I like how they argue about children and "unconditional love") and interesting (a bit of a straight-laced Dad in McKinney speaking alongside Scott, who wants to be considered just "funny," instead of the "gay, funny guy"). Their talk was not so snappy and competitive and had a little more meat to it.

Do dumb, online reviews need a summary paragraph?

Hope you like the DVD. I didn't.

This documentary about the 2000 reunion tour of the Canadian sketch comedy troop The Kids in the Hall is unlikely to be of interest to anyone who is not already a fan. There is not much concert footage. Instead, it is a low-key documentary, shot on the cheap, with lots of exclusive footage of the Kids at work as they deal with the demands of touring and their own sometimes contentious personalities. This is NOT the film to watch for an introduction to KITH's brand of comedy, although there are some laughs here. Rather, it is for the fan who wishes to learn about the personalities and working style of this excellent team of comedians.

I always love seeing "Behind the scenes" goodies about comedy groups. As Monty Python gave us "Life of Python", so Kids in the Hall gives us "Same Guys New Dresses". The concert footage is very good, but is used notsomuch to just show you the skits but more to play off of the rehearsals and backstage antics and headaches caused. The "Kevin trying to appease the crowd after the show is 2 hours late" bit is hilarious!
You'll definitely want the DVD on this one as it makes the purchase 2 movies in one as the commentary provided by the five kids is just as funny as watching it without.
Definitely worth buying!

If you've never seen the Kids in the Hall TV show, I have a few choice words for you: 2pm Eastern, Comedy Central. This is what SNL really really wants to be: consistently smart, quirky, insane, and downright hilarious. All five actors routinely turn in wonderful performances.

And if you end up seeing the entire run of the show (as it ended a little less than a decade ago) and want something else to tide you over until the next Kids film (rent Brain Candy! inventive, quirky, darkly hilarious), this would be it. I've noticed some reviewers seem to be wanting skits, or even glorification of the actors: this really isn't it. This is the Kids, ten years later, still incredibly funny and sardonic. They talk shop, they perform, they stain expensive hotel couches and plan gags for Conan. The extras are HILARIOUS, especially Kevin Eating Soup, which is exactly what the title suggests.

This isn't meant to be an extension of the TV show; it's a look behind the camera. And the commentaries are wonderful; not lifeless at all, as one reviewer claimer, but a funny (and occaisionally slightly touching - Mike Myers) addition to a nice piece of work. (Dave Foley directed.) It isn't Oscar material, and probably not for newcomers, but if you're a KITH fan, it's worth your money.

This is a great dvd for those who are longtime fans of the Kids are curious about their backstage dynamics. You get a great feel for their live shows, as well. The commentaries are funny and insightful. Some people have complained about the audio quality of the dvd but it is only poor in parts because they were just using the camera mic to capture the sound for the behind-the-scenes segments. Therefore, the quality of the audio depended on how close each person was to the camera. Most of it is just fine, and the stage segments sound fine because they are wearing mics. I was very pleased with this dvd and would love to see one made from their 2002 tour and a set done from their tv shows!

The Kids in the Hall, Same Guys, New Dresses is something of a disappointment. It follows the Kids on their North American tour in 2000. It was kind of interesting how they showed some behind the scenes stuff and how things were written. But the problem is that the movie only showed clips from the actual tour.

There's new material, or at least newer than the old stuff from the series, but we don't get to see it. It's like a tv clip show. They show them getting dressed and eating dinner and talking about the skits. Then they show maybe 10 seconds of a clip. I kept wating for them to get to the actual show.

So don't get this unless....well, unless you like being teased. If you like your comedy shown and then quickly pulled away at the last second, this might be for you. Otherwise it's not.

The video is a live version of some of THE BEST OF video skits, verbatim. It's good to watch if you've never seen them perform for a live audience. The offstage stuff is much more interesting. Without discussing: Marks' telephone interview, the eye saga, and Conan are priceless. It isn't a true representation of a tour though, because it comes off as being a bit fluffy. No show of any usual tour things: ...tour food, being on the last nerve, someone having to "spin city," homesickness, hangovers, weirdos and psycho fans incidents, etc. But it's not like it's the Discovery channel anyways, right? Hopefully, the 2002 will be more insightful, but they are professionals and will probably stick to the light/funny stuff.

I just bought this DVD over the weekend, and I must say it is one hell of a film. I have only been watching Kids in the Hall for a few years, but in that short time I have become a huge fan of their work (I always make sure the tape is set every day at 2pm on Comedy Central). Unfortunately it is not easy for me to see their live performances because either I don't have the money for a ticket, or they don't come terribly close to where I live. That's what is so great about this DVD: you get to experience the aspects of actually seeing one of their live tour shows, AND you get to go backstage to see how the 5 Kids interact with each other, and prepare for their shows. My only complaint about this DVD is that there wasn't MORE!! (which is the only reason why it isn't ***** instead of ****) I could have watched the live show footage, as well as the backstage footage all day long.

I also enjoyed the extra features, specifically Kevin "Eating Soup." Kevin is by far my favorite 'Kid' -- even though I'm in the .0000001% of people who think that (heh heh, just kidding Kevster) -- so it was great to see him, yet again take something as simple as eating soup, and turn it into a comedic masterpiece. I'm not going to go into detail about every little thing that happened in this DVD, but I will say that the entire 80 + minutes (as well as the bonus footage such as "Kevin Eating Soup," "Dave's Eye Surgery" and the commentary from Mike Myers and others) will not disappoint any KITH fan. If you've been craving something new from these guys, and haven't been able to get out and see them on tour (like myself), then I strongly suggest you go out and get this DVD. And yes..Bellini is in this too..and yes..he's wearing a towel..and yes..the whole thing's hilarious so stop wasting your time reading what I think, and go get yourself a copy of "Same Guys, New Dresses" NOW ...!!