Customer Reviews

Queer As Folk (Definitive Collector's Edition) [Region 2]

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This DVD contains the first series - 4 hours on two discs - of *Queer as Folk* as it was originally seen on television in the U.K. I hesitated for awhile, wondering whether it was worth the rather steep price for two discs. (Actually, I didn't know how many discs there were -- search as you might, I dare you to find that information here). Plus, I wasn't crazy about the what I saw of the U.S. version. Finally, I'm always scared by films and television from the U.K. because the regional accents are often indecipherable to my Yankee ear. Anyway, I bought it and I'm glad I did.

First, I had no problem with the accents or the regional idioms. All the "shagging" and "wanking" wore off on me a bit, actually. ("Do you think ov'im when you av'a wank? No? Then ee's your Boyfriend alright.") The teleplay is flawless. Other reviewers are better at synopsis than I am. The point is, it's how the story's told that really sells this.

The ensemble cast, led by Aiden Gillen, Craig Kelly, and Charlie Hunnam is terrific. Where the U.S. show had guys who really looked good but weren't very interesting, this show has more or less normal, but still good looking guys who look better and better as you get to know them. As Stuart, Aiden Gillen, for example, plays a character who "doesn't even have to work for it." But it's not so much that he's a god, physically, it's rather his attitude, which is so much more complicated than the voracious party boy he pretends to be. Craig Kelly broke my heart as Vince, Stuart's best friend, who apparently has been smitten by Stuart since they were both 12. And Charlie Hunnam swipes every scene he's in as Nathan, the 15 year old who starts out as a victim-waiting-to-happen, and ends up a hero, both to himself and to his adopted community. The setting is realistic too: straight people who run the gamut from insane homophobes to fellow-travelers; and gay people who have carved for themselves a community, but who have also found out that the world isn't "Will and Grace" and liberation is an inside job.

This show never panders to those who want easy or politically correct answers, or who want everything to be tied up nicely in a bow. Instead, it overflows with insight. Inthe U.S. version, this seems mere melodrama. Here, it works on so many dramatic levels. One of the best things to be said about it is that it truly is "made for t.v." Which is to say that it totally exploits and expands the medium. I could no more imagine this on the big screen than on the stage. It does, in other words, everything that T.V. should do and none of the things it shouldn't.

There's a lot of sex in the show, some of it more steamy than most U.S. viewers have ever seen on the tube (not counting HBO), but it's never played for shock value. It propels the story. It's honest. And yes, it's erotic.

So the bottom line is, this is a very fine show, and you're not likely to see it if you don't buy it. So if you *can* afford it, you probably should.

I had seen 'Queer As Folk' in its original cut in the U.K., and I was dutifully impressed by how realistic, breezily fun and uncompromising this series was. As sexy, glitzy and prettily-cast the American version is, it doesn't have the heart or depth of the British original.
One of the most obvious things the U.K. version develops better is its characters. The non-chalant and irresponsible Stuart is not as cut and dry as his American counterpart (though I personally find the American Brian to be more attractive), and the multi-dimensional character is served by a more interesting actor. The hapless character of Vince, with his babbling unease, obsession with 'Doctor Who' and endearing modesty is never hard to watch, and he is played with absolute earnest by Craig Kelly. Nathan, as played by Charlie Hunnam (late of Fox's 'Undeclared') is a fresh-faced and honest character with a well developed transformation from innocent boy to more worldly young man.
Without the need to stretch stories out for whole seasons at a time, this miniseries is able to spend just enough time on all the fun and serious moments which comprise the plots of these 8 episodes. While this series isn't as graphic or as dependent on sex as the Showtime version, it certainly has more than its fair share of controversial situations and characters, and as a result it is a far more daring and relevant production.
The DVDs are a bare-bones presentation of the series, condensing all 8 episodes into 4, and editing some scenes while severely altering the soundtrack into basically a series of generic (read: cheap) dance tracks. While the original score is left largely untouched, there is no 'Sexy Boy' or 'It's Raining Men' for instance in the C1 version, which is disappointing to say the least, as the songs chosen for the original soundtrack added so much. There are no extra features of any kind on the DVD - a scene selection menu and subtitles would have been in order at least.
In the end, this is a must-see miniseries, a triumph for television and a tribute not only to the gay lifestyle, but to good old-fashioned smart dialogue and honest characterization. The skeleton DVD and the annoying C1 edits may diminish things slightly, but not to those who have never seen it before - it's such a compelling and sincerely fun series. Gritty, frank and unapologetic, the British 'Queer As Folk' is a testament to truth and realism, obscuring nothing but serving to open many eyes.

I watched the first series of QAF when it aired in the UK and it was pretty ground breaking stuff over here. This was mainly due to the gritty storylines and its 'no holes barred' approach. I loved the series as it was refreshing to see gay storylines that weren't all about HIV and queer bashing (which is all you got previously on british TV). I disagree with some of the other reviewers as I thought it was really well acted and the casting was fantastic.
The american QAF has just started to be aired on cable over here and I found it a little disappointing though still enjoyable. Me and many of my mates were really excited when we heard HBO were releasing an american version. Even Russell T Davies (the writer of britsh QAF) hailed it as fantastic. Yes the actors are much more attractive and there's more nudity and better sex scenes, but if thats all you want from a series, go and get some porn. If you can't watch TV without needing to be titilated the brish series is probably not for you. I personally prefer the series because its not so 'fluffy' and makes you question your own opinions and ideas of gay life. It had to be rougher cause thats life in the UK - no one here would of been able to relate to the beauty of QAF USA. Maybe a british audience expect different things to an american audience. It also appealed to a huge sraight following here because it wasn't incredibly homo-erotic.
If you enjoy good, gritty drama as opposed to lighter, sweeter, more attractive TV, I think you'll like the series a lot. QAF USA is good and has its place but in my mind doesn't equal this series.

About 3 years ago a show appeared on British TV that shocked a nation. Its frank portrayal of gay lifestyle in Manchester was soon met by both anger and raves. Soon, even if they didn't admit it, people were tuning into Queer as Folk and loving it. The story is simple. Stuart, afraid of falling in love, turns to one night stands for pleasure. Stuart's friend Vince, a die-hard Dr. Who fan, is in love with Stuart, but can't admit it to himself or his friend. Then...along comes Nathan...a 16 year old who is just coming out of the closet and falling in love with Stuart. What happens next is a journey you will need to take. Its about time that the English version of this show was available in the US. The Showtime adaption is good...but its the UK version that sizzles! Believe me...Episode 1 has gone down in British History as the 25 minutes that rocked a nation! This video set is Series 1. Series 2 appeared a year later...and although it closed the doors on Queer as Folk...it is not as good as the first 8 episodes.

Having not seen the American remake of this series, my partner and I sat down to watch this British series on DVD and quickly became hooked--not by the sex (which got so much publicity), but by the overall quality of the production--especially its writing and acting. We cared about these characters and their families (warts and all), and were disappointed when the first 4 hours were over. We're middle-aged urban Americans, but we identified very much with the universality of this younger British milieu--some things transcend time and place. It's inspiring to see gay themes treated on the screen with such intelligence, wit and maturity. We've come a long way. No lectures here. No moralizing. No black & white heroes and villians. Just some real, complicated, flawed but loveable characters struggling with how to be happy and proud in an imperfect world. We wish the DVD made better use of providing additional materials; more background on the actors, writers and such would have been appreciated. We bought the 90-minute, Part 2 conclusion as soon as it was available, and found it to be be inferior to the original series and an unsatisfying conclusion to the saga--but any opportunity to spend more time with these characters was appreciated. This is one of those rare series that I'm sure we'll watch again periodically.

As someone who has the benefit of watching PAL (British/European) formatted video, I'm fortunate to have the original release of QAF 1 and 2 from the UK. This is the series that started it all. While the American version of this series has definitely improved and the actors have gotten more comfortable in their roles, I have to say I still find the British version superior with respect to acting and with the more gritty, realistic view of what gay life is like in a working class city. The American version is still a bit polished and its portrayal of the gay nightlife is a bit surreal. While the American version pushes the sex envelope a bit further than the UK version, you have to realize that in the UK this was shown on Channel Four, which would be an equivalent of NBC in America. Imagine NBC (or ABC or CBS or anything not on a premium cable channel) showing this!! As the analogy goes, America is cutting edge with violence and the British with sex. The original version is definitely worth getting your hands on. I think you'll find the characters are multidimensional and considerably more realistic. (and if you have the capability to play PAL tapes, buy these tapes from amazon.co.uk as they include the original soundtrack which is far superior to the sad thing they had to do these tapes to comply with licensing them in North America).

I loved this mini-series so much that I forked out the 70 odd quid for the American version just so that I could spend more time with Stuart and Vince (Brian and Michael).

As you might have suspected, I ended up a little disappointed. This is not because the American version is bad - but it's very different. I believe it's inferior but that's just my own taste.

The truth is, if you like the American version, you probably wouldn't like the British version and vice versa.

As a reviewer said below, the UK version is grittier, not as glamourous or as "sweet". It's more ambiguous, darker and unapologetically un-PC with few easy "messages". It's also, therefore, more realistic.

Phil's funeral is a great case in point. As opposed to his American alter-ego who just slipped into a coma, Phil died. And yes, Stuart and the gang weren't exactly sobbing or even particularly respectful. But what did you expect? They're portrayed as self-absorbed wankers - charming and attractive but still basically egotistical. However, that episode, largely through Vince, voices the series' somewhat ambivalent attitide to aspects of contemporary gay life - something which gives a greater depth and resonance to the whole thing.

However, you can't fault the US series for not doing what it didn't set out to do.

The plot of the original was driven by the largely sexless relationship between Stuart and Vince, and how their unspoken love for each other expressed itself; with Nathan ("The one-night stand that never went away") acting as an introduction to their world and a catalyst for the story.

Although those of us who love the original might mourn the lack of focus on the central relationship between the main characters - the US version is much much longer and more of an emsemble, so letting that relationship drive the plot makes little sense as there is no defined ending. And the American version is MEANT to be glitzier and "easier" - a sort of gay "Sex and the City". As such, it succeeds very well. Entertainly eye-candy that can nonetheless be very thought-provoking at times. If the sex gets a little dull, I just remind myself that, as a straight female, I'm probaby not the best audience for the series.

But ah!! That last scene with Stuart and Vince dancing like complete utter twats to #It's Raining Men# but not giving a folk - that scene proves conclusively that you can both laugh and cry at the same time. Pure Magic.

"Queer as Folk" Series One shows most of the famous British television series centered on a cluster of gay male friends and acquaintances in Manchester. Unlike most similar ensemble attempts, there are serious, substantial linkings out to the men's families, workplaces, schools, and lesbian friends. This produces a well-rounded depiction of contemporary gay male life in the U.K. and a sense of the variety of responses and accommodations gays and straights make for one another.

The core of the drama is the ostensibly unrequited love retail manager Vince Tyler (played by Craig Kelly) has for long-time friend, publicist and seduction phenom Stuart Jones (played by Aidan Gillen). The drama kicks off with the coming out of 15 year old student Nathan Maloney (played by Charlie Hunnam), who starts off with Stuart, irritating Vince. Complications, subplots, and a variety of potential love interests all intertwine, coming to a satisfying conclusion to Series One. Series Two continues the Series One story reasonably well.

The Manchester accent and some local slang appear throughout. Some replays may be needed to get the exact words spoken. There is a script book (with photos) available of the detailed, pre-shooting script. The TV/video/DVD final version has a number of small improvements on the original. You might check it out.

The major actors are all brilliant. Surprisingly, the minor actors are too. The plot lines are all reasonable enough, the characters evolve plausibly, and actors look and play their ages. Production values and photography are first rate. "Queer as Folk" is simply the best gay ensemble movie ever.

Note there are two DVDs in one case for Series One and a single DVD for Series Two.

After the opening salvo - that is sex scene - between Aiden Gillett and Charlie Hunnam, this original series opens into a wonderful drama of gay life. Of course, there are still more sex scenes (a delicately filmed threesome) but the real drama revolves around everyday issues of being gay. Unlike it's American counterpart, this series pulls no punches and never underestimates your intelligence.

The characters are believable and although not always lovable (Stuart, you bugger!), you can't help but root for even the bad guy. Won't you don't tolerate are the eggheads and snobs that permeate all strata of life. In other words, the know-it-alls do get their comeuppance. The three major characters are first class actors. They make you want to come back for more.

Get the series and get a first class taste of gay life!

I know many people are seeing QaF for the first time on Shotime in the US, but the British version did in fact come first, and in my opinion, is much more satisfying than the US one. The characters are much more real and fully drawn (Stuart isn't nearly the jerk that Brian is, for example), and the way the scenes are played out is much more subtle. Most of the American version so far is simply recreating the scenarios of the British one (often line by line and shot by shot). The Brits know what they're doing, and that certainly shows here. The show illustrates what these men's lifestyles are like. We see ups and downs and all of it portrayed very realistically. Sex isn't always romanticized and softly lit; taking recreational drugs won't always kill you, but it very well might; promiscuous sex is by no means a good idea, but some people do indeed live that way. And the blokes in QaF show you it all from all sides of the issues. A definite must see. If you can only see one version of QaF, see the Brit one.