French and Saunders: At the Movies-- a DVD Review

"French & Saunders: At The Movies" is a collection of movie parodies interspersed with comedy sketches (French and Saunders material from 1994--). The British comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have been making people laugh for decades. This DVD contains some of their best parodies.

Key Features of this French & Saunders DVD:

Misery

Jennifer Saunders has written a new script, her funniest ever, but left Dawn French out. Will Saunders get out alive? The Misery parody is one of my favorites.
Dawn French does a fantastic impersonation of Kathy Bates. Kudos also to the set designers and Jennifer Saunders for her straight act.

Silence of the Lambs

Jennifer Saunders ala Jodie Foster must save light entertainment. What I loved most about this parody: Jennifer Saunders adopts an amusing Jodie Foster-esque accent and Dawn French superbly spoofs Hannibal Lecter.

*A side note for American viewers: The large building a sweaty Saunders enters (toward the beginning of the parody) is the BBC Television Centre in London. The building houses offices and studios. Many famous British television programs have been filmed in those studios, including Doctor Who and Absolutely Fabulous. Unfortunately, BBC intends to sell the building in 2012 or 2013.

Alien

If French & Saunders' parody of Alien does not (at least) invoke a grin, you should check your pulse to make sure you are still alive.

Thelma and Louise

Worth seeing, even if only to hear French and Saunders do the Thelma and Louise accent (which they do quite well).

This DVD also contains many entertaining side-trips between parodies. My favorite sketches in this collection include Jennifer Saunders as a teen throwing a house party (the music is actually quite catchy) and French and Saunders as celebrity (namely, Madonna) stalkers. If I were Madonna, I would give them my alarm code. I would even invite them in for a cup of tea.

*Don't forget to watch the bonus feature, which includes the Star Wars Phantom Menace parody as well as several sketches

On my Hilarity Scale, this DVD rates five stars out of five stars.

I know that humor is quite individual and some people will not find this as funny as I did. It helps to be familiar with French and Saunders' work in general-having a feel for them helps one "get" some of the more subtle jokes. French & Saunders: At The Movies is, also, slightly more entertaining for those who are familiar with British television shows and actors. Naturally, it also helps if you have seen the movies French and Saunders parody.However, I believe that anyone who likes light-hearted comedy will enjoy French and Saunders, and especially this collection of parodies and comedy sketches.

Availability and price:

"French & Saunders: At The Movies" is widely available at online retailers, including Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon.

The following prices are current as of this writing:

Amazon-- $8.99
Barnes and Noble online-- $14.99
Borders online-- $12.99

*The above companies are used as examples only.

*French and Saunders: At The Movies is available as a single DVD or part of a six DVD box set.

Approximate running time: 110 minutes

Strong Language: Some
Appropriate for young children: No
Silliness: Yes
Hilarity: Yes
Hilarity scale: 5 stars

Key to Hilarity Scale

1 star= I fell asleep
2 stars= I nearly smiled
3 stars= I chuckled occasionally
4 stars= Laughed out loud often
5 stars= Nearly Hurt myself, at least once, from laughing

Important Tip for Residents of the United States: Make sure you purchase this DVD in Region 1 formatting