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Of all of the
comedy troupes that have come along over
the last 30+ years, “The Kids in the
Hall” has to be the most underrated
and underappreciated of them all. Their
skits were every bit as irreverent and funny
as Monty Python, though occasionally far
more risqué. Well, okay, perhaps
risqué is a bit of an understatement.
These guys will get naked, spout foul language
and even tongue kiss each other if it will
get a good laugh.
The five man Canadian group, made up of
Bruce McCullough, Scott Thompson, Dave Foley,
Kevin MacDonald, and Mark McKinney made
their mark on stage and television in the
'Great White North' back in the mid-80’s.
They made the move to U.S. television in
1989, and could be found on various Network
and cable outlets up until about 1995. In
1996, they filmed their one and only feature
film, “Brain Candy” and afterwards
went their separate ways. They reunited
briefly in 2002 for a live tour across the
U.S and Canada, which met with great success.
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I always found it odd that so many of my friends
had never head of the “The Kids in the Hall”,
considering most of them were familiar with the
individual members. Dave Foley had made a name
for himself on “News Radio”, while
Bruce McCullough enjoyed a lengthy stint on “Saturday
Night Live.” As for me, I made it a point
to catch their show on the re-runs that would
continuously run on Comedy Central. The characters
they would create were often as memorable to me
as those created by any other comedy troupe. I’d
put their skits head-to-head against anything
that has come out of “SNL” for the
last 20 or so years. Many a time I have found
myself sitting around, thinking of Mark McKinney’s
Mr. Tyzik, all the while ‘crushing the heads’
of those around me. (You can do it yourself…
just keep your eyes peeled for people you don’t
like. When you spot one, hold your thumb and forefinger
in front of your eye, being sure to close the
other, get their head in your line of site between
your fingers… and crush to your heart’s
content. Trust me… its fun…)
A couple of years back, A&E decided to release
the first season of “The Kids in the Hall”,
which was a four disc affair complete with all
20 episodes of their 1989-90 season. An even bigger
treat for fans was the inclusion of commentaries,
new interviews and previously unseen live theatre
footage. Then, at Christmastime 2004, they followed
it up by releasing the full second season. Once
again, you found a full twenty episodes plus a
slew of extra features.
Now its nearing the end of 2006 and this week
delivers the fifth (and final) season into our
grubby little mitts. This season, which ran from
1993 - 1994, offers up 4 more discs of episodes
of the irreverent series (21… count 'em…
21), with hours and hours of sketches from these
insane Canadians. And if you are already somewhat
familiar with their unusual brand of comedy, I
guarantee you aren’t ready for this fifth
season. These guys attained new heights (or would
that be new lows) in the levels they reach to
get a laugh. The final episode has a commentary
by the troupe, and keeping in mind that these
guys are comedians, rest assured it's extremely
funny to listen to.
The fourth disc also offers the set's only other
special feature, which is a compilation of some
of the fan's favorite sketches. I found this to
be a little redundant, since these sketches are
duplicated from the rest of the set. This final
set has the least amount of special features,
but is still well worth getting to complete the
collection.
I’ll be the first to admit that the humor
of “The Kids in the Hall” isn’t
for everyone. There’s a good chance some
people will be offended by their somewhat off-kilter
style of comedy. It is geared more for those who
can appreciate intellectually stimulating, lowbrow
humor. (Yes, there is such a thing!!)
Starring: Bruce McCullough, Scott Thompson, Dave
Foley, Kevin MacDonald, Mark McKinney
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: A&E
Release Date: 10/31/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Kids in the Hall: Season 5 an A.
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