Scanlines
The Young Ones in "Demolition," "Bomb," & "Sick"
Fri., Jan. 3, 1997
VHS Home Video
Waterloo Video, 1016 W. Sixth
 The Young Ones (clockwise from top): Neil, Vyvyan, Mike and Rik |
The Young Ones in "Bambi," "Nasty," & "Time"
D: Paul Jackson; with Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Adrian Edmondson,
Christopher Ryan, Alexei Sayle.VHS Home Video
Waterloo Video, 1016 W. Sixth
This one is the best of the available-to-rent lot; these episodes weren't played very much, so they contain the least-seen material. The first finds our stinky quadmates in incredible need of a trip to the laundry when Neil remembers what he's been forgetting to tell the troupe: They've been invited to go on University Challenge, a trivia game where Scumbag College will compete against the Cambridge snobs. On the way to the game show, Vyvyan decapitates himself out of the train window and Motorhead makes an appearance. "Time" begins with a hilarious out-of-character take on the Dallas phenomenon of the era, and in "Nasty," a night of dirty videos is interrupted by Alexei Sayle as a South African vampire (who appears after The Damned have performed "Video Nasty"). Only a "sissy virgin" has anything to worry about, and again, Neil delivers a profound quote (on the life of the undead), "He'll turn us into vampires and we'll all be dead... yet still alive... like Leonard Cohen." -- Jen Scoville
The Young Ones in "Cash," "Interesting,"
& "Summer Holiday"
D: Paul Jackson; with Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Adrian Edmondson,
Christopher Ryan, Alexei Sayle.VHS Home Video
Waterloo Video, 1016 W. Sixth
I know, I know. But there were only 12 episodes made to begin with and we watched those over and over a billion times. How could I stop at two tapes? "Cash" begins with the idea of furniture as fuel as the boys find themselves a little short of change. And, oh no! Vyvyan's pregnant with a gas bubble that ultimately blows the whole house sky high. In the second episode, the Young Ones throw a boring party (except for the singing guy in the elephant head). Luckily Neil gets as high as the moon, and Rick has occupied himself with a little white "mouse" from a female guest's purse. Musical guest Rip, Rig, and Panic features a young Neneh Cherry. "Summer Holiday," the final Young Ones episode of all time (1984), leaves Rick an orphan and he leads the boys from boredom into a mad bank-robbing plan which succeeds, despite their usual bungling, until Vyv hurls their double-decker escape bus over a cliff. As their theme song sadly forecasts: "Once in every lifetime...," indeed. But thankfully, The Young Ones can now be watched and re-watched until the tape wears out. -- Jen Scoville
A Close Shave
D: Nick Park; with Wallace and Gromit.VHS Home Video
Sheep are disappearing across the countryside, and while practicing their trade as window-cleaners, Wallace and his faithful dog Gromit accidentally become involved in this ominous bovine operation. Like Nick Park's two previous Wallace and Gromit claymation films, A Grand Day Out and The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave also won the Academy Award for best animated short. Park's remarkable ability to infuse his creations with both emotional depth and subtlety of expression is nothing short of magical, and his comic timing is dead-on. Some of the humor will be lost on kids, but they'll have a great time anyway. -- Bud Simons
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
PC CD ROMWestwood Studios
Imagine that Hitler never rose to power and that Germany never started WWII. Something worse happened: Josef Stalin. That's the premise behind Westwood Studios' highly anticipated sequel to their runaway hit of 1995: Command and Conquer. Red Alert is a fast moving strategy game where you are employed by either the Soviets or the Allies in an epic confrontation for the control of Europe. The scenarios are well-balanced and challenging, but for a real treat, you'll want to fire up your modem and go online to play against some carbon-based opponents. This game is hot, but you'll have to think quickly and act even faster to succeed. -- Kurt Dillard
 The Young Ones compete on "University Challenge" |
