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Doctor Terrible's House Of Horrible - Series 1 [2001]
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Coogan also stars in each as six different characters. In "And Now the Fearing...", for example. he plays rat-faced, unpleasant millionaire Denham Denham; in "Frenzy of Tongs"--a mickey-take of the Fu Manchu films--he's the insufferably suave Nathan Blaze, a Jason King-a-like; in "Scream, Satan Scream", meanwhile, he superimposes a parody of Peter Sellers over a lampoon of the Vincent Price film Witchfinder General. Although most of these episodes are elaborate period pieces and genuine care has been made to render them as scary as possible, the real period detail has been in recreating the luridly quaint, over-acted, hammy feel of the 70s productions to which these episodes pay affectionate homage. Although hardly a perfect series, the camped-up daftness of the entire enterprise, a star-studded cast that includes Honor Blackman, John Thompson and Ronnie Ancona, some nice scripting and Coogan's versatility all make for a programme that's hard to dislike. On the DVD Dr Terrible's House of Horrible is quite generous in its extras. These include "An Appointment with Terrible", a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show, much of which was shot in the studio hangars where the original Hammer horrors were made, dry audio commentary by cowriters Graham Duff and Henry Normal and director Matt Lipsey, and "Behind the Screams" a mock-70s film journal ("only 10p!") reflecting on the making of one of the episodes. --David Stubbs
RRP: £15.99
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Originally broadcast in 2001, Dr Terrible's House of Horrible is a six-part pastiche of 1970s Hammer Horror from Steve Coogan's Baby Cow production company. Each episode is topped and tailed by Coogan beneath a mass of prosthetics in a high-back leather chair as the avuncular, flatulent, faintly morally debauched Dr Terrible. "That was truly diabolical", he concludes of each show, a verdict with which one or two critics unkindly and unfairly concurred.
Not a Classic - But Not "Truly Diabolical"
Review date: 2008-09-14 Rating: 8 out of 10
Horror movies fulfill an important role in many adolescent kids' lives as they both are obsessed with sexuality and death. So why not write a spoof series that give tribute to Hammer, Amicus and Tigon films?
The problem is that really this another attempt at "Coogan's Run": an unpredictable and uneven anthology comedy series. Just like " ...Run" Coogan plays multiple roles and, inevitably, the quality of the episodes varies.
One constant high point is Coogan's eponymous narrator.He is crude, cruel, snobbish and perverted;he also has his bad points. Actually his kinky and surreal monologues are often the best part of the shows.
The opening "Fearing" episode is a patchy spoof of Amicus anthology horror films and a little too arch for its own good. The coffee table story is especially a little too knowing for its own good with its heavy-handed swipes at reactionary misogyny in British 70's horror.It has to be said that Julia Davis is ,as ever, great at playing the archetypal sex-obsessed lover of feminist pyschobabble and I suppose it does hit the target by pointing out the cruel and crude justice of the morality tales in these movies.
"Tongs" is much better even though I can't ever claim to seen a "Fu-Manchu" style horror movie. Gatiss is great and clearly revels in his role. Bizarrely this is really a clearer, and therefore better, spoof of the "Doctor Who" classic adventure "The Talons of Weng-Chiang". So not really a horror movie spoof per se.
"Curse of The Blood of The Lizard of Doom" is simply poor: an unfunny pantomime with some truly wretched Scottish accents.
"Lesbian Vampire Lovers of Lust" is an accurate and affectionate parody of Hammer's late '60s/ 70's habit of using vampire movies as trojan horses to put out lesbian softcore pornography, witness the Ingrid Pitt "classics" "The Vampire Lovers" or "Countess Dracula." Roni Ancona is a treat as the seductive sapphic sucker and Ben Miller is terrific as the campest er... tool of a vampire you'll ever see. Double entendres are scattered through the dialogue and this cleverly exposes the cowardly and cynical use of sexuality in the Hammer canon.
"Voodoo Feet of Death" is a very poor episode with very little laughs at all.
The series ends on a high note - "Scream Satan Scream!" is a great take on the classic "The Witchfinder General". Coogan is a knockout in his mock Peter Sellers acting style and potrays the pompous puritan as a holy hypocrite.Just like the fourth episode this attacks the wretched and squalid sexual hypocriscy of horror flicks as they are fascinated yet disgusted by women's sexuality.
The extras are okay; some great commentaries and a passable "behind the scenes" documentary.
Overall, a good stab at horror-comedy but not as good as the "League of Gentlemen" Christmas special.I suppose it is guilty of overrelying on the strength of Coogan's input and that's why we have on 75% of a good series as the "Lizard" and "Feet" episodes lack the narrative thrust of a passionate and rounded main character.
In conclusion, terribly funny at times but also horribly inconsistent.
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- Steve Coogan in ... Coogan's Run [1995]
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Reviews
Good but not five stars...
Review date: 2008-03-08 Rating: 6 out of 10
When I first saw this program a few years ago I thought it was dreadful. Now I have revisited it after watching many a hammer horror film I realise I just didn't really 'get it'.
The only problem is that it is not a patch on Garth Marenghi's Darkplace so it cannot be five or even four stars whilst that exists (I literally can't imagine how Darkplace could be any better in direction, script and acting, the extras on the DVD are as good as the program too!)
My advice would be if you like Coogan AND hammer horror then it is a very good DVD and definitely worth having. If you don't fall into both categories you will be disappointed.....luckily, I do and I wasn't ;)
Good Fun
Review date: 2008-01-25 Rating: 8 out of 10
All episodes not as good as each other for us anyway, hence just 4 star.
Very funny and could watch again though.
Appealing to family viewing for laughs allround.
~Enjoy~
"I have made a trap, and it is time for me to shut my trap"
Review date: 2003-11-29 Rating: 10 out of 10
Steve Coogan gives a great performance in this six part series. Episodes include Steve and two others trapped in a lift talking about nighmares they have had. And an episode where a dancers feet come of and his transplated ones kill people. This DVD is so funny it nearly knocks alan partridge of his feat. And remember the docters inspiring words never eat your own chin.
This DVD is truely diabolical. GET IT NOW.
Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible - Review!
Review date: 2003-09-02 Rating: 10 out of 10
Where to start with this beautifully unique, dark, hammer horror spoof comedy starring the one and only Steve Coogan, in my opinion the ultimate king of comedy!
Unlike Coogans' other work such as I'm Alan Patridge which is indeed a comedy classic this is completely different and fresh, unlike any comedy programme I've ever seen in my life.
Each week Steve Coogan takes on a different guise as he presents six brilliant characters, each in a different spine chilling situation and in a different time zone.
The first show is called 'AND NOW THE FEARING. . .' which sees three people trapped in a lift. The trio then share their vividest nightmares one which includes a fortune teller, a car crash and an oak table. Scary!
Episode 2 is called 'FRENZY OF TONG' and see's Coogan as a camp version of Sherlock Holmers czlled Nathan Blaze. When a lady friend is kidnapped and dragged into the sewers, Blaze must overcome giant killer crabs and his arch enemy, a chinese monster, the king of the sewers. Doesn't sound very funny but believe me it is!
The third show is called 'CURSE OF THE BLOOD OF THE LIZARD OF DOOM' That's a mouthfull and see's Coogan portraying a brilliant scientist who is desperately trying to find a cure for a nasty burn. But everything turns very nasty when is told he has to find a cure of he is fired. Things turn very nasty when he gets a new assistant and a horrifying lizard is on the loose.
Show number four is called 'LESBIAN VAMPIREX LOVERS OF LUST' and is probably the most frightening. Coogan takes on a bold one armed hero called Captain Hans Broccan who is recently married. When they find their hotel is infested with cockroaches, they decide to stay at Castle Kroinsteen )a place of darkness - especially at night!!!) There things go from bad to worse, as the vampires there are creatures of the night and would like nothing more than to kill their guests and suck their blood too!
The penultamate episode is titled, 'VOODOO FEET OF DEATH' and see's Steve Coogan as an award winning ballroom dancer but in a freak accident he loses his feet. Not to worry though, he has an operation and has new feet fitted but unknown to him these feet are killers and are bent of revenge, jealousy and murder!
Finally, my personal favourite episode, 'SCREAM, SATAN, SCREAM' in the last episode of the brilliant series Steve Coogan plays a selfish witch locator named Captain Tobias Slater. As the story unfolds the crooked Captain must pursuade the village that the woman in question is a witch but the woman herself has other ideas.
All in all, a superb series. The disc is packed with special features including a documentary, 'AN APPOINTMENT WITH DR. TERRIBLE' which goes behind the scenes and features rare interviews with Steve Coogan, the rest of the cast and the directors. Also there's an audio commentary on all six episodes by the directors and writers which is also very good indeed, there is also Dr. Terrible's Page A Day calendar and a feature titled 'Behind the Screams'
In conclusion to this review, buy it if you are a fan of Steve Coogan, or if you like comedy with a slightly dark side. All in all I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
John Thomson
Steve Coogan
Honor Blackman
Julia Davis
Creators:
Steve Coogan (Primary Contributor)
Julia Davis (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503121020
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2003-08-04
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 180 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2001-11-12
Language: English (Original Language)