DVD Reviews
Issue 212 / August 2006 More from this Issue
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Holy Molar
Dentist the Menace DVD
Strictly Amateur Films
Street: 07.06
For those unfamiliar with Holy Molar, this 'art-core' super group consists of members of The Locust, Charles Bronson, Get Hustle, Antioch Arrow, Some Girls, etc. Having played only a handful of shows during their hiatus-ridden existence, this much anticipated and delayed DVD is a slew of live shows and tour snippets. A highlight of the DVD (although a lowlight of Holy Molar's musical existence) is a hilarious show entitled Mitchapalooza in which Holy Molar plays a show in Mitch's (whoever the hell that is) parent's house for his birthday party. The DVD is dominated by raw concert footage, mostly of lead singer Mark Mccoy harassing the audience and picking fights (including a special feature of heckling clips). Very self-aware, there are also a series of interviews and sound clips of 'fans' demanding their money back, talking shit on the band, pointing out their numerous politically incorrect and 'rude' statements, the pretentious nature of the band and their fans, and of course, absolutely nothing serious. The concert footage is very entertaining to watch, especially the parts where you can see me (insert inevitable dash of pretension here) in the front at the Che Caf show in San Diego. However, having been at the show (dash #2), I would have to say that the DVD captures the spectacular train wreck of a show quite well. Amazing. - Ryan PowersPuppets Who Kill: Season II
Rob Mills, Shawn Thompson
Comedy Network
Street: 10.25
In the grand tradition of Jim Henson and Sesame Street comes the Canadian comedy series Puppets Who Kill. Before you get too excited, do not let the title deceive you. While these puppets are convicted murderers, all of whom are living together in a halfway house run by the hapless social worker Dan Barlow (Dan Redican), this show could have just as easily been entitled Puppets Who Unsuccessfully Scam Humans in Greedy Attempts to Make Millions or Puppets Who Have Lots and Lots of Sex with Homo Sapien Women. Despite a seemingly rock-solid format for cheap laughs, the attempts of Puppets to be crude and offensive are so 1998, as this series pales in distasteful comparison to popular American shows like Wonder Showzen. Evidently, outdated comic sketches such as necrophilia and satanically influenced homosexual activity are still all the rage with Canadians. A puppet going down on his aerobics instructor? Dude, that's just awkward. Sexing up a dying rich old lady in an attempt to get a fat part of her inheritance? That's not a gag here in the states; that's a legitimate entrepreneurial opportunity. We're past all that sexual nonsense. It's about as outdated as potty humor. Nowadays we get our laughs when shows mock the Make a Wish Foundation or pick on third world hunger. We don't want to watch a puppet get jacked-off by a sperm bank nurse, we want to watch God commit suicide after losing a game of paper-rock-scissors on Wonder Showzen. We don't want to just be offended by our television programs, we want to feel down right violated by them. We don't want to roll around in laughter because it's funny; we want to roll around pretending to laugh to hide our guilt. But who knows, maybe there's still room for Puppets Who Kill on Nickelodeon or Disney Kids. Cody Smith
Dentist the Menace DVD
Strictly Amateur Films
Street: 07.06
For those unfamiliar with Holy Molar, this 'art-core' super group consists of members of The Locust, Charles Bronson, Get Hustle, Antioch Arrow, Some Girls, etc. Having played only a handful of shows during their hiatus-ridden existence, this much anticipated and delayed DVD is a slew of live shows and tour snippets. A highlight of the DVD (although a lowlight of Holy Molar's musical existence) is a hilarious show entitled Mitchapalooza in which Holy Molar plays a show in Mitch's (whoever the hell that is) parent's house for his birthday party. The DVD is dominated by raw concert footage, mostly of lead singer Mark Mccoy harassing the audience and picking fights (including a special feature of heckling clips). Very self-aware, there are also a series of interviews and sound clips of 'fans' demanding their money back, talking shit on the band, pointing out their numerous politically incorrect and 'rude' statements, the pretentious nature of the band and their fans, and of course, absolutely nothing serious. The concert footage is very entertaining to watch, especially the parts where you can see me (insert inevitable dash of pretension here) in the front at the Che Caf show in San Diego. However, having been at the show (dash #2), I would have to say that the DVD captures the spectacular train wreck of a show quite well. Amazing. - Ryan PowersPuppets Who Kill: Season II
Rob Mills, Shawn Thompson
Comedy Network
Street: 10.25
In the grand tradition of Jim Henson and Sesame Street comes the Canadian comedy series Puppets Who Kill. Before you get too excited, do not let the title deceive you. While these puppets are convicted murderers, all of whom are living together in a halfway house run by the hapless social worker Dan Barlow (Dan Redican), this show could have just as easily been entitled Puppets Who Unsuccessfully Scam Humans in Greedy Attempts to Make Millions or Puppets Who Have Lots and Lots of Sex with Homo Sapien Women. Despite a seemingly rock-solid format for cheap laughs, the attempts of Puppets to be crude and offensive are so 1998, as this series pales in distasteful comparison to popular American shows like Wonder Showzen. Evidently, outdated comic sketches such as necrophilia and satanically influenced homosexual activity are still all the rage with Canadians. A puppet going down on his aerobics instructor? Dude, that's just awkward. Sexing up a dying rich old lady in an attempt to get a fat part of her inheritance? That's not a gag here in the states; that's a legitimate entrepreneurial opportunity. We're past all that sexual nonsense. It's about as outdated as potty humor. Nowadays we get our laughs when shows mock the Make a Wish Foundation or pick on third world hunger. We don't want to watch a puppet get jacked-off by a sperm bank nurse, we want to watch God commit suicide after losing a game of paper-rock-scissors on Wonder Showzen. We don't want to just be offended by our television programs, we want to feel down right violated by them. We don't want to roll around in laughter because it's funny; we want to roll around pretending to laugh to hide our guilt. But who knows, maybe there's still room for Puppets Who Kill on Nickelodeon or Disney Kids. Cody Smith
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