There Are No Walls in the House of Jearl - Mystery DVD #142

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November 16th, 2008
03:34 pm

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Mystery DVD #142
Spaced: The Complete Series: Season 1 (Disc 1)
I've once again taken unconscionably long to review this disc, and I'm already being punished. You'll see.
There are two things that cause me to grind to a halt with the DVDs -- either the disc is so bad I don't want to come up with words about it, or it's so good that I am ashamed to try. Spaced is in the latter category. And how. Sorry, can't talk, too busy watching episode six for the ninth time... but I don't really understand why it's good. It's written by Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes (at the time, Stevenson) - so it's scratching the same sort of itches as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

On the face of it it's rather stupid - two lazy stoner types meet in a coffee shop and pretend to be a couple so they can rent a sweet apartment -- like a reverse Three's Company. I anticipated British Cringe Humor, which gives me nightmares. Indeed they are British and there is much cringing. Oh is there cringing. Jessica Hynes has at least a dozen ways of being an abject yet defiant bullshit artist with just her eyebrows. What I didn't anticipate is the amazing chemistry the cast has, or the exquisite timing they give the dialogue. There is also the highest pop-culture-reference to line of dialogue ratio outside of Family Guy, and a sort of low-budget magical realism thing that I just gave up on trying to explain. I feel strangely guilty about this. Am I just enjoying it because I never expected anyone to pander to my demographic to this degree? Is it wrong to award points because a guy enjoys drowning Lara Croft? Can I ever just review a few hours of highly amusing TV without descending into an existential spiral? apparently not. Anyway, it's hilarious. Check it out.

Season One episodes:
"Beginnings" - Introducing Daisy (procrastinating journalist wanna-be), Tim (recently single, stoned comics artist wanna-be), Marsha (sloshed, bored landlady), Mike (Tim's best friend, Rambo wanna-be), Twist (Daisy's best friend, evil diva wanna-be), and Brian (Marsha's sometime concubine, actual artist and emotional cripple).
"Gatherings" - Daisy puts off writing by throwing a housewarming party. It is shamefully pathetic.
"Art" - Brian is invited to a play put on by his ex-partner, Vulva. He is tormented. Daisy drags Tim along, who is on speed and has been playing zombie apocalypse videogames for 36 hours. Hijinks ensue.
"Battles" - Tim and Mike play paintball. Daisy adopts a dog. Tim confronts the crotchmonger who broke up his last relationship. Tim's phobias concerning dogs, lightning and bamboo are explored.
"Chaos" - Colin the dog is abducted. The flatmates rally and storm the lab for great justice. Twist makes eyes at Brian. Don't do it Brian she's a Skrull.
"Epiphanies" - Introducing Tyres (magical tweaker). The flatmates and allies go clubbing. They have an awesome time. That's all. This episode makes me so freaking happy. It sets up all the sitcom-plot ways of kicking a dude in the kidney, and then...they just have an awesome time. Yay.
"Ends" - oh no sexual tension. Tim's ex sort of wants him back. Daisy freaks out and has a superhuman burst of productivity. Brian and Twist go on a date. Mike re-applies to the Territorial Army, from which he was expelled for invading France. Everyone ends up sort of ambiguously happy.

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From:[info]dulinor
Date:November 17th, 2008 04:06 am (UTC)

Awesome!

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I'm putting it in my queue right now.
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From:[info]radiotelescope
Date:November 17th, 2008 04:56 pm (UTC)
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"There is also the highest pop-culture-reference to line of dialogue ratio outside of Family Guy..."

Have you seen _Middleman_?
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From:[info]jearl
Date:November 19th, 2008 11:59 pm (UTC)
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I haven't. Should I?
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From:[info]intoxakat
Date:November 17th, 2008 11:35 pm (UTC)
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wow ... we gave it a try recently and i didn't get hooked ... but now that i hear your review i totally feel i need to give it a second shot ! Thanks!

btw i think you give as much justice to the items you review as words make possible :D
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From:[info]elklad
Date:November 18th, 2008 01:02 am (UTC)
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Did this grow on you, or was it awesome from the get-go? It didn't sound that exciting when I first heard about it, but based on your description I might have to watch it.
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From:[info]jearl
Date:November 18th, 2008 09:46 pm (UTC)
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I had my doubts but by the end of the second episode I was pretty hopeful. Then the third is Brian-centric and those ones are all great. That dude ain't right.
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From:[info]jessecoombs
Date:November 18th, 2008 06:35 am (UTC)
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Keep watching it. It's easily the best thing these guys have done.
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