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 |  Rodney Dangerfield: No RespectDirector: various MA 15+ 7 hours Stomp Visual I've made no secret of my admiration for Rodney Dangerfield over the years. 'Caddyshack' is in my top five films of all time and the man himself is at the top of my list of celebrities I wish I could do impressions of. So, naturally, this three disc set of Dangerfield's TV specials had me intrigued. Disc one is a collection of network specials. The first, from 1981, is astonishingly good, a bunch of sketches based on Dangerfield's self deprecating humour, with the perfunctory blonde, bulging-eye one-liners, a laid-back Bill Murray and a radiant Aretha Franklin (performing, you guessed it, R.E.S.P.E.C.T.). When the jokes are funny they're funny, when they're not, Dangerfield's hammy delivery makes them truly sidesplitting. The next two specials, however, quickly decline into his "Rappin' Rodney" period, which, although less funny, don't translate into being more hilarious: just significantly more cringe-inducing. Disc Two comprises of three specials filmed at Dangerfield's stand-up club and although including some funny up-and-comings, most of it is best viewed in fast-forward. Disc Three has a blurry video document of one of Dangerfield's live shows, which is Rodney at his bluest - and if you are a fan of this kind of comedy, it's excellent. Finally there is a This Is Your Life episode that looks at Rodney's life; a contradiction to his stage presence: he was, in reality, a loving, husband and a devoted father. While this small screen collection is average for the most part, lightly sprinkled with moments of true Dangerfield genius, over seven hours a sprinkling just isn't enough.  | |
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