The Benny Hill Collection (DVD/CD; Eclectic Cinema)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+/B-     Extras: B-     Main Program/Music: B-

 

 

A&E has been issuing the Thames Benny Hill Show (reviewed elsewhere on this site) in solid chronological sets, but it turns out there is some more interesting material out there the sets will likely never offer.  Eclectic Cinema has issued their own Benny Hill Collection set that includes both a DVD and a CD.  Though not always perfect, this is a better collection than expected with items fans will likely want to own.

 

The DVD has time-coded footage form an old VHS tape of Hill rehearsing, text biography, weblink, two full-length music performances and an outtakes/clips montage that adds up to 30 minutes of very interesting work.  Unlucky Luke is from a spring break show, while New York Rap is an early Hip Hop send-up as wacky and bizarre as all the other music genres he went after.

 

For the DVD, the 1.33 x 1 image varies throughout, with the timecode footage the roughest.  All is shot on videotape of some kind and the transfers are about as good as can be expected.  Leslie Nielsen even shows up to announce one of the clips.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is usually monophonic and barely stereo, which extends to the bonus CD, which is PCM 2.0 16bit/44.1kHz sound.

 

The songs include:

 

1)     Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)

2)     Bianca

3)     Gypsy Dance

4)     New York Rap

5)     Star Names

6)     Just Wanna Be In Your Band

7)     Down On The Farm

8)     Unlucky Luke

9)     Pepy’s Diary

10)  Older Woman

11)  Café Ole

12)  Graffiti

13)  Lifeguards

14)  Go Around Again

 

 

Though not loaded beyond belief, some of this material has not been issued before according to the case text and fans will know the good from the bad.  Catch it for something different.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo