Snuff Box - Rich Fulcher

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

directed by Michael Cumming
UK 2006

The six episodes of SNUFF BOX chronicle the misadventures of hangmen Matt (Matt Berry, GARTH MARENGHI'S DARKPLACE) and his American assistant Rich (Rich Fulcher, SOME KINDA JOKE). Interspersed between completely random sketches (some funny, some not, some really not, and many lacking punchlines) and running jokes (Matt chatting up girls and his violent reactions to discovering that they already have boyfriends, his physical altercations with the a boutique's staff, various displays of Rich's social ineptness), and some literal "gallows humor," is the contrast between Rich's outwardly crass but harmless persona, and the total sociopath lurking under Matt's suave veneer. Matt's - who comes from a family line of hangmen, which seems to be the only reason he is allowed to frequent a gentleman's club founded by his Victorian ancestor Sir Charles (also Berry) - discovery that Rich is the offspring of a famous, deceased singer (and receives royalty checks) and Rich's discover that Matt is planning to murder him would seem to be an interesting Hitchcockian set-up for the series, but it is abandoned in the second episode; however, Matt is given more reasons to want to kill Rich with each episode: Rich steals Matt's diaries - chock full of embarrassing, disturbing, and incriminating information - in the second episode, steals his punchlines in the third, and inflicts his coarser older brother (also Fulcher) on him in the fourth (while Matt is suffering the presence of his own disabled sibling), and verbally abusing his musical idols before things start to cycle back around in the final two episodes. Berry composed the series' score, which the theme song and numerous variations on his song "I Can't Be in Love if it's Plastic." Berry and Fulcher met on the show THE MIGHTY BOOSH, which also featured Richard Ayoade (of THE IT CROWD, which Berry joined in the second series) who shows up here in the third and fourth episodes. Britcom viewers accustomed to more genteel humor will definitely be put off, and it is perhaps best watched in one go (in which some of the more juvenile jokes may succeed in provoking chuckles) than in instalments to keep track of some of the recurring aspects.

Eric Cotenas

Theatrical Release: 27 February 2006 - 3 April 2006 (UK)

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DVD Review: Severin Films - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Severin Films Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	2:48:06
Video	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: ~3.5 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo
Subtitles	none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Severin Films Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Episode 1: Rich's Mother (16:9; 27:52) • Episode 2: Matt's Diary (16:9; 28:07) • Episode 3: Punchline (16:9; 28:01) • Episode 4: Oh Brothers (16:9; 27:57) • Episode 5: Love Triangle (16:9; 28:01) • Episode 6: Wedding (16:9; 28:08) • Audio Commentary on episodes 1, 2, and 6 by Matt Berry, Rich Fulcher, and Michael Cumming • Taking Control of Your Body featurette (16:9; 31:47) • Locations Walking Tour (16:9; 12:36) • The Score (16:9; 4:49) • Inside the Snuff Box featurette (4:3; 17:57) • Testimonials (16:9; 14:57) • Outtakes (16:9; 7:54) • Easter Egg: Matt Berry Plugging His Album (16:9; 1:30) • Bonus Soundtrack CD (23 tracks; 36:05) DVD Release Date: 11 October 2011 Amaray Chapters 6

Comments

With roughly an hour and a half of extras (not counting the separate CD soundtrack), Severin probably should have put the special features on a second disc. The six episodes (each encoded with 6 chapters) have an average bitrate of around 3.5 Mbps each, but the necessity of PAL-NTSC conversion (this TV production was not shot in HD) has already wreaked its own damage on the often garish images. The stereo audio serves the dialogue, music, and occasional directional effects well (English HoH subtitles or closed captions would have nice, although I had no trouble understanding any of the dialogue).

While the "Inside the Snuff Box" featurette, the commentaries (which sheds some light on some of the more random bits), and the outtakes are carried over from the UK edition, Severin have created some new extras including reactions to the series from other comics including Jeanine Garafalo (THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS), "Weird Al" Yankovic (YOUNG EINSTEIN), Rob Coddry (TV's THE DAILY SHOW), Steve Agee (THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM, which also featured Fulcher), Simon Pegg (SHAUN OF THE DEAD), and Paul Rudd (DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS). The "testimonials" are actually comic riffs by the participants of varying humor and seem like unused outtakes from the longer and more informative "Taking Control of Your Body" featurette (named after one of the series' songs). A walking tour of the filming locations with Berry and Fulcher is also a new extra. There is no track listing for the 23-track bonus soundtrack CD (Severin previously included track listing inserts for their other bonus soundtrack CD releases).

- Eric Cotenas

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