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Eddie Izzard - Glorious (1997)
by Eddie Izzard
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| Edition: "Digital Video Disk" |
| ISBN: B00003CXA9 |
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Publisher: Universal Studios (September 2003)
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Dimensions :
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Average Customer Review: 
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Description : British comedian Eddie Izzard wears makeup, platform heels, and a shimmering magenta suit in Glorious, a video of his standup act filmed in England. Izzard takes a little bit of Robin Williams, a little bit of Jerry Seinfeld, even a little bit of Bob Newhart, but the final mix is absolutely his own and dizzily funny. It's not so much the subjects of his humor--though not many comics make jokes about classical mythology or evil giraffes--as it is the way he fluidly skips from thing to thing in a madcap free-associative whirl. He lulls you by seeming casual and almost sloppy, but when he needs to be precise his gestures and mimicry are razor sharp. There have been a million tired jokes made about trying to get a shower to stay at the right temperature, but Izzard manages to make even that funny. He's even funnier when he's imitating Sean Connery as Noah, trying to convince God that a speedboat would make a much better photo opportunity than an ark, or playing a beekeeper flirting with someone passing on the street. Much of the giddiness comes from his astounding sense of spontaneity. Half the show seems to have been made up on the spot, and if it wasn't, you boggle wondering how he could have possibly written something so ridiculous and yet appropriate. Though he uses a number of four-letter words, his humor is surprisingly clean, and even the most frank vulgarities seems like a bit of impish innocence coming out his mouth. Glorious indeed.
--Bret Fetzer
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Review : Reviewer: daria_m from Houston, Texas United States
There is a reason Eddie Izzard won an Emmy or two for his HBO special "Dress to Kill": he's a bloody genius. He's one of the absolute best physical comics I have ever seen. His style jumps all over the place, throwing in wild references when you are least expecting them. And his James Mason impression is right on!"Glorious" is an earlier effort preceding the gem referred to by reviewers as D2K. Some reviewers are saying it's not as good as D2K. I think this is an unfair evaluation. This special was geared toward his audience back home, and it is ripe with references from his early shows. American viewers might say, "Who is Mrs. Badcrumble?" for instance. There is also a language barrier with American and UK audiences, something he brilliantly points out, if you'll remember, in D2K. You might feel tempted to find a British person and ask them to open their verbal dictionary for you. But I promise you, once you figure out what things mean, you will find so much more humor in his stories. Some people also find it strange that he is a transvestite. I will just say that in today's world, nothing should shock you anymore. In the future, I hope that Eddie is known for his unique performance style and not for his skirts. I wish Entertainment Tonight would not refer to him as, "cross-dressing comedian Eddie Izzard." It should be "sensational talent Eddie Izzard" instead.My suggestion to you is to check out some of Eddie's earlier works if you get the chance. It's difficult to get videos of his early shows unless you live in England, but if you're serious about getting to know this fantastic comic, Amazon sells an import CD set of his shows "Unrepeatable" and "Definite Article" in their Popular Music section. I've had a listen to these and they are wonderful. In the meantime, enjoy this show featuring: Sean Connery building the Arc, God creating toasters and jam, the queen who lives forever, Achilles and his hoovering heel, and the evil habits of giraffes, ducks, and pilot fish. Fits of laughter are guaranteed!
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