Nick-Brigden Reviews

Eddie Izzard: Circle (2002 Video)

Below par for Eddie

[4/10 · 5 February 2003]

Before I start, I _love_ Eddie Izzard. I think he's one of the funniest stand-ups around today. Possibly that means I'm going into this with too high expectations, but I just didn't find Eddie funny in this outing.

I think the main problem is Eddie is trying too hard to be Eddie. Everyone knows him as a completely irrelevant comic, and we all love him for it. But in Circle, he appears to be going more for irrelevant than funny, and completely lost me in places. Many of the topics he covers he has covered before - I even think I recognised a few recycled jokes in there.

If you buy the DVD you'll find a behind-the-scenes look at Eddie's tour (interesting in places, but not very funny), and a French language version of one of his shows. Die-hards will enjoy seeing Eddie in a different language, but subtitled comedy isn't very funny.

If you're a fan of Eddie you've either got this already or you're going to buy it whatever I say. If you're just passing through, buy Glorious or Dressed to Kill - you won't be disappointed. With Circle, you probably will.

Cube (1997)

Spooky

[9/10 · 5 February 2003]

Firstly, I'm not an actor but I can't see what's wrong with the acting in this movie. Maybe thesps will, but for the rest of us, the acting in no way spoils this movie.

In fact, there's very little about this movie that spoils it - it's damn good. It provides antidote to the many run-of-the-mill horror films that are out there. It's a testament to the scriptwriters that they manage to make such a weird premise work so well and be so tense throughout the entire movie, right from the very start.

The ending is a little unsatisfactory, but it would have been very difficult, and more disappointing, to end the movie any other way. You'll still go away from the movie feeling freaked out.