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National Lampoon's Blackball [DVD] [2003] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
 
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National Lampoon's Blackball [DVD] [2003] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

DVD ~ Paul Kaye (IV)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Region 1 encoding (requires a North American or multi-region DVD player and NTSC compatible TV. More about DVD formats.)

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National Lampoon's Blackball [DVD] [2003] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
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Product details

  • Actors: Paul Kaye (IV), Ashleigh Caldwell, Angus Loughran, Christopher Godwin, David Schneider (IV)
  • Directors: Mel Smith
  • Format: Colour, DVD-Video, NTSC
  • Language English
  • Subtitles: Spanish
  • Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: R (Restricted) (US MPAA rating. See details.)
  • Studio: First Look Pictures
  • DVD Release Date: 15 Feb 2005
  • Run Time: 97 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B0006JMLTS
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 84,742 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Blackball marks the feature debut of Paul Kaye, who spins a somewhat more likeable variation on his arrogant Perfect World TV persona in this underdog-triumphs-over-adversity comedy. Set, like Fawlty Towers, in the holiday resort of Torquay, and echoing the small-town seaside pettiness of Tony Hancock's The Punch and Judy Man (1963), Blackball is as bitterly class conscious as either, with Kaye as a working-class, potentially world-champion bowler with an enormous chip on his shoulder. Written by Tim Firth (the man also responsible for 2003's Calendar Girls), the film seems unsure what it wants to be, aiming potshots at the corrupting influence of big money TV deals and commercial tie-ins on traditional values, while simultaneously trampling on those very values by celebrating the repugnant antics of Kaye's MTV-generation angry young sportsman.

Director Mel Smith eventually swamps any satiric intent under a full slate of feel-good comedy clichés, though he does win fine performances from James Cromwell and Bernard Cribbins as Kaye's proud nemesis and kindly uncle respectively. While parts of the script involving their back stories seems to have been left on the cutting room floor, the restrained dignity these two elder statesmen bring to their roles speaks volumes about changes in attitudes between the generations. Consistently amusing, though too predictable to be hilarious, Blackball features strong support from Vince Vaughn, Johnny Vegas, Imelda Staunton and Alice Evans. Stephen Warbeck's score really elevates proceedings once the product-placed rock soundtrack stands aside. --Gary S Dalkin

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (4)
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Blackball, 26 Sep 2003
An entertaining comedy about a young talented but unconventional bowls player Cliff Starkey (Paul Kay) who is desperate to play in the England team against Australia. He doesnt play by the rule book, and having won a place on the team by beating local champ Ray Speight (James Cromwell) he promptly loses it by writing "tosser" in the rule book. This gets him a fifteen year ban from playing bowls. The love interest is Kerry Speight (Alice Evans) who happens to be Ray Speights duaghter, a side splitting moment occurs at a dinner, when Speight discovers his daughter has slept with Cliff Sparkey! The plot keeps bowling along and predictably the fifteen year ban gets overturned and both Sparkey and Speight play the Aussies for the Ashes. Bernard Cribbins is excellent as Sparkeys father.
Even if you know nothing about bowls or play regularly it is a light hearted comedy worth watching at any age 15- 90. There is a lot of gratuitous swearing which is why I only gave it 4 stars.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars BLACKBALL, 11 Nov 2005
This review is from: Blackball [DVD] [2003] (DVD)
Highly enjoyable British movie. Funny story and good acting. Worth viewing !
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Badboy of Bowling., 12 Jan 2008
By DangermouseZilla "He's the strongest, he's th... (Doncaster, Yorkshire, UK.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Blackball [DVD] [2003] (DVD)


I've seen this film a couple of times now and this is one which I'd give 3.5 stars if I could - but have to decide on either 3 or 4.

After what must have been a few lengthy seconds of deliberation I've opted for 4 stars.

Now, this isn't a film which will blow you away - but it does have some genuinely very funny moments and is one of those heart-warming comedies which doesn't get too sickly (unlike like the wretch-worthy Love Actually). There is a romance, but the film doesn't lose itself and become a Rom-Com, it's more of a comedy involved with class struggle and poking fun at the modern media obsession with 'celebrity'.

The clichés you expect from a film like this are all there - but they aren't all consuming. You can still enjoy the story of the Badboy of Bowls and laugh at the jokes, many of which are visual - I love watching Tony Slattery's hair getting bigger and bigger towards the end of the film.

Paul Kay is brilliant as Cliff Starkey, the orphaned wildchild from the rough estate who learned bowls whilst being brought up by his granddad. His energy makes the film, and the conflict in relationships between his friend and girlfriend is portrayed well thanks to Johnny Vegas' emotional gushing after feeling excluded and used.

Vince Vaughan seems to stand out like a sore thumb as the pushy American agent, his over the top performance seems out of kilter with the rest of the film. His scenes tend to have a "straight to video movie" feel about them. A lot of the plot devices he is involved in are crucial to the film (they show the shallowness of the celebrity fixated media world") but you can't help but think that his casting was purely to help guarantee more box office success. Which is ironic really seeing as the film mocks that sort of behavior.

Little touches such as the pastiche on modern sporting events (becoming over-hyped TV spectaculars) help to raise this film above being a naff conveyor
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars blackball
I eargerly awaited the release of blackball on video as it was not released in australia.
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1.0 out of 5 stars Boring
Another dud British film. This 'comedy' is truly unamusing which is a very disappointing given the talents of Paul Kaye and Johnny Vegas but then again they weren't the ones who... Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2004 by Anne Bancroft

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