After watching the entire 1989-1995 "Kids in the Hall" series, and realizing how much of it was completely new to me, I decided to compile a list of my favorite sketches that I hadn't seen when I originally watched the show, over twenty years ago. Broader thoughts on the whole series were discussed in the previous post, but this time I want to get into specific sketches.
I'll be referring to the cast by their first names, because I don't care to keep typing out Foley, Thompson, McKinney, McDonald, and McCullough. And after over a hundred episodes, I think we're past the need for formalities.
My original Top Ten list is here.
Brian's Bombshell - This time around, I was much more interested in the show's more down-to-earth characters. Fran, played by Scott, was almost immediately a favorite, a caricature of a long-suffering, narrow-minded, middle-aged housewife. Her first appearance was in the pilot, alongside her asshole spouse Gordon, and wayward son Brian. Fran monologues as she hangs laundry, worries about her family, casually drops the n-word, and is altogether sincerely loveable and groan-worthy.
Indian Drum - Mark has cymbals and is screaming about his missing Indian drum, Kevin has the missing drum and is screaming about finding it, and I temporarily lost the ability to breathe. This one is so brief, but acts as a concentrated dose of pure absurdity. Something about how the guys are positioned on different floors of a building, the rat-a-tat pattern of the dialogue, and the fact that they're shouting these missives past each other is just perfect. It's human Muppets, and I mean that as a compliment.
Comfortable - My favorite new find. I love how Scott keeps getting more outrageous, and the audience is eating it up. "Kids in the Hall" is known for pushing boundaries, and this is one of the best examples of their willingness to escalate into pretty wild territory. The stage version is supposed to be even raunchier, apparently once resulting in a broken table. The sketch wouldn't work, however, if the characters didn't work as characters. In the end I found myself sympathizing with poor Nina for her terrible faux pas.
Dead Dad - I wanted to put "Womyn" here, but I know it's one I saw long ago and just didn't appreciate as much at the time. So, let's move on to the similar "Dead Dad," another of the semi-recurring sketches with all five of the Kids playing versions of themselves, hanging out, having an insane conversation. Here they talk about fighting their dads, which fits right in with the show's obsession with dysfunctional families, and shows off each of their quirks - Kevin is a coward, Mark values consistency, etc.
Raise - An exercise in meta humor, where Kevin and Dave navigate Dave's poorly written sketch about a guy asking for a raise. After some banter about lazy writing and stupid character names, Kevin discovers that Dave has neglected to write an ending, trapping them both there. If that weren't enough, this turns out to be a two-parter, and we check in on the pair in a second segment, twenty days later, grimly facing their doom as supplies run low. And all that Dave can offer is more stupid character names.
Opened Up - The Kevin and Dave pairings are usually my favorites because Kevin's great at playing the insecure dweeb, and Dave delivers prime sardonic evil, and it's even funnier when they switch roles. They play a lot of variations on this, most famously as Simon and Hecubus. In "Opened Up," it's this dynamic at an office party, plus a subversion that is played out for exactly as long as it should be, with a great ending punchline. I still have this in my notes as the "Hey, Fifty Bucks!" sketch.
The Beard - I think Kevin and Mark have probably grown on me the most as performers as I revisited the show this time. This sketch is completely dependent on Kevin's performance, and he really sells his character's descent into vacation beard-fuelled madness. There's really not much to the premise beyond a common horror framework, but Kevin makes it absolutely hysterical to see play out. I think this is one of the best filmed pieces from the show's final seasons. Oh look, and it's Nina again!
New Boots - Bruce is probably the Kids member who is the most hit-or-miss for me, but when he scores a hit, it's usually a great one. I love "New Boots" because I had no idea where it was going, even though so much of it is telegraphed far in advance. The whole bit with testing out the steel-toed boots in painful ways is a perfect distraction from what's really going on. The production quality here is especially impressive, using good sound design and some choice shots to really sell the punchlines.
Rockey - I can't make heads or tails of the title, but this one boils down to a four minute version of "Click," where every time Kevin leaves the room, he comes back to find his girlfriend, played by Dave, has drastically fast-forwarded to a different point in life. This one's all in the execution, where Kevin's bewildered reaction shots are doing half the work, and Dave's absolute sincerity will tolerate no questioning. So much of this one depends on getting the timing exactly right, and they get it right.
Step Class - Finally, the Kids' willingness to wear ridiculous outfits and make themselves up into these ostentatious characters is a big part of their appeal. The second I saw Bruce and Mark in the leotards, the leggings, and the big '80s hair wigs to play rival aerobics instructors, I was already on the floor. The resulting catfight and Scott showing up in a coral activewear ensemble was just the icing on the cake.
Honorable Mentions: Womyn, Lady is a Tramp, Go For Guilt, I Can't Play the Piano, Emergency Troupe Meeting, Reg, Skoora!, Sex Girl Patrol, Brucio, Relocation, and Poor Richard
---
No comments:
Post a Comment