Eddie Izzard: Glorious

This really is a treat. An amazing character, Izzard plays out like a highly polished simpsons episode played with the fast forward button down. Upbeat and manic, he goes through topic after topic without a strain on the viewer, it flowed very easily. And talk about hilarious, "i'm covered in bees!"

In a typically ambitious show, Eddie Izzard opens with a discussion of the old testament and the creation of the world itself by God as played by James "The Voice" Mason. From here he covers the siege of Troy, the new testament, revelations, the construction of the ark, settings on toasters and showers and the noise baboons make when being punched.

Eddie Izzard is perhaps an acquired taste – his film career has mostly been successful when he doesn't fly along surreal flights of fancy but his stand-up is where his style really comes though. His subjects are not really anything particularly new but where he takes them is almost always funny. And so it is with this 1997 show that sees him roughly have a structure of the bible and history but does bounce around rather randomly in the way that his material does. Of course having seen one of his live shows after having heard it on a CD from another place first I can confirm that it is as tightly scripted as you can get. In a way this is actually more impressive because Izzard does keep the sense of spontaneity and creativity alive no matter how many times he repeats it.

His material here is typical. At its weakest I found it amusing if a little silly but at its best it was taking me by surprise and drawing laughs from me so suddenly that I once nearly did that thing that people in films do when they have just been surprised after taking a gulp of water (except mine was noodles – which was as unattractive as it sounds). Of course those that don't like Izzard will not enjoy it for the same reasons as I did, but why then are you watching? Those unfamiliar will find this as good a place to start as any but, if you're not into it after 30 minutes then just give up as it is what it is. To me though it worked really well and it was only a weak ending (where he sort of apologetically closes the show) and the movie spoof at the start (which was a great idea but needed to look more professional to really be funny) that stood out in my mind as being misfires.

Overall then, yet another funny stand-up show from Izzard with all the things that his fans love him for. Of course those that don't find it funny will hate it for the same reason but that to one side, I personally rarely found it less than amusing and comical.

I went over to a friend's house and she had this tape sitting on top of her VCR. We were bored and both had seen everything else she had, so we decided to watch it, as I had never even heard of Eddie Izzard. Before it started, she warned me that most people that have watched it with her think it's terrible and don't really understand alot of his humor. Two minutes into the film, I could barely hear one joke from still laughing at the previous one. Chronicling the whole of the Bible, granted with many long, random tangents, Izzard's comic genius had me laughing for the entire hour and a half.

Eddie Izzard is the smartest stand up I have seen since the early George Carlin material. He leaves no sacred topic untouched (particularly religion). I saw his HBO special, Dress to Kill, and ordered Glorious as soon as I knew about it. It is well worth it.

Gosh, how do I summarize something like this??

"(Eddie, as the Greeks leaving the Trojans that wooden horse)Goodbye! We give up! You win. We've left you a huge (BLEEP-off) horse...as per usual...."

That was from the Trojan horse part! One of my favorite quotes.

But really, how does one summarize the work of Eddie Izzard?? It just seems too funny for words, you just have to see the video. But let me leave you with this:

(Singing) "Bum bum bum bum bumm, I am a GRAN! I live forever....."

Don't ask, just watch the video.