Derek and Clive Get The Horn

[Neil]

Hooray, I've just watched this for the first time ever!  It was magic, really enjoyable to watch them making comedy out of little more than raw imagination and a blow-up doll.  Thinking back to what I remember of the documentary the other Xmas, it definitely seemed to give the wrong impression of the whole thing, I'll have to watch it again now to see if I'm right.  

Bits of it are flat-out hilarious, stuff like "cunts in charge of religion", Dudley and his letters, the bit where Cook again tries to snog Moore and Dud says, "Who'd want to see that?"  Cook is like lightning with the reply, "Lesbians!  ...give em hope!"  It's just awesome watching them both fashioning these comedic bits out of thin air, there were one or two segments where I thought "oh, this isn't going to go anywhere" and they just steered it round brilliantly.  I can specifically remember this happening when they were doing the Whales/Wales bit, and then I ended up fucking pissing myself laughing seconds later when Cook did the Whales National Anthem!

There's a nice moment where they bring the Jesus bit back round to being about Valerie, this is the kind of gag that you can imagine the likes of Frank Skinner spending an afternoon working out for an episode of Shane, but with Cook and Moore it's just instantaneous.  Boom...as Morris said to Publish & Bedazzled, there are perfectly formed comedy routines just tumbling out.

Dudley shows his gift for characterisation early on with the stuff about the ticket, he plays the mum brilliantly.  It's also great to see the many occurences of him leaning away from the microphone because he's corpsing at something Cook or he has said (like when he comes up with the phrase "nob ache".)

One of the funniest bits was how surprised Moore looks when Cook takes the hamster bit and runs with it, saying a hamster might come back as him...there's a pause of about 3 or 4 seconds while Moore just looks utterly dumb-founded and turns round while trying to think of a come-back, it's a great moment.

Ahh, I've wanted to see this for so many years, and it definitely didn't disappoint.  What about rushes though, do they all still survive?  Shame they couldn't stick them on the DVD, or even a few chapter points come to that.  Anyway, rushes, I'd love to see what happens, for instance, in between the introduction of the doll and it getting blown up, or the whole bit where the "police" come in, there's bound to be some amazing stuff knocking about.  I'll have to reread the articles about this now, although one thing I do remember is that Moore supposedly didn't turn up for the last day of filming...so how did they get them holding a "The End" sign up at the end then?!   Presumably the filming ended before the album...   I think I need to reaquaint myself with Ad Nauseum and do some reading.  Ah, here's an interview with Hugh Padgham, one with Moore and another with Cook.

"Last time I do a Police Ball!"

[Hornet]

I am glad to support any post in favour of Derek & Clive, but compared to the first two albums, D&C, and D&C Come Again, I do think this is poorer fare.  I almost find it poignant and to me, there lingers over it a hint of comedic desparation, perhaps the last rites of their relationship?

I still find it hard to accept that both are dead now.  True comedy heroes.

[I am weasel]

Having read that first post, i'm definitely going out to buy 'Get the Horn'.
It seems odd, but I often 'forget' about D And C, and indeed how good Cook and Moore were at escalating the comedy at lightning speed.

"Lesbians" - Jesus! :)

NEIL - Sorry to hijack the thread (please more on this topic!) but I have a parcel for you! Check your PM's, coz I need to confirm your address.

[MonkeyDrummer]

There's a nice moment where they bring the Jesus bit back round to being about Valerie, this is the kind of gag that you can imagine the likes of Frank Skinner spending an afternoon working out for an episode of Shane, but with Cook and Moore it's just instantaneous. Boom...as Morris said to Publish & Bedazzled, there are perfectly formed comedy routines just tumbling out.

That's my favourite bit. Pure crafted genius that's just happening in front of you. Not heard much Moore and Cook other than this and Why Bother? But that makes me happy knowing there's a wealth of comedy out there and I'll find it when the time's right.

[Munday's Chylde]

It's a lovely film in many ways.

The bit that always made me titter was when they'd just finished one particular routine (i forget which one) and Dudley says something along the lines of:
Dud:"You know when we die and go to heaven they're going to play this to us, whilst we burn."
Peter: "You don't burn in heaven."
Dud: "We will."

[Lumiere]

I bought D+C get the horn when it came out, and I've loved it ever since. It's perfect.

[Rats]

I like the bit where they're all sitting around listening to the horse racing commentary that they've recorded, it's lovely to see them sitting there grinning giving people "this next bits good" looks.

[Jemble Fred]

I really can't understand anyone standing up for Derek & Clive (Live) over the later products - although it's still great, it's inarguably inferior to Ad Nauseum or the film. They barely begin to get to grips with the Derek & Clive concept in the first album, and it's filled with ancient pieces of material. It sounds like what it is, a bit of an edgy laugh with an invited audience, where Cook and Moore were beginning to feel their way towards the last hurrah - but not intended for release. It's only with Come Again that they really start to lay it on, man.

Personally I'm looking forward to Derek & Clive (Dead). Even if no extra material is discovered, between the bits in the film never released on CD, the Magnolia adverts, the clip on the front page of this very site etc, there's a hilarious album waiting to be released, if Lin Cook and co can bare to allow it. I for one want to have the Dancing In The Park song on CD.

[papalaz4444244]

I used to own Derek and Clive Get the Horn, 'til some fucking CUNT NICKED IT OFF ME!! What a CUNT!

Martin

[mr rou-rou]

it's £6.99 delivered on DVD from www.play.com at the moment, what's that, a packet of smokes and a chippy tea?

[Darrell]

It's in need of an archive trawl that film. At the very least to try and dredge an acceptable print of it out. I've been tempted to do a proper audio restoration attempt on it (using audio elements processed from the CD) myself but I have no way of re-synching it to the video.

As for the film itself - it's my favourite Derek and Clive thing of all. And that's more or less everything I have to say about it. I've whored that I Married A Film link enough now.

[Lumiere]

it's £6.99 delivered on DVD from www.play.com at the moment, what's that, a packet of smokes and a chippy tea?

£6.99 is a bargain.

[The Plaque Goblin]

Is it true that three days were booked in the studio, but things had gotten so bad that Dud didn't turn up for the last one and that was that?

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Is it true that three days were booked in the studio, but things had gotten so bad that Dud didn't turn up for the last one and that was that?

Apparently. What was the filming date again - 8/9/78? Not sure if that was day 1 or 2. Cook's friend Keith Moon died on the 7th, which might allow you to ponder on the state of his mind. Or not.

Clinty from The Establishment found a copy of the original video (the one rejected for cinema release by the BBFC in 1980, but allowed uncertified VHS distribution in pre-Video Nasty Hysteria Britan) and confirmed that it's identical to the 1993 re-release. Whick kills at least one rumour.

My favourite bit is when the producer tells Cook to move his papers out of shot because 'it looks like you're reading from them, which you're not'. Cue Dud: 'Yeah, you don't wanna give people the impression this is all worked out, do you? Cos it does have that air of fucking polish about it.'

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Is it true that three days were booked in the studio, but things had gotten so bad that Dud didn't turn up for the last one and that was that?

Apparently. What was the filming date again - 8/9/78? Not sure if that was day 1 or 2. Cook's friend Keith Moon died on the 7th, which might allow you to ponder on the state of his mind. Or not.

Is that true?  I remember him cracking a sick joke about Keith Moon and pills in it - it makes it that much sicker if it was contemporary!

[Barney Sloane]

Is that true?  I remember him cracking a sick joke about Keith Moon and pills in it - it makes it that much sicker if it was contemporary!

"I imagine Keith Moon had the horn, when he was dying..."


Wasn't this shown late night on C4 sometime in the mid-80s?  ISTR a thread over on NOTBBC about it, anyway...

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Wasn't this shown late night on C4 sometime in the mid-80s?

Some people swear blind this happened, although nobody's been able to isolate the date to check. (A lot of people appear to confirm the story, until I realise they're just referring to threads I've started in the past!)

If it did go out, it wasn't listed - I've pretty much combed 80s TV Times and i can't find it.

[TJ]

I saw an off-air of a transmission with adverts in it (more than one person has referred to having seen such an off-air), but I'm not certain on whether or not there was anything that tied it down to a particular channel. C4 was the natural assumption, but a couple of people have suggested that it may in fact have come from one of the early sattelite channels.

Bear in mind this would have been about 1986...

[mr rou-rou]

bump, it's still £6.99 delivered and it's full or gems  

[the inflatable doll]

you send off for a woman and all you get is a poof with a huge hard on turned inside out :)

1978 you say, it's pretty vicious in places, beautiful in others.

I want more but I'm guessing this is the only thing they've done like this?

[ApexJazz]

Indeed, Dudley didn't show up for the third day of recording, the film being a visual record of only the second day session  (the first apparently fell victim to dud's jetlag) There's a moment in the background where Dudley looks at his watch, vellicates and gives an earnest "when will this ever fucking end?" look.
I too think that the Ad Nauseam album, as originally released, was very weak (except for The Horn). But it turns out the session yielded many unreleased gems, such as Dud giving full vent to his Oedipus complex in "the Ticket" bit.  Moore almost seems like he's in a state of a private exorcism...Peter is clearly uncomfortable with it, and is trying to end it anyway he can.

There are few greater 'comedy joys' than seeing Peter Cook exploring an idea, tickling out unusual and inspired invention from it. Dudley observed, and he was probably witness to Peter Cook on-form than anyone else, that Cook's comic invention was baffling: "like great jazz, it came flowing out fully-formed". But as I remember it, the film peeks rather early in this regard...the rest becoming a fascinating "human document" of unpleasant behavior (if only there was a camera around for the Come Again album! From cancer of the wife to drunken singing to finishing with them screaming at each other...now, THAT would have been one cunt of a movie!)