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In the early 80’s, when MTV had first pushed itself out of the primordial ooze and the new brand of alternative was starting to become the mainstream, the audiences of the BBC was assaulted, mentally and spiritually, by the comedy of The Young Ones. At its most basic, the show was a sitcom about the trials and tribulations of 4 students (of prestigious Scum University) living together in a horrid bit of college housing: Self-proclaimed ‘People’s Poet’ and narcissistic punk anarchist Rick (Rik Mayall), psychopathic force of destruction Vyvyan Basterd (Adrian Edmondson), technophobic hippie and perpetual downer Neil Whedon Watkins Pye (Nigel Planer) and Mike the Cool Person (Christopher Ryan). Cartoonishly violent, frequently acerbic, and prone to bizarre, surrealistic tangents, for two seasons The Young Ones was the show you quoted to your friends so you could seem cooler than you actually were. There was plenty of great comedy in the U.K. around the time, Blackadder as just one example, but I find The Young Ones to be one of the most interesting.
In the 90’s, longtime comedy partners Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson collaborated once again on what was probably their most popular series, Bottom. Starring Rik as Richard ‘Richie’ Richard and Ade as Edward Elizabeth Hitler living in a disgusting flat in Hammersmith, London, the show was the logical conclusion of the Rik/Ade comedy stylings that had gone back past The Young Ones to the beginning of their working relationship. Bottom was more violent, more perverted, more nihilistic and chaotic than ever before, a show about two complete bastards destined to be other, because no one else could stand to be around them. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia might be the closest modern equivalent, but there’s not really anything like it that I’ve seen.
Three years after the show ended, the duo released a full-length based on the show by the name of Guest House Paradiso, which you’ll noticed has made it onto this list. In the film, Richie (who goes by the name of Richard Twat in the film, rather than Richard Richard) and Eddie are the owners and employees of scenic Guest House Paradiso, known throughout the United Kingdom as the worst hotel in the nation. Maybe it’s due to the fact that the hotel is built next to a nuclear power plant, or the fact that building itself is basically a derelict, or that the food sucks, or that the place is run by a couple of obnoxious, brutish, deviant fuckwits, but the reputation of the Paradiso is at an all time low. It’s astounding to think that anyone would ever want to stay in such an abominable hellhole, but since this is a movie and thus requires a story, some unfortunate souls happen upon the hotel and fall into the insane world of Richie and Eddie. Including the lovely and mysterious Gina Carbonara, famous film star and fiance to the most violent mafioso in Italy. Hijinks, as they say, abound.
While there’s nothing especially horrific about Guest House Paradiso (aside from the living conditions #rimshot), the show definitely falls into the black comedy range, with a couple strange use of special effects to boot. As far as British comedies film, it might be one of the most appropriate for Halloween, all things considered. So why not give it a go?
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