Plot: What’s it about?
Tom Green just might be the most annoying human on the face of the planet. Then again, he, like so many other untalented folks; has managed to parlay that into a very successful movie and comedy career. It’s very sickening that this Canadian taunts his parents, makes a fool of himself and essentially acts like a third grader and we not only laugh at him, we made the guy a millionaire! Now what’s wrong with that picture? Tom Green, as most know, exploded on the scene with his MTV show, aptly titled “The Tom Green Show”. His flame has now since dwindled a bit, but he’s still appearing in some major Hollywood movies and is set for life. Sorry, I can’t get over that. So what is it about these types of guys (like the “Jackass” gang too) that make us not turn off the TV in disgust? Whereas the fellows of Jackass at least do something to earn their money (namely put their lives in danger); they actually seem to enjoy doing it. This doesn’t really appear to be the case with Green. After Green had conquered Canada, then America; there was only one place for him to go…Japan (imagine the sound of a giant gong)…
Tom Green has a new special and it’s called “The Subway Monkey Hour”. Why, I don’t know. Perhaps because it’s what we imagine they would say. I dunno. Essentially Green and his crew are on location in Japan, doing nearly everything to tick off the somewhat laid back Japanese. If it’s dressing up like Godzilla while going into a zoo or doing his Elvis impersonation in the middle of a street, he’ll do anything for a cheap laugh. I have to admit, though, it is a bit funny. Most of the people seem to know who he is, but are still annoyed by him nonetheless. The language barrier is a major factor, too; though he admits to the camera that he knows what they want him to do, he just plays dumb most of the time. It doesn’t usually work out for him. The Tom Green Subway Monkey Hour offers no socially redeeming value whatsoever. It’s a direct port of his show from MTV to DVD and there really isn’t any linear plot to speak of. Just like his show, it’s a bunch of skits that are tied together with some pretty camp clips of Japan from what it would seem to be the 1960’s. Tom Green might not be here in a few years (or at least out of the public eye); but if you want to remember him in his somewhat of a prime, here you go.
Video: How does it look?
Subway Monkey Hour is presented in it’s original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which makes sense as it was made for television. The episodes seem very sharp and clear, as the show is relatively new, there is really nothing to deter from the image quality. But let’s face it, if you’re watching this for the quality of the image, then you’re watching it for all the wrong reasons! Plenty of material looks great, though most of the faces are blurred out as the Japanese didn’t want to be seen on film. The image could have been better, but the attention is supposed to be on Green, not any of the artifacts (there are none, by the way).
Audio: How does it sound?
In what is no big surprise to me, this is presented in a Dolby Digital Surround mix, and really – what would a 5.1 track do for the Subway Monkey Hour? That’s right, nothing! Seeing as how this was filmed using a home video camera, encoding a better soundtrack would not only be beside the point, it would most likely ruin the authenticity of the whole thing. The way it is, these sound just as good as you might expect. MTV (or Paramount) has thoughtfully “bleeped” out all the four-letter words, so there’s none of that to worry about. I suppose we’ll have to wait until the movie reaches DVD to hear all of their “choice” words yelled out as a crucial part of their anatomy gets hit with a bone. No complaints here, as there is no problem with the audio.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A photo gallery of his adventures is included and that’s about it.
