The Gods Must Be Crazy I / The Gods Must Be Crazy II (Double Feature) [DVD]

So happy to have these movies! They are well done and include formation for both movies. Thank you!

La ví la primera vez cuando era niño

This set contains two great comedies set in the beautiful deserts of Botswana, Africa.The first "The Gods Must be Crazy" was released in 1980. I was surprised just how much it shows that in hair and clothing styles, but I hardly noticed after the first few minutes. It actually starts much like a documentary, telling about life in a bushman tribe in the Kalahari. One day, they discover a Coke bottle. Thinking it a gift from the gods, they begin to use it for all kinds of tasks, only to find it has introduced strife to their community. Xixo sets out to find the end of the world and return it to the gods. Meanwhile, a despotic revolutionary is on the run after a failed coop attempt. And a biologist is trying to get over his fear of women to transport the new school teacher and to the village.This movie starts out a little slow, setting up the bushman culture and customs, so that when the movie gets going, we'll get the laughter. Most of the comedy is at the expense of civilized humans, but some great points are made about out reliance on our technology. Some of the physical gags involving the barely running jeep and the nervous biologist are priceless, and the plotting of these three stories is brilliant."The Gods Must be Crazy II" (1989) once again finds Xixo traveling into the world of the strange civilized man when his kids accidentally stow away in an ivory poacher's truck. Meanwhile, a corporate lawyer and biologist have been stranded in the desert when their plane is blown off course during a freak storm. And two opposing soldiers are trying to capture each other.This story starts and moves much faster. I hadn't seen it as recently as the first one, and I'd forgotten just how funny this one was. I think it might actually be a little funnier. This time, there's more interaction with the wild life of the area for some great gags. Xixo is the only returning character, but the heroes are still likable.My only real complaint is philosophical. These movies elevate the bushman to an almost perfect status with an ideal life. Ironically enough, one of the documentaries does show that their lives have really been glamorized for the film and their existence is much harder. Still, it's always good to laugh at oneself, and these movies certainly make you wonder just how civilized we really are.The DVD set isn't quite up to normal standards for the format, but still acceptable. Both films are presented in anamorphic widescreen, but the picture is marred by lots of dust and grain. It's certainly still watchable, but it's not the crystal clear pictures I've been spoiled with on DVD. The first movie is presented in mono, and I had a little trouble hearing it. Part of the problem was what seemed like a very poor dubbing, probably partially because of the age and low budget of the original. The sequel sounded much better in stereo, but neither movie will show off your sound system. Still, they get the job done, and I think that less is more with these films. Each disc has one documentary on it. The first is a feature on the real life of star N!xau who played Xixo. As I mentioned earlier, it paints quite a contrast to the life presented for these films. The second is a short tribute to creator/director Jamie Ulys which give a little behind the scenes look at these movies.While these DVD's won't be setting any new standards, they are certainly adequate. And the films contained on them are two classic low budget comedies from the 80's. If you're willing to laugh at yourself, pick these up. Any fan of the movies will appreciate them, especially for the price.

The release of this dual-film DVD fulfills a long overdue need. Few films are as timeless as this duet. The terms describing these films vary as much as a thesaurus will allow - "quirky", "off-beat", " even "arty" has been applied. They all disguise the fact that first and foremost, these films are fun to watch. Nearly everybody in them is an innocent at some level - the rebel chief and the poacher alike. True evil doesn't appear. The rebel doesn't kill children and the poacher's booty is a shame, but neither intrude on their respective stories.To those who've never seen these films [are there truly such?] the first story provides three paths. A Kalahari bushman finds an abandoned Coke bottle which changes his life and that of his extended family. A biologist - "I collect manure" [Marius Weyner] who's terrified of women is charged with retrieving the new schoolteacher [Sandra Prinsloo] from an isolated bus-stop. A rebel band flees from a botched political assassination. As we trace the strings of events that will bring these protagonists to the film's climax, we are given wonderfully scenic shots of southern Africa. We are also presented with some of the most hilarious scenes on film. My favourite remains the Pretoria woman posting a letter. Well, perhaps the unoccupied bush vehicle wandering up and down the hilly road . . . There are simply too many to count.There is much seriousness, here, also. The Bushman kills a goat and "they gave him the death sentence", mutters Mputi. An incisive statement about the "civilised" world's ability or otherwise in dealing with indigenous peoples. The would-be assassin turns kidnapper - of a schoolful of children. They must be fed and cared for. How do you approach a known killer with such hostages? Finally, how does someone transported from the urban world learn to deal with life in the bush? In Africa, these remain vital questions and few lasting answers have emerged.The second film abandons all the characters of the first with the exception of Xi, played by the Bushman, N!xau. As the star of both films, he stands out for his portrayal of the "natural" man caught up in travails of encroaching civilisation. As he seeks his missing children, who have inadvertantly been "kidnapped" by a pair of bumbling poachers, another biologist [Hans Strydom] and a lawyer [Lena Ferugia] are airborne to lofty heights together. When they descend, their isolation is defined by a simple clap of the hands. The animals don't scatter at the sound. Nearby, a Cuban mercenary and a government soldier wrestle for the title of "most inept military figure in Africa". These two alone show Uys' invention in characterisation and situation. You never tire of watching their antics. Meanwhile, the poachers strive to make a rendezvous to deliver tusks and skulls.Is it "politically correct" to chastise the producers for failing to label this disk with a "health warning"? Watching them both in succession can cause stomach cramps from laughter, or tears from the poignant episodes. Nothing in these films disappoints or appears contrived. Uys' genius has never gained the recognition he deserved. The "Special Features" gives some indication of how he worked and any Hollywood director would give his ulcers to duplicate his ability while earning new ones duplicating the labour he put into making "Gods". Enjoy the fruits of that effort. It still rewards after many viewings. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Fast shipping

Erste 2 Filme sind witzig, haben eine nette Geschichte, das 3. Leider nicht mehr.

"The Gods Must Be Crazy" has a charm of its own . It is unique , except for the "Gods Must be Crazy I!". Set in the Kalahari and surrounding country it contrasts the simple but contented lifestyle, beliefs and understanding of the bushmen with those of us in the modern world. It begins like a 1970,s worthy documentary film of Kalahari bush life which may be off putting at first but when a passing aircraft throws an empty coke bottle out of his plane and it is found by a tribe of bush people it brings dissention into their lives. Because they had never seen anything as hard as glass before, which makes it useful for completing may basic tasks , but particularly because there is only one bottle , a community that has thrived on sharing now starts feeling the desire for ownership and start fighting over it . Finally the head of the tribe Xi sets out on a quest to return the bottle to the gods who had sent it to them. There he meets a disorganised scientist, a teacher who had come to an African Village to teach to escape the rat race of city life and an army of rebel guerrillas wanted for a failed coup in a neighbouring government. Before long what starts as a charming tale descends into to slapstick comedy.This is enhanced by a quirky direction with the action speeded up particularly during action and slaptick sequences that start to resemble the sequences in old keystone cop movies. The first time I saw this movie thirty years ago I thought that it was the funniest film I had ever seen. However I got this DVD, I had lost my video copy years ago, to cheer me up during the lockdown . However now I didn't find it so hilarious, probably as I had seen it so many times before. However the unique compelling story and the haunting score still beguile.The sequel which takes on a similar theme of cultural clash sees Xi searching for two of his children who had accidently got trapped in a poachers water lorry. Again he meets a series of quirky characters lost in the desert whom he helps .

Commedie carine da guardare in famiglia, purtroppo il primo film non è in italiano, traduzione riservata solo al secondo episodio.

Dvds as described and played fine

リージョンフリーのDVDですがPAL規格ですので、日本のレコーダーでは再生できません。私はPCのPowerDVDにて再生できたので鑑賞出来ましたが、購入検討中の方はお気を付けください。日本語字幕はありません（英語字幕あり）。特典映像はアップしているキャプチャーを参照ください（「野生のエルザ」「永遠のエルザ」などの劇場用予告編もあり）。今は亡きニカウさんの私生活を垣間見る事が出来る映像などが収録されています。パート2の特典映像として撮影を担当したBuster Reynoldsのインタビュー映像（2003年）が収録されていたので、撮影時の面白エピソードでも話してくれるかと期待したのですがイマイチでしたね（ヒアリング能力不足にも原因あり）。パート2のTrailersをクリックすると何故か本編が始まってしまいます。まさか本編が予告編を兼ねているはずはないとは思いますが．．．1も2もロードショー公開時に鑑賞しました。確か阪急プラザ劇場だったような記憶が．．．パート1鑑賞時は今の様にすれたオッサンではなく、まだまだおぼこい学生だった事もあり、素直な気持ちで素直に楽しんだのですが今観るとかなりいい加減な脚本、テキトーな演出が目立ってしまいます。しかしニカウさん含めた出演者たちの如何にも一生懸命演技していますと言う感じが画面から伝わってきて仄々とします。35年以上の月日を隔てても笑わせてくれる事には変わりがなく、楽しませてもらいました。レビューをご覧になられている方は本作の粗筋なんて私がウダウダと書かなくてもお判りでしょう。飛行機のパイロットが飲み干したコーラの瓶をポイ捨てしたら、ニカウさん演じる（演技と言う演技はしてないか）ブッシュマンのカイの集落へ落ちてきた。その瓶を巡って集落内で争いが起こったりしたので、カイが地の果てまで瓶を捨てに行くと言うお話。しかしパート1ではニカウさんは脇役的扱いであり、本筋はマリウス・ウェイヤーズ演じる生物学者とサンドラ・プリンスロー演じる女教師との交流であり、テロリストによる襲撃事件などが絡んでかなり雑多な感じもしますが、生物学者のドジぶりが最高で、グラマーな女教師のセクシーな肢体も拝めますし、個人的には充分満足。パート2でも動物学者と女弁護士（カルラ・グラヴィーナを美しくしたご面相）の絡みが本筋になっており、何処の国の兵士かよく解りませんが、出演者たちが兵士の争いに巻き込まれてりして、やってる事はあまり変わりません。パート2では何と言ってもカイの子供たち（娘と息子）のエピソードが良いです。特に息子が可愛い。2人とも真面な演技しているんで、おそらく本物のブッシュマンじゃないんでしょう（まぁニカウさんも元ブッシュマンで、パート2撮影時には役者だったと言っても差し支えないんでしょうが）。給水タンクに2人とも落っこちて必死になって外に出ようとするシーンや追っかけてくるハイエナを追っ払おうとして頭に枯れ木を乗っけるシーンなど微笑ましい事この上ないです。パート1同様個人的には充分満足。それにしてもニカウさんの尻ってツルっとしてて、とても中年過ぎのオッサンの尻とは思えません。やっぱり食生活の違いですかね。