Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3023 in VHS
• Released on: 2001-11-05
• Rating: Exempt
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Number of tapes: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Never afraid to ask the silly question, in the Best Of Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends Louis gambles on a mix of warmth and charm to gain access and insight into the people he meets. From the bizarre to the ridiculous to the downright scary, the show has brought Louis and his viewers face to face with some fairly eccentric personalities and ideas over the years. This "Best of" collection is dominated by early episodes from the series--("Porn", "Survivalists", "Gangsta Rap", "UFOs") and contains some classic moments including Louis' "fiat" gangsta rap, his audition as a porn star and his chat with neo-nazis survivalist (and "Are You Being Served" fan) Reverend Gerry Gruidl. From the frighteningly deluded to the mildly eccentric, Louis always finds some way to connect with the people he meets and as a result the series continues to rise above any desire to become overly voyeuristic, to patronise or to judge. Surreal, sometimes disturbing, and often very, very funny indeed The Best of Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends is essential viewing for any fan of the series. --Caroline Butler

On the DVD: Disappointingly this DVD has few special features and a standard TV transfer. The one special feature it does hold however is a real gem, along with a typically Louis-style introduction on the DVD and how to work it (!) you also get the chance to view a commentary by Jimmy Saville and Louis Theroux, an option which pops up on the screen throughout the programmes. Although a little awkward to access the "gems of wisdom" which spring from Mr Saville's mouth are to be savoured--the jingle-jangle tendencies of old have clearly been lost by the DJ. Added to this you get the full interview/sleep over; "When Louis Met Jimmy" the first star-based documentary, offering you the chance to glance into the weird world and mindset of Jimmy. The DVD comes in a lavishly presented package which, however, for some bizarre reason comes in a two-disc set--half the features on one and half on the other disc--which verges on being almost as annoying as the old-school flipper discs. --Nikki Disney

Synopsis
Two episodes. In 'Porn' Louis attempts to enter the adult movie industry in Los Angeles. In 'Survivalists' Louis follows a group of people who have decided to live in the remotest parts of North West America where they shelter from the 'hell' that is the rest of the world.

Customer Reviews

Theriouxly Fantastic
Having only seen a hand full of the weird weekends programs, i thought i have to catch up and purchased the dvd. And what a purchase this was!
I only give the DVD 4 stars because of the lack of extra features, which is what a DVD is all about. However the Jimmy Lniks (jimmy saville giving his views during parts of each program) are classic and the way the commentary is done means you can watch and stop the dvd to listen to the comments, rather than watching the DVD once and then watching it all over again for hours just to listen to the commentary.

Therioux handles each program with smoothness and produces the goods. Subjects like the Porn Documentary could have been tacky and cheap, however Therioux makes the documentary serious and shows you a life behind the lense. The same goes for the Gangsta Rap Documentary. He asks questions reporters wouldn't even dare to bring up and all his 'subjects' answer with honesty.

If you don't like any of the programs on this DVD, you have to purchase it just for the Jimmy Saville Documentary. Like the hamiltons and paul daniels programs, you start out for the first 20 minutes hating the people involved, this is the same for Sir Jimmy. But by the end of it, you find them interesting and change your mind about them. Jimmy and Loius have an on screen chemistry, not so much the straight man and the comedian, but more of the intellectual and the mad man, which proves very funny. At first, Sir Jimmy comes a cross as mad and arrogant, but at the end you feel like he is just telling it as it is.

To call these documentarys isn't excatly true, Loius seems to build a bond with all the people he meets, gaining their trust and allowing them to open up to the cameras, giving you more of a real life soap than a simple documentary.

If you have never seen Loius Therioux, not too worry, no need to catch an episode on TV or hire this DVD, just part with your cash and buy it, you will not be dissapointed!

About time!
Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends were some of the best programmes ever to grace BBC2. Louis' deadpan take on some of the most outrageously ludicrous facets of modern life made for hilarious viewing, especially when it came to his turn to join in - you can catch his legendary gay porn cameo appearance and groundbreaking take on rapping in this essential 2-disc set.

It's seemingly taken them forever to arrive on VHS/DVD, but they're finally here, and all the better for it with the inclusion of the hilarious Jimmy Saville interview. Now, surely, it's just a matter of time until Part 2 is released with the Paul Daniels interview included as bonus material?

It's a shame you only get 4 eps, but each one is worth the asking price on its own, so throw in the Saville interview and you've got one of the best value-for-money DVD sets on the market.

Louis Theroux is a genius.
He is, trust me.
A modern day Parkinson, who always seem's to be able to befriend his interviewee's, and thus get their heart and soul confessions and stories.
Louis exposes and explores the dark underbelly of American Society with genuine inquisitiveness and endless enthusiasm.
The Jimmy Saville interview is a fantastic insight into one of the U.K's most eccentric yet intriguing celebrities.
Sheer Class.