Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12022 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-06-02
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Both warmly funny and surprisingly touching, the one-off 90-minute BBC comedy Cruise of the Gods (2002) unites the twin comic talents of Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan for the first time. Brydon, whose Marion & Geoff brought him instant cult status and critical acclaim, plays Andy Van Allen, a washed-up actor who once enjoyed celebrity as the star of a TV science-fiction series but who is now down on his luck as a hotel porter. Desperate to rescue his self-esteem, but equally desperate to conceal his failure, he reluctantly embarks on a Mediterranean cruise for die-hard fans of the old show organised by uber-nerd Jeff Monks (David Walliams). To compound his humiliation, Van Allan's one-time costar, Nick Lee (Coogan), now a Hollywood big shot thanks to his starring role in Sherlock Holmes in Miami, gatecrashes the trip.

Elements of both Marion & Geoff's agonising pathos and the squirm-inducing embarrassment of I'm Alan Partridge feature prominently here as the merciless portrayal of geeky fandom slowly gives way to a more gentle, affectionate portrait of people whose lives were inexplicably touched by the fantastically awful Children of Castor (imagine a camp cross between Blake's 7 and The Tomorrow People). Unlike the sympathetically pathetic ex-husband of Marion, here Brydon plays a cruelly cynical and embittered character, whose self-loathing contrasts painfully with the annoying ebullience of Coogan's superstar. The supporting cast are all a delight, too: witness lugubrious Philip Jackson, as alcoholic writer Hugh Bispham, clashing hilariously with Walliams' deadly earnest super-fan over the interpretation of names in the show, which turn out to be nothing more cryptic than anagrams of Bispham's favourite curries. James Corden and Helen Coker are emotionally fragile followers whose lives intertwine unexpectedly with their heroes, while Brian Conley and Jack Jones gamely provide cameos. --Mark Walker

DVD Description
Andy Van Allen, former hero of a cult 1980s futuristic TV show is now a washed-up, bitter failure of a hotel porter, unlike his co-star, Nick Lee, who went on to fame and fortune in the USA. Out of the blue, Andy receives an unusual offer: the show's fan club has organised a 'celebrity cruise' and wants Andy to attend as the principal celebrity. Not only would this be the first holiday Andy's had for years, but they're offering serious money into the bargain. Once aboard, however, the paradise cruise is far from plain sailing. The combination of Andy's cynicism and his fans' adoration is bad enough to start with but unbeknown to him the cruise is set with a collision course with his mega-successful former co-star, Lee. With his world spinning out of control, can Andy finally get a grip, and become a true hero for his people?

DVD Special Features:

• Out-takes
  
• Deleted scenes (with commentary)
  
• Children of Castor Sequence Commentary with Declan Lowney (Director), Alison MacPhail (Producer) and Tim Firth (Writer)
  
• 30 minute video diary
  
• Photo gallery
  
• Scene selection
  
• Alternative Ending

Running Time: 90 minutes approx.

Special Features
16:9 Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital Stereo English
Dolby Digital Stereo

Customer Reviews

The last word on fan worship - and one of the funniest one-offs ever
If you've ever been a fan of anything - a football team, a band, a film star - but particularly anything vaguely SF (and not 'sci-fi', of course - that's for civilians), this masterpiece will have you laughing out loud, even though you realise you're laughing at youself!

Yeah, I've been there! My friend Paul used to organise Doctor Who conventions. Every element of this is totally recognisable - but it also makes a very serious point about a star's obligation to his fans.

The superb Rob Brydon plays a down-on-his-luck ex-actor, whose one shot at the big time, long squandered away, was in a Tomorrow People-meets-Blake's Seven type tv series called Children of Castor, high-concept science fiction on a bargain-basement budget (just like Doctor Who used to be before its recent renaissance, in fact). Deciding to appear as guest-of-honour on a fan cruise (strictly for the money, of course), he finds his past catching up with him, particularly when his co-star confronts him with his ridiculous degree of success on the woeful but extremely popular Sherlock Holmes in Miami (Steve Coogan, playing against type as the nicest human being imaginable).

The entire cast is wonderful , with special praise due to James Corden (is he gay or does his obsession with the star mean something else?) and Philip Jackson (best known as Poirot's Inspector Japp, here playing the embittered alcoholic writer who, at one point reveals that the names of all the characters in the tv series were anagrams of curries).

Just the use of music from the seventies makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end: It's A Knockout; New Faces ('you're a star, you're a star'...)

Brilliant writing by Tim Firth, who also wrote the hit West End Madness musical Our House - everything about this DVD is just perfect!

I'm Changing.....
If you're expecting a Steve Coogan centric film then you'll be disapointed I would estimate he appears in about one-third of the film

Even if you've never dipped a foot into the water that is genre TV then you'll recognize many of the images. Fans dressed up as characters, fan-written episodes, seminars upon the hidden meaning of episodes.

Rob Brydon plays the former star of an 80's Scifi show -the effects and costumes bear an uncanny similarity to Blakes 7- who is now a hotel porter. In a bid to escape his life he grudgingly takes up an invitation to join a fan cruise for fans of the series, he's joined by the writer and someone who only ever appeared in the opening credits.

However despite (or maybe because of) his lowly real life it doesn't stop him taking on the airs of a prima-donna once he joins the cruise. However his bubble is somewhat burst when Steve Coogan his co-star (and now a major star in Hollywood) joins.

Of course it wouldn't be British if there wasn't a large amount of tragedy to say to who and in what way would be to spoil the film.

Well worth it if only to see Coogan playing a cop in his US series (conveniently filming its "special" episode over in Europe)

One extra I heartily recommend is "Steve Coogans Runner" a short film about the behind the scenes happenings including a ship wreck and the sight of two male stars sharing not only the same room but the same bed!!!

Heartily recommend this film to all

When will we learn the lessons of potato?
Well, 3.5 stars! Being a big fan of Rob Brydon (Marion and Geoff, Human Remains, Director's Commentary etc.) and of course, Steve Coogan, I had rather large expectations upon purchasing this DVD. I would like to write that these expectations were exceeded, but unfortunately they were not. Don't get me wrong, it's a good light-hearted comedy - though nowhere near the calibre of other Brydon/Coogan comedies. The programme is deeply improved by the appearance of Niall Buggy (Henry Sellers in Father Ted) as the 'I'm Changing!' bloke. Also look out for Julian Field of Mighty Boosh fame as the 'Billy's Time Bike' fan. Conclusion: Entertaining but not spectacular.