The Peter Sellers Story As He Filmed It

The Peter Sellers Story As He Filmed It

DVD Rating: **1/2

Reviewed by: Ben Sillis

Read Ben Sillis's film review of The Peter Sellers Story As He Filmed It

The special features are an eclectic and relatively insubstantial bunch, giving the impression that whatever could be found was chucked in.

A half-hour "un-broadcast Irish TV interview" makes up the majority of the content. Here, an aging Sellers - not lacking any of the sparkling charisma - discusses his career and personal life with self-derogatory charm, at one point even gently mocking his ex-wife Britt. Of particular interest is a discussion of what impact and influence he believes he had on British comedy, noting that Monty Python, amongst others, drew on The Goon Show. However, "un-broadcast" is the word, and there was clearly a reason why this was never shown - the bumbling idiocy of the interviewer, guffawing at every spare moment, while asking uninspired, cliched questions.

Copy picture

The Running, Jumping And Standing Film, Oscar nominated for best short, should be the highlight of the bonus features, but, surprisingly, proves to be not very funny. Imagine The Goon Show, blended with the surrealism of Bunuel, and you have... bemusement. I was left wondering what all the fuss was about.

The homemade short, I Say, I Say, I Say, of which excerpts are shown in the main feature, is also included. The series of skits, including a pathetic magician, are sadly of less interest than the appearance of Princess Margaret.

A photo gallery comes in the somewhat more innovative format of a slideshow, with jazz playing in the background. The photographs are hardly poignant, or enlightening - Sellers with his new car/wife/camera (in that order).

Several TV adverts are added, which, though amusing and demonstrating Sellers' gift for character acting, reinforces the feeling of scraping the barrel.

Reviewed on: 10 Nov 2005
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The Peter Sellers Story As He Filmed It packshot
Rare glimpses into Sellers' private life, as seen through his own home videos.
Amazon link

Product Code: CCTV30359

Region: 2

Sound: Dolby Digital

Extras: Short film I Say, I Say, I Say, filmed by Snowdodeodo Productions over one weekend in 1964, with Peter Sellers, Britt Ekland, Princess Margaret, Lord Snowdon and Jocelyn Stephens (10:42 mins); interview never seen before, as Sellers confiscated the film the day after it was shot at his home in Ireland, feeling that it was too revealing about himself (26:05 mins); TWA ads (director Stan Dragotti) from 1975 (7:25 mins); PG Tips ads from the Fifties (56 seconds); Photo Gallery from Peter's private family album.


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