back in the red: RED DWARF SERIES 4 DVD
posted by Matt Drzymala, review by Joey Cannon

After the brilliance of the previous three DVDs, this one has a lot to look up to. Can it improve and offer the Red Dwarf something new? I think so, yes. The actual series is not a favourite of mine, but does contain two of my favourite episodes; White Hole (a Holly-based episode which lets Hattie Hayridge show how good a comedienne she really is) and Meltdown (a common myth that it’s a least favourite of the fans). This series is when the characters really come into their own, and the plots are even more extraordinary.

The commentary I keep close to my heart as it can really make you wet yourself laughing sometimes! It’s nice how the cast still work well together after all these years and can remember so much about their time together. There are quite a few pauses where they just sit watching the episodes, but this is made up for when they do come out with various anecdotes.

The Built to Last documentary on series IV is pure bliss. 70 minutes of interviews and footage that is just mind-blowing. There’s interview snippets with all the cast, plus some of the crew including Peter Wragg (otherwise known as effects man). It definitely blows the other DVDs’ documentaries out of the water on content and editing stakes (despite door slamming and other background noises that could have been avoided).

After the DVD compatibility problems with the series III extras menu the producers have developed a text-based menu for those who can’t play the animated one. The animated menu is so busy anyway I do find trouble finding all the options, but nonetheless it is the content which counts.

The extras include smeg outs, deleted scenes, a gallery, Ace Rimmer: A Life in Lame documentary, Can’t Smeg Won’t Smeg, ‘Lurve’ featurette, trailers, raw effects footage, isolated music cues and talking book chapters (phew!).

The deleted scenes are a blessing to fans, as it provides brand new and sometimes awfully rough footage of cut lines, jokes and gags of an old programme. This DVD provides an extensive array of various cut bits which maybe shouldn’t have been chopped as some of them are rather good! Highlights include Hattie Hayridge’s original ‘what a guy’ line, Justice parkand the Padre’s extended speech in Dimension Jump.

The smeg outs are all ones we have seen before in the previous release of the Smeg Ups video, so nothing new there. But very nice to see them all together from one series. The gallery is a fantastic collection of promo, design and snapshot photographs from the series, all in separate menus for easy navigation. They truly are wonderful to look at, as a lot haven’t been used or seen before and gives a nice little behind-the-scenes look at Red Dwarf. Next onto the raw effects footage, which I think should come with a warning similar to: for fan boys only. I did enjoy them, but at three times the normal speed. I will say the sight of a clapperboard with the date on made my heart skip a beat. The trailers are similar in quality to the series III DVD, nothing special but a novelty to behold. The isolated music cues are very interesting – not only is one of them not isolated (the Elvis theme) but some are extended and much longer than those used in the series. I suppose there’s only so many times one can sit listening to the ‘dramatic’ selection though. The talking book chapters I’m not usually a fan of and they do whiff of marketing. A quick attempt to sell the cassettes maybe, and very short at that.

Now onto the big ones; firstly Ace Rimmer: A Life in Lame. This short ten-minute documentary features a fairly linear script where Ace’s various achievements and scenes are edited together with newly recorded links by Hattie Hayridge. Now, without meaning to be rude the jokes just aren’t funny (apart from maybe the one about Ace’s bum), and the whole Holly links fiasco seems rushed (but what would I know about television production?). Better then, than the actual scenes for Ace. Most of them were too long, and just seemed like each and every scene with Ace in was played in full then with Holly tagged on the end. I’m sure if there was more budget and time a longer and possibly more bittily-edited (notice my technicality there) document could have been made. A good effort though, especially from Hattie working with the script she had.

The ‘lurve’ featurette happens to be a personal favourite of all the featurettes made for the Red Dwarf DVDs; largely love-based scenes from all of the series put to Vic Reeves and the Wonderstuff’s ‘Dizzy’. Though the addition of Kryten and Lister’s infamous Polymorph boxer-short scene remains precarious! A faberoo addition to all the DVDs. Finally, Can’t Smeg, Won’t Smeg sees the post series-VII crew playing the cooking game show with Ainsley Harriott of Emohawk fame. Taken from Red Dwarf’s Tenth Anniversary night on BBC2, it’s nice to finally have it on DVD.

If you're eagle eyed you will always spot a few easter eggs, all I'll say is Skutter+tape and chicken egg ;)

Overall this DVD has lived up to expectations of most fans and more that I’ve spoken to. Most of us like the fact the Dwarf lives on in the new footage and new recordings of Extras and Easter eggs. The commentary will always be a favourite part of the DVD for me, as it seems as though the chemistry between the cast is still there.

Here’s to the next 4 DVDs!