When considering the success of the Monty Python movies and indeed the TV series that spawned them, it’s fascinating to realise that every single one of the main performers starred in comedy movies in their own right in the years that followed, with many still active to this day.
Movies like The Missionary (Michael Palin), Clockwise (John Cleese), Nuns on the Run (Eric Idle), and Erik the Viking (Terry Jones, who sadly passed away in 2020) were all popular, and we mustn’t forget the late great Graham Chapman. A year before taking on the titular role in 1979’s Life of Brian, Chapman had starred in Peter Medak’s beguiling dark comedy The Odd Job, which is due for release soon from Severin Films in an attractive Blu-ray package. It’s sure to delight audiences again for the first time in many years, as it’s a movie rarely shown on TV.
The gifted Chapman also co-wrote The Odd Job, in which he stars as Arthur Harris. To all intents and purposes, Harris is a happily married man, but that illusion is quickly shattered when his wife (Diana Quick) suddenly announces that she’s leaving him on their fifth wedding anniversary. Typically for a character portrayed by Chapman, Arthur decides that suicide is the only answer, but when trying to take his own life, he proves decidedly unsuccessful. When a strange individual (David Jason) offers to end Arthur’s life for him, all sorts of madness ensues, not least after Arthur’s wife returns to give their marriage another chance.
This sort of plot is the very stuff of British farce, and when performed by actors of this calibre, cannot help but entertain. Supporting cast members such as Carolyn Seymour, Simon Williams, Bill Paterson, and the legendary Richard O’Brien all perform admirably, but this film belongs to Graham Chapman, who gives it his all – it’s a fine memorial to his particular quirky talents.
The film runs for a concise 88 minutes and the Blu-ray comes with a raft of extras including an introduction and audio interview with the prolific director Peter Medak, plus interviews with many of those who worked behind or in front of the cameras of this terrific and somewhat unsung movie, the sort of comedy which we sadly don’t see much of anymore.
THE ODD JOB is available on Severin Blu-ray from August 25th and can be pre-ordered now.
