Popular reviews

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  Review by Mark Cunliffe 🇵🇸 ★★★

  The humour and success of The Goons never really travelled from radio to screen, despite several attempts. One such attempt is the 1956 short The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn from director Joseph Sterling and starring Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan, with Dick Emery replacing Harry Secombe.

  Like The Goons, our three leads here have multiple roles in the story of Scotland Yard's attempts to investigate the theft of the titular priceless artefact. Naturally it’s a cheap production, packed with silly sight gags that take full advantage of the visual medium in a way that you'd expect from a bunch of radio stars allowed to play on screen. Many of the gags haven't dated all that well - I certainly…

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  Review by loureviews ★★★½ 3

  I'm on a Goon-related roll today, so I'm looking at the short film, 'The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn', filmed in 1956 at Merton Studios.

  It was a supporting short in cinemas and featured Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan, but sadly not Harry Secombe - Dick Emery played third man instead.

  Inspector Quilt of the Yard (Sellers) attempts to retrieve the titular battle-horn which has been stolen from a museum in London. On the way he meets familiar characters such as Eccles and Minnie who had been much-loved in the popular radio show.

  This short reminds me strongly of the humour of Bob Newhart in the perky narration, and perhaps because it doesn't outstay its welcome it is vastly superior…

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  Review by Matt Thomas ★★★½

  Sellers (in multiple roles) and Milligan are obviously having a great time. Some sections are like a precursor to The Naked Gun. A variety of comic effects and film styles are employed. Arguably too brief. I've no idea what the 'SchizophrenoScope' concept was supposed to be though!

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  Review by Stephen Wolterstorff ★★★★½

  This style of witty high level stupidity doesn’t seem to exist anymore. Which is a shame really.

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  Review by Theo Howe ★★★★

  Honestly hard to think of anything funnier.

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  Review by Christof ★★★½

  A comedic short that is firing from all cylinders, and it is almost as funny as it is silly.

  Part of my effort to watch at least one short film per day. Here is the list I am currently working through, with a random number generator determining the film each day. I will take recommendations for everything that's 40 minutes max.

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  Review by Charismatic Megafauna ★★★

  This was so fucking stupid I loved it.