18 August 2024

Review: Guest House Paradiso

Blu-ray: Guest House Paradiso (1999)

It’s impossible to review some films subjectively, because you’re such a fan of the star/writer/director. Take Dave and Stallone, or me and Ridley Scott. We just…love them, even when they release a bit of a shit film, and that’s the thing about Guest House Paradiso, it’s terrible, but also bloody wonderful.

Richie (Rik Mayall) and Eddie (Adrian Edmondson) run a guest house that is not only next door to a nuclear waste plant, but teeters on the very edge of a cliff (and humanity). The duo is basically the usual Eddie and Richie we see in Bottom and Filthy, Rich and Catflap. Eddie; seeped in booze, wobbling through life. Richie; vain, stupid, bossy, trying to be posh. Both of them ultra-violent (in a slapstick way) and in need of a shag off a nice bird in a smashing blouse.

Their chef is someone they’re keeping hostage, the hotel is falling to bits and the guests wish they’d stayed at Fawlty Towers. Enter famous Italian actress Gina Carbonara, who’s run away from her jilted husband-to-be Gino Bolognese (Vincent Cassel!? Huh? Yep, it’s him). Oh, and better not forget to mention Simon Pegg as Mr Nice, who comes to stay with his wife and kids and packs some kinky red rubber underwear in his case, which of course Richie tries on and then gets stuck in.

Finally, the big ending is about 4000 gallons of green sick.

It’s a very silly film, there’s no real story and the times you can see Simon Pegg trying not to laugh are…many. But the thing is – it’s all about Rik, as is everything with Rik. Its Rik. And not so much Ade.

Sigh.

So here’s the thing, and I do believe it colours this film even more now, 20 odd years after its release. Rik in real life and on screen was an insufferable show off, and he was relentlessly funny, charming, sexy and we adored him. The daft twat. Adrian was…serious.

Just before they started to film this movie, Rik had an accident, squashed his head and ‘changed’. Rik and Ade drifted apart, and it was only last year, when Adrian’s book ‘Berserker’ came out, did we get his side of the story about their relationship. Though I think most of us kind of knew it anyway. I thought Adrian was a bit grumpy, and wanted to be a serious actor, and Rik wanted to be silly. The end. But it was much more than that, and watching Guest House Paradiso now, I felt terribly sad, because Adrian details Rik’s increasing dependence on alcohol (did you really have to do that Adrian?), and how he was sick to death of Rik’s posturing, and when he’d finally given in and written Hooligan’s Island with Rik, the huge sense of relief he felt that he didn’t have to do all that shit, when Rik unexpectedly passed away is palpable. Adrian repeats constantly that The Young Ones were only 14 weeks of his life, and his early career, shackled him (to us, his fans).

Eddie is just a part, and Rik got on his tits, and for a fan, its pretty crushing to know that he doesn’t celebrate and enjoy this huge gift he gave to all the people the same age as me. The gift of violent laughter. So watching Guest House Paradiso is a bittersweet pill.

There is only one recent interview from the stars – Simon Pegg – I feel that Adrian, despite this being his directorial debut, would rather distance himself from ‘Silliness’ and quite possibly hates the fact that Powerhouse Films have released this, a release that’s so popular, they’ve doubled their output from 3,000 to 6,000 copies. And sad that had Rik still been with us, he’d have DEMANDED Powerhouse interview him, at length, to talk about his knob.

So for me GHP is a requiem for Rik. In an imperfect film he is perfection.

We still love you Rik. You twat.

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

4K restoration from the original interpositive
Original 5.1 surround sound and stereo audio tracks
The Making of ‘Guest House Paradiso’(1999, 38 mins): archival documentary featuring interviews with actor, co-writer and director Adrian Edmondson, actor and co-writer Rik Mayall, producer Phil McIntyre, and actors Fenella Fielding, Hélène Mahieu and Simon Pegg
Paradiso Pegg (2023, 12 mins): interview with celebrated actor, writer and comedian Simon Pegg in which he looks back at his time making the film
All the Right Noises (2024, 16 mins): prolific film and television composer Colin Towns talks about his score
Finely Tuned Madness (2024, 8 mins): veteran editor Sean Barton discusses his working methods and the art of cutting comedy
Squalid Precision (2024, 19 mins): production designer Tom Brown explores the guest house
Outtakes (1999, 9 mins): mishaps and bloopers
Original theatrical trailers
Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Limited edition exclusive 40-page booklet with a new essay by Jon Robertson, an archival on-set report, an archival interview with Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray
Limited edition of 6,000 copies for the UK