"Lost Reality" loaded with comedy and guffaws

By Gerry Wachovsky
Daily Forty-Niner
Diversions Editor

Throughout the years, National Lampoon has always prided itself on providing quality (and often lowbrow) entertainment to comedy-seekers across the globe. We all remember the hilarious Chevy Chase "Vacation" series, not to mention the dorm room necessity, "National Lampoon's Animal House." Now the production company brings us a new DVD called "National Lampoon's Lost Reality," which spoofs the American fascination with reality shows and presents several reality show "pilots" that didn't quite make it past the censors.

All the pilots, with the exception of a few, seemed staged, but that is by no means a knock on the film. National Lampoon has always made it a point to spoof and parody issues of the day, and reality shows are certainly a popular area of American pop culture.

The DVD, for the most part, is hilarious. With the exception of a few stinkers, most of the pilots produce good, hearty laughs. A favorite segment of mine was one called "Don't Get Caught," where two contestants vie in a shoplifting contest. The rounds consisted of sending the competitors into various public places and giving them a checklist of things to steal, with the purpose of not getting caught. One contestant, for example, had to enter an adult-entertainment shop and steal various pleasure items, while the other contestant had to steal a car from a carwash.

Another winner was a segment called "The Whore." In this pilot, men were set up on blind dates with a gorgeous woman who, unknown to them, was a paid prostitute. After the "action" begins, the man is let in on the secret by an obnoxious host who suddenly appears toting a microphone and followed by a cameraman. Some of the reactions by the victims are priceless, to say the least.

"The Amazing Racist, Part 1" is a segment that features a guy cavorting around South Central Los Angeles dressed up in a Ku Klux Klan outfit. The antics include him bringing his dirty robe to a laundromat for a cleaning, as well as pumping gas while dressed in full Klan paraphernalia.

In another pilot called "Money," we find our host walking around the city offering people money to do stupid and ridiculous feats. Among the challenges is kissing a midget, urinating on a tree and drinking a substance called Ipecac, which induces massive vomiting and is used in the treatment of an accidental swallowing of poison.

"National Lampoon's Lost Reality," as you can probably gather so far, is a foray into the world of the gross, hysterical, and downright wrong. The DVD is great to watch with friends and despite the few lame pilots you will find yourself hooting and hollering at the off-the-wall spoofs. If you are a fan of any "National Lampoon" material or of comedy in general, I would definitely recommend checking this DVD out.