Truly Dreadful Film

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I never saw Strangers With Candy, when it was on Comedy Central. Trolling the Video store one afternoon, I decided that I wanted to rent a comedy DVD. So I thought I'd check this one out.Amy Sedaris (David Sedaris' sister), stars as Gerri Blank, a 46-year-old high school student. Seems that Gerri never got the chance to finish school when she was still a teen, due to her being a drug addict/prisoner. So, after being released from her lengthy prison-stint, Gerri decides to return to high school. Gerri is also living at home with her catatonic father, surly younger brother, and antagonistic step-mother. Ridiculed by her classmates and teachers at school, Gerri's family doesn't treat her much better. Daily, Gerri struggles to win approval, while those around her consider her to be a pathetic specimen of humanity. She tries so hard to succeed both socially and academically, that the viewer can't help but root for Gerri.The other characters in this show are a menagerie of off-beat, bizarre, people. Be forewarned, this is not a P.C. show. It regularly pokes fun at minorities, women, drug addiction, etc. It's all clearly done in a tongue-and-cheek way, though. This show is also laced with liberal amounts of vulgar language, and flagrant sexual innuendo. It's definitely not a G-rated sitcom. Gerri conveys a child-like vulnerability, with her sorrowful, hang-dog face. Though she has quite a checkered past, Gerri is a kindly person at heart, who only wants to be accepted for who she is. That makes her only human after all. She reminds me of Louise Lasser's character in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Like Gerri, Mary Hartman was another child-woman, that's thoroughly bewildered by the world around her.Strangers With Candy certainly doesn't take itself too seriously. Like Married, With Children, it deliberately pushes the proverbial envelope, as an absurd sitcom. And it works brilliantly.

I watched these episodes when they first aired on Comedy Central, and I thought they were hilarious. "Really I don't know how they got away with some of their jokes, even though it was on cable. I am glad they did though." I love the ironic; nothing is off limits,humor to this show. I mean the school is named Flatpoint.Now that I have bought all 3 seasons, I have to say that this show is a lot funnier than I remember. You find something new every time you watch them. I find that the 1st Season is probably the best of the 3, so pick up a copy.Have a Great Day!

"Scary Jerri So Hairy Down Therey" One of the most original lines in strangers with candy. Thats hilarious stuff. This show was so original in so many ways. and they had to cancel it. why do they always cancel the best shows. there are so many lines i could tell u from this show because it was genius. "See thats my one leg and this is my other leg and SNATCH IT DOWN!" funny stuff. it was almost as if she was meant to play this character because she is so great at it. The things she does with her face and eyes are brilliant. "Junkie whore, wait i've already done that". anyway this show was one of the most original sick twisted dirty not right but genius comedies ever made. Cant wait until the movie i can just imagine how beyond over the top they went for the silver screen. "But my vagina's all PUFFY" anyway "You stupid bloodfart!

the previous commenter, Mike, wondered if this show was written by white supremacists (no, "supremists" is not the correct spelling), simply because they named the principal "onyx blackman", and he happened to be a black man.Mike seems to have missed the point. this show wasn't written to delicately handle interpersonal, racial, or societal issues. it was written to be funny and shocking, and in that the writers were very successful.they broke every rule they could find, offended as many people as possible, and made it as obvious as they could so they couldn't be accused of being "supremists".if nothing else, laugh at how many ways they can come up with to offend people in one episode. i'm personally just amazed by the number of great jokes in every episode.