Review of Les casse-pieds

I have had this on VHS tape for several years. It is NOT available on DVD at present ( 2007) . The picture and sound quality are abysmal. In spite of this, the idea behind the work and many of the examples given are brilliant. I am very impressed by Noël-Noël ! If only the France of today could produce comedians of this quality who play with the language yet speak with elegance. Most of today's lot are on a par with the English "chavs". Anyway, the subject of this film is "pains in the neck" to use a polite expression and the film is presented in a didactical form with Noël-Noël as the teacher using a virtual blackboard. He gives examples of the different pains in the neck that exist, for example, the woman who is trying to drive whilst chattering at the same time. One of the funniest is the person whom you don't want to meet in the street. You see them coming, so you quickly cross over to the other pavement. But they have seen you and think that you haven't seen them so they too cross over to the other side of the street so that you won't miss them !! I creased up laughing when I saw this !! OUr presenter also indicates that pains in the neck existed in Roman times and proceeds to show the streets of ancient Rome with Romans speaking frenchified Latin, trying to avoid each other etc etc. The technique is brilliant and I have never ever seen another film deal with this subject so intelligently. Please don't confuse the film with another more recent one called "Le Bal des Casse-Pieds" which was at the time purported to be a remake but which is best off being binned from the first minute. I can't recommend too highly the intelligence and the wit of Noël-Nöël and anybody feeling depressed or suicidal should watch this film to perk themselves up. Making a modern-day version ( pains in the neck are eternal and will always exist in every civilization ) is a desirable enterprise but how are we going to find someone to fill Noël-Noël's shoes ?????