Spitting Image Music Video

Drawing on the astounding work of British puppeteers' Luck and Flaw, this compilation of music videos featuring latex look-alikes is more of a technical than an aesthetic achievement. Less than half of the 26 two-minute song parodies will even register with American viewers since the majority of the songs deal with British politics and public life. Even the pieces we recognize are just not that funny: Michael Jackson doing "Mad" (a takeoff on "Bad"), The Monkees performing "We're The Has Beens" (from the Monkees' theme song), Elvis Presley singing "I'm Sure Living" in reference to his continuing postmortem sightings. A couple of the more clever segments are: "Imelda," a double slap to Imelda Marcos and Andrew Lloyd Webber, which features the duo in a parody of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina;" "Queen," a takeoff on Queen's "We Are the Champions" with Queen Elizabeth; and "Keepin' On Rockin'," a tribute to the old rock 'n rollers who continue to play: Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, The Who, etc. For the most part, however, this is marginal cultural humor that is likely to be lost on Americans. An optional purchase. (Available from: BFS Video, 350 Newkirk Road N., Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4C 3G7.)