Drawn Together: The Complete Series – Party In Your Box (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

November 11, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Obnoxious, offensive, controversial… But If you can look past all that, ‘Drawn Together: The Complete Series – Party In Your Box” uncensored is absolutely fun and hilarious! Packed with a board game, drinking game and more, this box set is definitely one of the wildest and craziest DVD box sets to come from Comedy Central.

TITLE: Drawn Together: The Complete Series – Party In Your Box

DURATION: 36 Episodes (790 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, Dolby Digital

COMPANY: Comedy Central/Paramount

RATED: NOT RATED (Explicit Content, Warning: This Program is Recommended for Mature Audiences Only. It Contains Adult Language and Situations)

RELEASED: November 17, 2009

Created by Dave Jeser and Matthew Silverstein

Directed by Dwayne Carey-Hill, Frank Marino, Peter Avanzino, Rich Moore, Stephen Sandoval, Ray Claffey, James Purdum

Written by Dave Jeser, Matthew Silverstein, Jordan Young, Erik Sommers, Elijah Aron, Reed Agnew, Bill Freiberger

Executive Producer: Dave Jeser, Matthew Silverstein, Bill Freiberger

Produced by Jonathan Kimmel, Claudia Katz, J. Michael Mendel, Kara Vallow

Co-Produced: Erik Sommers, David Lewman, Craig DiGregorio, Joe Liss

Associate Producer: Elise Belknap, Jeff Goldstein, Joe Goyette

Animation Producer: Dina Benadon

Music by Eban Schletter

Edited by Damon P. Yoches, Jim Miley

Casting by Dawn Hershey

Featuring the voices of:

Adam Carolla as Spanky Ham

Jess Harnell as Captain Hero

Abbey McBride as Ling-Ling

Jack Plotnick as Xandir P. Whifflebottom

Tara Strong as Toot Braunstein/Princess Clara

Cree Summer as Foxxy Love

James Arnold Taylor as Wooldor Sockbat

Jason Huber as Gash

Jimmy Kimmel as Mrs. Ham

The Drawn Together gang is back and this time they’re bringing the party home with them. In addition to reliving your favorite episodes from all three seasons of basic cable’s most-offensive animated reality show, you and your friends can now play as each of the characters in The Drawn Together Board Game!, partake in the Get the DT’s Drinking Game, or show your inner wild child by participating in the Drawn Together Truth or Dare Game. Once you own this collection, you won’t even have to leave your basement to have a kickass party!

In 2004, Comedy Central unveiled their new animated show that would be as controversial as the network’s flagship animation “South Park” and feature adult dialogue, violence and things that were typically seen as taboo on television was featured on the series. The series ran for three seasons long and a total of 36 episodes completed before its cancellation in 2007 (supposedly due to the show’s controversial nature and production cost). But no worries for fans as there is a trailer in the set which advertises a theatrical version of “Drawn Together” and is planned for release on April 2010.

Despite the cancellation from TV, for many fans of the series, the long awaited extended and uncensored complete series of “Drawn Together” is now available on DVD. And let’s just say that fans who have never purchased the individual seasons will find this DVD box set quite wild with his hilarious and wild special features but it also comes with a “Drawn Together: The Board Game”, “Get the DTS Drinking Game” and “Drawn Together: Truth Or Dare”. Inside the slip case is a fold out board game (two kinds) for “Drawn Together”, cardboard cutouts for the board game, dice and Q&A cards.

Comedy Central’s “Drawn Together” parodies VH1′s “Surreal Life” where animated characters are put together in a single home and must live together for a certain amount of time while millions of cameras are viewing their every move.

The main characters of “Drawn Together” are:

Princess Clara: Loosely based on popular Disney-like princesses who love to sing, Princess Clara is a racist (even though she doesn’t know it).

Wooldoor Sockbat: Loosely based on Spongebob Squarepants, Wooldor is an extremely annoying character.

Foxxy Love: A mystery solving musician who loves being a tease and being sexy to her castmates. Likes to be topless and naked at times.

Toot Braunstein: Loosely based on the classic animated character Betty Boop, Toot is fat, has low self-esteem and likes to cut herself with blades. She wants attention but never gets it because she’s quite disgusting.

Ling-Ling: Loosely based on Pokemon’s Pikachu. Ling-Ling is an Asia battle card fighting monster and tends to be the feisty one of the housemates.

Xandir: A totally gay video game character and adventurer. Discovering himself through his new friends.

Spanky Ham: A prankster pig who likes to fart, pee and defecate anywhere he wants.

Captain Hero: Loosely based on Superman. A not-very-smart hero who underestimates his own strength and powers (like spying on the female housemates while they take a shower and not knowing what the negative health effects of his x-ray vision has on them).

The following episodes are featured in “Drawn Together” Seasons 1-3. The following are spoiler-less summaries:

SEASON 1:

DISC 1:

EPISODE 1 – HOT TUB – The eight characters for “Drawn Together” meet each other for the first time. But Clara and Foxxy don’t get along because of Clara’s racist comments.
EPISODE 2 – CLARA’S DIRTY SECRET – After Clara and Foxxy engage in a kiss, Toot convinces Clara that she may be pregnant but we learn that Clara has been cursed.
EPISODE 3 – GAY BASH – Xandir comes out of the closet.
EPISODE 4: REQUIEM FOR A REALITY SHOW – The producers of “Drawn Together” challenge the housemates to win food.
EPISODE 5: THE OTHER COUSIN – Captain Hero dates Clara’s mentally retarded cousin. Meanwhile, Toot, Xandir and Wooldoor learn how pleasuring it is to lick Ling-Ling.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 6: DIRTY PRANKING NUMBER 2 – Clara asks for Spanky’s help in pranking the pizza delivery guy and that is learning how to make a giant poop on a pizza.
EPISODE 7: THE ONE WHEREIN THERE IS A BIG TWIST, PART 1 – The housemates are ticked off for being exploited on “Drawn Together” and now they go on strike.

SEASON 2:

DISC 1:

EPISODE 8: The One WhereIn There Is a Big Twist (2) – The housemates crash in a deserted island and are greeted by “Survivor” host Jeff Probst.
EPISODE 9: Foxxy Vs. the Board of Education – Foxxy gets in trouble for not having a Mystery-Solving license and so, she must go back to school for it.
EPISODE 10: Little Orphan Hero – Captain Hero discovers that his parents aren’t really dead and that his home planet didn’t explode.
EPISODE 11: Captain Hero’s Marriage Pact – Captain Hero receives a vist from his ex-girlfriend UFG (Unusually Flexible Girl) who reminds him of their pact that when she turns 30, they would get married.
EPISODE 11: Clum Babies – Wooldor has hit puberty, problem is that he can’t stop playing with himself which leads to him having “clum babies”.
EPISODE 12: Ghostesses In the Slot Machine – Is there a poltergeist in the house?

DISC 2:

EPISODE 13: Super Nanny – Captain Hero despises the word “Super” and when he sees a woman on TV called “Super Nanny”, he challenges her.
EPISODE 14: Terms of Endearment – Captain Hero keeps using his x-ray vision to spy on the ladies in the shower but the effects of his x-ray vision has given Foxxy a brain tumor.
EPISODE 15: Captain Girl – Wooldoor becomes Captain Hero’s sidekick, Captain Girl.
EPISODE 16: A Tale of Two Cows – Toot gets invited to her Fat Camp reunion but because her housemates can’t stand her, they don’t want to go with her.
EPISODE 17: Xandir and Tim, Sitting In a Tree – Reporter Tim Tommerson comes to visit the house and gets close to Xandir.
EPISODE 18: The Lemon-Aids Walk – Captain Hero is not very good at sports but he wants to prove he can do it, so he takes part in an AIDS walk.
EPISODE 19: A Very Special Drawn Together Afterschool Special – Xandir wants his housemates to roleplay in order to try out ways he can tell his parents that he is gay.
EPISODE 20: Alzheimer’s That Ends Well – Clara gets a makeover on her “octopussoir”. Meanwhile, housemates think that Toot is too old and try to put her into an old folks home.
EPISODE 21: The Drawn Together Clip Show – The best of “Drawn Together”.

SEASON 3:

DISC 1:

EPISODE 22: Greeks & Freaks – Captain Hero thinks the Greek family next door is a Greek fraternity.
EPISODE 23: Wooldoor Sockbat’s Giggle-Wiggle Funny Tickle Non-Traditional Progressive Multicultural Roundtable – Clara is worried that Wooldoor’s children show will breed nothing but homosexuality.
EPISODE 24: Spelling Applebee’s – Foxxy decides to enter a house spelling bee and Captain Hero discovers Clara’s secret sexual fetish.
EPISODE 25: Unrestrainable Trainable – Captain Hero discovers the identity of the giant attacking the city.
EPISODE 26: N.R.A. y Ray – The house is robbed and Captain Hero decides to get a gun but the thief happens to be a relative of Foxxy.
EPISODE 27: Mexican’t Buy Me Love – Captain Hero wants to be cool members of the house.
EPISODE 28: Lost in Parking Space, Part I – Clara tries to preach about the upcoming rapture to her housemates and alienates them.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 29: Lost in Parking Space, Part II – Can Foxxy escape the Hot Topic dungeon of torture.
EPISODE 30: Drawn Together Babies – The Drawn Together babies kill their babysitter and try to cover it up.
EPISODE 31: Nipple Ring-Ring Goes to Foster Care – Ling-Ling is put in foster care when it is revealed he is three years old.
EPISODE 32: Foxxy and the Gang Bang – Foxxy has memories of being gang-raped and now she wants revenge.
EPISODE 33: Breakfast Food Killer – Wooldoor is selected as a new cereal mascot after the previous beloved mascot is murdered.
EPISODE 34: Charlotte’s Web of Lies – Spanky Ham tries to seduce Charlotte the stalker and Captain Hero tries to love his archnemesis.
EPISODE 35: The Elimination Special, Part II: The Elimination – Briank Dunkleman hosts a musical special to decide who will be banished from the house forever.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Drawn Together” is presented in full screen and one of the interesting aspects of the show is that each character is featured in various animation styles such as some characters using a visual style similar to older animation, Clara sports a Disney-style of animation and soft edges, Spanky Ham has a bolder stroke around his character, while Ling-Ling looks similar to Pikachu of the “Pokemon” series and Wooldor’s character design looking similar to Spongebob Squarepants. Toot has that Betty Boop style of grayscale animation and for the most part, it’s the unique differences of each character design and their behavior that makes “Drawn Together” such a fun show to watch. Animation is colorful and vibrant and this series is something that you don’t typically see in today’s television, let alone on “Comedy Central”.

Audio is featured in Dolby Digital and English stereo. Scene is front channel driven and for the most part, audio is clear and understandable.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Drawn Together: The Complete Series – Party In Your Box” comes with the following special features:

SEASON 1:

DISC 1:

Audio Commentary for “Hot Tub” - Audio Commentary by Matt Silverstein, Dave Jeser, Cree Summer (voice of Foxxy Love), Tara Strong (who plays Toot), Jess Sarnell (who plays Captain Hero).
Audio Commentary for “Clara’s Dirty Secret” - Audio Commentary by Matt Silverstein, Dave Jeser, Abbey McBride (voice of Ling-Ling), Jack Plotnick (voice of Xandir) and director Dwayne Carey-Hill.
Audio Commentary for “The Other Cousin” – Audio Commentary by Cree Summer (voice of Foxxy Love), Jess Sarnell (who plays Captain Hero) and director Pete Avanzino.
Drawn Together: The Board Game – Let’s Watch!
Truth or Dare – “Gay Bash”
Get the DT’s Drinking Game – “Requiem for a Reality Show” – A drinking game featuring two modes – Trainable Version and Expert Version

DISC 2:

Audio commentary for “The One Wherein There is a Big Twist, Pt. 1″ – Featuring commentary by writer Bill Freiberger, Supervising Producer Jordan Young, a stranger named Carlos that they found at Home Depot and Abbey McBride (voice of Ling-Ling). A very interesting commentary as the guys find a stranger to watch the show and give commentary.
Audio commentary for “Super Nanny” – Featuring commentary by series creator Matt Silverstein, Abby McBride (voice of Ling-Ling), Jess Harnell (voice of Captain Hero) and director Peter Avenzeno and creator Dave Jeser.
Deleted Scenes – (5:11) Featuring deleted scenes from the series which feature scenes that are a bit raunchy.
Censored/Uncensored Game – A “Drawn Together” trivia game
Four Never-Before-Seen “Last Week on Drawn Together” Segments – (1:19) Four never-before-seen “Last Week on Drawn Together” (note: These have nothing to do with previous episode’s but nevertheless are quite hilarious/insensitive and more than likely controversial – example: The housemates go to Toot while she’s sleeping and beat her with socks filled with soap).
Karaoke Sing-Along – Featuring karaoke sing-along-mode for “Black Chick’s Tongue”, “Ling-Ling Lament”, “Ling-Ling Battle Song” and “La La Labia”.

SEASON 2:

DISC 1:

Audio Commentary for “Clum Babies” - Audio Commentary by series creator Matt Silverstein, Abbey McBride (voice of Ling-Ling), writer Elijah Aron, Kurt Vanzo (sound editor)
Karaoke Sing-Along – Featuring karaoke sing-along-mode for “Shit Sandwich”, “Sunshine”, “School House Rock”, “God is Watching” and “Crashy Smashy”.
Get the DT’s Drinking Game – “Clum Babies” – A drinking game featuring two modes – Trainable Version and Expert Version
Behind-the-Scene Interviews: Featuring four interviews which include:

- Creator’s Confessional – (4:53) Featuring “Drawn Together” creators Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein.

- Captain Hero – (2:37) Featuring voice actor Jess Harnell.

- Foxxy Love – (3:17) Featuring voice actress Cree Summer.

- Ling-Ling – (3:36) Featuring voice actress Abey McBride.

DISC 2:

Audio Commentary for “Terms of Endearment” - Audio Commentary by series executive producer Matt Silverstein, Tara Strong (voice actress of Toot and Clara), executive producer Bill Freiberger, producer Mike Mendel, executive producer Dave Jeser and Jess Harnell (voice actor for Captain Hero).
Potential Annoying Commentary for the audio commentary for “Terms of Endearment” - Audio Commentary by series executive producer Matt Silverstein, Jordan Young (Supervising Producer), Ian (Writing Assistant), Abbey McBride (voice of Ling-Ling), Dave Jeser (executive producer)
Audio Commentary for “A Very Special Drawn Together Afterschool Special” - Audio Commentary by series creator Matt Silverstein, Abbey McBride (voice of Ling-Ling), writer Elijah Aron, Kurt Vanzo (sound editor)
Behind-the-Scene Interviews: Featuring four interviews which include:

- Princess Clara – (3:19) Featuring voice actress Tara Strong.

- Toot Braunstein – (3:45) Featuring voice actress Tara Strong who also does the voice of Toot.

- Wooldor Sockbat – (4:22) Featuring voice actor James Arnold Taylor.

- Xandir P. Wifflebottom – (4:22) Featuring voice actor Jack Plotnick.

SEASON 3:

DISC 1:

Audio Commentary for “Greeks and Freaks” - Audio Commentary by series creators Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein, composer Eban Schletter, writer Jordan Young, writer Elijah Aron and writer Reed Agnew.
Audio Commentary for “Lost in Parking Space, Part I” - Audio Commentary by David Jeser and wife Lisa Jeser, writer Jordan Young and producer Mike Mendel.
The DT Movie: Red Band Trailer – A red band (mature) trailer for the “Drawn Together” film coming out in April 2010.
Karaoke Sing-Along – Featuring karaoke sing-along-mode for “Pledging Days”, “No Easy Way Out”, “Scumma Bumma”, “Drawn Together Babies”, “Face the Balls” and “Fire the Load”.
Get the DT’s Drinking Game – “Wooldoor Sockbat’s Giggle-Wiggle Funny Tickle Non-Traditional Progressive Multicultural Roundtable” – A drinking game featuring two modes – Trainable Version and Expert Version

DISC 2:

Audio Commentary for “Drawn Together Babies” - Audio Commentary by series creators Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein, James Arnold Taylor (voice of Wooldor), Peter Avanzino (supervising director) and Director Frank Marino.
Audio Commentary for “Breakfast Food Killer” - Audio Commentary by series creators David Jeser and Matt Silverstein, James Arnold Taylor (voice of Wooldor), Abbey McBride (voice of Ling-Ling), Peter Avanzino (supervising director).
Promos – “Drawn Together” promos for season one through three.
Comedy Central Quickies – Shorts for South Park’s “Leprechaun” and The Sarah Silverman Program’s “Date With God”.

When it comes to “shocking” films or television, I’m pretty much open to watching most things and willing to give it a try. Especially moreso if it revolves around comedy. I watched the season premiere of “Drawn Together” and personally I was shocked to see how crazy and so not-politically correct this series was. But you know, despite the controversial topics from incest, rape, masturbation, sex, homosexuality, obesity, suicide, racism and just so many other things happening on this series, it’s easy for one to say that this is just one “f’d up” animated series.

It’s one thing for “South Park” to be so controversial back in the 90′s but creators Dave Jeser and Matthew Silverstein pulled no punches with “Drawn Together” but it’s because they handle topics that people are sensitive too but twist it with humor with these animated characters and quite literally take it to an unprecedented level for a television show is what I find quite intriguing. When I caught the first episode of “Drawn Together”, I was hooked because it was so out of left field, you never know where the creators are going with the series.

For example, with Clara and Foxxy. I figured, OK…they will be focusing on race relations between a white woman and an African-American. But sure enough, things went even farther when the two started making out. Even going further when we see Clara and her father smooching together. Because of that inbred family, she has a cousin that is mentally retarded and sure enough, we see Captain Hero attracted to her sexually. Those who see this and take it so seriously, will just say…”This is wrong!”. We know it’s wrong, everything about the show can be seen as “wrong”. But with Comedy Central and many comedians, they take what’s wrong in their society, some comedians take things from their own ethnicity and try to make it humorous. “Drawn Together” takes a lot of things in reality that are not funny but use these odd animated characters to make it funny.

But the show is not meant for children, it’s meant for adults and it all comes down to the viewer…is this animated series for you? Because if you are easily offended, “Drawn Together” is not for you. But if you are wanting a series that is so different, so wrong but yet is so hilarious, then “Drawn Together: The Complete Series – Party In Your Box” is definitely for you.

The series is packed with audio commentary, games, karaoke and more! I thought that it was so hilarious to see the creator’s try something different with their audio commentary such as finding a guy named Carlos from Home Depot and made him take part in a commentary of a series he has never seen before. Never expected that to happen. And the humor within the creators and the cast, you can tell “Drawn Together”, despite the controversy, it was a series that they were passionate about.

I personally enjoyed this series when it aired on Comedy Central and now watching this set, I can easily say that fans will enjoy “Drawn Together: The Complete Series – Party In Your Box” because outside of the 36 episodes, the amount of special features and the kind of special features included is totally insane. Seriously, the commentary and special features included is absolutely wild and crazy. Also, the board game included is pretty well-thought out and also a drinking game and truth or dare game is also included.

Overall, “Drawn Together: The Complete Series – Party In Your Box” is definitely a fun and highly recommended set for fans of the series.

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

Dane Cook – ISolated INcident (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

November 10, 2009 by Dennis Amith · 2 Comments

Dane Cook returns with his latest comedy DVD “ISolated INcident”. Ranchy, raw, blunt, hilarious and real! If you are a fan and want to see a side of Dane Cook that you never saw before, “ISolated INcident” is definitely a comedy DVD worth checking out.

TITLE: Dane Cook – ISolated INcident

DURATION: 55 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital

COMPANY: Comedy Central/Paramount

RATED: NOT RATED (Contains Coarse Language, Not Recommended for Children)

RELEASED: November 17, 2009

Starring

Dane Cook

After his last two highly rated specials and multi-platinum selling albums, Dane reinvented his act and took it to the stage in front of 400 people at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. This intimate show was performed in a nightclub atmosphere where Dane shared the audience’s energy in a real-time performance, without a safety net. Here, he showcases a darker and more personal set with cutting edge material that pushes the envelope.

Dane Cook has been one of the most visible comedians that have emerged from Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” and “Comedy Central Presents”.

Cook has had tremendous success with his comedy album and DVD releases, has hosted “Saturday Night Live” and appeared on films such as “Good Luck Chuck”, “Dan in Real Life”, “Employee of the Month” and “My Best Friend’s Girl” include roles where he played the lead character.

Known for his “observational humor” style of comedy, Dane Cook returns with “ISolated INcident” featuring a performance at The Laugh Factory in Hollywood. The routine is more intimate with a club-like setting and Cook wanted the special to be natural and reel, so if he messes up…then he messes up. From the moment he walks into the venue and the moment he walks out, he keeps it live and real. Even the comedian himself says that he felt good about his performance that he doesn’t even need to watch the special.

Dane Cook’s comedy routine for “ISolated INcident” features a first half that showcases his observational humor but also a personal-style in which Cook talks about President Obama and him being social media savvy, his parents (who both passed away) and his haters but the second half then gets extremely raunchy as Cook talks about having sex, revealing his fetishes and more.

For the most part, if you are familiar with Cook’s comedy, he has a casual but blunt style of delivery. His routine discusses of although supporting African-Americans, Caucasians having that little racism in them to asking the female audience about their version of “cock blockers” and giving them the name “twat swatters”, to a more personal but comedy take on having to take care of his father who is dying and seeing his deceased mother’s cell phone # and wanting to give her a call but afraid that she may pick up. And of course, wanting to adopt a Black child. You have the more observational humor style of his comedy through the first half of his routine and then it changes to become a more raunchier act about him having sex with women and learning about the kinkier side of the comedian.

What is most impressive of this DVD are the special features because you get to see footage of Dane Cook during 30 live performances via “30 Premeditated Acts” which shows the comedian at his best and his absolutely worst (the worst features him in a negative moment not even doing a routine but making fun of the audience and definitely seems like he’s in an uber-cranky mood) which the director calls it a “cringe moment”. According to Cook, he says that he does in order to release his negative energy before a major performance a few times a year. Yikes!

Also, included is “Isolated Interview” in which you learn how on the making of “ISolated INcident”, days before recording for the DVD, everything that can go wrong…went wrong. And for the most part, viewers of this DVD watching both bonus features will be surprised about what took place behind-the-scenes (in one case, a group of a talkative female group that was a bit unnerving to Cook definitely caught the attention of a person not in the mood for their banter and the lady according to Cook, was punched).

Needless to say, “ISolated INcident” is an interesting comedy DVD as Cook is performing in a more intimate club setting but special features that really give the viewer a chance to see how he really is as a person and what goes on his mind during those good and bad days as a comedian.

The track listing for “ISolated INcident” are as follows:

Intro
Obama
Self Assassination
Vernacular
Pissed Off
Twat Swatters
Banter #1
Mom and Pops
Haters
Adoption
Syncing Feeling
W.W.Y.D.I.??
Interracial Tail
Remote Location
Push and Pray
Big Shot
Rigmarole
Role Play
Hidden Gems
Peanut Butter Smack

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Dane Cook – ISolated INcident” is featured in widescreen and is shot at The Laugh Factory in Hollywood. Dane Cook wanted a club-setting and thus, instead of a large and wide theater, you get a more personal performance as we see Dane performing in front of 400 people. Light is well done but the stage is quite small with the audience very close to him during the performance. We see mostly full body shot and closeup of Dane Cook and a direct light shining on him. When Cook is talking to the audience, we see a picture-in-picture like display on the front of the audience, so it was interesting to see that perspective for a comedy DVD.

Unlike the typical comedy DVD’s with constant editing for various angles, there is a single camera right on Dane Cook since there are not many cameras in the tight space around the club. But for the most part, the single camera shot for this venue works perfectly.

Audio is featured in Dolby Digital. Audience can be heard laughing quite well but most of all, Dane Cook’s dialogue and delivery is clear and front channel driven. I preferred to set my receiver with stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Dane Cook – ISolated INcident” comes with the following special features:

30 Premeditated Acts: (58:43) Definitely the most interesting special feature I have seen in a Comedy Central release (especially the longest). In this feature, Dane Cook talks to people who filmed his special and they discuss the various 30 acts shot on film and the filmmaker showing Dane Cook the various jokes. You get to see how Dane Cook has his different days depending on his mood and the positive and negative side to the comedian. You also get to see the good and the bad of his audience interaction during his routine and even interviews with the audience. You usually don’t see these type of special features on Comedy Central DVD’s, so this was pretty awesome to see.
Isolated Interview: Never-Before-Seen Interview with Dane: (27:21) An interview with Dane Cook as he talks about the filming of “ISolated INcident” but also learning about the problems that happened behind-the-scenes and the worst things that could happened…happened. Very interesting and surprising details of what happened during the filming of this special.

Dane Cook is definitely one of the more popular and well-know comedians to emerge from Comedy Central’s specials. Not many are able to release a DVD and then get featured on major films as a lead, so it goes to show how far he has come since his appearing on the network back in 1998 for Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend”.

With that being said, Dane Cook is definitely one of those comedian’s that you either love the guy’s comedy or you hate it. Needless to say, he has his share of haters and in fact, for “ISolated INcident”, the comedian goes into that in his comedy routine and even goes into the one hater who wrote him and told him that his parents died to get away from him (obviously, something he uses for his jokes but what a messed up thing to say), granted karma came back when Cook reiterates a similar joke when the hater apologizes and writes about his father dying. Which Dane says that it’s good to go down the low road once in awhile.

From him reading the negative comments or websites made about him and how it screws his mind up at times to also discussing the loss of his mother and father. And once you feel bad for him, he manages to know how to push you away and literally make a joke out of it. It’s what Dane Cook does well. His observational and casual style of comedy is blunt and at times, it can be in-your-face. Although the more darker side of Dane Cook can be seen in his “30 Premeditated Acts” special feature, you do get to see that hilarious and fun side to his routine as he gets the audience involved in his special. Where it seems his conversational comedy with the audience members can lead to problematic situations, Dane Cook manages to make it all work out for the best in his special (it’s not always like that, again referring to what you will see in the special feature “30 Premeditated Acts”).

His comedy routine is a mix bag of sorts especially if you heard his comedy albums or his specials before. I’ve found myself laughing to a lot of jokes and just saying “man, that is so wrong!” but its his style that has made him popular with a lot of his fans.

For “ISolated INcident”, audience reaction for the most part was good but it depends how one reacts to comedy that centers around racism, rape, sex and the death of his parents. There are subjects that may seem a bit taboo for some but it works for Dane Cook and that’s why you have audiences and even comedians who split down the middle of those who support his comedy and those who trash it. So, for those who are familiar with his comedy will definitely enjoy this release while those not too familiar with it, I recommend checking out YouTube and other video sites to see if his comedy suits your taste.

But what I found quite interesting and also pretty cool were the two special features included on the “ISolated INcident” DVD. Both features are something that you will never see on a comedy DVD from Comedy Central. Most comedians have deleted scenes from a special performance to highlights from other acts but in this case, “30 Premeditated Acts” is watching Dane Cook for 30 performances…the good and the bad. When he’s good, he feels great but when he’s feeling bad, if you’re in the audience, good chance that he will pick you out in the audience and have fun with you. Sometimes it’s hilarious but sometimes that negative energy which he said he is trying to “purge” can be a bit callous and rude. But that was the intention of showing how various acts differ and how things change with his comedy routine.

For “Isolated Interview”, it was good to hear from Dane Cook talking about the positives and the negatives of shooting “ISolated INcident”. It appears there was quite a bit of mishaps that happened during the filming of the special and things went wrong. But how he was able to turn a negative experience and just turn out a positive performance was pretty awesome.

Dane Cook’s “ISolated INcident” is a fun and hilarious comedy DVD. A DVD featuring newer comedy material that will definitely surprise you but depending on your taste in comedy, it’s either going to make you laugh or make you think “man, that is so messed up!”. As mentioned, the two special features are something you just don’t see on Comedy Central-related DVD’s, so for the most part, it was a good glimpse to see all the challenges that took place during each filming of his act and how different they truly were and how different he was on those days.

Overall, If you are a fan of Dane Cook, “ISolated INcident” is a solid DVD worth checking out!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

Gabriel Iglesias – I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy: Live From El Paso (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

November 3, 2009 by Dennis Amith · 1 Comment

If you thought that Gabriel Iglesias’s last DVD was phenomenal, his latest DVD “I’m not Fat…I’m Fluffy” is fantastic! Awesome comedy from beginning to end from one of today’s top comedians out there. Gabriel doesn’t need to use sex or profanity in his routine to be funny, definitely a clean performance that will entertain you and make you laugh! Overall, this DVD is highly recommended!

TITLE: Gabriel Iglesias – I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy: Live From El Paso

DURATION: 69 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital, Widescreen, English/Stereo

COMPANY: Comedy Central/Paramount

RATED: NOT RATED (Parental Advisory. Explicit Content. Warning: This program is recommended for mature audiences only. It contains adult language and situations.)

RELEASED: November 10, 2009

Executive Producers: Gabriel Iglesias, Pat Buckles, Robert Hartmann, Stu Schreiberg

Photographer: Lencho Guerra

Graphic Artist: Eddie Aguilera

Starring:

Gabriel Iglesias

Martin Moreno

Noe Gonzales

Gabriel Iglesias returns to the stage in this all-new comedy special in front of a packed house at the historic Plaza Theater in El Paso, Texas. Go to the restroom before you watch this and be ready to watch it again and again. 2 Hot 2 Fluffy will be a classic!!!

The comedian known as the “Fluffy Man”. Gabriel Iglesias is one of the hottest comedians out there. Latino flair and hilarious delivery, from his voice impressions to jokes about his weight or personal issues, he knows how to get the audience laughing from beginning to end. There is no slow down in deliver, Iglesias is just hilarious!

Iglesias is known from being the finalist of the fourth season of “Last Comic Standing” in 2006 but in 2007, it was the success of his 2nd special Comedy Central 2007 DVD “Hot & Fluffy” (which sold over 300,000 copies) which would propel Gabriel Iglesias as a comedian that can sell out live performances and also comedy DVD’s.

Earlier in the year, Iglesias released a double album CD titled “We Luf Fluffy” from performances from 2006 & 2008 and now he returns with a new DVD titles “I’m not Fat…I’m Fluffy” which was recorded in El Paso.

The tracklist on this DVD are as follows:

Return to El Paso
Nickelodeon
Oh Hello No!!
I Hear the Bell
New Daddy
I Do Voices Everywhere
Obama
My Girl
Cop Story 1
USO
Copy Story 2
Cakes and More Cakes
Dropping Frankie Off
DDR
Disney
Car Was Stolen

On his latest DVD, “I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy”, Iglesias is literally on top of his game delivery joke after joke. From sharing stories of his return to El Paso and talking about a time he got drunk and ended up at an alternative gay bar to his first major gift from Nickelodeon to jokes about his personal life with his girlfriend and her son, Gabriel Iglesias’s performance is just hilarious and magnificent. This time around, because of the family experiences that he has to share, these are situations that people can relate to and again, the voices he does is just top notch as he is able to switch voices on command and just be surprised when you hear it.

But you cold tell that his relationship with his girlfriend’s son Frankie has brought new life to his routine and the fact that he can take those personal experiences and make them funny is just what makes the “Fluffy Man” so wonderful to watch on stage and he doesn’t have to get nasty or profane to make the audience laugh.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Gabriel Iglesias – I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy: Live From El Paso” is presented in widescreen. There are several angles closeup, stagewise, behind the audience and from a stage angle to showcase the audience at the front. But overall, editing is well-done and stage setup is simple with pretty cool looking for the backdrop at the Plaza Theatre in El Paso, Texas. Simple and clean. Lighting is well-done and for the most part, editing is good, no quick cuts to make the viewer dizzy. Overall, a job well-done.

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital and audio is clear and understandable. Audience can be heard quite well. Personally, I had my receiver set on stereo on all channels to have a more immersive soundstage in the room.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Gabriel Iglesias – I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy: Live From El Paso” comes with the following special features:

Deleted Scene: High School Reunion – (7:45) A deleted scene in which Gabriel had to stop his routine because parts of the towel (lint) was all over his face and thus it hurt the pacing. But Gabriel manages to take the situation and make it humorous for the audience.
Fluffy’s Friends Hit the Stage: Martin Moreno – (4:59) Martin jokes about getting older and also today’s young Latino guys who are wearing tight pants, tight shirts, plucking their eyebrows and how they are looking effeminate.
Fluffy’s Friends Hit the Stage: Noe Gonzalez - (4:09) Noe’s comedy is more adult-oriented. Noel jokes about his size and the concept of size.
Onstage Q&A With the Fans – (8:07) Gabriel Iglesias answers questions from his fans.

Gabriel Iglesias is definitely one of the most entertaining comedians today. Where Latino comedians such as George Lopez and Paul Rodriguez represented the 80′s and 90′s, Gabriel Iglesias is a comedian that entertains people of all ages. From jokes about video games and his family to jokes about sweating on stage and how it starts to smell like chicharones. He just makes you laugh and laugh some more and this is what I found most interesting, this is probably one of the few Comedy Central DVD’s, if not the first where the comedy routine is quite clean. Granted, he may be saying things in Spanish but in English… it’s a clean routine.

If anything, this is a comedian who cares about his fans and he tells everyone straight up, if you see him at a restaurant, say hi. How he is onstage and in real life are the same person and the fact that he gives that Q&A after his performance in order to get the fans a chance to know more about him, goes to show how Iglesias is such a class act. Positive personality but knows how to make the audience laugh…he’s a talented comedian.

Also, I have to say that “I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy: Live from El Paso” was a performance where he manages to keep the same excitement going from beginning to end. His delivery is smooth, continuous and for the most part, just fantastic.

There’s nothing negative about this Comedy Central DVD at all. If you thought “Hot & Fluffy” was a phenomenal DVD, then you have to give “I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy: Live from El Paso” a try because this is a fantastic comedy DVD.

Highly recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

Greg Giraldo – Midlife Vices (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

October 10, 2009 by Dennis Amith · 1 Comment

“Greg Giraldo is one of the most upfront, no-nonsense, spare nothing comedians out there. With his Comedy Central DVD ‘Midlife Vices’, Giraldo is absolutely at the top of his game. Hilarious, raw and fantastic! If you are looking for adult-oriented comedy, this is one that you will enjoy from beginning to end! Definitely recommended!”

TITLE: Greg Giraldo – Midlife Vices

DURATION: 67 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital, Widescreen, Color

RATED: NOT RATED (Parental Advisory: Explicit content. Warning: This Program is Recommended for Mature Audiences Only. It contains adult languages and situations.)

COMPANY: Comedy Central/Paramount

RELEASE DATE: October 20, 2009

Greg Giraldo

Greg Giraldo is one of the hottest comics in the country. Socially provocative and yet broadly funny, Greg has become one of the most versatile and highly entertaining comics working today.

Greg Giraldo is one of the most upfront, no-nonsense, spare nothing comedians out there. With his Comedy Central DVD ‘Midlife Vices’, Giraldo is absolutely at the top of his game. Hilarious, raw and fantastic! If you are looking for adult-oriented comedy, this is one that you will enjoy from beginning to end! Definitely recommended!

Probably one of the comedians best known for his no holds barred, spare nothing style, Greg Giraldo is known for his blunt comedy and his ranting about anything and everything and no one is spared.

May he be discussing on topics of the obese, the elderly, homosexuality, bestiality, women, men who are straight but you think they may be gay, divorce, the economy, politicians, technology, New Yorkers, his divorce, etc. You name it, he’s not afraid to go there. And what distinguishes him from other comedians is his uncanny delivery. The comedic flow during his one hour routine is amazingly fluid and non-stop like a boxer with his one-two punch, Giraldo never lets up and has the crowd laughing with each moment.

For some people, some know Greg Giraldo from his two “Comedy Central presents” specials or through “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn” and also his Comedy Central annual roasts.

And now his Comedy Central DVD “Midlife Vices” is coming out and this is definitely a performance where the viewer can catch Giraldo during his A game and I can easily say that this is probably one of my favorite Comedy Central DVD’s that I have seen from beginning to end. Some comedians start off great but near the final half or final quarter of their routine, they start to fizzle. Giraldo manages to keep the audience laughing from beginning to end and he really feeds off the energy of the audience.

For the release of “Midlife Vice”, here is the following tracklisting:

Pre-Show
You Got Aids, Yo
Handicapped Room
Energy Policy/Fat Kids
Old People/Race/Election
Divorce/Snakcks/Kangaroo F@@K@NG
Women/Old Drinking
Supreme Court Justice/Humbling Escort
Texting/Technology/Wall Punching
The Economy/Stem Cells and Jizz
Sleepy Rasta/Y as in Jello
Sports/China
Happy Birthday

In this DVD, you can expect Giraldo to discuss comedy about getting a handicapped room (which for one hotel, was the biggest room) because he was a celebrity and him questioning it. Discussing kids who are obese and why parents would buy them shoes with wheels on them to discussing the homosexual flight attendant in charge of snacks and how he would feel if one of his sons were gay. Also, discussion about President Barack Obama giving too much credit to his wife, John McCain being over a hundred years old and George W. Bush for being Bush and Michael Phelps being a spokesperson. There are so many topics that Giraldo covers in his comedy routine and also even catching an audience member sleeping during the taping of the DVD and this guy is definitely not going to be spared.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Video is featured in widescreen. Giraldo doesn’t have a huge stage but not much is needed. Lighting is fine and camera angles focuses on Giraldo straight on and various shots of the crowd reacting to his jokes. Because of the size of the stage, camera angles on Giraldo are pretty much either close up or full body but for the most part, it works well with his comedy routine. But you will see other camera angles from an angle overlooking the audience watching him but those camera angles are quite short. But I do like the fact that the comedy series does showcase a good number of audience reactions to his jokes.

Audio for “Midlife Vices” is featured in Dolby Digital. Giraldo’s voice is clear and understandable, as with the audience laughter which is front and center channel driven. I opted to have my receiver set at stereo on all channels in order to have the audio all around me. Audience laughter can be heard quite well and doesn’t distract from Giraldo’s voice.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Greg Giraldo – Midlife Vices” comes with the following special features:

Comedy Central Presents: Greg Giraldo - (22:08) A Comedy Central presents special featuring Greg Giraldo from August 2000. This is Giraldo’s first special on “Comedy Central Presents”.
Never Before Seen “Adult Content” Pilot - (20:39) A pilot for Greg Giraldo’s comedy show about sex.

Greg Giraldo is a talented comedian that can take on any topic, no matter how touchy the subject may be, he’s one comedian that could care less. And that’s what makes his comedy so enjoyable. I know there are some who are not open-minded when it comes to his jokes and for those familiar with his jokes, you know what you’re getting into. You just have to laugh at his jokes, it’s freakin’ hilarious that the fact that he manages this for an hour with no sign of slowing down is incredible.

There have been times where I watch a Comedy Central DVD and there are some comedians who just fall flat during their final half hour and the audience is just not responding but with “Midlife Vices”, people will be entertained from beginning to end. Again, Giraldo’s performance on this DVD is great and if you have been wanting quality adult-oriented comedy, this DVD is wonderful.

Overall, “Midlife Vices” is one of the better Comedy Central DVD’s that has been released in 2009. If there was one thing that I wish was included with this DVD release is an audio CD of the concert but overall, the DVD features a solid performance by Giraldo, which is well-shot, good camera angles, very good audience reactions plus you get one of his “Comedy Central Presents” performances and a unaired pilot for the show “Adult Content”.

Definitely check out Greg Giraldo’s “Midlife Vices”. Definitely recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

Nick Swardson – Seriously, Who Farted? (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

October 7, 2009 by Dennis Amith · 1 Comment

“Nick Swardson definitely delivers in his first Comedy Central DVD – ‘Seriously, Who Farted?’. Stoner/drunk comedy and college/bro humor at its finest!”

TITLE: Nick Swardson – Seriously, Who Farted?

DURATION: 59 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital, Widescreen, Color

RATED: NOT RATED (Parental Advisory: Explicit content. Warning: This Program is Recommended for Mature Audiences Only. It contains adult languages and situations.)

COMPANY: Comedy Central/Paramount

RELEASE DATE: October 13, 2009

Nick Swardson

Beardo

Dirty Nasty

Nick started stand up at the age of 18. In his first year of stand up he was chosen to perform at the U.S. Comedy Arts festival. In 2000, he hit a milestone in his career when he taped his Comedy Central half-hour special at the age of 22 (the youngest to do so). More recently, Nick wrote and starred in the Happy Madison-produced films Grandma’s Boy and Benchwarmers.

Hilarious! Nick Swardson is back with his brand of stoner/drunk comedy at its finest!

Nick Swardson, the popular young comedian known for his roles as Terry Bernadino on “Reno 911!”, his film “Grandma’s Boy” (which he co-wrote) and appearances in films such as “Art School Confidential”, “The Benchwarmers”, “Blades of Glory”, “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” and more.

With the release of his Comedy Central DVD “Seriously, Who Farted?”, Swardson takes on the following topics of enjoying things much more when he’s drunk such as fast food, to topics of playing XBOX 360 with his buddies and cussing and people around the complex thinking he is shooting gay porn and weed. For the most part, a lot of the comedy is about having a good time and having fun with his friends, getting drunk and comedy that definitely targets the college and young adult crowd. The Austin, Texas crowd was very receptive and supportive and definitely Swardson fed off that that energy that night.

The following is the chapter listing for “Seriously, Who Farted?”"

Intro
Booze is Magic
Gay?
Weed is Dope
Pot Brownies
Old Lady Hand Job
Ninja Job
UFC
Blades of Glory
Monkeys
Being Old People Part 2

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Video is featured in widescreen. Swardson’s comedy routine is well-lighted and although backgrounds are kept simple, the good thing thing is that the comedy does show quite a bit of audience reaction with good shots at the audience. Camera angles are either close up, body shot, at various positions towards the audience and way up high above the audience. Editing is well-done. Not dizzying at all. Camera angle stays on the comedian for most of the time.

Audio is featured in Dolby Digital. I opted to have my receiver set at stereo on all channels in order to have the audio all around me. But audio is understandable and clear. Audience laughter is also quite clear and doesn’t disturb Swardson’s performance.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Nick Swardson – Seriously, Who Farted?” comes with the following special features:

Opening Act: Beardo & Dirt Nasty - (7:39) Known for their narcotic/drug/sex-inspired music videos on “Funny or Die”, Beardo & Dirt Nasty open Swardson’s comedy show by performing a rock and a hip hop song.
28 Drinks Later - (2:44) A trailer for a zombie film (or just a trailer) about Swardson and a few people who get drunk at a bar and awaken to find the whole city of Los Angeles turning to drunk zombies due to alcohol consumption.
Nick Swardson: Timeless Comedian - (7:12) Frazier Smith interviews Nick Swardson about his comedy and showcases his stand-up comedy since the 1920′s.
A Very Terry Christmas – (2:21) Featuring Swardson’s “Reno 911″ gay, roller skating character Terry singing Christmas songs.

Nick Swardson’s comedy DVD “Seriously, Who Farted?” definitely showcases the comedian’s love for beer and alcohol. He loves it, repeats it and his comedy routine definitely works. Especially for the audience who go crazy when he talks about alcohol or drugs. College humor at its finest, I have to admit that I was so used to seeing Swardson on film and television that I never really seen his comedy routine. I knew he was a funny guy but I didn’t know he was a comedian.

But watching “Seriously, Who Farted?”, I couldn’t help but laugh repeatedly. His comedy is definitely understandable and can be easily appreciated by those familiar with the topics he discusses and the fact that he uses certain situations that reach a young crowd, discussions of XBOX 360 or Nintendo Wii is one thing, but for audiences who have been in a drunk stupor, are familiar with pot brownies, Asian massage parlors, UFC, ninjas and can laugh quite easily at monkeys, definitely will find Swardson’s comedy DVD to be quite fun and refreshing.

Sure, there are many drunk comedians but Swardson’s comedy is quite hilarious because he’s like the guy next door, the guy you went to college with, the guy you partied with… And I think what makes him so different from other comedians is the wacky roles he plays on films such as the gay skater in “Reno 911″, the guy who lives at home and never has success with women in “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” or the Dance Dance Revolution gamer in “Grandma’s Boy”. Supporting roles that are just hilarious to watch and Swardson himself is just a funny comedian that will definitely make you laugh, pee in your pants or make you feel that you’re going to bust a gut. It’s that hilarious!

As for a Comedy Central DVD, you get the good camera angles but it would have been extra nice if this DVD release had been given the treatment of an audio CD (like Comedy Central’s Russell Peters DVD release) because this is the kind of comedy that you would want to listen to in long commutes.

Overall, Swardson’s “Seriously, Who Farted?” is a hilarious comedy DVD worth checking out!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

Important Things with Demetri Martin (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

August 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Possibly one of the most complete Comedy Central DVD that I have ever seen. ‘Important Things with Demetri Martin’ features the comedian in his new show which features a little stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, music and more. The DVD is absolutely loaded with audio commentary and special features and more! Highly recommended!”

TITLE: Important Things with Demetri Martin

DURATION: 7 episodes (154 minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital

RATED: Not Rated (Parent Advisory: Explicit Content. Warning: This Program is recommended for mature audiences only. It contains adult language and situations).

COMPANY: Comedy Central/Paramount

RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2009

Created by Demetri Martin

Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller, Scott Vincent, Jesse Peretz

Written by H. Jon Benjamin, Tamara Federici, Michael Koman, Demetri Martin, Dan Mintz, John Mulaney, Mark Rivers and Scott Sherman

Executive Produced by Demetri Martin, Beth McCarthy-Miller, Jon Stewart

Co-Produced by H. Jon Benjamin

Coordinating Producer: Victoria English

Associate Producer: Chloe Kaplan

Supervising Producer: Michael Koman

Line Producer: Bernadette Lee

Music by Phil Hernandez, Demetri Martin and Chris Maxwell

Cinematography by Stephen Murello

Edited by Paul Frank, Bryan Shelton, Cori Wapnowski, Irvin Coffee

Casting by Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee

Production Design by Kate Duffy

Art Direction by Gregory Kenney, Ryan Kravetz

Costume Design by Mikaela Wohl

Starring:

Demetri Martin

H. Jon Benjamin

Barry Carl

Michael Delaney

Steve Grivno

George Katt

John Oliver

Meghan Rafferty

Steven Crossley

Jon Kohler

Joe Starr

Kate Simses

Kim Shaw

Ryan Woodle

John Mulaney

Brian Berrebi

Jack Hammel

Steven Stuts

Jason Testa

Important Things with Demetri Martin is a stream-of-consciousness sketch and variety show from comedian Demetri Martin. Each episode focuses on a single topic—chairs, power, games—through the prism of Demetri’s unique point of view.

Entertaining, fun… Demetri Martin’s “Important Things” is probably one of the best and most complete Comedy Central DVD releases that I have watched!

The DVD release is a show hosted by comedian/musician Demetri Martin. In February 2009, “Important Things with Demetri Martin” scored Comedy Central’s most watched premiere for the network with 2.4 million total viewers since 2003 (“Chappelle’s Show” drew 2.5 million). The show is produced by Jon Stewart’s Busboy Productions and One Verse, Inc. and is probably one of the freshest comedy half-hour comedy show I have seen in a long while.

Demetri Martin, known for his deadpan humor starts off his show with jokes (stand-up comedy) but then integrates sketch comedy segments with other actors, animation and he’s also a talented musician who can play the guitar, keyboard, harmonica and who knows how many other instruments and also, you get actual sketches, word play and other things that you probably would never imagine seeing in a show. Sure, “Saturday Night Live” may also have similar type of things that we see on “Important Things with Demetri Martin” but its the execution that makes this series quite entertaining and fun.

The show is built around a certain topic and for the first season, there are a total of seven episodes (each episode are 21 minutes long) that are featured on this DVD. Included are (spoiler-less summaries):

Timing – The topic of the episode is timing and stand-up comedy that revolve around timing. Sketch comedy include a scene featuring Amanda Peet and Demetri Martin in which Martin has trouble showcasing his anger during a drama scene but off-camera he has a lot of anger, a police officer who raids the wrong home, “What?” Slam Poet Champion, Jerry Pappas: Time Gigolo (a gigolo who uses a time machine and using his knowledge to get with women in the past), a guy early to a rave and two guys in a dungeon. Also, included are Demetri’s drawings and one of the coolest music performances by Demetri Martin (playing a guitar, harmonica, bells, keyboard, tambourine while showcasing jokes on a tablet).
Power – The topic of the episode is about power and stand-up comedy revolving around power. Sketches include Parking War – two men arguing over a parking spot, a yellow belt opening a package of headphones and another with the yellow belt fighting depression, a superhero sketch titled “Revenger”, Creedocide (how to kill rats in your home) and Demetrocles. Drawings plus a musical performance by Demetri.
Brains – The topic of the episode is about brains and stand-up comedy revolving around brains. Sketch comedy include a man who gets to eat at T.G.I.F. with Benjamin Franklin, Shakespeare and Galileo, “What?” Slam Poet Champion, Dadz, a genius and an idiot, Early Important Fairy Tales – The Royal Food Taster and Demetrocles.
Games – The topic of the episode is about games and stand-up comedy revolving around games. Sketch comedy segments include Devin Cottonfield – Emotional Escape Artist, Annihilator board game, Men’s passive aggressive race, humans pranking birds in “Nuthouse” and Da Mici.
Chairs – The topic of the episode is about chairs and stand-up comedy revolving around chairs. Sketch comedy segments include Employees talking bad about their bosses at the urinals (while their bosses are in the toilet overhearing them), a yellow belt trying to relax on a beach chair and another segment with the yellow belt fighting gravity, a man who must make a decision – sit with the beautiful woman or next to old man, Demotrocles and the origin of gum found under a chair.
Safety - The topic of the episode is about safety and stand-up comedy revolving around safety. Sketch comedy segments include Spring Haven – Home for the Elderly, An S&M Couple whose safe word is…, pube-safe home security, Health Class 1231 A.D., a man with a neck brace, a scientist who needs to deactivate a proton accelerator but forgot to bring his security ID and Early Important Fairy Tales – The Royal Food Taster.
Coolness – The topic of the episode is about coolness and stand-up comedy revolving around coolness. Sketch comedy segments include Hoodwinkers Inc., dadz, man with a dragon tattoo on his face, the shower cap with hair, Da Mici and two men in a dungeon. Also, a musical performance by Demetri Martin.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Important Things with Demetri Martin” is featured in full screen and audio is in Dolby Digital.

Video quality is a mix bag as some scenes are shot with a variety of video. But for the most part, the video quality is well-done and the audio is clear and understandable. For audio, my preference for my receiver setting was stereo on all channels and as a comedy DVD, it was good to see the audience responsive to the jokes.

There are no subtitles included on this DVD.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Important Things with Demetri Martin” comes with a good amount of features. Included are:

Brain Injuries
Parking War Outtakes
Basketball 1
Basketball 2
Cult Leader in Love (with commentary)
Killing Someone with Kindness
Killing Time in the Studio
Dinner with Hero Outtakes
A Tiny Guy Helps Find a Contact Lens
A Yellow Belt Breaks his silence
Safety Dummy
Early Production Graph
Early Production Lineup
Audio Commentary for Timing, Power, Coolness and Games with Demetri Martin, Michael Koman (Supervising Producer) and Dan Mintz (Writer).
Free Tiny Poster
Important Things with Demetri Martin sticker

This is probably one of the most entertaining Comedy Central DVD’s that I have had the opportunity to review.

What I enjoy about Demetri Martin’s comedy is his deadpan humor. The man is a quick thinker and for those who have caught his comedy routines, his improvisation on stage is very cool. But what makes “Important Things with Demetri Martin” is that he and his writers really think outside of the box in trying to present a show that is different from what anyone has seen before. Granted, I’m sure coming up with topics can be challenging but for the most part, he is able to pull it off.

The whole execution of the show was fun to watch. The stand-up comedy, the drawings, the music and of course the sketch comedy segments are hilarious but also included are these short segments that take place before or after a commercial which are cool and also during the stand-up comedy, you will see text written on the audience. It’s just something that is quite different and for the most part, the presentation is quite fresh. Even the sketch comedy, these are topics that you won’t see on “Saturday Night Live” or other shows.

The DVD is full of bonus features and after watching the bonus features which some include outtakes, I was surprised to find commentary for many of the episodes and that was pretty awesome. One of the things that surprised me was listening to the commentary and hearing that some jokes are conceived on the show within minutes of the show starting or created during a break. But also to hear some of the behind-the-scene commentary on how the sketch comedy scenes were conceived was quite fun to listen to. Especially learning why Demetri Martin wears the same clothing, mainly because some segments work with the audience and some don’t and they can shuffle scenes around for different episodes if needed. And some of those scenes that didn’t go so well with the audience make it into the special features segment. Another interesting thing, maybe not so major but pretty cool to see, is that the menu is interactive (which Demetri Martin makes comments during a selection) which was pretty cool.

“Important Things with Demetri Martin” is definitely one of the best Comedy Central DVD’s that I have ever seen (and I have seen many). Seven solid episodes, a lot of special features and bonus items and pretty much, a complete DVD that doesn’t really skimp on anything.

Fans of Demetri Martin or those curious about this DVD, you will not be disappointed and frankly, you’ll be getting your money’s worth with this DVD release. “Important Things with Demetri Martin” is highly recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

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