Topic: Never Ending 'Other' Marathon (short reviews)

[samuelrichardscott]

I'll use this thread for what doesn't fit in my movie or TV marathons, like concerts or special interest dvds etc etc.

[samuelrichardscott]

Peter Kay: Live at the Top of the Tower (2000) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Filmed in Blackpool specially for this video Live At The Top Of The Tower is stuffed full of classic Peter Kay routines. He asks questions that we have all often wondered about. Why do mum's always buy crap pop? Is teletext the best way to book a holiday? He also casts his eye over mums and dads, dinner ladies, Brits abroad and even the contestants on Stars In Their Eyes!
Filmed in front of a packed, partisan crowd Live At The Top Of The Tower, is the freshest most hilarious stand up show from the country's funniest new comedian.

My Thoughts:
This is the routine and DVD that made Peter Kay one of the most well loved British comedians of the 21st century. His comedy style is unlike anyone else out there, and instead of having to turn to vulgarity, he manages to make you laugh with his hilarious observations on the British way of life. What makes Peter Kay so funny, is his style in how he tells his jokes and how you can relate to most of what he is saying. We hear hilarious anecdotes about dinnerladies, Stars in Their Eyes, booking a holiday via Teletext, holidays in Blackpool, and most famously, garlic bread. Eleven years after this show was made, it is still impossible to go to a pizza shop and order a garlic bread without some drunk handing out the "Garlic? on bread?" line. Whilst I'm sure every pizza shop worker in the UK hates Kay, it still makes me chuckle everytime I hear it. 4.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Lee Hurst: Live at The Backyard Comedy Club (1998) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Whether you've seen him on TV, on his sell-out national tours, or at his own club in east London, you won't be disappointed by Lee Hurst Live at the Backyard Comedy Club. It's Lee at his best, performing his top stand-up in front of a loud and enthusiastic crowd having a laugh with the big bald bloke.
Sit back and laugh yourself hoarse as Lee lets loose with his hilarious opinions and stories on everything from van drivers to the dangers of speeding and asthma! He also reveals more unbroadcastable secrets from They Think It's All Over, including the infamous Bob Nudd episode on Feel The Sportsman. If you haven't seen Lee Live, you'll understand why he's one of Britain's most popular and best loved comedians.

My Thoughts:
I first became aware of Lee Hurst many years ago when he was a regular panelist in the BBC's sports comedy gameshow They Think It's All Over and during the course of his time on the show, he always managed to make me laugh, though not always as much as other panelists. The same can be said for his live show Live at The Backyard Comedy Club. Whilst his routine is obviously well prepared, and he manages to go smoothly from one subject to the next whilst including some audience participation, he never really finds more than a mere chuckle, though does maintain a constant level of humour. He is a moderately funny guy, but there are too many better comedians I would watch over Hurst. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

UFC 70 (2007)

Overview:
April 21, 2007 - The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the United Kingdom for the first time in nearly five years. In the main event, the Croatian striker Mirko Cro Cop takes on Brazilian grappling standout Gabriel Gonzaga.
The undercard also features the return of two UFC stars - England's own Michael Bisping and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski.

My Thoughts:
When it comes to UFC or MMA in general, you're either a fan or you're not. I'm a fan. UFC 70 was held in Manchester, England and features a good mix of fights. The best fights are easily Bisping in front of his hometown crowd against Elvis Sinosic and Terry Etim's extraordinary comeback against Matt Grice. There are two dull fights here though, Cheick Kongo vs Assuerio Silva and Junior Assuncao vs David Lee. As per usual, the main event between Mirko Cro Cop and Gabriel Gonzaga is exceptional and features a cracking knockout by way of a kick to the chops. UFC 70 was a great event with the Brits winning all three fights they were involved in! Recommended. 4/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Kevin Bridges: The Story So Far... Live in Glasgow (2010)

Overview:
Kevin Bridges: The Story So Far…Live in Glasgow is the debut DVD from the UK’s fastest rising comedy star. Filmed in May 2010 at Glasgow’s SECC arena in front of a sold out crowd of 10,000 fans.
Kevin’s unique brand of social commentary, astute observations and sharp one-liners arguably make him the hottest act to come out of Scotland in the last ten years.

My Thoughts:
Kevin Bridges has burst onto the British stand-up scene over the last few years and is a regular panelist on many comedy shows here. This first stand-up DVD has him talking about many things, from Terrorists on a plane from Glasgow to Magaluf, partying in an empty and even the known fact that people walking about with a Farm Foods bag are generally nutters. Bridges is funny, but still has a little way to go before he becomes great. He is young though, so I do think he will polish his performance and become a comedian to watch for, maybe with his second DVD which is out next month. Rent it. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Jimmy Carr: Stand Up (2005)

Overview:
Following the huge success of Jimmy Carr Live, the multi award-winning and critically acclaimed comedian Jimmy Carr returns with a brand new live stand-up DVD.
As the face of Channel 4, Jimmy has risen to become one of the most original and distinctive stars of British Comedy, developing the unique brand of perfectly timed one-liners and deadpan delivery for which he has become so well known.
Recorded live at London's Bloomsbury theatre, Jimmy unleashes brand new material upon his audience that is just too rude for TV, taking his dry and sardonic wit and delightfully crafted jokes to a whole new level.

My Thoughts:
For me, Jimmy Carr is one of the more hit or miss comedians that is well known in the UK. I really like watching him on 8 Out of 10 Cats, but that is obviously heavily scripted so he has more time to come up with funny material. Whilst stand-up tours are generally scripted, a great comedian is able to work well with hecklers and have a good off the bat rapore with random members of the audience (see Al Murray). Jimmy Carr's material is funny, but he just hasn't got what it takes to include audience participation so I only recommend a rental. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Roy Chubby Brown's Front Page Boobs (2012)

Overview:
Read All About Tit! Roy Chubby Brown returns with his bluest show yet, Front Page Boobs, live from Lincoln and brand new for 2012. He’s still rude, he’s still crude and this time he’s turning headlines into punch lines as his rip-roaring brand of banter continues to burst bellies across the country. Chubby doesn’t hold back from sharing his outlandish views on news, women and sex, sailing so close to the mark, even the most seasoned of fans will be left gob-smacked! Front Page Boobs even includes a verse of Chubby’s unforgettable rendition of ‘Alice’, on DVD for the first time ever.
As politically incorrect as ever, “The World’s Most Outrageous Comedian” is far too rude for TV!

My Thoughts:
Roy Chubby Brown is a comedian of the old school and this live concert filmed in Lincoln is his fortieth anniversary concert of his long career. His comedy is in the same vein as the likes of Bernard Manning where in the eighties his jokes were probably original and it was politically 'okay' to tell some of the jokes he does - in 2012 though, he is still telling the same jokes. Although he is a funny guy, it is unfortunate his routine hasn't really evolved much and this may be why he plays to audiences of 500-2000 rather than the arena tours the big comedians now do. I like him, but this show felt very tired. Skip it. 2/5

Note: Not for the easily offended. He is so controversial he has only ever been allowed to perform on television once despite being a well known comedian, and even then he was edited massively.

[samuelrichardscott]

Lee Evans XL Tour Live 2005 (2005)

Overview:
In August 2005, Lee Evans set out the UK's biggest ever comedy tour, taking in over 35 cities, and playing to over 250 000 fans. The record-breaking LEE EVANS XL TOUR 2005 marks Lee's sensational return to stand-up with some of the strongest and most hilarious routines he's ever written. This dvd brings you one of the best nights from the tour, as Lee perform to over 4000 adoring fans in Cardiff, Wales, the land of his ancestors. Expect some of the most explosive stand-up, stunning set-pieces and a truly unbelievable finale in this, the funniest comedy DVD of the year.

My Thoughts:
Lee Evans sweats. He sweats and moves around the stage so much, that the sweatiness has become a bit of a trademark of Lee Evans. Yet, you forget about how drenched he looks because the man is so funny, that this DVD had me in actual tears from cracking up so much. He looks at a lot of things here, from how women are psychic when you're losing an argument, to going to Cardiff and not getting stabbed. If you're a fan of stand-up, you should be a fan of Lee Evans. Highly recommended. 4.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Omid Djalili: No Agenda (2006)

Overview:
Omid Djalili is an award winnig British Iranian actor and comedian. Acclaimed as one of Britain's funniest standup comedians, he regularly performs on the comedy and theatre scene. His film and television appearances are no less impressive, including 'The Mummy', 'Spy Game', 'Gladiator', 'Modigliani'... Watch out for the upcoming series on BBC1 (UK), 'The Omid Djalili Show'!
No Agenda is his first live stand up DVD. Shot over two sold out performances on March 26th 2006, it also includes some great extras: disco dancing from his first ever TV appearance in 1996 (introduced by a very young looking Jonathan Ross), his first set at Jongleurs Live in 2000, and the truth behind that crazy fall at the very end of the show.

My Thoughts:
Two words you don't see together very often are Iranian and comedian. Omid Djalili is a British born man of Iranian descent who uses his comedy as a way to talk about the humourous side of being an Iranian and isn't afraid to make a few jabs at peoples misconceptions. He's a good comedian who doesn't really go for the crude humour but he does sometimes struggle to keep the audience laughing consistently and as much as I like him, he has done much funnier and I prefer him for his roles in movies. The extras on this disc though are hilarious, but for the main show, a rental will suffice. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Jay and Silent Bob Go Down Under (2012)

I was actually really disappointed in this one. Recently, Smith and Mewes have started doing a lot of these shows, but they have strayed from what made the "Evening with Kevin Smith" concerts so great - the questions from the audience. It feels more scripted now and with that it loses its appeal for me. There are a couple of funny moments but unless you want to hear Jay go talk for overlong periods of time about his sexual exploits then this isn't worth your time. The runtime of under an hour felt like long. 2/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell (2012)

This is more like it. Burn in Hell is a Kevin Smith Q&A session done after the release of his movie Red State which the Woodsboro Church protested. Questions are mainly about how Red State came about and how Smith interacted with the notorious Phelps family. For me, the best story is where he talks about how critics hated Cop Out and how the guy who funded Red State didn't want to read the script because he saw the poster for Cop Out and decided that if he had made a movie with Bruce Willis then he must know what he's doing. Recommended. Not as strong as An Evening With Q&A's but still fun. 3.5/5