Arts Movie Reviews

This is an overall solid performance of quite interesting orchestral music. Olli Mustonen's playing in the Prokofiev is a little too self-aware for my tastes (and his sound is shallow), but despite that, I still strongly recommend this disc.

The major piece on this disc is Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major, Opus 82 by Jean Sibelius, and it is not mentioned at all in the listing. My 5 star rating is for Sakari Oramo's overwhelming, brilliant conducting of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He is a most worthy follower into Sir Simon Rattle's footsteps.

Not to belittle, or overlook, the exhilarated and ebuliant artistry of Olli Mustonen in the Prokofiev Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C, Opus 26, a new star on the horizon indeed.

Yes, they're generally funny, with a strong bitter edge and a forthrightness that is refreshing in light of the tiresom self-censorship of most modern comedy. No, you mostly haven't heard of them.

Timm Allen and Chris Rock have both tamed their shows, moving into more social satire and less vulgarity. These early routines, as well as some rare footage of Bill Hicks, justify the cost of the film. However, many of the other performers haven't enjoyed their success. Stephanie Hodge, Monty Hoffman, and Thea Vidale have very limited acting credits, while Joey Gayno, Stephen Pearl, and Larry Scarano have no screen credits other than this one.

Some artistic decisions in this film are hard to understand. Why are only two women represented, when most of us have known a lot of raunchy women? Why are only two black people represented? And why did they end with Jackie "the Joke Man" Martling, whose routine consists of him laughing at his own jokes? Surely there was someone stronger they could end on.

The comics aren't equally funny. Otto Peterson and John Fox are downright feeble. But it's more funny than not, if you have the mindset for this kind of humor. Perhaps the highlight is the relentless pace and extreme mannerisms of Bill Hicks--fans of that artist should rush out and get this film right away just for his bit, as there is little enough film of his material to be found.

Obviously, this film isn't for everyone. But if you enjoy raucous humor or love any of the individual stars, this film is enjoyable, if hard to find. Find it if you can, you won't regret it.

Out of the twelve standups that performed in this movie, there are four that I found the most notable.

- Chris Rock doing part of his "Born Suspect" act, just prior to joining 'Saturday Night Live'. His sexual fantasy about Aunt Jemima is one of his most twisted standup moments ever. His performance here is one of the first ever recorded, and displays the spark of genius that would become a bit less mean-spirited, and more focused socially and politically in later years with "Bring The Pain" and "Bigger and Blacker".

- Tim Allen and his "Men Are Pigs" riff, his most notable standup performance, telling all what it "truly" means to be a man, as well as manly. I found it to be the movie's best performance. This is the act that launched him to superstardom, and helped inspire the "Home Improvement" sitcom.

- The late Bill Hicks revealing which celebrity and/or politician is the true Anti-Christ. Although I didn't always find his act to be laugh-out-loud funny, he was fun to watch and listen to. His act was basically social critiques in the spirit of George Carlin, but less focused and quite a bit more mean spirited. And anyone who can beat out Carlin in the mean-spirited comedy department is someone to admire in my book. This film was my first exposure to Hicks, and since then I've taken a listen to his other works, all of which I found both profane and wonderful. I'm still surprised that I never knew about him before this, and somewhat saddened that he's no longer with us.

- Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling, firing off the filthiest jokes & riddles I've ever heard. Although he had a small share of infamy as the Howard Stern Radio Show's head writer at the time (a position he still holds today), this is one of his first performances to reach a big audience. I both love and hate watching him perform... it's like a train wreck. Not only does he throw the jokes at an almost incomprehensible speed, he has a hell of a time trying not to laugh while telling his sick little stories. In some cases he's barely able to get the punch line out before guffawing. To summarize, he's got too much show to do, and not enough time to do it. It's both riotously funny and depressingly pathetic at the same time.

'Late!