It struck me recently just how many of the Winter '09 Stand-up DVDs I'd watched. With that in mind I figured I'd be better placed than most to advise on which are worthwhile.
Micheal McIntyre - Hello Wembley!
Not even as good as his (occasionally funny) first DVD. And that Salt & Pepper routine everybody laughed so hard at can fuck right off. 1.5/5
Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra
Nice idea, interesting in places, but short on real laugh-out-loud moments. 2/5
Ed Byrne - Different Class
Ed is on seriously good form. Here he is funnier even than his 2006 DVD, which was a compilation of five years of material. He's got a knack for good value DVD extras too. 4.5/5
Russell Brand - Scandalous
Very funny meditation on a rough 2008 for Brand, but you'll only want to watch it once, so borrow it off a mate. 3/5
Stephen K. Amos - Find The Funny
You'll know the face even if you don't his name. He's got a real natural gift for being on stage. A couple of routines fail to hit home, but most are excellent, and few comics here are better at working with an audience. 3.5/10
Al Murray - Beautiful British Tour
Occasionally clever, but large swathes of the material here could have been written by a sixth former. Remember his rank 'Live At The Apollo' bacon routine? That's here. But longer. As is an appallingly underdeveloped singalong ending. 1/5
Richard Herring - ménage à un
The second half stretches the jokes too far, but the first half is comedy gold. Buy it here. His latest show Hitler Mustache is better - which is really saying something. 3.5/5
Rhod Gilbert And The Award Winning Mince Pie
Currently being talked about in the same excited tones that Micheal MacIntyre was 15 months ago, here's a solid DVD that won't halt his assent to the big time. A bit over-filled with stuff fans will have already seen on TV, though. 2.5/5
Jimmy Carr - Telling Jokes
Funny how Jimmy has got funnier with age. Previously you'd get bored halfway through one of his DVD's. Not so now, he's done his time and learned his craft admirably. 3.5/5
Dylan Moran - What It Is
Meh. Good, but unremarkable. 3/5
Andy Parsons - Britain's Got Idiots Live
I like him on Mock The Week, but he doesn't cut the mustard live whatsoever. Hugely disappointing. 1/5
Omid Djilali - Live in London
Seriously lacking in killer lines. Wildly disappointing. Nowhere near as clever as that other Iranian comic Shappi Khorsandi. (He's a fine dancer though). 1/5
Russell Howard - Dingledodies
Yeah, he's a natural this one. And still improving. A rare comic to actually be able to justify how popular they are. 4/5
Tim Minchin - Ready For This?
Five brilliant songs, a couple of decent ones, and several fillers. Those five songs are pretty much essential though, so get ye to iTunes and download 'Prejudice', 'The Song for Phil Daoust', 'Storm', and 'White Wine In The Sun'. And nip over to Youtube for a listen to 'I Love Jesus'. 3/5
