Overall Rating:  4 out of 5, including 1 review
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Comedy Central's refreshingly laid-back sketch-etc. show was the perfect foil for a Daily Show-Colbert Report-Reno 911-South Park-heavy lineup when it first aired in February, 2009. Over its seven episodes, each dedicated to a theme (an object or idea Demetri finds important - chairs, for instance), Martin's comedy bypasses political satire and character-driven plot in favor of intellectual goofiness and non sequitur revelations. From the "Greater Than Or Equal To" sketch in the "Games" episode: "A Rubik's cube and a drag queen, is one greater than or equal to the other? They are equal, because they are both very colorful, but I do not want to do either of them."
Much like in his stand-up specials Martin entertains with jokes, songs, sketches, and cartoons. He is assisted by the likes of H. Jon Benjamin (Dr. Katz, Home Movies) and John Oliver (Daily Show) along with writers from across the Comedy Central spectrum. Guest stars are few and far between with only Amanda Peet and David Cross lending their services to a sketch. The show isn't about ratings-hype celebrity appearances. It is too laid-back for that. This allows its comedy to flourish. And that comedy centers on Martin's delight in wordplay. The show abounds in word charts, diagrams, sketches (actual drawings) that change the meaning of words and images by adding to them (how to make a cool object like a lion uncool - add a sweater vest). Martin is also seemingly obsessed with labeling. Everything in the show is labeled, from the title sequence to the closing credits, even Demetri Himself (Person). For his live (filmed) stand-up bits he fills in the negative spaces of jokes in the editing room later by adding labels to the audience members.
There is potential to view his show at face value as hipster-ish or banal, but Martin never comes off as snarky or obnoxious. He is charismatic and genuine. He's never really making fun of things, just repurposing them to point out the absurd. For comedy nerds you will find flashes of Monty Python-esque depth in jokes like the deleted scene in which Martin, playing a cult leader who has found a new purpose in life, asks one of the cult if he's ever been so extremely obsessed with something that he has to just go for it, or in his joke about the a cappella group that smashed their instruments. You can also see in his delivery hints of an only-slightly-caffeinated, non-depressed Steven Wright telling Mitch Hedberg-style jokes.
Highlights include the recurring characters/segments:
What? - Slam Poet Champion (his spot-on impersonation of a slam poet.
Hear, the folk singer (likewise)
Demetrocles (a bitter philosopher, "Between Socrates and Plato there was...Demotrocles)
Da Mici (a failed inventor, "Between Michaelangelo and Donatello there was...Da Mici)
Cool Dadz/New Dadz
Health Class 1231 AD (only absurd by today's standards)
& in the non-recurring:
Me vs. You (song)
Ways to Kill Someone With Kindness (song)
Jerry Papas - Time Gigolo
Overall, this is a worthwhile DVD. The deleted scenes are good. Skip the commentary tracks on the few episodes where they are available. They contain little insight and the humor in them is uninspired. Audio and visual quality is broadcast quality. Included in the packaging is a free mini-poster and logo sticker. I recommend this DVD.
- DVD Empire
by Stephen Pusateri |
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