The Show
Ironically, the majority of people who know Gilbert Gottfried know him as either a cartoon parrot, a duck's voice or a really annoying actor, when he made his way in the world first and foremost as a filthy stand-up comic. His performance on this DVD is one of those rare opportunities for people to see him take the mic, but it might also be the last time those people will watch him, as this set is about four times beyond blue.

I'll admit to anyone, I haven't seen much of Gottfried's stand-up act, but I can't imagine it's much like the set he performs here. This is very traditional joke telling, the type that goes on in bars or in the pages of Playboy, not the smoothly-delivered comedy that the majority of stand-ups perform. If not for the unusual way Gottfried talks, this set could be someone reading out of a dirty-joke book.

I've heard plenty of the jokes before, but Gottfried does deliver them well. Unfortunately, I don't think I could talk about a single one here, other than to say they involve a lot of sex, a lot of swearing and some practices that are illegal in 38 states. Even in telling the jokes, Gottfried appreciates that he's walking well-worn ground, and goofs on the formula of it all. He can even joke about himself, which he does when he messes up his own delivery, something you see so rarely from professional comics.

Also in the mix are some of Gottfried's bizarrely amusing imitations, including parodies of Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby and Alan King. One would think that with a voice like his, impersonations would be right out, but somehow he makes it work, by keeping it simple and broad. Trying an Alan King imitation is an odd choice to be sure, but then, when you're talking about a guy whose jokes include dead hookers, torsos, enlarged genitals and a whole lot worse, making good choices isn't high on the list of possibilities.

The show wraps up with Gottfried's version of the now famous joke "The Aristocrats." To say this is the filthiest joke in his repertoire would be a massive understatement, on par with "Hitler was a bad guy." Gottfried's take, complete with some bonus imitations, is crudely funny, if incest and violent penetrations don't immediately turn you off. Of course, then you have to deal with pedophilia, bestiality and a multitude of bodily fluids, which could be a deal breaker for some. But at this point, you've invested so much in this disc, you may as well stick around until the end.

The DVD
Image packed a one-disc release of the 49-minute "Dirty Jokes" into a standard, insert-less keepcase. The DVD features an oddly-animated full-frame menu, with Gottfried blinking, that offers a choice of play, select jokes from a text list of 45, or view special features. There are no audio options, no subtitles and no closed captioning.

The Quality
The full-frame video is decent, though there's quite a bit of noise in darker moments, especially when the camera pulls back and shows the crowd. Other than the noise, minor edge enhancement and a bit of occasional pixilation, the video looks better than I thought it would. The color is good and the level of detail is reasonably high for a project like this.

The sound, a Dolby Digital 2.0 presentation, is good, but not exceptional. I didn't expect much from a comedy club recording in a room the size of your basement, and this disc delivered as necessary, with clear voices and atmospheric crowd sound. It's not likely anyone wants to have Gottfried's voice in 5.1 anyway.

The Extras
The nine extras on this DVD, which run approximately 30 minutes in all, are culled from a sit-down shoot with Gottfried, seemingly in his home. They are all basically the comic riffing, whether insulting the DVD buyer for their purchase, telling stories of inappropriate relationships with historical figures or imitating dead celebrities. Some are very funny, but others drag, especially among the imitations. A play-all option would have been very appreciated, but it's missing here.

The Bottom Line
If you like raunchy old-school comedy and can put up with Gottfried's "unique" and frequently aggravating style, this is a pretty-good way to spend some time and have a few laughs, as this disc makes a nice double-feature with the upcoming DVD for The Aristocrats. If not, avoid it at all costs, as this is hardcore filth delivered like a hammer to your head. The DVD is basically a budget presentation that looks decent, but the extras make it special for fans of the man behind the AFLAC duck, which is really the audience for anything focused on Gottfried.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.