The Show
There's a way to describe edgy material, where you say "It's not for everyone." Jim Norton's act is better described as "Not for anyone...except creeps and pervs." Providing a bit of spice as the third "star" of the "Opie and Anthony" radio show, Norton says things few people would be willing to say, reveling in his grimy world of kinky, paid-for sex; angry rants and pedophilia jokes. He also makes the show the entertaining time that it is, a fact made obvious when he's not in the studio. An increasingly successful stand-up career, a role on the HBO series "Lucky Louie" and spots on Jay Leno's show all point toward a growing audience for Norton's unique brand of dark comedy.

That's probably why he was selected to take part in the latest wave of "One Night Stand" comedy specials on HBO. The series gave some of the best up-and-coming stand-ups in the '90s a chance to shine nationwide, and now it's back, with a whole new line-up, including several comics who appear on "Opie and Anthony." Norton's special is the only one of the group to make it to this first set of "ONS" DVD, which is interesting, as he's the least mainstream of the gang (Bonnie McFarlane, Bill Burr and Patrice Oneal being the others.) His presence on "Lucky Louie", with fellow "ONS" comic Louis CK, is probably why he's out first though. Synergy is a wonderful thing.

Norton's act, which covers topics like his trip to Iraq, relationships and, above all, sex, moves pretty quickly, without dragging at any point. When Norton talks about his difficulties with women, the show hits its peak, as he acts out his "techniques" of picking up the ladies. Watching him do his best imitation of a serial killer is damn hilarious, and the way he pokes fun at himself really works well. Perhaps it's his look, that of the Jersey everyschlub, that helps him win over a crowd, but there's definitely something to be said for his connection with his people in the audience.

One problem with the disc are some of the dated references, including bits about Abu Gharib and Terri Schaivo, though Norton manages to avoid the pitfalls of being topical by using the references as set-ups to more universal jokes. The other problem, which will not bother his fans, is the frequently misogynistic jokes about women. You may not like the way he talks about ladies, but you can't argue with the fact that he's being true to himself. He likes women for one, maybe two, probably three main reasons, and he's not about to pretend it's their gift of gab.

Overall, the 27-minute set carries on the themes heard from Norton daily on the radio, with the added bonus of his unusual and quite funny physical presence. Though the jokes he tells are frequently good, fans of the O&A show should get some bonus enjoyment out of the subtle in-jokes he's included. The boys even make an appearance at one point, albeit a brief one. Truthfully, the same goes for Norton, as less than a half-hour is hardly enough comedy.

The DVD
"One Night Stand: Jim Norton" arrives on one DVD, packaged in a standard keepcase with a promotional HBO insert. The disc has a static, full-frame main menu, with options to watch the main feature or check out the extras. There are no subtitles, no audio options and no scene selections, though there is closed captioning on the show.

The Quality
The full-frame transfer comes across better than I remember it looking on HBO, though it still suffers from a bit of softness and some light video noise. The color is excellent though, and there's a nice level of detail to go with tight black levels and a complete lack of dirt and damage.

The audio is delivered in a Dolby Digital 2.0 track, which is nice and clear, but entirely center-channel focused. It is, after all, a stand-up act, which is rarely an engaging audio experience. There are no problems with Norton's dialogue, and the audience is mixed well, never overwhelming the comic.

The Extras
There's a pair of extras included, starting with a selection of six deleted sections from Norton's act. Clocking in at just under 10 minutes, there's nothing here that didn't deserve to get the axe, though his bit comparing kissing and spitting got a good laugh out of me. These can be watched separately or all together.

The second extra is a promo piece for "Lucky Louie," Norton's upcoming HBO series. The promo focuses just on Norton and shows some scenes from the show, which doesn't look half bad. The extra is as good as a promo piece gets, which isn't all that great.

The Bottom Line
I am entirely serious when I say that Jim Norton is not for everyone. The main audience that won't find him to be disgusting or obnoxious is male, young, white, scared, horny and angry. Fortunately for Norton, there's a lot of that going around, and plenty of viewers will enjoy his act, which peppers tirades about sex and a few other topics, with self-deprecating and nonsensical asides that tend to get the best reactions. The DVD presentation is solid, though the extras are rather slight. Combine that with how short the main special is, and it's hard to justify the cost of purchasing this disc, unless you're a hardcore fan of Norton or O&A. A rental should cover most viewers' needs.

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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.