The Program

As the great Steve Martin once said: "Comedy is not pretty"... OK, I have no idea what that has to do with anything. Let me start this review again:

The Program

As the sagacious Carol Burnett once put it: "Comedy is tragedy plus time"...wait, what the hell does that mean? Weak, weak opening. Start again:

The Program

As the prolific funnyman Mel Brooks once remarked: "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die."

*ding ding ding ding ding*

Actually, Brooks's definition of comedy is as good as any (although his is certainly funnier.) What makes you (the reader) break out into guffaws of childlike, impish laughter can make me (the reviewer) burst into uncontrollable torrents of tears. To this day I think Tootsie is one of the unfunniest exercises in "comedy" ever conceived. Or Some Like It Hot, for that matter. Someone please tell me, why is it that so many people break into giddy is fits of hysterics the second they see a man in a dress? To me that goes over about as well as a screen door on a submarine.

My point – don't worry, we're getting there – is that stand-up comedy is the most difficult type of media to either recommend to or from which to dissuade a potential viewer. Your enjoyment of a program like Dennis Miller: The Raw Feed – a one-hour stand-up routine taped in Chicago during March of 2003 – depends solely upon whether or not you find the ex-Saturday Night Live comedian funny, insightful, or entertaining.

Well, chalk up this reviewer as a Miller fan. I never really bought into Dennis Miller as either a talk-show host or football commentator. His strengths are in his ability to provide caustic yet literate commentary on current events in an extremely hilarious manner. His stint as the Weekend Update anchorman on Saturday Night Live from the mid-80s to the early-90s was probably the best SNL ever saw (don't even get me started on the terminally unfunny pairing currently driving this segment into the ground.) His short-lived late-night talk show fared pretty miserably, only because Miller was never quite adroit as a suck-up host for Hollywood personalities. His interview skills have improved over time, as evidenced on his successful HBO show, but his strongest talents lay both in his opening rants and his "Big Screen" commentary at the end of every episode.

But Dennis Miller started as a comedian, and with Dennis Miller: The Raw Feed, the current Fox News commentator returns to his stand-up roots with an hour of his patented, cryptically referenced shtick. It's a welcome return to form, and Miller wastes no time in examining the current state of affairs utilizing his verbose, literate stylings. Most of the program is dedicated to the War on Terrorism, showcasing his fairly conservative leanings about the recent events. I didn't agree with some of his points, but I certainly enjoyed the style in which he presented them. Miller doesn't try to convince or convert anyone to his point of view, but he presents his opinions better than most political pundits clogging the airwaves. His remarks on McCarthyism are clearer, more concise, and infinitely more reasonable than anything Ann Coulter has ever espoused, and all it takes is one viewing of St. Elmo's Fire to agree with Miller.

The DVD

Video:

Dennis Miller: The Raw Feed was taped live in March of 2003 for HBO, and is presented in its original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The picture looks remarkably crisp and clean, with very little in terms of video noise, pixellation, or compression artifacts. Colors are very strong and vibrant, while black levels are deep and rich. Image detail is very sharp and detailed, although sometimes a little too sharp. Jagged edges and slight shimmering is apparent at times, but overall this is a fine video presentation.

Audio:

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and provides for a very acceptable presentation of the material. Since you would not want to miss any of Miller's extended rants, the dialog is clearly and sharply presented without any discernable flaws. Again, as an audio presentation Dennis Miller: The Raw Feed certainly sounds fine. It's not a raucous, aggressive soundtrack, but it does not need to be.

Extras:

There are no extras on this DVD.

Final Thoughts

For any of his fans, Dennis Miller: The Raw Feed will most assuredly be an entertaining way to spend an hour. If you're not into Dennis Miller's witty banter and rapid-fire, pop-culture barbs, you probably wouldn't be interested in this DVD. In either case, the DVD is well presented and serves up an hour of the Dennis Miller at his best. I don't know if it merits a purchase, but for fans this one is a definite rental.