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Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now
HBO // Unrated // November 25, 2003
List Price: $19.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Concert
Ellen Degeneres is a gifted comedian. (I have no use for the term "comedienne".) This is a fact and this fact should be her legacy. But, there is a chance that Ellen will forever be remembered as the first openly gay lead character in a prime-time sitcom. While that was a great feat, and did a great deal for the advancement of gay characters on TV, that took the focus away from Ellen's true talent: her comedy. Luckily, Degenernes has continued to mine her talents a stand-up comedian, and now brings us a new DVD entitled Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now.
Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now features a concert which was captured live at the Beacon Theater in New York, and was originally broadcast on HBO. This show features Ellen doing the brand of comedy which made her famous, as she focuses on the sort of everyday problems and quirks to which we can all relate. She opens the show with an obligatory gay reference, which she claims that she must do, and then moves on from there, wisely choosing to leave any controversy behind her. She opens the show by discussing procrastination, but spends the bulk of the concert talking about modern life and how so-called "modern conveniences", such as cell phones, auto-flush toilets, and fast-food have actually made life more complicated.
Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now is a tough call. There's no doubt that this is classic Ellen Degeneres. Like Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen has a gift for finding humor in everyday life, without resorting to jokes about sex or bringing in unnecessary profanity. This is a show which most of the family could enjoy. Many of Ellen's points are humorous, but unfortunately, few of them are hysterically funny. I found myself chuckling throughout the show, but I only laughed out loud twice. (With my favorite joke being her observation on microwave ovens, "Anything that gets that hot without fire must be from the devil.") Degeneres has never been an outrageous or cutting-edge comic, but her early stand-up always had a sense of whimsy and, at times, bizarre asides, which set her apart from the pack. This older, wiser Ellen is still clever, but she comes across as a curmudgeon at times, and while the show is never dour, it's not always light and fluffy. Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now is funny, but it also shows a comedian who may be past her prime.
Video
Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now chuckles onto DVD courtesy of HBO Video. The concert was shot on high-end (digital?) video and looks very good on this DVD transer. The show is presented in its original 4:3 aspect ratio. The image is very sharp and crystal clear, showing no grain or overt defects. In fact, the only visible problem is some occasional video noise which appears on the curtain at the back of the stage. Otherwise, the colors are fantastic and the image is always stable.
Audio
The DVD carries a Dolby Digital Surround audio track. This track provides clear dialogue, and ever word uttered by Degeneres comes through loud and clear. The only surround sound effects come in the form of the audience's laughter and applause. This track serves the concert well, but is quite unremarkable.
Extras
The lone extra on this DVD is referred to as an "Ellen Degeneres Biography", but it reads more like an overview of her recent and upcoming professional work, as little of her past or early career are mentioned.
As stand-up comedy has yet to reclaim the glory it celebrated in the mid 80s, it's always nice to see a comedy concert released on DVD. Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now is the rare show that most everyone in the household can watch, as Ellen never gets "blue", and most viewers will relate to the jokes. But, while some of the jokes are classics, most could have been made by that funny guy at your work.
Ellen Degeneres is a gifted comedian. (I have no use for the term "comedienne".) This is a fact and this fact should be her legacy. But, there is a chance that Ellen will forever be remembered as the first openly gay lead character in a prime-time sitcom. While that was a great feat, and did a great deal for the advancement of gay characters on TV, that took the focus away from Ellen's true talent: her comedy. Luckily, Degenernes has continued to mine her talents a stand-up comedian, and now brings us a new DVD entitled Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now.
Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now features a concert which was captured live at the Beacon Theater in New York, and was originally broadcast on HBO. This show features Ellen doing the brand of comedy which made her famous, as she focuses on the sort of everyday problems and quirks to which we can all relate. She opens the show with an obligatory gay reference, which she claims that she must do, and then moves on from there, wisely choosing to leave any controversy behind her. She opens the show by discussing procrastination, but spends the bulk of the concert talking about modern life and how so-called "modern conveniences", such as cell phones, auto-flush toilets, and fast-food have actually made life more complicated.
Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now is a tough call. There's no doubt that this is classic Ellen Degeneres. Like Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen has a gift for finding humor in everyday life, without resorting to jokes about sex or bringing in unnecessary profanity. This is a show which most of the family could enjoy. Many of Ellen's points are humorous, but unfortunately, few of them are hysterically funny. I found myself chuckling throughout the show, but I only laughed out loud twice. (With my favorite joke being her observation on microwave ovens, "Anything that gets that hot without fire must be from the devil.") Degeneres has never been an outrageous or cutting-edge comic, but her early stand-up always had a sense of whimsy and, at times, bizarre asides, which set her apart from the pack. This older, wiser Ellen is still clever, but she comes across as a curmudgeon at times, and while the show is never dour, it's not always light and fluffy. Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now is funny, but it also shows a comedian who may be past her prime.
Video
Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now chuckles onto DVD courtesy of HBO Video. The concert was shot on high-end (digital?) video and looks very good on this DVD transer. The show is presented in its original 4:3 aspect ratio. The image is very sharp and crystal clear, showing no grain or overt defects. In fact, the only visible problem is some occasional video noise which appears on the curtain at the back of the stage. Otherwise, the colors are fantastic and the image is always stable.
Audio
The DVD carries a Dolby Digital Surround audio track. This track provides clear dialogue, and ever word uttered by Degeneres comes through loud and clear. The only surround sound effects come in the form of the audience's laughter and applause. This track serves the concert well, but is quite unremarkable.
Extras
The lone extra on this DVD is referred to as an "Ellen Degeneres Biography", but it reads more like an overview of her recent and upcoming professional work, as little of her past or early career are mentioned.
As stand-up comedy has yet to reclaim the glory it celebrated in the mid 80s, it's always nice to see a comedy concert released on DVD. Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now is the rare show that most everyone in the household can watch, as Ellen never gets "blue", and most viewers will relate to the jokes. But, while some of the jokes are classics, most could have been made by that funny guy at your work.
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