OK, "burst" is not a good adjective for Wright. "Mosey." That better describes the comedian who nearly sleepwalks through his act. His monotone delivery and one-liners are famous and inspired others like Mitch Hedberg and Todd Barry.

In Steven Wright: When the Leaves Blow Away, the comedian keeps a steady stream of non-sequiturs and puzzling questions coming, much to the delight of the audience.

The Movie

It's not the funniest I've ever seen him, but it's a good act and full of material that challenges even as it amuses.

He boasts of his addiction to placebos, which he would quit, but it wouldn't make a difference.

There's a lot of term combinations that don't make sense, necessarily, but still elicit laughs from the crowd.

The act is a scant 45 minutes of the disc's 78 minute running time. There's a short bit from a club show he did in 1988, but the balance is his 1999 short film, "One Soldier."

It was written and directed by Wright, but it lacks the punch and humor of his stage act. Some of the jokes are recycled – like when he talks about drawing lines on his glasses and playing the sky – and others just prove that if someone really questioned things like he did in everyday life, it would be pretty depressing.

"One Soldier" is a bit of a let down and in all honesty, the disc would be better without it or with more of his act in it's stead.

The Picture

Though it's presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, this is not a particularly pretty disc. No, a stage act isn't supposed to be beautiful, but there was a lot of grain and muddy colors throughout. If the subject matter had been more complex than a guy on a stage, the quality would have seriously detracted.

The Sound

The disc gives the option of Dolby Digital Stereo or 5.1 Surround. Both work well with the format, though the stereo might be better for most, since it projects what he's saying more clearly, rather than adding in realistic crowd noise.

That said, if you want to feel like you're in the audience, the surround does a decent job of recreating the feel of seeing a comedy show live – sans the two-drink minimum.

The Extras

Extras? Not really. You can choose to watch the 1988 Boston show separate from the rest of the movie, but it plays right after "One Soldier" regardless.

You can select scenes from his act, but they're numbered rather than titled, so it's kind of a crap shoot as to where in his act you'll land.

Parting Thoughts...

Steven Wright is a great comic and this act is funny, thoughtful and modern. If Steven Wright: When the Leaves Blow Away had more comedy and less of his short film or any extras to speak of, it would be worth buying. As it is, Rent It or just wait for Comedy Central to show it sometime.