DVD
Review | Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now
Written by: Kage
Alan
I love the fact that HBO is releasing comedy
specials like Dennis Miller and Ellen Degeneres because audiences need
a little something to take their minds off of the economy and the war
and all the other ugliness in the world for even just a little while.
I might not have cared for the Dennis Miller as much as a regular fan
of the man and his humor might have, I am an admirer of Ellen. No,
this has nothing to do with any gay agenda or anything like that. I
was enjoying her comedy long before she came out, so kindly keep those
thoughts to yourself.
While some comediennes see fit to deliver comedy
about situations in everyday life and rely on the humorous in itself,
the really good ones have a unique delivery that enhances each joke.
That may seem like common sense knowledge, only some have better
delivery than others and Ellen is no exception. From her opening
comments about what the audience has in common to an in depth discussion
of the art of procrastination and depression in commercials, she glides
effortlessly from subject to subject and somehow always manages to link
them together.
There is something underneath the surface of
Ellen’s jokes, however, something that feels very sugarcoated. I think
it’s when she begins a discussion about cell phones and people asking
each other how they are doing that this began to dawn on me. The
generic response is always “good” or “fine”, but the equilibrium is
turned on its head when somebody rocks the boat with a “well…” or
anything to indicate that all may not be as it should. Our response?
We usually don’t want to make the time to explore the issue because we
didn’t want to know the truth in the first place. It’s sad, but true
and with Ellen, it’s funny.
I’ve seen some of Ellen’s comedy specials in the
past as well as seen her live in Chicago, but this was by far one of her
funnier shows. There’s so much going on in our lives and in hers as
well, so it’s a treat when somebody who’s been through so much can
present it in a way that’s both humorous and heartfelt. If nothing
else, I respect Ellen and I can only hope she continues to be seen and
heard.
HBO has released “Ellen Degeneres—Here and Now” in
an excellent looking Full Screen transfer. Yes, I prefer Widescreen,
but I’m not sure it really adds anything to stand up comedy. If and
when it does, I’ll be the first to raise my hand and shout. Oh, heck.
I won’t even raise my hand. Video quality is sharp and the audio, which
is what really counts here, does its job quite nicely. As for extras,
there’s an Ellen bio. While I wasn’t expecting an audio commentary like
what Eddie Izzard did, I was at least hoping for some bonus footage or
an interview. Ellen usually does a Q&A period with the audience at the
end of her show and that’s not to be found here.
With winter coming upon us and the snow getting
ready to keep those of us on the East coast snug as a bug in a rug
staying home from work during the first huge blizzard, this is exactly
what we need to warm us up. Hot chocolate only keeps the inner fire
burning for a short time, but you’ll be chuckling about the jokes in
“Here and Now” for a long while to come. She’s still got it, folks. I,
for one, will continue to appreciate her.
Film Rating:
A
DVD Special Features: N/A
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