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The Ben Stiller Show

The Ben Stiller Show

List Price: $26.99
Your Price: $20.24
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: OH please!
Review: Tsk Tsk, you have to be fake right? It's a gag. A joke. Saying that Ben Stiller rocks in Starsky and Hutch but "you don't know what happened here" is like saying Don Knotts kicked a** on 3's Company, but what's with all this Andy Griffeth crap??? Ok that's a bad example because Don Knotts is perpetually funny no matter what, but get with the program man. The Ben Stiller Show is one of the few signs that the man is talented. If it weren't for that, I think the rest of us would all be sitting around trying to figure out who this Stiller guy was and why he keeps choosing to star in such lame, safe, banal movies like MEET THE PARENTS. We PUT UP with crap like that because we know from his writing on the Ben Stiller Show that he's a genius, who is forced to occassionally make crap in order to maintain his comfortable hollywood lifestyle. We forgive him these brainless dalliances because of the thoughtful, razor-sharp work that we know he's ACTUALLY capable of.

Then again, you were just kidding right, trying to make someone like me point out how wrong you were. Right???

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This Is A Disappointment
Review: While the now-big names that make up the cast of the Ben Stiller show may attract you to watch it, there is nothing funny found in this series. I trudged through all 13 episodes, hoping at some point to laugh, but no.

It's surprising that such a cast and a team of writers could fail at this. The Ben Stiller Show is horribly unfunny, and while there ARE very good ideas within each sketch, it just does not produce.

If what you're looking for is hilarious sketch comedy, stick with Mr. Show with Bob And David, The Kids In The Hall, or Monty Python. And if what you're looking for is a good example of Ben's work, stick to his movies.

But if you want disappointment, this is where it's at.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: ben stiller show dvd
Review: The Ben Stiller Show:

Cancelled after one season, featured great cast of excellent comedic actors. The show itself is pretty good, very different from Ben Stiller's recent writing, more reminiscent of his older stuff, but obvious as this show is ten years old. The show itself isnt the best comedy, but it has great moments, a great find, definately a good way to waste a day.

The dvd itself, pretty good. seven of 12 episodes have commentary, which is a decent ratio, and theres behind the scenes, deleted scenes, featurettes, the last unaired episode, overall good extras. the extras make this a worthwhile buy, in addition to it being entertaining.

I give it four stars, because the show itself is good, but nothing great, if you're a fan of ben stiller or any of the supporting cast, or enjoy alternative comedy, i think its a great buy.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Flawed, but Necessary.
Review: Great cast. Big budget for sets, costumes and makeup. Talented crew putting it all together. Some really great, hilarious ideas! But the show's fatal flaw? They DID EVERYTHING TO DEATH.

Seems they threw EVERY joke they came up with into a sketch, and the thing just dragged and draaggged. onnnn. aaand oooooon. You enjoy the first half. You wait through the third quarter for the payoff. By the last quarter, you're just irritated.

However, the fact remains . . . there is some brilliant, highly-rewarding comedy you just aren't gonna find anywhere else. Sometimes, when I'm tired, a fragment of a joke comes to me. "Oh, what was that," I think to myself, "Was that SNL? Was it Kids In The Hall? OH! No, it was The Ben Stiller Show!"

And I feel a little glow of love for Ben, Janeane, Andy, and Bob, for they DO reward us for our patience. There ARE priceless laughs to be had, and I'll have them again and again!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Brilliant cast, medicore show
Review: I remember being wowed when this show originally aired. When Comedy Central re-ran all 13 episodes around 2000, I eagerly taped them all. But, when I re-watched them, I wondered what had impressed me so much previously. Don't get me wrong, the show isn't a total washout but it's far, far less funny than I remember it being. Despite having a top-notch cast and great writers, the material is horribly dated and questionable pacing/direction sinks a lot of clever scenes. That's the other thing: many of the sketches ARE clever but they're not very FUNNY. This is no fault of the cast's. Indeed, there is a vibrance and energy to the performances of Odenkirk, Garofalo, Dick, and Stiller. They clearly realized this show was their big break (or at least, a good stepping stone to their careers) and they make the most of it. The linking material with the cast and the guest stars is lackluster but negligible. Perhaps it is the fact that everyone went on to produce much better work (Odenkirk with "Mr. Show," head writer Judd Apatow with "Freaks & Geeks," Garofalo with her standup, Dick with his ickier/more out-of-control antics in the late '90s, and Stiller in films) that makes looking back on this show a let down. I was going to give it a two star rating but, out of respect to the talent involved and considering the show DOES have it's moments of hilarity, I'm giving it three. This title is of more historical interest than sheer entertainment value. For gut-busting sketch comedy, stick with "Mr. Show with Bob & David," "Monty Python's Flying Circus," "The Kids in the Hall," and, if they ever release it on DVD, "SCTV Network."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What? My intelligence was not insulted? How novel!
Review: The Ben Stiller Show was (and now IS, thanks to it's DVD resuscitation), along with SCTV, one of the most intelligent comedy shows ever on TV. Sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes a bit more subtle, but always fun to watch.

Everyone who is pumping out Lowest-Common-Denominator Comedy these days (let's see, that's about....everyone) should take a gander at this DVD and either get inspired or get out of the business.

All this an no laugh-track, too.

No no no! Ben! You're the man! Thanks for the perfect 13!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: You gotta get this. No, no, no, really. Do it. Do it. Do it.
Review: Fans of the show can finally retire their decade old VHS tapes. All twelve original episodes are here, plus the thirteenth episode that only aired on the Comedy Channel.

Aside from the shows themselves, which most people looking at this page are already sold on, fans need to get this DVD set to hear the commentary. Ben Stiller, Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo, and Bob Odenkirk are all in the commentary tracks. The commentary is generally fun and any serious fan must listen to the commentary tracks to hear the following:
1) How Ben Stiller assembled this now legendary cast.
2) A story about Ben meeting Bruce Springsteen, who is a subject of several skits in the show.
3) How the cast felt about the show's cancellation.
4) How the cast feels about the show relative to their later works.
5) How the fledgling Fox Network felt about the show's parodies of "Cops", "90210", and the Fox Network.
6) Guests that they tried to secure for the segments between the sketches.
7) How Janeane feels about bike shorts.
8) How they tricked Adam West into impersonating Adam West.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not So Great
Review: I bought this and watched every episode. I'm underwhelmed.

Yes the show very much resembles late-period SCTV (which will be coming to DVD soon) in its attention to detail, great impersonations, and multi-layered sketches where characters and impersonations are layered onto each other. But SCTV was more on-point at satirizing network television and modern culture. These sketches, to me, just kind of lay there for the most part. Also, it has to be said, the format (where each episode features Stiller walking around with a "guest star" acting self-effacing) is quite annoying - annoying enough to put me off the show when it first aired.

The show did acheive greatness by giving some very funny/talented people air time and money. Janeane Garafalo and Andy Dick got their breaks here. And cast member Bob Odenkirk met writer David Cross - they would later collaborate on "Mr. Show", which is a rather incredible show.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: OVERRATED
Review: I'll be frank. And not my neighbour Frank who lies alot, but candid. This show has it's funny moments, in particular the few sketches written by Cross or Odenkirk. The acting is good, but for the most part this show was disappointingly mediocre.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Bashful's DVD Summary #008
Review: Best:

1) The humor was free-flowing and one skit drifted quickly into another.
2) Once you start watching an episode, you're hooked until it's over. All 12 (actually 13) episodes, plus bonus skits, are easy to watch back-to-back with plenty of good places to pause.
3) Many of the skits were absolutely roll-around hilarious.
4) The commentaries and behind-the-scenes features tell you everything you need to know about the series and why it was cancelled.

Worst:

1) The celebrity guests rarely participated in skits and sometimes had nothing entertaining to say or do.
2) Some camera shots, especially the outdoor scenes, had a very low-budget look.
3) Many of the joke references require you to have a knowledge of 1980's TV series to really understand.

Recommendation:

The price is good, the special features are generous and it's hours of entertainment with a high rewatch value. Get it - definitely.


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