Rating: 
Summary: Comedy almost too hip for the room
Review: Do whatever you have to do to get this DVD: borrow the money, work overtime, rob your piggy bank, sell your N*SYNC CD's (heck, you should do that anyway), sell your blood,... whatever it takes. This comedy series ranks up there with the movie "Waiting For Guffman" as the funniest thing to come along in years. No small coincidence that both of the stars and creative geniuses behind Mr. Show (David Cross and Bob Odenkirk) appeared in "Guffman". Cross is easy to spot, but blink and you'll miss Odenkirk.
This HBO series' humor soars miles above the heads of some viewers, and too bad for them. Offbeat, strange, twisted, and always extremely clever, "Mr. Show" reaffirms your faith in sketch comedy. The sketches defy description, but my favorite is the one where Odenkirk enters a convenience store to ask for change for a dollar. Sounds flat, huh? But employee Cross has to go through several links of the chain of command (4 other roles all played by Cross and Odenkirk), all the way up to the President of the United States, just to get clearance. Just guess what the answer ends up being... Cross and Odenkirk are the principal writers of this series, and their ingenious use of pre-taped segments cleverly intermixed with "live" segments demonstrates not only their mastery of the medium, but their effortlessness at thumbing their noses at standard sitcom & sketch conventions.
Rating:
Summary: Words Cannot Describe This
Review: I accidently came accross Mr. Show in its 3d season on HBO during an insomniatic traverse over the entire cable TV dial. Two minutes into the "Titanica" sketch I was hooked and did whatever I could to catch every episode from that point on. I say a little prayer every day that HBO releases seasons 3 and 4 soon.Everything you've heard about this show is true. People describe it as part Monty Python, part SCTV, part Kids in the Hall and that's all accurate to a point, but there really is no way to truly describe this show to anyone who has not seen it. This is one of the funniest TV shows I have ever seen - - you just have to watch it for yourself to find out why. Warning . . . if you think Carrot Top is funny and think Jay Leno is cutting edge humor you will NOT like this. This is offbeat, sometimes in your face, sometimes dark, occassionally VERY dark, often weird comedy. If you're easily offended by "blue" language (i.e. the "f" word and its cousins) this might not be your cup of tea. On the other hand, if you're bored out of your mind by most of what passes for comedy on TV this is the tonic you've been waiting for. It can be intelligent and incredibly silly at the same time. Again, it's really hard to explain - - just watch the f'in' show okay. Bob Odenkirk worked for years as a comedy writer for Saturday Night Live (where Lorne Michaels rarely aired his sketches - - too edgy), Conan O'Brien (they met at SNL) and was a main stage cast member at Second City (he originated Chris Farley's popular "Motivational Speaker" character at Second City before SNL overkilled it). David Cross was a standup comic and writer in Boston for years before becoming part of the alternative comedy scene in L.A. Cross and Odenkirk met as writers on Ben Stiller's short lived show and began working together as a team before HBO started to notice their act. The show has a fiercely devoted cult following. The show's cast and writers attribute the show's critical success and cult audience devotion to the fact that HBO pretty much left them alone and let them do whatever they wanted. These are very funny people working in a very unrestrained environment and they produced something extremely funny in the process. If you "get it" you'll wet your pants laughing.
Rating:
Summary: What a relief!
Review: Now I can lend my tapes to people without making them sign a contract in blood to give me their firstborn if they lose or damage the tapes. I'm actually amazed that the show stayed on the air for four seasons. Most shows I like this much only last one. If you haven't seen it, you're likely to appreciate the humor if you like Monty Python, Kids in the Hall, SCTV, Larry Sanders, Spinal Tap, or Get a Life. The skits blend into each other, sort of like Monty Python, but more like that MTV show The State. Bob and David and all of the supporting actors are incredibly talented, and the writing is great - they somehow managed to get Emmy nominations for writing and for Ronnie Dobbs' "Fuzz: The Musical" song. This is pretty impressive, considering the fact that only a couple dozen people were watching. There is a downside... I can't stand it when people get so geeky about a show that they quote it to each other constantly, but Mr. Show did it to me. Don't get the DVD if you don't want to make [total jerk]of yourself in public when you meet other Mr. Show fans.
Rating:
Summary: UNBELIEVABLE
Review: As someone who has personally spent a lot of time both watching and writing comedy, I can say that, without a doubt, this is the best-written and most well-performed sketch comedy of all time. All of the writers are fantastic, Bob and David are an unbelievably well-constructed comic duo, and the supporting cast (most especially the absolutely brilliant husband and wife pair of Tom Kenney and Jill Talley) are out of this world (and all seem to be having a good time with cameos this summer. Look for John Ennis in Eight Legged Freaks and Jay Johnston in Men In Black and Tom Kenney is the Professor and Narrator of Power Puffs). All in all a very well-timed DVD to own (you will definitely want to see the shows live tour and currently shelved movie Run Ronnie Run after watching it. And you will understand why EVERYONE is talking about these guys). You will be a big gushy fan within hours of getting this DVD! Buy this. Then buy Wet Hot American Summer. You'll own everything that is funny. Ever.
Rating:
Summary: Never heard of 'em.
Review: I bought this on a whim because people were comparing it to Monty Python. To sum it up quickly, it was a wise purchase, and this is a very funny show. But that's not enough to say. I believe the reason many people enjoy this show is because of what Bob said on one of the commentaries - "The cast just has fun with it." In Mr. Show, the unpolished humor with great ideas and great energy make a very surreal and entertaining atmosphere. Many sketch shows lack that because they're too concerned about appearances. To make it simple, people who are fans of Saturday Night Live should avoid this. Fans of shows like Monty Python, Upright Citizens Brigade, and Kids in the Hall will be more likely to enjoy it. Especially UCB - the style is almost identical, and some of the characters (Ronnie Dobbs, Odenkirk's executive persona, etc.) seem to have descendants on UCB. Not that I'm insinuating any kind of plagiarism (it looks more like UCB was inspired by Mr. Show). The other important thing to remember about Mr. Show is that this is the FIRST and SECOND seasons, which means that at this point, the show hasn't really gathered a lot of momentum. There are plenty of jokes, and these episodes are hilarious - but they seem bumpy at times, and not quite developed. To fully enjoy them, you have to have some patience. The later episodes in Season 2 are the strongest of the bunch, but you can see that Bob and David are still toying around with the show to see what works. Now I can't wait for the next DVD release, when things are sure to be great. Oh, yeah, and there's some extras, too.... pretty cool.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for comedy aficionados.
Review: All of the superlatives you will read on this site are true. "Mr. Show with Bob & David" is quite possibly the BEST sketch comedy show to come along in 20 years. The reason I'm adding a comment is because, if it causes even ONE person to buy these discs and discover this show, maybe HBO will agree to release the 3rd and 4th seasons! Both Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are comedy vets, having written and performed for years. Odenkirk wrote for "Saturday Night Live" (in the Hartman-Miller-Carvey-Dunn years), Chris Elliot's "Get A Life," performed with the Second City (while Chris Farley & Tim Meadows were in the cast), played Stevie Grant on "The Larry Sanders Show," and did stand-up. Cross likewise did stand-up and sketch in Boston and wrote for "The Ben Stiller Show" where he hooked up with Odenkirk, who co-starred in and also wrote for the show. So, you see, these funsters have pedigree! Recently, they have popped up in most every sitcom out there (NewsRadio, Just Shoot Me) and made scads of film appearances (Cross in "Scary Movie II" & "Men In Black," Odenkirk in "The Cable Guy" & "Monkeybone"). But, "Mr. Show" is where you should discover them in all their unadulterated, hysterical glory. Also in the cast you'll find Tom Kenny ("Shakes the Clown," "Medusa: Dare To Be Truthful," "Spongebob Squarepants"), Jill Talley ("The Edge," "The Ladies Man," Second City stage), Jack Black (Tenacious D, "Shallow Hal," "High Fidelity"), Brian Posehn ("Just Shoot Me"), John Ennis & Jay Johnston (last seen in "Malcolm In the Middle"), and Paul F. Tompkins ("HBO Workspace Presents"). Grade A+ comedy!
Rating:
Summary: The Sketch Comedy of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross
Review: Mr. Show with Bob and David is a brilliant example of sketch comedy. Since its premiere on HBO in 1994, it has been a great show for teenagers and older. When I say that, I mean that some of the dialogue may be inappropriate for younger audiences. It is a great show which can best be explained as genius and hilarious. Although it took a while to be released, seeing as the whole show was finished in 1996 and it wasn't released until June 2002. On the other hand, I do believe that it was well worth the wait and I myself cannot wait till the release of seasons 3 & 4 which contain the short lived mini-series starring the band Tenacious D (Jack Black and Kyle Gass). So for any body that enjoys good sketch comedy, I highly recommend this DVD. I would also like to mention to people that some actors you know now got their start on this show. Some names are Tom Kenny(Now the voice of Spongebob Squarepants), Brian Posehn(Now the mail boy Kevin on Fox's "Just Shoot me"), Jack Black(Now in the band Tenacious D, the recently released videos "Orange County" and "Shallow Hal", and also on older movies such as "Saving Silverman" and "The Cable Guy"), and Bob Odenkirk and David Cross themselves who can be seen in many things. One particulary place you can notice David Cross this summer is in "Men in Black 2" as the video store owner Newton. So good-bye and pleasant viewing.
Rating:
Summary: Words Cannot Describe This
Review: I accidently came accross Mr. Show in its 3d season on HBO during an insomniatic traverse over the entire cable TV dial. Two minutes into the "Titanica" sketch I was hooked and did whatever I could to catch every episode from that point on. I say a little prayer every day that HBO releases seasons 3 and 4 soon. Everything you've heard about this show is true. People describe it as part Monty Python, part SCTV, part Kids in the Hall and that's all accurate to a point, but there really is no way to truly describe this show to anyone who has not seen it. This is one of the funniest TV shows I have ever seen - - you just have to watch it for yourself to find out why. Warning . . . if you think Carrot Top is funny and think Jay Leno is cutting edge humor you will NOT like this. This is offbeat, sometimes in your face, sometimes dark, occassionally VERY dark, often weird comedy. If you're easily offended by "blue" language (i.e. the "f" word and its cousins) this might not be your cup of tea. On the other hand, if you're bored out of your mind by most of what passes for comedy on TV this is the tonic you've been waiting for. It can be intelligent and incredibly silly at the same time. Again, it's really hard to explain - - just watch the f'in' show okay. Bob Odenkirk worked for years as a comedy writer for Saturday Night Live (where Lorne Michaels rarely aired his sketches - - too edgy), Conan O'Brien (they met at SNL) and was a main stage cast member at Second City (he originated Chris Farley's popular "Motivational Speaker" character at Second City before SNL overkilled it). David Cross was a standup comic and writer in Boston for years before becoming part of the alternative comedy scene in L.A. Cross and Odenkirk met as writers on Ben Stiller's short lived show and began working together as a team before HBO started to notice their act. The show has a fiercely devoted cult following. The show's cast and writers attribute the show's critical success and cult audience devotion to the fact that HBO pretty much left them alone and let them do whatever they wanted. These are very funny people working in a very unrestrained environment and they produced something extremely funny in the process. If you "get it" you'll wet your pants laughing.
Rating:
Summary: Oh, gosh, boy howdy--man do I love that Mr. Show!
Review: Describe it? Think of the punch in the gut off-humor of say, South Park. Ya know. That kind of feeling of sickness, nervous
laughter leading to hilarity.
Should I say it? God, it's passe. A'right.
Okay, they're "Non P.C." That's such a lame description that a sketch on the show can be based on that alone. Both Bob and David play the straight guy (as in Costello, of Abbott and.., not, ya know, like..ha, ha..gay..ha, ha), the crazy, wacky psycho and/or sociopath, the normal fellow that's so normal he appears psycho and/or socio, etc., etc.
They've got a great, great ensemble cast (damn, how do you make an accent mark?).
Okay; example of Mr. Show humor. Man and woman with baby. Both dressed in 1920's flapper look. Husband (David) with handlebar mustache and kinda the ole ice cream man kinda suit and the woman looking like Great Gatsby material. They're arguing...
Man: Hey, honey, take 'er easy (can't remember exactly, but uses a lot of period lingo).
Woman: Suck my d-ck!! (then she throws the baby on the ground).
If that's funny, this is YOUR SHOW! It's my show.
Why, it's Mr. SHOW!! Oh, by the way; being a former Chicagoan, I can attest the accuracy of Bob's Chicago-ese accent in appropriate sketches.
Thanks guys. Keep up the, well, whatever? Thanks, really!
Rating:
Summary: This collection is ruining my social life...
Review: ...or maybe I'm just picking the wrong women. In either case, I'll preface this review with a warning: If you come to love these guys (as I have), you'll feel it an obligation to share with strangers, that could very well cause you some pain. It's a fact, many people don't find Mr. Show funny. I know, it is infruating, often embarrasing, but somehow true. Quite often I've treated "the unexposed" to this comic gem only to receive minor guffaws and uncomfortable bouts of silence. So, to those that have not seen Mr. Show, if you find series' like Curb Your Enthusiasm, or (Britain's) The Office funny, you'll very likely love Mr. Show. To that class of people who've seen Mr. Show and enjoyed their dark, often nearly imperceptibly subtle humor, you'll love this DVD. It is among the few in my collection that I frequently play. Christian Hunter
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