Featured TV on DVD Review: Denis Leary & Friends Presents: Douchbags & Donuts

January 28, 2011

Denis Leary & Friends Presents: Douchbags & Donuts - Buy from Amazon

Denis Leary leads a group of four stand-up comics on this concert DVD that is a benefit for The Leary Firefighters Foundation, which helps firefighters and other first responders by providing the best equipment and training, which can mean the difference between life and death. So the cause is good, but how is the comedy?

The Show

The show starts with Denis Leary singing a song called "Amen", which is sure to offend most people, so it's a great way to start. Let's face it, Denis Leary isn't one to shy away from aggressive material, and since the show is called Douchebags & Donuts, it's going to be a show with an aggressive streak. He goes after the Catholic Church and their pedophile scandals, anti-gay ministers / politicians and their obvious homosexual tendencies, celebrity mugshots, and medicinal side effects. Almost every bit hits perfectly, although it starts to wane by the end.

Next up is Whitney Cummings, who matches Denis Leary in aggression, but her act isn't as polished. She does some solid ranting on men vs. women and she does hit the mark a number of times, but it's a bit of a let down compared to a very similar Leary act. Up next is Lenny Clarke, who has been working with Denis Leary for about three decades now. Lenny's routine is more personal at times, dealing with his dieting (he's a fellow Weight Watcher) as well as his unique take on parenting, etc. Not as many laughs, as it's almost confessional at times, but overall still strong. There a musical interlude with "Douchebags", an ode to all the people Denis Leary hates. The final act is Adam Ferrara, another long-time Denis Leary compatriot, who spends a lot of his set talking about his new fiancee. He also gives a one-line impersonation of Lenny Clarke that sounds more like Lenny Clarke than Lenny Clarke sounds like Lenny Clarke.

And the 90-minute special ends with a singing of "Asshole".

Denis Leary is definitely on his game tonight, while the hit-to-miss ratio of even the weakest of the other three acts is high enough to generate laughs.

The Extras

There are a couple of songs, starting with one I won't even type the name of, and "Traditional Irish Folk Song" both of which are very funny. Snapshots from the Road / Detours on the Road to Comedy are 16 minutes of behind-the-scenes from their cross-country tour. They were clearly having a lot of fun on the show.

The Verdict

As always, stand-up is subjective, but in my opinion, the hit to miss ratio on Denis Leary & Friends Presents: Douchbags & Donuts is very solid while there are enough extras on the DVD to lift it to the purchase level.


- Submitted by:

Filed under: Video Review