Featured TV on DVD Review: Louis C.K.: Hilarious

January 9, 2011

Louis C.K.: Hilarious - Buy from Amazon

I'm not a huge connoisseur of stand-up concert DVDs. That's not to say I don't own any of them, but of the ones I do own, most of them I received to review and didn't purchase myself. However, one of the few I did buy was Louis C.K.'s Shameless, which I absolutely loved, so when I got a chance to review Hilarious I jumped at it, despite the fact that I hate reviewing stand-up concert DVDs.

The Movie

The reason I hate reviewing stand-up concert DVDs is simple, I never know what to say. How can you review a joke without spoiling the joke? This is a conundrum I have yet to crack. I can give vague hints at the subjects presented, and in this case I can compare it to his previous material, but this still results in a rather short review.

Louis C.K. is an observational comedian, which is not a huge help in terms of narrowing his appeal, as this is the most common sub-genre of the form. His stories tend to come from personal experiences and while he does touch on social satire, he's not a politically charged comic. Not too long ago, he got divorced, so this subject comes up, not just divorce in general, but being newly single at 41 after ten years of not having to give a damn, as well as being a single dad of two young daughters. On a side note, one day his daughters will see his act, and after that day, he should be very wary of opening any gift he gets from them.

A few of the jokes I had heard before, especially his now famous "Everything is amazing and nobody is happy" riff. So if you've seen a lot of his work, there are a few parts you will recognize. Also, as a warning for those who have never seen his work, there are a few jokes that... well as he puts it, "That's just me saying something terrible because it makes me laugh that it upsets you." He does push that boundary three or four times, but always to great comedic effect.

I don't know if this is the best work Louis C.K. has done, but it's close.

The Extras

There are no extras on the DVD. However, I'm not taking points away for two reasons... three actually. Firstly, I don't give a point rating. Secondly, most stand-up concert DVDs don't have extras. Thirdly, the set is 80 minutes long, which is longer than most stand-up specials. Even without extras, the price-per-minute is excellent compared to most of its direct competition.

The Verdict

Louis C.K.: Hilarious lives up to its name, at least the common usage definition of "Hilarious", if not the fastidious definition Louis C.K. demands be used. The hit to miss ratio is amazing and for fans of his previous work, or of stand-up comedy in general, this DVD is a must have.


- Submitted by:

Filed under: Video Review