Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking/Tracy
Morgan: Black & Blue (both 2011/HBO DVDs)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: B/C- Main Programs: B/C
Comedy
may not be easy, but it helps when the subjects are funny, can be made funny
and the person telling them is honest.
Two new comedy specials from HBO and HBO Home Video show us the
differences in a show that works and a show that does not.
If you
too are unhappy with the latest changes George Lucas has made to his Star Wars films (most people have lost count
on how many and how often by this point), you will love Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking in which the one-time Princess Leia
lays it on the line about her life, history, crazy life, dysfunctional family,
making her Star Wars films, ugly
situations in a life led publicly and dealing with two personal issues that
separately could have destroyed her let alone together: severe alcoholism and
(when it was not as treatable as it is now) severe bipolar manic depressive
illness.
She gives
a face to that, herself, the behind-the-scenes of her life, of show business
and pulls no punches. This includes some
comically brilliant moments and a must-see for anyone who loves her work,
entertainment or how wacky the world of people with money can be. I hope she gets an Emmy Award for this one as
there is no way you can sit through this one with a straight face. Once you start watching, you will find it
very hard to stop.
On the
other hand, recently more controversial-than-usual (because of a gay bashing
statement that was idiotic beyond belief) Tracy Morgan (who can be funny once
in a while) really struggles though his new show Tracy Morgan: Black & Blue which he tends to agonize through
and is obsessed with off color humor and jokes that hardly ring true, seem tired
and rarely work. This also means some
moments are very awkward and unfunny, while other unintentionally funny moments
surface that are funny for the wrong reasons.
I was not a big fan of his post Saturday
Night Live work (like his feature films) and he seems somewhat bored most
of the time as well. This is for fans
only.
The anamorphically
enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on both discs are HD shoots and a little soft in the
tradedowns here, while the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix on Wishful is pushing it a bit in terms of soundfield but Blue stays at Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo. Extras on Wishful include a remarkable hour-long interview with her mother
entitled My Alleged Mother and three deleted scenes/segments I also
enjoyed, while Blue has 15 more
minutes of so-so footage.
- Nicholas Sheffo
