Ricky Gervais Out of England: The Stand-Up Special (DVD)
APPROX. 72 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 2008 - MPA RATING: NR
" As a comedian, he sees the inherent comedy all around him-even when it’s reflected in the mirror.
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If that´s the worst I can come up with about the production, then it must be doing something right.
VIDEO:
"Out of England-The Stand-Up Special" is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen format and, for the genre, the picture looks pretty good. Gervais' black wardrobe is presentable, as are dark crowd shots. The giant-sized "RICKY" in lights behind him is also rendered well. There's no problem per se with what's on screen; it's all very serviceable. Artifacting is not present, the transfer is clean-as it should be for a recent production-and what limited colors are present come off well. I did notice a bit of distortion around his head on dark backgrounds (such as when he stands between the "RICKY" letters). It's almost a nonissue unless you're sitting on top of the television.
AUDIO:
Similar to the video specs, the English 2.0 mix does what it needs to do and little more. The comedy routine is free of distortion or other noticeable issues. Directional sound effects don't factor into the enjoyment (or lack thereof) of the material since this Gervais is the only speaker with dialogue. Crowd applause is authentic and not overpowering. There are no subtitle options which I initially feared because of a perceived language barrier. Fret not: Gervais speaks in perfect American English.
EXTRAS:
The disc is packed inside a normal black keepcase without an insert. Ten chapters stops are included. On the disc itself is an eleven minute "Conversation with Ricky Gervais" where the comedian talks about the audience liking the performer and being more of a storyteller than dealing with topical humor. He proves himself to be affable fellow capable of being a captivating interview without feeling the need to be funny. Credit also goes to the interviewer and producer for trying to peel back the layers of a stand-up routine.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Not exactly a disc to pop in for family night because of questionable subject matter and language, "Out of England" manages not to be offensive or sink to the level of using epithets for its humor. Gervais is one of the bright spots in the comedy world who rarely delves into topical humor, opting to tell anecdotes or stories about life. After all, that is the most unique and interesting type of humor, isn´t it?
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