Mike Birbiglia: What I Should Have Said Was Nothing - Tales From My Secret Public Journal

Video:
The video for Birbiglia's comedy special is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The center camera fixed on Birbiglia is clear and crisp with just very minor noticeable defects, but the ones on the left and right angles deteriorate somewhat in quality. The worst is the odd shot of audience members that are poorly lit and hazy with grain.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital Stereo track certainly isn't flashy by any means, but I'd say it adequately served its purpose for a live comedy show. I could hear everything clearly, and the only noticeable flaw was that I suspect Birbiglia's microphone cut out midway through for a second or two, but that's about it.

Extras:
The DVD release lists two bonus features on the disc, although I wouldn't really call "Encore" an extra. Technically, it's just an extension of the concert special as Birbiglia returns for an additional twenty-five minutes of his material. He seemed to loosen up a bit and felt more comfortable the way he interacted with the audience, though. The encore has some funny jokes, and ends with Birbiglia singing variations of Christian rock music but for other religions.

"Strictly For Fans" is a twenty-five minute documentary that's a collage of footage from his past shows, home movies on his tour bus, and other tidbits. We also get to put a face to his brother, Joe "bag-o-doughnuts" Birbiglia, whom he mentions a few times in his act. Unfortunately, both the video and audio quality here really suffers.

The Final Cut:
I'm sure that Birbiglia's goofy and laid-back style of humor appeals to many viewers, especially high school seniors and college students. For me personally, I just couldn't relate to about half of his comments, and there are other comedians I'd rather buy tickets to go see. On that note, I'll have to steal some inspiration from one of the two bonus features and say that this one is strictly for fans.

---

---