Most DVDs featuring stand-up comedy tend to lean on the money grabbing side of things. What I mean by this is that there isn’t much substance with the producer; only a one-time through.
The quality of the comedy is not filled with d**k and fart jokes. Most mainstream comedians these days tend to lean on the immature side, while Black’s cynical attitude towards the lack of common sense amongst politicians and normal America. This is what separates his talent from everyone else. He knows what you think about on a day-to-day basis and wants to point out how stupid it can all be. His comedy is genius and his delivery is just as smooth.
Lewis Black: Stark Raving Black does have that ‘one-time through’ element for the stand-up portion of it. Black is a genius at pointing out the obvious in his stand-up and it’s hilarious from beginning to end. But that ‘one-time through’ comes into effect after the main show is said and done. You probably won’t revisit the comedy for a few months and that’s how it should be.
The real selling point for this DVD that makes it wonderful is the behind-the-scenes featurette called Basic Black: The Lewis Black Story. You are introduced to the people who make Black’s shows possible. You also get some old footage of the man in his early years and you get to meet his parents. It’s a neat featurette that gives you a real perspective of the man. It’s worth the watch and it’s quite long.
While this doesn’t happen a lot on DVDs these days, the DVD quality is something to talk about. The picture is damn good for DVD. Whatever they shot this in really makes the video stand out. Generally most DVDs are just standard when it comes to video, but I was impressed with how good this video looked; that includes both stand-up and featurette.
The audio is good as well, but it’s what you would expect from a stand-up show.