THE PLOT THUS FAR
Created, written by and starring Scott Aukerman (co-creator/director/producer, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis; writer/performer, Mr. Show) and based on Scott’s popular podcast of the same name, Comedy Bang! Bang! infuses celebrity appearances and comedy sketches with a tinge of the surreal. In each episode, Aukerman engages his guests with unfiltered and improvisational lines of questioning, punctuated by banter and beats provided by his bandleader, one-man musical mastermind Reggie Watts (Conan). Packed with character cameos, filmic shorts, sketches and games set amongst an off-beat world, Comedy Bang! Bang! delivers thirty minutes of absurd laugh-loaded fun.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Comedy Bang! Bang!” isn’t my cup of tea. I find the comedy to be forced and the strength of the show is dependent on its guests. I’m familiar with Aukerman’s past work, but it appears that the guy works better in an ensemble. Then, there’s Reggie Watts. The guy who butchered what should’ve been an easy cover of “Panama” for the Onion’s AV Club. This show plays like the host’s friends and contemporaries showing up to entertain him while Reggie Watts provides a lame soundtrack.
IFC is trying to play to the comedy of the weird. It works at times and other times it creates things like “Portlandia”. While I’ve always enjoyed and embraced art that lives on the side of the street where people dig Jackson Pollack, there’s something to be said for restraint. If comedy is forced to be weird without any real reason to develop, then a comedian is creating something as empty and vapid as what exists on the major networks. The act of which is fascinating and almost deserves to be observed on its own merits.
The DVD comes with commentaries, deleted scenes, interviews, featurettes and promos. The A/V Quality is pretty strong for standard definition. There is a minimal amount of digital noise on the transfer. The Dolby track lacks any substantial back channel support. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans.
RELEASE DATE: 01/21/2014