Review(s): DVD The Richard Pryor Show, Vols. 1 & 2 plus Bonus Disc
Richard Pryor's DVD Set Makes Him the Black Andy Kaufman
Yes, that's right,if Andy Kaufman were a black American, he'd be Richard Pryor. Just like Andy, this DVD set made me happy,sad,angry,confused, and even scared from bewilderment! I laughed at "Star Wars Bar," as well as, his "White Head in a Cage" skit. I cried when I saw the sincere heartwarming love shown in pieces like "Satin Doll" and even more so in the endearing "the Day the Circus Came to the Ghetto" skit. I got angry at his various skits where he uses racial slurs, like the "n" word,etc. But oddly, I almost got a panic attack from watching probably the wierdest thing I've ever seen on a video which was a skit (if you can call it that) where Richard pretends he's Little Richard singing on a piano, then suddenly, we see a sort of pirated signal of an insanely weird monologue(?) of a self-confessed lesbian apparently talking to herself in a living room, yet telling a string of fibs about being first a victim of sexual stalking, but then finally admitting that she was the actual stalker herself(?????).WHOAH!! Jesus Christ, that weirded me out! Can somebody explain that one to me? Send me an e-mail please! And I see ALOT of weird 70's movies and shows, let me tell you!Well, regardless, I recommend this if you want to know what psychotronic t.v. is like! Get these DVD's!
Where's Belushi?
Good stuff, but not as good as the SNL appearance mentioned in another review.
One mystery: There is a photo on one of the DVD cases (also appears in the Pryor CD box set book) of Pryor and John Belushi doing a sketch where they are onstage with guitar, harmonica and upright bass. This sketch is not on the DVDs...where is it?
Funny, but overall a disappointment
I agree with most of the other reviews here that point at that The Richard Pryor Show -- like the man's movies -- pale in comparison to the absolutely brilliant stand-up work that he did. While there are some pretty funny moments on these DVDs, the best are in the extras, some of which show Richard either unscripted or performing parts of his act.
These four (five) episodes could be edited down to an excellent 60-minute "Best of The Richard Pryor Show" feature, because most of the skits are hit-or-miss. The good sketches make this DVD set deserve some rewatching, but I guarantee that I will use the chapter skip button to avoid some of the less entertaining material.
Unfortunately, I felt that the packaging of this set was designed to be sold at a higher price, due to the fact that it comes in three separate DVD cases instead of the foldout designs used for most TV show collections. I am also doubting it was necessary to put this collection on three discs instead of two. 3+ hour-long movies with a full 5.0 soundtrack can be held on one disc, so it seems like 5 48-or-so minute-long episodes, plus a handful of extras, should be able to fit on two discs.
If you're a huge Richard Pryor fan like I am, I would encourage you to purchase this collection. I was thrilled to be able to see video footage of Pryor's brilliant "Mudbone - Little Feets" bit. If you can get around the seemingly inflated price (which at $30 isn't awful), you'll find some amusement in this collection.
Related DVD's The Richard Pryor Show, Vols. 1 & 2 plus Bonus Disc
There is a long sequence where Pryor plays two roles: one of a wino and one of a junkie. It starts off very funny, but then Pryor gets deep into the psyches of these damaged people, and it is heartbreaking. The piece turns into a brilliant piece of theater. Yes, there are more misses than hits in this 1971 performance, but there is no mistaking what a genius Pryor is. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Richard Pryor Director(s): Michael Blum DVD Release Date: Released the 27 November 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Richard Pryor has influenced scores and scores of comedians and theres a good reason why....because hes one of the greats!!! This show which was filmed in Vegas is truly his finest hour. Taped after his infamous freebasing incident, he touches on his cocaine addiction....and as brutal as it was he makes it funny. Also, he talks about gangsters he used to work with and them telling murder stories!! No comedian would dare touch on things like this, and to make these things funny takes TALENT. Of which Pryor has an abundance of.
So if you want a revealing, awe inspiring, provacative and funny comedy show, this is it. Pryors finest hour, the show of himself. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Richard Pryor Director(s): Joe Layton DVD Release Date: Released the 11 January 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Watching Pryor go from imitating a drinking deer to a woman debating about going in the woods gives just a hint of the comedic genius of the man. Crude, foul, and real, this is the first and best of his concert films. Pryor does dead-on impersonations of the respective races, cussing, trying to act tough, getting kicked in personal spots. But it's his imagination that elevates him to a different level. He gives his impressions of what animals think, from his own animals (a monkey, a Doberman) to police dogs, and it seems so exact, so prescient. Not to mention the fact that he is self-deprecating in the extreme, and has as much fun skewering himself as any other subject. Still vibrant, still funny. --Keith SimantonMore Info about this DVD Actor(s): Richard Pryor Director(s): Jeff Margolis DVD Release Date: Released the 25 August 1998 Usually ships in 6 to 8 days
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As you have gethered by now, this is not a complete Richard Pryor stand-up show. I Ain't Dead Yet, originally aired on Comedy Central, is a tribute/biography/documentary of the legendary comedian, showcasing clips of his various acts shuffled in with interviews and opinions from Steve Harvey, Jamie Foxx, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Denis Leary, Whoppi Goldberg, and Robin Williams among others. The program itself, which is less than 45 minutes long and is here in all in uncensored glory, is worth a look for fans of Pryor who didn't see it when it originally aired, but the DVD features are scant, and considering the price of the DVD, this is a rip-off. All in all, worth a look for fans of Pryor, but for all others, this is worth avoiding. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Richard Pryor DVD Release Date: Released the 16 November 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Pryor was brilliant in this set. However, as other reviewers have pointed out, his audience seemed to be composed of the inhabitants of every podunk village in Louisiana, who saw attendance at his show as the crowning moment of their lives, and wanted to make sure Pryor and the rest of the world knew just how momentous it was by announcing it at the top of their lungs, never stopping their celebration long enough to actually listen to Pryor's routine. He had to contend with a constant barrage of drunken heckling but he still managed to weave spellbinding stories and make brilliant impromptu observations about everyday life. In fact, he frequently turned the boorish behavior of the audience to his advantage, and constructed several brilliant bits of business from their sometimes bizarre... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Richard Pryor Director(s): Richard Pryor DVD Release Date: Released the 29 January 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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