“Roast of Bob Saget” DVD Review
With last year’s Comedy Central Roast not being quite up to snuff (Flavor Flav? Really?) in terms of a worthy subject and just all around not being all that funny, Comedy Central struck back this year with a roast of one of the most offensive and foul mouthed comics: Bob Saget. Anyone who followed the man post-Full House days will no doubt be shocked by the mouth on the man, as he recounts the Aristocrats joke as well as make foul mouthed appearances on Entourage, Saget has certainly carved himself out a slice of pie in the comedy world and it’s great seeing him get broiled for it.
Daddy doesn’t always know best! America’s favorite sitcom dad was ripped a new one at the Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget, with Roastmaster John Stamos. Sit back and enjoy Greg Giraldo’s cutting insights, Jeff Garlin’s raucous impressions, and Jeffrey Ross’ jabs at Saget’s life, career, and propensity for dating younger women. This was indeed the most family unfriendly night of Bob Saget’s entire career! Also includes roasts from Gilbert Gottfried, Susie Essman, Jon Lovitz, Norm MacDonald, Jim Norton and Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman.
Although I’d wanted to see it during its original airing, I’m glad I was lazy enough to miss it during its original airings, simply because I doubt watched it edited and censored would have done me any favors. The about of obscenities tossed out during this roast are some of the highest caliber of profane and between the language and mixture of Olsen twins jokes, it was almost unbearable to watch at times it was so obscene. But that’s what’s so enjoyable about these roasts—when done right, they’re absolutely a riot to watch because you just know they’re going to make you cringe from the jokes alone.
What truly impressed me about the whole show was how hilarious it was from beginning to end. There was never a dull moment and my eyes were watering by the end of it. Everyone of the roasters brought a solid effort to the table and even some of the lesser and not so-in-your-face efforts of Jon Lovitz and Norm MacDonald were absolutely hilarious just simply because of how tame and laid back they were. MacDonald’s constant explaining of jokes was odd at first, but once you realized that was his whole act it because a lot funnier. While other roasters, like Giraldo or Ross were of their usual intensity, they still delivered some fantastic material. The only one I felt was a bit lacking was Essman, as her routine didn’t have quite the same biting material that the rest of the roasters had. The video appearances by Lewis Black and Sarah Silverman were also entertaining, though Black was a bit weak.
What really surprised me was Cloris Leachman. Did anyone see that coming? Her entire routine was just absolutely obscene beyond belief and she was a riot to watch. She definitely stole the show as she was both genuinely funny as well as surprising in how effortlessly she delivered her material. At first I wondered what she could possibly be doing with the company on the dais, but after that bit with her I’m convinced she could hold her own against some of today’s filthiest comics.
Overall the Roast of Bob Saget is definitely one to check out and is well worth watching. I definitely Recommend it, although the mature content warning has never been stronger than it is with this roast, simply because not only are the roasters foul mouthed, so is Bob Saget’s wrap up. Though he struggles to get some of his own jokes out without laughing at them first, it’s clear the man was just honored to be up there and it really was a treat to watch the whole thing go down.
The DVD
Paramount has released the Roast of Bob Saget in a single disc amaray case with disc art that matches the cover. Menus are simple and in 4×3 and easy to navigate, with animation and music accompanying them. The video is also in a 4×3 framing, with Dolby Stereo audio that brings to life the filth loud and clear. It’s not an amazing transfer and I’m rather surprised it isn’t at least widescreen, but other than that it’s not bad. Definitely looks better than what aired originally, at least.
The extras here are slim, but are worth checking out. A quick Behind the Scenes (1:06) reel shows the stars making their way into the building via the red carpet, while After the Roast (5:25) is a collection of clips interviewing the roastee and roasters, including a lengthy bit with Leachman. Most of this is just talking about how great her performance was and considering how it stole the show, I’m not surprised that’s all anyone could talk about for the rest of the night. Bob Saget Interviews (2:27) are just what they sound like, while On the Blue Carpet (11:09) is another collection of interviews to check out.
Not a whole lot of extras, but enough for this type of release, I think. Overall it still comes Recommended, especially considering Comedy Central usually budget prices these. If you’ve been collecting the past releases, there’s no reason not to pick this one up—it’s one of the better roasts I’ve seen from the network in recent years, and that’s saying something considering I’ve been watching for a long while now.
Roast of Bob Saget arrives on DVD on December 30th.