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STUDIO: New Line Home Video
MSRP: $28.98
RATED: R
RUNNING TIME: 100 min
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Behind the Scenes
Featurettes
Commentaries
Extra Comedy Skits
The Pitch
Vince Vaughn and several comedians spread a little lovin’ and then they keep moving on.
The Humans
Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsley, Ahmed Ahmed, Bret Ernst, John Caparulo, Keir O’ Donnell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jon Favreau and Justin Long
Nobody kicks it like a M.A.D.D. party because a M.A.D.D. party don’t stop until a child has been squished into the pavement.
The Nutshell
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show
is a film about the 2006 comedy tour that took Vaughn from Hollywood to the Heartland. It allowed him to give several stand-ups the shot to prove themselves to the world. Well, these guys are nobodies. They’re friends of the Frat Pack that have followed Vaughn and company around for years.
Vince Vaughn does his best Michael J. Anderson.
The Lowdown
Vince Vaughn only seems to make one kind of film. But, this documentary bucks his mainstream trend by actually producing a credible documentary. A lot of people might expect something on part with The Comedians of Comedy. But, there’s not a lot humor outside of the concert footage. I don’t totally get what Vaughn was doing, but I appreciate the backstage approach. Especially, when you get several of the performers discussing craft.
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show opens with a montage of the four comedians that gives you a sense of their performance style. But, the rest of the film wants to kill that stage illusion with the reality of conflicting attitudes. You’re not going to see any outright fights in the movie. You get to see how desperate some people are for fame, while others want to play around with expectations, as they carve out a niche for themselves. Then, there are the cats that just want to take seven shits before they go onstage.
When the sun is at high noon, their tramp stamps can pinpoint the location of the Well of Souls.
The
film succeeds in its ability to make you care for the comedians. Sebastian is a waiter in real life and he’s using the tour as a springboard out of his day job. All aspiring performers and artisans can identify with the struggle between the day and night aspects of what they do. What makes it better is that you watch these younger guys totally not understand what Vaughn expects of them. Listening to them in Bakersfield and during the Hurricane Rita stops shows this aspect of their personalities. At first, they don’t care if the show goes on. But, they end up identifying a need to satisfy the fans and themselves.
What can ruin the film for a lot of people is the fact that the comedy bits are short. You’ll get a joke or two per stop and then we’re getting some background on the performers. It’s not quite American Idol and it’s not quite Errol Morris. But, we do find a happy balance into the introspection around the Hurricane stops in Alabama and Georgia. The comedians acknowledge that they have a struggle, but there’s a larger world out there for them to entertain.
This isn’t meant to be humorous. But, if anyone at the Ryman has found my copy of Johnny Cash – American Recordings V…I’d appreciate it if you can hold it in the box office for me. Thanks!
The Package
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show
arrives on DVD with a standard edition. You get extended bits of comedy that work for those that want the laughs. What helped me out was the commentary. I liked getting to hear the point of the tour and documentary. That might not be for all of you, but give it a shot.
The
A/V Quality is near impeccable for a documentary. That’s not saying a lot, but it works. The transfer shows off some shaky video during the night-time bus shots. But, it’s not a major problem. The audio and video are pretty clean throughout the duration of the film.
In the end, Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show
is worth your money. It’s a fun release that takes a look at the desire to bring comedy to the masses. Even if you’re crammed onto a bus with Ralphie from A Christmas Story. If there was anything needed to improve the film, it would probably be axing the Favreau / Long bit from the start of the film. It sets up the misdirection that threw a lot of people off this documentary.
I try to include tits in most reviews. This was the best I could do.