Dennis Miller: Fake News, Real Jokes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Dennis Miller: Fake News, Real Jokes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 1, 2021

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native Dennis Miller brings the laughs in Dennis Miller: Fake News, Real Jokes, a 2018 comedy special that sees him string together a narrative that identifies with his right-of-center political views. He takes no prisoners but amps up the attacks on several prominent left wing political figures while not taking it entirely easy on then-President Donald Trump, either. But Miller's endgame is not political belittlement; it's entertainment. In between and amongst his jabs at politicians are his takes on modern life and conveniences, sports, and the like. It's a well rounded show that clocks in at just under an hour and brings the jokes with relentless speed and grounded humor.

Miller talks up a number of topics through the lightning-quick 57-minute barrage of beratement, including hashtags and social media, selfie obsessions, the state of modern air travel, Apple products, Caitlyn Jenner, the NFL, modern childhood, politically correct culture, Netflix, environmentalism, terrorism, and, of course, no shortage of political figures, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump.

Like any comedy routine and the comedian delivering it, there must be a certain proclivity for the audience to gravitate towards a particular brand of humor and the focus of its jokes. Miller walks a tightrope that sees him embracing his social and political viewpoints but not so exclusively that he might alienate a large percentage of his audience. But he never seems to be walking that tightrope. His humor flows naturally and from a place of assuredness in its veracity; after all the best jokes are grounded in reality, not pulled from thin air, and that Miller uses what he knows and manipulates it to his advantage may be his greatest gift as a comedian. The jokes work in isolation but far better within the contextualized whole of the program. Take, for instance, the five brief segments featured as "bonuses" on the Blu-ray: they're plenty funny in isolation but out of the show's larger flow they're just empty vessels that bring a smile but don't tell a story.

Miller keeps the funny flowing, and even if there are some lighting quick transitions from one topic to the next and a mid-routine string where it's just a pow-pow-pow flow of unrelated content, one can find in the larger harmony a manifesto of sorts on modern life and culture. Miller observes the world around him and shapes it in truth and to a humorous bend that really works together. Anyone can string a couple of jokes along but to build a story as Miller does while never missing a beat and proving well capable of holding an audience and holding his ground takes a special talent that he utilizes in abundance.

Miller does not just offer quick-twitch wit but also some genuine insights into the social issues of the day, exploring the world around him not as a punchline but in some ways as a treatise on everything that's wrong with the world today. From social media to woke culture, from sports to politics (which have become almost irreversibly interconnected), Miller builds a biased, but honest, worldview. And how the world changes so quickly. While the show is in no way out of date it does date itself which speaks more to the rapidly changing landscape and less on Miller's ability to make a routine future proof. There's some degree of content here that in a couple of decades most in the audiences won't have a clue as to what's so funny, but it works well in the here and now.

Dennis Miller: Fake News, Real Jokes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 1080p Blu-ray presentation is on point throughout. As expected this is a largely static image, one that does occasionally flip to audience reaction close-ups where detail and color within the warmer lights and darkened backgrounds are fine, but the vast majority presents a straight-on view of Miller, on stage against blue backdrops and a dark reflective floor. Overall clarity and color reproduction in these main shots are fine. Close-ups show Miller's facial features and hairs with acceptable clarity. Backgrounds are sharp and true. The odd turn to a different angle yields the same results, and the picture is reliable no matter the zoom (close-in on his face, full body, or full stage). There are no troublesome compression issues or excess noise content to deal with, either. This is a simple and satisfying image for the duration.

Dennis Miller: Fake News, Real Jokes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dennis Miller: Fake News, Real Jokes' DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack is, well, no joke. Certainly the track is no great shakes in the big Blu-ray picture. The material is straightforward and there's not much content here, anyway, but Screen Media's two-channel presentation handles duties quite nicely. Obviously Miller's comedy takes center audio stage. Delivery is clear and focused in the center with no drops in either to report. Ambient crowd noise, mostly applause and laughter, stretch impressively far out to the sides. There's not much else happening here. Crowd width, applause detail, and dialogue placement and detail are first-rate and are the only support elements worth noting. No problems here.

Dennis Miller: Fake News, Real Jokes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Dennis Miller: Fake News, Real Jokes includes five bonuses which are essentially just more short scenes from the show that didn't make the finished product. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• New Star Wars (1080p, 0:34): a few jokes about the copious amount of Star Wars films on the market.
• The Great Derriere Reef (1080p, 1:17): Talk of classic films gives way to the Kardashians.
• Working Out (1080p, 0:43): Getting old may have its advantages.
• A Medical Idea (1080p, 0:18): "Kaleidoscope colonoscopies."
• Hotel Lighting and Global Warming (1080p, 1:08): Why have light bulbs gotten so bad? And who is to fix global warming?

Dennis Miller: Fake News, Real Jokes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dennis Miller fans and audiences who are more or less inclined to the same social and political proclivities will get the most out of Fake News, Real Jokes but even those who look at life from a different perspective should be able to appreciate the style, delivery, and many of the jokes, too. This is a good show, certainly for adults only (Miller doesn't go overboard on language or innuendo but this is not a PG comedy routine) and a fun way to pass an hour of time. Screen Media's Blu-ray delivers perfectly capable video and audio. Supplements are limited to about five minutes worth of deleted scenes. Recommended.