7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
Poking fun at his much-publicized brouhaha with Southwest Airlines, writer, director, actor and ardent podcaster Kevin Smith declares himself too fat for his 40th birthday in a hilarious show before his rabidly loyal fans. Filmed at the Count Basie Theatre in Smith's hometown of Red Bank, New Jersey, this two-hour comedy special spotlights not only Smith's self-deprecating sense of humor, but also his fondness (and true gift) for spinning a good yarn. Tracking the turbulent year in his life in which he was tossed from the sky, Smith makes with the funny but still manages to ask the hard questions - like "Whatchoo talkin' bout, Willis?". Originally airing as a two-hour special, this deluxe 2-disc edition includes the uncut three-and-a-half-hour Q&A, as well as hours of exclusive bonus features!
Starring: Kevin SmithComedy | 100% |
Documentary | 53% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: LPCM 2.0
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Not too fat to be loved.
Filmmaker extraordinaire Kevin Smith -- he of Clerks and Chasing Amy fame (never mind the out-of-his-style, bigger Hollywood-like
Cop Out) -- turns his (then) ample girth to another form of
entertainment in Kevin Smith: Too Fat For 40, a hilariously revealing and from-the-beginning intoxicating stand up routine featuring the
director revealing yet another one of his many talents. Smith's life and times and thoughts and profuse sweating are all on display in this three-plus
hour spectacle of raw first person entertainment. For a guy who's made a living making movies -- his early ones in particular -- that are more cultish
under-the-radar than they are multiplex door busters, he's morphed into a worldwide sensation, and not simply because of the spotlight he rightly or
wrongly fell under when Southwest Airlines made a big-to-do about his big size. Fortunately, that incident yielded Too Fat For 40, and no
matter
the personal impact on Smith or the bottom line impact on Southwest, the end result is no doubt a net positive for fans of the filmmaker or just plain
old good standup storytelling.
In profile.
Kevin Smith: Too Fat For 40 arrives on Blu-ray with a consistent 1080i, 1.78:1-framed transfer. The animation that begins the film is some kind of rough, with soft, low details and jagged edges aplenty. Fortunately, the live-action material, which makes up the vast majority of the feature, offers good detailing and fair colors across the board. Overhead shots of the stage reveal in some detail the scuffs on the floor, and close-ups of Kevin Smith show both the glistening sweat on this face and intricacies of the mesh material that makes up his hockey jersey. Colors are limited by the nature of the show. The background is drab and lifeless -- save for a few brighter set decorations -- but Smith's blue and orange jersey looks all right, though the harsh stage lighting tends to blow it out, particularly the orange. Blacks border on crush; there's very little in terms of shadow detail in darker corners and back up into the crowd. Background blocking is a regular occurrence, but not to a grossly distracting level. This isn't the world's best video transfer, but it's serviceable at worst and very watchable at best.
Kevin Smith: Too Fat For 40 features an energetic but shaky LPCM 2.0 lossless soundtrack. Frankly, this release doesn't necessarily need anything bigger or wider; it's basically three-plus hours of standup monologue, with ambient crowd noise the only real supportive element. Smith's voice comes through clearly enough, with a bit of heft and a slight sense of reverberation. Applause and the like coming from the depths of the crowd never engulfs the listener, but it's suitably spaced and does a fair job of recreating a sense of realism to the proceedings. The music accompanying the animated opening intro enjoys thunderous volume but only so-so clarity. That's pretty much all there is to this one; it's a decent enough presentation of material that's quite limited to begin with.
Both of Kevin Smith: Too Fat For 40's supplements may be found on the included DVD disc. There's Full Encore Q&A (49:27), which is basically a lengthy addition to the show; and The Secret Behind the Scenes Stash (7:24), a short feature that shows Smith touring his comic book store, followed by a behind-the-scenes look at Too Fat For 40.
Kevin Smith: Too Fat For 40 is an enthralling three-plus hours of raw entertainment. Who knew listening to someone just talk about whatever floats his boat could be so fascinating? The show is visually bland, but Smith more than makes up for any technical shortcomings through his catchy narratives and storytelling ability. Longtime Kevin Smith fans will immediately fall in love, and there's a good chance that newcomers will be digging through his filmography and other Q&A releases posthaste. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release of Kevin Smith: Too Fat For 40 features decent video and audio to go along with a few extras. Recommended on the strength of the program.
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