Search - Apostles of Comedy on DVD

2.5 stars if possible to allocate ;)

Hugh Jape | 02/24/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is a mixed bag, as you'd expect with a dvd that features four comedians.



Jeff Allen puts in a great performance with outstanding content and delivery. Whilst not being revolutionary, his material is very warm and I would recommend his act to people of all ages and creeds. 4 stars.



Similarly, Anthony Griffith has a great, understated style, making him the most instantly likable comedian, imho. Like Allen, the material is of a fairly standard fare, appealing to a wide audience e.g. childhood, relationships etc. 4 stars.



Ron Pearson has obvious talent for comedy but I find that his material doesn't quite work. It's far from the worst Christian comedian I've ever seen, but it seems to lack the authenticity of the aforementioned performers. As I said, he's a funny guy but I think he can alter his routine a little to come up with something that is more well rounded. 3 stars.



Brad Stine is an awful impersonation of Dennis Leary (who is himself an awful impersonation of the wonderful, Bill Hicks - which isn't to say Hicks is the start of that routine, by any stretch, but just that there's a clear lineage between these comedians). He is incredibly grating and I find that the 'angry man telling the truth' only works when the chutzpah is met with logic and accuracy. Stine fails at this and his act comes off as bitter and unnecessarily divisive. Not only would his material only appeal to Christians, but it would take a specific kind of Christian who is not only conservative but also relatively close-minded and mean-spirited, in order to cheer along with this buffoon. Whilst his material does not contain blue language, it is so vitriolic that I'd question whether it's really 'family friendly' or sufficiently aligned with Christian values. 1 star.



So, as I said at the outset, it is a mixed bag. Interspersed with the routines is documentary footage that provides an insight into these comedians. The first three come across as very likable gentlemen whilst Stine seems to, unfortunately, resemble his on-stage persona.



I would recommend this dvd, with some reluctance, and would suggest perhaps searching out the work of these comedians, individually, to see what works for you, and take it from there.



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