Search - Mr. Show - The Complete Third Season on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 2/12/2024...

Lamo. Don't call Saul!

Hey Everyone!

daveklein | Houston, TX | 07/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the late 90s, the pioneering sketch comedy of Monty Python's Flying Circus was seen through to its logical conclusion via the work of David Cross and Bob Odenkirk. Offering both blistering social commentary (David's fellow castmembers criticize his lifestyle choice when he reveals that he is, in fact, bald) and extreme flights of absurdity that, remarkably, retain coherence (In one sketch, a group of "Sopranos"-style mafioso argue over what the highest number in existence is), five years after the end of its run, the world of comedy has yet to catch up to "Mr. Show".The third season of Mr. Show improves on the first two by a considerable margin. The ideas are more focused and the execution is more precise. As such, these episodes are more consistently funny. For the uninitiated and curious, I definitely recommend the third season (rather than the first/second) an introduction to Mr. Show (not that there aren't quite a few moments of brilliance in the first two seasons, they're just spaced further apart).Fans of Monty Python, the Kids in the Hall, the Upright Citizens Brigade, Tenacious D, and/or the State won't be disappointed by this DVD. Actually, I'm of the opinion that the "Pre-Taped Call-In Show" constitutes the most inspired bit of lunacy aired on TV since the "Ministry of Silly Walks". Fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm, "This Is Spinal Tap", Bill Hicks, and David Sedaris will probably dig Mr. Show too; not due to similarities, but rather, because Mr. Show also falls into the category of "brainy" comedy. People who enjoy Yo La Tengo, McDonald's New McGriddle (TM) and four-foot "incense burners" should also check out Mr. Show.WARNING: If you're typically offended by "edgy" (lack of a better word) comedy (South Park, etc.), you may want to steer clear. Also, if you're more into physical comedy (Adam Sandler, Jackass, etc.), Mr. Show may not be for you. I'm not trying to be condescending or judgmental or anything, I think Jackass is hilarious, I'm just sayin' is all...Oh, when the fourth season comes out, disregard everything I've said here and buy it. The fourth season of Mr. Show constitutes the funniest ten episodes of any television show, ever. And it's not just me talking here, either; it's in Guinness. Look it up. Swear."

Most regular TV viewers don't even DESERVE Mr. Show!

John S. Harris | Memphis, TN | 08/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, so I stole the above line from Jeneane Garafalo. But it is true, nonetheless.Fans of Mr. Show who were ecstatic upon the release of Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD are now reaching a climax with the release of Season 3. Bob and David hit their stride even more smoothly in Season 3, and delighted us with some truly inspired and ingenious comedy. The part I was looking forward to most was the "Pre-Taped Call-In Show", which even the cast reveals on the commentary track to be their favorite sketch of the series. The fact that the sketch is inordinantly complex for a comedy bit makes David's flawless execution of it more than funny - it is masterful! And he performed it without the aid of cue cards, which I would have REQUIRED if I were doing it.I don't care where you buy this or how much you have to pay for it. Just get it! Bob and David have set the bar so high with this series (Season 3 in particular) that nearly every other comedy sketch series seems just that much paler in comparison. This series, Bob, and David belong in the Comedy Hall of Fame.Mr. Show -- a Famous Mortimer production."

The polar opposite of The Wayne Brady Show and its ilk....

Evan Ferstenfeld | philadelphia, pa United States | 09/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you desire sketch comedy that is more than the same three lame re-occuring characters wrapping themselves in layers of refried concepts, then feast your eyes, ears and most importantly cerebral cortex on this Show of Shows, Mr. Show. Discovering this television series in the bowels of the largest pay cable distributor HBO years ago made me and my college roomates feel like part of a comedy cult that had truly been blessed to watch two "unconventional" looking comedy geeks surgically destroy any logical conventions of traditional sketch comedy without making anything that unfolded in each episode feel the slightest bit forced or funny at the sake of being cheap. Comedy shows had been abstract to the point of absurdity before Mr. Show, rolled one scene into the next before Mr. Show and tackled deep societal issues before Mr. Show, but none in my opinion have acheived such hilarity simultaneosly working on as many comedic levels as this show is constantly juggling, never letting any of these concepts override the others.
The greatest thing about this show is watching its evolution from aspiring greatness in the first two seasons to disgustingly brilliant by the time the third season's sizeable budget lift occured, finally letting the props and sets shine as much as the comedy always did. The genius of a sketch such as "Druggachusettes" would have always been funny, but the adult 70's cartoon lunacy of the elaborate prop and costume creations this season afforded turned the sketch's wordplay into neon-colored wackiness. Quite simply, this show is for anyone who likes to laugh hard both as an outward display as well as having inward cranial explosions, marveling at the amount of satirical information a piece of media can throw at you at once while just being plain ol' DAMN HEE-LARIOUS. This collection will prepare you nicely for the fourth season, of which is an even inconceviably more incredible final season in its perfection of the Mr. Show "formula" we have grown to be astonished by! Tera Dulu to all!"