Ricky Gervais: Out of England - The Stand-Up Special – DVD Review

By Jeff Swindoll Apr 1, 2009, 13:34 GMT

Taped live before a sold-out audience at the WaMu Theater at New York Citys Madison Square Garden, Ricky Gervais: Out of England The Stand-Up Special is a high-spirited hour of offbeat observations and understated humor from the actor/comedian/writer/director. The show includes Gervais unique takes on such disparate (and often politically incorrect)issues as fund-raising, autism, fame, nursery rhymes, Nazis, moronic friends, obesity … and his penis size. ...more

“If you like my comedy, you’re brilliant.”  

If you love the comedy of Ricky Gervais then you’re a genius.  Don’t believe me?  Then Ricky Gervais will tell you that's the gospel truth.  The English comedian brings his stand-up show to HBO in this hilarious special.  

Before the Office was the funniest show on American television it was the funniest show on British television.  The rotund comedian (okay I added rotund because he goofs about it in the show… I mean I’m a rotund reviewer… stop looking at me Ricky) had recently been given star billing in Ghost Town.  The movie failed to heat up the box office, but his performance wasn’t the problem as he did quite well in the role. 

He has cameos in the Night at the Museum films and will probably put those higher up on his resume.  Let’s face it though; Ricky Gervais is a funny man. 

He’s not one to stay away from touchy subjects as his special contains jokes about AIDS, Anne Frank, and his beginning bit is about a cancer benefit that he did.  He had done a benefit for teens with cancer years before and one of the attendees had been escorted backstage and met Gervais.  The lad was eighteen at the time.  Gervais had seen him in the crowd and realized that it was two years later and the lad was twenty.  Therefore no longer a teenager, who the event was geared for, he had security throw the kid out. 

Now if he had really done that he would be considered evil incarnate ala Adolf Hitler (who he also lampoons).  However, he tells the tale with his snarky, self-effacing humor and it’s quite funny. 

His show is hilarious, but if you take him seriously then you’ll really think that he threw some dying cancer kid out of his charity concert and you don’t get the joke.  All of his comedy is like that.  He starts talking about his medical tests that he had to do to come across the pond and it ends up being a gag about how he has a normal sized penis as opposed to a two foot long cock (what would you do with that anyway? To fill up it would take the blood from the rest of your body [imitates corpse with huge erection]).

Gervais knows that some eyes are upon him and makes fun of his fame (he opens wearing a crown with huge letters spelling out Ricky, complete with pyrotechnics). His self-effacing humor is of the English variety and those who don’t get that need not apply.  For those that do love the comedy then you’ll eat up this show.  

Out of England is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions.  The only special feature (truth in advertising since there’s only one) is an 11-minute interview with Gervais.  

Ricky Gervais is one funny guy that takes on all subjects, no matter how sacred.  This television special only cements my love of the rotund comedian.  Us rotund guys have to stick together you know.  Cheers.  

Ricky Gervais: Out of England - The Stand-Up Special is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.