Robert Klein is a fine actor, and he can be funny, but he's not
exactly cutting-edge comedy. Maybe he was 30 years ago? I don't know, but his
current jokes about politics and growing old are pretty lame. I'm not saying I
didn't laugh some, but it was not exactly the kind of hysterical laughter that
makes me tear up or hold my sides.
I really wanted to love the DVD because I have seen him be funny
before, I think, in past stand-up routines. I loved him on "Sisters", too! But
alas...
Klein is from the baby boomer age, but he is no George Carlin.
He sings some songs that are supposed to be funny, about politics and issues of
the day, which make me wonder if he is trying to be the replacement for Mark
Russell. Yep, that's about how funny he is, too.
Most of his jokes were either about politicians who cheat and
lie, or about getting old. They just weren't all that funny. Maybe I am too
young, not his target audience. Maybe I am more choosy about my humor. I'm
not saying it was a complete waste of my time, but I wouldn't have rushed out to
buy this DVD, either.
If you are over 55 and like what I would call mild, gentle
humor, then you should probably like this. It is slanted somewhat to the left,
and being Jewish might make you laugh at some of his jokes, too, since he makes
a few jokes about that.
There are no extras or features on this DVD at all. I hope you enjoy it more than I did!
Press Release:
Comedy legend returns to HBO for his ninth one-man show
ROBERT KLEIN: UNFAIR & UNBALANCED
In Stores, Exclusively from HBO Home Entertainment(r)
On December 14, 2010
DVD Available in Time for Holiday Gift-giving
New York, N.Y., October 13, 2010 - Considered by many as the
forefather of
observational humor, Robert Klein has influenced an entire generation
of
comedians with his trademark insights, timeless wit, improvisations
and
musical interludes. Now, in his ninth HBO(r) comedy special Robert
Klein:
Unfair & Unbalanced, Klein remains true to form, this time with an
assist
from the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra at the Amaturo Theater in
Fort
Lauderdale. Robert Klein: Unfair & Unbalanced will be out in DVD
for the
suggested retail price of $19.97 on December 14, 2010, just in time
for
the holidays.
Robert Klein made HBO history when he starred in the network's first
On
Location(r) stand-up comedy special in 1975. Since then, his wry
observations, original songs and bluesy harmonica-playing have made
him a
favorite of HBO and viewers alike. In Robert Klein: Unfair &
Unbalanced,
Klein again grapples present-day issues like political indiscretions
and
hypocrisy in Washington; the challenges of opening plastic packaging;
bizarre sales techniques; pharmacological concert experiences;
unusual
movie love scenes; TV and pop culture; job outsourcing; and, of
course,
entertains the audience with hilarious musical numbers about Barack
Obama,
medicinal herbs and gay marriage.
A Bronx native, Klein attended Yale School of Drama and is an alumnus
of
the famed Second City comedy troupe. He received a Tony Award(r)
nomination for They're Playing Our Song and an Obie and Outer Critics
Circle Award for The Sisters Rosensweig. He has appeared in dozens
of
movies including The Owl and the Pussycat, Primary Colors, Two Weeks
Notice, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and, most recently, The Back-up
Plan.
Klein has also been seen on such TV shows as The Tonight Show and
Law and
Order: SVU, and has hosted Saturday Night Live twice. Klein
received an
Emmy(r)-nomination for the song Colonoscopy which he co-wrote for his
HBO
special Child in His '50s, and also performed on several of the
network's
Comic Relief(tm) fundraising events.
Marketing and Advertising
Robert Klein: Unfair & Unbalanced will be supported by national
promotional and publicity campaigns.
Robert Klein: Unfair & Unbalanced
DVD Street Date: December 14, 2010
Order Date: November 9, 2010
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Approx. 60 minutes
Price:
$19.97 DVD Suggested Retail Price
About HBO Home Entertainment(r)
In its 25 years in operation, HBO Home Entertainment has earned a
worldwide reputation as a pioneer in the DVD industry as well as the
digital technology and internet frontiers. The first company to
successfully release full-length TV series in the DVD format, HBO
Home
Entertainment created a new category for consumers with titles like
Sex
and the City(r), The Sopranos(r), Band of Brothers(r) (which remains
the
#1 selling TV-on-DVD since its release in 2002), and the most recent
hit
True Blood(r). In addition, HBO Home Entertainment's catalog contains
theatrical features such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, one of the top
10
selling DVDs of all time. The company was also the first in the
world to
release television programming in the new Blu-ray high-definition
format
in 2006. It was also one of the first in the video industry to use
the
internet to expand its marketing beyond traditional vehicles and to
revolutionize DVD packaging with the creation of releases that have
won
multiple awards including a recent DVD Critics Award for The
Sopranos(r):
The Complete Series - a first for television. In addition, the
division
utilizes innovative manufacturing-on-demand technology to broaden its
number of releases and sells digital versions of its titles via the
internet. Today, HBO Home Entertainment's reach has grown to over 70
countries around the world, bringing HBO branded entertainment to a
global
audience.
Back to the Main Primetime TV Page
