InsidePulse DVD Review – Bill Maher: New Rules

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credit: www.amazon.com

Cast:

Bill Maher

THE SHOW


Bill Maher is one of the funniest and most controversial comics working in television. His now infamous comments that the terrorists who flew the planes on 9/11 weren’t cowards cost him his gig on ABC as host of Politically Incorrect. But Maher bounced back, moving his fiercely political comedy to HBO and his new show, Real Time With Bill Maher. One of the most popular segments on his new show are the “New Rules” segments, which have been collected and compiled on one DVD, Bill Maher: New Rules.

The New Rules are just that: new rules that Maher proposes each show, dealing with anything from politics to personal hygiene. They’re 30-45 second spots, quick hits designed for quick laughs. And they’re hit or miss, like anything in comedy. When they’re funny, they can be roll in your seat funny, and when they miss they can elicit groans.

There are three season’s worth of New Rules featured here, interspersed with the occasional skit (which struggle to reach the level of amusing). This is really a DVD for fans of the show only. For fans of Maher’s standup routine, you’ll find this amusing but would probably be better served watching one of his comedy specials.

THE DVD


THE VIDEO

(Presented in 4:3 full screen)

The video is fine. It’s a live television show shot on video, and it looks just like it did when it aired.

THE AUDIO

(Presented in 2.0 Dolby Surround Sound)

The audio is fine. It’s all dialogue, and it comes through cleanly.

SPECIAL FEATURES

The extras offered here are decent but nothing special. You get 12 minutes of extra New Rules that didn’t make the final cut for inclusion in the main presentation, although there’s nothing to really distinguish why they didn’t make the cut. You also get four Editorials totaling about 15 minutes, where Maher riffs on some topics in a longer format, including same sex marriage and the promiscuity of young girls who sign virgin pledges.

InsidePulse’s Ratings for Bill Maher: New Rules
CATEGORY
RATING
(OUT OF 10)
THE SHOW

6
THE VIDEO

5
THE AUDIO

5
SPECIAL FEATURES

4
REPLAY VALUE

5
OVERALL
5.5
(NOT AN AVERAGE)