Credit: Amazon.com
Director:
Jeff Margolis
Cast:
Richard Pryor ………. Himself
The Show
He’s widely regarded as “the most important stand up comedians of his time”. In 2004, Comedy Central named him #1 on the list of the “100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time”. Jerry Seinfeld even once said that this man was “the Picasso of their profession.” While some people love him for his vulgar material, others don’t like him for the same reason. I could only be talking about Richard Pryor.
Richard Pryor was known as a great storyteller and someone who didn’t hold back on talking about the differences between the races and customs in the modern world. He started out a lot like Bill Cosby in the early days, but didn’t become famous until he started using foul language and racial epithets in his routines. His breakout comedy CD was called “That Nigger’s Crazy”, so that should tell you something right there. He introduced “White America” to the prejudices that “Black America” had been used to and he did so in a frank manner.
This stand-up special was taped LIVE in front of a crowd in Long Beach, CA. He talks about his life mainly. He jokes about his wife, grandmother, and father. He talks about growing up as a boxer and big events of 1979 like the Muhammad Ali/Leon Spinks fight. Eventually, he talks about men and women and the differences between them. He even shows his imagination by going inside the minds of animals and tell us what they are really thinking. Everything is funny, but most of it can’t be quoted here, since I can’t use that kind of language here.
Most of the material is not dated at all. This is taped in 1979 and you could mistake it as being taped just the other day. Except for the fashions, of course. All the material is still relevant today, except for the Ali/Spinks fight. He starts off strong and keeps things going at a fast pace. As you watch it, you can tell how Richard Pryor influenced every other comedian after him. Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and others like them can all thank Richard Pryor for laying down the foundation for them to build on.
If you have never seen Richard Pryor’s comedy, which would probably only be the case if you are TOO young to know his greatness, this is an excellent place to start. I haven’t seen his other concert specials, so I can’t compare them to this one. However, there is no doubt that Richard Pryor brought his “A-Game” here, so prepare to laugh!
Score: 9.5/10
The Video:
The video is given in widescreen color with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Transfer is decent with minimal distortion. It’s 1979, so the quality is not that great but it doesn’t ruin the experience at all. It got remastered for this release, but I don’t know how much of a difference it made since I didn’t see the original DVD release. From what’ve I heard, it HAS to be better though.
The Audio:
The audio included is in English and it’s your typical “concert special” audio. No problems here either. You can clearly hear Richard in all of his glory!
The Extras:
NOTHING at all! Except for the video being remastered for this release. I guess that’s something, but still NOTHING extra!
Score: 0/10
| InsidePulse’s Ratings for Richard Pryor: LIVE in Concert | |
