Before David Wain, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter brought their sketch comedy team Stella to Comedy Central, they started out doing weekly live shows in New York in 1997. So it only makes sense that one of their performances would be brought to DVD. Well, on December 11, 2008 the group recorded their performance in Boston and now it’s available for everyone to enjoy.
Anyone who has read any of my reviews, knows I’m a huge fan of The State and anything that sprung from them. However, even I’m willing to admit that the Stella television series is very awkward and not for everyone. It was very intentionally uncomfortable and often times very, very strange. Still it had me howling with laughter.
Having never seen their live set before, I was curious what it would be like. Would it be just like the show only live or would be a different beast all together?
I’m happy to report that if you weren’t a huge fan of Stella, that doesn’t mean you won’t like this live performance. Seeming to play more themselves than the bizarre alter egos they played on the show, David and the Michaels deliver a solid stand up performance that is laugh out loud hilarious from start to finish.
They talk about a variety of interesting subjects and spend a lot of time making fun of one another. You even get to see a new Stella short, “Happy Birthday.”
These three guys are brilliant comedians and this DVD showcases a truly memorable live performance.
The film is presented in 16:9 widescreen and 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. This is a fine looking DVD. There’s nothing super special going on visually, but hey, it’s stand up comedy, what do you expect?
Encore: Ice Cream (4 min.) Their encore performance. This is a funny little bit about free ice cream and “Bryce” Willis.
Wainy Days: (14 min.) Wainy Days is David Wain’s internet series. These are funny strange little shorts that feature various State members. In episode 5, “Walking Tour,” David gives a dying woman a walking tour of New York. In episode 6, “A Woman’s Touch,” David goes around town dressed as a woman to better understand them. In episode 20, “Molly,” David’s date with a woman named Molly is ruined when he learns that she was really just trying to set him with a guy friend of hers..
Michael Showalter Showlater: (15 min.) Showalter hosts his very own interview show on collegehumor.com. Here are three very funny episodes of that. Two are interviews with Michael Ian Black the third is an interview with David Wain.
Footage From 2003 Fez Performance: (16 min.) Three live Stella sketches from 2003. Pretty funny stuff. They discuss the J. Crew catalog, Christmas Carols and themselves. Ken Marino even shows up for a bit in one of them.
Okay, so I’m probably a little biased. It’s no secret how much I love these guys. I’ve seen The State live and I’ve seen both Ian Black and Showalter live. Sadly, I’ve never seen Stella live so I was really excited to get to watch this. Still, if you’re a fan of stand up comedy, there is no reason you won’t enjoy this.
Shout! Factory presents Stella: Live In Boston. Directed by Jonathan Stern. Written by and Starring David Wain, Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black. Running time: 63 minutes. Not Rated but contains adult themese and language and is most certainly not for children. Released on DVD: September 15, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
