Stand-Up Comedy from the 1990s


   

The laughDB database is dedicated to the funniest comedy movies, stand-up comedy and TV series.

This section is for stand-up comedy from the 1990s. By default they are presented starting with the ones ranking highest on the laugh-o-meter, but you can also sort them by year, title or IMDB rating.


Stand-Up Comedy from the 1990s sorted by Laugh-o-meter (descending) / page 2 of 2


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Denis Leary: No Cure for Cancer DVDDenis Leary: No Cure for Cancer
      1992 | USA | Laughs: 3.4 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.4
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This show opens and closes with songs which I would rather have skipped. Leary doesn't smile much, nor does he seem very happy: perhaps this could fit under the genre of "angry comedy". Fittingly, one of the funniest parts of the show is the one about people who are not happy. I also laughed during the routines about smoking, drugs, and meat eating. Denis lost me when he started to talk about his family. Overall, I wasn't sure what he represents. It didn't seem like there was much audience connection: this was very much a "my tantrum" show. For me, the best stand-up comedians are geniuses. Perhaps Denis Leary is just not that bright? Not his fault, to be sure, but not everyone can be expected to love his comedy, even if we appreciate his efforts. (Last viewed: August 2010)

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George Carlin: Doin' It Again DVDGeorge Carlin: Doin' It Again
      1990 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 | imdb: 8.4
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Over the past month I've been watching a lot of stand-up comedy. After seeing so many faces, tonight I felt like resuming my quest (started over two years ago) of watching all the Carlin specials in chronological order. This show was next on the "to watch" list. Within fifteen seconds of stepping on stage, George had taken control of the crowd. Having seen many mediocre acts recently, and not having seen George in over a year, I was initially delighted to see George again. That feeling wore off, though, as I didn't laugh hard, and as much of the material felt similar to bits I'd seen George do before. Much of the show focused on language—expressions in the American idiom that George wished he didn't have to hear. My favorite bits were perhaps those about dogs. A fairly clever set, but not laugh-out-loud comedy. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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Zach Galifianakis: Comedy Central Presents DVDZach Galifianakis: Comedy Central Presents
      1998 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 | imdb: 8.0
      who was involved?

After enjoying Zach more in recent movies such as Due Date than in his earlier roles, it was a pleasure to see him on stage—but I found the segment pretty weak. He opened by rolling out one joke after another. I much prefer when the material is connected. After five minutes, Zach jumped on the piano—to my mind, an accessory that rarely add comic power, but more often covers up loose material. It was cute, but not what I'm looking for when I want to laugh, and I nearly went to sleep. The audience of young women laughed hysterically at the least syllable, so at least someone liked the show. I'll be looking for a full set of Zach's material to see how he performs without the constraint of a twenty-minute TV segment. (Last viewed: November 2012)

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Louis C.K.: Comedy Half-HourLouis C.K.: Comedy Half-Hour
      1996 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.4
      who was involved?

Having recently watched a Louis CK show for the first time, I was curious to see what he was like in his early recordings. Well it's a lot less funny—I chuckled once, a meager payoff for a half hour of comedy. There's a lot of adult material of little interest (strangely, the soundtrack has beeps over the curse words). Unless you're also wanting to research this comedian's past, I'd say you can safely skip this show. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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George Carlin: Back in Town DVDGeorge Carlin: Back in Town
      1996 | USA | Laughs: 2.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 8.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

On the one hand, I loved the show. I hadn't watched George in a number of years, and I loved rediscovering his fast and sharp wit. On the other hand, I only chuckled a few times and never really laughed. Who knows, perhaps with age I'm just having a harder time cracking a laugh.

One thing that struck me was hearing a couple of jokes that I'd also heard on recent sets by other comedians—twenty years later! This suggests either that George's material has become such an integral part of our culture that we no longer notice when we borrow from it, as with Greek philosophy; or that some comedians are mining his older shows for material. The latter seems like a more reasonable assumption.

The bit about camcorders feels both dated and painfully current. So does the bit about selfish, ignorant leaders. Other themes include abortion, pedophile catholics priests, the sanctity of life, capital punishment, farts, idioms. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Bill Hicks: Revelations DVDBill Hicks: Revelations
      1993 | USA | Laughs: 2.5 | imdb: 8.6
      who was involved?

The other three shows by Bill I had seen thus far had used much of the same material, but the first half of this show had a fair amount of different material, which I appreciated. Bill seemed more relaxed than usual—perhaps because he had already been diagnosed with the cancer that would take him the following year. In the first half, Bill spoke about the US politics of the time (still relevant twenty years later), religion and the Kennedy assassination. In the second half, he reverted to material from his other shows. Two fairly gross moments were included. The pace was sometimes very slow, and I can't say that I laughed, but I chuckled a few times and did enjoy the show for what it is (Bill's sermon, rather than stand-up comedy). Overall, I would rate it Bill's most "mature" show—but not the best for laughs. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy DVDGeorge Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy
      1997 | USA | Laughs: 2.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 8.4
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This set starts out with a fifteen-minute retrospective of George's career up to that point, a retrospective that isn't particularly funny. Then there are thirty minutes of stand-up which is not exceptional for George but has good moments and spans such themes as advertising, religion and food marketing. The final thirteen minutes or so is an interview of George by Jon Stewart, the host of the show, who makes him reflect on his craft and art. That was my favorite part because it's a chance to get to know George a bit more intimately, behind the mask of the comedian that he always wears on his HBO specials. (Last viewed: September 2018)

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Saturday Night Live: The Best of Eddie Murphy DVDSaturday Night Live: The Best of Eddie Murphy
      1998 | USA | Laughs: 2.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.5
      who was involved?

I love Eddie Murphy at its best. This is not it. A lot of musical numbers and a few tepid skits. (Last viewed: September 2009)

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Eddie Griffin: Voodoo Child DVDEddie Griffin: Voodoo Child
      1997 | USA | Laughs: 2.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 8.0
      who was involved?

This show was my introduction to Eddie Griffin. I found him fairly likeable but not very funny. The strongest aspects were Eddie's ability to switch voices and a cute story about attending school as a stoned teenager. The show started not funny, shifted into the appallingly vulgar after thirty minutes, and ended with a long bit where Eddie rides the wave of a just-average Michael Jackson impersonation—ripping off Michael's genuine talent while deriding him, if you ask me. I won't be seeking out more of Eddie's material, but the audience was wildly enthusiastic, so his humor might just be your thing. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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Mitch Hedberg: Comedy Central Presents DVDMitch Hedberg: Comedy Central Presents
      1999 | USA | Laughs: 0.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 8.6
      who was involved?

Apart from his beautiful long hair and MTV / Los Angeles look, I'm not sure what qualifies this guy to be on my screen. He might be at home in a sitcom, but he should not be on a stage trying to make people laugh. The fake southern accent makes it worse. Apparently Mitch had a cult following, which usually means that a movie or performance is so awful that some people love it. Not me. (Last viewed: August 2010)

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David Spade: Take the Hit DVDDavid Spade: Take the Hit
      1998 | USA | Laughs: 0.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.6
      who was involved?

The one thing I liked about the show is that after five minutes, I was certain I didn't want to watch it. A couple "skip forwards" to make sure, and that was the best fifty minutes I never wasted. (Last viewed: December 2012)

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Bill Hicks: Relentless DVDBill Hicks: Relentless
      1992 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Don't Bother) | imdb: 8.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Really slow-paced show filmed at a comedy festival in Montreal. I didn't laugh once. At the beginning, Bill spends quite a bit of time on the Gulf War, which had recently ended. That kind of time-stamped material rarely ages well. I was surprised by how much material was the same as in his show from three years earlier, Sane Man. No wonder Bill looked so bored. I gave up after 35 minutes, and I didn't feel guilty. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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