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Important Things With Demetri Martin: Season One
R1 - America - Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (6th October 2009). |
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The Show
 When the time came for me to pop in season 1 of “Important Things with Demetri Martin” (2009), two thoughts instantly hit my mind: 1) I have no idea who Demetri Martin is, and 2) how the hell does he have a show that I had never even heard of. I consider myself someone who keeps informed of what’s on television, an odd fact considering I watch so little of it. Maybe it’s because I spend so many hours surfing the web at work (shhh…) that I’m typically aware of most everything that’s out there. So, again, I was rather shocked to discover I knew absolutely nothing of this program. That being said, it’s probably for the best that I had been kept in the dark. Let me preface my distaste for this series by stating that I find Michael Cera to be one of the most overrated “comedians” (I’m using that term VERY loosely) of this decade. Sure, he had some humorous moments doing his awkward, self-deprecating shtick on “Arrested Development” (2003-2006) but that one-note routine has been somehow successfully turned into a full-blown career. However he did it, I’ll never know. I don’t get the appeal. There is a circle in hell where Cera’s films run on a continuous loop, torturing those who deserve it most. Demetri Martin reminds me of Michael Cera. So, as you might imagine, he was, in my mind, doomed from the start. I find his pre-pubescent looks and awkward, kinda sarcastic routine to be akin to something I’d expect to see Cera doing. Nothing could possibly turn me off more. I think that 90% of the comedians currently on television aren’t nearly funny enough to be considered entertainers, but I do know that no genre is quite as subjective as comedy, but as they say, there’s an ass for every seat. The studio audience for this particular program appeared to be eating it up, though I’m fairly certain the demographic was comprised mainly of stoned college students, an easily amused bunch if there ever were one. Each of the episodes in this season focuses on something Martin has deemed to be important. Timing, coolness, power… you get the idea. His spin is that he uses these “important things” in a way that shoehorns them into funny situations. I will admit that some of his material was clever, but it’s more like the “Oh yea, I see what you did there” kinda way. Nothing really made me laugh out loud, something that isn’t necessarily that hard to do. Well, with the right material, anyways. Martin has a knack for observational humor as well. Some of it works, but most just sounds like a pale imitation of Jerry Seinfeld’s jokes. I’ve always found observational humor to be lacking in real comedic weight. I want comedy writers to write funny situations, jokes, one-liners, etc. At times he almost comes across like a Mitch Hedberg wannabe, only Hedberg’s humor was so incredibly off-the-wall that it provided a certain resonation that Martin lacks. Sure, some of his humor sticks, but that’s the guy’s job. I could watch just about any comedy, no matter how maligned it may be, and find at least one thing that I find amusing. Though I might not be a fan of his work, the guy certainly has an audience. The first episode of this series netted a cool 2.4 million viewers on Comedy Central. He has worked with Jon Stewart on the ever-popular “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (1996-present), and Stewart even edited the first couple of episodes presented here. So, fans of his work there will more than likely enjoy what they see here. It may not be my cup of tea, but if his studio audience is any indication, the guy has a following that is only going to grow since the series has just been renewed for a second season. This season one DVD contains the following episodes, each of which run for 21 minutes 32 seconds: - “Power” - “Safety” - “Timing” - “Brains” - “Games” - “Chairs” - “Coolness”
Video
The 1.33:1 full-frame image is decidedly average, with little in the way of visual flair. Color reproduction, black levels, skin tones, etc. all look completely acceptable. I highly doubt anyone will be expecting an Oscar-caliber look to these episodes, and rightfully so. It’s clear, it’s clean and it’s crisp. It may not do much to wow you, but it certainly replicates the image as it was (undoubtedly) show on television.
Audio
Once again, the English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track comes through crystal clear. Being that this is a comedy sketch show there wouldn’t really be much of anything for surrounds to do even if they had a presence here. The volume levels were consistent and nothing sounded tinny or contained any hisses, pops or clicks. Subtitles are included for English for the hearing impaired.
Extras
“Important Things” gets a decent package here, including some unaired sketches, text-based production notes and some audio commentaries. The DVD also includes a sticker and mini-poster, though calling it a mini-poster is a bit of a stretch since it’s really just an insert. Eh, I guess it’s something… Audio commentaries with comedian Demetri Martin, head writer/supervising producer Michael Koman, and writer Dan Mintz are available for the following episodes: - “Timing” - “Power” - “Coolness” - “Games” The tracks vacillate between totally obvious observations (“Here I am standing against the wall”) to actual information on the behind-the-scenes production. Thankfully, Martin is slightly less annoying when he’s not completely in character. The writers help anchor the track, keeping Martin from straying too far off the topic at hand. The following 11 unaired sketches are included: - “Brain Injuries” runs for 1 minute and 27 seconds. - “Parking Wars Outtakes” runs for 1 minute and 46 seconds. - “Basketball 1” runs for 24 seconds. - “Basketball 2” runs for 24 seconds. - “Cult Leader in Love” runs for 3 minutes. There is also an audio commentary available for this deleted sketch with comedian Demetri Martin, head writer/supervising producer Michael Koman, and writer Dan Mintz - “Killing Someone with Kindness” runs for 1 minute and 19 seconds. - “Killing Time in the Studio” runs for 3 minutes and 34 seconds. - “Dinner with Heroes Outtakes” runs for 3 minutes and 4 seconds. - “A Tiny Guy Helps Find a Contact Lens” runs for 26 seconds. - “A Yellow Belt Breaks an Awkward Silence” runs for 28 seconds. - “Safety Dummy” runs for 3 minutes and 45 seconds. “Early Production Graph” is a sketch of bubbled thoughts Demetri intended to use to tie the show’s sketches together, an idea which apparently didn’t work out so well. “Early Production Lineup” is a chart which Demetri made to calculate what was allowed in the episode “Coolness” in relation to the budget with which they had available.
Overall
As I said, comedy is more subjective than any other genre, in my opinion. Personally, I think this show would be hilarious if it were hosted by Andy Samberg. Someone else out there just read that and thinks I’m nuts. See? That’s humor for ya. If you’ve seen Martin’s stand-up routine or caught some of his antics on “The Daily Show” then you’re likely to enjoy the material contained here; it just didn’t work for me.
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