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Drew Hastings: Irked and Miffed
R1 - America - Image Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Pat Pilon (23rd June 2008). |
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The Film
 Drew Hastings has been around since the early 1990s. He distinguished himself by having a very direct, no-nonesense style of telling jokes, and this show is apparently typical of his humour. He tells stories that bring up interesting images, but they're always funny. He's a regular on the Bob & Ted Radio Show, and has had a few one-man shows. With 'Irked and Miffed', he's made his way to stand-up comedy special. The bespectacled comic talks about fashion ('These are my Al Sharpton frames, of course; big, black and you can see right through them'), about relationships ('I'm a Pisces, she's a barbed fish hook, in the corner of my mouth'), fitness ('I gotta quit smoking. I get winded playing euchre'), dating someone 20 years younger than he is (contrary to what his friends think, it's not great, it just 'means you got to put up with the same b******* you were putting up with 20 years ago'), and, of course, farming ('Did you know that at night, a possum walking through a cornfield sounds exactly like three men with an axe?'). He has some very insightful things to say, though many of some hilarious observations (one comparing something to a coffee cup while driving) can't be written down here thanks to the language used. Indeed, his words and stories aren't for your kids, but you'll certainly love the guy. His stories on aging and Viagra and drugs are very entertaining. He weaves in and out of topics very smoothly and gracefully. He offers some actual insights, as he talks about love ('I tried to kill you, didn't I?') and his life. In the end, the show is satisfying and funny. The material is consistently funny and pretty eccentric. If everything he says is true, then he’s lived an interesting life, but if not, at least he’s a good storyteller.
Video
1.33:1 full frame. This seems to have been shot on DV and it looks okay. On a tube, it'll look very nice. The colours are very bright and accurate. The contrast is very nice, though the show is very simply presented. There is some slight ringing present when Mr. Hastings walks in certain spots, but it's nothing very bad. It's a stand-up show, and it’s a nice presentation.
Audio
The show comes in two English tracks, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo and a kind of useless Dolby Digital 5.1 track. They both sound pretty much the same, but the surround track has laughter in the side and rear speakers, trying to make you part of the show. The placement of laughs and clapping is pretty nice, and not too distracting. The jokes are loud and clear. Mr. Hastings’ biting deprecating humour comes out very clearly from start to finish. There are no subtitles.
Extras
There are no extras whatsoever, not even any start-up trailers, but the DVD comes with a booklet full of Image Entertainment-released stand-up shows!
Overall
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