The 12 men are included with our own personal thoughts as the performances occur. Let us know your thoughts, too. Who are you voting for, if you bother to vote at all.

Todrick Hall – “Since You’ve Been Gone”
Dom – “Great singer and original idea!”
Ashtyn – “Homeboy has game. This shit was fly. First song I’ve heard this year that would take me to iTunes!”

Judges – Ellen feels he’s a great performer and she loved that the song was done differently, though she didn’t like the chorus. Randy is a fan, but he changed the song too much. Kara agrees with Randy. He shouldn’t have changed it that much. Simon feels that he came over as a dancer that was trying to sing, not a singer that could dance. According to Simon he murdered the song.

Aaron Kelly – “Here Comes Goodbye”
Dom – “The song is just too big for him..Verging on screechy.”
Ashtyn – “Rascal Flatts is a big band to tackle for a little boy. This was reminiscent of a shower singer.”

Judges – Simon felt it was quite good for a first performance, though he needs more confidence. He needs to take control of the song. Kara loves that he has no idea how his confidence will improve his raw talent. She loves the pop country road for him. Randy felt it was a big song, but he’s got pipes. Wow. Ellen says ditto to all that.

Jermaine Sellers – “Get Here”
Dom – “First I was bored and then it occurred to me that some people should not attempt falsetto.”
Ashtyn – “Way too timid and not suited for this song. Jesus, he screwed that up”

Judges – Ellen loves the song, but he was singing the song as a performance not just on vocals. He pushed too much and was off. He tried too hard. Randy felt the song was a weird choice for him. He tried to do too much vocally. Kara thinks he needs to make the runs meaningful rather than just doing them. It was too old for him. Simon feels its a cocktail lounge song that 50 year old people request. He totally blew his opportunity with this song.

Tim Urban – “Apologize”
Dom – “He’s trying to be One Republic and failing.”
Ashtyn – “Seriously? His story was much more amusing than his voice and I didn’t much care for the story.”

Judges – Simon congratulated him on coming back, but is glad that he didn’t put him through the first time. The vocals were weak and so was the version. Kara feels the music overpowered him. Randy feels it was the wrong song, such the wrong song. Ellen realizes that he picked the song because it was popular, but if he gets votes its not on his voice it’s because he’s adorable.

Joe Munoz – “You and I”
Dom – “I was bored.”
Ashtyn – “The lyrics are meant to be understood and he had some annunciation issues. No one is going to remember this tomorrow anyway.”

Judges – Ellen feels he’s comfortable on stage and you can see he’s in the song when he’s singing. She liked it. Randy didn’t feel it was the perfect song choice, but his voice is good. He did a good job. Kara liked that he picked a song that she wasn’t expecting. There were some issues, but he’s the best so far. Simon kind of agrees, but he needs to get out of the bubble of the show. The performance didn’t do him justice. Forgettable.

Tyler Grady – “American Woman”
Dom – “Boring. Indulgent. He sucked.”
Ashtyn – “I love the 70s music. I don’t love the Jonas Bros lookalike trying to get into that groove without bringing it home.”

Judges – Simon says it’s memorable, but its cliché and unnatural. He needs to work on his vocals. Kara agrees with Simon. He’s obsessed with the 70s, but offers nothing original as a result. Randy wants to know who he is now. It’s the same every time. Ellen agrees with everyone else.

Lee Dewyze – “Chasing Cars”
Dom – “Rocker vibe, but he keeps hitting the wrong notes.”
Ashtyn – “He reminds me of a Dave Matthews. If he plays his cards a little better he might stick around for awhile. He was a little rough.”

Judges – Ellen thought it was a good song choice, but felt he was screaming. Loves the tone though. He has a distinctive sound. Randy disagrees with Ellen. The song was too pop/rock. He sees him more as a rocker so it didn’t work for him. Kara felt the range was too small for him. He needs a better song for his voice. Simon went on his own and said it was the best performance. Lee is a naturally good singer an he believes in him. He should find songs and turn them into his own, not look for other people’s music like Kara suggested.

John Park – “God Bless the Child”
Dom – “Is he singing in English?”
Ashtyn – “So, this is the comedy intermission, right? If Sanjaya and William Hung had a baby….this would be the result.”

Judges – Simon states that you need an incredible voice for that song, and Park doesn’t have one. Kara agrees with Simon. There was no connection to the song and it was loungy. Randy didn’t feel it was working and Ellen didn’t think that song was getting him any votes, but she liked it.

Big Mike Lynche- “This Love”
Dom – “Interesting song choice. He’s not hitting bad notes.”
Ashtyn – “I didn’t hate it, but I don’t love it either.”

Judges – Ellen loves the personality and it was a great song. Randy agrees with Ellen. It was a high energy experience. Kara agrees he made it lively. It was good because everything else was so bad. Simon feels he was the opening act before the main act. Mike is the guy with a big heart an big personality, but that was a little performance.

Alex Lambert – “It’s a Wonderful World”
Dom – “It’s not a wonderful world because he just can’t sing.”
Ashtyn – “The mullet is back and it needs to leave again. As for the song, didn’t work.”

Judges – Simon doesn’t know who was happier about this ending, Alex or him. It was completely uncomfortable. The voice is good, but if he can’t hack it when it’s not going to work for him. Kara thinks it’s a compliment but it’s bad that he sounded too much like the artist. He has great potential. Randy likes him and so does Ellen…she also likes his mullet.

Casey James – “Heaven”
Dom – “I have no problem with his voice, but he didn’t do anything with the song. Kara’s crush creeps me out.”
Ashtyn – “Technically nothing wrong. Too close to the original for me. Don’t think it will be remembered.”

Judges – Kara doesn’t recognize him with his shirt on. It was pitchy at points, but moving on. Ellen could feel Kara undressing him with her eyes. He sounded great. Randy liked it and it was a good song choice. He likes him too, but not in that way. Simon understands that Casey has good looks. He chose the right song, it was honest, and he was likable….especially for the cougar.

Andrew Garcia – “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down”
Dom – “He has potential, but God…I don’t get it.”
Ashtyn – “If Grandma whipped out her guitar to do Fall Out Boy this is what it would sound like.”

Judges – Simon was looking forward to hearing Andrew more than anyone. He was disappointed. It wasn’t original and it was too serious. Really, really disappointed. Kara thinks he brought the risk, but he didn’t bring it. She hopes he stays. Randy agrees with them. The arrangement was weird. He’s still a fan though. Ellen loved Straight Up and that will keep him around, but this was not the best performance for him.

As for who is going home Dom votes for John Park and Alex Lambert. Ashtyn wants to see Jermaine Sellers and Tim Urban hit the bricks. As for who is staying….we are pretty sure that Andrew and Big Mike will still be here next week.

Technorati Tags: Tim Urban, Michael Bolton, William Hung, Sanjaya, John Park, Alex Lambert, Jermaine Sellers, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Michael Lynche, Lee Dewyze, Tyler Grady, Joe Munoz, Aaron Kelly, Todrick Hall, American Idol

The Whack:

Yelling:

Technorati Tags: TruTV, Ad Spots, Turner Media, Reality Television, Video

Michael Sarver
What He Sang: “Ain’t Goin Down Till the Sun Comes Up” By: Garth Brooks

Opinions: Randy expects him to do well as long as he doesn’t lose any of the words. Being a fan of Garth Brooks, this just annoyed me. It was so similar to his interpretation in many ways. In fact, the only difference between the version is the band is off and he’s adding too many runs and vocal intonations. This doesn’t show off his voice or do him any favors. It was incredibly hokey and karaoke sounding. I hated it! Being that he likes Country and he’s from Texas, I thought he would do better. I guess I was wrong.

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “It was a cool song choice, but I’m not sure it brought anything out in your vocals.”
Paula – “It’s a great Garth song and it allowed us to see you have fun.”
Simon – “It should have been good, but I couldn’t understand a word you were singing. It was clumsy. On a scale of 1-10, I’d give it a 1.2″
Kara – “We got to see your personality, but I missed the big notes.”

Allison Iraheta
What She Sang: “Blame it on your Heart” By: Patty Loveless

Opinions: Randy is shocked to hear the maturity in Allison’s voice being that she is so young. He recommends she concentrates on singing and not dancing. As usual, Allison sounds good. She picked a good song for her voice and gave it a little bit of a rock edge. She blew it out of the park compared to Michael, which is amusing because I didn’t know how well she would do. I actually liked this rendition quite a bit.

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “I thought it was Dope!”
Paula – “Another rock solid performance from Allison. After this competition you will be in the business.”
Simon – “I thought it was good. It felt like you were struggling to remember the words in parts.”
Kara – “I’m starting to think that you could sing the alphabet well. Every week you’re getting better and better.”

Kris Allen
What He Sang: “To Make You Feel My Love” By: Garth Brooks

Opinions: Randy feels ballads are Kris’ strong suit, so this will be good for him. Kris decided to sing sans guitar. He slowed the song down even more and he chose to break up the lyrical structure. Being fair, he was better than last week. Still, he’s off pitch in a few spots and the only reason I’m not screaming at the top of my lungs is that he did choose to change it. It feels more pop-like. The country went away from that one. Oh, and his high notes suck. He’s also forgettable. Always.

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “You went out on a limb just to showcase your vocals and I was like wow.”
Paula – “I’m surprised and felt it was honest, pure, and vulnerable. A few pitchy moments.”
Simon – “I thought that was terrific. Great choice of song.”
Kara – “I didn’t even know that it was Opry land. It was just beautiful.”

Lil Rounds
What She Sang: “Independence Day” By: Martina McBride

Opinions: Randy liked it, but thought she should slow it down a little bit. If she does what he heard, she will nail it. I am a big fan of this song and of Martina and think it will be interesting to hear Lil Rounds try it without adding an R&B spin. She sounds really good. Again, like with Allison, I didn’t expect her to do that well. She made the song hers enough by slowing it down and the song is a power song, so she’s certainly has the pipes for it. There was a note here and there that didn’t jive, but she sounded good. She chose the right song and gave it a Lil Rounds spin at the end!

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “Interesting ambitious song choice, but I don’t know. It didn’t feel comfortable for me. It was alright.”
Paula – “Your vocals were spot on, you look beautiful, and the only thing would have worked better was if you would have done one verse and not two.”
Simon – “It kind of came over as if you were one of the girls that have to sing at a wedding that they aren’t comfortable with. It wasn’t you.”
Kara – “We all know you’re a great singer. You did what you felt and that’s part of being an artist. It wasn’t your best performance.”

Adam Lambert
What He Sang: “Ring of Fire” By: Johnny Cash

Opinions: Randy is speechless. He doesn’t know what to say and the arrangement threw him for a loop. It’s unique. Who turns Johnny Cash into an emo, Vampire wannabe that wishes he could sound like Trent Reznor but can’t? God. I Hate Him so Much! It’s not a metal song and it’s so gross. He rubbed on himself and it reminded me of Chloe Lattanzi when she did “Freak on a Leash.” I won’t get into the over-embellished high notes that sounded shitty or the whiny, screaming, psuedo-orgasm cries of death. I hope someone rips out his vocal cords. I cannot take anymore!!!!

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “It’s fresh! It’s Hot!”
Paula – “You are really someone that stands out that is true to who they are. Great song.”
Simon – “What the hell was that?! Sorry, but there are a lot of people throwing their televisions out the window because of that. Indulgent rubbish! Horrific!”
Kara – “Adam does Country and that’s interesting. Y’Know, it was all a little strange. I got drama. It was strange.”

Scott MacIntyre
What He Sang: “Wild Angels” By: Martina McBride

Opinions: Randy didn’t think it was a good choice in the beginning, but found it impressive in the end. Scott was very surprising to him. Scott played piano and slowed McBride’s song down quite a bit. Still, with the changes I have to say that I think this is one of his better vocal performances. The song fits his song style well and it’s the kind of song that you wouldn’t think of him singing. He picked it up towards the end. This was definitely one of his better game bringing performances, though he needs to stay away from those high notes, because they just don’t work for me…or for him. In the end, I see him as a much better piano player, and I know he won’t win, but for now his presence is welcome and he did better than some of the others.

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “I’m looking for hot vocals and this week and last week I didn’t get them. It was just good.”
Paula – “To me tonight was another impressive, lovely performance. The piano may be a crutch and it separates you from the audience.”
Simon – “I don’t think you’re choosing good enough songs. I like you a lot though.”
Kara – “You need to up your game.”

Alexis Grace
What She Sang: “Joleen” By: Dolly Parton

Opinions: This was a song that Brooke White did when she was on last season. Randy liked it and said he wouldn’t change a thing. He thinks Dolly will be proud. My first impression is that this is going to be something I forget tomorrow. Well, except for the notes she’s botching and the high notes she’s literally destroying. I’m sure the judges will like it, but I think it’s horrid. It’s very static, plain, forgettable, and certainly not her best performance.

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “It’s a great song, but there was a bunch of pitch problems. It wasn’t a great performance.”
Paula – “That was more effective than the others think. You took an artistic approach.”
Simon – “I thought it was okay. It was flat. It’s forgettable.”
Kara – “I think you lost your edge. It was flat.”

Danny Gokey
What He Sang: “Jesus take the Wheel” By: Carrie Underwood

Opinions: Randy loved Danny’s voice when he knew the words, though he messed up quite a bit. He loved the soul in his voice. Danny has a nice voice so it’s hard to give too many complaints. I don’t know that I would have picked this for him. He crosses genders a lot and I don’t love that. It’s got a lot of power notes, which suit him, but those come at the end. You could see him singing this on The 700 Club, which I guess he would like. It’s not a bad performance, but with Danny it never is. He made it his own in many ways and that’s what made it good.

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “I agree with Kara. You need to support the verses.”
Paula – “I love when artists build a story. I think you were brilliant. I think Carrie Underwood would have bought that record.”
Simon – “I agree with Paula, though I hate what you’re wearing.”
Kara – “When you hit your stride it’s like none other. Half way through it was a connection unlike anything.”

Anoop Desai
What He Sang: “You Were Always On My Mind” By: Willie Nelson

Opinions: Randy thought that was good and he thinks people will rethink his capability as a singer. He slowed Willie down quite a bit, but in this case it’s not bad at all. Holy shit, I’m actually quite impressed. This is the best he’s ever sounded hands down and if he finishes it up strong then he will be one of the best of the night. He was certainly the most surprising. I was expecting a poor performance just based off the other performances that he has given. There was one or two poor notes, but this was downright amazing!

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “This is the reason that we wanted you in the competition. You proved you can really sing.”
Paula – “Anoop is back! I’m so proud of you. It fit you like a glove. You touched my heart”
Simon – “You managed to go from Zero to hero. That was a good choice of song. That was one of my favorite performances of the whole night.”
Kara – “Very hard to do what you did. That was a classic song and what you did was amazing.”

Megan Joy
What She Sang: “Walking After Midnight” By: Patsy Cline

Opinions: Randy wasn’t sure if she would be able to make this unique, but found that he was wrong. He thinks she should do it just like she sang it for him. You won’t have a choice but to like it. Patsy Cline is hard to sing, but Megan has a very unique voice. You can’t even compare her to Patsy because it’s a completely different song. She’s got some pitchy spots and that dance needs to go out the window. It’s not cute anymore. She botched the ending. I liked the beginning a lot more than I did the end. Though when you consider she has the flu, she sounded pretty damned good.

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “I was quite impressed. I thought it was really good. It all really worked.”
Paula – “You’re a fighter. She was in the hospital and missed her runthrough. Fantastic.”
Simon – “You should have the flu every week. You sounded gorgeous.”
Kara – “Perfect song. Perfect look. Not a lot of people could stand up with the flu and do what you did.”

Matt Giraud
What He Sang: “So Small” By: Carrie Underwood

Opinions: Randy wasn’t sure the choice was a good idea for him, but as he listened to him singing he changed his mind. He changed the song, made it his, and Randy heard the soul in his voice. Matt went for the piano too, but I have to say that I love him behind his piano. Matt is an amazing singer, but he’s phenomenal when he is with his piano. This was nothing like Underwood’s version. He showed off his voice, his piano skills, and made the song his own. He was the perfect person to end the show and was one of the best of the night. He rocked Country week and ensured his spot for next week!

Judges Opinions:
Randy – “It was my favorite performance tonight. You got it going on!”
Paula – “What I applaud you most about is that you’re authentic and honest. You’re piercing through so many hearts.”
Simon – “I don’t think you’ve had enough credit in this competition. I think you out sang Danny. You remind me of Michael Buble. One of the best tonight.”
Kara – “There ain’t nothing small about you. You’re a true talent. Amazing.”

Based on tonight’s performances I think Michael Sarver has the most chance of being in trouble. Personally, I think Adam needs to go home, but I don’t think people are smart enough to send him home yet. Michael, Alexis, and Adam were the worst of the night, though Adam certainly took the cake.

Tomorrow the results show will have Brad Paisley and a Duet from Randy Travis and Carrie Underwood.

Technorati Tags: Carrie Underwood, American Idol Recap, Country Week, Grand Ole Opry Week, Michael Sarver, Anoop Desai, Megan Joy Corkrey, Matt Giraud, Lil Rounds, Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, Scott MacIntyre, Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, Randy Travis

First, let me say it’s absolutely ridiculous that their idea of choosing the best 8 that were not chosen had to include an equal amount of boys and girls. Among the wasted spots you can find Von Smith, Ricky Braddy, and Jessie Langseth. The biggest waste of all is that pathetic drama queen with a lack of talent, Tatiana Del Toro. I expected a plant like Jessie Langseth, but bringing back Tatiana, even if for one more episode is just ridiculous. It’s clear why they are doing it, but you’d think they would be more interested in choosing someone deserving.

The 8 are listed below with clips of their performances that got them kicked off:

Von Smith

Why He Got Through: Good question! His performance was terrible and he’s always been far more over the top than would be acceptable in a professional setting.

Jasmine Murray

Why She Got Through: Jasmine is marketable, though I cannot shake the feeling that it was pointless to send her through because I honestly don’t see her winning.

Ricky Braddy

Why He Got Through: I don’t even remember what he sang or how he sang it and I just got the video. He’s that forgettable, which can’t be a good sign. He’s just another pointless filler when so many more deserving could have been put here.

Megan Corkrey

Why She Got Through: Megan is one of the deserving ones. I believe she got through because she has a fair chance of winning. She has a unique voice and she’s smart about her song choices.

Tatiana Del Toro

Why She Got Through: Stupidity and Ignorance. This was done for ratings and drama, nothing more. Why chose the most dramatic, untalented of the bunch otherwise when you could have picked anyone else that deserved the spot more?

Matt Giraud

Why He Got Through: Matt actually has a good chance if he picks the right song. His voice is marketable and I am sure that he will only get better once instruments are allowed.

Jessie Langseth

Why She Got Through: The easy answer would be that she’s Jonny Lang’s sister and that makes for interesting press. She has an okay voice, but she falters too much and her execution needs work.

Anoop Desai

Why He Got Through: Anoop is one of the few that deserve to be there. Anoop has a surprising voice and if he works things out he could easily end up as one of the few people left. They would be crazy not to choose him as a Wild Card pick.

All things considered, the three chosen should be Matt, Megan, and Anoop. Of course, we all know the judges lack common sense a good portion of the time, so we will just need to keep our fingers crossed that these three get the job done!

Technorati Tags: Anoop Desai, Megan Corkrey, Matt Giraud, Tatiana Del Toro, Jessie Langseth, Ricky Braddy, Jasmine Murray, Von Smith

Technorati Tags: Bill Maher, Rant, Politics, Real Time, Comedy, Current Events

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 30, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

The idea behind Root of all Evil is simple. Two comics face off in a hilarious style of debate with two topics that are either incredibly random or incredibly unimportant. It doesn’t seem to matter if they are important or not because they are completely hilarious. There is just something funny about having two comedians face off in a debate about Kim Jong II and Tila Tequila. That might seem easy to answer for you (Kim Jong II, right?), but there are some more difficult choices included such as Weed vs. Beer (really, who can choose?).

Most of the episodes are more random than anything. For instance, Donald Trump vs. Viagra is one of the episodes that come to mind. I don’t know about you, but I would vote erections over comb-overs any day, but it’s still funny to hear these options fought out.

These episodes are all from the first season. It appears that the random nature of most of the episodes in the first season is seen as a downfall. Apparently, the second season is going to try and be more structured and make a little more sense in regards to the topics that are chosen.

The only major problem I noticed was the length of the show. If there was just one comedian discussing two ideas for 30 minutes with commercials it might not seem so bad. However, removing commercials brings the show to about 23 minutes and that’s not a lot of time for a show that has a structure (opening statements, time to debate, etc) and two people debating. Of course, looking at it from another angle, if it sucked, I probably would have said it was too long.

The episodes included in this set are:

Weed vs. Beer
YouTube vs. Porn
Las Vegas vs. The Human Body
American Idol vs. High School
Donald Trump vs. Viagra
Kim Jong II vs. Tila Tequila
Oprah vs. Catholic Church
Paris Hilton vs. Dick Cheney

If you haven’t seen this show you should check it out. You can catch it on Comedy Central to determine if you like it, though if you’re a comedy fan you should enjoy it quite a bit. I am not sure who will be included in the coming seasons, but this season featured enough of the top comedians to get the attention it needed to offer future seasons and to keep people watching.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil is a fairly new show so the audio and video are pretty close to what you would expect to see on any given current Comedy Central show these days. The aspect ratio is 1.33:1 and the video shown is in full frame. The colors are decent overall and the video appears sharp. This isn’t high definition by any means, but it is without flaw for a basic transfer.

Audio is handled in Dolby Digital 2.0 with Closed Captioning. This is by no means a dynamic soundtrack, but it really doesn’t need to be one. All you need is the ability to properly hear the comedians debating and I was able to hear them just fine. With that in mind the audio did its job well. There weren’t any problems, but considering the nature of the show and its newness, there shouldn’t have been.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The special features here are not too exciting. I’ve never been a huge fan of Comedy Central’s bonus lineups and this is not really any different. Most of these bonuses are all about Comedy Central self promotion or they can be seen on other previously released sets, which doesn’t make them that special.

Things begin with before the show episodes from each episode. There are two problems with this bonus. First problem is that you go hop on the internet and find these same interviews on the show website. I am not sure how special that makes them, but they don’t feel so special knowing you can easily find them. Next problem is that these are censored due to their original placement on the web. This one would be fine, but the DVD is labeled uncensored so why bother putting something that you know isn’t? There also is no play all option from what I noticed, which really became annoying after a minute or two.

Four short videos, “Your Day in Court”, “Meet Judge Black”, “Meet the Lawyers” and “Polibits” are also included. Each piece is meant to be funny with Black or some of the lawyers talking to you about what to do if you have to go to court or how politicians are really liars. Things are wrapped up with some Comedy Central quickies and promos.

Bonus Features: 2 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil is a pretty good time to be had by all. Sure, I didn’t know what to expect when I received this, but all’s well that ends well in this case. I had more than a few laughs and felt the show was entertaining, if not downright hilarious, from nearly start to finish. Black doesn’t play a major part in this other than being the host, but he does his job well and the comedians that handle the Politically Incorrect style of debate do even better. This one comes highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 3.71 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD, Comedy Central, Root of all Evil, Lewis Black, Andrew Daly, Patton Oswald, Paul Tompkins, Andy Kindler, Greg Giraldo, Kathleen Madigan

Technorati Tags: Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, High Fashion, Models, Hazuki, Lipstick Jungle, Bonfire Magazine, Video Clip, NBC

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

I am somewhat new to Brian Regan though I have long been a fan of standup comedy. I decided that this would best be viewed with a group of friends. Perhaps that’s because I was new to Regan, as I said. What I learned was that while he can be funny at times, he is more often than not spastically annoying to the point of no return.

There are things that many people will like about him. For what I noticed, he does not appear to tell topical jokes. Equally as important to others, his bits are pretty clean in comparison to other comics. One would think that his act would be limited because of this. The truth is he does fine covering a variety of material. However, he seems to focus more on stupid people than anything.

I have nothing against making fun of stupid people. Some of the funniest comedians I know do this. It’s his approach more than anything here that gets on my nerves. A friend of mind likened it to an ape overdosing on caffeine. He shrugs and smirks one minute and then he appears manic and puts on these odd faces the next. I am by no means against physical comedy, but it felt as if most of his jokes hinged on the fact that he would do a stupid little jig to accompany them.

Some of his jokes are funny. The joke writing isn’t bad. He talks about things as general as toasting a pop tart. These things are fine. Some hit the mark and others fly right by it. I don’t expect any comedian to keep me in stitches the entire time because that is completely too rare. In the case of Regan though, he missed more than he hit in my case.

I think the capper on the semi-boring nature of this special concluded with the worst standup ending ever to be seen by my eyes. He ends his show with a bit on women vs. men. It’s something practically every comedian has done, so it’s hardly shocking. Unfortunately for him, it’s downright pathetic. In fact, it comes out awkward, boring, and completely unfunny. It’s the worst way possible that he could have finished this show. The show might have been forgiven with a different ending, but it was bad enough to make sure that I don’t recommend it for anything more than a possible rental.

Storyline/Plot: 2 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 1 out of 5 stars
Acting: 2 out of 5 stars
Directing: 3 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Brian Regan The Epitome of Hyperbole looks great in anamorphic widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The picture is crisp and clean without major flaws and the colors are bright. This is only standup comedy, so the importance level of a flawless picture is not as high here, though it is nice to see a picture without any visual issues to report.

Likewise, the English Dolby Digital 5.1 with Closed Captioning worked like a charm. This might just be a standup act, but I have to admit the audio was really a treat to listen to. This isn’t overly dynamic, but it works with the dialogue pushed to the center and audience participation in the background. Everything is fine here, like with the video, with nothing negative to report.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The special features here aren’t too exciting, but as Comedy Central usually does not pack a DVD with features that shouldn’t be too surprising. As this is a standup comedy DVD it’s not too expected that there be a big bonus section anyway.

What you do receive, is section that is supposed to contain Regan’s jokes that are commonly requested. This area is short though, so you only receive two and oddly enough, neither is particularly funny.

The other feature is a behind the scenes look at the comedy special. This shows what it takes to put a show like this together. It is mildly interesting due to its rarity, but still not worth watching more than once.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars
Bottom Line:
Brian Regan The Epitome of Hyperbole is rent-worthy if you like basic, but not exceptional standup comedy. I wouldn’t go as far as recommending it for purchase unless you are a huge fan already. I do agree that Regan can be funny, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to put him in my DVD library for a fee. If he’s on television (in a different comedy special), I have no qualms about watching him and find it generally enjoying. However, before you buy this you might want to rent it to make sure that it’s worth your time.

Overall Rating: 2.86 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD, Brian Regan The Epitome of Hyperbole, Comedy, Standup Comedy, Comedy Central, Comic, TV Special

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: May 28, 2007-September 30, 2007
DVD Box Set Release Date: August 5, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon, Wal-Mart
Episodes: All of the episodes from the first season of Sunset Tan

I hate reality television. We’ve seen physical competitions, endurance competitions, whiny celebrity mothers, whiny celebrities, drunken celebrities, celebrities who swear to be in love only to split up, celebrities that have daddy/mommy issues, celebrities in rehab, fat people trying to lose weight who may or may not be celebrities and just about anything else you can think of. Well, at least that’s what I thought. Then I found out that Sunset Tan was the *hot* new reality show on the E! Network. Seriously, have we hit a new low? We have seen celebrities do everything else, so why not see them go tanning?! That sounds about as exciting as watching paint thin, but trust me, somebody likes this show, since it just started its second season. I am not one of those people!

Have we become so obsessed with celebrities that we’ve had to find every possible situation and location where we can be voyeurs? Reality television has allowed this nation (no, world!) to hit a new low. Sure, not all of the people that come into ‘Sunset Tan’ are celebrities, but who really wants to watch anyone getting a tan? I don’t tan, personally. I find fake tan to look disgusting and think the whole process of baking yourself is moronic in and of itself. If I wanted to be exposed to excessive amounts of UV rays, I’d strip naked and run around without sunscreen on, in my backyard. Even then, I wouldn’t be nearly as exposed as I would be to these harmful rays, in a tanning bed.

So, when I received the box set to review Sunset Tan – Season One, I dragged my feet a bit. Why would I want to watch this? I don’t even like some of the more *possibly entertaining reality shows. Needless to say, I had no choice, but to sit down, pop these DVDs into my player (Sunset Tan – Season One comes in a two-disc set), and begrudgingly watch one of the stupidest shows on the planet. Seriously, this is nearly as bad as the Nick and Jessica reality show, only there is no mention of Chicken of the Sea and *most* of the workers at Sunset Tan are slightly smarter than Jessica, though not by much! The jury is still out on the Olly girls and Jeff and Devin for hiring them in the first place.

The Sunset Tan – Season One Plot
Like any good reality show, Sunset Tan relies on its controversy and possibly its drama in an attempt to be entertaining. The show premise is fairly simple. The Los Angeles area has a few different locations for the Sunset Tan tanning salon. This is a place that celebrities, the rich, and the wannabes visit in an attempt to get that “faked-baked yet trying to be realistic” look. Every employee problem, dramatic moment, mishap and boring, mundane daily experience is documented in Sunset Tan – Season One.

There are 12 episodes contained in the Sunset Tan – Season One Two-Disc box set. Here is a list of episodes with a brief synopsis of each:

DISC ONE:

“Welcome to Sunset Tan” – Guest starring Britney Spears, this introduces viewers to Sunset Tan and its employees. A new employee, Erin, has just moved to California from Oklahoma. The episode details her transition in a new place. In this episode, she has to spray tan someone and freaks out since that person just happens to be a celebrity. She ends up making herself look dumb in the process. The region manager, Lisa, quits and Roxanne becomes the new region manager (which appeases Nick who is sick of Lisa’s bullcrap)! Jeff, one of the co-owners and founders of Sunset Tan, throws a party at his pad.

“Vegas, Baby” – Guest starring Chris Kattan, a new Sunset Tan store will be opening in Las Vegas. The managers of the various L.A. based Sunset Tan stores want to run this store. While Nick has the most sales, owners/founders Devin and Jeff take him to Vegas to test things out. Of course, Nick’s girlfriend, Ania, isn’t exactly thrilled with the situation. In the meantime, with the bosses away, Janelle heads to Miami and poor Erin is left with all of Janelle’s work on top of her own.

“Oklahoma!” – Erin heads home to Oklahoma for a visit. There she sees her Dad and finds out her ex-boyfriend is already engaged to someone else. When she returns to L.A. she does what every girl does to get rid of man troubles. She shops. When a tanning bed breaks and Jeff and Devin are out of town, Nick must fix it, on his own.

“Miss Sunset Tan” – Guest starring Chelsea Handler, this is a fight filled episode. In ring one, there is Nick and Janelle. Nick is peeved because Janelle takes more vacations than Nick can count. Keely is peeved at Roxanne because nobody can ever get in touch with her, especially when they need her. When Erin makes more sales than Janelle, another fight is about to break out when Erin says she might just join the competition for running the Vegas Sunset Tan store.

“Olly’s Follies” – All the potential contenders for the Las Vegas manager position head with Jeff and Devin to Vegas. The competition is hot. Meanwhile, back in L.A., the Olly Girls, Molly and Holly, are not happy they weren’t invited. They decide to shut the store down early (we’re talking eight hours early) and head to Vegas to join everyone else. As you can imagine, this goes over REAL well with Jeff and Devin.

“The Reveal” – It’s time for the Miss Sunset Tan pageant. The Olly girls get in trouble with Jeff and Devin for their bad behavior and the new manager of the Sunset Tan Las Vegas store is crowned with the chosen one a surprise pick to not only the managers, but also the audience.

DISC TWO

“New Kid on the Block” – Ania (Nick’s girlfriend) joins the Sunset Tan team. Janelle tries to walk all over her, like she did when Erin first joined the staff, but Nick puts his foot down. With Janelle trying to get Ania to do her job, you have to wonder if Jeff and Devin made the right choice. Seriously. Erin gets a Hollywood makeover.

“All Work, No Play” – Nick and Ania have their first day of work together and Ania takes it as an opportunity to spend time together. Nick’s not impressed, and when Jeff gives him a job he can’t seem to do, he’s more than pissed. Erin and Janelle keep the tension rolling as Erin gets a sale and she finally stands up to her superior.

“Guess Who’s Coming to Sunset Tan? ” – A new girl named Heidi is being trained by Jeff and Devin to replace Erin. Erin isn’t amused. The Olly Girls are up to no good when they act dumb during training, which pisses Ania off. They all exchange jabs at each other on Myspace. Erin’s family visits her in Hollywood.

“Relationship Woes” – The Olly Girls stay at Jeff’s place after they forget to pay their bills and lose their apartment. Ania and Nick try to repair their broken relationship. Erin tries to make nice with Janelle, who plans for a “Hot Girls of Sunset Tan” calendar.

“While the Cat’s Away… ” – Guest starring Jenna Jameson and Pauly Shore, this episode shows Janelle heading with Jeff and Devin to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Sunset Tan is about to open. Heidi works as Nick’s assistant manager. She makes mistakes that piss Nick off. The Olly Girls throw a party at Jeff’s house without his permission and the house gets trashed.

“Employees Gone Wild!” – Jeff comes home to find his house in shambles. After kicking the Olly Girls out, he also fires them from Sunset Tan. Erin starts to train as an assistant manager.

Honestly, I don’t think I’d even enjoy this show if I was drunk. That’s truly how bad this is!

Storyline/Plot: 0 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Presented in standard, 1.33:1 full frames (typical for any television show) the Sunset Tan – Season One video quality is fair. It’s not anything special, but it does look as decent as if you were watching it on television. It doesn’t really look like any changes were made in the transfer between television and DVD. There are minor instances of compression and very few visual flaws otherwise. None of the flaws will affect viewing and what is here, while watchable, just isn’t special, at all.

The audio quality for the episodes included in the Sunset Tan – Season One Box Set is just as decent as the video quality. The Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track is standard though not quite dynamic enough to get points. This is your typical television sound. While it’s nothing special, there is no need to play with the volume and you should be able to hear the dialogue clearly.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Not only do you have to be subjected to this show, Lionsgate has been polite enough to include multiple bonuses. Yay! I hope you caught the sarcasm there, because I was tired enough of watching this show. I wasn’t looking forward to spending more time with it then I already had. The bonuses start things off with the featurette, “Olly Girls’ Guide: Learn how to do stuff the Olly Girls’ way!” As you might have already guessed, this featurette follows the crazy, dumb and extremely annoying Olly Girls. I don’t know why anyone would want to do anything the way these airheads do things, but hey, to each their own!

Continuing to round out the bonus section, there are some deleted scenes. I didn’t even want to watch the non-deleted scenes, so why would I want to watch these? Call me a cynic, but this show sucks, plain and simple. Finally, the bonuses are completed with some red carpet interviews. That’s about it for the bonuses and as it is there are way too many to begin with.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
One of the dumbest shows I have ever seen, I personally believe that Sunset Tan – Season One isn’t worth your time. If you’re a crazy person who happens to highly enjoy crappy reality shows, you might want to check this out on the E! Network. Who knows?! You might just like this drivel! Otherwise, I recommend you run far and fast, because Sunset Tan – Season One isn’t worth a penny let alone the amount you’ll pay for this box set! Be afraid! Be VERY afraid!

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Sunset Tan – Season One, TV Show, Lionsgate, Box Set, DVD Review