Customer Reviews

Billy Connolly: Live in New York

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It's funny. One reviewer lambastes this video because it's full of jokes Billy's told before, while another rates it down because it's not the jokes he heard on the tour this DVD is drawn from. Hmm. One person dislikes this video because it's the same old stuff, while another dislikes it because it ISN'T the same old stuff. How much easier if we consider this DVD for itself.

Is it funny? Yes. Is it up to the level of humor that propelled Billy to international fame? Yes. Is it springy enough to bear up to multiple viewings? Yes. Would I go out of my way to recommend this DVD to my friends? Yes. What more could you ask for from a comedy DVD?

Part of what makes this DVD in particular, and Billy Connolly in general, funny and worth watching, is his willingness to take risks, gamble on the audience's loyalty, and push boundaries. When he's telling a story about his sister and suddenly veers off for several minutes about the jabbering verbosity of opera, he risks that you might get confused and simply stop watching. But it is this risk-taking that has made him so popular for so long, and has kept him creating new generations of fans long after other comics have lapsed into obscurity.

One possible problem with this DVD is that there are no added features. No backstage cameras, no interviews, no career retrospectives. For a full DVD price, this seems kind of cheapskate. I'm sure Billy would make some jokes about Scottish stereotypes, but still, DVDs are expensive, and I'd like to get what I'm paying for. Still, as many times as I've watched the performance itself, perhaps I really am getting what I payed for.

This is definitely the work of an elder statesman of comedy, bringing the full weight of a long career to bear. It's hard to imagine a young man performing this material. But it's not sentimental or maudlin; Billy has the gravity of a patron saint of humor, but the explosive energy of a much younger man. Serving both as a continuation of a long and storied career and as a good introduction for new fans, this DVD is a treasure, and one you'll watch and watch again. Highly recommended.

Classical Billy, as funny as ever. Some of his older stories get an airing but they remain as funny as the first time round. For any Billy Connolly fan, simply a must, you won't be disapointed - except maybe for the rehash of older stories and the shortness of the DVD - time just flies then it is all over.

Billy does it again! Always funny, BC is right on the edge.

Wish more of his stage act was available to the U.S. market on DVD.

As a big Billy Connolly fan I was looking forward to this. I owned a lot of his older stuff when I lived in Scotland but since moving to the US though, they seem to be unavailable in US format so seeing as this is one of the few that IS available I snapped it up.

I was a wee bit disappointed with this one as it's not as funny as a lot of his other stand-up's and there is material in this one that has been done a lot before BUT that is really my only main disappointment with this one.

The usual Billy traits are in this one as well from wether it's him addressing people in the audience or his unmistakable talent of going off on a tangent onto other stories and "jokes" then coming back to somehow remember what he was talking about in the first place! I've always loved the way he tells his stories from when he was growing up to talking about things that he does (and we all do) and manages to make us laugh at ourselves. He also manages to make everyday things that happen seem funny as well. For example, in this one watch out for one of his stories about a certain little old lady on a bus in Clydebank. I won't say any more than that as I don't want to ruin it for you, but it's just a classic example of what I mean about him making fun of everyday things.

This is still pure vintage Billy Connolly and even though it does cover older things I would still recommend buying it!!

Excellent
Good to see fresh material from Billy Again
We loved it!

Have been a Billy Connolly fan for a long time. This was funny but not as funny as some of his other work.

I own a set concluding all the disks mentioned separately of Billy Connolly's World Tour (New York, Billy Connolly - World Tour of Scotland [Region 2] and England, Australia and NZ).

His perfect classic English pronunciation needs no subtitles also this DVD function is possible, jocks are funny as humour is understandable, and shows equipped with nice sightseeing of countries he was performing in.

This performance by Billy Connolly seems to have been toned down for a U.S. audience! Still enjoyed it very much though.

It is a good show - not as funny as some of his earlier stuff, but still pretty good.

Product was delivered quickly and in perfect condition. Not as funny as some of his previous work.