Customer Reviews

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Fourth Season

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A lot of people pointed out the quality of "Curb" went downhill in the fourth season. I disagree. The "Producers" storyline with Ben Stiller and then David Schwimmer was just as great as the first three with some hilarious episodes. I read there are no extras in the set. A shame--so much could have been included, and the price is a bit steep considering there were only ten episodes. I got the first couple of seasons for $20,but the show is such a gem I suppose it is worth paying a little more..but it would have been nice to have those extras in there.ala Seinfeld.

Gotta love HBO and Curb! This season brings back the best Democrat, LARRY DAVID and he does not disappoint! My favorite episode is "The Car Pool Lane" where all hell breaks loose when Larry wants to use a hooker for the car pool lane to beat that I-405 Los Angeles traffic. The actress that plays the character of the prostitute does a hilarious job in this episode. It is also endearing to see Anne Bancroft in one of her last performances before she died. [...]

Oh, and get this dvd!

Larry David does it again...another great season! I have heard a lot of people complain that there are only 10 episodes and therefore the price is steep. I do have to disagree. You really get what you pay for. In my opinion, I'd rather have 10 excellent episodes (each worth watching again and again) versus 30 crappy episodes of something that I don't even want to watch one time. So far I have watched the episodes from the first three seasons at least 5 times. There is no other TV series I own on DVD that I want to watch over and over again. So I feel my money was very well spent. I hope Larry keeps making Curb, for many more seasons.

If you're new to CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, don't start with Season 4, unless it happens to fall in your lap. Try to start from the beginning. There is actually a subtle progression to the show. Each episode contains both "self-contained" stories, and ongoing issues that develop from show to show, and sometimes from season to season.

But I'm assuming that if you're looking at Season 4, you're already interested in or familiar with CYE. Season 4 is a laugh-riot. I think the season now has the perfect blend of Larry David, the unfortunate victim of circumstance and Larry David, the jerk who brings bad things on himself.

On one hand, Larry tries to be a nice guy. He always seems to enjoy the company of children, for example...in a genuine way. He'll sit down with them and play their games and talk to them like they're actually interesting. To him, there's no one who isn't worth talking with and trying to be friendly with. This is an admirable trait...which always gets him in trouble. On the other hand, Larry never knows when to quit. He'll start on a subject (for example, he begins to suggesting possible "oriental-sounding" names to a secretary who is getting ready to adopt a child), and his riff becomes more and more inappropriate and the signals from the woman become easier and easier to notice, but he blithely rambles on...making an enemy whose disgust WILL come back to bite him.

Often, Larry David is categorized as a misanthrope. To me that's far too easy. What I like about him is that he can go from charming and amusing and genuinely concerned about something (his interactions with his wife, for example) to an overbearing, overopinionated jerk in about two seconds flat. We see him crossing the line, but he never sees it himself. He thinks his complaints or questions are perfectly reasonable. (There's a great scene where he is waiting in a doctor's exam room for the Dr. to appear...so he uses the phone in the room. Doctor [brilliantly under-played by Phillip Baker Hall] explains that the phone is not for a patient's use. David just keeps insisting on knowing why. He tries at one point to restrain himself...but he just can't help it...he's obsessed with getting an explanation!).

The big story of the season is Larry being hired by Mel Brooks to take the lead in THE PRODUCERS on Broadway. It's a bit of a stretch to believe Mel would make such a choice, but if you buy it...you're in for a real treat! Ben Stiller appears in several early episodes and is very funny doing his "slow-burn" schtick. The show has always been great for letting its guest-stars playing themselves turn their whole images upside-down.

It's unfortunate that a typical CYE season only has 10 episodes...but heck, each one packs the laughs of 3 or 4 typical sitcoms into it, so from an entertainment standpoint, you can't beat this show. Every episode makes me laugh out-loud many, many times.

By the way, in case you don't know...these shows ARE NOT FOR KIDS!!! They contain very frank (and funny) language and situations. Strictly for adults. But highly recommended too!!

This is one of the best series in TV that ever there was. Larry David is excellent and whilst you feel sorry for him, you sometimes want to give him a good kick in the pants. This show keeps you in stiches and it's the kind of show you can watch over and over again 'cause it always remains funny.

Whatever you do, don't believe the unhype for this season. I was reading the reviews on here and looking at the lame DVD cover photo this season and almost dreading having to watch my idol go down the drain.

Luckily I was a fool for taking note of the reviews contained here. It's true that the first four episodes rely on self-parody, with the jokes never really coming into their promised fruition. But halfway through it picks up, offering some of the funniest moments of the show (particularly in the Car Pool Lane). I found the story arc to be the best yet, though I will say that they are beginning to rely on continuity too much; many jokes span two episodes. Still, who can complain about strong series continuity?

Despite his self parody in the first eps, Larry is on top form for most of the season, managing to make all the crazy happenings seem somewhat believable. He even pulls off the Producers with style. Ben Stiller is fun to see on screen for maybe 5 minutes, but becomes grating to watch after a while. Fortunately, By halfway through the season, Ben is out and David Schwimmer is in, pulling off hating Larry better than possibly anyone else in the series' history. The levels of hate he brings, wow. As for the rest of the cast regulars... they actually seem a bit subdued this year (Jeff had a stroke at the end of season 3 so I can understand that, but the taming of his wife's temper doesn't really make sense). Not much Lewis here, but the addition of Larry's dad pays off.

Definitely one of the better seasons (I personally think 1 is the best and 3 is the worst)... let's just hope season 5 comes out on DVD in the next few years.

This season continues the awkward hilarity of Larry David's escapades. In this season he stars in a Broadway production of The Producers with Ben Stiller (and then David Schwimmer when Stiller can't put up with Larry), tries to follow through on his anniversary gift from Cheryl (after 10 years of marriage, he's allowed to have sex with another woman, if he can make it happen), hires a Native American to do his landscaping (and help with another problem of Cheryl's), helps his secretary get back together with her boyfriend, accuses a weatherman of lying to clear the golf courses and much more.

I watched 8 of the 10 episodes directly one after the other. The only reason I had to stop was 4 hours of any show is enoguh. This season is more cohesive as a season than previous ones have been. Story lines followed over into the next episodes more often than they have in the past.

But overall, I think this was the weakest of the 4 seasons leading up to this point. I think that just has to do with the stakes being raised so high. In previous seasons Larry dealt with small every day things, whereas in this season he's starring in a Broadway musical and trying to hook up a blind guy with a date.

That being said, it's still one of the funniest things on television. Larry still delivers the laugh. And any scene with Jeff or Cheryl is almost guaranteed to be hilarious. Surprisingly, the best guest star was a young boy playing Cheryl's nephew, who refuses to teach Larry a magic trick because he's "not a magician".

There are no extras on the DVDs, but really what extras do you need when you have 10 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm?

I cannot think of a show I look more forward to watching than Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David is still the same problematic character we have all grown to love. The question is, who is more problematic; Larry or the people surrounding him?

In Season Four, Larry has two main focusses: playing Max Bialystock in The Producers, and getting "some" before the Sheryl deadline (how nice of her!).

Have you ever lost that loving feeling after seeing a framed picture of a Bush? or pried a golf club out a dead guy's hand at a funeral? Have you ever taken a prostitute to a baseball game?

I hope not, but for the sake of television, I'm happy someone thought of it.

Five Stars!

I am very disappointed that when i recieved the CYE Season 4 DVD set and watched Episode 8 Wandering Bear episode. The Scene when Larry and Jeff sit down and watch Girls gone wild video at Jeff's house and they show the girls breasts and larry and jeff comment on it and larry makes a funny joke was edited out of the dvd. They also argue when Larry asks Jeff to Pause the DVD when he goes out to get his pair of glasses from the car. The original broadcast showed the scene but it was cut from the DVD.. Did anybody else notice this edit. If so, i urge everyone to call and complain to HBO at 212 512 1208 and complain and see if they can add it and re-press the dvd for the ORIGINAL EPISODE.

HBO's Curb your enthusiasm just gets better. It's relatively unheard of over here in the UK, but as fans of Seinfeld we got into it. Each series is progresively funnier and Larry David is truly one of lifes victims! Absolutely fabulous fun and toe curlingly cringeworthy in parts. A must for any comedy DVD collection. Lets hoe there is a series 5
Andy Torkington (UK)