Product Details

• Directors: Matthew Diamond
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Rhino Theatrical
• DVD Release Date: November 12, 2002
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00006RJCN
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,663 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Firesign dusts off some classic material, August 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Firesign Theatre - Weirdly Cool (DVD)

This special was produced to promote the Firesign Theatre's latest CD (at the time), "The Bride of Firesign." Unfortunately, the powers that be (PBS) decided that, rather than letting the fab four put together an evening of new(er) material, presenting older, "classic" material would be a safer bet. Well, perhaps it is, but the end result is somewhat of an unintentional "de-fanging" of the Firesigns. This troupe is at it's best when they are allowed to be more topical and skewer the society they see around them. As good as the material from their first four albums is, it is somewhat dated and certainly not designed for live performance. So, through no fault of their own, the boys and their material appear somewhat creaky (and, no, it has nothing to do with their ever-advancing ages). The four (Philip Austin, David Ossman, Philip Proctor, and Peter Bergman) throw in new lines here and there to contemporize the bits and to keep the audience (many of whom probably know the pieces by heart) on their toes, but it's still somewhat an exercise in nostalgia. The only new bit they perform is the closing which comes from their disc "Give Me Immortality Or Give Me Death" and it's certainly the most relevant and possibly funniest of the eve. Which isn't to say the pieces they do perform are not funny - far from it. These bits have become "classics" for a reason. They are remarkably dense, smart, and funny. In between live performances, such Firesign fans as George Carlin, John Goodman, Robin Williams, and Chevy Chase give testimonials on the group's greatness. And, the Firesigns all perform very admirably considering the restrictions presented (the works were designed for audio only, so giving them a visual dimension presents a challenge). If the suits had given them free reign, this would more than likely be a five star title (considering the strength of their recent output: the aforementioned "Death," "Bride," and "Boom Dot Bust"). But, as it is, it's a three-to-four-star DVD. Great comedy troupe, tried and true material, but less-than-ideal conception. Still, it's great to see this fantastic, underrated comedy team get their due.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a "Best Of" DVD, November 14, 2002

By 

Ken (Sturgis, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Firesign Theatre - Weirdly Cool (DVD)

First, this one is not for everybody. If you want humor that requires your brain to be in neutral, then it's not for you. But, if you want humor that stretches your powers of thought, if you enjoy humor that has more than one banal level, or if you thought the Firesign Theatre died out in the 70's, then you're in for a real treat here. Originally produced for PBS as a pledge drive premium, it's a compilation of some of the best material that this group has ever produced, performed in such a way that laughter is automatic and uncontrollable. Stretch your mind, enjoy something that makes you think, order this one NOW!

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One for the Firesign newbies!, January 15, 2003

By 

Mark Cloud "Musician" (Murrieta, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Firesign Theatre - Weirdly Cool (DVD)

Much of the Firesign Theatre's work requires close attention to understand it; it is simply not background comedy. The literary references alone are enough to keep most people scratching their heads and wondering what all the brouhaha is about.

That said, when I watched this video with friends, I was pleasantly surprised to see that even the people who had never heard of them were enjoying the performance a LOT. The reason, I think, is that the 4 or 5 are enjoying themselves so much here that it is quite infectuous. And the material is (as it often is) brilliant; and the ad libs bring it into the present and make it all fresh again.

If you are new to the Firesign Theatre, you could do worse than to start with this video. If you already know them, well, it's all here: brilliant, stupid, superficial and deep. Enjoy.