Customer Reviews

George Carlin - Back in Town

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

George Carlin is one of my favorite comedians, being that he has never found a way to not make me laugh. While I enjoy his older stuff the best, his new bitter and angry stuff is funny too. "George Carlin: Back in Town" represents Carlin as he is today; angry, sarcastic, and over-the-top. And it is all executed so perfectly.

He talks about everything, and does not hold back for one second. Just when you think he can't say anymore to shock you, he does. In this HBO special he talks about abortion, how capital punishment should be televised, the sanctity of life, state prison farms, familiar expressions, and more. Plus, it includes one of my all time favorites: "Free Floating Hostility;" a very long rant about MANY things that tick him off. The title is more than appropriate for it, believe me.

I wouldn't recommend him to people who get offended easily or don't like controversial topics being jokes like abortion or religion. And he does have quite a mouth on him, so if you do not like profanity you better skip it right now. However, if you ARE a fan of the man, then I recommend getting this as soon as possible! I've had the CD for quite some time, but it's nothing like seeing him in action.

The DVD doesn't really have any special features or anything extra to offer (or at least nothing I am aware of). The picture looks great and the sound is really good. It would've been cool if there was an interview or two, perhaps a documentary would be nice. Still, it is a worthy purchase.

"George Carlin: Back in Town" is a hilarious DVD and an outrageous HBO special. As soon as you pop this baby into your DVD player, you know you're in for one hell of a ride. So strap in, get that crash helmet on, and make sure you're not drinking too many liquids while watching this... chances are they won't be staying in your mouth long since you will be laughing non-stop!

Simply put, this was the special that hooked me on George Carlin...and I only saw it by complete accident. Or should I say heard it. The first contact I had with a Carlin special came on a winter night when the power went out. When it finally came back on the TV came back automatically but, before I could fire up the VCR, I began hearnig some stand-up. HBO, which we didn't get at the time, turned out to be on the same channel that my TV's default channel was and HBO was somehow coming in strong on audio that night. Too lazy to get up I began listening and never turned it off. Only at the end when I could squint and see some credits did I realize that this was George Carlin. Eventually I'd end up getting most of his performances on DVD or tape, but this is still hands-down the best. My favorite skit is the classic "Prison Farms/Balance the ****in Budget" which I've done many the paper on.

This show it not only funny but very insightful. It combines comedy with brutal truth. It is a little slow to start off but after that he gets in to his violent humor which is what makes the show. His bit about Mickey mouse is great and very, very filthy. This tape is perfect for a long time Carlin fan but if you don't know his work to well it is best to go with Best Stuff which is a bunch of short clips from most all of his acts.

Hi, I'm from the netherlands, and I nearly laughed my head off watching this video!! This is really fun to watch!!! again, he scrutinizes everything in a very, very straightforward and skeptical way!! Here he handles capital punishment, expressions, abortion, bodily functions etc...

I love anything by Carlin, books and all. But when he grew his hair long and let it all out, he became the one of a kind genius comic. Don't miss this one. And get ready for your jaw to ache from laughter! How I wish he was still with us.

I'm not going to go over what chapters are on here, or what each one is about. Most of you probably already know. So let's get right to it.

Like the title of my review says, in my opinion, this is George Carlin at his peak. Not every GC fan will agree with me, I'm aware of that. Although I've enjoyed every special he's ever done, I believe Back In Town is the most cohesive (and other "big" words I haven't thought of yet!). Every joke, every chapter just seems to flow together so easily. Most comedians, of course, already have in mind what they're going to say, before the show. George Carlin is no exception. But the things he comments on, and his often rapid-fire delivery of the jokes, make it seem like he just thought of it that very second. And I mean that in a 100% positive way! And I think Back In Town is a prime example of what I just said....which is why I think he's at his peak, here.

Here's a couple of reasons why I think George Carlin is one of the top comedians of all time. He comments on the topics of the day, things alot of us wish we had the guts to talk about, in a negative or positive way. As we all know, he'll say exactly what's on his mind - whether any of us like it, or not. And while he certainly uses his fair share of profanity, the difference between George and other comedians who curse,is that George's profanities are born out of genuine frustration - when he's trying to emphasize a point. He doesn't curse, just to get peoples' attention. And finally, he's not afraid to poke fun at himself, every so often. All of these things are clearly evident, when viewing Back In Town.

Some people overlook the fact, that GC was a very articulate, and intelligent comedian. His wit was razor-sharp. And that has never been more apparent, as it is in one of my favorite chapters on Back In Town - "Free Floating Hostility". It's the last chapter on BIT, a Carlin classic!

R.I.P George

I love this guy, my favorite comedian of all-time, and in this one he is at his very best and really takes it to the world! Always fun, always funny, this is Carlin in his hometown at his very best!!!

I really like Carlin as you can see from my reviews - always a pleasure to watch him work making me laugh - he does hot have to work too hard at it either

This man is hilarious! I love this DVD. It got here really fast and was in good condition. Thank you!

Watching these shows now after his untimely death, I appreciate them even more. Not only are they funny, they are completely engrossing as you watch a master at work! This is a great set! One of his best. Like a fine wine, George got better with age. To truly appreciate Mr. Carlin's brand of comedy you need to first have an open mind. Then you need to have a brain! 71 is too young to die and he so much more to say!

R.I.P. George
You will be missed.