Customer Reviews

Important Things with Demetri Martin: Season One

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Entertaining, fun... Demetri Martin's "Important Things" is probably one of the best and most complete Comedy Central DVD releases that I have watched!

The DVD release is a show hosted by comedian/musician Demetri Martin. In February 2009, "Important Things with Demetri Martin" scored Comedy Central's most watched premiere for the network with 2.4 million total viewers since 2003 ("Chappelle's Show" drew 2.5 million). The show is produced by Jon Stewart's Busboy Productions and One Verse, Inc. and is probably one of the freshest comedy half-hour comedy show I have seen in a long while.

Demetri Martin, known for his deadpan humor starts off his show with jokes (stand-up comedy) but then integrates sketch comedy segments with other actors, animation and he's also a talented musician who can play the guitar, keyboard, harmonica and who knows how many other instruments and also, you get actual sketches, word play and other things that you probably would never imagine seeing in a show. Sure, "Saturday Night Live" may also have similar type of things that we see on "Important Things with Demetri Martin" but its the execution that makes this series quite entertaining and fun.

The show is built around a certain topic and for the first season, there are a total of seven episodes (each episode are 21 minutes long) that are featured on this DVD. Included are (spoiler-less summaries):

* Timing - The topic of the episode is timing and stand-up comedy that revolve around timing. Sketch comedy include a scene featuring Amanda Peet and Demetri Martin in which Martin has trouble showcasing his anger during a drama scene but off-camera he has a lot of anger, a police officer who raids the wrong home, "What?" Slam Poet Champion, Jerry Pappas: Time Gigolo (a gigolo who uses a time machine and using his knowledge to get with women in the past), a guy early to a rave and two guys in a dungeon. Also, included are Demetri's drawings and one of the coolest music performances by Demetri Martin (playing a guitar, harmonica, bells, keyboard, tambourine while showcasing jokes on a tablet).
* Power - The topic of the episode is about power and stand-up comedy revolving around power. Sketches include Parking War - two men arguing over a parking spot, a yellow belt opening a package of headphones and another with the yellow belt fighting depression, a superhero sketch titled "Revenger", Creedocide (how to kill rats in your home) and Demetrocles. Drawings plus a musical performance by Demetri.
* Brains - The topic of the episode is about brains and stand-up comedy revolving around brains. Sketch comedy include a man who gets to eat at T.G.I.F. with Benjamin Franklin, Shakespeare and Galileo, "What?" Slam Poet Champion, Dadz, a genius and an idiot, Early Important Fairy Tales - The Royal Food Taster and Demetrocles.
* Games - The topic of the episode is about games and stand-up comedy revolving around games. Sketch comedy segments include Devin Cottonfield - Emotional Escape Artist, Annihilator board game, Men's passive aggressive race, humans pranking birds in "Nuthouse" and Da Mici.
* Chairs - The topic of the episode is about chairs and stand-up comedy revolving around chairs. Sketch comedy segments include Employees talking bad about their bosses at the urinals (while their bosses are in the toilet overhearing them), a yellow belt trying to relax on a beach chair and another segment with the yellow belt fighting gravity, a man who must make a decision - sit with the beautiful woman or next to old man, Demotrocles and the origin of gum found under a chair.
* Safety - The topic of the episode is about safety and stand-up comedy revolving around safety. Sketch comedy segments include Spring Haven - Home for the Elderly, An S&M Couple whose safe word is..., pube-safe home security, Health Class 1231 A.D., a man with a neck brace, a scientist who needs to deactivate a proton accelerator but forgot to bring his security ID and Early Important Fairy Tales - The Royal Food Taster.
* Coolness - The topic of the episode is about coolness and stand-up comedy revolving around coolness. Sketch comedy segments include Hoodwinkers Inc., dadz, man with a dragon tattoo on his face, the shower cap with hair, Da Mici and two men in a dungeon. Also, a musical performance by Demetri Martin.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Important Things with Demetri Martin" is featured in full screen and audio is in Dolby Digital.

Video quality is a mix bag as some scenes are shot with a variety of video. But for the most part, the video quality is well-done and the audio is clear and understandable. For audio, my preference for my receiver setting was stereo on all channels and as a comedy DVD, it was good to see the audience responsive to the jokes.

There are no subtitles included on this DVD.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Important Things with Demetri Martin" comes with a good amount of features. Included are:

* Brain Injuries
* Parking War Outtakes
* Basketball 1
* Basketball 2
* Cult Leader in Love (with commentary)
* Killing Someone with Kindness
* Killing Time in the Studio
* Dinner with Hero Outtakes
* A Tiny Guy Helps Find a Contact Lens
* A Yellow Belt Breaks his silence
* Safety Dummy
* Early Production Graph
* Early Production Lineup
* Audio Commentary for Timing, Power, Coolness and Games with Demetri Martin, Michael Koman (Supervising Producer) and Dan Mintz (Writer).
* Free Tiny Poster
* Important Things with Demetri Martin sticker

JUDGMENT CALL:

This is probably one of the most entertaining Comedy Central DVD's that I have had the opportunity to review.

What I enjoy about Demetri Martin's comedy is his deadpan humor. The man is a quick thinker and for those who have caught his comedy routines, his improvisation on stage is very cool. But what makes "Important Things with Demetri Martin" is that he and his writers really think outside of the box in trying to present a show that is different from what anyone has seen before. Granted, I'm sure coming up with topics can be challenging but for the most part, he is able to pull it off.

The whole execution of the show was fun to watch. The stand-up comedy, the drawings, the music and of course the sketch comedy segments are hilarious but also included are these short segments that take place before or after a commercial which are cool and also during the stand-up comedy, you will see text written on the audience. It's just something that is quite different and for the most part, the presentation is quite fresh. Even the sketch comedy, these are topics that you won't see on "Saturday Night Live" or other shows.

The DVD is full of bonus features and after watching the bonus features which some include outtakes, I was surprised to find commentary for many of the episodes and that was pretty awesome. One of the things that surprised me was listening to the commentary and hearing that some jokes are conceived on the show within minutes of the show starting or created during a break. But also to hear some of the behind-the-scene commentary on how the sketch comedy scenes were conceived was quite fun to listen to. Especially learning why Demetri Martin wears the same clothing, mainly because some segments work with the audience and some don't and they can shuffle scenes around for different episodes if needed. And some of those scenes that didn't go so well with the audience make it into the special features segment. Another interesting thing, maybe not so major but pretty cool to see, is that the menu is interactive (which Demetri Martin makes comments during a selection) which was pretty cool.

"Important Things with Demetri Martin" is definitely one of the best Comedy Central DVD's that I have ever seen (and I have seen many). Seven solid episodes, a lot of special features and bonus items and pretty much, a complete DVD that doesn't really skimp on anything.

Fans of Demetri Martin or those curious about this DVD, you will not be disappointed and frankly, you'll be getting your money's worth with this DVD release. "Important Things with Demetri Martin" is highly recommended!

I haven't seen the discs yet, of course, so I cannot comment on any special features, but I did watch each episode as it aired. Important Things is a great mix of sketches and stand up. Demetri is very funny and the show is well written from beginning to end. Martins comic style and personality really come through, making this program more original than most. The funniest new show Comedy Central has debuted in a long friggin time. I hope for more and longer seasons.

Although a hit so far - a second season is on the way, and the ratings for the series debut were the highest since "Chappelle's Show" in 2003 - "Important Things With Demetri Martin" doesn't appear to have made the hugest possible splash, particularly on DVD or in comparison to some of Comedy Central's bigger shows like "The Daily Show" and "South Park." This is a shame, as the show does a fantastic job of turning Demetri Martin's signature awkward (on purpose), mundane-yet-bizarre, and hilarious comedy to life in a sketch show format. Every episode presents one "important thing" - games, power, timing, etc - and then expands on this general topic through sketches, stand-up material, and even songs. Every episode is peppered with little cartoon segments with Demetri that give Jack Handey a run for his money, recurring characters (e.g. a yellowbelt, the philosopher Demetricles, etc) and tons of great sketches and jokes. Jon Benjamin from "Home Movies" and "Dr. Katz" is a regular, and guest appearances from other greats like David Cross and John Oliver are common. Most every sketch, like Martin's comedy, are great mixes of the mundane realities of life and often absurdly funny humor around them.

The DVD itself is good quality for the most part. There are only seven episodes - the first season really was this short - but the price is right for them. There is a feast of great deleted scenes and sketches, generally entertaining and candid commentaries on four episodes and one deleted sketch (Demetri plays guitar through one of them), and a few amusing charts made by Martin that show his strange thought process in the process of making the show. The menus are sometimes a bit slow, but the aesthetic fits well with the show and uses the music from it well. The picture and sound quality are generally just fine for the source material, though viewers might be thrown off momentarily by a few scenes (including some in the intro) that are of very grainy quality; this turns out to be have been on purpose as the scenes were filmed with 70s technology to enhance the feel of the overall show. In general, this is a great show and a pretty solid DVD package that should not be missed by fans of Martin or offbeat comedy.

Demetri's quirky sense of humor is a big draw for me. I think Demetri would be more successful if he made the production PG, rather than R ish. His style of comedy does not rely on filth, so this is an unnecessary add on.

Very clever, fresh and funny. He has a delightful innocence that is refreshing. It's easily digestible since it is divided into 20-minute segments. You can watch one per evening, or two or three segments and then return a few days later to catch a few more.

My mom mentioned that she liked Demetri Martin, so I bought her this for Christmas. She loves this dvd. I can always tell when she is watching it because she is laughing for the whole length of the show. I've seen both seasons of this so I know how funny and comical Demetri is. His humor isn't for all though, so beware

I got this DVD for my boyfriend last year for Christmas. We seen his show on TV and thought it was hilarious. My boyfriend still watches it.

the most original , intellignt comedian I have seen in a very long time . I look forward to the second season!

This was a present for my grandaughter and she really enjoyed it. Received the DVD in really fast time Thumbs up!

This show, and the comedy, is fresh and quick.

THIS DVD ONLY HAS 7 EPISODES

So, its short, but still worth the $$$ if you ask me!