Customer Reviews

Thou Shalt Laugh 4

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing an advance copy of THOU SHALT LAUGH 4 that was sent to Christian retailers all over the country. Let me tell you - it's the best one yet. From beginning to end, the comedians are dazzling. Normally on previous TSL's the comedians are hit or miss, but not on #4. They're all great.

This latest version is hosted by John Tesh. Tesh, while definitely not a comedian, is a pro and an engaging host who keeps the show moving along nicely. But on a stand-up comedy DVD, I'm looking for nothing but funny from the comedians. And on that score, Thou Shalt Laugh 4 delivers in spades.

I was at the taping for this DVD in Corpus Christi TX They moved some of the comedians around for the DVD, but they are all here. I had just seen two of the comedians, Joe Wong and Isaac Witty, on Letterman a month or two ago. I was interested in if they would change their set much, and this DVD has the best of their Letterman routines plus lots of new material. I love Isaac Witty's delivery - he makes you laugh even when he is not talking! Wong has an unusual style - kind of like Steven Wright - long pauses where he spends time looking at the audience after a joke. Rex Havens had great observational humor with unbelievably funny segments about weddings. Taylor Mason was funny as usual - but his bit on the piano with John Tesh was classic. Michael Jr. was the most overtly Christian of all the comedians. But his descriptions of "oversaved" and "creepy" Christians was funny and uncomfortably too close for comfort. Finally, the funniest for me was Dana Daniels. I had seen some of his clips on You Tube the last couple of years and I was looking forward to his set. He didn't disappoint! His set seems to have a lot of improv as he keeps the same performance structure as the You Tube clips - the same but completely different as he reacts to his co-star, Luigi the parrot and audience members. He was worth the price of admission himself.

All this is held together professionally by John Tesh, who is humorous but his main job is get the real comedians on and off.

Overall, this is the best DVD in the series. While the rest of the series had some real highlights, this entire DVD is consistently drop on your knees hilarious. Thou Shalt Laugh #3 was a little edgier (some in my group think too much so), but this is funnier and "cleaner". I can't think of a better gift for yourself or any family member.

This is the first version of TSL I've had the pleasure of watching and it delivers! I was not familiar with most of the comedians, so it was a pleasure to be introduced to them. John Tesh does a great job of holding things together and his 'bits' are pretty funny, but the real work comes from the individual comedians. Each has his own style and they are varied enough to hold your interest and all are funny in their own right. Taylor Mason shows how incredibly diverse a talent he is, going from stand-up to ventriloquism to piano. Isaac Witty's Bible Map bit is very funny and Michael Jr's bit on 'overly Christians' is very funny. However, I think the funniest performer on the DVD is Dana Daniels. I've seen Dana in the past and in my opinion is one of the funniest comedians in the business. As you might guess by the title and cover, this is a Christian-based show and as a result, there are several references to Christianity, but it also means that you can show it to any group without worrying that the language or content will offend. I highly recommend this video.

My husband and I love great comedy. There is NOTHING like having a "good laugh"!!!!

Unfortunately, much of the comedy out there (that's actually funny) is definitely more rated "R" than "PG". We have honestly grown tired of crass and "over the top" humor that borders on offensive. Thou Shalt Laugh 4 was such a welcome change of pace for us.

It's really funny....something that I was afraid "Christian humor" couldn't pull off. The comedians talk of everyday life stuff. Family dynamics, male/female dynamics, and many of other relatable topics. We enjoyed every minute and I don't hesitate to recommend it!

I was a little iffy about this DVD, given that I'm not exactly in their target demographic. But I found the material to be surprisingly funny, despite the family-friendly nature.

It's definitely not for everyone, but would be a great video to have running if you've got a family friendly business operation or something to that effect.

This provides a mix of comedians. Some were humorous. Some were more lame than funny or humorous. The comedians are all suitable for the entire family, so you can feel confident in watching it with your kids.

There is an obvious emphasis on being unoffensive, even "Christian" (culturally Christian, like the I have a Christian dog, Christian cat, and Christian lawn, nothing to do with doctrine kind of Christian) in these routines. I have to admit, I am immediately skeptical of any of these Christian-trying-to-emulate-something-the-world-does kinds of products. Nevertheless, my wife and I definitely laughed and thoroughly enjoyed most of this dvd.

The magician was poor, but the rest of the routines were funny, some (Joe Wong in particular) were even incredibly memorable. I could definitely see us watching this again in the future. That in and of itself was a pleasant surprise.

All they got out of me was a few smiles, no laughs. I thought the first and second comics were pretty entertaining, but the other four had many cringe-worthy moments. I can't believe the people in the audience were laughing at these lame jokes. Maybe they have never been exposed to good comedy or the DVD was edited to make it seem they were laughing at almost everything that was said. Clean comedy is almost unheard of nowadays and it was refreshing, but the majority of this group just wasn't funny. I know many people in everyday life way funnier than these guys.

This is the christian media world trying to be hip, part 6000. John Tesch hosts a string of decent comedians as they try to marry stand up comedy with the Word. I'd say it works most of the time, and gets about as far as Donny and Marie in the wink-wink department. If you want harmless christian humor that doesn't preach, and actually DOES manage to make you smile a bit, this is it. I guess.

Realizing that different people have different opinions on what is funny and what is not, I am rating this DVD as 4 stars for my own sense of humor, which tends to be somewhat wide-ranged from subtle to almost slap-stick.

Three of the six comedians on this DVD really impressed me, especially Rex Havens, the lead-off one. His bit about car names, men and women, and shoes was hilarious. Joe Wong, the second presenter, had a few good lines, but his pace was way too slow - something he shared with many of the other comedians. Dana Daniels, the magician/comedian, was a bit slow-paced, but his interaction with the people he volunteered from the audience was outstanding. He was very quick with funny comebacks and his overall act was quite entertaining. Michael Jr. was excellent in spots, but was not consistently funny (to me). Isaac Witty did not keep my attention, so I'm not sure if that was my fault or his. The last comedian on the DVD was Taylor Mason, a very talented ventriloquist/pianist with a high energy level who was the perfect choice for closing the show.

Although there were several lines about Christians from a few of the comedians, the humor was not overtly Christian throughout. My favorite one, Rex Havens, joked about everyday experiences that men and women have and elevated simple observations to hilarious insights.
John Tesh did an outstanding job as MC. His attempts at humor were well accepted by the audience and even made me smile.

I enjoyed watching the DVD and plan to have it handy so I can view it the next time I need a good laugh. It will be something I can safely show to friends and family when they visit.