George's Best Stuff (1996)
Film:
DVD:

Written & Performed by George Carlin
Directed by Rocco Urbisci

Released by: MPI.
Rating: NR; but it's George Carlin, so use your discretion
Region: 1
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Rent it.

George Carlin has long been on the cutting edge, some might say bleeding edge, of comedy. He was the one who pioneered the art of swearing on television, with his "Seven Words" bit. He also was able to dissect the human condition and, in ten out of nine cases, pare it down to just what absurd little monkeys we are. His "A Place for My Stuff" is, well, the stuff of comedic legend, and "Losing Things" is something that everyone can relate to--and smack themselves about the head and shoulders for.

This collection is basically a best of compilation of 1977-1990 Carlin material, just when he started to get a little bit too bitter for everyone and slowly turning into a shock comic like Bill Hicks or Sam Kinison, but with one-tenth of their humor. These days, he's much better off in filmwork than behind a microphone. It's sad, but it's true. So this volume collects some of his best bits from those halcyon days--and anyone who hasn't been introduced to Carlin would be hard-pressed to find a better ninety minutes to do so with.

Granted, there's some stuff missing--Carlin's essay regarding how tennis is ping pong played while standing on the table springs easily to mind--but that's probably a rights issue more than a recognition of it as classic Carlin. The audio and video are all in good enough shape, considering the age of some of the footage and the fact it was shot for television. There are no features, which is a shame. A ten minute interview or so with Carlin explaining some of the pieces or perhaps other comedians putting the work in context (because let's face it, the "Seven Words" don't shock today like they used to) would have been good. Even a cheesy intro by Carlin for the disc would have been something. But the material carries the disc and makes it into at least a solid rental.