Terry Fator: Live from Las Vegas DVD: Review By B. Alan Orange

Terry Fator is the best-known ventriloquist in the country at the moment. And his show excels because he keeps it from being creepy. With a cavalcade of funny characters, Fator's seventy-minute showcase is one of the best Las Vegas entertainment venues going at the moment. It is best viewed live with a drink in your hand. But that said, his show works quite well on the small screen, too. His is a class act, and seldom does he tip the line of vulgarity. Sure, some of his jokes press up against the edge of tacky abandoned, but the guy is so sweet natured, his puppets definitely get away with it in this family arena. Not only is Fator good with throwing his voice, he can sing through any number of musical genres while doing it. And sometimes, he takes a moment away from his puppets to show us what he can really do vocally. Its nothing short of amazing. Its no wonder he won America's Got Talent. The guy is unique and funny. And Live From Las Vegas serves as a perfect time capsule for his act, as it is constantly changing and growing. If you're looking for some easy entertainment, this is a definite buy. It'll make a great stocking stuffer form Mom, Grandma, and Aunty Pat. Heck, you might even like it too.

There is a great commentary track here that floats between Fator, joke writer Rick Kerns, and director Mark Goffman. Fator doesn't hold anything back when talking about the history of his puppets and how he perfected his act. And Kerns is a joy to listen too, especially when he goes into the history of how he came to write jokes for Fator. There is also a second commentary with the Puppets, which is a hoot. And if you didn't get enough of Fator's backstory in the commentary, the DVD also comes with chapter one of Terry's autobiography "Who's the Dummy Now?" Which is a pretty interesting read. It will definitely sell some books.

The show is presented in its direct-to-video aspect ratio of 1.78:1, enhanced for 16:9 TVs. In Color. The runtime is one hour and eleven minutes. It hasn't been rated, but its pretty much G material with the exception of a few colorful jokes.

The show is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.

Terry's smiling face is surrounded by his cache of funny puppets. He is listed as a celebrity impressionist, singer, comedian, and ventriloquist. It's the kind of thing that tends to catch your eye from across the store isle. Those not familiar with Fator will feel compelled to pick this up out of sheer curiosity, because it looks a little crazy. The back of the box art reveals scenes from his crazy live show, with pics directly pulled from the performance. It's very joyful, and makes me feel happy just looking at it.

Terry Fator's Live Show is good old fashion entertainment. It harkens back to a bygone era, while at the same time giving us something new and exciting. Terry is funny, yet never offensive. And that seems hard to pull of in this day and age. If you are looking for an easy smile and a good way to kill time, this should do the trick. It's a keeper.