Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion DVD: Review By Mushy

Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion is a concert DVD showcasing this performers very interesting style. He comes on stage, sits at a piano and talks about his life. It seems off the cuff but everything is structured to get you to laugh. The way he plays the piano, when he plays the piano, and how he juxtaposes his delivery utilizing the piano. Zach also gets up from time to time and engages the audience in bits where they are subjects. Casually walking up to some unsuspecting people, he will ask them why they are there and then proceed to berate them all while trying not to do so. It takes a lot of skill to pull this kind of rambling, one liner act off, but Mr. Galifianakis does it with ease. Mixed in with the performance footage is an interview with Zach's "twin brother" Seth. It is something to see to say the least, and they show us just enough of it to keep the mystery of who this person is going.

Mr. Galifianakis presents a brand of humor that could best be described as scatterbrained. Looking like some brilliant, but misunderstood professor, he seems to be the kind of comedian Stanley Kubrick would have been if he hadn't become a reclusive film director.

More... and The Awkward Slapping Bit

Both of these sections feature extra concert footage. More... shows us extra pieces of Zach but it also has him discussing what is going to be on the DVD, and we are also treated to different takes of Zach in action. The The Awkward Slapping Bit is still more concert footage but here, Zach goes out into the crowd and makes an unsuspecting Asian woman very uncomfortable. After failing at trying to make her laugh, Zach eventually asks her "Did you go to a funeral today?" Not many comedians would go so far out of their way to question why their audience is watching them but Zach Galifianakis has absolutely no fear.

Outtakes From Brian Unger's Interview with Seth Galifianakis

Zach Shaves

I had to write about this section just because it's presented with no explanation yet, if you've been watching this DVD, you must watch it because you are so used to seeing this man with the red beard make you laugh. He does it like it's an everyday event and while he's doing it he's discussing his act. He then talks about the effects of not having a beard and then he stops short of shaving off his mustache. You may wonder what the point is but I can assure you that the creators of this DVD do not.

16:9 - Aspect Ratio. This movie looks like it was shot on film, even though I am almost positive it was shot on some form of high quality digital video. Considering the crowded locations, the piano music, and Zach's comedic style and tone, this DVD looks perfect. It feels very off the cuff and very captured, but it's not dirty and the picture quality, while dark in spots, gives this whole DVD a certain charm and character.

5.1 - Dolby Digital. As this is a performance piece one would expect that the audio would be really good here. It is, it's just that Zach Galifianakis talks very quick. If you're not paying attention, if you're not familiar with his brand of comedy, I could see a great deal of his humor going over your head. This DVD is very lax. It doesn't seem to have a structure yet that is precisely it's structure. All in all this is a very interesting release.

An artfully rendered shot of a tortured looking Zach Galifianakis graces the front of this DVD cover. The back features multiple shots of Zach, a well written, contained description of this show, an Extra Features listing, and some technical specs. All in all, this disc has an artful quality about it that separates it from most stand up DVDs. While I think this packaging might be kind of confusing (if you don't know who Zach Galifianakis is), I am sure that his fans will be every excited to see this disc on the shelves.

I didn't expect to like Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion as much as I did. They was this DVD is packaged, if you know nothing about this performer you would think you were getting a piano recital. In fact that is what I thought this was until I turned the cover over and read what it was about. Then I figured that he was like Jack Black and made up his own songs and whatnot. Well, after screening this DVD I realized that I was wrong about that too, which I guess is the whole point of this experience.

Zach Galifianakis presents himself as one thing but is starkly another. Seemingly bookish and stodgy, this is the kind of guy you'd imagine would be a great time at a Super Bowl party. However, once he started being showered with that kind of attention, and people wanted him to be funny, one just knows that Zach would figure out a way to change that perception.