Product: Billy Connolly: Live in New York (2006)
Rating: 5.0
First time viewer
I first remembered Billy Connolly in Boondock Saints, and I thought, this is a cool guy. Then I started looking up some other things about him recently after hearing him on the movie "Brave", like how he was on Muppet Treasure Island as Billy Bones (And how he was the only person to ever be killed by a muppet). I never knew he was a stand up comedian, because quite frankly, my generation just saw him as "Poppa" of Boondock Saints fame.So I started visiting these media channels and hearing about Mr. Connolly's standup bits. I told myself that I was going to gather up the funds one day and purchase a DVD or CD and just listen to him. Well that event came yesterday at a thrift store, where I found this used DVD of Billy Connolly Live In New York. The DVD looked perfect for being used. Apparently this wasn't someone's cup of tea, or they loved it so much they took great care of the DVD.Either way, I went to watching the DVD with a fresh pair of eyes. I've stopped watching the majority of stand up comedy because of all the cursing and toilet humor. For instance, I loved seeing Richard Pryor in the movies, but when it came up to his stand up comedy, I stayed far away. I can't watch Comedy Central's Roast of anyone because it comes off to me as a humor I'll never understand. Someone made the comment on here that Robin Williams loves what Billy Connolly does in his act, and how Billy Connolly improvises a lot of things. Robin Williams is a great improvisor, but the commenter said that Robin also hides behind characters and some scripted parts.Jeff Dunham and Robin Williams are my two favorite stand up comedians, and I figured Billy Connolly would be an ethnic flair on things, being so used to American comedians. I wasn't let down. I found myself laughing (sadly) about the poor woman who got thrown out of the double decker bus bit from Mr. Connolly. We have the Scottish Games and there is a double decker bus that goes there every year, considering that the UK got rid of those buses years ago. So I'll have to go on the bus next year with Billy Connolly's story in mind. I could have done without the last bit on the show that Billy Connolly did involving a sleeping bag and an ill woman, but the rest of the show I found highly amusing. He would shout the f word, even going on and on at one time without stopping, but I take into account his Scottish ancestry and the stereotypes that they will shout cuss words all the time like a sailor, as false as it may be.I got tired of hearing these comedians say the n word, and drawing on the same old materials that other comedians have repeated before them. At least with Billy, I was treated to an improvised opera, a trip on a bus, a tattoo convention, and a improvised moment on a Vegemite stain. I don't recall Mr. Connolly ever speaking ill of black people, or stereotyping them as thugs/gangsters/what have you on this DVD. So Billy has taken a new seat in my small choice of stand up comedians, and he ranks up there with Robin Williams in first place in my book.