Eddie Murphy: Raw

Plot synopsis:
The film opens with a pre-taped sketch depicting a scene from Murphy's childhood. At a family Thanksgiving in November 1968, the children take turns showing their talents to the assembled relatives (including one played by Murphy himself). Young Eddie (Deon Richmond) shocks the family with a rude joke about a monkey and a lion.
After emerging on stage for the live show, Murphy begins by discussing the angry reactions of celebrities parodied in his previous stand-up show, Delirious, specifically Mr. T and Michael Jackson, as well as homosexual viewers offended by his jokes about "faggots." Murphy then narrates a phone call he received from Bill Cosby chastising him for using profanity on stage. Angered by Cosby's assumption that his entire act was nothing but "filth flarn filth," Murphy calls Richard Pryor for advice. Pryor declares that his only concerns should be making audiences laugh and getting paid, and recommends that he tell Cosby to "Have a Coke and a smile and shut the fuck up." Murphy elaborates on his admiration for the "raw" comedy of Pryor, running through a routine from his own teenage years about defecation, in Pryor's voice. He then goes on to talk about how people who don't speak English only pick up the curse words in his act, and shout them at him on the street.
Next comes a lengthy routine about dating and relationships. Murphy explains that the rise of deadly sexually transmitted infections has motivated him to seek marriage, but the divorce of Johnny Carson and Joanna Holland (in which she sought 50% of his assets) has left him paranoid about the financial risk of marriage, concluding that "no pussy is worth $150 million." He mocks the aggression and materialism of American women (compared to the meekness of Japanese women), referring to the popularity of Janet Jackson's song "What Have You Done for Me Lately." He jokes that he intends to go deep into Africa to find a "bush bitch" who has no concept of Western culture... at least until American women convince her to stand up for herself and demand "HALF!" This develops into a broader warning to men to avoid "the pussy trap," and a warning to women that men never remain faithful — once a man has evoked a powerful orgasm from a woman ("ooohhhh!") she will tolerate all kinds of misbehavior, although she may pursue infidelity of her own.
The next segment narrates a childhood memory of his mother promising to cook him a hamburger "better than McDonald's," only to produce a disgusting "welfare burger," a lump of beef filled with onion and green peppers on Wonder Bread (while the neighborhood children show off their McDonald's hamburgers in a call-back to the ice cream segment of Delirious).
Murphy then talks about white people out on the town, criticizing their embarrassing dance moves, leading onto Italian-Americans being inspired by Rocky, then culminates to a bit about fighting in a discotheque with Deney Terrio, eventually starting a large-scale brawl after which "everybody sued me" for millions of dollars.
After the fight, Murphy calls his parents, leading to a long impression of his drunken stepfather (another call-back to a popular bit from Delirious). This final segment runs for over 10 minutes and incorporates his stepfather's habit of misquoting Motown songs (including "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", which opened the film).

Tags: comedy, humor, satire, adult comedy

Review:
If you go back and watch Richard Pryor's "live in Concert" or "Here and Now" you see that Eddie used some of Pryor's stuff, but gave it its own shot of himself (In delirious, Murphy does the "bARBQ scene/story" and he describes his aunt falling down the steps.
It is the exact same description Pryor does in "Live in Concert" when he describes black women at funerals.) RAW used all the things that made Eddie Murphy famous; his deadon imitations, and his gift for telling stories.
I can't even watch Martin Lawrence, DL Hughely, Cedric the Entertainer and a few others without noticing Eddie Murphy's influences right away.
There are some debates over which was better Raw or Delirious....they are both hilarious, but you can tell the mindset was much different only 4 years later.
In RAW, Murphy compares himself to Johnny Carson, while in Delirious he was just the most popular guy on Saturday Night Live.
RAW is one of the best and funniest concert comedies ever, and I dare someone not to laugh out loud when watching it......NOTE: This movie was reviewed in 1987 when it came out by Siskel and Ebert "AT The Movies", which was when they were getting really popular in syndication, and it spurred one of the best on-air disagreements between the two EVER.
Siskel likened RAW, and Eddie Murphy overall, as being as funny (or funnier)and outrageous as Pryor, Carlin or Lenny Bruce.
Ebert despised it, and chastised Siskel for being "immature" and he also felt that Murphy's attitudes toward women were patronizing, damaging and even went so far as to call RAW a "pale imitation of a good comedienne".
This can only work, when you tape Eddie Murphy on stage in on of the best comedy shows ever!
Whether you like Eddie Murphy or not, his performance in "Raw" is quite a show.
He even takes on his parents again and does quite a good job.Raw is not quite as funny as Delirious but it is a great follow up to his first one.7 out of 10.
Eddie Murphy is no exception now doing such things as Daddy Day Care, Imagine That (remember that?), and those countless Shrek films.But, with Eddie Murphy Raw, this was shot in 1987, when Murphy was a very vulgar and hilarious comedian.
Eddie Murphy doesn't do anything like Delirious and Raw anymore, or does any sort of stand up comedy at all.
These are two little pieces of his history that are now overshadowed by his lame kiddy comedies.Eddie Murphy Raw is a ninety minute comedy special of him performing at Madison Square Garden in NY's Felt Forum.
I'm sure Eddie cares about women, but some of the things he says about divorce is relatively, right on the money.By the end of the special, it goes a tiny bit downhill which is exceptional because most of the beginning was hilarious and very funny.
This is Eddie Murphy at his best, when he still knew how to make people laugh.
Back in 1987, at the height of his powers, Eddie released a movie version of his stand-up act Raw, a sort of follow-up to 1983's Delirious.Film at New York's Felt Room, Eddie discusses Mr T, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor (doing faultless impressions of all), Johnny Carson's costly divorce, relationships, gays, a home-made McDonalds burger that ruined his childhood etc.
Eddie Murphy raw is good.
Part of Eddie's genius is how he uses his whole body to convey his comedy, and the camera robs us of this performance by only showing him from his chest and up.You can also tell that Eddie has grown up a bit from watching this.
He is talking more about relationships and life instead of reliving memories from his childhood (which was the really, really funny stuff from Delirious).I don't want to discourage anyone from watching this, as it is still one of the best stand up routines of all time.
Quebec Rating:13+ Canadian Home Video Rating:18AI saw Eddie Murphy's Raw on BET about a month ago.I must say it is simply hilarious.Eddie Murphy is a very funny comedian and Eddie Murphy's Raw is one of my favorite stand-up comedy routines of all time.Eddie Murphy's Delirious came four years before this.It was very funny but Raw was definitely better!
There is an opening skit with an unknown Samuel L Jackson as Eddie Murphy's uncle and it goes on from there.There are plenty of funny topics such as how Bill Cosby called up Eddie Murphy to tell him that he was very vulgar,how Mr.T and Michael Jackson want to kick Eddie Murphy's a**.Eddie Murphy's childhood etc.Raw is a very funny stand up comedy routine and if you find it, watch it!
Like Richard Pryor, I must admit, it is fun to watch another foul mouthed comic, up on stage.
Though not matching the credentials of the late, brilliant insightful comic, Pryor, who I believe was even a better actor, what we have is 86 minutes guaranteed worth of raucous laughs.
I have grown up to know Eddie Murphy as the funny guy who plays multiple people in one movie, but I also knew that some time ago he was a comedian to which no ground was sacred and who wore some crazy outfits.
Luckily I was able to watch one of his classic comedy routines recently, Raw.The greatest part of Eddie's routine was his impersonations.
Another great thing is that he tells the humorous truth about things like relationships and how people act and think.This movie/performance proves that Eddie Murphy is one of the greatest comedians out there.
I will be looking out for more old Eddie Murphy stand up DVDs and I hope he goes back to his old ways..
Live in New York, Eddie Murphy may well look quite ridiculous in his purple jumpsuit but he holds the stage really well in this large arena.
Director Townsend doesn't really help him by having the camera tight on him so much either; Murphy's energy is in his whole body so the close shots reduce this somewhat  plus the whole setup makes it hard to appreciate the audience being in the room.Overall though a funny and energetic show from Murphy.
Even when he would do things like Delirious and Raw he would still be really funny and when he did stand up he was uncensored.
After all, I'm a fan of everything Eddie Murphy did in the 80's, and RAW was one of the few holes still left unfilled.
Eddie doesn't talk about as many subjects as you'd expect from a 90 minute film, so mostly he just drones on and on about something that wasn't too funny in the first place.
And he sure loves to entertain - you can tell that from the sudden ending, which almost seemed like Eddie was interrupting himself.On the downside, the flashback scene at the beginning was a little unnecessary, during the actual stand-up performance the camera was too close - we missed out on Eddie's attempts to do the Moonwalk - and I felt no particular urge to watch RAW a second time.
Best bits: Eddie's impersonation of Bill Cosby and his idol, Richard Pryor, and the story about the wife alone in the Bahamas (Man, I loved that microphone-swinging!).Now, how about screening Delirious as well?.
eddie murphy raw is very funny to a point.
the funniest parts include the bill cosby, and richard pryor imitations, and the part about eddie wanting a mcdonald's hamburger as a kid.
it  lost so much momentum toward the end, but i still watch eddie murphy raw a lot to see the hilarious moments before.
A little disappointing compared to Delirious, however, Raw manages to deliver a few laughs in this stand up comedy sketch.
Murphy remains supremely funny in Raw, but it cannot be denied that the goods are on Delirious.
If you've never seen Delirious, I strongly recommend watching that before dipping your toes into Raw, but you have been warned, Eddie Murphy is DIRTY!
Highly offensive, jam packed with enough material to keep you laughing for over 90 minutes, Eddie Murphy is an undisputed champ of stand up comedy film of the 1980's.
That Live Act was Eddie Murphy at his best.
It's a great gift to hear Eddie talk about various stuff and often his physiognomy is especially funny..
Eddie Murphy's stand-up show RAW is by far the funniest stand-up show I've ever seen.
Eddie Murphy raw is a great comedy from the 80's.
Second only to Richard pryor live on the sunset strip.If you don't like it then black stand up comedy just isn't for you simple..
The first time i watched delirious (his first performance) and i cried with laughter my friend watched it and he was still laughing an hour after he saw it i hope eddy does another performance, watch delirious then RAW then compare for yourself but now its up 2 me 4 another kick ass comedy performance!!!
Eddie Murphy raw..
Eddie Murphy raw..
Back in the '80's Eddie Murphy was really one of the most popular comedy actors.
He however early in his career did not only do movies but also did a couple of legendary stand-up shows, such as this one.You can tell by the crowds reaction how popular Murphy was at the time.
So not much else to this movie really but a very raw, filmed, stand-up show.It's not hard to see why Murphy was so good and popular for this sort of stuff.
Basically what Murphy does a lot is insulting basically every group of people but the way he does it makes it all very fun to watch.
Of course some of the stuff is somewhat outdated now days, since like basically all stand-up comedians, they focus on what's hot and now at the present time.
This show was from 1987, so some jokes and references might not come across as powerful or striking as they did back in those days.One thing Murphy stands out in are his impersonations.
But he basically makes fun of every group of people, like Italians and just plain men and women in general.It's a real fun and good watch and great to see an energetic Eddie Murphy in his prime and at his peak.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/.
Raw is one of the best, in fact, The best stand up comedy show I have ever seen in my life.
Delirious was good, but Raw is 10 times better.
Eddie Murphy always manages to make people laugh to an extreme where we are just astonished.
Eddie Murphy was a long way from shooting family films and political correctness was obviously not on many people's agendas either.
There's no disputing that Eddie Murphy is and was a comic genius as this is evident in both Raw and his other stand-up film 'Delirious'.
Eddie Murphy circa-1987 on the other hand lambasts all before him in an amazing hour plus-long stand-up routine that doesn't stop for air.
Raw seals all the cracks that appear in Murphy's first concert movie, Delirious, with the performance and material being more mature and competent in front of the audience.Murphy combines spot-on celebrity impressions with observational humour.
I feel like a philistine suggesting that this seminal stand-up movie isn't as good as its reputation, but over 15 years later it does feel a little bit passé.Okay, there's the 80s title sequences, weak editing and misjudged direction (including Eddie aping Michael Jackson's Moonwalk - shot in close-up) but maybe the real problem is the material.
All fine until the mainstream absorbs it, then it ends up being rather quaint when history comes to judge it.That's not to say that Raw isn't funny, but Murphy's overused shock tactics of profanity now seem rather desperate and antiquated.
Eddie Murphy is a true giant of comedy.
Eddie does a hilarious impersonation of Cosby when he recollects how he phoned him and told him he was offended by the filthy language that he used in his act and how his son Ennis was "corrupted" at an Eddie Murphy concert.
Eddie Murphy Raw is the second stand up film Eddie Murphy did and it's just as funny.
EDDIE MURPHY : RAW (1987) ** 1/2  Murphy in his vulgar inflected concert at The Felt Forum who manages to offend everything from monogomy to Bill Cosby with some of his talent tarnished by his disarming language (i.e. Richard Pryor uses it with more panache and sounds legit).
Dickerson didn't do a decent job lighting a color film until DO THE RIGHT THING.Then there is Eddie Murphy's performance.
This film is strictly for die-hard Eddie Murphy fans..
I'm no angel...and I love a good stand-up routine with plenty of profanity...but "Eddie Murphy Raw" was just over the top nasty!
My wife and I were at the drive-in theater when this came out back in 87...I was all set for some killer comedy, since "Delirious" was funny as hell and "Eddie Murphy" was one of my favorite acts during those years.
The second deals with your own personality as the vocabulary is more vulgar in Raw.Last thing to note here is that both are extremely offensive at times and sensitive people should really be thinking twice before watching either....
We're used to the original, and anything different from the original would be highly criticized.I saw Raw before I saw Delirious, and I thought it was the best stand-up comedy session I've ever seen (and yes, I've seen Richard Pryor).
It was like a well-written thought-out essay where the major jokes & points are brought back multiple times throughout the entire performance such as "What have you done for me lately?" When I saw Delirious, after everyone told me it was better than Raw, I was disappointed to see Eddie taking pictures and talking to the crowd while he was thinking about what he was going to say next.
Also, Delirious did not have relationship-related comedy, the backbone of the funny jokes in Raw.I was constantly trying to compare it to Raw and fell into the trap of comparing something new to something I've already seen.
This live stand-up isn't just your normal stand-up comedy where you only laugh at half of the stuff and then walkaway forgetting all thats funny about it.
Instead this will make you laugh so much you would a have a aching belly and jaw - I couldn't stop smiling for a second.Eddie Murphy is just brilliant(still second to Richard Prior R.I.P) his creative flare shown in this really show everything that a good stand-up is made of and ain't nobody on this level out today.
Chris Rock probably being the closest everybody with "good sensors of humours" needs to get this on DVD its so good forget about Def Comedy Jam and all that other rubbish, Eddie Murphy in his prime kicks ass.The jokes to do with Mcdonald's burgers, relationships, sex and Italians are guaranteed to please..
I have heard a lot of romance comedy (sex, little things, different kinds of women), but in this film Murphy takes it to another level.
As this is my first Eddie Murphy stand-up special (a long-time admirer of his SNL & old-school movie work) I was caught off guard perhaps- I knew his stand-up ranked with pretty high, as it was the kind of material that influenced the likes of Chris Rock.
I saw this film when it came out in 1987,and it shows a vibrant,very energetic,and very frank and controversial Eddie Murphy coming out of the scene before a live audience and talking about what comes naturally which features stuff about racism,sexual content,Bill Cosby,Danny Terrio,Rick James,Coca-Cola,Wonder Bread,McDonald's,and the whole Hollywood system as a whole,and not to mention his status as a superstar.
Yes,this was the great Eddie Murphy,uncut,uncensored,and most of all uncontrollable with very graphic and persuasive language and explicit detail,and this is one funny ass concert film that brings in the laughs non-stop all within 90 minutes.
If all counts check out the beginning of this film which starts with Eddie Murphy's childhood and it is flat out funny..
Eddie Murphy is one of the greatest comedians ever.
Eddie is the only comedian that i haven't grown out of and i am proud to say that i still laugh as hard at this movie now as i did a few years ago
If you're easily offended by profanity and a nothing-is-sacred (and not the watered-down Comedy Central version) attitude, then Eddie Murphy's stand-up is not for you.
It is Eddie Murphy doing what he does best - making people laugh while talking about his own life, performing brilliant impersonations and talking about his personal opinions on love and marriage.
Text-book stand-up act from Eddie Murphy you can watch over and over again!.
The great thing about Murphy's stand up act is that it has a message and is funny at the same time.
Eddie Murphy Raw is definitely a 'must see' movie!.
A stand-up comedy movie that's too raw to handle..
There isn't a whole lot about RAW except for a stool and a microphone stand.....and, of course, Eddie Murphy who is great at celebrity impersonations (good) and speaking out "F" words (bad).
Eddie is just so funny in this one all the jokes works.
The funny thing, though, is that watching it for the seventeenth time was just as much fun.
The impressions Eddie Murphy does are close to perfect and each joke is placed carefully inside a very well-thought story.
If you want some really big and breath-taking laughs, you simply MUST watch Eddie Murphy Raw!.
Superstar Eddie Murphy makes up some amusing as well as downright funny jokes about love, sex, marriage, alimony, and the differences between his humor and that of Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor in director Robert Townsend's 90-minute film "Eddie Murphy Raw," the stand-up comic's second concert, lensed at New York City's Felt Forum.