"IMPORTANT THINGS WITH DEMETRI MARTIN: SEASON ONE"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Demetri Martin as HIMSELF Not Rated Studio: Comedy Central Created by: Demetri Martin Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Demetri Martin uses his Comedy Central series to talk about important things... like brains, games, power, chairs, timing, safety and coolness. This DVD collects the first season of his series which features stand-up comedy, sketches, short films and other assorted silliness. Told with a dry humor perspective and a retro look and feel, “Important Things with Demetri Martin” tries to make you think and laugh at the same time, which might lead to injury of the brain.
WHAT I LIKED
As an avid “South Park” fan, I saw “Important Things with Demetri Martin” advertised heavily during this past season. And while I never actually watched it in its original broadcast run, I did enjoy having a chance to see it on DVD.
With so many shows going for the hip, loud structure, it was oddly refreshing to watch Martin’s minimalist approach to “Important Things.” The series uses 70s retro clothing, Super8 film footage and a production design that would make Wes Anderson proud to give us a slower burn of a sketch comedy show.
Each episode opens with Martin’s stand-up, which is extremely funny but still very low-key. The episodes continue with filmed sketches, sometimes with recurring characters (like the Renaissance artist De Nici). This gives the show a feel similar to “Mr. Show with Bob and David” or the old Canadian “Kids in the Hall” series. It doesn’t do any live sketches like SNL, but that’s okay because it is partly how “Important Things” distinguishes itself from other shows.
“Important Things with Demetri Martin” would crash and burn on network television because it’s not produced for the lowest common denominator. Instead, it’s an extremely smart series that exists on the fringe of comedy. Martin and company mine the funny out of very mundane situations and often give a fresh perspective on the sketches.
I’m looking forward to season two, and I plan to watch after “South Park” airs this time around.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Like any sketch comedy show, there are jokes and gags that fall flat. However, the ratio of fail:succeed is still pretty small, and that’s refreshing.
The only real problem I have with the series is how short it is. I know that cable series only have a season’s run in the low teens, but this show has only seven episodes on the single disc. I hope season two, which begins in 2010, will have more important things to talk about.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD comes with a nice array of bonus features, especially considering how short the actual season is. In addition to a commentary on four episodes, there’s a nice selection of deleted scenes, including one with commentary. Normally, I’m not really jazzed about deleted scenes, but for a show like this that is really just an amalgamation of jokes, these unaired moments are more funny material.
There’s also production graphs that Demetri Martin used to illustrate his concepts, as well as a mini poster and a sticker.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of dry humor and anyone who wants a non-traditional variety show.
