Amazon.com

Like its fellow HBO series Sex and the City, this half-hour comedy broke some TV rules and went from critics' darling to an award-winning series in three years. Curb Your Enthusiasm is the brainchild of star-creator Larry David who co-created Seinfeld and was the basis for the easily rattled George Costanza (who was played by Jason Alexander). Like George, David has a tendency to speak too much, blow things out of proportion, and, most often, fail in the end (and often liking it that way). David's new show is also like its predecessor: it's about "nothing" except following the day-to-day ramblings of a sometime writer and comic (this time in L.A.). Eternal questions stemming from universal daily dilemmas are honed to perfect comedic absurdity. A notable exception is the show is only scripted by plot; much of the action is improvised. The first season starts with a one-hour mockumentary following David's return to stand-up for the first time in years; the other 10 episodes follow a more traditional sit-com setup.

David plays "himself" (as does his friend, Richard Lewis) although his manager and wife are played by comedians Jeff Garlin and Cheryl Hines. Although this first season is a comedic gem, one can't take more than an episode or two at a time--it's acidic, biting comedy. The episodes are often built like a house of cards, which the irritable David will surely collapse by the end. Like another caustic TV character, Dabney Colman's Buffalo Bill (1983-84), Larry David is not for everybody. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (164)

Season 2 coming soon?
The only bad thing about this DVD set is that with only 10 episodes, you are left wanting more. The show truly got funnier as it went into the second season, and many of the well-known classics are from season 2. Season 1, however, is packed full of the humor that has made this show an instant classic.

Essentially, as most of you know, Curb Your Enthusiasm is Seinfeld with the "F" word. When you first watch this show you realize exactly how integral Larry David was to Seinfeld. That same sort of humor completely permeates all these shows. Will they ever run out of uncomfortable situations for Larry to find himself in? It sure doesn't seem like it.

This disc is a great value. Each episode has a little description and preview to it (a mini-trailer, so to speak), and some of them have commentaries, which are often hilarious. There is also an extended interview with Bob Costas. This is terrific - many clips from season two are shown and a great deal of insight is revealed as to how the show is written, produced, and filmed. And lastly, there is the one hour documentary that started it all - the special that HBO originally did with Larry David that spawned the show. The only negative thing - there isn't a "play all" option on the DVD, where you just hit one button and let it play through all episodes. This would be helpful for me, since I often put it on in the background while I'm working, and I don't like to stop after each episode and scroll to the next one.

If you have seen this show and even remotely enjoyed it, buy it immediately - it will grow on you with each episode. If you haven't seen it but liked Seinfeld and aren't easily offended, I can recommend purchasing it - it's worth the risk. You'll not only laugh yourself silly, you'll also find a stimulating new use for Tabasco sauce.

One of the finest TV-to-DVD Sets
(...)
What happens when you mix Charlie Brown, Woody Allen, Ziggy, and Los Angeles? You get Larry David's "Curb your Enthusiasm." The DVD of Season one is out, and packs a walloping 360 minutes of content on 2 discs.

Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld, stars as, well..., himself: Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld, whose daily life is more bizarre and absurd than anything he could possible write about. Cheryl Hines plays Cheryl David, a remarkably patient and wife to Larry. Jeff Garlin plays Jeff Greene, Larry's agent and long-time friend. Other cameos in the series include Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and multiple recurrences of Richard Lewis, all who play themselves.

The series is shot on digital video, in a documentary, hand-held style that emphasizes realism. Another unique quality is that the scripts are based on improvised dialogue; the scenes sometimes contain exceptionally long takes which feel utterly real and unscripted. The two discs span season one, encompassing 10 episodes which remarkably work well on their own, and even better in sequence, as some storylines connect from show to show. Standout episodes include "The Pants Tent", a show that will have some of us men re-evaluating our wardrobes, "The Bracelet", an episode which explores helping out those in need, and the final episode of year one, "The Group" which can be described as watching a train wreck in slow motion. There is no nudity or violence to speak of, but there is an occasional profanity as the dialogue is naturalistic. Some of the shows also deal with mature themes (see "The Group", "Porno Gil", "Affirmative Action"), but in a funny, real, and honest way. This is very much like Seinfeld, just with a PG-13 rating.

The series is presented in Full screen (TV ratio) format, and is a suitable transfer. Since it was shot on digital video, and transferred to DVD, there are no artifacts to speak of, but the typical garish colors, occasional blown highlights, and slight fuzziness that are associated with video are present here, but overall, it looks good. Sound is presented in an archaic 2.0 format, but for a show like this, it's not expected to shine in this area. The audio is clean and crisp, but you won't obviously use this as a demo for your new surround system.

The special features include a one-hour comedy special, in true "mockumentary" style, that follows Larry David as he negotiates with HBO to produce a stand-up comedy show. There is also, disappointingly, only one commentary track - Episode one, "The Pants Tent", which teams up Larry David, Cheryl Hines, and Jeff Garlin, who banter back and forth from the hilarious "We decided the night before we wouldn't have kids in the episode because we'd have to put stuff on the fridge", to the serious, where Jeff Garlin reveals at the end of the episode how his stroke had effected his speech.

Another extra, a 30 minute interview with Larry David conducted by Bob Costas is included, but contains sparse substance or insight. Curiously and regrettably absent are any real behind the scenes outtakes, bloopers, or improv sessions. Discs similar such as "Office: Season One" contain such gems and they really enhance the show for fans and viewers alike.

Great comedy has been described as "ordinary people in extraordinary situations", and that is this series. Woody Allen trademarked neurotic behavior and modern improv acting in cinema, and Larry David follows in his footsteps. As a fan of "Seinfeld", as well as BBC's "Office" series, "Spinal Tap", and Christopher Guest's other improv offerings "Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", and "A Mighty Wind", I consistently find this type of humor and acting refreshing - and often brilliant. The writing is painfully razor-sharp, the acting is magical, and the whole series plays as one hilarious tragic real-life situation after another. The cast, top to bottom, make the show go, with Larry's wife an incredibly talented co-lead. Even the side characters, including Mike Meyer's wife, are more than solid. The shows including Richard Lewis, in a hilarious turn as himself, are my favorites, "Pants Tent" and "The Bracelet".

I find some insider jokes in this series, but the everyday/everyman storylines dominate more often than not. If you love truly smart, sometimes subtle, sometimes controversial humor, this is for you. I haven't shown it to anyone who hasn't enjoyed it one way or another. I buy few TV series on DVD and I consider this one of my finest. Highly Recommended. Purchase it now, thank me later, and please guys - Watch for the "Pants Tent".

Curb Your Enthusiasm with the Larry David
Funny show. But not better than Seinfeld.

The Absolute Best Show in the History of Television
Curb Your Enthusiam is by far the funniest show I have ever seen. I have never laughed so much in my life. Larry David is a comedic genious,some of the situations he gets himself into are unbelievable. Some people say it is like Seinfeld,I say its ten times better and I loved Seinfeld. Without a doubt you should buy this dvd.

Dull
An incredibly dull man does dull things for what seems like most of your life. Makes you understand how Bin Laden recruits ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Awesome
The third season on CYE is the best of the four, though all of them are hilarious. But if you buy only one season, make it the third. Ted Danson is a regular character and is very funny, as always. Its a great season of a great show.

The difinative season of Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm
-Season three episode guide:

301- Chet's Shirt (9/15/02)

302- The Benadryl Brownie (9/22/02)

303- Club Soda and Salt (9/27/02)

304- The Nanny (10/6/02)

305- The Terrorist Attack (10/13/02)

306- The Special Section (10/20/02)

307- The Corpse-Sniffing Dog (10/27/02)

308- Crazy-Eyez Killah (11/3/02)

309- Mary, Joseph, and Larry (11/10/02)

310- The Grand Opening (11/17/02)

The first season of Curb Lacks the kind of overall plot connecting the episodes that the most recent three seasons have had. The second season steered Curb in a very "Seinfeld" direction as Larry begins to pitch a TV series (Starring, initially, Jason Alexander, and later Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to several networks, very similar to Seinfeld's fourth season. Finally, it seems, Curb Your Enthusiasm "found itself", so to speak, with its third season. The third season's plot finds Larry investing in a resturaunt along with several other celebrities.

So finally, after a hectic albeit funny first and second season, the show settled down and focused on connecting and inter-weaving the episodes in really interesting and unique ways while still leaving each open-ended enough to be enjoyed alone. The time Curb saved slimming down non-plot-essential information went into a good deal of critically needed character development. Remarkably, the deepest character in the first two seasons is Larry's manager, Jeff.

Luckily, Larry and Cheryl are at the core of almost every aspect of the third season. Their family lives are fleshed-out in much greater detail, making both seem infinitely more human. And this character-development allowed Curb Your Enthusiasm, in my opinion, to become truly great.

-Colin George

a very wonderful show
this show has been very funny to luagh at. this series is very funny in alot of ways tat are different from any other show. it looks like live television, and looks unlike another show, buit the context of this show is a fortune. yes there arent many episodes a season, but if you watch to many at one time you will get burned out on it. rent first and see if you injoy then buy later like i did. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like its fellow HBO series Sex and the City, this half-hour comedy broke some TV rules and went from critics' darling to an award-winning series in three years. Curb Your Enthusiasm is the brainchild of star-creator Larry David who co-created Seinfeld and was the basis for the easily rattled George Costanza (who was played by Jason Alexander). Like George, David has a tendency to speak too much, blow things out of proportion, and, most often, fail in the end (and often liking it that way). David's new show is also like its predecessor: it's about "nothing" except following the day-to-day ramblings of a sometime writer and comic (this time in L.A.). Eternal questions stemming from universal daily dilemmas are honed to perfect comedic absurdity. A notable exception is the show is only scripted by plot; much of the action is improvised. The first season starts with a one-hour mockumentary following David's return to stand-up for the first time in years; the other 10 episodes follow a more traditional sit-com setup. David plays "himself" (as does his friend, Richard Lewis) although his manager and wife are played by comedians Jeff Garlin and Cheryl Hines. Although this first season is a comedic gem, one can't take more than an episode or two at a time--it's acidic, biting comedy. The episodes are often built like a house of cards, which the irritable David will surely collapse by the end. Like another caustic TV character, Dabney Colman's Buffalo Bill (1983-84), Larry David is not for everybody.

The second season is more of the same, and for fans, that's a good thing. The closest thing to an arc is David's season-long pitch to the networks for a new show starring former Seinfeld stars Jason Alexander and Julia-Louis Dreyfus. Each network is lampooned, especially HBO, which David has a bad history with in this alternate world. Sure to repel those with soft funny bones, Curb's acerbic comedy allows jokes where David is accidentally framed--if ever so briefly--as a child molester, wife abuser, or murderer. But for those who do love his shtick, there are big laughs, especially when we bump into characters as unbridled as David, like a fellow writer who is quite protective over his dad's invention, the Cobb salad. Many comic actors pop up, some as "themselves" (Richard Lewis, Rob Reiner) and others as characters (Rita Wilson, Ed Asner) along with the delights of co-stars Cheryl Hines as David's wife and his affable manger, Jeff Garlin. There are several touchstone bits: what a thong brief can do to a relationship, a run-in with pro wrestler, Larry's first baptism, and one very collectible doll. To pick one episode to capture this second season--and its grandstanding nature--it would be "Shaq," in which the NBA star is accidentally tripped, changing David's usual bad luck with gut-busting results. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Daddy Day Care: Daddy'll Fall Asleep
Daddy Day Care seems like the perfect kids comedy. Don't get me worng, it is. But the daddies might snooze off during it. When a father gets fired from his job, he starts a day care center for kids. Eddie Murphy doesn't look happy doing this little kiddy-joke comedy, but his acting is still grade-A. All the good jokes are given away on the commercial. The movie still ain't bad, for a kid flick. Each child in the movie you get to know better and better and every character as his/her own funny joke. The movie keeps kids awake, but age 20 and up might find it boring. Daddy Day Care is 90 minutes, just enough to cram all the jokes and punchlines into. The ending is happy, the characters are happy and the movie itself seems happy. Bottom Line: There's better movies out there, but if the latest box-office hit is sold out, Daddy Day Care is the way to go.

Fun for the whole family
We first went and saw Daddy Day Care at the theater and really enjoyed it. My mother in law bought it for our family for Christmas and we have watched it 3 times since, and I laugh more and more each time. Eddie Murphy is truly a genius. I enjoyed his hard core stand up comedy, his Beverly Hills Cop movies, Coming to America, etc. and now am enjoying watching him in family movies like the Dr. Dolittles and Daddy Day Care. It is good clean fun our family can enjoy together, and that is rare nowadays. The little boy who plays Murphy's son is absolutely precious, and the casting for everyone was perfect, from Murphy's wife to his day care business partners.

I have read reviews where people thought the movie was juvenile. Well, it is about children, so I don't know what the expectation was. Anyone who has spent time with little kids, or has kids of their own will definitely appreciate this hysterically funny film.

The special features are fun too. There are interviews with the kids, and the kids do some interviewing too. Great music also!

Great flick
What do you have when two cereal promotional guys are fired off from the only thing they know how to do and they bills are piling up, and they need a job badly? In the same time, you need to find a good day care center for the kids when both parental units are off to work and find work. The main problem is, it is hard to find any at least a daycare that is trustworthy to even leave your kids and not to worry at all if it is safe enough and cheap!

So back to question to unemployment. What do you do? Open an excellent daycare yourself! Open a business up! The only problem is you have a very strong and able competition, from an established day care which act like preschool. And the owner is very keen to keep every kid in her daycare not anybody else's.

Much to add, there is a short animated movie in this dvd set and you gotta watch it *grins* Early Bloomer is the cutest animation I have ever seen and I must admit of watching it repeatitively way too many times hehehe

Good for a Laugh
The movie isn't dealing with profound concepts and ideas, but it is a light hearted movie that provides many laughs. Very enjoyable.

a very cute kids movie
if you have a choice between this or the haunted mansion get this this movie is a very good kids movie that the whole family will enjoy. All of the characters are awesome ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Intermittently funny, but generally inane and faux chic
"Full Frontal" is built on a remarkably juvenile screenplay by performance artist Coleman Hough; it's pretty amazing director Steven Soderbergh saw anything in it. It's literate enough, but about all the neurotic, postmodern things we've grown to loathe: weird sexual fetishes, the debate of "reality" vs. "unreality", that two-degrees-of-separation-in-LA material, and, finally, unnervingly, Hollywood mechanics. We did not need another ludicrous, didactic structural analysis of Hollywood.

Boy do we get it. "Full Frontal" begins with an introduction of the characters through series of random, purposeless monologues drawn from different points in the film, then the opening scene of what looks like a big budget romance movie between an actor (Blair Underwood) and a journalist (Julia Roberts), just staged and false enough to let you know it's winking, before commencing with seemingly unrelated subplots that wink like an old creep with a pocket of butterscotch candies.

Another journalist (David Hyde Pierce) is clinging to his magazine job and his marriage to a human relations executive of some kind (Catherine Keener) who is quite clearly deranged or a descendant of the inquisition: She conducts interviews, all day it seems, by throwing a plastic blowup globe at her applicants and demanding the names of all the countries in Africa. This story is intercut with the opening of a second-rate stage comedy about Hitler, with a lead actor (Nicky Katt) channeling Cary Grant and quoting Peter Ustinov; and a massage therapist (Mary McCormack) who eventually crosses the paths of all the characters. David Duchovny appears in a cameo as a kinky movie producer that proves he's pretty hard up in life after "The X-Files."

Soderbergh is usually pretty savvy with a variety of film styles and camera lenses, but using cheap digital cameras mutes the small victories of comedy Hough's script does deliver. The hand-held jitter is agonizing as well. There's only so much of the follow-the-globe cam we can take.

Mostly, though, "Full Frontal" is a painful (and refreshing) reminder that not every chic, self-absorbed New Yorker like Hough can waltz into LA and force audiences to acknowledge her obvious highbrow wit and trendy verbal gymnastics by inserting bizarre non-sequitors like vampires, marijuana brownies and guys crawling along hotel floors. Keener especially rants and moans her way into the pantheon of grating personas. It could be said that Roberts acquits herself in a small role - Roberts seems to be doing a lot of that lately - while Pierce most closely approaches a performance of resonance.

Based on its less-is-nothing marketing campaign, Soderbergh and others basically knew "Full Frontal" was inside baseball, pertinent to the few, aimless for the rest. That knowledge doesn't excuse the film, particularly the ridiculous final scene that pulls back and back and back to reveal a couple of artists an hour past being "on it" and hip.

Excruciating, but not absolutely worthless ;-)
There is a style, or class, or school of comedy characterized by something bad, or lame being repeated over and over until it becomes funny. There is something like this going on here with "Full Frontal". I saw this picture in a theater with six other people, and three of them walked out after twenty minutes. Too bad, really, since the chuckles only started to occur after the proceedings had worn you absolutely down, and twenty minutes into the picture you were only JUST starting to get exasperated. Could be that this film works better on the small screen, which I found to be the case with Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut", another excruciating experience. Warning! By no means see this movie with another recent Soderbergh picture "Solaris", or you may subsequently need therapy.

Experiment? Ensemble Drama? The Film Doesn't Know it.
Though "Full Frontal" boasts of its great casts including Julia Roberts, the film is rather an experimental indie film, mostly shot in 18 days with a digital camera (which cost only $ 4,600). That is not a problem if the film is interesting -- I mean, interesting characters, interesting techiniques, interesting stories, or anything. No such luck, sorry. Though some actors are giving their best efforts, the film looks more like a self-indulgent film-school student's work.

The film follows the events that happen to the characters (whose profiles are revealed in the introductory part). Journalist Julia Roberts is interviewing TV star Blair Underwood; Cathrine Keener is doing the most uncomfortable job of the human resorce office (that is, firing the employees); her sister Mary McCormack is talking about the guy she met on the net; David Hyde Pierce (who shows uncanny resemblance with director Soderbergh himself) is rehearsing the stage drama for the always quizzical Nikky Katt. When the day comes close to the end, these assorted people find themselves strangely entangled in the web of human relations, which is represented by the dinner party for "Gus," powerful Hollywood producer played by one star from "X-Files."

The film also includes 'film within film" device (and even "film within film within film" devide, too), which might confuse some of the viewers. Fortunately, the device is not overused, and soon you will understand what is doing on.

The trouble is, except for some moments including talented Keener, none of the characters can really grab your attention. They are facing the critical moments of life, the film implies, but strangely we do not care. And as the experimental film, "Full Frontal" is not as innovative as "Schizopolis" (in which Soderbergh himself starred).

Possibly, here is the reason for its half-baked result: first, incredible you might say, but Soderbergh's use of digital camera is so poor like someone's home movies. At one scene, you see Sandra Oh very briefly. Well, but I couldn't see whether it was her or not because of a blurred image (I knew her voice, and saw her name in the credits), and I was thinking -- what is the point of doing that? The poorly shot images just detract our attention to the characters which should not be sacrificed for the dirctor's unnecessary "experiments."

Some parts of the film might interest you (if you're a film buff). You see many cameos -- Brad Pitt, Terence Stamp, and David Fincher (as the perfectionist director who needs 49 takes for one breif shot). But they are not enough for us to keep being interesting in the story which should really count. The conculsion is this; you just cannot use this great cast just because you want to be experimantal. Life is too short to do that, especially with this cast.

Don't buy this DVD--don't even spend $3 to rent it
The only reason this movie gets one star is because there's not an option to choose zero. This is, unbelievably to me, given Mr. Soderbergh's other credits, one of the WORST movies I've ever seen. The "documentary" style filming is grainy and extremely distracting, and even more so because it's such an over-used technique. I'm an avid independent film viewer and like the unusual and the avant-garde, but this film is a poseur which fails in every way.

If you come to the story without knowing it's supposed to be imbued with skewering cleverness and satire, it's confusing, unengaging and boring, and, come to think of it, now that I know it's supposed to have those elements, it's STILL confusing, boring and unengaging. The character development is so poor that you don't care about anybody nor understand what's motivating them. David Hyde Pierce is a horrible choice for the main character--he has no depth or emotional range which, unfortunately, keeps us half wondering if Kelsey Grammer's going to come through the door at any minute. Catherine Keener has the kind of charisma that transcends shoddy screenwriting, but how her character behaves makes the least sense of all.

I think the only reason to rent this movie would be if you want to get a few second "full frontal" view of David Duchovny, albeit a grainy one shot from a distance so you really can't see anything, or if you're the VP of HR and you need to show your managers how NOT to conduct an HR interview.

Watching Paint Dry
This is quite a short film, around ninety minutes, long but it seems longer as it is extraordinarily tedious. It's a Hollywood movie about Hollywood and the movie business and I guess it's intended to have a certain ironic, satirical edge to it. But it's not much of an edge and what Soderbergh has made is a smug and tedious exercise in navel gazing. I think Soderbergh probably thinks he has made a wry black comedy but it's a very safe, pale shade of black and, though it sometimes tries hard, it is never remotely witty. It has a decidedly overwritten and theatrical feel to it like a rather pretentious and forgettable off-broadway play. There are six main characters, three of each sex, none of whom there is the remotest reason to care about in the slightest. The gimmicky postmodern film-within-a-film trick is getting pretty tired by now and, where this film is concerned, has little or no apparent point beyond courting a certain spurious arthouse credibility. One or two fairly decent performances, notably from Catherine Keener and Mary McCormack, constitute a slender redeeming feature. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's more of the same for Larry David's sitcom from HBO, and for fans, that's a good thing. The show--largely extemporized--follows suit of David's former series, Seinfeld: it's a show about nothing, just the everyday life of the star going about his pseudo-real world. But David's show has far more edge (thanks, in part, to airing on cable TV) with all the bad luck, embarrassing situations, and dreadful behavior as its premiere season. The closest thing to an arc is David's season-long pitch to the networks for a new show starring former Seinfeld stars Jason Alexander and Julia-Louis Dreyfus. Each network is lampooned, especially HBO, which David has a bad history with in this alternate world. Sure to repel those with soft funny bones, Curb's acerbic comedy allows jokes where David is accidentally framed--if ever so briefly--as a child molester, wife abuser, or murderer. But for those who do love his shtick, there are big laughs, especially when we bump into characters as unbridled as David, like a fellow writer who is quite protective of his dad's invention, the Cobb salad.

Many comic actors pop up, some as "themselves" (Richard Lewis, Rob Reiner) and others as characters (Rita Wilson, Ed Asner) along with the delights of co-stars Cheryl Hines as David's wife and his affable manger, Jeff Garlin. There are several touchstone bits: what a thong brief can do to a relationship, a run-in with pro wrestler, Larry's first baptism, and one very collectible doll. To pick one episode to capture this second season--and its grandstanding nature--it would be "Shaq," in which the NBA star is accidentally tripped, changing David's usual bad luck with gut-busting results. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Seinfeld... Part II
If you loved Seinfeld, you will love Curb Your Enthusiasm. Like Seinfeld, this show is mostly about nothing. While it does have situations mixed into the fold, the core laughs come from throwing the characters into everyday situations and picking apart the day-to-day things that we all can relate to.

It has been common knowledge that Larry David, the co-creator of Seinfeld was the real-life version of Jason Alexander's character, George Costanza. When you watch this show, you can't help but see the similarities.

One of the more interesting things about this show is that the dialogue is totally unscripted. This adds a freshness to the show that is very unique.

The show features a lot of cameos from Larry David's circle of Hollywood friends who generally play themself.

My only complaint is that there are only 10 episodes per season. I can't get enough of this show. It's clearly the funniest show on TV today!

THE TOP 10
Like the arguement of the grassy knoll, the 10 episodes that make up Season 2 of CURB are the some of the best ever seen on either network or cable. Larry David is on an amazing genius run. No one is spared: Jason Alexander, HBO, Starbucks, The WWF...Enough cannot be said about these 10 classics. Is that Jewell (or her little sister) performing in the talent show? And yes, Richard Lewis' sweater is cashmere (albeit a blend).

Nowhere near as funny as the first season
Don't get me wrong...I don't regret the purchase. It's just that the first season was consistently laugh-out-loud funny and this one just isn't close to that level.

Enthusiastic About Season Two
Curb Your Enthusiasm is the hilarious HBO series starring Larry David as himself. The series have no solid plotlines, they are basically set up as shells, with the actors improvising most of the lines. Mr. David may well be the funniest actor on television. He is a crotchity, acerbic guy who is constantly getting himself into trouble by saying or doing the wrong things at the wrong time. Season two features one of the series' best ever episodes, Shaq. Larry is bemoaning his perpetual bad luck when he gets courtside seats to a Lakers game. During the game, he accidentally trips Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal, sending Shaq to the hospital with an injury. Of course Larry is blamed for the injury and is ostracized by all his friends and hated by everyone. But Larry hits a good luck streak, where everything is going his way for a change. He even starts hanging out with Shaq in his hospital room, but in the end, Larry screws it up and his bad luck returns. Season two features the usual compliment of guest stars including Mr. David's former Seinfeld cohorts Jason Alexander & Julia Louis-Dreyfus, good buddy Richard Lewis and the usual stellar support from regulars Cheryl Hines & Jeff Garlin.

Still superior to all other TV comedy series...
I rated this four stars relative to the series as a whole; in relation to every other comedy currently on the air, it really warrants the full five stars. In short, I have to agree with other reviewers who feel Season Two is probably the weakest in the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" series. Still, this is worth the price of admission for the "Doll Head" episode alone, maybe the funniest 30 minutes ever aired in television history, even if the rest isn't quite up to the usual Larry David standards. And while I'm not generally a fan of DVD extras, shelling out 35 bucks for a no-frills five-hour's worth of viewing seemed a tad inflated compared to similar DVD sets on the market (really, all the HBO series DVD's are over-priced).

It was still worth it in the end, as nothing makes me laugh harder than watching this poor shlub stammer his way through ridiculous situations of his own making. Priceless moments this season include an uncomfortably realistic bit with Jason Alexander suffering the slings and arrows of post-Seinfeld Costanza-typecasting; Ed Asner's hysterical turn as a gruff and horny old geezer on his last legs; and a horrified Larry encountering his shrink sporting a package-revealing thong at the beach -- not to even mention the nightmarish water bottle incident in the "Doll Head" episode.

This is "Curb Your Enthusiasm" undergoing growing pains, unsuccessful in fully re-capturing the spontaneous greatness of Season One and not yet on the reliably steady legs that will later hallmark its prime. While the writing and guest spots improve markedly in subsequent years, this series is still superior to everything being served up by the networks, even in its weakest hour. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

FUN!
I liked it because it's just about some best friends having fun playing a dare scavenger hunt. Plus there's a cute guy in it. I rated it a four because it's a little corny. sometimes you say "Oh that would never happen." but that makes it funny. Perfect to watch at SLEEPOVERS! dehr!

alrighttt.....
over all i dont really kno what happened considering i fell asleep during the movie..if any movie makes me fall asleep, its reall bad then.

ps-the nap was good though!

These teen pictures are really annoying
Well, this year there have already been several teen pictures made and they seem to get more annoying all the time. This one was the worst of all. Five teen girls all trying to get their hands on the one guy of their dreams, and we the audience regretfully have to watch this movie where there is not one likeable person in the bunch. They sound and act like shallow yuppies from a rejected episode of the Gilmore Girls. Kind of hard to have a movie when you have no sript, and this had no script.

#1!!!!
This movie is the #1 movie on my list!!!! I can't wait until its on DVD and Video!!!!!!!!!!!

What Mean Girls could have been.
Alexa Vega (Spy Kids 1-3) stars as Julie. She has a SLEEPOVER on the last night of junior high. A very strict mother has her cite all the rules...no boys, no leaving the house, etc. Then a group of "evil" girls challenge Julie and her group to a scavenger hunt. This means they have to break the rules. Rated PG: mild suggestive content. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Third Wheel very boring and annoying!!!
This movie bored me to tears and I was so happy I borrowed this from the Public Library. At least I could not be upset about spending money to view the DVD. The movie is about a dorky office guy named Stanley who wants to date the gorgeous new office worker(Denise Richards) named Diana. Every time he decides to make his move, he loses his confidence. A year passes before he finally manages to ask her out for a date, a causal date. Surprise, Surprise she agrees, but she feels the date will be a dud. The office forms a pool as to how far the date will go. Stan takes her to dinner, but while he is driving the car he hits a homeless guy named Phil. They take him to the hospital, and after that they can't seem to lose this guy. From here chaos ensues, with Phil pretty much following them the whole date. That's when I start to lose interest. Phil's character was annoying!!! His character was supposed to be like cupid or he was to help make things better during the date, but his character was so annoying, so irritating that the film lost any romantic comedy momentum. Everything he did was not funny and it's a miracle I even finished watching the film. My hand was itching to grab the remote to forward past Phil's annoying scenes. Ben Affleck has a supporting role in the film as Michael, and Matt Damon make a cameo about an 1 hour into the film that really was not needed in my opinion. If you want to be bored to sleep, then rent this movie. If you are looking for a good romantic comedy, do not watch this movie!!!

the chick-flick backlash
An inaccessible drop dead gorgeous high-powered banker gal gives the dorky office guy a try, then turns out to be sweet and easy, and he doesn't have to lift a finger, even when her gruff ex confronts them can only mean one thing to me: A screenwriter's subscription to Maxim ran out and he had some free time.

A Rare Gem
How often do you get a chance to stumble across a smart, funny comedy featuring the likes of Ben Affleck, Luke Wilson, Denise Richards and a cameo by Matt Damon? The awkward at first but later sincere chemistry between Luke and Denise carries this film early on but then toss in newcomer/writer Jay Lacopo and the real fireworks begin. I found this film to be an original spin on an old dating concept. And hats off to the producers of this film for pulling together such a star studded cast.

Vintage Ben/Matt/Denise/Luke!!!
I've only caught a sneak preview, but it's always fun to look back on Ben & Matt from the "old days," not to mention Denise Richards in pre-James Bond times. The movie seems to be a witty, cute love story and I look forward to seeing the full version when it appears in stores.

Weak Romantic Comedy Starring Luke Wilson & Denise Richards
First let me tell you one thing. Though the film is co-executive produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and features these two people, "The Third Wheel" is virtually Luke Wilson/Denise Richards romantic comedy. Ben's role is a supporting one while Matt's is little more than a cameo (you have to wait an hour to see the latter in the film).

I said "romantic comedy," but it's not that hilarious film that makes you laugh like "Four Weddings and a Funeral." The story is about Luke Wilson's character, office working Stanley, who falls in love with Denise Richards' Diana, a new worker in his company. He wants to date her, but cannot have enough courage to ask, so many days (like one year) have to pass before he finally decides to do it. And surprisingly, she says OK.

So Stan is going to take her out to dinner, but while he was driving a car, he hits a homeless man Phil (Jay Rapoco, also the writer of the film). Phil seems injured, and cannot be left alone, so Stan and Diana take him to the hospital, but somehow Phil is coming back to them, as if he does not want to leave the two. And in the meanwhile Stan's co-workers including Michael (Ben Affleck) are monitoring Stan and Diana, betting on how far Stan can get the attention of beautiful Diana.

If you have not seen "The Third Wheel" at your local theater (in spite of the pretty strong cast), that is no wonder. The film thinks it is unique and funny, but actually it is neither. The problem is, Phil, who is the "third wheel" of the film title, is really annoying and irritating. Of course, he should play the part of glue, or cupid, between the couple Stan and Diana, but his presence only damage the feel-good sense that this kind of film has to have. Moreover, what he does is too tame; what he says is not original; but we are supposed to be amused with him, which I found too impossible.

One saving grace is Denise Richards. Whether or not she can really act, I do not care since the day I saw the 007 film in which she is dressed as nuclear scientist. But in "The Third Wheel" Denise Richards exudes her charm and beauty so naturally that you understand why Stanley fell in love with her at first sight. Her fans would want to see the way she smiles, or the way she talks here, more on the screen.

But she is wasted in this little-seen film, and so is Luke Wilson and Ben Affleck. Maybe I am too harsh, but "The Third Wheel" lacks power, or punch, that makes us care. You will not dislike it, but not remember it long either. ... Read more

Description

When down-on-her-luck country girl Shirlee Kenyon (Dolly Parton, STEEL MAGNOLIAS) walks through the wrong door at the right time, she accidentally becomes Chicago's newest talk-radio celebrity and turns the Windy City's hottest radio station upside down! With her homespun wit and down-home advice, Shirlee immediately wins listeners' hearts -- but causes hilarious confusion for her ratings-conscious boss (Griffin Dunne -- MY GIRL) and comical havoc for the investigative reporter (James Woods -- 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS) trying to uncover her mysterious past! If you're looking for no-nonsense advice on what hit movie offers you pure entertainment -- you'll love every comical minute of STRAIGHT TALK! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Straight nonsense!
Not Dolly's best and definitely not James Woods' best, who obviously needed some extra cash at the time. The pairing of Dolly and Woods makes no sense - it's hard enough to believe that they simultaneously act - but in the same movie? Also not to sound perverted but Dolly's characters are always the same - the cocky, wisecracking, yet down home and innocent cowgirl played out long ago. Straight Talk, unfortunately offers little laughs.

Excellent movie, but DRAB DVD package :(
If you've seen Straight Talk, you're no doubt a fan. This light-hearted movie is such a pick-me-up! I just love finding a movie I can watch several times and still laugh out loud!! I just love the scene where she loses her $20 bill on the bridge and James Woods comes to the "rescue"! The soundtrack is even good with songs written and performed by Dolly.

The DVD falls short though. No extras, no inner liner notes and it's ONLY available in full screen - YUCK!! Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment should be ashamed of themselves for putting out such a poor product. Maybe this film wasn't a total blockbuster, but it sure deserved a better presentation than what it got.

Movie *****
DVD **
Overall ****

From the author of Tales of Ancient Xenar
I don't consider myself much of a movie watcher, so its rare for me to review a movie. But this film has earned a rare honor of having a review done by me. I have to say that hands-down this is one of Dolly Parton's best performances (better than 9 to 5 and far better than the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.) In the film, she gives Chicago radio listeners good old southern down-to-earth advice. I wish the city I live in has a radio columnist like her. But I'm sure a lot of you who have seen this film and enjoyed it agree with me. We all should have an advisor like Dr. Shirlee (oops, I mean Shirlee.)

Good.... But No Extras!
I loved this movie! Shirlee Kenyon was a down on her luck country girl, when a mistake turns her into a big time radio doctor. I thought that her boss was kind of an a hole... He goes by the impression that people who have been married 3 times are losers, or those that have something real to say, He would write them off as losers..

This film shows off Dolly's spicy side of things! She had quite a few one lines... "I am like a one legged man in a butt kickin' contest!' Plus you get to see an early appearance of Terri Hatcher! (Lois & Clark The New Adventures of Superman)

I would like to have seen the trailer. as well as the music videos and even a commentary would have been nice... Aside from that, I still love the film....

No OAR = No Sale...
A fun movie for sure; but where's the theatrical widescreen edition? Sorry, but I only purchase DVDs displaying the film's ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The 2003 Friars Club-style roast of actor-comedian Denis Leary was the highest-rated program in the history of the Comedy Central network (after South Park) thanks to its barrage of raunchy and frequently hilarious routines from top comics and Hollywood stars. Leary himself produced this special (the first of several proposed for the network), which was taped at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom, and good-naturedly withstands a salty "tribute" from fellow stand-ups Jeff Garlin (who also handles host duties), Colin Quinn, Mario Cantone, and Lenny Clarke, among others. Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, and Christopher Walken also weigh in via videotape, and Leary's fellow Emerson College alumnus Gina Gershon contributes a Broadway/burlesque musical number. At 90 minutes, the jokes come fast and furious, and bear up to repeated viewings for Leary fans and those looking for comedy with some bite. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (2)

In Defense if I may...
ALL comedians 'take' or 'borrow' material and you would know this if you have watched years of stand up comedy! Yes Bill Hicks is certainly one of the best, but get over it! You can watch Bill religiously, remembering all his lines, and still not be able to make people laugh. Denis is a funny guy. His friends are funny guys. The roast is good entertainment for those that aren't offended or precious. It didn't rate it's arse off because everyone thinks Denis stole all his stuff from Hicks. No one cares obviously. Don't fear. Hicks memory is not being stomped on... and lets face it, imitation is the sincerest form of flatery, don't you think? This is a great show, top dvd and I had a good old laugh. Lighten up, have a smoke and knock back a beer. Life isn't to be taken too seriously!

Denis Leary STOLE EVERYTHING from BILL HICKS
This roast has some amusing moments, but no one had the balls to confront Denis about the fact that he lifted the majority of his act from Bill Hicks. His entire "angry smoking guy" shtick was lifted from Bill and Denis Leary should be ASHAMED OF HIMSELF. Besides, what kind of an ego does this guy have to PRODUCE a roast of himself? Do yourself a favor and don't buy this DVD. Go buy any of Bill Hicks' CDs from Amazon. They are all very good (except Philosophy, which is more of a disjointed greatest hits package) and they are all much better than Denis Leary will ever be. ... Read more