NMR: Stand-up fellas

Louis C.K.: Hilarious - I became familiar with Louis when he had that multi-episode arc last season on Parks and Recreation and then really began to appreciate his comedy when I watched his FX series, appropriately titled Louie, last summer. It's a very crass and curmudgeon-y style of humor, but his observations are sharp and funny. I particularly like how much he mocks the lazy, yet self-entitled culture that is sweeping our country today. His riff on how everything's amazing, yet nobody's happy is a routine I've praised on here before. But for as much as he ridicules others, he spends just as much time ragging on his own pathetic life. All of it is very funny stuff and this special is a must see for anyone who appreciates his humor. About the only downside is that Louis doesn't stray from his source material too much and with a runtime of an hour and twenty minutes approximately, it's a bit too much of the same thing. Edit it down to an hour and this is an amazing showcase. Still worth a rental if you're in need of a laugh. Rating: **** 1/2

Daniel Tosh: Happy Thoughts - I actually caught this on Comedy Central, but it's now available on DVD, so including it here works. Tosh, of course, has gained noteriety from his show Tosh.O on Comedy Central where he plays web videos and mocks the idiots in them. On that show, Tosh can be very funny, but given what's happening in the videos he's showing, it's sort of shooting fish in a barrel. His standup is a bit of a different story. Tosh is a likeable guy and has good timing, but I've found that a lot of the topics he typically covers in his routine are not areas that really speak to me. He has some good jokes, but he'll go off on tangents that also bore me. I guess this is my roundabout way of saying that just because you enjoy his weekly show doesn't mean you'll appreciate this. Given how subjective comedy is, it's hard for me to tell you whether or not you'll see this, everyone has their own tastes. For me, there was enough laughs to get me through the special, but I certainly had hoped for more. Rating: ***