Standup / Sketch Comedy Movies

From comedian and filmmaker Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) comes this collection of comedy sketches starring some of the biggest names in show business. Featuring Keenan Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans, and Paul Mooney among others Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime, Vol. 1 sends up such pop-culture staples as Dynasty and Michael Jackson. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

The Southern stand-up Brett Butler (Grace Under Fire) hosts this all-female showcase of country comedians, featuring Pat Brown, Lisa Landry, Sarah Tiana, and Trish Suhr. ~ Carly Wray, Rovi

As one of the few heavyweight comedians of Vegas's "Golden Age" to topline standup routines in 21st century Glitter Gulch - a time and place that saw him still reeling in massive audiences well into his 70s and 80s - Don Rickles qualifies as a show business legend. Rickles, of course, pioneered the use of insult comedy to mercilessly rib, skewer, and cut down to size anyone who happened to fall into his line of fire, earning him the sobriquets "Mr. Warmth" and "The Merchant of Venom" and lending a whole new meaning to the term "hockey puck." This approach, which seemed unprecedented and even outrageously uncouth in the late 1950s and early 1960s, eventually won Rickles legions of fans and innumerable protégés within show business - everyone from Richard Pryor to Chris Rock and Sarah Silverman. Director John Landis (National Lampoon's Animal House, Trading Places) stands at the forefront of Rickles's fan club and created the documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project as an homage to the comic's life and career. Landis intercuts footage from the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts and Rickles's appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, with extended clips from the shtickmeister's comedy routines and on-camera interviews in which the comedian reflects at length on his approach to comedy and journey through showbusiness. Admirers, colleagues and followers of Rickles also turn up to offer their views on the comedian - including Martin Scorsese, Christopher Guest, Robin Williams, Sarah Silverman, Sidney Poitier, Clint Eastwood and many others. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

An uncensored, freestyle stand-up comedy competition that pits comic against comic in a no holds battle to the death (at least in the performance sense of the word), Baggin' with Ralphie May offers a fresh and unpredictable new take on the world of live comedy. Expect plenty of smack talking as host May brings such talents as Corey Holcomb, Al Johnson, Brandon Gibson and many more to the stage to find out who can whip up the sharpest snaps on the shortest notice. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Corpulent comic Louie Anderson once more fractures his audience with trenchant recollections of his checkered childhood in this made-for-cable concert video. Using nothing more than his voice, his expressive hands, and his massive frame, Anderson brings to life his redneck dad, garrulous mom, and whining little brother. It is now a matter of record that Anderson was the product of an extremely dysfunctional household (his father was an often abusive alcoholic), but the comedian manages to put a lid on the bitterness that he's expressed on other occasions. The purpose of Mom! Louie's Looking at Me Again is to get laughs, and in this it succeeds many times over. This 60-minute video is not rated, though it may be a bit too ripe for very small children. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Comedian and author Jeff Foxworthy hosts this program, tracing the history of Southern comedy. Jeff Foxworthy: Comedy Classics Deluxe Edition includes live footage from the wildly successful stage show featuring Foxworthy and Bill Engvall, along with clips highlighting comedians of yesterday and today such as Will Rogers, Grandpa Jones, Minnie Pearl, Rod Brassfield, Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, Jim Varney, Jerry Clower, Junior Samples, Brother Dave Gardner, Gary Mule Deer, Etta May, Steve McGrew, and Larry the Cable Guy. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

British comedian Nick Frost (best known to American audiences for his role as Ed in the international hit Shaun of the Dead) mixes high-powered laughter with hair-raising stunts in this collection of material from his U.K. television series. Danger! 50,000 Volts! features Frost and his crew imagining a variety of potentially dangerous situations -- anything from being attacked by a bear to nuclear combat -- and then demonstrating what to do should they happen to you. However, Frost often reveals himself as not the world's greatest survival guide, and his attempts to work his way out of perilous circumstances are both exciting and hilarious. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Richard Pryor's performance at the New York Improv on April, 29th, 1971 features the comedian giving his thoughts on sex, drugs, and race relations. Included is "Wino Preacher & Willie the Junkie," showcasing Pryor in the irreverent style that parlayed his career as a stand-up comic into a successful international star of films and television. There is an advisory warning for the strong language. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Enjoy the most hilarious Christmas moments, Saturday Night Live-style, compiled in one place. This hilarious compilation includes these unforgettable moments: Chevy Chase's impersonation of an unstable President Ford putting the star on top of the White House Christmas tree, John Belushi as a drunken shopping mall Santa Claus, a Martha Stewart Topless Christmas Special, and the perennial favorite, Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song." Former popular cast members Bill Murray, Jane Curtin, Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, and Mike Myers all make appearances. ~ Laura Mahnken, Rovi

This immensely entertaining video features Mike Myers' most memorable work on the Saturday Night Live stage. Before the wildly-successful Austin Powers character came to the big screen, Myers was making us laugh with outrageously-original and hilarious characters. Featured on the program are Wayne Campbell of Wayne's World fame, the wiry German Sprocket host Dieter, and the host of "Coffee Talk," Linda Richman, in a sketch which featured surprise cameos from Madonna, Roseanne, and Barbra Streisand. This is Myers at his comedic best. ~ Laura Mahnken, Rovi