Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale - DVD Review

Thanks to DVD rentals via snail mail, we finally had the opportunity to see this 2005 stand-up concert by nice wise guy, Jim Gaffigan. While we've followed his multitude of guest spots on Late Show With David Letterman and Late Night With Conan O'Brien, plus his short-lived sitcom, Welcome to New York, and many acting appearances on others, including The Ellen Show, That '70s Show, and My Boys, Beyond the Pale is the first full performance set we've enjoyed by the writer-comedian. He left us hungry for more and, well, hungry.

Food for Thought, Food for Jim

Gaffigan is gaga for food. No matter where his observational stories meander, there's always another plate of edibles on the way. I'd estimate nearly two-thirds of the 72-minute show, taped before an enthusiastic live audience at The Vic Theatre in Chicago, dealt specifically with various digestive track delectables and the detestable.

Tasty topics flow from general eats to dog food, grocery store clubs, food deliveries, Cinnabons, cake -- Jim does love his cakes -- pie, IHOP, fruitcake, Valentine's candy, restaurant menu specials, appetizers, vegetarians, seafood, granola, spray cheese, salads, diets, and blubber. Plus, in what has become a signature piece, there is a significant amount of salivating salutes to the modern culinary wonder of Hot Pockets, all the variations of Hot Pockets, too. If only someone would invent a Hot Pockets Cake, Jim could truly be happy.

Additional humor is mined from holidays, gifts, robes, bears, the Statue of Liberty, film directors, shopping, NASCAR, spellcheck, police on the horse, the Internet, brain surgery, Jesus, Catholics, and toilet paper multi-packs. A brief mockumentary sequence of Jim preparing for the big show is peppered with sight gags and, surprise, food.

Beyond the Pale: Below the Jokes

Here are a few favorite quotations from the program:

"I only dated one Asian girl, but she was very Asian. She was a panda."

"Here's some fun to do the next time you get delivery. Treat the delivery guy like he's your waiter.

"'Hey, thanks a lot. Can you do something about the music in here? I could go for some more ice water....'"

"Steak is like the tuxedo of meat, isn't it? And baloney is the retarded cousin."

"It is crazy how the Internet and the emails changed our lives. You ever get a handwritten letter in the mail today? You're like: 'What the hell? Has someone been kidnapped?!'"

Comedy Extras

Jim Gaffigan is also a talented improvisational comedian, a side seen in many of the DVD's bonus features. In addition to an archival recording of his first stand-up appearance, the contents consist of the following items.

• "Mr. Chicago" -- Jim takes us on a sightseeing tour.
• "Eat Dinner With Jim" -- Try the Hot Pockets.
• "How to Break Into Stand-Up Comedy" -- Arty Hittle, Comedy Coach, has all of the answers.
• "A Short Cartoon of Jim" in his cartoon underpants. No Hot Pockets.
• "Jim Makes the News" -- Gilbert Gottfried joins Jim on a visit to a TV studio broadcasting the news and weather.

Bottom Line

No complaints. Distributed by Image Entertainment, Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale is polished, timeless comedy and, remarkably, clean in execution. That's a commendable effort in these early 21st century years of coarsening humor, putting our witty host not only beyond, but above most of his contemporaries.