Blu-ray Review Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed Blu-ray Review

Food and our poor eating habits once again dominate Jim Gaffigan’s latest comedy special, but the laughs flow freely even though some of the comedian’s targets of derision can be a little obvious.

Studio: Paramount

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Audio: English 2.0 DD, English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD

Subtitles: English

Rating: Not Rated

Run Time: 1 Hr. 10 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray

Disc Type: BD25 (single layer)

Region: A

Release Date: 04/29/2014

MSRP: $22.98

The Production Rating: 4/5

The stand-up comedian known for past riffs on bacon, Hot Pockets, and other guilty pleasures returns with more gut busting fare in Comedy Central’s one-hour special, which was recorded live in early 2014 at Boston’s Wilbur Theater. When the program was broadcast last month, it drew a record number of viewers, confirming the wide ranging appeal of Gaffigan’s work, which continues to focus heavily on food and food consumption, but also includes some hilariously insightful social commentary.His Obsessed set makes light of easy targets like Whole Foods, the gluten intolerant, and Southern breakfast dishes, but the comedian also pans previously innocuous supermarket items like oysters (“snot from rocks”) and kale (“it’s a really bitter spinach with hair”). His departures into family and modern lifestyle humor deal with weddings, drunk people, and public restrooms but it’s when he’s able to combine the topics of food and human behavior into an interconnected string of jokes that he’s at his most comically astute, as he did with McDonald’s in his 2012 Mr. Universe special. There aren’t too many of those synergistic segues in Obsessed, unfortunately, and his continued use of his falsetto Valley Girl voice seems a bit dated, but ultimately there’s no shortage of laughs for those keen on Gaffigan’s highly accessible brand of humor.

Video Rating: 4/5 3D Rating: NA

Shot on high definition video and conforming to commercial TV production standards, there’s nothing remarkable about the live show presentation, but that also means there are negligible technical issues in the transfer. Blacks and contrast are solid, color and flesh tones look true to life, and detail and overall sharpness are satisfactory. There’s some noise in the deep shadow areas in the background, but you’d have to really look for it – that is, when you’re not overcome with laughter.

Audio Rating: 3.5/5

The English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track provides a straightforward complement to the video, placing audience laughter and applause in the satellites and anchoring Gaffigan to the center channel. The mix is simple, but effective, and the comedian’s monologue is consistently clear and intelligible. LFE is non-existent, but Gaffigan’s deeper vocal range and the bass notes in the intro and closing music exhibit good depth.

Special Features Rating: 0/5

There are no extras included.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Paramount serves up comedian Jim Gaffigan’s latest comedy special on a barebones, but technically solid, Blu-ray release. Fans of the funnyman shouldn’t hesitate to pick up the title, but given the accessibility of the humor most everyone should at least seek out a rental.

Reviewed By: Cameron Yee

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