Maria Bamford - The Special Special Special! (2012)

"Spend an intimate evening with Maria Bamford in her cozy 'shot-at-home' comedy special. Gleeful, thrilling, and oh so awkward Maria gets snug with her two person audience consisting of only her parents." - IMDb

"And it’s a tough crowd: her parents, frequently discussed during the act in question. The results are fascinating — a sly commentary on the thin line separating life and art." - Flavorwire

"Maria Bamford: The Special Special Special is equal parts family drama, after-midnight confession, and ballsy conceptual stunt. It’s also one of the most fearless and bracingly dark explorations of mental illness in recent memory. But since the special is the product of Bamford’s beautifully tormented mind, it has the benefit of being consistently hilarious. " - A.V. Club

"In “The Special Special Special!,” which she released online atchill.com, Ms. Bamford performs an hour of stand-up for her mother and father as they sit on a couch. By replacing a typical audience with her original one, she breathes life into a cliché by making it literal and creates a compelling dynamic that is as eccentric as her singularly funny comedy." - The New York Times

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Maria Bamford - Plan B (2010)

"Based around her own deft performance, Bamford has crafted a sometimes uncomfortable but mostly brilliant show with a strong resonance for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood and misplaced in their family." - The Age

"Those coming to Plan B expecting Maria Bamford's stand-up are warned at the start to be disappointed: it's described as a sitcom from inside her own head. Yet the one-woman show is no less enjoyable and contains many of the types of lines and impressions fans of her work will be familiar with." - Independent

"We cringe and laugh convulsively because we see ourselves in her plight. Instead of a biopic, consider Plan B, bioshtick, an hour-long behind-the-mind glimpse at a sensational comedian, who molds pathos and gags into memorable and intimate comic art." - Laughspin

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Damon Wayans - Still Standing (1997)

"Having originally aired in 1997 and barely seen the light of day since then, this special captures Wayans' riotously funny takes on his children, marriage, earthquakes, celebrities, Disneyland and pimps aspiring to be screenwriters, prior to his unexpected success as family funny man on ABC's "My Wife and Kids" and a Hanes spokesman." - DVD Talk

"Comedian Damon Wayans performs at the Majestic Theater in Brooklyn. His stand-up focuses on relationships, fatherhood, earthquakes and his bi-coastal life." - TCM

"Though he may be better known these days for his roles in television and film that he is for his ability to leave audiences laughing on the stand-up circuit, longtime funnyman Damon Wayans heads back to the stage to prove he's still got what it takes to work a live audience in this live concert special that originally aired on pay-cable giant HBO." - The New York Times

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Damon Wayans - The Last Stand? (1990)

"The funny star of "My Wife and Kids" & "In Living Color" will knock you out with his very crazy controversial comedy routine. No one and no subject-matter is safe from this famed comedian." - IMDb

"Often outrageous and always hilarious, Wayans is at the top of his game in this 1991 performance as he riffs on a variety of topics -- including his children and his work -- mining rib-tickling humor from all aspects of life." - Rotten Tomatoes

"The stand-up comedy concert film Damon Wayans: The Last Stand? captures the My Wife and Kids star performing material about marriage and children that would certainly qualify as too adult for his sitcom." - The New York Times

"The Last Stand? refers to Wayans’ assertions here that he may never do his stand-up act again — he’s apparently tired of the grinding repetition of it all. It is to his credit, therefore, that Wayans never seems bored for a second, breezing through his set as if chatting off the top of his head." - Entertainment Weekly

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Damon Wayans - One Night Stand (1989)

"Though he taped two very good follow-up hours in the ensuing years, nothing Wayans has ever done quite matched the sheer force and energy of his debut stand-up special on HBO’s anthology half-hour One Night Stand, during that show’s inaugural 1989 season. Predating even his breakout on brother Keenan’s In Living Color, Wayans was so intimidatingly good that even stand-up maestro Eddie Murphy told Arsenio Hall that Wayans was the reason he was afraid to go back out as a stand-up." - Flavorwire

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Steve Martin - Homage to Steve (1984)

"Originally released in 1984 but never appearing before on DVD, this show features Martin’s full LIVE performance at the Universal Amphitheatre from September 28, 1979, marking the only video footage that exists of his mature stage act from the late 70s. The show also includes his Oscar-nominated short The Absent-Minded Waiter (with Terri Garr, 1977), and “The Comedians Segment” with Paul Simon, David Letterman, Alan King and Henny Youngman." - Entertainment Weekly

"This video contains three segments: First, the Oscar-nominated short The absent-minded waiter (1977), then a fake interview with Steve Martin about his art (comedians-segment) and finally a full live performance done by Steve sometime in the seventies at the Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles." - IMDb

"By the time Martin performed at the Universal Amphitheatre in 1979 for the show captured on Homage To Steve, the comedian had ascended to a rarified realm of success and popularity beyond his wildest dreams. By that point, stand-up comedy appeared too easy for Martin; it was a matter of playing the hits rather breaking new ground." - A.V. Club

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Steve Martin - A Wild and Crazy Guy (1978)

"The album was released just as his celebrity status grew and the format reflects this. The first half of the album was performed in front of a small audience at The Boarding House in San Francisco, California, where his previous album had been recorded. The second half of the album was performed at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre." - Wikipedia

"Steve Martin's first network special for NBC. The show is half concert footage (shot at the Universal Amphitheatre in LA) and half sketches." - IMDb

"The self-reflexive nature of his act is taken to its most absurd point, and the material is performed to perfection." - Flavorwire

"All in all, a very enjoyable album highlighting the range of Steve Martin's craft. A must-have for the shelf of every fan." - Allmusic

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