David Cross: Bigger and Blackerer

Bigger and Blackerer captures actor/comedian David Cross (Arrested Development) live at Boston's Wilbur Theatre, where he's clearly having fun, but also has some serious matters on his mind. The show begins with a young man (Dean Crow) portraying “Li'l Davey Cross,” who tells the audience, “Everything that I say tonight will be the truth”—after which he pitches an expletive-filled hissy fit and exits the stage, at which point the real Cross enters. An intentionally hypocritical exchange with a sign-language interpreter (Mort Burke) precedes a series of sketches in which Cross takes on eco-friendly brand names, the dexterity of junkies, impractical date safety tips, and other offbeat topics, before wading into the deeper waters of politics and religion. In regard to the Tea Party, he notes that “America has a proud, rich tradition of voting against its own best interests” and has much to say about the activists' contributions to the healthcare debates, which segues into a bit on true believers (the Bible, he says, is “a treasure trove of chuckles”). From there Cross lightens the mood by recounting a trip to a Seattle porn store (not the smoothest transition) before wrapping things up with a riff on “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” DVD extras include deleted scenes and a featurette on Cross' work in the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Recommended. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)