George Carlin: Playing With Your Head

The DVD release of George Carlin's fifth HBO special, circa 1986, raises the question of whether or not topical humor is still funny fifteen years after the fact. Still, the classic Carlin bits here, such as ways to improve football (let all 45 players per team participate simultaneously; leave the injured on the field) are as funny as ever, even if they've become somewhat familiar and predictable. Routines include "Losing Things," "Charities," "Sports," "Hello and Goodbye," "Battered Plants," "Earrings," and "A Moment of Silence," as well as a wraparound framing noir detective skit called "The Envelope," starring Vic Tayback. Naturally, Carlin manages to include most of his famous words you can't say on television. DVD “extras” are limited to Dolby digital sound, subtitles and scene selection. Given Carlin's popularity (and the popularity of the DVD format), consider this a strong optional purchase. [Note: also newly available on DVD at the same price is the 1996 HBO special George Carlin: Back in Town.] Aud: P. (M. Tribby)