Henry Rollins: Up For It

Since the break-up of the seminal punk rock band Black Flag in 1986, former lead singer Henry Rollins has been renaissance-man-level busy, touring and recording with the Henry Rollins Band, writing books and poetry, penning a regular column for Details magazine, and--talk about your mid-life career changes--performing improv stand-up comedy. Captured live at London's Astoria Theatre after celebrating his 40th birthday, the heavily tattooed Rollins--who looks a lot like the Incredible Hulk minus the verdant hue--gets off to a slow, rambling, somewhat nervous start here, but before long he's firing on nearly all comic pistons ("when someone tries to sell me Best of Sting, I know I am no longer a Masai warrior…I am the village elder"). Choice bits include a riff on a Canadian newspaper article about a guy who got his wang crushed by a toilet seat; a nice send-up of "psycho cowboy" George W. Bush; a hilarious run-in with Bangkok taxi drivers; a sweaty remembrance of a school wrestling match; and a dead-on spoof of Iron Maiden fans. Extras include a 30-minute interview, a featurette on the Henry Rollins Band's latest album Nice, a music video of "Your Number Is One," and audio excerpts from the comedy album A Rollins in the Wry. Often crude, always raucous, but genuinely funny, Henry Rollins: Up For It is recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)