Movie
Name/Year: Arsenio
Hall: Smart and Classy (2019)
Genre: Comedy
Length:
63 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: Comedy Dynamics, Netflix
Director: Brian Volk-Weiss
Writer: Arsenio Hall
Actor: Arsenio Hall
Blurb
from IMDb: Arsenio
Hall performs his first stand-up comedy special, filmed live in San Jose,
California in April 2019.
Selina’s Point of View:
Arsenio Hall is a class act. The title of this special isn’t a
mistake. He’s an amazing comedian and he has a spirit to his jokes that feels
light, even when he’s joking about something that might sound bad coming out of
someone else’s mouth.
Let’s pretend for a moment that I’m not totally bias in favor of
Hall. I grew up during the era of the original Arsenio Hall Show (1989-1994).
That means that when I was 9-years-old and trying to con my mom to let me stay
up, it was his show that I was trying to get to see. I didn’t see as much of it
at that time as I would have liked, but I’ve had the pleasure to go back and
watch it all from a place of nostalgia in later years.
Going into Smart and Classy, I knew I was going to
enjoy Hall’s sense of humor. He would have had to fuck up real bad for me to
not be happy. In fact, he was completely on his game and exhibiting all the
characteristics you would expect from a titan in the comedy game.
I loved this special. I will also love it in the future when I
watch it again.
Cat’s Point of View:
I have really missed seeing Arsenio Hall on my screen. It feels like
forever since the nights he entered his talk show stage with his fist-pumping
in the air while the audience rhythmically whooped along with him. Okay, so 30
years isn’t really forever – but it might as well be in Hollywood.
As I think back through the various performances and appearances that I’ve
seen, I can’t think of any that I haven’t enjoyed – this one was no exception.
Hall’s style in this show almost felt conversational. Regardless of the
size of the actual audience, the way he interacted with them made it feel like
an intimate setting. I was laughing and hanging on almost every word.
I found Hall’s material relevant and on point as he walked the fine
line of social commentary and explored various topics with the ease of one
seemingly dancing through a minefield without getting a scratch.
Some of the same elements that have felt taboo and offensive when
handled by other comedians didn’t seem as harsh, unpleasant, or cringe-worthy.
It’s clear that Hall’s performance came from a place of desire to entertain
rather than provoke his audience.
You don’t have to be a die-hard Arsenio Hall fan to get his comedy or
enjoy this show. I wouldn’t recommend it for younger audiences due to language
and some content; but other than that, think there’s a little bit of something
for everyone with this special. I will likely be watching this again very soon,
myself.
Rotten
Tomatoes Critic Score –
None
Rotten
Tomatoes Audience Score – 25%
Metascore – None
Metacritic
User Score None
IMDB
Score –
6.0/10
CinemaScore – None
Trust
the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust
the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
Movie
Trailer:
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