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Daily Show with
Jon Stewart, The - Indecision 2004
Rating:
NR
Distributor:
Paramount Home Entertainment
Release
Date: June 28, 2005
Review posted: June 22, 2005
Reviewed by
Dennis Landmann
SYNOPSIS
The 2004 Race for
the White House was one of the most memorable presidential
elections of the last five years. Now relive it again - and again
- and, that's enough! - with this exquisitely packaged heirloom
collection. This 3-disc DVD set brings together some of the most
repackageable moments from "Indecision 2004."
COVERAGE
The Daily Show
with Jon Stewart mixes news with sharp, witty humor, which is
a great concept, and it's one of the main reasons why the show is
so popular and fun to watch. Following the success of the Daily
Show book (America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction),
it makes sense for Comedy Central to release a DVD, and the show's
coverage of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and the
Republican National Convention (RNC) is the perfect choice of
programming.
I've never actually
seen an entire Daily Show program on TV, but after watching
this DVD set I will watch it whenever I can; the reason being that
this show is consistently funny, informative, and perhaps more
motivated than other news shows to point out and comment on
certain events (political or otherwise, in this case political)
without having an agenda of some sort. The show's only agenda is
to be funny.
The Daily Show
starts off in general with a little bit of news from either the
domestic front or world but usually both with comments from Jon
Stewart, then a segment or special report from one or more of the
show's correspondents (a very funny, but more importantly
exceptional team that includes Stephen Colbert, Ed Helms, Samantha
Bee and Rob Corddry, as well as Steve Carell who left the show
some time ago), and lastly an interview with a guest (actor,
political figure, etc).
The coverage of the
two conventions is great and very funny (I would cite examples but
don't want to give anything away), though I prefer the RNC
coverage a little more because Jon Stewart and Co. make more fun
of it than the DNC, or perhaps because the material for the RNC
lends itself to more comedy (this depends on your political
orientation, of course). Easily the best parts about the coverage
(there are many more!) are the films about John Kerry ("He's Not
George Bush") and George Bush ("Words Speak Louder Than Actions).
In fact, the Bush film really nails it! All in all this DVD set
features a great compilation of Daily Show programming.
If They Mated (Late
Night With Conan O'Brien™): John Kerry and George Bush.
Discs 1 and 2
correspond to the four-day coverage of the DNC (dubbed "The Race
From the White House") and RNC (dubbed "Target New York"),
respectively. The openings for these shows are pretty funny as
well. Written on the back of the slimcases of discs 1 and 2 are
highlights from each day of coverage. Also, a helpful DVD
maintenance tip is included: Do Not Break DVD.
THE VIDEO
Paramount presents
The Daily Show in its original broadcast 1.33:1 fullscreen
aspect ratio. The video looks quite good, no complains here. The
back of the DVD suggests for letterbox version tape cardboard to
the top and bottom of your TV screen.
THE AUDIO
Paramount presents
The Daily Show in English Dolby Surround. The dialogue and
the occasional music and sound effects sound pretty clear and are
easy to understand.
THE EXTRAS
The first disc opens
with a funny introduction by Jon Stewart (pending contract
negotiations, according to the DVD).
The second disc
opens with Stephen Colbert's award-not-winning featurette
"Requiem for a Show That Was Daily", a very funny
introduction.
Featured on all
three discs, and helpfully pointed out on the back of the DVD, is
an FBI warning about copying this DVD.
Disc 3 is devoted
solely to the bonus material:
Election Night ’04:
Prelude to a Recount
(43:47) aired on November 2, 2004. This hour-long special covered the
night live with coverage from both the Bush and Kerry camps (with Ed
Helms and Samantha Bee reporting), announcements by Jon Stewart of
projected winners in various states, a special report and mapping of
the United States by Rob Corddry, and the usual zany analysis or rant
by Stephen Colbert, plus much more! The introduction to this program
features a “previously on” segment where we see brief coverage of the
2000 election (primarily the recount days). This is all very funny
stuff.
The First
Presidential Debate: The Squabble in Coral Gables (23:11)
looks at the first debate which took place on September 30, 2004, in
Coral Cables, Florida. We get to see a number of outtakes from the
speeches by Bush and Kerry, and Jon Stewart commenting. Funny stuff. A
bit later in the program Stewart interviews former Democratic
presidential candidate Wesley Clark asking him about the night’s
events (Clark’s remarks are expected and it seems he had a good time
with the interview). Lastly Stewart interviews former New York Mayor
Rudolph Guliani, who makes the point he is very confused about Kerry’s
position and speech remarks which means he’s either illiterate or
ignorant, but really Guliani plays to the Republican’s strategy to
undermine Kerry’s credibility by labeling him a “flip flopper.”
Interestingly, and with applause from me, Stewart calls on him a bit
and it’s interesting to see Guliani respond. The DVD slimcase for disc
3 suggests you use your pause button here to examine the president’s
jacket bulge, although the clips provided in this program won’t let
you examine it very well.
Extra Features
John Edwards
Announcement
(5:48): Aired on September 15, 2003, Senator Edwards declares his
Presidential candidacy on the Daily Show as promised in an earlier
interview with Stewart.
Bob Wiltfong: Stick
Shock
(4:50): Aired on May 10, 2004, Wiltfong takes you deep onto the shiny
outer surface of American politics with an expose on polling place
stickers you just might believe. This is decent material, but not as
funny as the other segments.
Steve Carell: Trail
and Tribulations
(4:13): Aired on October 9, 2003, Carell investigates the unstoppable
juggernaut that was, temporarily, the Howard Dean campaign. Especially
funny is when Carell interviews a Dean for America aid next to a
speaker that plays loud music and pretending to sing along while the
aid speaks.
Daily Show Rock!
Presents “Midterm Elections”
(2:28): An educational and very funny animated short on the
uselessness of midterm elections.
Continental Skiff
Boat Oarsmen for Veracity
(1:17): This is a great spoof of the negative TV ad that tried to
paint John Kerry as a weak and overrated soldier during his Swift Boat
days. Here we have several members of George Washington’s “skiff boat”
voicing their displeasure with Washington’s leader abilities. Pretty
funny.
The National Anthem
(1:23): Performed by Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry and Ed
Helms.
Ed Helms
Principle
Spinner (3:51): Aired on October 20, 2004, Helms speaks to pundits
and learns the subtle differences between “Hardball,” “Crossfire,” and
“Purposeless Yelling.” The last thirty seconds are pretty funny when
Helms drops to the floor on spin alley playing dead while people next
to him go on about their business as usual.
You can also view
Helms’ introduction (1:10) again.
Samantha Bee
Block the Vote
(4:17): Aired on February 25, 2004, Bee learns how to court the youth
vote, one pimpled cynic at a time. This segment includes optional
commentary by Bee.
So You Want to Bee…
a 527 Organization?
(4:09): Aired on October 27, 2004, Bee shows how you can subvert the
intention of campaign finance laws – right in your very own home. This
segment includes optional commentary by Bee.
Stephen Colbert
The following are
segments from Stephen Colbert’s “Interviews I Could Get”: Don King
(3:49), Senator Bob Graham (4:40), and Reverend Al Sharpton
(3:18).
Minority Retort
(4:46): Aired on August 9, 2004, Colbert learns why democracy means
everyone gets to be unhappy equally. He rounds up about fifteen people
of different demographics (white, black, Christian, Latino, Jew, gay,
laborer, tree hugger, hippie, etc.), and asks them questions and which
issues they find important. Funny stuff.
Rob Corddry
Democratic Debate
in New York (4:09):
Aired on September 29, 2003, Corddry is in
New York
covering the debate.
Democratic Debate
in Detroit
(3:44): Aired on October 28, 2003, the segment starts off with Corddry
spoofing a scene from 8 Mile, and then heading to the debate
site and asking questions with a certain “jive” attitude (you’ll know
what that means when you see it).
The Secretaries’
Tour
(4:15): Aired on August 11, 2004, Corddry follows members of the U.S.
cabinet on tour in complete violation of his court order.
All in all a great collection of bonus material.
Sure, I would have loved more, but what's presented here is already a
lot.
Also on hand are Comedy Central Quickies
for the following shows: South Park: The Right to Vote (1:19),
Reno 911: Presidential Motorcade Duty (1:32), and Drawn
Together: Food Challenge (2:30).
Oh, and you get a series of DVD Previews
(4:45) for Chappelle's Show Season 2 DVD, Reno 911 Season 2
DVD, and South Park Season 6 DVD (coming soon!).
OBVIOUS THOUGHT
Jon Stewart and his
team of correspondents are terrific and they always keep their
cool. The bonus material is pretty sweet and the convention
coverage is very funny programming. Two reasons (all that's
needed) why The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Indecision 2004
comes highly recommended.
VERDICT: HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED
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