Da Ali G Show: Da Compleet Second Seazon (NR, HBO)
It's by some kind of miracle that a show like Da Ali G Show, hosted by British gangsta wannabe Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen), exists. How else to explain Ali's ability not only to land interviews with Sam Donaldson and Pat Buchanan, but to actually see these interviews to completion with straight faces all around?
The wanksta persona is funny in and of itself, but Cohen's real gift comes in his ability to ask a horrifically dumb question (to a K9 officer: "When they actually find a bomb, how long does it take the dog to diffuse it?"), get a real answer, and follow up that answer, on the spot, with something similarly stupid. Cohen's other alter egos, Kazakhstani correspondent Borat (even funnier than Ali) and Austrian fashionista Bruno (not so hot) also make appearances. Includes six episodes, plus Ali G's Harvard commencement speech (no joke) and eight other bonus segments.
Kicking & Screaming (PG, Universal, Oct. 11)
When is a Bad News Bears rip-off more than just another Bad News Bears rip-off? When you have Will Ferrell in the cast. Kicking & Screaming features all the usual non-surprises you expect from a family film of this sort, and the entire third act almost dares you to be the least bit surprised by any single thing that happens.
But the first two acts, while somewhat predictable in their own right, are also the domain of Ferrell, who is as stupidly funny with a roomful of kids as he is with Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson.
Mike Ditka proves himself a funny and surprisingly self-depreciating sidekick as Ferrell's assistant ("Way to go, Bing Bong!") and Robert Duvall can do little wrong despite being saddled with the cliched "rival coach" role. If you like Ferrell - and the world seems to go both ways here - it's worth a look.
Best of the Chris Rock Show: Volumes 1 and 2 (NR, HBO, Oct. 11)
Dave Chappelle may get all the attention these days, but it was HBO, The Chris Rock Show, and Mr. Show that paved his way to sketch comedy greatness. This compilation is basically a bulky, half-baked repackaging job: You get the two DVDs already released between three and five years ago, along with a nifty cardboard case to keep them together. That, along with the lack of any real extras, is lamentable.
But if you missed out the first time and don't mind some dated material - lots of Clinton-Lewinsky references - you still get a lot of funny for your money. Highlights include Rock's petition for a Tupac Shakur Boulevard in a predominantly white neighborhood, as well as pretty much any skit involving Mario Joyner. Give that guy his own show if Dave doesn't want one. No extras besides a bio.
(c) 2005, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
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