Review By: Rocco Passafuime
RoccoPassafuime@TheCinemaSource.com

Roseanne Barr is one of the U.S.’s most provocative female comediennes. She rose to prominence in stand-up in the early 1980’s for her unflinching comedic portrayals of the Midwestern suburban housewife.

She soon parlayed her “domestic goddess” comedic stylings into the sitcom Roseanne, which aired on ABC from 1988 to 1997. After several failed ventures as a TV talk show and cooking show host, she’s returned to her roots as a stand up performer with the new HBO stand-up comedy TV special Roseanne Barr: Blonde And Bitchin’.

Filmed at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, California, Roseanne Barr sports a new blonde ‘do, but the same old irreverent attitude. She has a clumsily rough start as her sociopolitical jabs at right-wingers and Bush are a bit off-delivery, with the comedienne constantly visibly nervous and uncomfortable on stage.

It takes Barr a bit to find her groove, but once she’s in a comfortable place, her barbs are as rude and razor sharp as they ever had been. Particularly once she delves into her signature comedic commentary on women’s issues, her rips are hilarious as she delves into old age, being fat, and being a grandmother.

The stand-up is most impressive when Roseanne adds unique wrinkles to the proceedings. One is a fortune telling segment where members of the audience submit questions and she responds to each one in her signature blunt, but hilarious manner.

Another is a rather ballsy burlesque striptease that quite literally shows plenty of skin. She, then, finishes it off with a rather sardonic end as the fat lady literally sings, in this case with a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”, reinterpreted in pure Roseanne style.

The DVD picture quality is in the 1:78:1 widescreen aspect ratio of the original television broadcast. The sound quality is in both high-quality Dolby 5.1 Surround and standard Dolby 2.0 Stereo.

The DVD is also packed with plenty of special features. The first two are scripted, comedic “behind the scenes” segments with her makeup artist and motivational coach, played by Clam Lynch and drag performer Jackie Beat. While the segments tend to meander a bit, the banter and kitsch of these two segments are amusing and it’s a testament to Roseanne’s appeal to gay audiences.

There’s also a documentary-style segment called After All The Bitchin’ where Roseanne briefly interacts with her real-life friends after the performance. While it’s not particularly insightful or humorous, viewers are given a great opportunity to delve into a bit of Roseanne’s private world.

There’s also a literally up-close-and-personal interview with the comedienne in her pure and unvarnished form. While she’s not always engaging during the interview, she’s informative and offers viewers a thorough insight into what led her to do the Blonde And Bitchin special. The special features round off with a photo gallery that is relatively scant, but still adequate.

While Roseanne Barr: Blonde And Bitchin’ breaks little new ground and Roseanne’s forays into current events are a bit sketchy in delivery at best, the ...