Steven Wright: When the Leaves Blow Away

Either you love Steven Wright's dry on-liner humor told in his trademark deadpan delivery, or you don't. I'm definitely in the former category. So sadly haven missed this special when it was on cable, I was over-enthusiastic to get it when it came out on DVD earlier this week. Some of the material almost had me in tears. Not sad tears, mind you. I heard some repeated variations off his older material (the dream movie bit), but for the most part it's new material (to me anyways). So yeah, I enjoyed it very much. If you want a good laugh, rent/buy this one now. Also as an added bonus you get his short film "One Soldier" and small clips of one of his shows in '88.

The stand up portion of When All the Leaves Blow away is absolutely hysterical. Wright's dry deadpan humor kept me laughing during the entire concert. I am amazed that Wright can perform his routine and keep it so dead pan and straight faced, particularly when the audience is cracking up.

I viewed this via a streaming service, so the concert was unfortunately followed up with Wright's own short film "One Soldier". It really feels like one eternity. (I believe that the DVD version also includes this short film.) Clearly an exposition of Wrights internal monologue regarding life and death, this film is tortuously boring, and not at all funny. Even when Wright includes formerly hysterical material from his stand up routine, these jokes fall below flat. It is possible when viewed separate from the concert material, it is a good short film. It is definitely interesting, dry, and witty, much more quirky than funny. However, its presentation directly following the laugh out loud comedy is a real turn off.

If I was rating only the stand-up concert, it would have gotten a 10. But the short film pulls the presentation down to a five. Do yourself a favor, watch the stand up concert, but skip the short film. Or save "One Soldier" for a time when you wish to feel more existential.