Dave Attell: Captain Miserable

Dave Attell returns with his second solo stand-up feature special and first for HBO. Attell performs at Washington's Lincoln Theater, a substantial upgrade over his first special. Everything is bigger this time around, with Attell ramping up the offensive material, which is saying something for Attell, and the crowd eats it up. But Attell seems to be taking steps to become a parody of himself here, devolving into a caricature of a mid-40s sleazeball. What before seemed endearing, the lovable low-life with a heart of gold now feels more like he's pandering to the lowest common denominator. He still manages to hit a few times while swinging wildly, but the results are far from satisfying. Attell is stronger when employing a more conversational style and in front of a smaller audience. Less is most certainly more in this case.