Plot: What’s it about?
We’ve seen Spike Lee’s comedy concert film The Original Kings of Comedy, but what about the ladies, right? This release ensures that the females have their time in front of the masses and in all cases, they show they can hang with the men and then some. Filmed live in Memphis, The Queens of Comedy opens the stage for the women to have their say and man, do they ever have a lot to discuss. As they address their audiences, the girls talk about other women, fashion, social problems, marriage, kids, and of course, men and what’s wrong with them. The performers here include Adele Givens, Sommore, Mo’Nique, and Miss Laura Hayes and in truth, all seem in top notch form here and seem to hit all the nails head on. This is eighty minutes packed with laughs and even more laughs, so buckle up before you spin this one. The men had their turn and now, the ladies are on the prowl and ready to settle the comedic score.
I had just watched The Original Kings of Comedy (also available on DVD), so what a perfect time to spin the female side of the story, right? Well, those men might have been the Kings, but these ladies are the Queens and here, they more than prove they can stand up against the fellows. Now this wasn’t given the same deluxe theatrical treatment as the other, but it is well taken care of here, so no hard feelings in the end. I found this to be a very humorous piece and while I am sure women will like it even more, it still offers some good laughs to the guys as well. I admit this doesn’t have as good production values and such as the Kings piece, but this still works as well as any made for television comedic concert, which is adequate. The ladies discuss topics of all kinds, from skinny women to sex and while the subject matter can become crude, I doubt it will offend anyone in the end. I found all the women to be terrific performers, but I think Miss Laura Hayes takes the cake in this one. If you’re in the mood for some comedy from the female perspective, then this is well worth a rental.
Video: How does it look?
The Queens of Comedy is presented in a full frame transfer, which seems to be an open matte edition, as the first sequence runs in about 1.66:1 widescreen. This looks about the same as a television program, which means the image is solid, but not as glossy as true film. But I have no real complaints here, as the image looks sharp throughout and no real problems surface here. The colors seem bright enough, flesh tones are natural, contrast is smooth, and no compression issues emerge either. This looks good enough if you ask me, but it lacks the refinement a film based transfer would allow.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but this is a live comedy piece, so don’t expect too much here. The performers are the main focus here of course, so their vocals come across in crisp form and are never muffled or hard to understand. There is some music at times, but it doesn’t sound as full as you might expect, though it is adequate in the end. The surrounds see very little action with this material, although some nice use of the audience noise is present, a welcome touch. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains a promo piece for the soundtrack, as well as some footage that was removed from the final cut of the piece, which is very funny and a welcome addition to this release.
