Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop is a fascinating documentary that is both funny and with a good amount of seriousness that makes this worthwhile, though this is something more for the fans because if you don’t care for Conan, this won’t change your mind, in fact it could enforce your feelings towards him.
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Documentary, Comedy
Magnolia | R – 89 min. – $29.99 | September 13, 2011
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Rodman Flender
Writer(s): NA
Cast: Conan O’Brien, Andy Richter
Theatrical Release Date: June 24, 2011
DISC INFO:
Features: Commentary, Interview, Outtakes, Additional Scenes
Number of Discs: 1
Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A
THE MOVIE – 4.0/5
Plot: After a much-publicized departure from hosting NBC’s “Tonight Show,” Conan O’Brien hit the road with a 32-city music-and-comedy show. The “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour” was O’Brien’s answer to a stipulation that banned his appearance on television, radio and the internet for six months following his last show. This documentary showcases this tour in front and behind-the-scenes.
I want to note first that my experience with documentaries is fairly limited. Often the subject either doesn’t interest me or when the time came, I never got around to actually watching it (Hearts of Darkness comes to mind). With that said, this is also going to be a short review giving my opinion on the documentary as to whether it’s worth the 90-minute time investment.
In regards to why this documentary interested me more than others, the reason is his “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny…” tour made its debut in the town near me, Eugene, Oregon, an event I unfortunately did not attend.
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop was edited and directed by Rodman Flender whose name I doubt many know his name but know his background in feature films, most notably the horror-comedy, Idle Hands with Jessica Alba. So it seemed to me an odd choice for Flender to take on a documentary, even in the limited scope, like this. I’m sure he’s a fan of O’Brien (as am I, for the record) but passion doesn’t always necessarily mean success. However, with this film he manages to fantastically balance the personal aspects, although I still feel we don’t get the full picture of who O’Brien is, the grueling tour and its costs emotionally and physically as well as some of the behind-the-scenes aspects before and after an event.
As I said, I don’t watch too many documentaries, so take that for what you will, but I though this one was well done, went at a brisk pace and had an equal amount of funny moments mixed in with some of the more serious ones.
I would like to say that even those who aren’t fans of O’Brien will enjoy the film… but I’m dubious if that would be the case especially since some moments do make him look like a jerk. For me, it’s more in line with a shtick (mixed with his true personality) that I find amusing while others feel is off-putting. Either way, if you have 89-minutes to spare, give this one a shot.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.75/5
Audio Commentary – This track is surprisingly packed and includes Director Rodman Flender, Conan O’Brien, Andy Richter, Conan’s Head Writer Mike Sweeney and Conan’s assistant Sona Movsesian. You wouldn’t think a commentary over a documentary wouldn’t be interesting, but O’Brien especially keeps it lively.
Additional Scenes (42:02; HD) – Here we get 10 sets of extra footage, removed for pacing or time constraints. Although they were removed for the right reasons I’m sure, seeing them on their own was pretty funny throughout.
Interview with Conan O’Brien (14:26; HD) – Presented by AT&T U-Verse, this is an interview with O’Brien on the set of his TBS show. This is a promotional featurette for the documentary.
Interview Outtakes (3:30; HD) – From the same interview, here we get what didn’t make the cut; it’s mostly of Conan joking around.
BD-Live – There is a portal to watch material for other Magnolia titles. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
Previews – Page One: Inside the New York Times, Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place and Good Neighbors
VIDEO – 3.75/5
When it comes to documentaries, you never know how the video transfer will go given they aren’t using the bigger cameras instead going handheld with multiple cameras to cover different areas. And that is the case here with the 1080p high-def transfer. Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop is presented in its original 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and for the most part looks sharp and finely detailed… depending on the camera used. The concert footage doesn’t look the best but when we get into interview footage, things are better detailed.
AUDIO – 4.0/5
In reality you’re not going to get a whole lot from this DTS-HD Master Audio track since 90% of the film is strictly dialogue while the other 10% is filled with on-stage music. Even so, the dialogue is crisp and clear, if not a tad flat at times, while the music gives the lossless track a bit of depth.
OVERALL – 3.5/5
Overall, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop is a fascinating documentary that is both funny and with a good amount of seriousness that makes this worthwhile, though this is something more for the fans because if you don’t care for Conan, this won’t change your mind, in fact it could enforce your feelings towards him. Even so, the Blu-ray has a good audio and video transfers and there’s a fair amount of features that makes this a good purchase.
Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 09/09/2011
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2.
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