Eddie Izzard: Circle (2002) Online

I can understand why die-hard Eddie fans are disappointed with "Circle" because it really isn't as fall-off-the-sofa-my-jaw-aches-omigawd-I-can't-breathe-for-laughing hilarious as the likes of "Dress to Kill" and "Glorious". However, there's still a good deal of intelligent and extremely funny observation going on here and, like all of his stand-up before it, it's worth it 'cause it's Eddie and a true fan doesn't need anymore than that as a guarantee. But even those not familiar with humour of the Izzardeque variety should find plenty to amuse them on this show. The signing with chimps ("gimme a f***ing banana"), monkeys with guns and Darth Vader trying to order penne arrabiata in the Death Star canteen are truly hilarious and just what we expect from our hero. Yes, there are some re-hashed lines but the same could be said for most stand-up comedians and besides, this was released over two years after it was filmed so there's bound to be stuff that we've heard before but seemed a lot fresher at the time.

I agree with those who recommend that Izzard novices start out on the true path of comedy righteousness with "Dress to Kill", "Glorious" or "Unrepeateable" but if you've seen them and not "Circle" please don't pass it by because you've heard that it's no good. There's plenty in there to make you utter many a hearty titter and more than a few mighty chuckles and like a lot of Eddie's stuff it gets funnier with repeated viewings.

I thought it was great, Eddie at his best. I personally thought this was better than "Dress To Kill".

I loved the sections about "The Pursuit of Happiness" and the Popes though, and the star wars part was very cool. I thought he swore too much though, and should rely on his anecdotes, more than on his profanity for laughs.

I also liked the section about the meek conquering the earth. It was much shorter than "Dress to Kill". NAd has many classic skits that Izzard fans will love. I strongly recommend this show.

Overall 10/10

Before I start, I _love_ Eddie Izzard. I think he's one of the funniest stand-ups around today. Possibly that means I'm going into this with too high expectations, but I just didn't find Eddie funny in this outing.

I think the main problem is Eddie is trying too hard to be Eddie. Everyone knows him as a completely irrelevant comic, and we all love him for it. But in Circle, he appears to be going more for irrelevant than funny, and completely lost me in places. Many of the topics he covers he has covered before - I even think I recognised a few recycled jokes in there.

If you buy the DVD you'll find a behind-the-scenes look at Eddie's tour (interesting in places, but not very funny), and a French language version of one of his shows. Die-hards will enjoy seeing Eddie in a different language, but subtitled comedy isn't very funny.

If you're a fan of Eddie you've either got this already or you're going to buy it whatever I say. If you're just passing through, buy Glorious or Dressed to Kill - you won't be disappointed. With Circle, you probably will.

After a terribly dated and silly Matrix-style opening sequence, this DVD opens up with the show filmed live in New York Town Hall. Circle was the first live show I've seen from Izzard in a while and I was quite looking forward to it and was happy to find him on good form. His style is the same as it ever was, with perfectly scripted scatological material done with good timing and delivery that makes him such fun to flit along with. Fans have already noted that some of the topics he covers are similar to ones he has done before – God as James Mason, religion, the British Empire, Star Wars etc; but he doesn't really do the same things or the same jokes with these.

Instead he goes off on different flights of fancy which are witty and clever even if they are slightly more hit and miss than normal. One of the problems is that the film either doesn't capture the atmosphere or there wasn't at atmosphere to capture. The venue doesn't feel "full" in the way that a venue full of excitement can do but rather it feels full of people who have come along for a look. This feeling probably wasn't helped by the fact that technical problems with the sound broke up the flow for about thirty minutes during filming but regardless the audience don't seem to be getting into it and it is something Izzard notices with his regular references to "6 people jokes" etc. It knocks him a little bit at times and you can see it as he doesn't appear to be enjoying himself quite as much as his best shows but still he delivers it well.

Fans will still have much to enjoy here because Izzard is almost as good as he has been in the past and it is only the slight feel that he has done some of the topics before and also the slightly stilted audience that takes away from it.

i was greatly looking forward to seeing this new dvd of eddie's show from New York after reading the praise heaped upon him by our american friends on this very site. I love eddie izzard's material, and have a couple of his older shows on VHS, so what didn't i like about this one? Mainly the beggining of the show itself, i thought it took him a good ten minutes to find his feet, didn't seem to know where he was going a lot of the time, which in itself is sometimes one of his endearing qualities, but too much can make me feel irritated! A lot of the show seemed way under-rehearsed, which he does actually admit to on the commentary. Too much about 'God' as well i thought, needs to get some different topics going on, like he used to. Having said all that, once he got into his stride there was some very funny stuff: 'Chimps with guns', 'Stoned olympics' and the bit about Darth Vader in the Death Star canteen, was Izzard firing on all cylinders! Once i've viewed this show three or four times i'm sure i'll love it to pieces, but that initial first view was a little shakey.

... or at least that's what the summary on my Sky+ (Tivo) said, so maybe it was hyperbole...

I love "Dress to Kill", and the odd line or segment of this was funny, but too many times he didn't segue between topics very well. I know Eddie's style is supposed to be random but in "Dress to Kill" he usually tied his fantasy and surrealism back to a 'Big Overall Point'. I felt that he didn't really do that here and that there were too many 'awkward leaps' from one topic to another.

It improved in this aspect as it went along, and the bit about the pagan vampires and cannibals incorporated into the Christian religion was very funny,

(- Eat this cheese for it is my body. - But it's Judea, Dad. Cheese melts. - Alright then, "Eat this cheese for it is my central nervous system." Hmmmm. Alright, alright, "Now eat these chicken drumsticks, for they are my legs, eat these carrots, they are my arms, eat this tomato, it is my head, and eat these oysters, they are my kneecaps.")

... but I felt almost as if Eddie were just hitting his stride right as the TV transmission ended.

6/10 here versus 9/10 for "Dress to Kill"...

I know a lot of people say this ones really bad... but still I think it shows his comic genius anyways. There is so much great material, even though it does start out a bit slow. Plus I watched the behind the scenes footage and in the middle of the show there were technical difficulties and they had to have an intermission... so its kind of messed up, and they might have done too much editing. I wouldn't say its as good as Dress to Kill, but I think it is better than Unrepeatable. I haven't seen all of his stand up so i can't testify to all of the shows... its not his best but its definitely worth taking a look at!

I have been a fan of Eddie Izzard for years now, ever since his bit on The Old Testament and "Evil Ducks". (If you don't know what I'm talking about it is his 1997 stand-up named 'Glorious') I have since watched all of his available stand-up several times, and always laugh.

That being said, I was so excited to see this become available in the US. But I must say,I was a little disappointed. Although still chuckle worthy, I didn't feel like he was quite as comfortable with an American audience. His unique way of dispensing interesting pieces of information, always so witty and honest. I will continue to follow Eddie in hopes that this was an off year(2000). I would imagine,with all the world events lately,he should have plenty to say now. Let's just hope he will.

If you're an Eddie fan,I would say this is a must rent. Still lively, and intelligent,just with slightly less enthusiasm than I've seen from him in the past.

I thought he was hilarious! As soon as he walked on stage I started laughing. But the audience was in no mood for it and that threw him off, I think. Like when he was telling the one about the god of chaos out there in the middle of nowhere just trying to light his oven, (to make a flan), and he's poking a match in there and going "I'm just trying to light the oven... can't seem to get it lit.. Just trying' to.... BANG!!!" LOL!! But nobody laughed until he told them "And that was the big bang, thats how it all started." And they all kinda nodded and clapped in a "oh...I get it" way.

And then there were a few people who were laughing at everything, just in case it was funny. Every once in a while he'll just toss some nonsense out there and see what happens. But I could tell he wasn't connecting with them. He is at his best with an audience that already knows him, like in S.F. or London.

Normally I would praise Eddie for his acheivements.... he has done a hell of a lot without getting into the dreaded British and American TV thing, but alas this dvd was a little too strained even for a hardened fan like myself.

Some of the material was great..... but not up to scrath considering dress to kill and unrepeatable to name a couple.

At least we have his acting skills if the comedy shows dont work out.

Maybe eddie should come home to england and forget america for a bit and get to grips with the homeland that spawned his mind and its creativity

I totally get it when peeps say that this isn't Eddie at his best.

I get it, but do you honestly blame him? Stuck out with those blimmin' dry humoured Yankies. I can feel like he's thinking' to himself "do I have to explain everything I say to this bunch??" and there is a lot of that going on. Like everything he's saying he's thinking too hard and trying to make sure they get it. But I think he's also conscious of this and tries to tone that side of it down a bit - god ain't it just a frustrating situation to be in?

I do like it, he raises some interesting stuff and makes a point of introducing a little foreign culture to an otherwise ignorant nation who don't even know what the hell's going on in their own town let alone their country and you can forget the rest of the world unless somebody tells them.

I can't imagine what the audience thought of Eddie and his great look. In england you're so used to flamboyance and decorative people. Unless you live in tiny village somewhere where the only shop consists of a post office and a broken down phone box...believe it or not there are still places like that even in Hertfordshire!

I wonder if Eddie broke throu the hearts of the American audience at all? He didn't go on about his love life, he didn't go on about wife beating, drinking down the local bar, he didn't go on about family or friends. He talked about really intellectual and fun stuff. I love it that he mentions World War 2 and Private Ryan unscared to touch upon such a 'tender' subject but without being overly offensive in anyway but just matter of fact. I love how different his stand-up is to most common sorts of stand-up. It isn't all "Don't you just hate it when" or "Have you ever walked down the street and noticed how..." or "I woke up one morning and found my wife sleeping with the milkman".

So although this isn't Eddie at his best it is still great viewing. He looks stunning (as always) in his leather and shiny black tight shirt get up. Very bondage come European wannabie cowboy. All he needs now is a cool hat and maybe even a nice little whip. And there are some very funny tangets he floats throu. At times I found myself laughing more at the bits where no one in the audience was laughing at and the bits the audience was laughing at I found myself zoning out completely feeling only vaguely amused. So it's a mixed bag full of fish (good and bad) and I say try it and then decide for yourself. :)

Don't remember exactly in which order I saw his stand-up routines (none of them live though), but I am sure it was not in chronological order. I think it started with glorious. So maybe the order you see them influences your opinion cause I am (now) a die-hard fan of Eddie's stand-up but I seem to disagree with most other fan's that this is actually almost his best piece. My order would be: 1) Definite article 2) Circle 3) Glorious 4) Dress to kill 5) Unrepeatable 6) Sexie (which was not great actually, to say the least). Haven't seen live at the ambassadeur yet though but I suspect it will knock Sexie of that list. One other thing of course might be that this was actually recorded in the US as opposed to most of the others.

This was only the second I had seen a stand-up show by Eddie Izzard, and in his transvestite guise. Playing in Town Hall, New York City, he gives his usual abstract and amusing material, including his opinions and theories about Pope John Paul II, the Spanish Inquisition, Jerusalem and Jesus, and the future. Also with some bits about mad cows, the Renaissance period, Leonardo DiVinci and the Mona Lisa, and a good part near the end about Darth Vader on the Death Star. I didn't think this was as funny or fun to watch as Dress to Kill, but it does have its moments. Eddie Izzard was number 3 on 100 Greatest Stand-Ups, and he was number 19 on The Comedians' Comedian. Worth watching!