DVD Corner

Eddie Murphy: Raw Blu-ray Review

“Eddie Murphy: Raw” doesn’t hold up.

Directed by Robert Townsend, 1987’s “Eddie Murphy: Raw” is a concert film/theatrical stand-up special filmed in front of a live audience in New York at The Felt Forum. The film kicks off with a filmed sketch of Eddie Murphy as a child telling his family a joke at Thanksgiving. After that, the stand-up begins as Murphy tells comedic stories about Mr. T, Richard Pryor, sex, divorce fears, women, cheating, food, dancing, Italian men and his parents.

At the time of its release, ‘Raw’ was a huge hit that came out during the biggest period of Eddie Murphy’s career. Watching it now, it’s very much a product of its time. Eddie Murphy himself has been on record saying that he cringes at the special now. It’s not hard to see why as there are homophobic and misogynistic comments galore particularly with in regards to gender views.

Now, there are a few funny bits to be sure. The story about Bill Cosby calling him to tell him that his humor is too filthy and the tale of his mom’s homemade burger were quite amusing. More often than not though this special serves as a reminder of just how much Eddie Murphy and this country has evolved.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: Widescreen 1080p. How does it look? The sketch looks superb. The special itself isn’t exactly visual. It maintains the grain and is an upgrade from past releases but don’t expect it to look glossy.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Expect a clean audio track.

No extras have been included.

January 15, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | 80's, Comedy, Concert Movie, Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy: Raw Blu-ray Review, Stand-Up