Bill Cosby ...Far From Finished: Live in Concert

Christian Cintron READ TIME: 2 MIN.

Bill Cosby is quite possibly one of the most gifted comic geniuses of our time. He returns in his first stand up special in over thirty years, "Bill Cosby...Far From Finished." However, the bonus features reveal the man behind that genius might not coincide with the lovable family man we believe him to be.

The bonus features on the Blu-ray release include an interview with Bill Cosby by Robert Townsend. The interview is billed as a casual conversation about comedy between Townsend and his hero. It's so casual that Cosby appears unshaven in sweatpants. Yet, Townsend, a 56-year-old peer refers to his longtime friend as Mr. Cosby.

The conversation feels like a conversation with your grandfather. Some of his stories are great, but you want him to get to the point a lot faster. Cosby, talking at a glacial pace undercuts a lot of the valuable information he shares. Stand up comics will appreciate all the practical information he gives about his process. However, Bill Cosby is an anomaly. His unique speaking voice, family-friendliness, and delivery style has allowed him to circumvent a lot of stand up "rules."

The behind-the-scenes featurette was filmed by a bunch of CSUN film students. Cosby says multiple times during the special features that he values education. The fact that it is repeated robotically ad nauseam by multiple persons calls in question the sincerity of that statement. There also are interviews with the crew, Townsend and fans. The redundant segment called "Fans" includes additional footage with fans of Bill Cosby thanking him for his humor. There is also a segment of Cosby directing the band that scored the theme for his special.

Fans of Bill Cosby may really love this special that features the comedian's return to the stage. However, considering his general folksy approachable nature, some of the bonus features make him seem a little disingenuous and needlessly formal. A Blu-ray release of a Comedy Central is also a little excessive.


by Christian Cintron

Christian Cintron is a writer, actor and stand up comedian. He attended Vassar College and has worked in marketing and social media. For more check out YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/CintronicComedy and www.obscureathon.com

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