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Despite his name being used in the title and his face being used to sell copies of the DVD, Katt Williams doesn't appear very much in Katt Williams Presents Katthouse Comedy. An hour-long concert film recorded during Williams' "American Hustle" tour, Katthouse Comedy features stand-up performances by opening acts Red Grant, Luenell and Melanie Comarcho. Each comic performs for about 20 minutes (Luenell a little more, Comarcho a little less) with some behind-the-scenes documentary footage breaking up the performances.


This footage is the only real glimpse we see of Williams, who doesn't do any performing -- or, really, any talking. Anyone looking for comedy from Katt Williams ought to be looking elsewhere.

Instead, Katthouse Comedy is a passable but unremarkable stand-up concert with three comics hand-picked by Williams. All three comedians have their moments, but none have the energy, delivery or charisma of Williams.

For the most part, the entirety of the 65-minute running time and all three comics' acts are devoted to material about sex. What's surprising is that all three are able to make this material sound fresh and genuinely edgy at times; unlike a lot of comics, there isn't the feeling that they're being vulgar or shocking for its own sake. There is a frankness and an honesty to the way these comics talk about sex that keeps it from becoming juvenile or gimmicky. That doesn't mean we haven't heard a lot of it before, or that it doesn't become repetitive after hearing three consecutive comedians cover the same well-covered territory.

Though Comarcho manages to stand out from the other comics with her laid back, casual delivery, having her appear last on Katthouse Comedy feels like a mistake. She should have gone second, to help break up the goofy energy of Grant and the attack-dog style of Luenell. As structured on the DVD, the concert film peters out a little just when it ought to be building up. Had it gone on longer and been followed up by Katt Williams, it would have worked out just right. As it is, the pacing of Katthouse Comedy feels wrong.

All in all, there isn't a whole lot going on to recommend Katthouse Comedy. Sure, these are three talented comics and their sets are ok, but they're comparable to a lot of what you might see on a Comedy Central or HBO show. The one advantage is that it's uncensored -- a fact that all three comedians take full advantage of. Otherwise, it's fairly standard stuff. The makings are here for a better package, but Katthouse Comedy isn't quite it.

DVD Details

• Release Date: January 20, 2009
• Running Time: 65 Minutes
• 1.78:1 Letterbox Format
• Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English)
• Studio: Salient Media

DVD Bonus Features

• Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.