Two comedians approach their craft differently in these recent projects. One created a stand-alone stand-up special during COVID, while the other tells a story from her life.
Bo Burnham: Inside I was not familiar with this comic until this, which was written, directed, recorded and edited in his home during the COVID-19 quarantine. After watching it, I checked out some of his events in front of an audience and saw that he uses the technical aspects of theatre to augment his presentation…plus, he sings a lot of songs. This special echoes that style with an impressive mastery of visual media. As for his comedy, I seldom found it funny. Even the songs seemed simplistic and trying too hard to be cute/comic. His routines are a matter of taste, so even if you don’t find him especially hilarious, this video is enjoyable for the production creativity. 
(3.5 / 5)
Good on Paper When comics do stand up for a movie, it needs to reflect their abilities. Sadly, Iliza Shlesinger’s stand up scenes in this feature were more about commenting on the narrative than provoking laughs. In this largely autobiographical experience, she plays a comic who meets a man seemingly too good to be true (RyanHansen who’s obviously wearing extra padding to his usually buff bod…even going so far as to use a body double in one swim scene). She and her best friend (Margaret Cho, providing a few mild moments of amusement) set out to find the truth behind this poser. What results is interesting, esp since it’s based on a real character, but it’s not ever very funny. 
(2.5 / 5)