MovieChat Forums > Eddie Murphy: Delirious (1983) Discussion > The Best Stand-Up Special of All-Time?

The Best Stand-Up Special of All-Time?

posted 17 years ago by SuperNostalgicBrother
19 replies | jump to latest

A lot are going to agree that Eddie Murphy's laugh-a-second 1983 stand-up "Derlious" is one of the greatest stand-up specials of all-time then some people are going to say different (i.e. Chris Rock, Richard Pryor, George Carlin). I will give you a few reasons why Eddie Murphy's Derlious is still the best stand up special of all-time:

*He was the first comedian to make fun of Michael Jackson. That was before Weird Al took shots at him with his music video parodies. Not many people realized that Eddie and Michael are friends even back when Derlious premiered on HBO so even Michael loved Eddie's bit, the only person that hated it was Jermaine Jackson because at the time Jermaine thought Eddie was just being mean to Michael, but it was all a joke basically. Nowadays, it is the norm to make fun of Michael because of his recent actions.

*The Mr. T is one of the funniest Stand-up bits ever! No one sounds like Mr. T like Eddie Murphy as he did the funniest Mr. T impression of all-time. I heard even Mr. T loved it.

*The BBQ bit hits so close to home with me as I had some moments like that as a child as well.

*The Poltergeist/Amityville Horror bit is one of the funniest "stupid white people in horror movies" bit I have ever seen. I have been asking the same questions about those movies and I am white! Although I loved Poltergeist (I was scared of that movie as a wee little kid), Amityville Horror bored me to bits. (both the 1979 and 2004 versions)

*Most of the public did not know he was a stand-up comedian when he was on Saturday Night Live when he did Derlious so to most of the SNL fans who got HBO for the first time, this was a treat. He started doing stand-up long before he was on SNL (he started to do stand-up at the age of 15). Murphy was the Bo Jackson of comedy as he can do both stand-up and improv.

Do you guys think that Derlious was his best or just one of his best? Either way, the 1983 HBO special is essential to any Eddie Murphy fanatic or fans of comedy in general.

[–] sexyabibi 17 years ago

I just watched Delirious for the first time recently and I didn't laugh once.

[–] soujiro27 17 years ago

That says more about you than Delirious, really.

[–] satanenterprises 15 years ago

Same here, and I've watched more stand up comedy in my life than I care to admit.

[–] jonjosejamora 17 years ago

I love Delirious! Love Raw too! It's not for everybody though. Don't go watching this shi* with your girl friend, she might find it vulgar if she does not know you that well.

I remember watching this as a kid just waiting to hear and laugh at the profanities. Watched it when i was a little older just to laugh even harder.

After i watched Delirious and Raw, I just couldn't laugh that hard anymore when watching Robin Williams or Richard P. Yes Eddie Murphy is that FUNNY!

At present I have been looking for other stand ups that could match Eddie. Can't find any for now.

[–] katyzone 17 years ago

Too dated. Not really fall down crazy funny anymore. Actually I watched it years ago when it came out and maybe it is funny here and there but just so filthy. I was really put off by the Mr. T stuff- gross.

Best stand up? Have you heard the new comics? The guy who does the "Alien" creature, or the new comic that describes how a drunk is just like a baby? There are some hilarious people out there, and you feel comedy has not advanced in almost thirty years?

Yes, "the fish stop swimming!" and a bunch of other lines are great, but I have seen comics lately that are so entertaining that I am on the floor crying with laughter the whole time. Yes, this film is great, but the best? Elvis farting is amusing, James Brown singing and talking is funny as described by Eddie, and it is nice to hear his name (JB, RIP), but drop on the ground funny? Perhaps the one time when describing JB talking to the band "yeah, don't know wtf he is saying but we getting paid, so say yeah!" That part is fall down funny. Or to Stevie Wonder, "you want to impress me, take the wheel mf!" But that gem is buried in 7 minutes of weaker material.

He also does a great little kid, much like Bill Cosby, the master of imitating little kids, the ice cream bit is memorable.

But the best? Maybe in the period. Maybe I am jaded, but I like to think we move on and forward! Eddie is in top form here, and don't get me wrong- he was better than 100% of all the comics back then in the day, and that top form Eddie is still funnier than 80% of comics today. But the cream of the crop today is hilarious. If you watch Lee Evans, Bill Connolly or Stephen Lynch I can see where you can say Eddie's show is better. Yes, it is/was! But those guys don't make it to the bar Eddie set (IMO that is, I walked out of all three of their shows, and I wasn't the only one). But there are hilarious comics out there, but I will let you find them!

[–] chrisbakker244 17 years ago

''The guy who does the "Alien" creature,''

Dane Cook? Take your God-awful taste and get the *beep* out.

[–] Cypress_Ice 17 years ago

"the new comic that describes how a drunk is just like a baby?"

Dylan Moran?

[–] beverhillscopcomingtoame 17 years ago

I would agree, Delirious is a classic.

[–] rel2231 17 years ago

i think dave chappelle is up there with some of the greats. he's not eddie murphy with his impersonations, but he has great stand up, and is very smart with his humor.

[–] katyzone 17 years ago

Dane Cook? He is the one who does the Alien creature? You don't like his physical comedy? Because, IMO it's funny, I have God-awful taste? Why does he suck in your thinking? Somehow you have a right to dismiss yet has no words of wisdom to impart. Just a put down and then a personal attack to dis me? Please, write more than a couple of statement sentences, and thus actually add to, rather than detract from this discussion.

For example read rel2231's post. They make a statement, "i think dave chappelle is up there with some of the greats". Then, they complete their view with a WHY, that is, they explain their stance with the point of view they use to back up their opinionated statement, re: "he's not eddie murphy with his impersonations, but he has great stand up, and is very smart with his humor." So now we know WHY they feel that way and people can now respect their opinion because we all have an idea where they are coming from. That is a concise point-argument which mean they know what a discussion is. They make a point, and then give an argument to back it up. Care to try again?

[–] beverlyhillscopseries 17 years ago

That dude is funny in spurts but you katyzone probably just wanna make out with Cook or be his girlfriend because that dude is a tad bit overrated.

Katyzone you are not the only chick out there who wants to bang Dane Cook. Los Angeles, California (where I live) is full of chicks that would sleep with Cook behind their boyfriends back anytime.

[–] katyzone 17 years ago

No. Not Dane. Plus, I'm more the sharing international type: for example in France (or Italy or Germany etc.) if there are four girls at one table and four guys at another table, we actually figure out who gets who if we are so inclined. In America, the women are WAY MORE competitive- ALL FOUR will go for the best looking guy and stab each other in the back for him and ignore the other three guys! REALLY! Not saying it is good or bad, just the way it is here.

Dane is TOO MUCH something (I can't put it precisely) for me, I would put him with the quietest and demurest girl at the table (the example table I mentioned above of the 4 of us) so Dane could shine brightly- he hits me as a gregarious person! I would go for the person I could really feel sympathy and a genuine liking for, plus who I thought was good too of course, like a Mitch Hedburg (RIP)! That way (since I am BOSSY) I could have my way about where and what we would do!

Nick Swardson, John Heffron, or Mitch would of been a better example of funny than Dane. It was an OLD Dane Cook show I saw that I thought was funny. I saw some of his new stuff recently (after the first post) and didn't like it at all and I will admit it now, so... I was wrong a little...

[–] satanenterprises 15 years ago

I'm going to go with George Carlin's last HBO special "It's Bad for Ya" as the best I've ever seen.

I found it really profound seeing one of the greats reflecting on life and death just prior to his own. It's a very different sort of show to Delerious, it's really deep and funny at the same time which makes it very special.

[–] SuperNostalgicBrother 15 years ago

While George Carlin is most consistant comic as he got better over the years with his HBO specials, Murphy still has the best stand-up special ever!

SuperNostalgicBrother website:
http//:www.myspace.com/supernostalgicbros

[–] haroldbishoplives 15 years ago

delirious it the funniest stand up routine i have ever seen, bar none!

Its the American $hithead who makes tricks with bricks!

[–] Paul_Ke 15 years ago

Eddie Murphy Delirious and George Carlin's Jamming in New York are the best stand-up shows of all-time in my book.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jordanc-123 13 years ago

"Delirious" and "Raw are very funny IMO, i loved the sketches about Mr T and Eddies drunken dad at the barbecue however the funnest stand-up performance off all has to Richard Pryor live in concert.

[–] kinsociojey 13 years ago

I've been watching stand-up for some 30 years. I've watched every George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Dave Chapelle, Chris Rock...countless others, big name and no name. I've seen just about everything. George Carlin is my all time favorite comedian, and Eddie Murphy is probably my number 4 or 5 favorite. In my opinion, "Delerious" is heads and shoulders above every other stand up special ever made. It is the ONLY one that had me laughing from start to finish, and even beyond. It's an absolutely brilliant performance. Writing, timing, delivery, personality, energy - every single word* and movement is spot on perfection.

*Except, of course, the "Watch me make how fast I make these *beep* run" line. My standards of perfection allow for one mistake.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/