Comedian Lewis Black has built a solid career through his frequent appearances on The Daily Show and his stand up act. Best known for his angry rants against stupidity, Black often looks as if he’s on the edge of a nervous breakdown. In his latest stand up special, In God We Rust, Black takes on technology; railing against the distractions Americans readily accept into their lives.

Filmed onstage at the Minneapolis State Theater, Black seems sedate at the start, likely to acquaint those not familiar with his style.  Beginning with a discussion of Minnesota (and the terrible image provided by Rep. Michelle Bachmann) he then ridicules the local paper in Wendover, Nevada for referring to his upcoming show there as a series of “mental breakdowns.” By the time he reaches a discussion of holidays—particularly the timing of Valentine’s Day—Black is in full rant mode.

In God We RustFrom there, Lewis Black spends some time skewering politicians. Democrats, Republicans and Tea Party members are all fair game, as he discusses the lack of progress on gay marriage and abortion rights.

Black spends a lot of time railing against unreliable cell phone service, Facebook and Farmville. While his frustrations with cell service are completely understandable, Black’s decision to play around with his own cell phone on stage is ill conceived and strange. That’s the kind of thing that works better on The Daily Show than on stage. Black also touches on his age, if for no other reason than to boast that Paul McCartney winked at him during Ringo Starr’s 70th birthday party. I have to agree with Black’s disbelief over the value placed on Facebook. The comparison he makes to it is hilarious.

Presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the 1080p presentation is a very solid one. The image is very sharp and delivers a nice level of detail. Colors look great—the giant red cube suspended from the ceiling behind Lewis Black (a design credited to Black’s elderly father), look vibrant throughout.

The DTS-HD master audio is offered in 5.1 and 2.0 varieties (for some reason, the latter is the default). I listened to the 5.1 mix, which was nice. Lewis Black is heard squarely in the front, while moderate crowd noise can be heard in the surrounds.

English SDH subtitles are available.

The following special features are included:

  • The Walkout (2:05, HD) A clip cut from the special, we get Black’s reaction after a couple walks out of the show.
  • Audience Participation (6:50, HD) has Black dealing with audience members who just can’t keep quiet. This guy knows how to deal with hecklers!
  • Promo Shoot Outtakes (4:51, HD) Fun from the production of the commercials for Black’s special, showing his process for delivering his lines, and some interaction with his dad over the set.
  • Photo Gallery (HD): Still photos from behind-the-scenes and onstage.