The Notorious C.H.O.

Once upon a time, stand-up comedians used to dream about getting their own concert films. Richard Pryor had some success with a string of them in the late 70s and 80s and Eddie Murphy tried his hand at it with his 1988 concert film Raw. Then came Seinfeld and suddenly any comedian with a pulse got a television show and suddenly films didn’t seem so glamorous anymore. That all changed with the 2000 release of Spike Lee’s The Kings of Comedy, a 90-minute laughfest with Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey and D.L. Hughley—a comedy film which scored big at the box office.

Now, as Martin Lawrence and Eddie Griffin prepare to release new concert films later this year, Margaret Cho is putting out her second concert film in two years, The Notorious C.H.O. Filmed in Seattle last November, the film is the follow-up to I’m the One That I Want, the film based on her successful off-Broadway show of the same name about her struggles with weight, depression and short-lived sitcom stardom. Cho’s topics are less personal this time around, but are just as funny. Whether joking about her contribution to the recovery effort at Ground Zero or discussing how she learned courage and perseverance from her two teenagers who happen to be drag queens, Cho is totally honest with a style all her own. She is in top form here, blending her caustic blend of humor and storytelling with potent and hilarious results. And based on the reaction she got from the Seattle crowd, people tend to agree.

Submitted 25 July 02. Posted 26 July 02.