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» » Norm Macdonald: Hitler's Dog, Gossip & Trickery (2017)

Short summary

In this new stand-up special, Norm Macdonald delivers sly, deadpan observations from an older -- and perhaps even wiser -- point of view.

The special doesn't have an intro or title sequence. The stand-up material starts right away and the title appears at the end of the show.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Felolune
    I am a little surprised at the negative reviews. I thought the whole thing flowed well and was an enjoyable hour. He had a lot of subtle jokes and observations that I was entertained by. He is able to riff on mundane subjects and make humorous observations. He had a few very funny jokes. This isn't the funniest thing I have ever seen Norm Macdonald do but I would watch again.
  • comment
    • Author: Defolosk
    Norm MacDonald's genius is in the expectations of where his anecdotes and observations will take a turn. The finale of this special is a key example as he starts with saying a deep and true thing that with all the problems in the world and so on loving one another is the most important thing... And this leads into describing (in a first person imitation as Norm can do) of Hitler's dog and how much he loved the guy because... Well, dogs love people and don't judge.

    I almost feel weird explaining a joke like that, or how he'll take apart things like Wikipedia or how we use our phones (they didn't used to be 'magic' is the premise of that bit) or the absurdity in the commandment "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's ox." Nevermind the fact that no one in like 500 years has seen an ox let alone referred to that commandment that way - that I think is part of the joke - so much of the laughs, and I found as many and as hearty to be had as in the best of the Chappelle or Louis CK specials (also new on Netflix in 2017.

    The key I think is that Norm comes off so... Unassuming. He's not a comic that has a rapid fire or super-high energy delivery, he takes his time with every bit he does, and it's like being drawn in to a trick (again with the subtitle of the special). There's a YouTube reviewer called the Nerdwriter who goes more in depth but the key thing is that there's a magic level to what Norm does, and not in a cheesy way, I mean that you are pulled in little by little as he does each movement of thought and winds up at something that is .... Whoa. His comedy is absurd and wholly delightful, and the intelligence behind it could cut through ten plates of glass.

    If nothing else his bit about bringing back the word 'score' ala Abraham Lincoln and George Washington cutting down the tree would get this three stars by default. There's more though so it gets the bump up to just shy of 5 (maybe a couple of minutes fell flat for me but only a couple).
  • comment
    • Author: Thiama
    Norm MacDonald is a guy that's openly against doing specials, so it's nice that we actually get some televised stuff for the first time in six years (apart from a brief Letterman appearance). To start out with the good: Norm's still an absolute genius, making people laugh at the sheer absurdity of his premises. There are no rapid-fire punchlines, as the years progress Norm's increasingly comfortable with just having long, meandering stories and takes his time to set up a joke. The absolute best bit in the special is the one where he teaches us you never have to lie... if you say everything in a sarcastic voice. The way he acts that out is classic stuff.

    With that said, there are two somewhat disappointing elements about this special. For one thing, Norm doesn't like it when his performances get edited but this could have definitely used some editing. Some bits just go absolutely nowhere and just confuse the crowd. For instance, there's a bit on George Washington that just completely dies, and it makes you wonder if Norm really thought his delivery could save a bit that literally has no jokes. Norm's delivery and timing is amazing, maybe the best of all time. But you still need to write, even if you can make people laugh by mispronouncing the word 'capsule'.

    Another thing that's somewhat of a letdown is that a lot of this material is old. There are some decent quality bootlegs available from 2009 and 2010, and I recognised a lot of bits from those bootlegs. He's been doing these bits for seven or eight years now? For a guy who allegedly hates to tell the same joke twice, that seems pretty lazy. I can laugh at the restaurant bit a hundred times, but I was hoping I'd discover lots of new material. That didn't happen, I knew pretty much everything.

    However, it's good to see he's still having fun with this. He's a natural and an incredibly mysterious guy, so all the new footage you can get of him is a gem. Furthermore, I don't think I've ever laughed more at the ending of a comedy special, because it was just so perfectly in character for Norm. Overall I'd say this special is a little below 2011's "Me Doing Stand-Up", but certainly not by much.
  • comment
    • Author: Opithris
    In this new stand-up special, Norm Macdonald delivers sly, deadpan observations from an older -- and perhaps even wiser -- point of view.

    I'm not sure if I have heard these jokes before, or if I accidentally watched this special twice. Either way, despite a feeling of deja vu, it was still a knockout performance.

    The style is not for everyone. The deadpan delivery, the odd observations... this is not Jerry Seinfeld and it is definitely not a series of laugh-out-loud jokes. This is a slow burn that builds until you are inside the world of Norm. Apolitical, not terribly obscene or offensive... just offbeat. And it works.
  • comment
    • Author: Marilore
    This is probably the best comedy special I have ever seen. I first randomly drunk watched it and couldn't remember who it was. I went all over the place searching the one joke I could remember until I was recommended to look up Norm independently.

    I've since totally immersed myself in Norm and this special and his podcast Norm MacDonald Live are his best work. I would say this is the best special I have ever seen. If not Straight White Male 60 by Dana Carvey.
  • comment
    • Author: Goldfury
    I've always been a huge fan of Norm MacDonald.I've even been re-watching Norm for the last couple days.I usually laugh at everything he says but this special is by far the least funny thing he has ever done.He had some good jokes.There's one about auto-erotic asphyxiation that was really good(even though I saw the punch line coming a mile away) and a couple times he mentions all the horrible things happening in the world, like that it's raining in the forests. Those were the only times he was really funny in this special. The most disappointing part is that he reused a few old jokes.That's acceptable when you're doing a talk show but not when you're getting millions to do a Netflix special. While this was Norm at his worst, it's still better than most stand-up specials.
  • comment
    • Author: Urtte
    I think this is the greatest special I've ever seen, and believe me, I've seen all of them. How can you make everything you say so dumb and shallow yet in reality it's very deep and philosophical, how, Norm, how? If you know Norm's unique uncomparabke styld of comedy, you will absoloutely love this, if you don't; I think you must learn it then come back and watch this, or you'll be missing on a lot.
  • comment
    • Author: from earth
    If I had to guess, the only times I've seen Norm Macdonald were on his Saturday Night Live appearances. Seems to me he was funny in those bits, but I had a bit of a tough time with this stand-up special. Macdonald had his moments, but there were also times when he seemed to just wind up standing there lost in thought and wondering what to say next. More so in the first part of his act, he hit a better stride in the second half. I like comics who focus in on the mundane and make it funny, and Norm does some of that here, but every now and then he would lament the fact that he was old. Not getting old, just being old. So much so that I had to look up his stats here on IMDb and he was born in 1959, so that only makes him fifty eight as I write this. Heck, I'm a decade older and feel a lot better about myself than Macdonald does. It could just be part of his schtick but the way he came across I don't think so. My favorite bits here had to do with the unknown astronauts who have walked on the moon, and Germany taking on the world twice in a losing cause. Those were pretty funny observations. For those who enjoy the more morbid, I thought his idea to blame someone else in a suicide note was kind of interesting. Don't think I'll try it though.
  • comment
    • Author: Ffyan
    (Flash Review)

    Norm is on point in this one. His set is full of a steady barrage of solid jokes delivered only as Norm can. The one knock I'd have is here occasionally there are some pointless and forced cursing. Felt out of place. He could also lose the formal suit. If you like Norm you'll enjoy this.
  • comment
    • Author: Peles
    Right, well this was the first and most likely also last time that I watched Norm Mcdonals doing stand-up comedy.

    Sure, there were some good jokes and a good laugh here and there, but as a whole then the show just didn't pack enough of a punch.

    The onstage presence and the inanimate mannerisms of Norm Mcdonald just made him look like a wooden puppet put on the stage to perform.

    Some of the delivery of the material was a bit scrambled and confusing, as if he wasn't properly prepared or had problems remembering his own act.

    This was not an outstanding stand-up comedy performance, and I have actually been deterred from watching more of his act.
  • comment
    • Author: Cordanara
    If there was ever a TV episode/show/special/program that SCREAMS: "I have absolutely nothing new to bring you, but I need money", this is it.

    I mean it. There was not ONE 'joke' that was funny. NOT ONE. People, listen to me here . . . NOT a single one.

    I felt bad for the people in the audience, and there were many, for having to sit through that live. In fact, the camera hardly panned over the audience I imagine because most of them were staring, face blank, and wondering what the heck they were doing there. (You do get a couple of unintended side shots of people squirming in their seats).
  • comment
    • Author: Enone
    So i have not found him funny in a long time, early on in him career he was new and funny. But as he has gotten older, I just don't get it. I like a lot of shows on Netflix but this is one of the worst. Netflix touts this as "on sex, dating and the absurdities of fame". It is not cutting edge funny just sad. As for the "absurdities of fame" well at this point her career looks more like infamous! Stay away from this trash, i am done with watching anymore of his stuff.
  • comment
    • Author: DarK-LiGht
    Unfortunately, its like the forth Netflix comedy original that seemed to overlap the same material and having comedians take the moral high ground is short-sighted, patronizing, and a sign of the 2010's era.makes a personal connection with the audience and laughs with you and at himself weak stand up comedy but one of the worst i ever seen in my life
  • comment
    • Author: fr0mTheSkY
    This manseems obsessed with his private parts. Overall the show is vulgar (even for an American comedian) and that in a childish way. There is no story arc, the jokes are badly crafted and seem to center around boring and overused female tropes. The self-deprecating attitude seems fake where it needs to be genuine and actually sad where it needs to be a funny act. Comedy shows should be foremost judged by how much they make you laugh, which would result in a score of zero. Also I simply do not understand when it came to be acceptable and/or funny to describe one's sex life in detail.
  • Credited cast:
    Norm MacDonald Norm MacDonald - Himself
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