Watch Kyle Kinane: I Liked His Old Stuff Better

Kyle Kinane: I Liked His Old Stuff Better is a 2015 stand-up comedy special directed by Lance Bangs, featuring American comedian Kyle Kinane. Filmed at the Lincoln Theater in Washington D.C., the special delivers Kinane's signature blend of self-deprecation, absurdity, and sharp wit in a performance that spans topics from the hilarity of birth control to the existential dread of air travel.

The special opens with a black-and-white montage of Kinane on tour, backed by an instrumental score that sets the tone for the rest of the show. From the start, Kinane engages the audience with his booze-soaked, slurred delivery and playful, mischievous demeanor, and delights in poking fun at himself and the conventions of the stand-up genre. He moves seamlessly from observational humor to more personal anecdotes, using his unique perspective as a self-described "recovering alcoholic" and "broken Lego piece" to offer commentary on everything from relationships to social media to outlandish conspiracy theories.

One of the highlights of the special is Kinane's extended riff on his experiences with travel, a subject he returns to throughout the show. With a mix of absurdity and relatability, he takes on the absurdities of airline protocols, the indignities of TSA checks, and the emotional rollercoaster of arriving at a hotel room only to find it woefully lacking. His descriptions of fellow travelers, including a particularly memorable encounter with an overly confident pilot, are laugh-out-loud funny and often hit close to home for anyone who has endured the hassles of modern travel.

Throughout the special, Kinane displays a masterful command of language and tone, using his gift for vivid imagery and poetic turns of phrase to elevate even the most mundane topics. His comic timing is impeccable, as he navigates pauses and silences to build suspense and maximize the impact of his punchlines. He also shows a willingness to take risks, such as when he launches into a prolonged imitation of a depressed zebra, or when he engages in a bit of surrealism with an extended riff on the Russian nesting dolls.

In addition to offering laughs, Kinane is also unafraid to tackle more weighty subjects in his act. He grapples with mortality, aging, and the search for meaning in a world that often seems to resist it. He delivers a powerful monologue on the nature of nostalgia, using his own experience of listening to old comedy albums as a jumping-off point to explore the human desire to revisit the past. He also offers poignant commentary on the political climate of the time, with jokes about everything from gun control to Donald Trump to the tension between Israel and Palestine.

Overall, Kyle Kinane: I Liked His Old Stuff Better is a testament to Kinane's talent as a comedian, with its mix of razor-sharp observational humor, surreal flights of fancy, and emotionally resonant material. It is clear that Kinane has put in the work to craft a special that both entertains and challenges his audience, and the result is a performance that is both funny and thought-provoking. Whether you are a longtime fan of Kinane or just discovering his work, this special is sure to delight and surprise you with its cleverness and irreverence.

Kyle Kinane: I Liked His Old Stuff Better is a 2015 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 6 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6.