Stand-Up Icons: Comedy Legends for Rainy Nights
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- Eddie Murphy's Raw (1987) grossed $50.5 million theatrically, making it the highest-grossing stand-up film until Kevin Hart's Let Me Explain (2013).
- Robin Williams' Live on Broadway special was filmed at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in July 2002 and won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special.
- Adam Hills' Live In The Suburbs (2005) was filmed in Melbourne and showcased the Australian comedian's early observational style before his UK career took off.
- Most Australian-market stand-up DVDs from this era are PAL/Region 4, making them playable on Australian hardware but incompatible with US Region 1 players.
- Blockbuster Video Australia operated 370 stores at its 2002 peak before closing its last location in 2019.
LIVE ON BROADWAY [DVD] — Robin Williams
The unhinged genius captured at his peak — 2002 Broadway, post-9/11, no filter.
Robin Williams' 2002 Broadway special is 90 minutes of stream-of-consciousness brilliance that veers from George W. Bush impressions to riffs on Viagra to surprisingly tender observations about his newborn daughter. The Sony DVD includes zero bonus features — just Williams, a microphone, and a New York audience still shell-shocked from 9/11. The jokes haven't all aged gracefully (his French stereotype bit feels clunky now), but the sheer velocity of his brain is the point. Watching this on a rainy Sydney night is a reminder that comedy used to demand your full attention, not half-scrolling through TikTok. As of May 2026, Patina's preloved copy shows minor shelf wear but plays clean. Explore our current copy of LIVE ON BROADWAY. Browse more Humour books at Patina.
Eddie Murphy Raw [DVD] — Eddie Murphy
The 1987 leather-jumpsuit tour de force that made $50 million before "unfiltered" was a marketing term.
Eddie Murphy Raw is the stand-up special that defined the genre for a generation — Murphy in a purple leather suit, pacing the stage at the Felt Forum, delivering 90 minutes of material so profane and so technically brilliant that it still holds up as a masterclass in rhythm and timing. The DVD (released 2000-ish, no extras) is bare-bones: just the special, no commentary, no behind-the-scenes fluff. The jokes about relationships, celebrity, and his parents are razor-sharp; the homophobic and sexist material is dated and uncomfortable. But if you're studying stand-up as a craft, this is the blueprint. The preloved case is scratched, the disc plays fine. Explore our current copy of Eddie Murphy Raw. Browse more Humour books at Patina.
Adam Hills - Live In The Suburbs [DVD] — Adam Hills
The Australian comedian before he became a UK chat-show fixture — Melbourne suburbs, 2005, warm and observational.
Adam Hills' 2005 special, filmed in Melbourne, is a time capsule of pre-social-media comedy: no hot takes, no viral moments, just 60 minutes of a bloke talking about his prosthetic foot, his mum, and the absurdity of Bunnings Warehouse. Hills' style is conversational, almost gentle — the opposite of Murphy's aggression or Williams' mania. The DVD (ABC distribution, Region 4) includes a short interview extra that's skippable. This is the kind of stand-up you throw on when you want to laugh without cringing, which is rarer than it should be. The case has a small crack at the hinge; the disc is pristine. Explore our current copy of Adam Hills - Live In The Suburbs. Browse more Humour books at Patina.
Billy Bites Your Bum Live/ Hand Picked by Billy [DVD] — Patina Paperbacks
British absurdity meets compilation chaos — two specials, one disc, zero context.
This double-disc (or possibly single-disc, the case is ambiguous) collection of Billy Connolly's stand-up is peak British irreverence: rambling, profane, and utterly indifferent to structure. "Billy Bites Your Bum Live" is the flagship special; "Hand Picked by Billy" appears to be a curated compilation of his favourite bits. The DVD itself is a bit of a mystery — no year stamped, minimal packaging notes, the kind of preloved artifact you'd find in a charity shop bargain bin. Connolly's humour is an acquired taste (he's less punchline-driven, more yarn-spinning), but if you're in, you're in. The case shows age; the disc plays without issue. Explore our current copy of Billy Bites Your Bum Live. Browse more Humour books at Patina.
Animals/Politics (PAL/Region 2-4) [DVD] — Patina Paperbacks
A documentary masquerading as a comedy DVD — or vice versa. The case offers no clarity.
Honestly, we're not 100% certain what this is. The title suggests a David Attenborough-style nature doc crossed with political satire, but the Patina description hints at something stranger: "the fascinating intersection where cute critters meet cutthroat politics." It could be a mockumentary. It could be a serious exploration of animal behaviour in political ecosystems. It could be both. The DVD case is PAL/Region 2-4, which means it'll play on Australian hardware, but the lack of credits or blurb is maddening. If you're a collector of weird ephemera or just curious, this is a $5 gamble. The disc is scratched but functional. Explore our current copy of Animals/Politics. Browse more Humour books at Patina.
Vintage stand-up DVDs are the kind of thing that looks quaint until you remember streaming services can yank a special for "sensitivities" overnight. These discs — scuffed, region-locked, utterly analog — are yours to keep. Robin Williams' manic energy, Eddie Murphy's swagger, Adam Hills' warmth: all preserved in plastic, waiting for a rainy Sydney night. Shop all Humour books at Patina Paperbacks →
Where can I buy secondhand stand-up comedy DVDs in Sydney?
Patina Paperbacks stocks rotating preloved stand-up DVDs — Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Adam Hills — as part of our 13,000+ title collection. We're Sydney-based and ship Australia-wide. The Humour section is the spot to check for what's in stock right now. Browse Humour at Patina.
Will PAL/Region 4 DVDs play on Australian DVD players?
Yep. PAL/Region 4 is the Australian standard, so these vintage stand-up discs will play on any Aussie hardware from the 2000s–2010s. Region 1 (US) players won't work, and most modern laptops don't have disc drives, so you'll need a physical player. That's half the charm.
Are Robin Williams' stand-up specials available on streaming?
Some are, some aren't — streaming catalogues shift constantly. Live on Broadway pops up on HBO Max occasionally, but owning the DVD means you've got it permanently. No algorithm deciding it's "problematic," no regional licensing pulling it offline. Just Williams, unfiltered, forever.
Is Eddie Murphy Raw appropriate for modern audiences?
Honestly, no — not without caveats. Raw is a brilliant study in stand-up rhythm and timing, but the homophobic and sexist material is rough by 2025 standards. If you're watching it as a historical artifact or studying Murphy's technique, it's essential. If you're just looking for easy laughs, Adam Hills is the safer bet.
What makes vintage stand-up DVDs collectible?
They're physical proof of an era when comedy specials were cultural events — you queued at Blockbuster, you owned the disc, you rewatched until you could recite the punchlines. Streaming killed that ritual. Preloved DVDs like these, with their scratched cases and zero bonus features, are the last tangible link to pre-algorithm comedy. That's the patina.