Denis Leary: Lock 'N Load (1997 TV Special) User Reviews

Let Denis Leary bring you a cup of coffee-flavored coffee...

[paul_haakonsen · 8/10 · 8 May 2020]

Denis Leary is hilarious - that is essentially all that needs to be said about his stand-up comedy performances.

Now, I really loved the 1993 "No Cure for Cancer" show and have seen it many, many times. And I will say that this 1997 "Lock 'N Load" show is just as fun. However, it is a bit more toned down. I mean, Denis Leary is less energetic and in-your-face as he was in the 1993 show. But that being said, don't get me wrong because "Lock 'N Load" is a brilliant and hilarious show.

The way he delivers his jokes and his punchlines are just glorious. I simply love the way he talks and performs. He is capable of getting a lot said with his words and always brings a laugh out.

The topics in "Lock 'N Load" are just as fun and brilliant as "No Cure for Cancer". So if you enjoyed that show, you will most definitely also like this show. The coffee bit, in particular, is my favorite in this show.

I am rating "Lock 'N Load" an eight out of ten, as it was a less energetic show. But very enjoyable and entertaining nonetheless. Definitely worth a watch. Actually it can be seen more than once. I think this is my third or fourth time to watch it already.

Stand up - Good. Other - bad.

[arson83 · 7/10 · 26 October 2003]

Okay, I gotta admit, I haven't seen this. But I do own the CD.

The stand-up is very funny (my favorite joke is about woman controlling interior design - "I've been to Wayne Gretzky's house. The man has 5 MVP trophies. You know where they are? They're in the @#$%ing garage!"). Well, most of the stand-up is good, and if it's not, his random obscenities and creative tweaking of his voice make it enjoyable.

A lot of the in-between stuff, the "fluff" as I call it, is very weak. One song ("The Environment Song") is awesome. Another song ("Life's Gonna Suck When You Get Older") has it's moments. The rest is VERY poor, and just takes up my life.

The highlight of the album/show is the ending rant, where he completely goes off on the Catholic church and the priests (I'm Catholic and still found it funny). It is bitingly funny (whatever that means) and it gets pretty harsh.

Stand-up material - 8/10. Fluff - 4/10 Overall - 7/10

Denis Leary is hilarious

[MovieAddict2016 · 9/10 · 5 November 2005]

I've been a fan of Denis Leary's work ever since I saw Ted Demme's 1994 film "The Ref," which is an EXTREMELY underrated black comedy about a bickering couple taken hostage by a harmless thief around Christmas.

Leary was hilarious in the film and I made an effort to track down some of his other efforts. A lot of his film output hasn't been so great (the one with Sandra Bullock - "Two If By Sea" - is okay at best), but his stand-up still rocks.

"Lock N' Load" is a scathingly offensive attack on everything in sight: life, politics, alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, religion, sex, kids, family, etc...

Leary has put on a few pounds since "The Ref" (looking a bit on the chubby side) which led me to believe this was only filmed recently - however I was surprised to find it had been filmed almost a decade ago! Some of the parts are simply hysterical and it proves, if nothing else, that Denis Leary is one of the funniest men in the world.

Coffee-flavored coffee

[Quinoa1984 · 21 June 2000]

This is a very funny special from the man, Denis Leary. But in a way, I feel he has matured a bit since No Cure for Cancer. here, he rants about the Lord of the Dance (and seeing a real Irish man dance had me in stitches), Marv Albert, Coffee-flavored coffee and morons at 7-11, beer flavored beer and micro-breweries, President Leary, Fat F***s, Leary's kids (that's my favorite) and religion. Hilarious stuff all around, with 2 new songs (there are more on the album, but the album sucked because it had the songs on it). A+

Leary's a comedy king!

[squir1y · 10/10 · 27 August 2000]

This is Denis Leary's best work. It was better than his No Cure for Cancer show. He rips on everybody from Michael Flatley to Hanson and everything from coffee to beer to religion. This isn't one to miss if you enjoy good obscene comedy. Denis Leary is a comedy genius. 10/10

P.S. If you like this then you shouldn't miss the album either.

Leary Rocks and Rolls!

[K-Slicer · 10/10 · 20 December 2004]

Denis Leary strikes again with his second standup special and it's downright hilarious! Leary changes his style up a bit with by being slightly more reserved in his actual performance while unloading a wholly unexpected yet highly entertaining closing musical number. All of his bits were polished and delivered with blistering passion. I don't care what Leary rants about as long as it's delivered in his psycho-contorting motions and crack-driven vocal stylings. My favorite bit was about his family and how artistic his daughter was. For anyone who owns the CD, they cut that part out of the bit. I found this excellent special on the DVD rack at the place with the low prices and the smiley faces tacked on the walls. I was shocked to no end when I found it but I knew I would be entertained. Denis Leary never fails to do that. While funny as hell, this is secondary to 'No Cure For Cancer'. Still, it's by Denis Leary and that is worth ten reasons right there. So, ten reasons give a score of ten.

PS: Will there ever be another Denis Leary standup special? Has anybody heard anything?

Here ends my rant!

LOVE/HATE DOES GO TOGETHER!!!

[Shadowmaker · 10/10 · 7 February 2001]

This has to be yet another golden egg from Denis Leary!!! Funny funny stuff, I couldn´t stop laughin!! The way He tells his storie is without a doubt true feelings, Not some crap just to get attension!! He really thought this trough!! Great movie/show cant wait to get it on DVD!!!

What Happened?

[puhzam · 1/10 · 10 August 2003]

Truly awful. This is a far departure from "No Cure For Cancer". The number one rule for comedians should be: NEVER talk about your kids or pets. Its just not funny. I could care less about how cute his kids are. I want serious comedy. Where's the edge? Where's the drugs, sex and rock n' roll?

Let me put it this way, he used to bitch about cigarettes, now he complains about coffee.

Drop dead Denis at his best

[crazyjoe-2 · 12 November 2000]

If I could say one thing about this comedy special it would be...... I can't think of one thing. From coffee to his kids Denis Leary scores high with this special, he is one of the funniest comedians to date and hopefully he'll always be around. Thanks Denis for making funny S**T like this.

I named my cat Chickenhead because of this.

[Sun Goddess · 25 April 2001]

I named my cat Chickenhead based on this show. Funnier than No Cure For Cancer, the only thing that i don't like about it is that it has not been on HBO since the month it premiered and it is not available for purchase. If you have not seen it, I highly advise it, he has a rough sense of humor that is like no other.

Funny and with a good flowing structure

[bob the moo · 10 August 2008]

A few weeks ago I watched Denis Leary's famous No Cure for Cancer show and I didn't think it was as brilliant as many had said. Regardless though, I came back for Lock 'N Load because I had enjoyed it enough for Leary to see more. What I found was a much funnier show with a lot more structure and flow to it. In No Cure, Leary had tried to put his anger into specific subjects in a way that Bill Hicks did (and, with some jokes, in EXACTLY the way Hicks did!) and I didn't think he pulled it off. With Lock 'N Load though he seems a lot happier with his material as he covers more ground and seems to be keeping it more meaningful to him. OK so this means that he is not as political but it does mean he is funnier, has a more varied delivery and doesn't get accused of "borrowing" material from others.

Coffee, kids, modern youth and other subjects all get discussed – and "discussed" is a key word for me. Leary does not just get angry here, but rather talks on subjects where his anger and ranting comes out in a way that makes sense within what he is doing. Before I think he confused being an "angry comedian" with just shouting and ranting and thus that was what he did from the start and throughout. With the air of unprovoked aggression watered down a little, I found it easier to enjoy and get into as a show and it was stronger as a result. His observations may be extreme at times but mostly it rights true and most viewers will relate to him – something he didn't really pull off by being on the attack from the first second of other shows. The songs and asides are not as good as the stand-up material though and it is a shame that they are split as equals. A couple of the songs are very clever and funny but not all of them – it would have been better if these had been kept to a strong minimum and let the stand-up show be the majority.

As it is though, the show is still fresh and funny. Leary has cut back on the "anger for anger's sake" and is better for it as he rails against things that get to him – whether it be religion or his own family. The end result is a show that is a lot more enjoyable and lively that some of his earlier shows as this has a good flow and structure to it.