Amy Schumer Live at the Apollo Review

HBO standup specials are almost always gold. The network usually only taps the top talent in comedy to devote an hour to on Saturday night. Amy Schumer is on top of the comedy world. From standup to summer movies, she’s the current “it” girl in comedy.

Amy Schumer at the Apollo was an hour of comedy where Amy takes a hard, hilarious look at Hollywood, sex and life and the inequalities that come with those things. If you’ve ever seen her Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer, you know that this is her style of comedy. Amy Schumer Live at the Apollo is an extension of that show, and thanks to HBO it doesn’t have to have a filter for all the vulgarity.

During the hour, Schumer roasts hollywood stereotypes and some personalities like Kevin James. She raises realistic questions, like why does Kevin James always have beautiful love interests in his movies. I’ve often wondered the same thing about Adam Sandler’s garbage movies.

Focusing on Hollywood gives Schumer plenty of time to talk about her experience in prepping for her first big movie Trainwreck, which released this summer. Most of the middle of the special discusses physically training for the role and facing the fact that her stunt double was a man.

Schumer does a great job balancing the funny and personal. She talks about developing an eating disorder later in life but keeps the tone hilarious throughout.

Later in the special, it doesn’t seem like the audience is laughing as much as I was in my living room. I don’t want to go into great detail into the subject matter so I can avoid spoiling most of the laughs, but comedy and Amy Schumer fans alike should give this special a watch. Amy Schumer Live at the Apollo continues Schumer’s reign over the comedy world. It’s a breezy hour that provides plenty of laughs.
HBO Binge: A-