Overview: Mike says, "A few years ago my therapist suggested I keep a journal of all the crazy things that were going on in my life, so that I could keep things in perspective. Around the same time audiences were demanding more material, and I realized that other people might enjoy these stories. So I started sending them out to my mailing list. Now, my Secret Public Journal has become a Comedy Central special and DVD for all the world to see. Not sure this is what my therapist had in mind! But, ... enjoy"!

DVD Verdict: Filmed in New York City, this is Mike Birbiglia’s third Comedy Central Special and is a “best of” conglomeration of the material from his earlier releases Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal Live. So, while much of the material may be familiar to fans, it’s still damn funny! Mostly recounting stories from his “actual” life (quotes are necessary considering that it’s understood that most comedians exaggerate or straight-up lie about what “actually” happened) Birbiglia drives home the point of his social awkwardness and the many mishaps that have resulted. He’s at his funniest when he’s relaying stories of stand-up gigs gone awry, such as his poorly planned topic for jokes at a charity golf tournament and at a Major League Baseball event.

Overall, this routine delivers the laughs, though not on a momentous scale. His impersonation of Bush falls a little flat, not because he’s not good at it, but because Bush himself has become such a walking joke that making fun of him is almost redundant!

But it's clearly the 25 minutes of encore performance from the night of the recording (via the Special Features section) that are the funniest part of the DVD (in my humble opinion). Perhaps becuase Birbiglia had gotten his hour special out of the way and could breathe a little easier and interact with the audience a bit more, his quips are quippier, this audience interaction more active, and his breathing easier, more relaxed, ... bloody funnier all round! This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.77:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

Encore - where Mike Birbiglia returns to the stage and performs for another thirty plus minutes
'Strictly For Fans': A Behind-The-Scenes Featurette that covers the making of Mike Birbiglia Tales from My Secret Public Journal: What I Should Have Said Was Nothing.