• Comedy festivals are an incredible amount of work. As a participant in a few, I watched producers work tirelessly promoting shows they weren’t performing in, procuring merch bags for participants (in Detroit, they gave me Faygo which was an excellent touch) and managing personalities large and small. Not only is it tireless, it seems thankless as well. You have to respect the selflessness of those in comedy who pour through audition tapes, book shows and ensure they all go smoothly. Even more impressive is that folks would expend the effort to put on a virtual festival for comics. I’ve started seeing ads for a few online but this week, I actually did my first one, The Burbank Comedy Festival, put on by Flappers, an LA club I’ve never been to. I was told they serve excellent pizza at the club should I ever go. Anyhow, here’s a quick recounting of the two shows I did that were honestly pretty representative of the comedy festival experience: the first one, on Wednesday, was sparsely attended (just being real here, folks). I believe there were five audience members (one was my Dad Andy Levy) and one comic didn’t show. Since the comics were only doing tight five minute sets, the show legitimately only went 35 minutes. It was over in a snap. Still, it was done rather professionally. All the comics showed up early to test sound, we all had consistent virtual backgrounds, there was a prerecorded video to open the show which made it feel like we were in a club and a showrunner in addition to a host. They actually really put the time in. The second show was a bit different. Since the festival is on the West Coast, some of the shows are really late for East Coasters. In fact, this one started at 12:30 AM for me. Somehow, this was the biggest stand up crowd I’d seen on Zoom though. 20 or so people. Since my Dad was watching a second time, I wanted to do new material I hadn’t tested (yes, I treated a fest set kind of like a mic) and I’ll admit it, I had a fairly weak set. It ended on a fun note when I revealed that Anna was sitting behind me the whole time and she entered the frame. As for it being a weak set, I told myself, “This is just a quiet crowd.” Nah. They were rowdy, ready to laugh and just waiting for better material. I found this out when New York-based comic Onika McLean tore up the room doing an impression of people that crowd the Zoom frame and those that sit really far away. Then, headliner Don Friesen peppered physical gags into his joke-heavy, assured set like popping in and out of frame. Zoom comedy is evolving as a medium and it’s exciting to see its growth; it’s almost like what I imagine seeing “talkies” was like in the late 20s/early 30s. We don’t just have to sit and talk to our cameras; it’s time to play with the mise en scene and reinvent what a set can be with all the tools a camera and our homes give us.
• The profile business is still chugging along. This week, I published a piece on one of my favorite working comics, Erik Terrell. On this one, I’d say come for Erik’s comedy war stories but stay for the excellent tale of how he met his wife. I won’t spoil it. Check the link in the comments to read all about this rising star.
• I watched an embarrassing amount of TV, stand up specials and movies this week. Here they are in rapid fire succession:
“The Comedians” (2015): I remember somewhat abhorrent reviews for this show when it was released a few years back. Man, reviews are toxic. You see one or two one or two-star reviews and you immediately think that something has no value. I’m glad I got around to seeing this show that feels like an artifact of what being “woke” meant in 2015. Let’s start at the beginning though. The mockumentary is about a fictional FX show within the show starring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad as co-stars on “The Billy and Josh Show.” The season runs the gamut of stories about diversity hires, staff writers transitioning (to be fair, this was handled pretty poorly), entertaining what they think is a Make A Wish kid, a dual arrest, hiring humorless directors and a finale where they are excited to be premiering after “Louie.” Still, the stories are not what makes this show special. I loved it for two main reasons: 1.) the relationship between Crystal and Gad is genuinely fascinating highlighting their generational differences (weed is much stronger now and is touched upon often) and their blossoming, awkward friendship. They’re both incredible actors and this show is a wonderful showcase for their talents. 2.) the sketches from the show within the show. Sure, most of them were silly but Crystal and Gad sold the Hell out of them. I especially liked the one about the pitcher and catcher who are in a relationship but continue to talk through their gloves at the mound. THIS SHOW IS ABOUT AS INSIDE BASEBALL AS YOU CAN GET, AND THAT’S WHY I LOVED IT (Streaming on Hulu).
“What We Do In The Shadows” (2019): Comedy nerds Sam Zelitch, Carole Harris and Hans Harris had been recommending this half hour series to Anna and me forever. I liked the movie alright when I saw it two or three years ago but it didn’t leave a huge impression on me. Eventually, we caved and completely fell in love with this sitcom. Like the above, it’s a mockumentary that originally aired on FX, but it’s really unlike any mockumentary that’s come before it (other than the film it’s based on). Four vampires, Lazslo, Nadja, Nandor and Colin Robinson live in a home that comes to life only at night in Staten Island aided by their familiar Guillermo who acts as their glorified intern. The show trades in high concept bits such as an energy vampire (Colin Robinson masterfully played by Mark Proksch- seriously one of the most underrated character actors ever) who drains the life out of people with mundane conversation; hypnosis going too far and completely erasing one’s memory (the Super Bowl episode in Season Two is a perfect 22 minutes of comedy) and feasting on virgins that they seek out. On top of all that, this show tells an amazingly compelling and moving story that has a narrative arc not entirely dissimilar to “Breaking Bad.” Anna and I were sad when we finished the second season. The two of us anxiously await a third season. EVEN IF YOU HATE FANTASY OR HORROR, YOU WILL LIKE THIS. THAT’S HOW GREAT IT IS (Streaming on Hulu).
Hannibal Buress’ “Miami Nights” special (2020): Hannibal’s new free hour starts with him doing well at an open mic in grainy footage that appears to be 20 years old or so. It showcases what all already know: He’s been a natural from the very start. That assuredness bleeds into the hour (which does have ads throughout; as he explains, he’s gotta make a buck) which had some daring technical achievements sprinkled in to give it a new flavor. Said effects were put into motion by a wall with graphics behind him that acted almost like his hype man tagging his jokes. For example, early in the hour, Hannibal fakes his death with a heart monitor beeping behind him. This gives the bit a visual element that makes this feel more like an event and less like a casual hour that Hannibal just taped one night. I appreciate the showmanship. Other standout moments include Burress trying out auto-tune, a news report detailing his arrest that he rewinds a few times for emphasis and a finale detailing his arrest in Miami (hence the title). I laughed loud and often. Also, I watched the credits closely. If you’re interested, Hannibal shares his NBA 2K gamer tag toward the end in fine print. HANNIBAL IS FIVE YEARS AHEAD OF EVERYONE ELSE WITH SPECIALS; CHECK THIS OUT TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE (Streaming on YouTube; link in the comments).
Maria Bamford’s “Weakness is the Brand” special (2020): Bamford, no stranger to innovative specials, plays it relatively safe here other than the occasional fourth-wall breaking aside to the camera addressing the viewer at home. Still, just because it’s not formally adventurous doesn’t mean that this isn’t an absolutely brilliant hour. Maria goes hard tackling non-profits that refuse to pay her to perform (gotta say, I’m on her side), Netflix treating the extras on her set poorly and what it’s like to be a celebrity on a celebrity chef show (she worked alongside La Toya Jackson; her impression is hysterical even if you’ve never heard La Toya’s voice). Maria concluded the set by bringing her husband onstage to sing “The Saturation Song” with her about how to mellow out when in the middle of a huge fight. Not only was this hour funny, it was one that made me feel like I understood my own self and values better. BAMFORD IS OPERATING ON A DIFFERENT PLANE (Streaming on Amazon Prime).
“An American Pickle” (2020): Simon Rich, this film’s screenwriter, is one of the greatest living American humorists. Take for instance, his seminal, over too soon show “Man Seeking Woman.” In it, he practically invents a new kind of comedy, one where a date with a troll is actually with a literal troll. Or when you hear your ex is dating someone horrible and it’s a 100-year-old Hitler played by Bill Hader. Or the one where a military team treats sending a text after receiving a phone number like a national emergency. This extreme literalism made for some of my all-time favorite gags and I couldn’t believe my luck when I heard he was adapting one of my favorite short stories of his, “Sell Out” AND it would be starring Seth Rogen playing two versions of himself. Well, as I’ve learned time and again, the things I get most excited for in life, often disappoint me the most. If you go into this film with modest expectations, you may be pleasantly surprised because it really is an ingenious fish out of water premise. Basically, Rogen plays Herschel, an immigrant from the made up Schlupsk in the early 20th century. The sequences here are beautifully shot and have a Pixar-like poignancy. Once in New York, while working at a pickle factory, he falls in a vat and is sealed shut for nearly 100 years. When he emerges in 2020, he meets his only living descendant, also played by Rogen, an app developer. Things start promisingly as they begin to lean on each other but when the movie takes a turn toward something that almost reads like a parody of Trump’s rise, it loses its way. I’ll admit I was most disappointed because the moments that fell most flat felt like my own writing. Still, this went by incredibly quickly for a 90-minute film; I was shocked when it was over. I WISH THERE WAS A SLIGHTLY BETTER VERSION OF THIS FILM (Streaming on HBO Max).
“Hollow Man” (2000): I had no interest in this as a 12-year-old when it was released; it looked scary and kind of dumb. Having seen it as a 32-year-old, I can confirm it is a little scary and kind of dumb. Imagine a world where a scientist sex offendor (played coldly by Kevin Bacon) could be...invisble. That’s pretty much the crux of this movie. Sure, the effects were really cool but overall this felt incredibly tone deaf and does not hold up in any way. Not even Josh Brolin or Elisabeth Shue were that good (although I guess it is interesting that the movie’s three leads were all 80s teen stars). I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE RECOMMEND THIS FILM (Streaming on Amazon Prime).
“Scoop” (2006): Yes, I am the guy that has seen nearly every single thing Woody Allen has done. I’m sorry. I can’t help it. This was one of my few gaps in his oeuvre, so I made it appointment viewing this week. It’s a pleasant caper about a recently-deceased journalist who gets a scoop beyond the grave. He delivers it to a young, impressionable student played by Scarlett Johanssen and she teams up with the Wood man (playing a crowd pleasing magician) to stop...Hugh Jackman. Never thought I’d see two Marvel stars in a movie with a guy who has made the least action films of all time but here we are. It’s midding late Woody; nothing spectacular but not a horrible movie either. You have to make quite a few logical leaps to buy into the premise but IT’S A PERFECTLY FINE FORGETTABLE MOVIE (Streaming on Amazon Prime).
“The Beguiled” (2017): I’m almost certain I’ve seen this movie before. Eh, still wanted to see it again. This one really got slept on when it came out and deserves all the promotion it can get. It’s a perfect, mostly one-location period, ensemble chamber piece about a stable of women living together during the Civil War (including Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning). A Union Soldier (Colin Farrell) stumbles into their lives and attempts to con them into staying longer than he should by wooing all of these ladies of varying ages in different ways. It’s a slick story well told by Sofia Coppola that morphs from something slimy into a triumphant tale of female empowerment. FULL OF TWISTS, THIS ONE GOES DOWN SMOOTH (Streaming on Cinemax via Amazon Prime).
Arkansas (2020): It’s always really exciting for me as a viewer when actors step behind the camera to direct AND act. This movie, the feature film directorial debut of Clark Duke is an impressive Tarantino rip-off that shows tons of potential. Featuring a cast of “Oh, yeah! I forgot about that person!” B-listers, the movie clicks with fast-paced dialogue, a fun story about drug runners who all serve a secretive kingpin (you’ll have to see this movie to find out who it is), a nonlinear narrative split up by chapters (this is where it jumped from a Tarantino homage to ripoff for me) and a few smart, visual bits. Also, the love interest is played by Josh Brolin’s daughter. To be fair, she’s a lot better than Brolin in “Hollow Man.” Even Clark Duke’s brother makes an appearance and is solid in this picture. I liked he cast his brother; pretty righteous of him. IF YOU’RE FIENDING FOR SOME NEW TARANTINO, THIS MIGHT BE THE FIX TO GET YOU THROUGH (Streaming on Amazon Prime).
“Harry and the Hendersons” (1987): Growing up, this VHS box with an ape-looking thing on the cover taunted me when I debated what to check out on my weekly Blockbuster trip. I wondered, “Will I ever rent this? Is that an ape? Is John Lithgow the ape in this?” The answers to these questions are “I streamed it, that’s not an ape, that’s Bigfoot and Lithgow is the man defending Bigfoot’s right to exist.” I’d call this movie a charming, less emotional “ET” with a dash of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” paranoia thrown in for good measure. Simply put, it felt like a cash grab capitalizing on the “We must incorporate this creature into a society that doesn’t understand him” story. Lithgow and his family really do commit to loving this Bigfoot though. It’s honestly weird because he’s kind of a pain. THIS MAY BE THE LEAST ESSENTIAL MOVIE OF ALL TIME BUT WOULD BE GOOD VIEWING IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO ROAST (Streaming on Cinemax via Amazon Prime).
Got one little thing coming up this week. I’ll be making my Dragonfly acting debut on Tuesday night in Anna Paone’s humorous recreation of “Harvest Moon.” I’ll be playing her suitor. It’s my dream role.
01.) Erik Terrell Profile: https://medium.com/@aprofileaboutyou/erik-terrell-is-a-modern-day-comedy-renaissance-man-10caaad29e16
02.) Hannibal’s “Miami Nights” special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVc4-05Agf0
