August 10, 2016
Apologies for the lateness of this piece…I spent a long weekend back in Chicago with family. So returning to my New York apartment and DVR […]
August 2, 2016
The Jim Gaffigan Show: “He Said, She Said” July 31, 2016 Rashomon isn’t just a movie, it’s become synonyms with a certain type of storytelling…telling the […]
July 26, 2016
How incredibly fitting that we wrap up the Jim and Dave story arc this week with the most revealing look at the hilariously dark and disturbing […]
July 20, 2016
Anytime there’s a multi-part episode of a TV show, reviewing it can be tough. You just don’t know how things turn out until they’ve all aired; […]
July 15, 2016
For a movie with the primary intention to make people happy, the online reaction for or against the new Ghostbusters movie has been one of […]
July 14, 2016
Ones thing for sure…considering he’s a talented actor, Anthony Anderson doesn’t seem to have much of a poker face. Despite being nominated the year before, a […]
July 12, 2016
Gaffigan Has a Frenemy…and it’s not Who You’d Think
July 3, 2016
Film biographer and journalist Lesley Coffin took a look at Season Two of the Jim Gaffigan Show so far. She’ll be adding weekly reviews of the […]
June 28, 2016
How did cult classic camp horror film The Evil Dead help get the Coen Brothers’ first movie, Blood Simple made? Vanity Fair just released a story […]
June 3, 2016
We’re bringing it back! It’s The 5! Not just any list, the top 5 list of anything and everything. Bringing it back is former 5 superstar, […]
May 16, 2016
Despite everyone’s insistence that cable is the place to find the best programming on TV, 31 episodes into its two year run, Last Man on Earth has proven network TV can still compete. Segmented into essentially three volumes (part 1 of season 1, part 1 of season 2, and part 2 of season 2), the show has continued to transverse sitcom conventions not only in its high concept structure but the social commentary and emotional truths it tackles.
May 5, 2016
You have to give a channel like Seeso credit for finding and nurturing a miniseries like Flowers. Not even 6 months into their launch as a new comedy subscription channel, they are premiering one of TV’s darkest comedies…and one which won’t be for everyone.
April 20, 2016
Tribeca has had a history of including a variety of comedy films since their inception, when the first Best Narrative award went to the comedy Roger Dodger. The slate has always found a surprisingly strong number of comedies to play alongside the more serious indie dramas. Their midnight movie selections (normally host to shock drama) have also been open to comedies, such as the sports parody Balls Out and especially comedy-horror films such as Fresh Meat and Zombeavers. Along with their usual slate of low-key indie comedies, the festival has played host to special events honoring classic comedies. Just last year the festival hosted the Monty Python reunion with screenings of their classic films (and premiere of their documentary). And even offered public screenings of silent films, such as last year’s screening of Harold Lloyd’s Speedy with live music.
March 25, 2016
Yesterday the comedy world, and entertainment world at large, suffered another divesting blow with the far too early loss of Garry Shandling. It would be hard […]
March 22, 2016
Meet the comedy power couple of Scott Aukerman and Kulap Vilaysack, a couple for almost 17 years, married for 8, and two people responsible for some very funny TV.
March 18, 2016
After two dramadies that fit the “independent film blueprint” (Two Days in New York and Two Days in Paris), Delpy went in a completely different direction with her new comedy Lolo …a farce about a couple who meet cute at a spa (Delpy and Danny Boon)…and the narcissistic psychopath of a son Lolo (Vincent Lacoste) who want to break them up to keep his mother all for himself. Its a French farce.
February 9, 2016
Baskets, the new and very original comedy starring Zach Galifianakis has plenty going for it. The hilarious performances by Galifianakis which are often touched with more than a little sadness makes Baskets the physical embodiment of the tragic clown. And then there is the unbelievably charming performance by newcomer Martha Kelly as lovelorn optimist Martha. But the character which has received the most attention and affection is Louie Anderson’s portrayal of Galifianakis’s mother.
February 3, 2016
Regardless of whether you know the name or not-- let alone his comedy-- Bob Elliott contribution to comedy is one not only of note, but worth celebrating. From Fernwood Tonight to National Lampoon’s Radio Hour to SNL’s Weekend Update, Bob Elliott and his partner Ray Goulding set a standard that so many comics have tried their hardest to live up to. With partner Ray Goulding, they were masters of both improv comedy and parodying the media they appeared on, while satirizing everything with signature low-key, deadpan humor.
January 8, 2016
Another year, another movie awards season, another debate about a classification the Golden Globes gives (or does not give) to films. Maybe the PR people behind the Globes love the press they get by enraging movie fans with their admittedly ill-defined award categories.
November 25, 2015
Turkey’s done, and you’ve already watched the classic Thanksgiving flicks like Hannah and Her Sisters and Planes Trains and Automobiles, and dug into the indie dysfunction with Pieces of April and Home for the Holidays. But, if this Thanksgiving you’re looking for some movies to throw on during the Holiday weekend, here are some options which are currently under the radar.
August 19, 2015
Sarah Burns and Adam Pally are familiar character actors in film and TV. On TV, Burns starred in the series Enlightened and is currently on […]
July 31, 2015
With Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp out on Netflix today, we decided to take a look back at the Summer Camps of the big screens and small.
July 6, 2015
Music manager turned film producer Jerry Weintraub died today at the age of 77.
July 1, 2015
There are some performers who become masters of a particular, single art form. There are others who become a jack of all trades...accomplished in many. Jack Carter was one of those types...a flexible, multi-talented comic, actor, dancer, and singer. He may not have ever become an icon like some of his contemporaries (who had great respect and reverence for him), but reached one of his most important goals...to survive, something the 93 year old did personally as well as professionally.
May 24, 2015
Comedy lost a giant who blazed a trail for generations.
May 13, 2015
Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel have been working in Hollywood for years in the studio system. Together they co-wrote (with Nicholas Stoller) the Jim Carrey vehicle Yes Man, and followed it up with a TV gig for Fox on Allen Gregory. But neither have directed before writing their screenplay The D-Train. But that didn’t stop them from landing A-listers Jack Black and James Marsden in a comedy about a high school loser trying to get the most popular guy in school to return. The movie, out in limited release this week, co-stars Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, and Mike White. I spoke with them about their dark comedy.
May 12, 2015
Remember that classic 80s movie 9 to 5, that satirized sexism in the work place starring Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin?