Watch the Big Fan Trailer
Holy cow. Last week, we got a look at the new Ricky Gervais comedy The Invention of Lying. And as much as I'm looking forward to that movie, it can't possibly compare to my excitement over Big Fan, starring my very favorite comedian Patton Oswalt.
Oswalt plays an obsessive New York Giants fan whose tendencies begin affecting the future of the team, and the movie itself looks dark and twisted and awesome. It's the directorial debut of Robert Siegel, who also wrote the script and penned last year's The Wrestler; at this rate, he's becoming the Ron Shelton of the indie world, and that's not such a bad thing. He's also a former writer for The Onion, so we know he's funny.
But what excites me most about this movie is it doesn't look very funny. Instead, it looks like Siegel has written a part specifically for Oswalt and sees things in him that other directors haven't: his obsessive geekiness (in real life it's more about comics and movies than sports, but whatever) and potential for schlubby loneliness. I'm reminded of Paul Thomas Anderson writing Punch-Drunk Love for Adam Sandler; though that movie was much heavier on whimsy, it still showed us a side of Sandler we'd never seen and remains his best movie. I think Patton Oswalt is going to surprise a lot of people with this performance, and I'm hoping it gives him some of that Bill Murray-Lost-in-Translation cred.
I'm so excited about this movie. Check out the trailer for Big Fan so you can be, too.
Big Fan is due for release on August 28, 2009.
© First Independent Pictures
Sign Up for the New Newsletter! Do It!
Do you like TV and movies? OF COURSE YOU DO. You are a person. Well, since you DO like TV and movies, you need to sign up for our new newsletter, "Screening Room." Every week, "Screening Room" will bring you the best in TV and film from all our About.com Guides. You're going to love it!
"Screening Room" won't be replacing your weekly Guide to Comedians newsletter. That thing will still be clogging up your inbox every Monday. Do you understand what this means? TWO NEWSLETTERS!
Seriously. Sign up for "Screening Room." Stop hunting down information and let About.com take the guesswork out of life for you. You won't regret it. The first installment of "Screening Room" goes out this Thursday, July 9, so sign up now!
Sign up for "Screening Room" here.
And, if you're still not receiving the weekly Guide to Comedians newsletter, first be ashamed of yourself and then go ahead and sign up to receive that, too. It's literally brought dozens of people to the verge of laughter every week.
New Comedy Releases for Tuesday, July 7
Happy belated Independence Day, everyone! I trust we all have our fingers intact, yes?
No new comedy albums this week, but we've still got an album from Doug Benson on the horizon. The latest season of Reno 911! is already hitting shelves, having just wrapped up a few weeks ago (how's that for turnaround?). That show is remarkably consistent. Look for my review of the latest season soon. Also, that new Jeff Garlin stand-up DVD was recorded in Chicago several months back and is directed by Bob Odenkirk. It's worth a look.
DVD
- Reno 911! - The Complete Sixth Season: Uncensored
- Kath & Kim - The Complete First Season (won't this be the only season?
- Young and Handsome: A Night with Jeff Garlin
© Paramount
It's Official: A Comedian is in Congress
I don't have much to say on this issue, because it's been all over 24-hour cable news punditland, but after about eight months in post-election purgatory it appears that Al Franken is finally the senator from Minnesota.
Franken, of course, is a former writer for Saturday Night Live and half of the legendary comedy team of Franken and Davis. He made friends with a gorilla in Trading Places. He would strap a satellite dish to his head during "Weekend Update" and later published funny, left-leaning political comedy books like Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot (funny because it's true) and Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. He hosted The O'Franken Factor on the failed experiment that was Air America and created/starred on the failed experiment that was Lateline. Of course, most people remember Franken as his self-help character, Stuart "I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough and Doggone It People Like Me" Smalley; he even got his own film, Stuart Saves His Family in 1995. As movies based on Saturday Night Live sketches go, it's not that bad. And now he is a United States senator making important decisions at one of the most critical periods in the last 30 years.
I could obviously make all kinds of jokes about the clowns in Congress, but I won't. Because now there really is a clown in Congress. From a personal and professional standpoint, I'm happy about the news. Now we'll have to see how Franken does in his new role. Will he wear his satellite dish on the floor of the Senate?
If you want to hear Franken's response to the long-awaited decision, you can check out the statement he delivered Tuesday.
Photo by Jeffrey Thompson/Getty Images
Break Into Stand-up with Comedy Central's Open Mic Challenge
If you're a new or aspiring comedian and you're looking to break into stand-up comedy, Comedy Central and Jokes.com may have the 'in' you've been waiting for.
The new "Open Mic Challenge" allows users to upload their own stand-up videos, to be aired on Comedy Central's official site, Facebook, Jokes.com and mobile handsets. The best new comedians -- voted on by Comedy Central viewers as well as network and Jokes.com staff -- will also be selecting a few videos each month to air on Comedy Central. That means you could be debuting on the country's premiere comedy network without ever having set foot in a club.
The first round of favorites will debut on Comedy Central over the coming Fourth of July weekend.
This is a great idea for a contest, and finally puts the whole video & internet combo to good use for wannabe comedians. Lord knows YouTube just wasn't cutting it.
Submit your videos now! And don't forget some of these other helpful ideas on how to break into stand-up comedy:
Photo by Digital Vision/Getty Images
Watch the Trailer for The Invention of Lying
The first U.S. trailer for Ricky Gervais' upcoming comedy The Invention of Lying has finally hit that series of tubes we lovingly call the Internets, and it looks pretty excellent. Beyond boasting a pretty great concept -- in a world where people only tell the truth, Ricky Gervais finally comes up with the idea to lie -- it features an incredible cast that includes Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill and the great Louis C.K.
I've been reading about this movie for months and months, since back when it was called This Side of the Truth. I still prefer that title, because it's cooler sounding and way less on-the-nose, but I'm sure it made studio types nervous because it sounds like a documentary. What should we call a movie about the invention of lying? I know! What a great idea -- to literally name a movie exactly what it's about. I can't wait to see Giant Fighting Robots Who Are Racial Stereotypes and Who Make Us All Dumber.
Check out the trailer for The Invention of Lying now. It's great. No lie.
The Invention of Lying hits theaters September 25, 2009.
© Warner Bros.
Fred Travalena: 1942-2009
In another of an increasingly growing number of recent celebrity passings, comedian Fred Travalena died Sunday after battling cancer for seven years.
Known as "the man of a thousand faces," Travalena became a television staple in the 1970s, appearing on dozens of shows from The ABC Comedy Hour to the regular Dean Martin Roasts to The Love Boat. He was best known for his impressions of public figures, including Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Jack Nicholson and Dean Martin. He also became a regular performer at casinos in Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City.
Travalena was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2002 and prostate cancer in 2003. The cancer had been in remission until 2008, when the lymphoma returned. He died Sunday, June 28, at the age of 66.
Travalena is survived by Lois, his wife of 39 years, his two sons Frank IV and Cory, his daughter-in-law Kelly and his granddaughter.
Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Louis C.K. Shoots Pilot for FX
The great Louis C.K. posted over in the forums at A Special Thing about the pilot he's shooting for FX this week.
C.K. describes the show as "autobiographical" and suggests it will be some sort of mix of stand-up and narrative footage. On Wednesday, he recorded some stand-up at New York's Comedy Cellar to be included in the show. His Twitter followers were notified of the free show yesterday and showed up for the taping, which, of course, causes me to curse my life and the fact that I live in Chicago (this despite the fact that last week I was thrilled to live in Chicago). The always-dependable Gabe Delahaye over at Videogum posted an incredible blog about being at the show, and that helps ease pain a little. It's like I was there, standing out in the rain and not drinking. Plus, the description of his stand-up act sounds a lot like the show I just saw C.K. perform during "The Nasty Show," which I loved.
Louis C.K.'s last foray into television, the dirty HBO sitcom Lucky Louie, deserved to be renewed and was way funnier than many "comedy" shows that last on that channel (I'm looking at you, Entourage). Here's hoping he's treated better this time around -- assuming, of course, that the show gets picked up.
A Louis C.K. show and a new Norm MacDonald show? Is FX becoming totally super-awesome? Because I'd be willing to forget Dirt.
Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images
New Comedy Releases for Tuesday, June 23
Wow! What a fantastic week for new comedy releases. We can choose between Steve Martin's latest effort to sell his soul and tarnish his legacy, a straight-to-DVD family comedy starring George Lopez and a Jackie Mason special that likely felt outdated 20 years ago. So many choices!
CD
- Al Madrigal - Half Breed
DVD
© Fox
Just for Laughs Chicago Festival: Day 5
So, that's it. The first-ever Just for Laughs Chicago Festival wrapped up after five days, over 70 shows and over 100 comedians. On the last day of the fest, comedy fans had basically only two choices: the fourth (fourth!) performance of George Lopez or Michael Showalter at the Lakeshore Theater. Being a big fan of Showalter from The State and Wet Hot American Summer, it wasn't a tough decision for me. George Lopez it is.
What? George Lopez is sold out again? Fine. I'll settle for Showalter.
Originally advertised as a show with Showalter and Michael Ian Black (who is the better stand-up of the two, to be honest), Sunday's show became a solo show a few weeks back when Black realized the date fell on his wife's grandmother's 90th birthday. True story. So, instead of going it alone Showalter recruited comedians Owen Benjamin, Jessi Klein and Kumail Nanjiani to fill time. Ultimately, it was the right move; while fans may have been disappointed that Showalter only did about 25 minutes, he actually wasn't as funny as the comics that preceded him. Plus, I'll be happy with any opportunity to be in the same room as Jessi Klein, who proved to be the funniest of the four. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed Showalter's unique take on a live show (making alternative comedy seem positively mainstream), but often it was more interesting than funny. Read my full review of the Michael Showalter show to fully understand what it is I'm talking about.
So, that's it. It's over. All in all, I'd consider the first Just for Laughs Chicago Festival a pretty big success. I was able to take in nine shows during the festival; while that doesn't seem like a ton (considering there were over 70, I believe), it's about as many as I could have done. I suppose at the most I could have seen 10 or 11, but once or twice couldn't quite keep it up for the midnight shows. Sorry.
I did get to see a whole range of shows and comedians, from those I really loved to those I loved a lot less. I got to discover some new comedians (like Jon Lajoie and Danny Bhoy) I would have otherwise remained unaware of. I got to see some of my favorites reunite after many years. And I appreciate that the festival really did have something for everyone: people who like clean, family-friendly comedy (like "Let Freedom Hum" or "Bill Engvall: Aged and Confused") to people who like filthy, vulgar comedy ("The Nasty Show" or Lisa Lampanelli); people who like alternative comedy ("Bob and David and Friends") and people who like mainstream comedy ("George Lopez: Tall, Dark and Mexian," "Ellen's Bigger, Longer and Wider Show"). There was a sampling of club comedy, one-person shows, improv and sketch comedy and some of the best local stuff Chicago has to offer. I'm proud that such a good festival was put on in my hometown, and I hope the festival continues to return for many years. How cool if Chicago becomes home to the country's premiere comedy festival? I'd like to take credit for it, even though I have no right to.
Thanks to the nice people at Just for Laughs Chicago and TBS for allowing me to cover the festival and for granting me access to the shows. Thanks to my wife for getting the baby to bed for five straight nights while I stayed out until well past midnight sitting through comic after comic. And thanks to all of you, for reading these festival blogs. Next year, let's push for an SCTV reunion.