Other than a mere year of overlap on Saturday Night Live (which produced one of the greatest sketches of all time, “Short Shorts for the USA”) and mostly isolated screen time in the no-one-knows-what-it-means-but-it’s-provocative Blades of Glory, Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler have never performed together in a proper two-hander. Which is no laughing matter […]
Continue ReadingFew mainstream filmmakers treat the full range of cinema as their playground quite like Edgar Wright does. With each film he releases, the British director (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) —known for his innovative yet playful visual language — pushes the boundaries of what we’ve come to accept about the limitations […]
Continue ReadingWith writing credits that include the Neighbors movies and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Andrew Jay Cohen is no novice when it comes to crafting a comedy script that balances the bawdy with the sensitive, the raunchy with the sweet. Cohen and his childhood-friend-turned-writing-partner Brendan O’Brien cut their collective teeth as associate producers on […]
Continue ReadingMan on Fire, Chris D’Elia’s third standup special, dropped today on Netflix. Filmed at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver, the special captures the 37 year old comedian at a bit of an existential crossroads: “I’m at the point where in five years I’m going to be in my 40s…not to get all heady, but I’m […]
Continue ReadingLizz Winstead (co-creator and former head writer of The Daily Show) has put her passion for politics to work. After founding Lady Parts Justice League, “the first not safe for work, rapid response reproductive rights messaging hub that uses comedy, culture and digital media to sound an alarm about the terrifying erosion of reproductive access so people will […]
Continue ReadingIf occupying multiple pockets of comedic styles as writer and performer were a Herculean task, then mastering the mechanics and successfully wielding all the various elements of humor would seem cosmically impossible. Unless you’re Michael Showalter, who over the span of a 25-year career has not only dabbled in Marx Brothers absurdism (Wet Hot American […]
Continue ReadingKevin Hart Presents: The Next Level on Comedy Central. Following that, his new Comedy Central series Hood Adjacent premieres next Wednesday at 9:00/8:00c. Hood Adjacent is Davis’ move to bridge the gap between urban and mainstream comedy by exploring topics through his point of view, a point of view that has always straddled the fence […]
Continue ReadingDoug Stanhope has been called all sorts of things like depraved, rude, hostile, and raunchy. All of those are fitting descriptions, but one trait stands out above all others: honesty. His candor extends from the stage to his everyday interactions. Take this interview, for instance. The goal was to promote his new special The Comedians’ […]
Continue ReadingAfter years of outstanding ensemble work in acclaimed television series like Silicon Valley, Portlandia, and Burning Love —as well as unforgettable scene-stealing cameos in films like Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates and Central Intelligence — comedian Kumail Nanjiani has been long overdue for a chance to solidify his leading man status. The Big Sick, […]
Continue ReadingAuthor, producer, screenwriter, and GWAR fan Emily V. Gordon is no stranger to the philosophical principle that comedy equals tragedy plus time. And not just because she traffics in the business of being funny, although that certainly helps. Gordon, years before she became a successful author (Super You), standup showcase producer (The Meltdown with Jonah […]
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