In 2007, a relatively unknown comic by the name of Jon Reep was thrust into the spotlight during the fifth season of Last Comic Standing. He’d been in a few television commercials for Dodge trucks as the guy who’d pull up with his friend in an old beat up car, look up at the truck beside them, and say “Hey! That thing got a Hemi?”
While on Last Comic Standing, my wife and I found his sense of humor to be hilarious. Not only does he have great stories about growing up in the small town of Hickory, North Carolina, but the “fish out of water” moments he has had while living in Los Angeles for the last 10 years.
Well, now he has another big-time comedy special to share his unique point of the view with the world. Recorded live at the McGlohon Theater in Charlotte, NC, Jon Reep: Metro Jethro provides examples of how he’s adapted to living in the big city while staying in touch with his small town roots.
So what exactly is a “Metro Jethro”? According to Reep, a “Metro Jethro” takes the good parts of small town life and adapts them to big city living. As you might imagine, things from the deep south don’t always jive with big city sensibilities.
Reep shares many tales of growing up in “Hick-r-y” as a child, including some great stories about his dad David Reep. One that stuck with me was when his dad tried to clean the pool by strapping on some heavy weights and trying to breathe through a garden hose. You can guess how that worked out.
He also shares tales from his marriage, including one involving a wedding dress, a hanger, and a sprinkler head in their hotel room in Hawaii. With everything soaked, Reep on the balcony enjoying a cocktail, and his wife-to-be screaming inside, it was definitely a memorable moment in their relationship!
The Bonus DVD includes a video of the entire special as well as some great extras with Reep’s parents sharing their own perspectives on some of the experiences he shares during his show.
If you like comedy, it’s tough not to laugh at Reep’s Metro Jethro. Be sure to check it out at your favorite retailer and laugh your way to some moonshine martinis!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up Jon Reep’s comedy catalog at Amazon below!
Sometime in the mid 1980s, I was exposed to Monty Python. It was, of course, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which of course stunted my growth and imprinted itself upon my brain to the point where Python lines began creeping into every day conversation. My parents were appalled. Neither could stand the humorous antics of these men dressed up in costumes banging coconuts together to make clip-clopping noises.
Yes, it’s true. I’m a Monty Python addict. But nothing really prepared me for the depth of Monty Python: Almost The Truth. As a Monty Python fan, I learned things I had never known before in each and every episode. Because of this, I will recommend to all of my closest friends (most of them Python fans) that they must watch the series on A&E and pick up the DVD set.
But I’m getting ahead of myself here. So why is this such a ground-breaking documentary series? Because, like all great documentaries, it presents information that you may or may not have heard before in such a way as to make you think about things more deeply. I never knew how the Monty Python troupe came together or what they did before. It simply wasn’t something I considered prior to watching this series.
Starting with Episode 1, we learn the humble beginnings of each member of the troupe and how they found their funny bones on their own or in pairs before eventually finding their way together for Monty Python’s Flying Circus. By the time you get to Episode 4, you realize that not only are they very funny and talented, but they’ve all gone through some rough times as artists and people. And by Episode 6, you come to find that they’ve all found ways to move beyond Python and find their own ways in the world.
Some of the startling facts that I learned from Monty Python: Almost The Truth:
Terry Gilliam had a life before Python in the magazine business.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail was financed by a bunch of big name bands in the 1970s, including Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull.
Graham Chapman was an amazingly functional alcoholic. I always knew he had alcohol issues in the Flying Circus days, but I didn’t realize how much.
Documentaries are often long, dreary, boring affairs. But Monty Python: Almost The Truth couldn’t be further from the norm. All the way through I felt entertained and educated.
When you arrive at Disc 3, you find a collection of sketches, extended interviews, interview outtakes, and the Terry Gilliam Picture Gallery. Among the sketches are three of my favorites – “The Parrot Sketch,” “Ministry of Silly Walks,” and “The Cheese Shop.” The fact that these guys could sit down and write lines like “He’s off the twig! He’s kicked the bucket, He’s shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!”, the absolutely insane list of cheeses from around the world that is somehow made funny by the fact that the proprietor of the cheese shop has no cheese at all, and then the simple yet odd physical comedy of John Cleese doing his silly walk… It makes me laugh just to think of any of them.
As I said at the beginning, this collection is a must have for any serious Monty Python fan. Rush to your favorite retailer and pick up your copy of Monty Python: Almost The Truth today. You won’t be sorry!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up this and other Monty Python DVDs below!
What do you get when you mix Paul Rudd (recently in Role Models, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Knocked Up) and Jason Segel (from How I Met Your Mother and Forgetting Sarah Marshall)? Fun times. Combine that with a great script about a budding bromance and you have a comedy with some serious hilarity.
Rudd’s Peter Klaven has become engaged to his girlfriend of eight months, Zooey (Rashida Jones). And, during the wedding planning it’s become very aware that Peter has no guy friends to speak of, whereas Zooey has several (very eclectic) girl friends she hangs out with regularly.
To fix the balance between a lack of groomsmen and many bridesmaids, Peter seeks the help of his gay brother Robbie (Andy Samberg), who works at a gym. Big brother gets tips on how to go on man dates with likely subjects. This process of course is not without its pitfalls, including a gross projectile vomiting incident with Barry (Jon Favreau) after a poker game.
After a few such incidents, Peter loses hope in finding someone to be his best man and bumps into Segel’s Sydney Fife – this great, honest guy enjoying being single in California. Peter strikes up a friendship with Sydney and we get some wonderful “guy” moments interspersed with some odd moments here and there.
The fact that Peter gets into this bromance so deeply begins to trouble fiancee Zooey, but it all gets sorted out by the end.
Beyond the main actors, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by Lou Ferrigno’s scenes. He stole the show in a few places (the Ferrigno/Segel sleeper hold incident comes to mind) and added a celebrity dimension to the real estate market Peter was working in.
Though I know my wife enjoyed the movie too, I felt that the characters definitely came from a guy’s perspective – especially Zooey’s female friends, who were all caricatures. One was self centered and wondering why she couldn’t find a nice guy, and another (played by Jaime Pressly) fit the profile of a wife constantly fighting with her husband and then having great make-up sex afterwards. Though I know a few folks with interesting personality clashes in their relationships, these ladies took the cake.
Beyond the movie, the DVD does include a number of extras, including a commentary track by director John Hamburg with Rudd and Segel, a “Making of…” feature, some extras, extended and deleted scenes, and an eleven-minute Gag Reel.
The “Making of I Love You, Man” describes how the project came about from a script by Larry Levin and was then contributed to by director, producer, and writer Hamburg and producer Donald De Line. This was De Line’s first producer credit, so you could tell it was a well tended project. And everyone on board from the producers, writers, cast and crew really bought into the movie concept to bring it to the big screen.
The “Extras” section includes nine different mini-features from “Whole Bunch of Tongue” to “City Slacka – Paul Rudd Tries to Get Through One Line.” Though I loved the Gag Reel, I have to say this is a hilarious string of features that had me rolling in places. I’m amazed at some of the improvised lines that didn’t make it into the movie!
Six “Extended Scenes” are also included and once again showed the improvisational gift of the cast. When Rudd starts going into the “Different Strokes” theme song at the engagement dinner, it was a stroke of genius. It’s obvious that Rudd and Segel had a great time riffing on each other at length during filming.
Also in the long list of special features are three Deleted Scenes, of which you catch glimpses of during the Gag Reel. “The Lost Man Date – Rugby” and “Gay Bowling League Night” would have been great during the film, and I’m a little shocked they weren’t included. But the “Groomsmen Photo Session” was a bit disturbing with all of their pants around their ankles. (Maybe it’s just me.)
I Love You, Man was hilarious and definitely worth seeing if you missed it at the theater. Be sure to check it out at your favorite rental or retail outlet!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick this up and other great comedies at Amazon below!
I’ll be among the first to admit that I’m a huge fan of Steve Martin. His intelligent, yet zany gift for acting, comedy, and slapstick makes him unique. I’ll also be the first to admit that the first Pink Panther (2006) wasn’t that great a film. It had its moments, but never really worked for me.
So when I had a chance to review Pink Panther 2, I hesitated. However, it has such a great cast I had to see how it turned out. And I’m glad I did. I actually liked it a lot more than the first one.
Pink Panther 2 picks up a while after the first movie ends. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (played beautifully by John Cleese) has assigned Jacque Clouseau (Steve Martin) to serving parking tickets. Since Clouseau stole the credit for saving the Pink Panther diamond from Dreyfus, the Chief Inspector has worked hard to keep the bumbling Inspector out of his way. Unfortunately, Clouseau is requested to become part of a “Dream Team” of international detectives working to stop a series of high profile thefts around the world by a thief known as “The Tornado.”
Rating:
To find these artifacts (including the Magna Carta, the Shroud of Turin, and an ancient Samurai sword as well as the Pope’s ring and the Pink Panther diamond), the Dream Team investigates the site of the most recent theft of the diamond and begin piecing together what The Tornado is up to. Inspector Vicenzo (Andy Garcia) from Italy, Chief Inspector Randall Pepperidge (Alfred Molina) from New Scotland Yard, Kenji Mazumoto (Yuki Matsuzaki) from Japan, and Sonia Solandres (Aishwarya Rai), a biographer of The Tornado, work with Clouseau to solve the case. Of course, it’s not that simple. Clouseau manages to bumble his way through crime scenes, interviews, press encounters, and so on, but eventually the case is solved.
Along the way we encounter Mrs. Berenger (the always amazing Lily Tomlin), who acts as the politically correctness advisor for the French Police. She and Clouseau have some highly amusing scenes where we learn more of the Inspector’s ways of looking at the world, including one scene about sexual harassment which is hilarious and another about racial discrimination. Tomlin and Martin haven’t worked together since 1984’s All of Me, and the give and take relationship between them is still apparent.
We also see more of the relationship between Clouseau and Nicole Durant (Emily Mortimer). The flashback scene between the two at a restaurant in Rome includes one of the most amazing bits of slapstick and comic timing that I have seen in a very long time. As Clouseau attempts to pick out a wine for their dinner date, he bumps into the wine rack and bottles begin falling. Martin manages to juggle the bottles to the waiters in the restaurants as they fall, and does so with Clouseau style. That scene appears fairly early in the film and kept me watching to the end.
Overall, I think Pink Panther 2 was a much funnier film than the first one. The interactions between the actors – Garcia, Molina, Matsuzaki, and Rai – with Martin were always well done. You could tell the cast had a great time working together as an ensemble. And seeing Tomlin and Martin together again was a thrill.
In addition to the movie itself, the DVD includes three features…
The “Gag Reel” is a great collection of gaffes and mistakes from the filming. The camaraderie was readily apparent between all the cast and crew. And who wouldn’t have fun working with these great actors?
“Drama is Easy… Comedy is Dangerous” focused on the many comedic stunts in the film. Martin still has a gift for physical comedy that in my mind is rivaled only by John Cleese, who was also in the film. The directors and producers spoke about the difficulty of having a film more physically demanding.
And in “A Dream Team Like No Other”, we get to hear from more of the cast about working together. This is an amazing group of talented professionals and it’s great to hear from each of them — Martin, Reno, Mortimer, Molina, Garcia, Matsuzaki, and Rai.
All in all, I have to say I really enjoyed Pink Panther 2 and look forward to seeing what happens if there are more Pink Panther films. Though this movie didn’t do well at the box office, I think it will do well on DVD. Be sure to pick up a copy at your local rental store or retailer.
–Fitz
p.s. Click here to pick up The Pink Panther and other goodies from Amazon!
Why did they ever take Whose Line Is It Anyway? off the air? Even now, years later, this insane group of comedians taping a television show of themselves doing improvisational comedy in front of a live audience is side-splittingly funny at times.
Let’s take a step back though. In 1988, the BBC began a television series of short (< 30 minute) improvisational comedy TV and radio shows. Whose Line Is It anyway? (also known simply as Whose Line?) ran with four performers and a “host”. The host would give the performers different improvisational situations and two, three, or four of the performers would then act them out. After each game, the host would randomly assign points to the performers and a winner would be chosen at the end.
The British version of Whose Line? aired from 1988 to 1998 and then ABC began airing an American version here from 1998 to 2003. Some of the improv games included were “Scenes from a Hat”, “Props”, “Three-Headed Broadway Star,” “Irish Drinking Song,” and others.
Hosted by comedian and television actor Drew Carey, the ABC version held to the same premise as the BBC version. Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie appeared in every season and were accompanied by Wayne Brady, Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood, and Chip Esten, among others. Often, guest stars would appear on the show as well, including Robin Williams, Kathy Griffin, and Whoopi Goldberg.
The Best of Whose Line Is It Anyway? includes ten episodes and a one hour special on two discs. Celebrity guests included David Hasslehoff, Florence Henderson, Jerry Springer, Richard Simmons, body-builder Jane Tricker, the Loyola Merrimount cheerleading squad, and others… Though we were hoping for Robin Williams to be in this collection, his episode wasn’t included.
My wife and I watched all ten episodes and laughed until we cried at various points. This collection is uncensored, and though the language is pretty tame, there are some adult situations that never made it past the censors. Some of those bits were amazing, especially the episodes that included Jane Tricker, Florence Henderson, and the cheerleaders. When you put a group of funny guys and gals on a stage and let them run wild, you’re bound to get some things not meant for prime time television. And boy did they end up with some good stuff that never aired!
I really don’t know why the show ended after only five years. The show was extremely funny and typically family-friendly every episode. It was a well-rounded variety show with comedy and music. And the guest stars were typically either very talented comedians in their own rights or very good sports.
In addition to the ten episodes is a one hour special that recaps the highlights of seasons 1 and 2 of the ABC series. Included are bloopers, a few unrated bits, and some of the funniest moments up to that point.
However, any time I’m feeling a bit blue, I can now watch this unrated The Best of Whose Line Is It Anyway? collection and get my giggles. I only hope Drew Carey and the gang enjoyed themselves half as much as we did watching this DVD set!
–Fitz
p.s. Click below to check out The Best of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and other Whose Line? DVDs!
In the same vein as my Come Hell or High Water review a couple of weeks ago, The Showdown is a new western done by independent film company North American Motion Pictures Entertainment (NAMP). Instead of a Reconstruction-era revenge story, this time it’s about US Marshall Luke Canfield keeping the peace in the town of Sand Prairie, Texas. Though I can’t say that Come Hell or High Water was my favorite western, The Showdown has renewed my hope for NAMP films.
Rating:
The first thing that struck me when I watched was the music. Immediately it got me in the mood for a western. And I honestly can’t say whether it was the simple guitar melody, the twang of the west, or the sound of Ron Stuber and the Sand Prairie Tumbleweed Band, but it worked. And it was consistently entertaining as part of the film, not just as an afterthought.
The second thing I noticed was that the tone of the movie. Where Come Hell or High Water was darkened with the taint of revenge, The Showdown had a much lighter approach. There were actual humorous characters scattered into the landscape of the town instead of a few depressing characters weighed down by the blood debts of the Civil War. In one scene, I believe I even heard Marshall Canfield whistling to the tune of the soundtrack, which made me smile.
So immediately The Showdown had my attention. It hit two of my main buttons for movies – humor and music. Not to say that the movie is a comedy, but the Jim Conover (who both wrote, directed, and helped produce the film) knew enough to balance the serious with the lighthearted.
Marshall Canfield (Bob Handegan) spent years looking for his ex-wife who took his young son and left him in Tennessee. Eventually he tracked them to Texas, but was never able to find them. Instead, he settled into acting as the law in Sand Prairie.
Like most towns in westerns, Sand Prairie has a saloon where you can find carousing cowboys and dancing girls. Among them is Dixie Johnson (Ann Hagemann), a beautiful self-assured blond. She holds her own until Asa Brown (William Homel) assaults her one night and Canfield saves her. After that, a battle begins between Canfield and Brown that includes abduction, destruction, and near death for Canfield and others.
This movie has a little of everything you’d expect in a good western… Horse rustlers, saloons, show girls, kidnapping, bar fights, gun battles, and even a town drunk. To top that off, I thought the acting and story were much better than Come Hell or High Water. There are a few exceptions, such as the death of Deputy Tom at the hands of Brown and his gang. But for the most part, the acting was solid.
Like in Come Hell or High Water, the horses and horsework by the actors and stuntmen in the movie was top notch. Even the gun battles were well staged. Both the good guys and the bad guys missed their marks about evenly.
And another thing I appreciated was how the picture was shot. Presented in a beautiful widescreen 16×9 format, you get to see all the beautiful greens, golds, and browns of nature in its many outdoor locations. And one portion of the film in the third act used a split-screen approach, sometimes presenting as many as three different views of the action at the same time. It reminded me of Ang Lee’s work in Hulk back in 2003, though not in as much of a comic-book style.
The only exception in shooting quality for me was the last shot of the film from above. For some reason the camera was very shaky as they drew back to take in the scene as the posse finally arrived at the site of the final battle. But the rest of the movie was very well done.
The DVD also included a number of previews for other NAMP productions such as Redemption and Come Hell or High Water. The final DVD is also slated to include a behind-the-scenes feature, commentary from the director, and a collection of stills.
If you’re a fan of westerns, be sure to give The Showdown a look when it’s released on DVD April 21, 2009. For an independent feature, it kept me entertained from beginning to end and restored my faith in the western movie genre! I give it a solid 3 out of 4!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick this up at your local video store or from Amazon.
I’ll be the first to say that I rarely watch late night television. It has to be something spectacular to make me watch anything past the evening Monday through Thursday episodes of The Daily Show with John Stewart. That said, I’ve known that Craig Ferguson is a funny guy ever since he played the evil boss on The Drew Carey Show back in the late 1990s. And whenever we see a clip from The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on This Week with George Stephanoploulos during their “Sunday Funnies” segment, I think I should start watching The Late Late Show — alas, I’m typically asleep by then.
At any rate… Craig Ferguson recently had a new comedy special appear on Comedy Central called Craig Ferguson: A Wee Bit o’ Revolution and it was released on DVD just a couple of days later. He is a very funny man with a unique perspective based on his being raised in Scotland and gaining citizenship in the United States (he has dual citizenship in the US and the UK). He truly has a love for America.
Wee Bit o’ Revolution was recorded in October 2008 at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Ferguson freely shares his views with the audience on sex, drugs, and rock and roll in his own particular no-BS way. It’s great to see him speak without the typicaly boundaries he must face on late night television – freely able to swear and share suggestive gestures!
He starts by talking about how he came to be an American after a visit to New York as a teenager and being exposed to his first rock concert (Blue Oyster Cult) and smoking a doobie. He compares that to going to his second concert in Scotland after that and trying to get some drugs (very tough to come by in Scotland). A friend of a friend hooked him up with some chloroform and he passed out as Deep Purple hit the stage, only to wake up as they’re going off. You have to love the irony.
Ferguson also talks frankly about his drug and alcohol abuse and speaks fondly of the time he spent in rehab for his alcoholism. The other drug users sort of looked up to Ferguson as “only an alcoholic” since they had more detrimental addictions to get over. So he always had fun messing with their heads.
And he talks about auditioning for a part on Suddenly Susan with Brooke Shields and then finding work on The Drew Carey Show as the insane English boss. For me, that’s one of his more memorable roles. But now that I’ve seen his stand up routine, I may have to see if he’s playing anywhere near me anytime soon.
In addition to his stand-up routine, there are also two extras. His Interview was hilarious, but I was fascinated by his Speech at Faneuil Hall on July 4, 2008. It’s always interesting to me to see how people who weren’t born here really become the true patriots for our country when they become citizens. Ferguson speaks eloquently and with humor about what he loves about the United States.
Ferguson is hilarious and it’s hard for me not to laugh with his self-deprecating humor. He really lays it out on the line for the audience and points out where he thinks his own life is funny. I have to respect that.
So be sure to check out Craig Ferguson: A Wee Bit ‘o Revolution to see what they bleeped out on national television!
–Fitz
p.s. Be sure to check out the DVD at your local rental store or pick it up from Amazon:
When I first saw the promos for Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire on Comedy Central a couple of months ago, I knew I would have to watch. How could I pass up something that looked like a combination of Mel Brooks, The Zucker Brothers, and the worlds of Conan the Barbarian and Dungeons and Dragons. Or maybe it’s the bastard stepchild of South Park and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Either way, talk about mixed parentage.
And I have to say that I think director Alex Hardcastle and Comedy Central have a winner. Is it stereotypical? Sure. Does it rely on sight gags, bad puns, and innuendo? Sure. Did any of that stand in the way of my enjoying it? Heck no.
Krod Mandoon is the son of a blacksmith and a stay at home mom and the leader of a small band of freedom fighters in a fantasy world under siege by the evil Chancellor Dongalor. Krod (Sean Maguire, Meet the Spartans) is tagged as the “Golden One” prophecised to overthrow the evil empire. He is armed with a sword that sometimes is covered in flames and his insecurities.
Krod’s nemesis, the evil Dongalor (played to the teeth by Matt Lucas from Little Britain), is the perfect evil manager. He’s kind of a combination of Dilbert’s “Pointy-Haired Boss” and Thulsa Doom from the movie Conan the Barbarian. He wants to motivate his employees through fear, then reward the ones who are left. In one scene his main flunky tells Dongalor that he’d hired some translators to translate some runes and Dongalor asks if his flunky killed one to motivate the others and gave gift bags to the ones left… Though I’ve never worked for a boss like him, I’ve heard horror stories.
Traveling with Krod is his girlfriend Aneka, Loquasto, Zezelryck, and Bruce. This group gives “rag tag” a bad name…
Aneka (the exquisite India de Beaufort, Run Fatboy Run) is a beautiful pagan warrior with great fighting skills who prefers to use her feminine wiles to defeat her enemy. She and Krod are a “non-exclusive” couple because of her “pagan” promiscuousness. Though I’m fairly certain she doesnt’ do all of her own stunts in Krod Mandoon, the crew make her look really good.
Loquasto (Steve Speirs, Inkheart and Eragon) is a vaguely orkish (or oafish) well-meaning dolt who has a mysterious talent for shooting Krod with crossbow bolts. He has a great comic timing and I look forward to learning more about his character and how he and Krod came to know each other.
Though I was drawn to Dongalor, Loqasto, Aneka, and Krod immediately… Zezelryck (Kevin Hart) is a bit of a mystery to me. He’s supposedly a “wizard” in the party, but can’t cast spells. He can evidently create smoke bombs and talk a lot. As such, he’s one of the weakest characters in the series so far, but I hope he becomes more likeable in future episodes.
And I had the same problem with Bruce (Marques Ray) as the gay lover of the group. Remember when I said the series was a bit stereotypical earlier? Well, though Krod may have a literal flaming sword, Bruce’s is just as evident. Again, not one of my favorite characters, but I hope he becomes more likeable in future episodes as well. In the first couple of episodes, he’s just a walking gag.
The first two episodes of Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire aired on Comedy Central on April 9, 2009, and it appears we’ll be seeing a new episode every Thursday for a while.
“Wench Trouble” was the premiere episode and had Krod, Aneka, Loquasto, and Zezelryck trying to free General Arcadius from Dongalor’s prison. Arcadius (played by Roger Allam from V for Vendetta and Speed Racer), only in prison for two weeks, found love with Bruce only to die during the escape attempt…
And “Golden Powers” has our fearful heroes dealing with the loss of their leader – Arcadius – and trying to move on. At the beginning of the episode, there’s a great scene where they try to light a funereal boat with Arcadius’ body that had me giggling. We also learn more about the relationship between Krod and Aneka.
Overall I think this is a great start to a new comedy series and I know I’ll be watching Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire for the rest of the season. Keep in mind that this isn’t for the kiddies. There’s a ton of innuendo and a few flat out adult lines (especially from Bruce). That said, the adult content, irreverent humor, and intriguing characters (plus more chances to see India de Beaufort) make it all worthwhile. Be sure to check it out!
For those of you who don’t know Frank Caliendo, he’s become quite a star in the stand-up world with his television show Frank TV and his very popular stand-up routine where he does amazing impressions. If you’ve never seen or heard him do his John Madden impression, you’re missing something. He’s spot on. And he bounces between Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Chris Rock, and others like it’s nothing. He has to be one of the best impressionist comic I’ve ever heard or seen on TV.
Though Caliendo’s set is great, for the most part it’s bits and pieces of things I’d heard him do elsewhere. Where it gets really interesting is when he mixes in Al Pacino, Don Pardo, and John Madden together… That’s entertainment.
The other comics are a bit hit and miss, as they were for me on episodes of LCS.
Rob Cantrell really pushes the envelope of foul language in the set he does here. And if he was really close to winning LCS the first season the show was on, I’m glad I missed it.
Alonzo Bodden is a very very funny man. He does a skit about going into a Bed, Bath, and Beyond to buy $50 worth of sheets and coming out with $1500 of bedding. What bed needs that much protection? He continues to be a very funny comedian even after his LCS experience.
Bonnie McFarlane and Gary Gulman however weren’t stellar on this CD. Neither one really made me laugh during their time on LCS and their routines didn’t surprise me here either. Gulman is stuck on cookies and McFarlane is stuck on pretending to be dumb.
If you’re looking for some great material from Caliendo or Bodden, this is a great collection. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a wash. And if you ever have a chance to see Caliendo or Bodden live, get out and see them. They’re worth it.
Check out Frank Caliendo – Un-Leashed at your local music store or online! Just keep it away from the ears of children… it’s a bit blue in spots.
Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac in a movie together? What’s not to like? When Soul Men hit the theaters back in November 2008, it was one I wanted to see. It combined two of my favorite things in life – music and comedy. Somehow I never managed to see it while it was on the big screen.
Rating:
That’s now been remedied since it was released on DVD back in January 2009.
Soul Men is the story about two soul music stars from the 1970s who broke up after one album and vanished from the world of music. Originally they were a trio, and the lead singer left to pursue a very successful solo career. The two remaining members of the group were successful but couldn’t survive a confrontation over a woman both men knew and the lack of record sales.
Now 30 years later after the third member of the group passed away, the two men were asked to get together for a reunion at a performance in his honor. And even after 30 years, they still didn’t like each other.
The movie focuses on the two singers, Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson) and Floyd Henderson (Bernie Mac), taking a road trip from California to the Apollo Theater in New York City, reconciling their differences, and learning a few things along the way.
We meet Cleo (played by the amazing Sharon Leal who had her big break in Dreamgirls a few years ago), who is the daughter of the woman who came between Hinds and Henderson back in the day. We meet her “gangsta” (and I use the term loosely) boyfriend Lester (played by Affion Crockett) and his “posse” of Pay-Pay (Fatso-Fasano) and Zig-Zag (Jackie Long).
Back in New York we have Danny Epstein (the always funny Sean Hayes) and Phillip (Adam Herschman) at the talent agency arranging for the performance honoring Marcus Hooks (played in clips by John Legend). Danny was funny without going over the top and fan-boy Phillip was along as comic relief during parts of the movie.
And what’s a movie about soul music legends without a few legends itself? John Legend is a great musician and singer who has a solid career going at the moment. Isaac Hayes in his last performance on screen always had an undeniable magnetic personality about him.
This is not a movie to share with anyone with sensitive ears. Though I think it’s hilarious, there’s enough blue language in this movie to turn my kids’ hair white. And there’s some nudity in spots as well, including some disturbing hilarious sex scenes with crazy woman Jennifer Coolidge. It’s definitely R-rated for a reason, so be aware of that.
That said, I loved this movie. The characters are very well defined and played to the teeth by Sam Jackson and Bernie Mac. You can tell they had a great time making the film and enjoy what they do. Losing Bernie Mac soon after this movie was filmed was a huge blow to comedy. He and Isaac Hayes will be missed.
And the music is great. They really captured the art of great soul music in the film.
On the DVD, you’ll find a ton of extras, including:
Commentary by Director Malcolm Lee and Writers Matt Stone and Rob Ramsey
The Soul Men: Bernie Mac & Samuel L. Jackson
The Cast of Soul Men
Director Malcolm Lee
A Tribute to Bernie Mac
A Tribute to Isaac Hayes
Boogie Ain’t Nuttin’: Behind the Scenes
Bernie Mac at the Apollo
And the theatrical trailer
I give Soul Men a solid 3 out of 4 stars. If you like musical comedies, Soul Men is right up your alley. Be sure to check it out on DVD!
–Fitz
p.s. Check out Soul Men at your local video store or at Amazon:
While on Last Comic Standing, my wife and I found his sense of humor to be hilarious. Not only does he have great stories about growing up in the small town of Hickory, North Carolina, but the “fish out of water” moments he has had while living in Los Angeles for the last 10 years.
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Krod Mandoon is the son of a blacksmith and a stay at home mom and the leader of a small band of freedom fighters in a fantasy world under siege by the evil Chancellor Dongalor. Krod (
Traveling with Krod is his girlfriend Aneka, Loquasto, Zezelryck, and Bruce. This group gives “rag tag” a bad name…
And I had the same problem with Bruce (Marques Ray) as the gay lover of the group. Remember when I said the series was a bit stereotypical earlier? Well, though Krod may have a literal flaming sword, Bruce’s is just as evident. Again, not one of my favorite characters, but I hope he becomes more likeable in future episodes as well. In the first couple of episodes, he’s just a walking gag.![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=0d1a5a51-451f-4898-a698-9158f08797d1)
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