the comic's comic

Zach Galifianakis: The Comic's Comic interview (with Bobby Tisdale and Brody Stevens)

When I visited Los Angeles last month, I had the unique opportunity to visit the set of the upcoming movie, Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. During the lunch break, Galifianakis invited me back to his trailer, where I'd get an exclusive interview with him as comedians Bobby Tisdale and Brody Stevens (both of whom also have small roles in the film) watched. And then Galifianakis took over The Comic's Comic, and decided instead to interview Tisdale and Stevens. This is some of the edited footage. Now even more timely, since the previous Phillips film starring Galifianakis, The Hangover, is out today on DVD and just got nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Comedy! Congrats! Roll the clip!

Fun fact? A reporter from Entertainment Weekly also had a "date" to speak with Galifianakis. So if you're wondering where this photo and information below came from, know that the EW reporter had to pick up the pieces after our silliness.

 

Random! Bobby Tisdale's Sony TV ad features Julia Allison, Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake

When this TV ad appeared before my eyeballs this morning, I had to hit the pause and rewind buttons on my remote control to make sure I wasn't still dreaming. Nope. That was comedian Bobby Tisdale in a new Sony TV ad. Oh, right. He was being sold on Sony by a panel of experts led by Julia Allison, alongside Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake and a little girl. And they played Wac-A-Mole. Sure. Right. Obviously. Now, if you do not have the Internets (you have the Internets, you're looking at it right now!), then perhaps you do not know who some of these people are. One of them is a famous singer. One of them is a famous professional athlete. One of them is a little girl. One of them is a former dating columnist for a local magazine. I won't tell you which one is which. Let's just say this 30-second spot is like an "Only in New York" moment brought to life. By Sony. Roll the clip!

And for your further viewing pleasure, here is a clip from a new online series from Mr. Bobby Tisdale called "Bobby Pre-Dinner Dinner Show." In this first episode, Tisdale is waiting on his dinner guest, Edward Van Halen, when he and his dog, Lewis, share epiphanies:

The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival

Eugene Mirman has announced the planned lineups for his crazy-yet-true-because-it-is-Eugene-after-all comedy festival named for him, taking place Sept. 25-28 in Brooklyn. Mirman pretty much has it covered -- most of his usual and unusual suspects will appear over those four days and nights at two venues, Union Hall (where Mirman already hosts the popular Tearing the Veil of Maya showcase on Sundays with Michael Showalter in Park Slope) and The Bell House (a new joint the Union Hall folks are opening nearby).

Time Out NY playfully hinted at what a Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival might look like, with hints from Mirman himself.

Want to see who's scheduled to perform?

Video: Cat Chiropractor

Bobby Tisdale has a history of cat bites (the cats bite him, not the other way around!), so it's curious to see him take on the role of Dr. Charlize Therond, Cat Chiropractor. Then again, here he is! First patient, brought to him courtesy of Zach Galifianakis. Enjoy.

Mon Dieu! Horrible People #8

If it's Monday, it must be time to check in on the satirical, definitely NSFW soap opera, Horrible People. Now with subtitles! Pardon my French, s'il vous plait. Merci. I mean, mercy! With a bilingual bit from Bobby Tisdale, as well.

Gelmania! The debut

And you thought Rififi was done when Invite Them Up left the building? No. Instead, Brett Gelman has taken over Wednesdays and assumed the title of President of Comedy. His "inauguration" took place last night. In a cockroach outfit.

Let me try to explain.

Perhaps Gelman himself said it best in his opening remarks. "This is not just a celebration of me. It's a celebration of all of us celebrating me as the new president of comedy," he said. "This is a show people are going to be lying about -- saying they were at it."

As First Lady, Jackie Clarke. In dog ears. Putting down Gelman at every opportunity.

The first show included Anthony Jeselnik. A very strong joke writer, except for that one joke about jail rape, which is far too cheap and easy. Jon Daly appeared as Shirtless White Bill Cosby, with a voice that wavered between spot-on Cosby (circa 1982) and British. Here is a short clip.

Brett Gelman and Shirtless White Bill Cosby
Uploaded by thecomicscomic

I have a theory that Gelman and Daly have a standing bet to see who can be the most ridiculous figure in the comedy world, and that they're both winning, which makes me hope and pray that their Comedy Central pilot, "The Scariest Thing on Television," gets picked up for a full season. The network announced it yesterday as part of its development slate. Gelman said last night that they just finished work on the pilot yesterday, coincidentally, and are hopeful about its prospects. In it, Paul F. Tompkins stars as anthology series host Julius Darkshaft, taking us "through his vault of hilarious morality tales and gorefests."

But back to last night's show.

Larry Murphy made a guest appearance as working-class man Gene Shirley. Andrea Rosen was funny and more than slightly raunchy (ask her about her eye). MC Chris rapped! About Boba Fett! There was a final three-way scene so perverse that even Clarke had to describe it as: "This is just like a Troma film." And, lest I forget, Bobby Tisdale came onstage to pass the torch of Wednesday nights, and with it, perform the comedy presidential inauguration.

Brett Gelman: President of Comedy inauguration
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Wait. You wanted to know how it ended? I guess you really did have to be there.

The end of Invite Them Up

After six years, and after creating a new home for the so-called "alt-comedy" scene in New York City's East Village, Invite Them Up called it a night. Hosts Bobby Tisdale and Eugene Mirman will go their separate ways. And who knows what's next. Let's take a moment to reflect.

Invite Them Up RIP
Uploaded by thecomicscomic

Time of death: 11:51 p.m., Feb. 27. 2008.

Of course, all of the comedians who performed, from Tisdale and Mirman to Jim Gaffigan, Mike Birbiglia, Todd Barry, Demetri Martin, Jon Glaser, Jon Benjamin, Chelsea Peretti, Craig Baldo, Kristen Schaal, and everyone who performed Monday and Tuesday, will still be performing around NYC. And Rififi will still be open. But Invite Them Up is done. And comedians, bloggers, photographers and fans packed the joint, feeling a bit nostalgic already.

Invite Them Up's three-night finale

After a six-year run, Invite Them Up closes its comedy show career this week with three consecutive nights of comedy and afterparties at Rififi, tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday. Rififi itself will remain open. But Bobby Tisdale and Eugene Mirman will be going their separate ways. As they announced on their site: "We'll do shows again, though not weekly and not for a little while." These final three nights don't exactly have announced lineups but also don't need them. Plenty of friends and great comedians will be coming out of the woodwork. See you there?

Episode 2 of Horrible People

The melodrama mockery continues on this second episode of Horrible People, thanks to creator A.D. Miles and a couple of cameos from Bobby Tisdale and Kurt Braunohler. Language NSFW.

Denis Leary's Merry F#%$in' Christmas

Denis Leary's view on the holidays ain't so jolly. Go figure.

A couple of weeks ago, Leary, his band and his 15-year-old son, Jack, performed the actor/comedian's song, "Merry F#%$in' Christmas" as the finale at Cam Neely's Comics Come Home benefit. But it looks and sounds much more subversive when it opens "Denis Leary's Merry F#%$in' Christmas" special Nov. 27 on Comedy Central.

"Live, it's more of a jaunty singalong," Leary told me this week over the phone on a break from voiceover work on Ice Age 2. If by jaunty, you mean an opening verse such as, "Old Saint Nick's got bourbon breath, it's so cold you could catch your death, a cop sold me some crystal meth, it's a merry, f#%$in' Christmas."

"Really, we're just going for the ultimate anti-Christmas song," Leary said. "Then I thought, this is really going to have a great animated video for it. That was the seed for the idea that led to the Christmas special." Cue the claymation! "It's a throwback to Rankin-Bass and all that stuff we know from growing up." Leary said Comedy Central will "bleep" one version of his special, then air the uncensored version sometime later at night (part of what the network calls it's after-midnight Secret Stash series).

How they'll bleep it is another matter. Some skits involve William Shatner, Charlie Murphy, Chris Elliott and the Barenaked Ladies. Leary also pokes fun at Tom Cruise, FEMA and Paris Hilton. "We weren't setting out to make a timeless special. If you wanted something that was evergreen, you couldn't be as funny," he said. "Although I think 'It's Jihad Time, Farley Towne' is timeless." Yes, that is a Peanuts spoof.

Any worries about taking on Tom Cruise, who's known to sue? "I had a big fight with Viacom and Comedy Central," Leary said. "They didn't want Tom Cruise to sue me. It's comedy. If you're not pissing people off, you're not doing your job." So he skewers both Scientology and Catholicism at the same time. "We carry on this stupid tradition with kids, and it's really the beginning, the tradition is deception," he said. Leary's son, Jack, makes a cameo during the special's musical finale, but he doesn't perform. "He said, 'Is it funnier if I act like I'm bored and couldn't care less?' I said, 'You mean like in real life?'" Leary said.

The Learys are hosting many relatives from Massachusetts and even Ireland this weekend for Thanksgiving, so he feels your pain. "Once your family leaves on Sunday, or you leave your family, you'll need a good hearty hour of laughs to get it out of your system," he said. "And it'll also get you in the right mood for Christmas."

Related: The show's Comedy Central site.

Here's a sketch with Bobby Tisdale on the mic: