Robert Townsend's documentary, Why We Laugh, based on Darryl Littleton's book, Black Comedians on Black Comedy, makes its debut at this year's Sundance Film Festival. As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day and tomorrow's inauguration of President Barack Obama, it's timely for us to examine how black comedy has evolved and adapted over the years. Here Townsend talks about his project with the Sundance Channel:
After the jump, three short clips from the film. Enjoy!
The Sundance Film Festival has announced its slate of films for the 2009 celebration of cinema in Park City, Utah, and more than a few feature and/or star stand-up comedians during the Jan. 15-25 run in the ski hills.
There's one bonafide film about comedy screening next month: Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy
/ USA (Director: Robert Townsend)—Using rare archival clips along with
provocative interviews with many of today's leading comedians and
social critics, Why We Laugh celebrates the incredible cultural
influence and social impact black comedy has wielded over the past 400
years. Cast: Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Steve Harvey,
Dick Gregory. World Premiere
And I'm pleased as punch to pass along the news that NYC comedy troupe Derrick got their film into the festival: Mystery Team / USA (Director: Dan Eckman;
Screenwriters: Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson)—A group
of kid detectives called The Mystery Team struggle to solve a double
murder to prove they can be real detectives before they graduate from
high school. Cast: Dominic Dierkes, D.C. Pierson, Donald Glover, Aubrey
Plaza, Glenn Kalison. World Premiere
Among the 16 films selected for the Documentary Competition:
Good Hair (Director: Jeff Stilson) - Comedian Jeff Stilson directs Chris Rock while he sets out to examine the culture of African-American
hair and hairstyles. World Premiere
Among the 16 films selected for the Drama Competition:
Big Fan (Director and Screenwriter: Robert Siegel) - The
world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants'
biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite
player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael
Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto. World Premiere
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (Director and
Screenwriter: John Krasinski) - This effort from The Office star is described thusly: When her boyfriend leaves with little
explanation, a doctoral candidate in anthropology tries to remedy her heartache
by interviewing men about their behavior. Cast:
Julianne Nicholson, John Krasinski, Timothy Hutton, Dominic Cooper, Christopher
Meloni, Bobby Cannavale. World
Premiere
Paper Heart (Director: Nicholas
Jasenovec; Screenwriters: Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi) - This is the is it a documentary, is it fiction movie you've heard buzz about in the past week: Even
though performer Charlyne Yi doesn't believe in love, she bravely embarks on a
quest to discover its true nature - a journey that takes on surprising urgency
when she meets unlikely fellow traveler, actor Michael Cera. Cast: Charlyne Yi,
Michael Cera, Jake Johnson. World Premiere
Push (Director and Screenwriter: Lee Daniels)
- Based on the acclaimed, best-selling novel by Sapphire, Push is the
redemptive story of Precious
Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous
obstacles and
discover her own voice. Cast: Gabourey
“Gabby” Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mo’Nique Imes, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah
Carey. World Premiere
And in films debuting at Sundance 2009 outside of competition...
On the same day that many mainstream media outlets, and even the new media mainstreamers, were asking if The Daily Show and comedy could survive an Obama administration, they also reported on what kind of puppy the Obamas would bring with them to the White House. Irony is alive and well, people! The old adage says there is no such thing as a stupid question, but this week proves once again that the media is quite apt at asking the lazy and idiotic questions.
Here is a roundup of some reports from Thursday, in which New York magazine and Politico both asked if The Daily Show could continue bringing the funny now that Barack Obama is replacing George W. Bush. The Hollywood Reporter also brings a similar report from the Wednesday night political humor panel at the New York Comedy Festival. The questions are moot. Anyone who watches The Daily Show and The Colbert Report know that their main focus is, and always has been, on mocking the media. Colbert's alter-ego exists as long as Bill O'Reilly and self-centered broadcasters like him continue to exist. And Jon Stewart's show and correspondents only ceded some ground to Bush/Cheney in recent years because their propaganda machine had become a must-mock. So. Why does the media overlook this, even when they reported on the Obama puppy question as if it was an issue of equal importance to, oh, say, our rising unemployment crisis and the recession and our ongoing wars? Because it's easy. Because it's lazy. Because an editor's knees jerk in reaction to eight years of nonsense and wonders what do we do now that we have elected a leader who actually inspires confidence?
Similarly, a Boston Globe story last month tried to posit that comedy as a whole is liberal, going to college professors for proof of such. Right. As if it's an academic question. The fact that right-wing attempts at comedy (see: FOX News 1/2 Hour News Hour or the recent box-office flop, An American Carol) fail is not because they are conservatives, but because they fail at one of the basic tenants of humor -- making sure the audience likes you and is on your side, which is tougher to do when you are the haves making fun of the have-nots. It's something Chris Rock talks about onstage this past year, and in his HBO special, Kill the Messenger. Fat people can joke about skinny bitches, the poor can take down the rich, but if it's the other way around, that's just what a bully does. Are bullies funny? Would you like to see the King and Queen put on a show about how silly the oppressed villagers are? That's not how it was in the olden times. Rather, the Jester made fun of the privileged as well as the masses (particularly if they were from another kingdom), in front of the royal court.
New online journalism publication The Daily Beast offers a look back at how various comedians viewed a black presidency, with (language NSFW) voting tips from Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock, and alternate-universe views of a black president featuring Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor. Enjoy.
Chris Rock's new HBO special, Kill the Messenger, began with a bold statement, displaying the breadth of his popularity on his current stand-up comedy tour: 8 countries, 4 continents, 554,781 fans. Filmed in three venues -- Johannesburg, South Africa; London, England; and New York City's Apollo in Harlem -- Rock is telling the world, and in turn, us viewers, that he is a global comedian. What he has to say about race and gender politics, as well as American politics, translates around the world. How many other American stand-up comedians can make that kind of claim? Doing so in black-tie (Johannesburg), a crisp monochromatic suit (London) and a shiny leather jacket (Harlem), Rock and his production team can show just how well it translates, as well have fun with comedy remixes, repeating phrases up to three times. I'm surprised they didn't also try to capture some footage from Bonnaroo, where Rock performed for 65,000 music fans this summer in Tennessee, to show even more how broad his appeal has become.
You know, a lot of comedians making the promotional rounds to hype up their specials will focus on the specials. Chris Rock, who has a new HBO special debuting tonight, Kill the Messenger, isn't afraid to follow President Bill Clinton on Letterman and take him to task, nor continue talking politics on CNN with Larry King. Read part of the transcript here to see how Rock makes the case for voting Obama look like a no-brainer. Or you can watch the whole thing here:
Last night's The Late Show with David Letterman was a real winner, with several segments of serious talk time with former President Bill Clinton, followed by a discussion with Chris Rock, who ably poked fun at the Clintons before promoting his upcoming HBO special, Kill The Messenger (debuts 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27). "All around the world," Rock said. "New York, Johannesburg and London. And then we cut it so it looks like one special. If your eyes are closed you can't really tell. It's like white people laughing at stuff in London, and then black people laughing at that exact same joke in Harlem. It's kinda cool."
What did he learn? "Here's the thing they're not telling you about the economy. The dollar is worthless...I gave a lady $3,000 American dollars. I figured there's going to be some happy strippers when I leave London, right? (laughter)...She gave me back a loaf of bread." What else? "I learned people are the same everywhere, Dave. Wherever you go, Dave, they are the exact same people. People love Carrot Top all over the world, Dave."
Chris Rock's new HBO special, Kill the Messenger, has posters up around the city and a couple of video teases, one of which opens quite autobiographically, with Rock saying:
"I grew up in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. I started out in clubs making $5 a night. Now I'm here playing the world stage. America. Europe. South Africa. It's been a mind-blowing, crazy ride, and they say I'm pretty good at making people laugh. Luckily for me, it's an election year, and I got a stimulus package for your ass!"
They've already filmed footage of Rock in London and South Africa and across America, and now there's only one thing left to film before it debuts Sept. 27: Just look at the Ticketmaster banner on my page...
Chris Rock performs at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on Sept. 12-13. HBO will be there. Buy tickets here or here.
It's the All-Star break in baseball, and with festivities just a couple
of boroughs away from The Comic's Comic HQ over at Yankee Stadium, we
cannot help but notice. Nor can we fail to mention that yesterday's
All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game included four comedians:
Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, George Lopez and Chris Rock (pictured here in his Mets cap!). The game airs at 10 p.m. tonight on ESPN
following the home run derby (which for some reason does not include
legends or celebrities).
This week's TCA (TV Critics Association) press tour saw some news come out of HBO yesterday, with several new comedy series and specials planned. To wit:
Ricky Gervais is taping his shows next week (July 14-16) at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden for his first American stand-up TV special, to air in November. Tickets still available! Chris Rock will have a new 90-minute special airing Sept. 27. The following night, Sept. 28, sees the American debut of British sketch comics Little Britain as well as the new stand-up comedy showcase Down & Dirty with Jim Norton. UPDATED: Norton's show now debuts on Oct. 4.
What happens when people stop acting polite and start getting real? True story!* Original member of MTV's The Real World, Kevin Powell, is running for Congress in New York City, and last night held a fund-raiser in which Dave Chappelle was your featured headline performer. Only Chappelle never made it out of Ohio. That's amusing enough, and anyone who knows Chappelle knows he hasn't been a stickler for keeping to itineraries (he told me once he was headed to the airport to London, except I saw him the next day still in NYC). More amusing to me and maybe you but certainly not for the people who paid to attend Powell's fund-raiser, Chris Rock was in the building, but declined to take the stage. Gothamist has the nuts and bolts, with photos. For a truly crazy take on the night focusing on the one guy who did attempt a jokey-joke, read this account in The Brooklyn Paper.
*I always say "True story!" in the voice of the cowboy kid from season 2 in Los Angeles, which may not align completely with a post about Powell, but c'mon, it's the only way to say "True story!"
Sure, Bonnaroo was almost a month ago, but we're now being treated to some nice photographic representations of how comedy has become a part of this burgeoning national music festival in Tennessee. Louis CK was nice enough not only to share some artistic photos he shot from the set of his upcoming movie with Ricky Gervais, but also of his writing friend and comedy star Chris Rock, who performed on the main stage at Bonnaroo, essentially "opening" for Metallica in front of an estimated 65,000. That's a lot of people to tell jokes to at one time. Go to CK's site to check out all of his photos. Here is a backstage look at what Rock saw:
Mike Birbiglia, in his new installment of his secret public journal, includes a blurry photo of him inside the comedy tent at Bonnaroo, which appears to be a fairly large venue for comedy as well. Enjoy!
I didn't make it Bonnaroo this weekend, but thousands of other music and comedy fans did. And more than a few of them already have weighed in with their opinions of the massive Tennessee festival.
Stereogum took plenty of pics, loved Chris Rock, thought Reggie Watts was "custom built for a music festival setting." Entertainment Weekly also thought Rock fared well on the main stage "opening" for Metallica on Friday night. The AP provides a more basic overview from Friday day and night, but followed up with a more thorough account and a quote from Louis CK: "60,000 people is too many for stand-up...even if 40,000 people love you, you're still bombing really hard." David Carr of the New York Times was among those who felt Chris Rock had a more difficult time getting his jokes across to the hipster rock kids and Southerners. A reporter from Atlanta's Creative Loafing laughed a lot and enjoyed the A/C in the comedy tent, but laughed hardest at an audience member who started peeing everywhere during the show.
The guys from Human Giant also were blogging from Bonnaroo (read Aziz, read Paul, read Rob?) and hosting shows for Funny or Die.
Chris Rock just got back from South Africa, and cannot believe the way he was punked there last weekend. Particularly after having to deal with too much craziness with Anthony Pellicano and his trial earlier this year, these punks had the nerve to accuse Rock of statutory rape? Rock popped into the Comedy Cellar for a surprise set late Wednesday night, and he asked the audience, that's what people consider a practical joke these days? "Next week, they have a new show...'You Got AIDS!'" he quipped.
Rock then riffed for about a half-hour about Barack Obama and the presidential campaign. His tour has returned to the U.S., where you can see him next on the main stage Friday at Bonnaroo (where he's followed by Metallica?!), then two shows in Boston on Saturday.
Before we get back to the comedy grindstone, let's recap the comedy news from the Memorial Day weekend...
Dane Cook flew into Las Vegas for three shows at Caesars. He told the Review-Journal beforehand that he not only remained well aware of the backlash against him, but was ready to rebound from it. "I welcomed it," he claims, "because
now I'm just Dane Cook. Now it's just about the creativity and it's
just about what I deliver on a gig-to-gig basis. I'm very comfortable
there." Afterward, he reported on his site: "I've been working on a new hour plus of stand up and although I'm in refine mode its all working very well. I finally took it from a few hundred people to 12,000 spectators and was floored by the imediate respose. I can't wait to tweak it all and add more haha to the flow. LPMs suckasssss LPMssssss"
Speaking of Brits havin' a laugh, Ricky Gervais popped down to New York City for the weekend amid his final week of shooting for his directorial debut, This Side of the Truth. His blog has all of the updates and photos, and he expects folks watching the BBC will get their first real glimpse of the movie as early as June 3. Sort of.
Tickets go on sale at noon today for the two New York City dates at Town Hall for Flight of the Conchords, so I thought I'd look and see what other comedy tours are hot sellers.
Flight of the Conchords at Town Hall (NYC) May 6-7. Get tickets! Lewis Black has a new Comedy Central tour "Let Them Eat Cake" beginning May 1. Get tickets! Kids in the Hall already on tour, coming to NYC's Nokia Theatre at Times Square April 18-20. Get tickets! Chris Rock's "No Apologies" tour hits Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater from April 30-May 4. Get tickets!
Hulu went live today for general public consumption. Haven't had enough time to really root around, but just enough to unearth this clip from Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio, in which Chris Rock talks about his audition for Saturday Night Live.
My first trip to the Comedy Cellar in 2008 turned out to be a good one, as Chris Rock walked in from the frigid night all bundled up in a parka and hat, ready to get back onstage and work out some material.
Rock had just performed at Madison Square Garden for New Year's Eve (read the New York Times review here) and when I asked him how that went, he retorted: "It went well. I'm still in the business!" Don't you just love how comics love to bust each other? He later confided that he really enjoyed playing the Garden and admired its acoustics. During the Cellar's late show Wednesday night, he jumped up for an unannounced set that lasted 37 minutes. Really low-key. He brought two notepads onstage with him, but only referred to them briefly about halfway through, when he said, "I better do a couple of jokes and get the hell out of here." The audience chuckled. Rock knew enough to reply then, "As if that's not what I was supposed to be doing this whole time." I don't think that was the issue for Rock this night. After all, he'd just played the Garden. The previous few nights, he'd played theaters in Albany, Indianapolis and Phoenix. In mid-November, he played two nights in Las Vegas. And on Jan. 7, he begins a tour of England, returning to the U.S. for a slate of dates across the country that keeps him busy from February through May, with four nights in late April and early May back at Madison Square Garden. I got the sense watching him last night that he merely needed to get onstage to maintain that feel of the stage, the heat from the crowd, especially in the much smaller and intimate setting of the Comedy Cellar. That the club had a lot of foreign tourists in the seats probably didn't hurt, either.
Most of the material I'd heard was new, too. Rock is always working on his routines, refining premises and thinking about how to incorporate new bits into the routine. He opened with some topical thoughts on Christmas and New Year's, then relayed the events from a recent dinner meeting he and his wife had with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Rock noted how he felt like, especially as a comic, he had a need to keep a close eye on Cruise. "Was he holding his fork funny?" Things like that. At the end of the meeting, Cruise told Rock that he thought they should do a movie together. "Like I have any say in the matter!!!" Rock joked, explaining that his movies (Pootie Tang) have paled in comparison to the box-office bonanza of Cruise. If Tom Cruise wants Chris Rock in his movie, Chris Rock says he'll be in his movie! Rock searched for another celebrity encounter to tell the crowd, and ended up choosing an old story about playing Tecmo Bowl with Will Smith back in the days when Smith was merely a rapper who said he dreamed about being an actor and movie star. If only Rock knew that Smith wasn't as crazy as he must've sounded that day...or something to that effect. Rock did seem to want to make a larger point toward the end of his set about the difficulties of relationships between "on-time" people and "late" people.
Of course, if you click on the Chris Rock category tag on my blog (or even on this post), you'll see that Rock has worked out many of these thoughts over the past several months.
It's New Year's Eve, and Chris Rock will perform tonight at Madison Square Garden. As the New York Times goes out of its way to mention, Rock's routine doesn't just magically appear. He actually works on his jokes. More than once. No, really! He does.
For me, the money quote comes later in the NYT story, in which Rock talks about seeing Eddie Murphy perform. “There were moments you could hear a pin drop, and that’s really what it’s all about,” he said. “Anybody can just say stuff and get people to scream. If you’re really good, you can get them to be quiet. Quiet is true ownership of the room.”
Silence? Yes. Silence means they're not just listening but also paying attention to you in between laughs. It makes me wonder, of course, about a guy like Dane Cook, who also played Madison Square Garden this year. Cook's audience is full of screamers. Does this mean that Cook, often described as a rock star of comedy, doesn't really own the room?
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