Conan’s Bill Tull Now Has Prom Budget Tips
You may be well out of high school, but these cost-cutting life hacks from Conan’s propmaster Bill Tull are sure to come in “handy” when going to any formal event.
Watch Donald Trump as Anonymous in Upcoming Trump vs. Bernie Sketch Special
Trump vs. Bernie has their second special coming up next week on Wednesday, May 11th at 9PM on Fusion.
Rather than a debate, it’ll be a plethora of fun, subversive sketches, one of which will be posing Anthony Atamanuik’s Trump as the hacktivist group Anonymous.
If that we’re true, the name “Anonymous” would be ironic, right?
Please Get Derek Sheen’s Brand New Album “Tiny Idiot”
The generations seem as divided as they’ve ever been these days, content with yelling at each other rather than trying to understand each other’s position. Thankfully, there are comedians like Derek Sheen who very deftly bridges the thinking between many generations with his new album Tiny Idiot.
Whether his joke centers on religious hypocrisy, being open minded about fellatio, or the new, snarky breed of butcher shops, Sheen paints a great, vibrant light that shines through all of the nonsense from any demographic that has been floating around lately. If you’re not acquainted with Sheen, you should start now with this album.
Tiny Idiot is available now off of Stand Up! Records here.
Paul F. Tompkins Shows How Sad Edgar Allan Poe Really Was on Great Minds with Dan Harmon
The latest episode of Dan Harmon’s Great Minds manages to summon the renowned writer Edgar Allan Poe as played as sad as can be by Paul F. Tompkins.
Perhaps, you’ll hear this impersonation of the ultra-sad Poe anytime you read The Raven or The Tell-Tale Heart again
Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at door. Get them here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows/events and open mics along with corresponding maps are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Mike Birbiglia’s “Don’t Think Twice” Gets July Release Date
(via Deadline)
It’s got limited release set for July 22nd followed by nationwide run.
Birbiglia’s follow-up to Sleepwalk With Me that follows all the ins and outs of an improv troupe, on and off stage, will be hitting theaters this Summer, which should provide a nice alternative to whatever studio franchise tentpole flicks are taking up two to three screens at your local theater.
Mike Birbiglia is also doing one-off screenings of Don’t Think Twice on his Improv Across America bus tour as well.
UK Dark Comedy “Flowers” Now Streaming at Seeso
The series from Will Sharpe made its Seeso debut just yesterday.
The latest UK comedy export comes in the form of the dark comedy Flowers that centers on a eccentric, dysfunctional family. From the looks of it, there’s a nice otherworldly mood that the show is set in that takes its dark comedy label to another level.
This is only one of several British comedies that you should check out on Seeso by the way.
Get tickets here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows/events and open mics are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Poster by Garrett Ross
Here’s a Brand New Promo for “Vice Principals” Featuring More Fighting Between Walton Goggins and Danny McBride
The petty squabbling between two vice principals has never looks good. If it’s between the VPs played by Walton Goggins and Danny McBride in front of a principal played by Bill Murray on HBO’s upcoming Vice Principals, that’s a different story.
See what we’re all in store for in this new promo, then catch the series premiere on July 17th at 10:30PM on HBO.
Watch a Trailer for a More Grounded (Slightly) Michel Gondry Film “Microbe and Gasoline”
Film auteur Michel Gondry has made a name for himself by making some of the most imaginative and inventive works in film in recent memory. From Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to his iconic music videos, Gondry has a knack for actualizing fantasy in a very charming way.
His latest film, Microbe and Gasoline takes Gondry’s normal dreamy mise en scène down a notch, but only just one notch. It seems very much like a straightforward coming-of-age, buddy road trip comedy in this trailer, but Gondry does have two young outcasts build a house on wheels to run away in.
Still, it has that unmistakable sense of wonder from Gondry that’s almost always appealing.
Refinery 29 Launched Their Own YouTube Comedy Channel “Riot” and They’re Off to a Pretty Nice Start
Refinery 29 is expanding beyond being an online cultural destination for women by getting into making their own online content. Amidst developing short films, channels, etc., Refinery 29 has also launched an online comedy channel on YouTube called Riot. It’ll give a platform to many of the best female voices in comedy.
Already, they have some great content from Aparna Nancherla, Jo Firestone, Jacqueline Novak, Phoebe Robinson, and Shannon Coffey.
Specifically, absurdist puberty tips from Aparna and Jo and an intimate conversation about depression and anxiety between Jacqueline Novak and Lena Dunham are two you definitely want to watch.
So, keep an eye on Riot or subscribe to make that way easier.
Very quickly, Troy Conrad has amassed quite the series of photos of comedians in one of the famous hallways at The Comedy Store. You can get a bit of preview of his work here.
The way he has used a fish eye lens seems to capture a new era of The Comedy Store and, as such, he is getting his own exhibition tomorrow night of his “Hall Series”.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows/events and open mics along with corresponding maps are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Richard Pryor Biopic Loses Lee Daniels as Its Director
(via The Wrap)
The on-going saga of trying to get a Richard Pryor movie made continues.
For several reasons, a biopic on the life and times of legendary comedian Richard Pryor has been very difficult to make. Trying to find the right person to play Pryor, issues with who from Pryor’s life supports the story that’s being adapted, etc. have all slowed the process.
This latest attempt by The Weinstein Company to make a film about Pryor suffered another blow by losing award winning director Lee Daniels due to scheduling issues.
There’s no word on who will replace them, but we hope, whoever they are, that they’re found soon.
Last Week Tonight Reveals the Truth Behind Many Those Miracle/Terrifying Scientific Studies You Hear About All the Time
Whether it be a secret to weight loss or what just might give you cancer, there are many very premature, non peer-reviewed scientific studies that often getting peddled as scientific breakthroughs by the morning news and even TED Talks.
They also have a fun bit where Jon Benjamin gives a B.S. TED-style talk.
Comedy Central’s The Half Hour Will Feature Joe Machi, Aparna Nancherla, Ahmed Bharoocha, Mike Recine, Naomi Ekperigin, Nate Fernald, and More This Year
This should make for a really strong season of The Half Hour on Comedy Central.
Getting their own half-hour specials in the fall this year will be:
Cy Amundson
Erik Bergstrom
Ahmed Bharoocha
Matthew Broussard
Naomi Ekperigin
Nate Fernald
Noah Gardenswartz
Emily Heller
Martha Kelly
Joe Machi
Drew Michael
Aparna Nancherla
Jacqueline Novak
Mike Recine
Ramon Rivas II
Ali Saddiq
Nick Turner
There is a great deal of the folks above that it would be worth going to YouTube and checking out whether you’re familiar with them or not.
If you happen to be in New Orleans in the beginning of June, you can go to the tapings of these half hour specials.
That Live Episode of “The Simpsons” Is Happening This Sunday
Homer Simpson will be taking questions live for three minutes at the end of the episode for both the East and West coast broadcasts.
This Sunday, May 15th at 8PM PST/EST, The Simpsons will break new ground by having the animated Homer Simpson take questions live on air.
Specifically, “To ask Homer Questions LIVE, Fans can Call (888) 726-6660 on Sunday, May 15, from 8:00-8:30 PM ET and 8:00-8:30 PM PT”.
Sorry to all those in Central and Mountain time zones for, yet again, not getting your own individual broadcasts for such a special event.
Trailer for “Chelsea” on Netflix Shows That Chelsea Handler Will Be Venturing Outside of a Studio a Lot
There’s a lot of anticipation over Chelsea Handler’s new show Chelsea. It’s Netflix first talk show as well as their first show that will be releasing episodes three times a week as opposed to their traditional all-episodes-streaming model. Also, there will be no commercial breaks, which isn’t unprecedented, but further prompts a departure from the traditional late night talk show format.
More intriguing than all of that, it appears from the trailer that Handler will be venturing from behind a desk quite a bit for a ton of remote segments, not unlike what she did with those Chelsea Does specials. Given the ‘clip-focused’ direction of late night these days, that’s probably a smart move.
You won’t have to wonder what Chelsea was up to for all this time for much longer. Chelsea starts streaming this Wednesday on Netflix.
Showtime Is Developing Moshe Kasher and Zach Cregger Pot Dealer Comedy, Produced by The Russo Brothers
(via Deadline)
A spiritual successor to Showtime’s Weeds, perhaps?
Showtime’s latest comedy project in development follows a family of pot dealers who have to get their act together and look to their straight edge son when the sale of marijuana becomes legal in their state. Comedy about selling weed has worked well for Showtime before, so why not do it again?
This half hour sitcom comes from the great minds of comedian Moshe Kasher and Zach Cregger, who we’d hope you know from the Whitest Kids U Know.
The Russo Brothers (yes, the same ones who are behind many Marvel Cinematic Universe hits) have attached themselves to produce.
Making a comedy about selling pot legally has been really popular over the last few pilot seasons and we wouldn’t be surprised if this project would be the one that gets the greenlight.
Get Emily Maya Mills’ Debut Comedy Album “By a Thread”
Nearly all comedians talk about their parents in some form or fashion. Not all comedians’ parents happen to be hippies of the highest degree.
Emily Maya Mills’ folks were as hippie as you can possibly imagine, which has colored her comedy in a great way, especially since she has taken her life in a decidedly different direction from her parents. Her debut album By a Thread off of AST Records is a great, personal introduction to Emily and her life after a childhood of being made to be in touch with nature.
Just listen to how she demystifies Coachella in this preview.
Get By a Thread from AST Records or off iTunes.
Here’s a Featurette for “Quincy Jones: Burning the Light”
Next month, Quincy Jones’ dream of a stand-up special will come true when HBO premieres Quincy Jones: Burning the Light on Thursday, June 2nd at 10PM.
You can see a condensed version of Quincy’s amazing story of how all of this came to be in this featurette.
More details, tickets, etc. here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows/events and open mics along with corresponding maps are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Watch Anthony Atamanuik Dressed as Donald Trump Get Kicked Out of Trump Tower
Anthony Atamanuik really went to Trump Tower in his full Donald Trump regalia and million dollar impression of Trump to see what would happen. The staff of Trump Tower have obviously been instructed on how to handle matters such as this.
Watch what went down here, then watch Trump vs. Bernie: Shout The Vote, the sketch special, on Wednesday at 9PM on Fusion.
Samantha Bee and Patton Oswalt Take an Orson-Welles-F-For-Fake Angle When Discussing the Hoax That Is Crisis Pregnancy Centers
We’re not exactly sure who on the Full Frontal with Samantha Bee writing staff is or are cineaste(s), but we really dig what they’re doing. Already, they’ve made a great Werner Herzog style piece on Jeb Bush.
Their latest piece sharply debunks “Crisis Pregnancy Centers”, which falsely parade around as places that you might be able to get an abortion. That got cleverly framed around a riff on Orson Welles’ fantastic meta-documentary about grifters, F For Fake.
On top of that, they got one the biggest cineastes of them all, Patton Oswalt, to play Welles’ role.
The Red Band Trailer for “Swiss Army Man” Show Farts and Boners Like You’ve Never Seen Before
Much controversy has come from the divisive Swiss Army Man. It’s use of Danielle Radcliffe’s farts (specifically used to help Paul Dano get home) and other such things that have been usually relegated to banal straight-to-DVD comedies hit the wrong nerve for many when it screened at Sundance. For others, it was a one-of-a-kind, amazing vision.
For our money, this new red band trailer gives credence to the latter (even with the featuring of unusual boners).
If you’re on the Swiss Army Man train, look for it in theaters on June 24th.
Season 3 of You’re The Worst Premieres on Aug. 31st
Set a reminder.
Stephen Falk’s brilliant You’re The Worst has made quite the impression in its two seasons on FXx with plenty of glowing reviews and articles. It would seem that it’s set for another great run in season 3 this summer.
Again, look for the season premiere on FXx on Wednesday, August, 31st.