punching the clown

8 years ago, the great Henry Phillips made Punching The Clown, which became a cult comedy about a partially fictionalized version of Henry’s life as a performer.

Now, there’s a sequel.

Punching Henry follows him trying to make it in this new digital age and Murphy’s Law applying every step of the way with cameos from Tig Notaro, Doug Stanhope, J.K. Simmons, Michaela Watkins, and way more. See so for yourself in the trailer.

Look for Punching Henry in theaters and On Demand on February 21st.

“Punching the Clown” Sequel, Mike Birbiglia’s “Don’t Think Twice”, Richard Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some”, and More Comedy Screenings You Might Want to Catch at SXSW

February 4, 2016

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and punching the clown, austin, del close, everybody wants some, henry phillips, mike birbiglia, punching the clown, search party, sxsw, vice principals

(via Deadline)

Oh, you didn’t think all the indie comedy was just going to screen at just Sundance, did you?

SXSW is almost a month away and the line-up for the film portion of the film festival has just been announced. While you probably already know about Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, and Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some premiering down in Austin, TX, you might also want to take note of a new film from Mike Birbiglia “Don’t Think Twice”, the long awaited sequel to Henry Phillips’ Punching The Clown.

Here are some more of the comedy films and TV series that are screening down at SXSW. Check out the full line-up at Deadline.

Before The Sun Explodes
Director: Debra Eisenstadt, Screenwriters: Debra Eisenstadt, Zeke Farrow
After his wife kicks him out, an anxious comedian is lured in by an intriguing woman with a stalker.
Cast: Bill Dawes, Sarah Butler, Christine Woods, Michael Rivkin, Amir Arison, Kerri Safran, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Gene Serritella, Kristin Slaysman, Eric Fillipkowski (World Premiere)

Don’t Think Twice
Director/Screenwriter: Mike Birbiglia
An improv group loses the lease on their home theater at the same time that one of their cast members gets chosen for the biggest sketch comedy show on TV.
Cast: Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Birbiglia, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher, Chris Gethard (World Premiere)

Everybody Wants Some
Director/Screenwriter: Richard Linklater
In Richard Linklater’s anticipated “spiritual sequel” to Dazed and Confused, a group of college friends navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of the wild final weekend of the summer of 1980.
Cast: Will Brittain, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner, J. Quinton Johnson, Glen Powell, Wyatt Russell (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Pee-wee’s Big Holiday
Director: John Lee, Screenwriters: Paul Reubens, Paul Rust
In Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires Pee-wee Herman to take his first-ever holiday in this epic story of friendship and destiny.
Cast: Paul Reubens, Joe Manganiello, Jessica Pohly, Alia Shawkat, Stephanie Beatriz (World Premiere)

Black Mountain Poets (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Jamie Adams
Two professional con artist sisters go on the run and assume the identities of The Wilding Sisters, guest stars of the a poetry retreat in the depths of the Black Mountains. A romantic comedy drama about love, crime, spirituality and soul.
Cast: Alice Lowe, Dolly Wells, Tom Cullen, Rosa Robson, Richard Elis, Laura Patch, Roger Evans, Hannah Daniel, Ben McGregor, Claire Cage (North American Premiere)

My Blind Brother
Director/Screenwriter: Sophie Goodhart
Love for the same woman causes conflict between an over-achieving blind athlete and the brother who made him that way.
Cast: Adam Scott, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate, Zoe Kazan, Charlie Hewson, Maryann Nagel, Greg Violand (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Rainbow Time
Director/Screenwriter: Linas Phillips
A developmentally delayed 40-year-old man named Shonzi is sent to live with his brother Todd. But when Shonzi developes a crush on Todd’s new girlfriend Lindsay, he threatens to reveal past secrets that could ultimately tear the couple apart.
Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Linas Phillips, Timm Sharp, Tobin Bell, Lauren Weedman, Artemis Pebdani, Jay Duplass, Reagan Yates, Austin Fryberger (World Premiere)

Slash
Director/Screenwriter: Clay Liford
Neil is a questioning teen who secretly writes erotic fan fiction about popular sci-fi characters. When his classmate Julia discovers his writing, she leads him down a rabbit hole deep into the world of ‘slash’ fiction. Cast: Michael Johnston, Hannah Marks, Michael Ian Black, Missi Pyle, Jessie Ennis, Peter Vack, Sarah Ramos, Robert Longstreet, Tishuan Scott, Lucas Neff (World Premiere)

War On Everyone (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: John Michael McDonagh
Two corrupt cops in New Mexico set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path in this volatile jet-black action comedy.
Cast: Michael Peña, Alexander Skarsgård, Theo James, Tessa Thompson (North American Premiere)

Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon
Director: Todd Bieber
Fifteen years after Del Close’s death, thousands of comedians (both famous and unknown) gather to celebrate modern comedy’s most important person that no one knows. (World Premiere)

Jules and Dolores (Brazil)
Director: Caito Ortiz, Screenwriters: Lusa Silvestre, Caito Ortiz
Jules and Dolores is a pop comedy about the theft of the World Cup Trophy that occurred in Brazil in 1983. Curiously enough, nobody truly knows the details surrounding this unbelievable event, until now.
Cast: Paulo Tiefenthaler, Taís Araujo, Danilo Grangheia, Milhem Cortaz, Fabio Marcoff, Pedro Wagner, Álvaro Diniz, Thelmo Fernandes, Otto Jr. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Karaoke Crazies (Republic of Korea)
Director: Kim Sang Chan
Welcome to ADDICTION KARAOKE and let’s sing till the end! (World Premiere)

Operator
Director: Logan Kibens, Screenwriters: Sharon Greene, Logan Kibens
JOE, a programmer and obsessive self-quantifier, and EMILY, a budding comedy performer, are happily married until they decide to use one another in their work. Operator is a dark comedy about love, technology, and what can’t be programmed.
Cast: Martin Starr, Mae Whitman, Nat Faxon, Cameron Esposito, Retta, Christine Lahti, Kate Cobb, Kristopher Lofton, Tim Hopper, Trevor Dawkins (World Premiere)

SERIES

Search Party
Directors/Screenwriters: Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers
Search Party is a dark comedy about four self-absorbed twenty-somethings who become entangled in an ominous mystery when a former college acquaintance suddenly disappears.
Cast: Alia Shawkat, John Early, John Reynolds, Meredith Hagner (World Premiere)

Vice Principals
Directors: Jody Hill, David Gordon Green, Screenwriters: Danny McBride, Jody Hill
A dark comedy series that tells the story of a high school and the two people who almost run it, the vice principals, who are engaged in an epic power struggle for the top spot.
Cast: Danny McBride, Walton Goggins, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Georgia King, Busy Philipps, Shea Whigham, Sheaun McKinney (World Premiere)

You Me Her
Screenwriter/Showrunner: John Scott Shepherd
An impulsive “date” between suburbanite Jack and escort Izzy spins into a three-way affair including Jack’s wife Emma, posing the question: What if your truest, happiest life looked nothing like you imagined? Would you be brave enough to live it?
Cast: Greg Poehler, Rachel Blanchard, Priscilla Faia, Jarod Joseph, Melanie Papaila (World Premiere)

And Punching the Clown

Director: Gregori Viens, Screenwriters: Henry Phillips, Gregori Viens
Comedian Henry Phillips is lured to LA by a renowned TV producer who wants to bring his story of failure to the screen. But when a major network gets involved, Henry must decide whether he wants to make jokes for a living, or be the butt of them. Cast: Henry Phillips, Sarah Silverman, Tig Notaro, J.K. Simmons, Jim Jefferies, Ellen Ratner, Mike Judge, Mark Cohan, Clifton Collins (World Premiere)

“Still Punching The Clown” Cast to Include Sarah Silverman, J.K. Simmons, Mike Judge, Doug Stanhope, More

December 13, 2014

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derek waters, doug stanhope, henry phillips, jim jefferies, jk simmons, mike judge, nikki glaser, punching the clown, sarah silverman, still punching the clown, tig notaro

(via Deadline)

The sequel to Henry Phillips’ Punching The Clown has moved forward very quietly. We heard that it was going into production and then, just over two weeks ago, Phillips himself tweeted that it was “in the can”.

Punching the Clown 2 is now in the can. Look out for it next year! pic.twitter.com/joR73mq8xI

— Henry Phillips (@Henlips) November 25, 2014

So, not only do we have to look forward towards a release, perhaps, sometime next year, but, the cast for Still Punching The Clown is pretty damn great. J.K. Simmons, who you probably saw get sociopathic in Whiplash, Sarah Silverman, Jim Jefferies, Tig Notaro, Doug Stanhope, Mike Judge, Drunk History’s Derek Waters, Nikki Glaser, and more are all being featured in the film.

Hopefully, the news of a release date and the actual release date itself will come soon.

A Sequel to “Punching The Clown” Is Underway

November 7, 2014

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henry phillips, punching the clown, sequel

On the set of maybe the first sequel in movie history that follows a movie that lost every penny: pic.twitter.com/2ogU2sMxBk

— Henry Phillips (@Henlips)

November 7, 2014

Five years ago, the hilarious Henry Phillips starred in and co-wrote Punching The Clown, a movie that slowly, but surely became a cult hit on Netflix.

Now, in 2014, with Henry having just shot his comedy special, had one of the best web series of all time under his belt, he and, we hope, the rest of the world is ready for a sequel to Punching The Clown.

Our sources tell us that, indeed, the Punching The Clown sequel has just gone into production and Philips just tweeted the picture above this morning, leaving us to only conclude, unlike so many things that are teased on the Internet, that it’s all actually happening.

So, do yourself a favor and get excited for this, especially as we’ll have more details about cast, etc. coming soon.

Punching Henry, the Sequel to Punching the Clown, Gets a Trailer

“Punching the Clown” Sequel, Mike Birbiglia’s “Don’t Think Twice”, Richard Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some”, and More Comedy Screenings You Might Want to Catch at SXSW

“Still Punching The Clown” Cast to Include Sarah Silverman, J.K. Simmons, Mike Judge, Doug Stanhope, More

A Sequel to “Punching The Clown” Is Underway