sometimes i think about dying – The Comedy Bureau

TCB Debriefing 3/12-3/15/24: Tig Notaro, The Feeling That The Time To Do Something Has Passed, Ghosts, Bill Maher, Sometimes I Think About Dying, Owen Wilson, Mark Twain Prize for Humor

March 15, 2024

bill maher, ghosts, mark twain prize for humor, owen wilson, sometimes i think about dying, the feeling that the time for doing something has passed, tig notaro

1. It has been 12 years since Tig Notaro’s seminal, groundbreaking work LIVE if you can believe it and not only is Tig still very, VERY much with us, but she is still putting out hour after hour of her signature wry, low key brilliance. Take a gander of her latest special Hello Again (directed by her wife, Stephanie Allynne, an amazing comedic force herself) here. Then, look for it on Amazon Prime beginning Mar. 26th.

2. Raunchy sex comedy can give indie/arthouse and not just be relegated to multiplex or straight to DVD/streaming. Just look at the upcoming (and wondrously titled) The Feeling That The Time for Doing Something Has Passed from newcomer writer/director Joanna Arnow here, then please make plans to go see it in whatever indie/arthouse theater is nearest to you starting Apr. 26th.

3. While Abbott Elementary seems to be the network sitcom of the moment, don’t forget that CBS’ Ghosts is that network’s top comedy (that also commands comparable numbers per episode), which is why its getting a fourth season renewal (Deadline).

4. Real Time with Bill Maher is getting reupped for its 23rd and 24th season by HBO (Variety). Only Kimmel has had as long a tenure in that realm and it’s interesting to note that Maher almost never gets brought up in the same sentence as him or John Oliver or Seth Meyers, probably having something to do with his own particular brand of sarcastic liberal humor.

5. If you didn’t get a chance to catch Sometimes, I Think About Dying one of the best understated performances on the big screen in quite some time, surprisingly delivered by Daisy Ridley, along with a wonderful biggest-role-to-date for Dave Merheje since it played in a very small window in limited release, you can now rent or buy it on digital platforms and enjoy the hilarious, the beautiful, and the absurd that are all contained within the mundane minutia, depending on who you’re talking to. Go watch and enjoy it here.

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A post shared by Dave Merheje (@davemerheje)

6. Owen Wilson is going to play a washed up golf pro in his latest comedy (Golf Digest), which, come to think of it, Wilson has kind of the perfect look for .

7. The Mark Twain Prize for Humor, while a big night in comedy, is something that’s not that easy to find to watch and often just relegated to watching the acceptance speech from the Kennedy Center’s YouTube channel well after the fact. That’s changing this year as entertainment magnate Kevin Hart is getting honored and it will be able to be streamed on Netflix (Washington Post). Odds are you’ll still watch it on YouTube if you can find it there.

8 We’ll leave you with this: LA Marathon & St. Patrick’s Day are both this Sunday, so maybe think about adding about a half hour or more to your travel time if you’re in LA.

TCB Debriefing 1/31/24-2/3/24: Sometimes I Think About Dying, The Onion, Friendship, Garrett Morris, Will Ferrell/Harper Steele, Larry David, River Butcher

February 3, 2024

News

andrew deyoung, dave meherje, friendship, garrett morris, harper steele, hollywood walk of fame, larry david, paul rudd, rachel lambert, river butcher, seth meyers, sometimes i think about dying, the onion, tim robinson, will ferrell

1. If we were to tell you that there was a beautifully subdued dramedy about intrusive thoughts that isn’t a horror movie, you might wonder if we were just giving you the run around about a movie that couldn’t ever exist. Yet, Rachel Lambert’s Sometimes I Think About Dying, based on Killers by Kevin Armento, emerges with a lush exploration into the interior life of someone who often fantasizes about dying, amazingly in a peaceful, serene way. Daisy Ridley gives a career redefining performance playing the most quiet character she has ever played amidst a marvelous ensemble of comedians and character actors, especially with rising comedy star/comedian Dave Meherje. The humor derived from the tiniest of minutia is something to marvel here and a testatment to Lambert’s vision as we can only imagine the sort of feat it would be to pitch a movie like this to get funding. Sometimes I Think About Dying very well could be a cinematic/comedic rally cry for hardcore introverts everywhere and, for that, it’s pretty magnificent.

2. Staffers at The Onion have reached a tentative deal with parent company G/O Media have reached a tentative agreement over increases in wages and workplace protections averting a strike (THR). Oh, just imagine the never-ending flurry of Onion-esque headlines that would be blasted at G/O Media if there was a strike.

3. Whenever the next batch of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson comes out isn’t soon enough, but at least there will be a feature length film where Tim Robinson plays a suburban dad, ostensibly a character from I Think You Should Leave, only to have his life turned upside down by a mysterious weather man played by Paul Rudd upends his whole life. Called Friendship, this will also be the writer/director feature length debut of the brilliant Andrew DeYoung (John Early and Kate Berlant’s 555) (Deadline).

4. All hail the trailblazing comedian and SNL star Garrett Morris and his recently minted star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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5. The latest Will Ferrell movie, Will & Harper, will actually be a doc about Will going on a road trip with one of his best friends, Harper Steele, who recently transitioned (Variety). This might be the rare instance where you see Will actually be himself without bits (though we have no doubt that he’ll be pulling shenanigans throughout).

6. The one and only Larry David essentially does an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm during his appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers AND gets bested by Seth. Please enjoy.

7. The amazing River Butcher is out on tour all the way through March! Go see him live at throughout the country and get tix now at riverbutcher.com/shows..

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A post shared by River Butcher (@rivbutcher)

8. We’ll leave you with this: Hot take-9:30PM is not late.

TCB Debriefing 11/13/23: Best Comedy Album Grammy, Sometimes I Think About Dying, Tom Segura, Call Chelsea Peretti, Rachel Mac

November 13, 2023

News

best comedy album, chelsea peretti, grammys, sometimes i think about dying, tom segura

1. The 2024 Grammys Nominees for Best Comedy Album are:
Trevor Noah: I Wish You Would
Wanda Sykes: I’m An Entertainer
Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love
Dave Chappelle: What’s in a Name?

In case you haven’t done so already, you can disregard the Recording Academy‘s opinion on comedy as this is their most blatant display of a popularity contest (even if there’s huffing and puffing about them getting “cancelled”) in the history of the Best Comedy Album category for The Grammys. Also, note that every one of these “albums” were promoted and consumed as a “special” and they didnt’ even try to pretend to throw some slightly less famous comedian a chance at winning.

2. Sometimes I Think About Dying might be the driest dark comedy in recent memory as well as a well earned pivot from Star Wars for Daisy Ridley and a break out role for the absolutely hysterical Dave Merheje. Take a gander for yourself with the official trailer here.

3. Tom Segura will be on the road all across the world for probably most of 2024 for his Come Together tour. It’s so big that he has only announced the first leg of the tour. Tickets go on sale 10AM local time with code TOMMY at tomsegura.com/TOUR.

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A post shared by Tom Segura (@seguratom)

4. Damn. Call Chelsea Peretti has returned (i.e. one of the greats, Chelsea Peretti, has also returned). IHeart letting Big Money Players kind of do whatever they want (considering they usually wheel and deal in Top 40) is still kind of unbelieveable. Get into new episodes of Call Chelsea Peretti wherever you get your podcasts now.

5. We’ll leave you with this: Rachel Mac’s Teacher of the Year is more deserving of a Grammy than the rest of that 2024 lot.