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Showtime Is Serving Up Another Deep Dive Comedy Doc with “The Real Charlie Chaplin”

October 29, 2021

charlie chaplin, documentary, showtime, trailer

On the heels of their Dick Gregory documentary, Showtime is continuing what seems to be an ongoing tour through comedy history. Their next stop is one of the very first comedy legends, Charlie Chaplin.

The silent movie star was actually many firsts, including one of the very first Hollywood stars that, unfortunately, had to deal with the weight and expectation brought about with worldwide fame. The Real Charlie Chaplin, from Peter Middleton and James Spinney, is going to delve into the life behind the silent movie star featuring plenty of interviews and reenactment footage that feels almost like a full on adapted drama of Chaplin’s life.

Get your first taste of what’s to come with The Real Charlie Chaplin with the official trailer here, then look for it to premiere/stream on Showtime at Sat. Dec. 11th at 8PM.

Here’s the First Full Trailer for Teenage Euthanasia, the New Adult Swim Comedy Set in a Mortuary

August 23, 2021

adult swim, bebe neuwirth, jo firestone, maria bamford, teenage euthanasia, tim robinson, trailer

Given how out there and dark Adult Swim has gotten with their series, both animated and live action, one might be surprised that they haven’t done a comedy that’s set in a funeral home until now. Teenage Euthansia, from creators Alissa Nutting and Alyson Levy, will indeed be that very series that not only takes a coming-of-age, family sitcom into a mortuary, but really take it several steps more absurd with having the mother of family coming back to life to make up for being a mom who ran out on her family, though undead on this go around.

Also, the cast is truly top notch with the voices of Maria Bamford, Jo Firestone, Tim Robinson, and Bebe Neuwirth. It really seems like it has all the makings of a great dark family comedy. See what exactly that would look and sound like with this first official trailer for Teenage Euthanasia here.

If this is your jam, then look for Teenage Euthanasia to premiere on Adult Swim on Sun. Aug. 19th at midnight.

Get Your First Look at the PEN15 Animated Special

August 19, 2021

animated special, hulu, pen15, trailer

Even though it’s deeply personal and honest and vulnerable in its examination of early teen years right at the turn of the millennium, there is also something magical about PEN15. Maybe that’s a credit to Anna and Maya playing their tween versions of themselves or just how special their friendship really is.

In any case, the prospect of seeing the duo drawn up for a very, very special episode of PEN15 makes us curious how much more magical (and hysterically resonant to all millennials) their bond can be. From the looks of this trailer for the PEN15 Animated Special, we’re all about to go deeper into Maya and Na’s world than ever.

See for yourself here, then look for the premiere of the PEN15 Animated Special on Hulu on Fri. Aug. 27th.

“Mentally Al” to Highlight Pioneering Comedian Al Lubel

August 13, 2021

al lubel, documentary, mentally al, trailer

If you religiously watched all the stand-up on late night in the hey day of Carson or the earlier years of Letterman, you might have come across a curiosity of a comedian and performer named Al Lubel. Also, maybe you went to one particular edition of Tomorrow! with Ron Lynch, LA’s midnight variety show institution and saw Al use every angle possible to get a laugh out of saying his name.

The character of one Al Lubel, even now with as strange and boundary pushing as comedy has gotten, still stands out and that is part and parcel to Al’s uncompromising, pioneering spirit in his comedy. That ethos is part of why a whole documentary, Mentally Al, has been made about him featuring interviews with the likes of Judd Apatow, Sarah Silverman, Andy Kindler, and Kevin Nealon. The other reason is following him in his relative obscurity despite all his accolades.

If you want to trace the threads of what qualifies as alt/indie/weird comedy (even when it gets a little edgelord-y or “anti-comedy”), you might be very interested in this upcoming doc.

Get a taste of all of this for yourself in the trailer for Mentally Al here, then look out for its premiere on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Spectrum, Google Play, YouTube and more on Tues. Aug. 24th

Get Your First Look at Season 2 of “Back To Life”, the Latest Very Dark, Very Hilarious Comedy from the UK

August 10, 2021

back to life, daisy haggard, season 2, showtime, trailer

Daisy Haggard, the star and creator of Back to Life, has made something truly beautiful and hysterical with this series. The first season was some of the funniest writing juxtaposed with some truly dark, poignant, honest performances that were absolutely riveting. Truly, Back to Life needs to be in the same conversations, in regards to prestige comedy, as The White Lotus and everyone else’s favorite, Ted Lasso.

We haven’t had as riveting of dramedy from across the pond since Fleabag.

The second season following Miri Matteson’s on-going struggle to readjust to life in her very small, very nosy UK town after spending several years in jail is on the way. The premiere date is set for Mon. Sept. 13th on Showtime at 10PM and, from the looks of the trailer, it could very well be every bit as brilliant as season one.

Go see for yourself here.

Here’s a Trailer for the Latest Quarantine Comedy “Together” with Sharon Horgan and James McAvoy

james mcavoy, sharon horgan, stephen daldry, together, trailer

The shared experience of over 7.5 billion people through the COVID-19 global pandemic is both one that’s traumatic and that hasn’t even reached its end yet. Understandably, there might be an inclination to not have a perspective of what this historic time is like mirrored back at us as the world has so much healing to do (on top of getting vaccinated against COVID-19).

Still, the “shared” part of that experience is undeniable territory for comedy as it’s probably the most relatable thing in any of our lifetimes, which is why we’re all only seeing the beginning of the comedic lens processing through some sort of collective experience of the last year and a half.

Cue in Together from the renowned Stephen Daldry that follows a family, lead by both Sharon Horgan and James McAvoy, that go into lockdown as COVID-19 ravages through the UK and hashing out their already on-the-rocks marriage. Thankfully, this wasn’t shot on Zoom or had to employ some clever shooting strategy to maintain distance from actors (or even be just a collection of monologues delivered straight to camera). Instead, James and Sharon are up in each other business and, it would seem, there’s a new level of sit-com style “talking head” here that doesn’t even bother cutting to a separate interview. Both James and Sharon just look to camera to express their non-diegetic thoughts in the middle of a scene as opposed to what The Office or Modern Family did for so long.

In any case, there’s some enticing promise here as it’s hard to go wrong with Sharon Horgan cursing up a storm.

Get your first look at Daldry’s Together with the official trailer here, then look for it in theaters starting Aug. 27th.

Get Your First Look at Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi’s “Reservation Dogs”

fx, fx on hulu, reservation dogs, sterlin harjo, taika waititi, trailer

The return of the film festival circuit has kicked up such a dust that one might have overlooked the very first glimpse of a brand new comedy, Reservation Dogs (yes, they do their own take on the iconic walk in Reservoir Dogs), that charmingly takes on what life is for indigenous Gen Z kids on the reservation.

Coming from the minds of Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, the trailer has the sort of promise that keeps FX’s track record for original comedies pretty damn good (Atlanta, What We Do In The Shadows). You can sense Waititi’s touch (maybe a bit akin to Hunt for the Wilderpeople) in a world that isn’t quite seen a lot, especially from the perspective of indigenous people. Above all, Reservation Dogs looks like a good bunch of a fun with a lovable crew of misfits.

See for yourself in the Reservation Dogs trailer here, then look for it to start streaming on Aug. 9th on Hulu.

Netflix’s Latest Series Worth Diving Into Might Be “The Chair”

jay duplass, netflix, sandra oh, the chair, trailer

With going back indoors seeming more and more to be the operative move as the pandemic continues, you might be wondering, “What else is there to watch?” Even if you thought you reached the end of Netflix or whatever your streaming service of choice is, we’re betting that you didn’t even get close.

That said, we’re sure it’ll take something of real quality or, at the very least, looks damn promising to invest yourself in another round of binge watching. One of Netflix’s latest series, The Chair from Amanda Peet & Annie Wyman, might be just the thing you’re looking for as a dissection of the non-sense and oft-unchecked privilege of higher education faculty. Sandra Oh leads what is a very impressive ensemble cast and also has to tangle with, from the looks of the trailer, a pretty perfectly cast problematic professor in Jay Duplass.

Just from our first impression, The Chair seems to be a little on the same wavelength as the classic 90s sharp satire Election, but just a bit more grown-up, perhaps for university. We certainly hope it’s up to that level.

We shall see if it makes that grade when it drops on Netflix on Fri. Aug. 20th.

Steven Conrad Might Have Just Made Something Weirder Than ‘Patriot’ with Ultra City Smiths

amc, steven conrad, trailer, ultra city smiths

The Kafka-esque tale of espionage that is Patriot remains as one of the more unique series in recent memory. Methodical in its pacing, but twisting and turning at every turn, the sheer absurdity of Steven Conrad’s creation sticks with us to this day.

With that said, he might have just made something even stranger, which is kind of a tall order, with his latest series, Ultra City Smiths. Conrad has woven a noir-ish tale of intrigue that will drive a detective to his limits and past them. Oh, he’s exclusively using refashioned baby dolls and stop motion animation to realize this vision.

It’s wonderfully ridiculous from what we saw in the trailer.

Honestly, we’re still trying to process the possibilities of such a mash-up of stylistic and genre elements, again leaning into somewhat absurdist territory, and how Conrad might have just topped himself. See all of this for yourself here.

If you’re digging it, you can catch Ultra City Smiths on AMC’s streaming platform AMC+ (you didn’t think that there were going to be no more new streaming services, did you?) starting Jul. 22nd.

Here’s Your First Look at ‘I Think You Should Leave’ Season 2

i think you should leave, netflix, season 2, tim robinson, trailer

It has been our stance since season that I Think You Should Leave has given us many of the best, most iconic, most downright hysterical sketches that we needed at such an absurd time to live. Thus, the prospect of season 2 has been weighing us ever since we’ve sped binged through season 1 more than a few times.

Thankfully, season 2 is just around the corner, past the Fourth of July, due out on July 6th on Netflix. More of Tim Robinson’s daft brilliance will be served up and, yet again, very likely be the very thing we need to see on TV, in comedy, and definitely in sketch comedy.

For now, you can get your very first dose of season 2 with the official trailer and watch it on repeat until 7/6. Please get a ridiculous taste of what’s to come here.

Behold All the Song and Mirth of Central Park Season 2 in This Trailer

apple tv plus, central park, season 2, trailer

Within the Loren Bouchard-iverse, we’ve been wondering what sort of fate and several ingenious musical numbers would be coming for Central Park in this latest season. The wait to see how meta they’ll get and what possible genres of song (this is very much the best musical series since Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) they’ll explore this time around (the rap number about Weehawken is pretty stellar) is nearly over. Also, if you’ve been jonesing for more Kathryn Hahn or the original cast of Hamilton, your time is coming very soon too.

Season 2 of Central Park is set to kick off on Fri. Jun. 25th on Apple TV+ (though it probably won’t be all the episodes at once) with new episodes being dropped weekly. Until then, you can get a sonorous preview of what’s to come with these new episodes in this Central Park Season 2 Official Trailer here.

Get Just a Little Bit More of a Peek at Season 5 of Rick & Morty with Their Third Traiiler

rick and morty, season 5, trailer

The arrival of the fifth season of Rick & Morty is oh so close (it’s next month) and, as such, Adult Swim has been giving us all tidbits through multiple trailers over the last month. Each has been pretty jam packed with the misanthropic misadventures of Rick & Morty as well as Summer, Beth, and Jerry.

There’s no telling how self-reflexive or satirical they’ll get this season (how could they get more meta than the Story Train?), but it should be more of the existential, devil-may-care-ish humor that has made it one of TV’s most popular shows. See for yourself in Rick & Morty Season 5 Official Trailer #1, #2, and, as of this weekend, #3.

Then, of course, make a reminder for Sun. Jun. 20th 8PM PT/11PM ET on Adult Swim for the season premiere.

Get Your First Look at Chris Gethard’s Comedy Special/Road Doc “Half My Life” (Part of Which Takes Place at Gatorland)

chris gethard, half my life, special, trailer

In the grand tradition of Chris Gethard being completely untraditional, Gethard has his latest comedy special as part stand-up special, part road comedy doc with his opener Carmen Christopher and his wife Hallie and their child, and part exploration of America’s vast, vast swath of subcultures.

So, you’ll get to see Chris do stand-up in underground comedy spaces, art spaces, at pancake breakfasts, and even in a place called Gatorland (and it’s called that because, you guessed it, they have a bunch of gators) all on Half My Life.

It’s set for release on Tues. June 1st via Comedy Dynamics, but you can catch a glimpse of this Gethard style chaos in the trailer for Half My Life here.

ZIWE’s Official Trailer Is Here (Stop What You’re Doing/Watch/Share)

showtime, trailer, ziwe

When all is said and done with this COVID-19 era of comedy, one name will shine brightly as a undeniably fiery star that rose through the trials and travails of having to do comedy virtually while the world stayed at home, fearful of what they might catch outside.

That name, of course, is the now iconic mononym, Ziwe.

Her name was already one that was on the minds of comedy circles around the country before lockdown. Ziwe was writing on Desus & Mero, put together some satirical bangers, and had done the YouTube version of her now famous, Baited. The IG Live version of the show shot her to fame as the undeniably iconic IG Live show of 2020 (even though it only ran weekly for a few months). Cornering comedians and celebrities alike with race-baiting questions was so deftly and hilariously handled by Ziwe that it scored her a book deal and the eponymous Showtime series that is set to premiere next month.

You’ll be absolutely thrilled to know that there’s more Baited to come on Ziwe (her guests include Fran Lebowitz, Adam Pally, and Cole Escola to name a few) as well as a great mix of sketches and interviews that is both the comedy that America needs AND deserves.

Get your first taste and get hooked (if not already) here. Then, set a reminder for the iconic time of Sun. May 9th at 11PM to watch the series premiere of Ziwe on Showtime.

Rick and Morty Declares Jun. 20th as Rick and Morty Day (and When Season 5 Premieres)

adult swim, rick and morty, rick and morty day, season 5, trailer

It’s usually a long wait between seasons of Rick and Morty. It’s popularity and acclaim do make those wait seem interminably long, but the show has proven over four seasons that it has been repeatedly worth it.

Yet, the arrival of the fifth season of Rick and Morty is just around the corner, specifically this Summer on Sun. Jun. 20th at 11PM on Adult Swim. The multiverse chaos that ensues between Rick, Morty, Summer, Beth, and Jerry will not only commence again, but will be greeted with the newly minted holiday, Rick and Morty Day on the aforementioned Jun. 20th. There are so many ridiculous “holidays” every day (just look up I Am in Control Day for today) that this is a more than welcome addition to the cavalcade of celebrations we’re all subjected to on a daily basis.

In the meantime, you can rewatch the trailer (we’re assuming that you’ve seen in all the universes that you exist in by now) for season 5 of Rick and Morty here.

Solar Opposites Season 2 Promises BDE, Human Wine, and More

February 26, 2021

hulu, justin roiland, season 2, solar opposites, trailer

The latest alien family on the block thought they were going to leave, but the Solar Opposites are very much staying on earth to incidentally (or very intentionally) wreak havoc here on this rock for season 2 of the Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan series.

Just from the looks of the trailer, there going to get way in over their intergalactic heads when it comes to trying to manipulate “big dick energy” and sourcing wine from “alternative sources” that lean way more to the unethical side of things. The chaos reigns once more with this dysfunctional alien family.

Get a taste of the wild ride that’s to come with season 2 of Solar Opposities here, then look for it to begin streaming on Hulu on Fri. Mar. 26th.

Watch Rosamund Pike Tap Into Her Dark Side Again in Trailer for Dark Comedy “I Care A Lot”

January 18, 2021

i care a lot, netflix, rosamund pike, trailer

The level and speed of greed that we’ve been subjected to over the last five years is at such a degree that it’s going to take awhile before we get to measure the full extent of the damage done by those profiteering off of the inequality of the majority of the world.

Accordingly, we have and we shall get more stories, movies, etc. of these times as we will be getting in the upcoming dark comedy I Care A Lot starring the sort of Rosamund Pike that you saw in her breakout role in Gone Girl. From writer/director J Blakeson, Pike goes to a whole new level of cunning by bilking invalid geriatrics out of their assets and, of course, that doesn’t come without eventually running into very severe consequences (delightfully in the form of Peter Dinklage).

See for yourself in the first trailer for I Care a Lot here, then look for it to stream on Netflix on Fri. Feb. 19th.

Please Enjoy Trailer for One of the Wildest, Trippiest Looking Biopics Ever “The Twentieth Century”

October 29, 2020

mackenzie king, matthew rankin, oscilloscope, the twentieth century, trailer

On one level, The Twentieth Century is supposed to be a biopic about Canada’s tenth Prime Minister [William Lyon] Mackenzie King, but, it’s very clear from the trailer, that writer/director Matthew Rankin put forth a much more ambitious vision for recounting the life of a Canadian head of state.

Rankin has made something that’s altogether anachronistic, alternative history, dadaist, and a tinge of that famous Apple Super Bowl commercial from the 80s. It’s kind of breathtaking how far Rankin’s take on King’s life in this morality tale about power, veering very clearly into the realm of the absurd and otherworldly.

Take a gander for yourself of what lies ahead for The Twentieth Century in the trailer here, then look for its release on Fri. Nov. 20th.

Get Your First Look at Baroness Von Sketch’s Fifth Season at IFC

September 24, 2020

Aurora Browne, baroness von sketch, Carolyn Taylor, ifc, jennifer whalen, Meredith MacNeill, season 5, trailer

Though Portlandia was pretty much the face of IFC for its eight season run, the cable network has also been growing another sketch series, the Canadian born-and-bred Baroness Von Sketch, for quite some time now. It’ll be premiering its fifth season next month, specifically on Wed. Oct. 14th on IFC and has effectively taken the torch from Portlandia in heading up IFC’s branding of clever, forward thinking sketch comedy.

Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne, and Jennifer Whalen make up Baroness Von Sketch and really do keep the fire alive for sketch comedy over at IFC over their past four seasons.

From the looks of this trailer, they do really look to offer up their best season yet.

Watch Trailer for Sweetly Bizarre, DIY Indie Comedy “The Planters”

September 18, 2020

alexandra kotcheff, hannah leder, the planters, trailer

Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder pulled off an entire feature film, The Planters, without the aid of a crew last year almost as if they had to do it under strict COVID-19 protocol for film production. That alone would be worth some notoriety, yet the film itself, from the looks of this trailer, has such a vibrant, offbeat zest to this literally DIY buddy comedy that makes it even more worthy of attention.

Thankfully, after making the rounds on the festival circuit, you’ll get to see what Kotcheff and Leder did all on their own as The Planters will get a virtual release on Fri. Oct. 9th.

For now, get a sense of what might be so special in The Planters trailer here.

Please Enjoy Trailer for Offbeat Alien Invasion Comedy “Save Yourselves!”

September 11, 2020

bleecker street, john reynolds, save yourselves, sunita mani, trailer

It would seem the debate on whether art imitates life or it being the other way around continues as there is plenty of movies and TV that were more prescient about everyone’s lives being lockdown while under invasion from a virus.

The latest entry into this debate is sci-fi comedy Save Yourselves! that follows Sunita Mani and John Reynolds attempting to sequester themselves from their phones and people only to discover that an alien invasion has happened while they were trying to find themselves. It may not be a pandemic, but their fears seem so familiar to what we had for the last several months. We will say the aliens are definitely way cuter than COVID-19 and this almost feels like an alt universe spin-off of Search Party, which we’re on board for, as Reynolds very much feels like Drew here.

See for yourself in the trailer here, then look for Save Yourselves!‘s release in October.

Quentin Dupieux’s Latest “Mandibles” Deals With a Giant, But Seemingly Chill Fly

September 8, 2020

mandibles, memento films, quentin dupieux, trailer

The mind that brought you Wrong, Wrong Cops, and Deerskin is back with what looks to be another bonkers absurdist journey (that’s somewhat grounded in a certain type of reality). Quentin Dupieux has always been one to really wreak some fun havoc on the “deep end”, so to speak. So much of his filmography we’ve enjoyed for how brilliantly daft and wildly imaginative it is.

His latest piece, Mandibles, a French language comedy, follows two men who discover they have a giant fly in in the trunk of their car. While startling, everyone seems pretty cool about it and are wondering how to be chill about having the one of a kind giant fly (noticeably not like Jeff Goldblum as a fly) around or even what to do with it. We’re pretty certain that this trailer only scratches the surface on how magnificently weird Mandibles will get.

Mandibles just played the Venice Film Festival this past weekend. We’ll keep you in the loop if and when you’ll be able to see it/stream stateside.

Enjoy Trailer for Christian Movie Satire “Faith Based”

September 1, 2020

Christoph Sanders, david koechner, faith based, gravitas ventures, jason alexander, lance reddick, Luke Barnett, margaret cho, satire, Tanner Thomason, trailer, vincent masciale

For several years now, the niche industry of faith based movies, which are very specifically films geared towards those of the Christian faith, have proven to be quite the moneymakers. More and more prominent talent that previously never take part in a “Christian movie” have found that it isn’t as risky of a move and started popping up here and there in such movies.

So, Faith Based,from director Vincent Masciale and writer and co-star Luke Barnett, take on and satirize the whole cottage industry of these “faith-based” films by showing a duo schemes to get rich quick through producing their own ludicrous Christian full length feature about the first prayer in space.

Take a gander of what they have up their sleeve (including an ensemble cast featuring Jason Alexander, Lance Reddick, and Margaret Cho) with the trailer here, then look for Faith Based to roll out next month Oct. 9th.

Sofia Coppola Taps Bill Murray Once More and Rashida Jones for Latest, “On The Rocks”

August 19, 2020

a24, apple original, bill murray, on the rocks, rashida jones, sofia coppola, trailer

One of Sofia Coppola’s breakout works in her filmography is Lost in Translation that also ended being one of the more iconic roles for Murray following a career of iconic roles. Thusly, it wouldn’t be the only the twain should collaborate on something. Coppola ended up doing a Christmas special a few years ago centered around Bill Murray, A Very Murray Christmas, which was a definite departure from Murray wandering as one of the most famous people in the world in Tokyo. Now, Coppola’s latest film, On The Rocks, pairs Bill Murray with Rashida Jones for a father-daughter dramedy that follows a marriage between Jones and Marlon Wayans that might be exemplary of the title.

From the trailer, it would seem that there’s some sort of continuation of some spiritual/emotional arc of Murray’s Bob Harris from Lost In Translation with Murray’s role here; a quest for redemption via preventing similar mistakes that he made with love from happening again. It might be far fetched to call it a spiritual sequel, but it’s undeniable that there’s a niche that both Coppola and Murray fill in for each other. Throwing the comedic nuances of Rashida Jones and Damon Wayans (seemingly in more low key role than usual) makes for an atypical love triangle we’d really like to see.

Look for yourself in the trailer here.

On The Rocks is set to come out on Apple TV + in October.

Quibi’s Got a Part 2 to Their “Reno 911” Run

August 18, 2020

part 2, quibi, reno 911, trailer

While the pandemic has certainly thrown a wrench in Quibi’s master plans, they did manage to secure some Emmy nominations and are pushing forward with their quest for mobile streaming domination.

Part of that plan is the high profile get they scored with Reno 911!, which debuted with new episodes just a few months ago. Perhaps, in anticipation of an uphill battle for subscribers to pay for their exclusive content, they have a second part to their run for the long standing cop satire.

Seeing the incompetence of law enforcement happens to be pretty popular right now and there is certainly plenty of that in this trailer for Part 2 of Quibi’s Reno 911! See for yourself here, then, if you have access to Quibi, check out the whole thing on Mon. Aug. 24th.