February 2, 2017

John Early and Kate Berlant’s ‘555’ Just Raised the Bar for Every Short Form Comedy Ever

Alternative comedy darlings John Early and Kate Berlant share a chemistry both onstage and off that would make even the most confident of best friends jealous. Though their styles differ, the frequent collaborators share an easy confidence with physical comedy, delightfully unexpected pop culture references, and a healthy dose of the bizarre.

All of these talents are put to good use in “555,” their new anthology series with Vimeo Originals. Under the direction of Andrew DeYoung, Early and Berlant exhibit yet another skill not every comedian can claim: A flair for highly visual and cinematic storytelling.

READ MORE: John Early & Kate Berlant Arrive in Vimeo Series ‘555’ — Watch the New Trailer

Early earned praise for his portrayal of self-obsessed gay hipster Elliott in TBS’s “Search Party,” but by then he was already stealing scenes in “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp” and “Neighbors 2.” His film career is picking up: He has small parts in Miguel Arteta’s “Beatriz at Dinner” and “Fun Mom Dinner,” which both played the Sundance Film Festival this year. That Berlant has fewer high profile IMDB credits says more about the lack of roles for women than it does about her talent. A beloved stand-up at the forefront of experimental comedy, she is as quick with a line as Kathy Griffin, but as bizarre as Maria Bamford.

John Early and Kate Berlant in “555”

Vimeo

This unique outlook was on full display during a recent live show, where the duo did stand-up in between airing episodes of the series. “You know it’s a dark time when ‘La La Land’ can’t help,” she quipped, referring to the political climate. She finished it off with: “I can’t wait for ‘Moonlight’ to be steamrolled by Emma Stone’s clavicle.”

READ MORE: ‘Search Party’ Review: A Millennial Mystery Exploring the Highs and Lows of Generation Me

There are five episodes of “555,” each featuring Early and Berlant as different showbiz caricatures: aspiring pop stars, a clueless stage mom and her shy son, over-earnest acting students, extras playing aliens, and ambitious agents. As in their individual episodes of Netflix’s “The Characters,” (two of the show’s best, along with Natasha Rothwell’s), the series acts as a showcase for the duo’s impressive arsenal of lovable eccentrics. Unlike “The Characters,” Vimeo gave Early and Berlant complete creative control of “555;” and the result is a stylish debut that plays more like a collection of short surrealist films than a comedic web series.

“Our comedy is mostly behavioral, but we also love film,” Early told IndieWire, surrounded by empty edamame shells in a brightly lit Vimeo conference room. “We love performances that are framed in something that’s been considered and lush. Also, tone is very important for us. We don’t just want our behavior to exist in a vacuum. If you’re gonna make a film, make a goddamn film! Make it fun to look at, and we want you to feel something when you’re watching it.”

John Early in “555”

Vimeo

Though their stand-up features plenty of one-liners, the humor in “555” is closer to something one might find on British television; uncomfortable, specific, and unafraid of silence. “[American TV] is always like: Joke, joke, joke,” Berlant added. “Are people really making jokes in their every day life that much? We think the funniest moments are just behavioral tics; jokes about presentation of self.”

Behavioral tics are certainly their bread and butter. Early does more with a slowly closed eyelid than most can with a rehearsed punchline.

But what sets “555” apart is that it is also sad, dark, and beautiful. At times, the sets look like something out of Anna Biller’s “The Love Witch,” with a healthy dose of John Waters and Wes Anderson thrown in for good measure. “I would argue too that TV now is getting very auteur-y,” said Early. Berlant added: “There is an interest in things looking good. But just looking good isn’t enough anymore, or people aren’t easily seduced just by visuals.”

The visuals in “555,” while impressive, are just gravy on top of the genuinely hilarious satire. But there is another aspect that sets it apart from other comedies: The subtle dread simmering just below the funny. The characters are yearning for validation, afraid of human connection, and emotionally stunted by their blind ambition. In an intimate moment shared in an all-mauve bedroom, Early’s character questions his chosen path: “If you give all of yourself; your head, your heart, your mind, your soul, your spirit, you are indirectly addressing climate change.”

Kristen Johnson guest stars as a passionate acting coach in “555.”

Vimeo

In their stand-up as well, Early and Berlant are not afraid to go dark, or as Early says, “brown.” The Joe’s Pub show ended on a raucous and elaborate bit where they imagined the most satisfying ways they could kill the current president and his cronies. Berlant mused that Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos needed a “beautifully seasoned cast iron” to the back of the head, and Early went easy on Melania, suggesting “a live burial in linen.”

Unlike some “auteurs,” they are not afraid to admit that the series was “about 90 percent improvised.” After so many years onstage together, they know where the magic happens. “It’s a combination of laziness and just that we are at our best when we’re improvising with each other,” said Early. “It’s like performance; it’s stressful to get onstage and you’re like, ‘OH GOD,’ and then somehow you hopefully arise to the occasion,” Berlant said.

She waited a beat before adding, “That’s my parenting style, too.” Then she made fun of herself for always needing to make a joke. Ever her biggest fan, Early laughed in encouragement. “We could throw in some jokes to the interviews,” he said. “We’ve been, like, deeply earnest.”

“555” debuted on Vimeo All five episodes of “555” are available on Vimeo for $3.99.

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Source: IndieWire Digital TV

February 2, 2017

Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern Take Their ‘City Slickers’ Characters to ‘Westworld’ — Watch

A 90’s comedy classic meets the remake of a 70’s sci-fi cult hit in Funny Or Die’s latest exclusive, “City Slickers in Westworld.” In a premise so brilliant it’s a wonder no one thought of it earlier, Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern reprise their “City Slickers” roles to appear as hosts in “Westworld,” HBO’s hit sci-fi thriller series.

Directed by Ron Underwood, 1991’s “City Slickers” is a Western comedy about Mitch Robbins and Phil Berquist, two New York City yuppies who head out West to herd cattle. The movie was a major box-office success, and even earned Jack Palance an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1992.

READ MORE: ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Super Bowl Trailer: Scarlett Johansson Kicks Ass and Fights Evil as The Major

In Funny Or Die’s re-imagining, Mitch and Phil are actually hosts at “Westworld,” a Western themed park stocked with humanoid robots, and their bickering has escalated to such heights that Mitch keeps shooting Phil. “Westworld” actors Luke Hemsworth and Ptolemy Slocum reprise their roles as Delos technicians in charge of programming the malfunctioning hosts.

Crystal’s bantering with Hemsworth, who is clearly a fan, is particularly fun to watch. When Crystal calls Hemsworth the “other Hemsworth brother,” he simply programs Crystal to slap himself in the face. Hemsworth doesn’t have much patience for Crystal’s jokes about how the lab looks like “the waiting room at the CIA, or the waiting room at CAA,” ordering him to “limit [his] witty affect.” Hijinks ensue, and Crystal and Stern not only earn laughs, but kudos for staying current.

Watch the full video below:

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Source: IndieWire Digital TV

February 2, 2017

Samantha Bee Says Trump is Like ‘Gilmore Girls’ Foil Paris Geller

Samantha Bee could not have come back from vacation soon enough. On the latest episode of “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” the Canadian-born comedian ripped into President Trump as only she can, calling attention to his frightening obsession with loyalty.

When Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to implement his shoddily written immigration ban barring citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, Bee said, “it was the language of her firing that sent a chill down people’s spines.” Words like “loyalty” and “betrayal” are often used by autocrats, as Joe Scarborough of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” points out. (Bee prefers to call him “Chandler”).

READ MORE: Samantha Bee To Roast Trump at Alternative White House Correspondents Dinner

With a hilarious cutaway to a distinctly early aughts-looking still, Bee recalled another leader who emphasized loyalty. “Remember on ‘Gilmore Girls’ when Paris Geller staffed the school newspaper with her most loyal friends with no regard for talent level?” she said in her characteristically sardonic tone. “It’s like that, but with the leader of the free world and nukes.”

The comedian also got a dig in at potential Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s stint on “Dancing with the Stars,” and basically called Ben Carson Trump’s token black friend. In typical Bee fashion, she manages to end on a slightly positive note, lauding the protests and rallies that have erupted across the country in response to the Muslim ban. If the whole country can channel its inner Rory Gilmore, maybe Stars Hollow still has a chance.

Watch the full segment below:

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Source: IndieWire Digital TV

February 1, 2017

Shailene Woodley, Susan Sarandon, Constance Wu & More Discover ‘Alternative Constitution’ For Funny or Die — Watch

“Divergent” star Shailene Woodley is comfortable in fictional dystopian societies, not so much with the potential collapse of American democracy as we know it. In a new video released by Funny or Die, Woodley joins other A-listers who share her concerns about the “alternative constitution” that seems to have found its way into Donald Trump’s tiny hands. And Susan Sarandon, Constance Wu, Amber Heard, and Lizzy Caplan and many more are there to back her up.

READ MORE: ‘The Salesman’ Star Is Boycotting the Oscars In Protest of Donald Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban

As Woodley says in her introduction, the video is a response to the so-called “Muslim Ban,” Trump’s executive order barring citizens of seven primarily Muslim countries from entering the United States. With people tripping over themselves wondering if the ban is constitutional, Woodley and the gang have found the answer: “Historians have confirmed the existence of another constitution,” they say. Apparently, this constitution says: “They with cards of green should be kept away by any means, by wall, by force, or with magic beans.”

READ MORE: ‘The Salesman’ Director Asghar Farhadi Won’t Attend Oscars, Citing Muslim Ban

But that’s not all, the joke continues: Trump is also aware of an alternative statue of Liberty, a much smaller one, in his home borough of Queens. That one suggests that after you give her your poor, your tired, and your huddled masses, you detain them and send them back to “where you think they came from.” It also says, “Fear outsiders” over and over again, which Susan Sarandon turns into a rousing monologue.

Watch the star-studded sketch below:

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Source: IndieWire Digital TV

February 1, 2017

Viral Videos at Sundance: Why Super Deluxe Belongs At Film Festivals (And Watch Their Short, ‘Deer Squad’)

Super Deluxe has developed a name with its bizarre and often political viral videos, but last week the company made a play for the Sundance Film Festival.

READ MORE: Jerry Seinfeld, Demetri Martin and Female Bros: The 16 Best Web Series Of 2016

Three Super Deluxe projects played in Park City: “Bayard and Me,” a short documentary from Matt Wolf about civil rights leader Bayard Rustin and his adoption of his younger lover, long before same-sex marriage was legalized; “The Chances,” a short form comedy about two deaf best friends, directed by Anna Kerrigan; and “Deer Squad,” a short documentary profile of Kelvin Peña, a Pennsylvania high schooler who befriended a family of deer in his backyard.

Peña’s videos developed an online following big enough to get him recognized by the Uber driver tasked with getting him to Park City in time for his Sundance debut. The film was part of the documentary shorts section, and screened before Sydney Freeland’s “Deidra & Laney Rob a Train.”

In the film, Peña explains the genesis of his special relationship with animals. “I named [the deer] Money, just straight off the dome,” he says. “It was the first thing that came to my mind, ’cause I love money and I felt like I loved the deer. I was like, man, this is lit.”

When fans suggested Peña feed the deer healthier foods, he switched it up from powdered donuts. “Organic freshly cut fruits for them, man. Everybody eats.” This last sentiment has become the Deer Squad catchphrase, and Peña sports an “Everybody Eats” hat throughout the film.

READ MORE: ‘David’ Review: ‘Marcel The Shell’ Meets ‘Twin Peaks’ In Dean Fleischer-Camp’s Surreal Series Starring Nathan Fielder

“The day after he started going viral, we sent him an email and shot with him a few days later,” said Scott J. Ross, who directed the film for Super Deluxe with his Public Cinema Club co-founders Pipus Larsen and Kenneth Gug. “I just thought, ‘If we don’t go find him now, then somebody else will probably do it.’ He’s got such a vibrant personality.”

Turner Entertainment first launched Super Deluxe in January 2007 as an ad-supported website for edgy humor, aimed at the 18-34 male demo, but folded Super Deluxe into Adult Swim 18 months later. Turner quietly began to revive the brand in September 2015. It’s led by Wolfgang Hammer, the former CBS Films president who, while a director at Media Rights Capital, developed “House of Cards” before selling it to Netflix.

“It was always intended to be set up very differently from the way everything else is set up,” Hammer said. “It was always intended to be a studio in the truest sense of the word. A company that produces for every single format from the very beginning. It’s not easier to make internet videos — it’s actually quite difficult. But it’s easier from a production perspective, obviously.”

READ MORE: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Sundance Hype

Hammer is careful to distinguish viral videos from the television series and films under development at Super Deluxe, although he admits to wanting to meet younger audiences where they are watching. “Younger generations are not watching in traditional ways,” he said. “It seems silly to confine yourself to one distribution medium.”

That said, the company’s name recognition is largely gained from the viral videos, which should go a long way toward piquing interest in a 15-minute civil rights documentary like “Bayard and Me.” Hammer is proud to offer that variety. “Show me a digital publisher that has pieces in competition at Sundance,” he said. “You can’t point to one.”

Even Peña has to admit he never thought he’d end up at Sundance. For his trip to Park City, Super Deluxe handed their Snapchat account to the teenager who calls himself “the Dominican Snow White.” The resulting compilation plays out like a comedy of errors worthy of its own Sundance slot. Check it out to get an idea of what a SuperDeluxe video is all about:

if(typeof(jQuery)==”function”){(function($){$.fn.fitVids=function(){}})(jQuery)};
jwplayer(‘jwplayer_bXYKfPdC_PbCxl3wn_div’).setup(
{“playlist”:”http://video-cdn.indiewire.com/jw6/bXYKfPdC.xml”}
);

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Source: IndieWire Digital TV