Dan Levy on Kimmel
Popular posts from this blog
Comedy (Adjacent) Spotlight: The Curse
Photo : Richard Foreman Jr./A24/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME When thinking about The Curse , I oscillate between categorizing it as a comedy vs. categorizing it as a drama. Neither category truly seems to fit. Its idiosyncratic, strange and funny nature makes for a less than comfortable fit in the drama category, yet its deeper and darker themes leave it hanging only part-way over the comedy category. With its not-quite-right fit in either, it is something that I would define as a “comedy adjacent” show – that being a show with a lot of comedic elements (oftentimes with the involvement of comedic actors, writers, directors), but that doesn’t fit as easily into the comedy genre. The line that this show walks – not too heavy to be a drama, yet not too overtly funny to be an out-and-out comedy – is maybe the key to why I find it so engaging. Its tone is a dryly surreal one, balancing the authentic with the heightened to once again not fit quite comfortably in either camp. Some characters...
Comedy Spotlight: The Trip
Photograph: Phil Fisk/BBC/Revolution Improvisation in comedy can be a double-edged sword. It opens the door to inspired moments, but there is often a fine line between inspiration and indulgence. There are a number of good examples of improvisation used well in comedic TV and film - Curb Your Enthusiasm's dialogue is famously improvised, but the solid story structure of each episode allows for a purpose to the scene that plays well off of the looseness of the improvisation. This Is Spinal Tap's improvised dialogue makes the faux-documentary feel more realistic (it is probably a large part of the reason many thought it was a real documentary when it first came out), realism that plays well off of the comedic/musical setpieces of the movie. Nathan For You requires improvisation, because it is for all intents and purposes a comedic reality show. The scenarios that Nathan Fielder presents are well-thought out and comedic in and of themselves, but the real-time reactions by real peo...
Comments
Post a Comment