TV On DVD: Make 'Em Laugh (2009) -- 3-DVD Set

The Popular PBS 6-Episode

Study of America's "Funny Business"
(With Plenty of Funny and Not as Much Business)
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"Funny is funny. No matter what language. No matter who says it."
-- Rose Marie

Ms. Marie may indeed be right-- much like that memorable scene in Reality Bites when aspiring filmmaker Winona Ryder is asked to define "irony," then struggles and replies, "I know it when I see it," the same is essentially true of comedy.

Hard to pinpoint and even harder for it to be successful as we all learned from witnessing the crash and burn of our favorite comics as they mug too much in the pursuit of a laugh (Mike Meyers in The Love Guru, Steve Martin in The Pink Panther) but we definitely know it when we see it.

A documentary about comedy in the United States-- whether it's silent comedy, slapstick, stand-up, situation comedy, variety show format, reality television, or satire-- is all explored in this terrific six episode documentary from Michael Kantor who managed to put together the equally brilliant six-part piece on Broadway: The American Musical back in 2004.

While he won't be giving Ken Burns a run for his money anytime soon focusing on entertainment and relying mostly on interviews and rare archived footage rather than government documents-- it's a damn sight more entertaining than some of the undeniably brilliant, yet intellectually exhausting Burns documentaries.

As Kantor quotes E.B. White in the introduction to Rhino Entertainment's beautifully boxed three disc set, "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested, and the frog dies of it." While I definitely disagree that few people are interested-- there is fear when one breaks down the funny that the spell will be broken, the illusion never the same, as though we were let behind the curtain at Oz and then told we must return to Kansas and forget everything we saw when we were there.

Yet, Make 'Em Laugh is more a celebration of humor in this country or more precisely, one that's nearly exclusively focused on the twentieth century--save for a brief twenty-first century comedy health check-- so to speak as the interviewees discuss modern marvels like The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Real Time with Bill Maher, and the films of Judd Apatow before ultimately admitting that in a sense humor as we knew it is evolving, as reality television and YouTube overtake the situation comedy (already growing scarce) and the business goes through another incarnation.

Although all six parts recently aired on PBS during the past month, Rhino loads the discs with bonus content that goes further in-depth with some of the interviewees as many viewers-- including this one-- found themselves even more entranced by the astute observations of the professionals working in the trade than by the "experts" or narration by Amy Sedaris (whose involvement I applaud as-- essentially-- save for a few big standouts, comedy has overwhelmingly been a male dominated industry).

The series is broken up into the following episode titles: 1) "Would Ya Hit A Guy With Glasses? Nerds, Jerks & Oddballs;" 2) "Honey I'm Home! Breadwinners and Homemakers;" 3) "Slip On a Banana Peel-- "The Knockabouts;" 4) "When I'm Bad, I'm Better-- The Groundbreakers;" 5) "Never Give A Sucker An Even Break-- The Wiseguys;" 6) "Sock It To Me?-- Satire and Parody."

Featuring astute observations by comics and historians alike, Make 'Em Laugh is a comedy lover's dream, unearthing some rare and classic footage of old routines by early silent pioneers like Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin before moving into the realm of The Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Jonathan Winters, Mae West, Jerry Lewis, Bob Newhart, Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce, W.C. Fields, Carol Burnett, Phyllis Diller, Joan Rivers, and many more.

And it isn't long before we begin uncovering patterns throughout the comedic work of the decades investigated and above all the way that past comics have influenced the subsequent generations as seeing early Winters improvisational material and his joke about being from outer space (but not being able to talk about it) seemed to have a startling impact on Robin Williams and George Carlin's love of language (including those famous words you're not aloud to say on television) seems to find its way into the semantic driven jokes of Jerry Seinfeld whose made a career of playing with phrasing and reveling in linguistic gymnastics.

Particularly significant, not just for its inclusion of such legends as Cheech and Chong, Laurel and Hardy, Woody Allen, Andy Kaufman, Steven Martin, The Smothers Brothers, Eddie Murphy, and many, many others-- where Make 'Em Laugh truly succeeds is in championing some forgotten or overlooked performers those of us in my generation may not be familiar with including Moms Mabley, Paul Lynde, Tom Lehrer, and others-- just like other recent PBS specials like the Mitzi Gaynor documentary-- Make 'Em Laugh finds you longing for a comprehensive set or release of some of the work of these comedy masters.

Whether or not they come from outer space, as so many comics joke throughout in describing one another seems unfathomable although their skill cannot be denied even though what one person finds funny differs from person to person (as I felt myself wanting to fast forward through The Three Stooges yet relishing in every detail about The Marx Brothers). And although the special never quite manages to figure out just what it is that makes some people so incredibly funny-- the answer it seems could very well lie in the topic itself as humor in America seems to have an overwhelmingly blue-collar, pull-yourself-up, "respect me, damn it" quality about itself as host Billy Crystal notes that so many comedians suffer from intense anxiety or emotional issues.

And sure enough, a recurring theme is focusing on the revenge of the nerds or those who were picked on as they chide that Woody Allen himself wasn't going to get women but because he's funny, he would succeed and Phyllis Diller began performing at thirty-seven to escape a horrific marriage, dragging five kids along from show to show and indeed the situation comedy or as Jeff Foxworthy jokes-- the idea that everyone's family is crazy-- helps us all make it through the rough times.

It's distinctly American to never give up, to keep fighting and to aspire for perfection even if you're aiming inward for self-deprecation or outward as we're lucky enough to live in a society where people like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert can keep our leaders in check due to the first amendment. And sure enough, subtly laced underneath all the hilarious remarks and footage, the story of our country is being told, personified by those throughout who used their comedy or turned to the genre to escape ridicule as Chris Rock cleverly reveals that there's something about being picked on as a kid that makes one work harder as he's never satisfied, noticing everything, and wanting to strive for perfection so as never to get picked on again.

As Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In producer George Schlatter argues, "we should treasure our comedians more than we do, because they contribute more to our society than we're aware of,"and inevitably all one needs to do to understand his view is to watch ten or twenty minutes of this roughly six hour set to realize that is precisely the case. And moreover, it's through the wide range of voices whether it's a mischievous redhead named Lucille Ball, wacky stoners like Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, a blue-collar mother like Roseanne, the audacity of Lenny Bruce, a wild and crazy Steve Martin, a curmudgeon like Larry David, a wisecracking Bart Simpson, and countless others that help define our societal landscape just as much as who we vote for president, as evidenced when Richard M. Nixon decided to request a "sock it to me," by appearing on Rowan which he once stated helped win him the presidency. Thus, in the end, comedy-- just like baseball, apple pie, and jazz-- is America.

Blu-ray Review: Space Buddies (2009)

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On 2/3/09

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Unfortunately, it seems as though we'll never fully recapture the same intense fascination with our Space Race that held global citizens captive with anticipation in the 1960s as-- over the last few decades--coverage of NASA has focused predominantly on either astronomical budgets instead of astronauts and disasters instead of dazzling achievements.

Yet, despite this, Hollywood has refused to follow suit-- for better or worse. Launching a series of movies aimed at children to amaze and astound such as the lackluster 3D adventure Fly Me to the Moon which sadly used insects in space as the big draw and the only slightly more entertaining Space Chimps which inexplicably abandoned its clever premise midway through for cheesy science fiction fodder-- it was only a matter of time before Walt Disney Home Entertainment decided to get in on the action themselves.

Following last year's brilliant Oscar nominee WALL-E which seemed to blend the films of Charlie Chaplin with the character of Ernest Borgnine in Marty for its ultimately cautionary tale of a futuristic dystopia caused by wasteful consumerism, Disney left the highbrow aims of their superior Pixar offering behind to move their ultra successful Buddies franchise into the cosmic landscape.

Succeeding Air Bud and that film's many sequels which found its athletic Golden Retriever excelling at any given sport, Disney followed the example of the era of The Muppets followed by its adorable Muppet Babies by serving up a whole new, baby breed of puppies-- Bud's offspring-- the Buddies.

In past adventures the talking Buddies have conquered both Air and Snow and in this one, the group of loyally precocious Golden Retreiver puppies including the Zen-like Buddha, ultimate girly-girl Rosebud, the hip-hop playa puppy B-Dawg, incessantly messy Mudbud, and the over-eater prone to flatulence Budderball-- find themselves sent into orbit after following their beloved children on a field trip and in a series of misadventures end up making their way towards a lunar landing.

Decidedly aimed towards the youngest Disney fans with its overly simplistic plot and slightly strange animation of making the dogs' mouths move as they speak (to eerie effect)-- while it has fun using true events and famous NASA quotes as fodder in their "one small step..." and "no pup left behind" quest and it's much more enjoyable than both Fly Me to the Moon and Space Chimps-- ultimately, it's a forgettable straight-to-disc adventure in which the new supporting players, instead of the Buddies, keep us compelled throughout.



Featuring the adorable addition of a Russian homesick Minitature Bull Terrier "dogmonaut" Spudnick who has been lampooned in space along with the astronaut Yuri (Diedrich Bader) whose solitude has resulted in the Americans analysis that they're "not sure he's flying with a full jet pack," Spudnick aids the young Buddies as they go about walking on the moon and external repair in space to return them safely home, thanks both to his experience as well as their supporter in mission control-- a quick-witted ferret named Gravity voiced by Amy Sedaris.

Although chances are parents and children over the age of ten will be easily bored and should either turn to Disney's WALL-E or Tuesday's other animal-centered animated release of the 20th Anniversary of Oliver and Company, no doubt older viewers will enjoy the riffs on space history and the many films that came before it, especially in its overt homage to Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Equipped with Disney's popular BD-Live Network feature (available currently in the United States only) which offers internet connected BD-Live compatible players the chance for fans to take part in movie chat, movie mail, challenges, and check the status of their Disney Movie Rewards Live balance-- the clarity of the Blu-ray (which consists almost fully of special effects constructed via a green screen) is extremely sharp, filling widescreen enhanced televisions with superior 1080p High Definition (1.78:1 aspect) picture and 5.1 DTS-HD or Dolby Digital 2.0 sound.



Also offering English subtitles for the deaf and/or hearing impaired, the Blu-ray's imaginative menus and features contain all of the extras available on the DVD including bloopers, optional pop-up facts that play throughout, and Disney Channel star Alyson Stoner's rendition of "Dancing in the Moonlight" in a specially made music video. However, exclusive to the Blu-ray there's also a great scavenger hunt feature allowing young viewers the chance to view the film virtually along with their favorite Buddy while locating one hundred selected items included in the film.

Additionally, in a great joint opportunity that's sure to be a must for Disney devotees in time for Valentine's Day, those purchasing Space Buddies on either DVD or Blu-ray along with Oliver and Company on DVD are able to get two collectible plush buddies free (examples pictured below)-- plus shipping and processing-- before the offer expires on 4/30/09 or while supplies last.

Snow Angels

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful," but my dear,
this movie is anything but delightful.

Usually in film, if you see a gun in the first act, you know it will go off in the third. In Snow Angels, after a deceptively innocent and yet subtly tense beginning as the faculty leader of a high school marching band tries to engage his group by asking them if they have a sledgehammer in their heart to use while playing “Sledgehammer,” two gunshots ring out in the distance and stop everyone cold. Since young teenage Arthur (Forbidden Kingdom’s Michael Angarano) and his adorable photography student girlfriend Lila (Juno’s Olivia Thirlby) are present and accounted for from the start, we know they’re safe. But the question then becomes who and what has occurred in their seemingly normal, small community.

Helping to establish the film’s ominous tone aside from the sound of the shots themselves, All the Real Girls director David Gordon Green and his incredibly talented collaborative cinematographer Tim Orr (Choke) present the film’s title amidst a black background. Then, working its way into the tale as a nearly cinematic equivalent of a chamber piece of music, they introduce us to the setting with a series of innocuous imagery depicting the town as though it could be anywhere in these United States as residents go about their daily lives and we meet its incredibly small cast of characters.

In doing so, we’re driven into the past as Snow Angels’ narrative moves several weeks earlier. Yet a morbid shadow of doom lurks over the setting’s inhabitants first with Arthur’s unhappily married parents (Jeanette Arnette and Griffin Dunne) until the film fixates on the characters we instinctively know will be present in the deadly conclusion. Unfortunately, the film avoids the classical rules of Shakespeare in foreshadowing the tragedy by naming the character(s) who will perish in the Bard’s plays by listing them in the title but from the moment we first glimpse Kate Beckinsale’s struggling blue collar mom, Annie, and her estranged, off-balance husband, Glenn (Sam Rockwell), we get the sense that they will be the ones marching towards an inevitable death. And if it’s not their own, we realize it will be someone nearest to them. While the film’s trailer leads us in one direction, our director (who adapted the screenplay from Stewart O’Nan’s novel for three years for another filmmaker before he ultimately helmed the project himself), takes us in quite another.

Another independent filmmaking exercise in gloomy dysfunction, the actors are all top-notch and it’s their individual work that keeps us watching, even though we’re never entirely convinced any of the lead characters are worth caring about which—while it normally wouldn’t be a problem as cinema always offers its fair share of flawed heroes and surprisingly humane villains—in this film, it makes the final impact seem less provocative than the director had hoped.

As the primary caregiver to her toddler daughter, Beckinsale’s Annie works as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant opposite Arthur, whom she used to babysit when he was younger (which leads to some odd, flirtatious conversations as we realize the extent of Arthur’s previous crush on his old babysitter). However, while Arthur soon begins to fall for the geeky yet earnest new girl in school, Lila, Annie’s romantic life is far more unconventional as we discover her meeting the husband of her best friend and coworker Barb (Amy Sedaris) in a sleazy motel for frequent illicit trysts as one of the many items on her to-do list alongside shopping for her elderly mother.

While extramarital affairs always seem to end badly, Annie’s seems destined to explode by way of the match in Snow Angels, who is introduced fairly early on when we become acquainted with Rockwell’s Glenn. A recovering alcoholic turned ultra-devout born-again Christian, the mentally unstable Glenn who is temporarily residing with his parents, repeatedly tries to get back together with his ex, from taking his daughter for the day to arriving at Annie’s unexpectedly. When he grows increasingly obsessive and also learns of her affair, we sense that it’s only a matter of time before all of their lives intersect in a devastating showdown yet I wasn’t expecting the utter level of hellishly disturbing depression the film had in store for the audience as it kicks us hard roughly one hour in before careening towards its inevitable yet nonetheless, overwhelmingly bleak ending that puts us down for the count.

Recently released on a DVD formatted so that viewers can choose to watch it in either its original theatrical widescreen version or the television-formatted fullscreen along with various language options, it's the type of film that should come complete with a pre-approved prescription for the strongest anti-depressant on the market since essentially it is Sophie’s Choice meets In the Bedroom. Breathtakingly photographed by Tim Orr, most notably in a final scene involving the marching band as snow begins to fall, the film is saved by its actors. This is especially due to the fearless nature of Sam Rockwell who is no stranger to taking on the most awful roles imaginable and offering a surprising level of humanity to each. Yet in the end-- other than mere pity for what had happened-- I couldn’t bring myself to become that emotionally involved with such a self-involved female protagonist as the one penned for the otherwise talented Beckinsale.

And ultimately, I thought that, like Margot at the Wedding and The Savages, it was yet another indulgent indie about characters with whom we not only do not want to spend any time with in reality, but are even less interested in seeing on film. Although it’s infinitely better than the misanthropic and overwhelmingly dejecting Blindness, watching both of these films in the same week, let alone the same month, damn near turned this reviewer off film… at least for a day or so.

Who’s ready for a comedy? Obviously director David Gordon Green and Tim Orr were as well-- which may explain their choice to follow up Snow Angels with Seth Rogen and James Franco’s stoner comedy, Pineapple Express. For, when it comes to dealing with Snow, to quote Bob Dylan, "everybody must get stoned," yet I think this one will send most reaching for Prozac.