NBA and Slippery Shrimp

A John Sally sighting at Yang Chow in L.A.'s Chinatown. While everyone said hello to the former NBA pro, I shouted out, "Hey, this guy does great stand-up" which earned me a pat on the back from the former Bad Boy.

If you haven't been to Yang Chow -- best Chinese food in L.A.

http://www.yangchow.com/

If you haven't heard of John Sally -- he is an ex-NBA player (and a pretty good one) who does stand-up and has a funny amusing talk-show called Spider and the Henchman.

Lose Yourself in the Laughter

The Comic's Comic posted an interview with Adam Mckay that any aspiring comedy writer/filmmaker should take a look at.

As they write:
"....comedian Adam McKay, former founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, former head writer of SNL, and current Funny or Die leader and filmmaker of such works as Anchorman and The Other Guys. McKay talks about those two films, his own upbringing, a desire to produce absurd, subversive laughs that relate to teens who feel all alone in the sticks, and chasing and capturing those funny feelings on film."

The link is here.

Oscar Buzz, Funny Buzz

Oscar season is upon us. This is also known as the time when the Hollywood elite get super serious, vote for their Oscars and lose their sense of humor. Oscar historically forgets about comedy. Of course he does: he has no balls. There's no reason to be smiling. In the history of the Academy Awards only three films have taken home Oscar.

It Happened One Night (1934)

Annie Hall (1977)

Shakespeare in Love (1977)

What comedy films were worthy of Oscar buzz for 2010? Anyone? Beuller? What performances will be recognized?

Toy Story 3 will earn the Oscar for best animated movie. But in an expanded pool of 10 films, should it be welcomes to the big dance?

As for performances, check out Andy Garcia is this forgotten gem of 2010, City Island.

We All Said It, Now You Can See it!

10, THE HANGOVER are movies that are titled with zeitgeist lingo. Words that are uttered in our daily lexicon. Well, here comes the granddaddy (or grandmother) of the all. Good luck with the ratings board on this on:

According to Deadline.com:

Fox Searchlight has acquired Motherf***er, a comedy pitch...." it's about "a guy who falls in love with a girl. When she brings him home to meet her parents, he falls for his girlfriend's mom."

The full post can be read here:

What other words that we say might make good film titles!

OUCH

F*** OFF

THE COMIC RANT

Ah, the comic rant.

One of the staples of great film comedy. A motif which only works if the character delivering the rant is believable. Notice I didn't say actor. Vince Vaughn is the master of the comic rant. His moments of observation in WEDDING CRASHERS are priceless, and oft imitated.

But there are other movies where it just doesn't feel right. When the rant feels like he's trying too hard. And he might be -- because the character isn't real. Isn't passionate. Isn't fully committed to making everyone in the scene see their point of view.

There's only so much Vince can do in FOUR CHRISTMASES. The man is trying. But it's just not working. Why? Because his character has been set up as nothing more than Vince Vaughn.

Watch the movie. It's not great. No spoilers there.

We also have to believe in the COMIC RANT. We have to side with the person persuading us. Here's a short one. It's from BULL DURHAM -- an R-Rated baseball comedy.

Is he ranting? Well, he's Crash Davis. So he's not going to lose his cool. But he sharing his world view with Annie, letting her and us know how smart he is. He's not showing off. It's what he believes in. The subtext (there's always subtext) being if you can't see how you should be with me, there's something wrong with you. We don't know much about Crash before this rant -- but we know a lot about him after it.

The comic rant can come out of frustration. Like the cap on an oil well blowing. It might come out of a character who is uptight. See Neal below, played by Steve Martin in PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES. This is his only blow-up in the movie. If he acted like this, we wouldn't empathize with him. The rant has to be something we can RELATE TO (we have all been frustrated at rental car counters, or any counter for that matter) and it has to be EARNED. We have seen what Neal has been through up to this point. He is just a man desperate to get home in time for Thanksgiving.

Sometimes the comic rant is just comic. Just plain laugh out loud funny. See Exhibit B below. That's B for Bluto. The perpetual college student who rallies his frat brothers to stand up and fight.

IN SCHOOL OF ROCK -- the key is passion. Dewey, as played by Jack Black, is passionate about his music; about the state of rock and roll today. Thematically, this works well as he is a posing as teacher. Even if the kids don't understand what he is talking about, the audience does.

And finally it all comes back to NETWORK, written by Paddy Chayefsky. It's a dark comic tale about the state of the network news in 1975. 1975. This rant is one of social commentary. The scary thing is it has all come to pass.

Again -- it is earned. No one wants to be screamed at. But if you pull it off, look for that moment in your screenplay where the protagonist cannot take it anymore. You might learn something about your comic hero, and teach us something about the world.

FORCED TO SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY...OR THEIRS

Well, they want you to spend time with the FOCKERS. Some very good and funny people have been involved with this. But the extended erectile gag in the trailer makes me a little worried that all they have the premature laughs that are in the trailer. It seems to be lacking the "heart" that the first one did. Then again, it's only a trailer...

COMEDY ROUND-UP - WEEK ENDING JUNE 4

Some comedy projects, castings that have been set up or announced this week.

FUN SIZE

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Josh Scwartz is involved with Colbert Writer Max Werner's script FUN SIZE. It's described as a cross between Superbad and Adventures in Babysitting. You can here the article here.

MY IDIOT BROTHER

In another one of those titles that make for a perfect comedy, Paul Rudd has signed on to star in MY IDIOT BROTHER.

"Brother" sees Rudd playing an idealist dealing with his overbearing mother who crashes into the homes of his three ambitious sisters and, in succession, brings truth, happiness and a sunny disposition into their lives while also wreaking havoc.

You can here the Hollywood Reporter article here.

STEVE CARELL HITS PUBERTY

Deadline Hollywood is reporting Steve Carell is set to star in LATE BLOOMER. It's described as:

a "comedy is about a guy who deals with a sudden rush of raging teenage hormones at a time when most men are calming down."

You can read the article here.

INTERVIEW: GANZ & MANDEL

Check out this interview with comedy masters, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel. These guys have been writing comedies for over 30 years. That's a lot of jokes. Though their heyday was in the 90's ("CITY SLICKERS", "SPLASH") they are not going anywhere. Currently in development they have:

MAGIC KINGDOM FOR SALE

BOB: THE MUSICAL

DAMN YANKEES

I'm not only green with envy over their ability but love the fact these guys have never written on spec. Enjoy.

Comedy Death Ray @ CineFamily

If you're in the Los Angeles area, check out the Comedy Death Ray Movie Series at Cinefamily.

Known as Los Angeles’ best comedy night, Comedy Death-Ray (held Tuesdays at the UCB) is famous for offering world-class comics in an intimate and revealing setting. Now host Scott Aukerman is bringing those same comedians to the Cinefamily on the first Sunday of every month to show you the films that influence them! . Each night, a different comedian showcases their favorite film in 35mm, and also shares short films and clips that they’ve either made, start in, or just love.

http://www.cinefamily.org/calendar/comedydeathray.html

FUNNY SCENES - SPOTLIGHT ON CROSS-TALK

Each Tuesday, or once a week, I will post what I think is a funny scene, or a scene I remember laughing out loud when I saw it. Today's scene focuses on the dialogue device known as cross-talk.

Cross-talk is when two characters in the scene THINK they are talking about the same thing but are actually having two different conversations. It only works if the audience is in on the joke.

The protagonist/comic hero is in the one who is not in on the joke. In this scene from THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, Ted (Ben Stiller) has been arrested for picking up a hitch-hiker. That is what why he thinks is being interrogated. The police in the scene have found a body in Ted' car -- a dead body left there by the insane hitchhiker Ted picked up and who got away. The police think Ted is a serial killer. (Ah, the stuff of comedy.)

Here is the scene as written by the Peter & Bobby Farelly Brothers and Ed Decter & John J. Strauss.

INT. SOUTH CAROLINA PRISON - DAY

Ted is sitting alone at a table in a small interrogation room. PULLBACK to reveal that he is being observed through a two-way mirror by two detectives, FRANEK and CAVALLO.

DETECTIVE FRANE

Man, they never look like you'd expect.

DETECTIVE CAVALLO

That's probably how he got the victim to

drop his guard.

DETECTIVE FRANEK

Where'd they find the body?

DETECTIVE CAVALLO

In a big red bag on the front passenger seat.

All hacked up--fucking gruesome--a real psycho,

this one.

The Detectives ENTER the room.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY

Ted stands as the Detectives take a seat across from him.

TED

(agitated)

I'm telling you, I did not solicit sex! I

was just stopping to go the bathroom, next

thing I know I tripped over something--well

someone--and, POOF, there's cops and lights and--

DETECTIVE FRANEK

(beat)

Okay, calm down, Ted, we believe you.

(beat)

The problem is we found your friend in

the car.

As Ted sits back down the Detectives just stare at him. Finally Ted thinks he gets it.

TED

Oh. The hitchhiker.

(CHUCKLES)

That's what this is all about.

Ted puts his head in his hands and smiles.

TED (cont'd)

Isn't that just my luck--I get caught for

everything.

DETECTIVE CAVALLO

So you admit it?

TED

Guilty as charged. I'm not gonna play games

with you. I could give you a song and dance

but what's the point? I did it and we all

know it.

(laughs)

The hitcher himself told me it's illegal

The irony.

The Detectives are surprised by his forthrightness.

DETECTIVE CAVALLO

Well, uh, can you tell us his name?

TED

Jeez, I didn't catch it.

The Detectives flinch at his glib demeanor.

DETECTIVE FRANEK

So he was a stranger? It was totally

random?

TED

(confused)

He was the first hitcher I saw, what can I

tell you? Now cut to the chase, how much

trouble am I in?

The Detectives look at one another.

DETECTIVE FRANEK

First tell us why you did it.

TED

Why I did it?

(scoffs)

I don't know. Boredom? I thought I was

doing the guy a favor.

The Detectives look at each other.

DETECTIVE CAVALLO

This wasn't your first time, was it, Ted?

How many we talking?

TED

Hitchhikers? I don't know--fifty...a

hundred maybe--Who keeps track?

Finally Detective Cavallo EXPLODES across the table and starts WAILING on a shocked Ted.

DETECTIVE CAVALLO

You sonofabitch! You're gonna fry!!!!

It's very sparse. Very funny. Comedies tend to be lean. There is no scene description that runs longer than two lines.  Here is the scene to watch:

YOU CAN'T FAKE FUNNY

Alright, lower the volume.

We're going to watch Sally (Meg Ryan) "fake it" in WHEN HARRY ME SALLY.

Ah heck, turn it up loud. Comedy is all about being inappropriate. If your spouse, roommate, dog walks in the middle of her faux-gasm simply say: I'm doing research.

So what did we learn? That Meg Ryan has great comedic chops. It's great to see Billy Crystal play a straight man.

Here's what we learned: you laughed.

You saw it, you laughed.

And the one thing you can't fake on a script page is funny.

You're an aspiring writer looking to break into this biz during the age of the tent-pole, pre-awareness, proof of concept movies. IRON MAN, HARRY POTTER, THE DARK KNIGHT, TRANSFORMERS, VIEWMASTER - the movie. (Yes, it's out there.)

Well, if you're one of those with the gift of gag and enjoys writing in a comedic tone -- there's a home for you.

Jason Scoggins maintains a great blog called LIFE ON THE BUBBLE. You should take a look at it. It's very informative about what is being sent into the marketplace and what is selling.

Comedy screenplays always seem to hold their own.

Why is that? Well, one reason -- they tend to be cheaper to make. Anywhere from $30-$50 millions are opposed to $150 million plus. DATE NIGHT's budget is estimated to be $55 million. Not a low budget movie. But cheaper when compared to the $80 million spent of THE SURROGATES -- with a $119 million get to date. DATE NIGHT has currently made $143 million world wide. Sweet. Tina Fey kicks Bruce Willis's box office ass.

But aside from the budget concerns. And as writers, you shouldn't concern yourself too much with the budgetary concerns - the simple fact is this: if you write something funny on the page, people will laugh.

You write a drama, they might cry and might think who can I get to be in this.

You write a thriller, they might get scared and then wonder who can I get to direct this.

You write a comedy that makes people laugh --they're gonna remember that.

My wife and I got on a hot streak with studio assignments off a script called BEER BOY. It never sold. But people thought it was funny. And maybe we can make some their projects funny.

I also believe, if you want to direct, the road has been paved by first time comedy hyphenates for the last few decades.

Here are some trailers from first time comedy directors.

Woody Allen's first stab at directing: TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN (1969)

John Hughes' first foray into directing: SIXTEEN CANDLES (1984)

The Farrelly Brothers up the ante with THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998)

Judd Apatow scores with the THE40 OLD VIRGIN (2005)

With the exception of Judd Apatow's TV work, none of these writers knew anything about directing. All they knew is how to make people laugh.

Funny is money.

You can't fake it.

UNIQUELY FAMILIAR

Russell Brand, the very funny, crazy, and the second luckiest man on earth (see Katie Perry), is slated to do a remake of the classic Dudley Moore movie, ARTHUR. It's an update of the original. And as much as I revere Steve Gordon's original, I gottta say if you're going to update ARTHUR Russell Brand seems like a good way to go.

He's British, incredibly funny; a daring and honest comedian and performance artist.

But sometimes a remake isn't quite a direct remake. Russell Brand's newest movie is called GET HIM TO THE GREEK and it kinda reminds me of a classic movie that starred Peter O'Toole called MY FAVORITE YEAR. Here are the trailers for each movie:

If you haven't seen MY FAVORITE YEAR, you should. A classic. Very funny. Great one liners.

Let's take a look at GET HIM TO THE GREEK.

Hmmm, young impressionable assistant who hasn't learned to live is assigned to babysit an out of control legend. Hijinks ensue. There's hilarity and heart (the two essential ingredients to a great comedy).

It seems to be the same story. Now, MY FAVORITE YEAR was close to 30 years ago. I'm not sure how many people at the studio realized they were making something uniquely familiar.

What makes it different - Mexican Jonas Brothers anyone?

P Diddy?

Sex, drugs, rock and roll. yes, it's R-Rated.

But there's something else that's familiar.

The character Russell Brand is playing first appeared in one of the most original comedies of the last 20 years: Jason Segal's FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL. Remember this guy? The hysterical Aldous Snow.

So Russell Brand is reprising his role of Aldous Snow. But Jonah Hall is playing a character named Aaron Green. In FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, he played Matthew the Waiter.

So yes, in some ways GET HIM TO THE GREEK is an "homage" to MY FAVORITE YEAR but it's more a vehicle for Aldous Snow.

Let's see if you recognize this other plot of another Brand movie that seems uniquely familiar.

Deadline Hollywood recently reported that "Russell Brand has been cast to star in a film in which he will play a "David Beckham-like millionaire soccer star/playboy" who gets arrested and must service community service as the soccer coach for a local high school team."

Well, you can say IT'S THE BAD NEWS BEARS with soccer. Or MIGHTY DUCKS with soccer. or the BIG GREEN with soccer. Wait, didn't that have soccer?

Writers often go to the well, looking for that new idea.

And sometimes that new idea is found in old places.

Two of the top movies on the A.F.I. list of 100 Best Comedies involve men dressing as women. Same basic concept but updated. Writers need to know their genre - religiously. Study old comedies. Watch them in black and white. It will not hurt your eyes. There are more cutting edge techniques used in Woody Allen's ANNIE HALL, than most comedies combined today.

Watch comedies.

Be inspired them.

But bring your own unique comedic perspective to your script.

There is one thing that cannot be imitated, copied, or ever remade -- comic perspective. Russell Brand is unique. His original voice will come through in all loosely veiled, inspired remakes.

This whole Russell Brand character runaround started when Jason Segal sat down and wrote this character of Aldous Snow. Russell Brand got that part and was off and running...

For a special treat: here's the audition tape:

Russell Brand indeed was a scene stealer in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL. Small moment of karmic irony here. Dudley Moore has a scene stealer role in a movie called FOUL PLAY, starring Kate Hudson's mother Goldie Hawn. From that part he got the role of ARTHUR.

If you haven't seen it, you should. It's ripe for a remake.