Comedy news and views from Jeff Kreisler, with an IFC twist.
Drop him a line at sketchy (at) ifc dot com.
Festivals for the Restivals
World's Largest Sketch Event: Halloweeen
By Jeff Kreisler on 10/22/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Up For Debate
It's coming. Halloween. Great Pumpkins, fun-sized candy, and pretending to be someone else. Everyone plays, lowers his or her inhibitions, and gets candy... in one form or another... rrrow. (Seriously, there's a lot of Halloween action). The Halloween costumes are what make it special to me, though, frankly I like to think of them as characters, not costumes. I don't ask, "What are you going as?" but rather, "Who are you going as?" (Okay, wow. I just realized that's totally pretentious of me, isn't it? I'll stop. But at least I use bad grammar - should be "As whom are... MORE »
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Review-ish: Witty Cartoons For Snobs
By Jeff Kreisler on 09/22/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, On Stage, Review-ish
On the last night of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, about 80 "fans of bourgeois humor" crammed in to the Union Hall basement to bear witness to some great cartoonists. With credits ranging from The New Yorker to an Academy Award nomination and even touring with Comics Against Evil (gasp), the panel had some of my favorite doodlers (some use that phrase themselves, I'm not being a jerk), including Dan Piraro (Bizarro), Emily Flake (Lulu Eightball), Drew Dernavich, Bill Plympton (The Village Voice, Rolling Stone), Paul Noth (Pale Force), and David Sipress. Matt Diffee (The Steam Powered Hour) was an... MORE »
Edinburgh Fringe Review: Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting
By Jeff Kreisler on 09/02/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Review-ish
Okay, maybe it's a bit of a cheat to see an NYC sketch group in Edinburgh, but all the tips I'd gotten for great female sketch groups hadn't panned out... and I needed my fix. There's already an overwhelming male presence in comedy here (all the nominees for the comedy awards were straight white males - okay, there was one Canadian), and I couldn't let this blog continue the trend. So, on to Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting: Misery Eats Company... Hooray! Funny female sketch comedy! SBJM performed in a cave - a long, wet, scary cave (metaphor come to life?)... MORE »
Edinburgh Fringe Review: Pythonesque
By Jeff Kreisler on 08/27/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Review-ish
In a(nother) converted church here at the Fest, Pythonesque delivered a multi-layered, fun, and funny tribute to Monty Python. With festivities looming for Monty Python's 40th Anniversary, this was a great primer on Python history. The basic conceit is that Graham Chapman gets to the gates of Heaven and must be judged. Rather than just skip to the whole "Life of Brian" kerfuffle, we get a retelling of the story of Monty Python, in the style of Monty Python (if there is such a thing), from college (nee, university) to Chapman's death. I don't know the details of the group... MORE »
Edinburgh Fringe Review: Umbrella Birds
By Jeff Kreisler on 08/24/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Review-ish
I don't want to write this review. I really don't. I've been putting it off for a week, but, well, I guess I have to. I wanted to like the Umbrella Birds. I wanted to LOVE the Umbrella Birds. After all the middle-class white guys, an all-female sketch group got me excited. Plus they were being produced by The Assembly - one of the most respected venues here - and had generated a substantial amount of buzz, well, it was going to be great. Sadly, it wasn't great. (I should've learned about "industry buzz"...) It wasn't even good. It was... MORE »
Edinburgh Fringe Review: Penny Dreadfuls
By Jeff Kreisler on 08/19/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, On Stage, Review-ish
Finally, a sketch show that isn't four 20-something white guys. It's three 20-something white guys... oh, for the love of Pete... Demographic monotony aside (female sketch troupes are on tap!), Penny Dreadfuls: The Never Man, was an absolute delight. Although broken into short scenes, this was more of a comedic play than a sketch show, with the three very talented performers playing a variety of distinct and endearing characters. A genre piece, this Bond-meets-Christie mystery-thriller-comedy told the story of Beef Island - with its nuclear reactor, shadowy overlord, innocent contest winners, amnesiac playboy and, of course, beef themed amusement park.... MORE »
Edinburgh Fringe Review: Dead Cat Bounce
By Jeff Kreisler on 08/17/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, On Stage, Review-ish
Apparently, my tour of sketch comedy has started with the best. That adjective - "best" - easily fits Dead Cat Bounce - Wired. Last year, I caught DCB here, and was very impressed by their strong, distinct characters, writing, and story telling. Expecting more of the same, I was totally and completely caught off guard. In a very good way. It was a rock comedy show. Many comedians harbor secret desires to be rock stars. These guys lived our dream. And they were hella funny, too. Not just one-liners with an acoustic or commercial parodies, this was a full-on rock... MORE »
Edinburgh Fringe Review: Idiots of Ants
By Jeff Kreisler on 08/13/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, On Stage, Review-ish
In a musty old fire-hazard-y church (i.e. a typical Fringe venue), I witnessed the spectacle that is Idiots of Ants' latest show, "This Is War." TheComicsComic caught them at Montreal, and covered them here, so consider this a supplement to that as we continue our tour of Edinburgh sketch comedy. It was a good, tight, polished show. Clever, inventive, and quick. For the most part, if a gag was only good enough to sustain 60 seconds on stage, they didn't try to push it to 90 or 120. Sweaty performers seem the order of the month. Four middle class white... MORE »
Edinburgh Fringe Review: Pappy's Fun Club
By Jeff Kreisler on 08/11/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Review-ish
Ah, the Edinburgh Fringe... let's just say sleep is the one thing that hasn't been going around. I caught Pappy's Fun Club Sunday night. They were nominated for an if.com award (formerly the Perrier) a couple years ago and are now one of the most-advertised acts in town. That's saying a lot for a Festival where the size of egos and advertising is unrivaled. (Seriously, people, do we need to see your face every-f'ing-where?) I've had the pleasure of performing with Pappy's Fun Club at past Fringes - just short spots on showcases, 15-20 minutes tops - but had never... MORE »
Pre-Edinburgh Sketchy News
By Jeff Kreisler on 08/04/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Industry News
I'm off to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe tonight, for a month of performance and inspiration. It's is the largest arts festival in the world, and though many readers know it as just a comedy fest, truth is, there's something for everyone. The experience, no matter the form or intensity, will transform you. I've been twice before, and I love it. This time, not only will I perform - my own show daily for 23 days, plus about 25 spots other shows - but I'll write some features about the Fringe, reviews some sketch shows, and try to give you a... MORE »
Sketchy Guest: The Comics Comic on Montreal
By Jeff Kreisler on 08/03/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Guest Blogger, On Stage, Review-ish
Sadly, I can't be everywhere covering every important sketch comedy development. Luckily, there are a small handful of very talented comedy reporters who can. I even consider some of them friends (awww). One such talented friend, Sean McCarthy, aka, The Comics Comic, runs a fantastic comedy blog. He was up in Montreal for the legendary Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and agreed to provide us an exclusive recap of the Fest's Sketch Comedy Showcase. Isn't that nice? Read the below, and visit The Comics Comic whenever you can (after you're done here, of course). Almost live: A report from "The... MORE »
Are we re-casting Futurama comedy festival pilot news yet?
By Jeff Kreisler on 07/23/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Industry News, On The TubeSome sketchy news while I wait for the NY Times to allow us to run my interview with "The Mighty Boosh." Damn you, Grey Lady! TBS ordered up a new comedy series, "Are We There Yet?" It stars Terry Crews with appearances by Ice Cube. I thought "Are We There Yet?" was the title of America's backseat whine to President Obama. FX approved a pilot for "The League" about a fantasy football league. It'll include some sketchy favorites, like Mark Duplass, Steve Rannazzisi, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Katie Aselton, Jon Lajoie and Alina Foley. There's a lot of internet buzz... MORE »
SketchFestNYC - The Final Reckoning
By Jeff Kreisler on 06/22/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Industry News, On Stage, Review-ish
Alright, the final installment of SketchFestNYC review-ish-es. This & this are what I did before. Check 'em and enjoy. Saturday. Missed a bunch of the daytime stuff. Waddayagonnado? The Striking Viking Story Pirates Present Found Magazine (NYC) I dug this group a lot. What I like most is that their sketches were quick and short. If a sketch is just a great concept or a great joke - but not a series of them - then do what these guys do: Hit it and quit it. Get the laugh, move on. SNL, take a note. More themes: Was Junior High... MORE »
More flesh from SketchFest
By Jeff Kreisler on 06/16/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Review-ish
What's that, you say? You want more from SketchFestNYC? Well, see what I did before and then have some of this. FRIDAY Britanick (NYC) Just made it for the end of this group's set (damn you E train!), but managed to catch their video "Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses." Wow. Fantastico! Freed from the 90 second constraints of the interwebs, Britanick made one of the best short movies I've seen in some time. Hi production value, good writing, good acting, action, drama, romance, plot twists and gratuitous violence. Nicely done. Speaking of videos, a lot of good ones over... MORE »
More fresh meat, please.
By Jeff Kreisler on 06/15/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, On Stage, Review-ish
Went to SketchFestNYC this past weekend. Didn't catch all of it (I had a nasty flu, so cut a Kreisler some slack), but a lot. Apologies to those groups I missed. It was a good festival. Tons of memorable lines, many great performances, some really bright lights. Ran very smoothly, considering what must have been impossible logistics. My only complaint is that there weren't enough out-of-town acts. Of 28 non-video groups, only 5 were from out of town, and one of those was the Apple Sisters, who only just left the Big, um, Apple, recently. While it was convenient to... MORE »
It Looms: SketchFestNYC
By Jeff Kreisler on 06/08/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, On Stage
Back from my journeys around the country and what awaits me in New York City? Why just SketchFestNYC! Yay! Running Thursday June 11 -- Saturday June 13 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, SketchFestNYC has all of the known world abuzz with anticipation. (Okay, not all of the world, but a lot of it). I'll be there as much as I can this weekend, reviewing some shows, taking some pics, and meeting some sketchy peoples. For today, here the thoughts of Alex Zalben, the Executive Producer of SketchFestNYC. Read, learn, ponder, enjoy. (For a comparison, visit my piece on the... MORE »
Sketch-i-ndustry News
By Jeff Kreisler on 06/04/2009
Filed under: Around The World, Festivals for the Restivals, Industry News, On The Tube
Some stuff has happened. "Important Things With Demetri Martin" got renewed by Comedy Central. For at least one more year. Good. The show's had some fine moments, strong sketches, creative writing. While nothing really sticks out to make it pop like Chappelle's did or - yes - Carlos Mencia's shows did - it's good stuff. Martin is likeable, smart, funny, and - perhaps most Importantly - hard working (also helps that he's got a nice-sized following). By the middle of season two, they'll really be churning out consistently brilliant stuff. The BBC almost canceled "Monty Python" for being disgusting, cruel,... MORE »
San Francisco Sketch Comedy, Part 1 of 2
By Jeff Kreisler on 05/27/2009
Filed under: Around The World, Festivals for the Restivals, On Stage, Up For Debate
I'm in San Francisco this week, performing at the Punchline and doing a reading for my new book "Get Rich Cheating" Saturday afternoon. I started my comedy career here (minus a forgettable night at a Mexican restaurant in Virginia), and I maintain that this is the place for original, smart, engaging comedy. I love it, and I can't imagine learning anywhere else. I didn't do much sketch when I was here -- buncha improv -- but the sketch comedy scene has always had a strong presence, and I wanted to find out how it's going now. I turned to three... MORE »
Review-ish: NY Arab American Sketch Comedy
By Jeff Kreisler on 05/11/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Review-ish
NB: See this post for a little explanation of my "review style." Caught the opening of the 6th Annual New York Arab-American Comedy Festival, a sketch show at Comix. It. Was. Good. This is the first post-Bush festival, so, as co-founder and producer Dean Obeidallah put it, "We don't feel like we need to be as defensive about our heritage and culture." Instead, they could just go about entertaining (a victory in its own right). The show did not disappoint, providing smart, funny, well-delivered sketches on a variety of topics both timely (ex-Lehman banker doing nails) and eternal (men want... MORE »
Sketchy Event Horizon
By Jeff Kreisler on 05/05/2009
Filed under: Festivals for the Restivals, Industry News, On The Tube
So as we ramp up to speed, here are some fairly significant sketch comedy dates in the next few months. Tell me what I've missed, and answer some questions below... May 16: The Last Episode of MadTV ever. After 14 years on the air (seriously? 14?) MadTV promises a very special finale (it's May sweeps after all). The show had some brilliant moments, and it developed some talented players (though I dare you to name 3 without using the internet), but it never really "popped" like, say, In Living Color. Then again, it lasted 14 years and produced quality on... MORE »
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