Showing posts with label Dark Comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dark Comedy. Show all posts

Friday, September 20, 2024

"That's A Human Ear"

Kyle MacLachlan
Blue Velvet

I recently rewatched Blue Velvet for the first time since it came out when I was in college. As a person in his 50's I now realize how darkly funny the film is here is an example of this...

"Did You Hear Anything?" "Bits And Pieces"

Jeffrey is seeing Sandy for the first time since what seems like high school. Jeffrey is eager to learn more about the ear he found in the field, and Sandy reveals that her bedroom is right above the office of her detective father. Their banter over this results in some subtle puns which aren't acknowledged in the film may merit a chuckle from the audience.

I know I laughed a lot revisiting this classic!

Blue Velvet on Wikipedia -

Friday, June 14, 2019

One Night Only

Infinity Grove Entertainment and The Montalbán Present
Accidental Joy: A New Musical
A Dark Musical Comedy by Marcus Terrell Smith
And Composer Robbie McDonald
Saturday, June 29, 2019
The Montalbán is proud to partner with Infinity Grove Entertainment to present Los Angeles audiences with a special opportunity to experience an enhanced workshop production of Accidental Joy: A New Musical, coming to the theatre for one-night-only on Saturday, June 29, 2019. Book by Marcus Terrell Smith, music by Robbie McDonald, and lyrics by both, Accidental Joy is a dark comedy musical about one woman’s incredible journey to find the guru within, and the four or five hilarious murders that follow her along the way. Doors will open at 7:00pm and the performance will begin at 8:00pm on the Montalbán’s main stage (1615 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028). Tickets range from $37 to $52. For tickets and more on this production, please call the box office at 323-461-6999 or visithttps://www.themontalban.com/accidentaljoy.
Accidental Joy: A New Musical – Synopsis:
Joy Perkins, a 40-year old disgruntled underachiever, has resigned herself to a life of regret and unfulfilled potential. But when world famous guru, Niev Lapel, comes to town, Joy is determined to take one final stab at getting what she deserves and becomes a guru herself. Laden with adult language and situations, catchy original songs, and four or five murders,Accidental Joy: A New Musical, is a third-eye opening dark comedy that speaks to the central role we play in forging our own destinies.

Accidental Joy was written as a singer’s musical,” explains writer and co-lyricist Smith, “where each song, though it propels the story forward, can stand alone. We really wanted to write something a musical theatre actor could really sink their teeth into and perform. We found an awe-inspiring array of amazing teammates to realize this such as actor Tyren Perry (Bustin’ Loose, Family Matters) and orchestrator/arranger Anthony Sabatino, along with a stellar band. Come one, come all, and be enlightened!”

Accidental Joy: A New Musical bloomed out of a fateful meeting between Smith and McDonald one night outside of an empty Los Angeles bar. Producer Linda Joe joined the dynamic team right after its sold-out “first look” event in April 2018. Since then, the trio has worked tirelessly to bring Accidental Joy’s message of self-confidence and a belief in one's self to life. This new musical is coming into its own with a glowing endorsement from the prestigious La Jolla Playhouse, it was an Official Selection at the 2018 New York Musical Festival and enjoyed a sold-out staged reading event at the Belasco Theater in Downtown Los Angeles last October.

This year, The Montalbán, a theatre building a reputation as an early champion of new productions—helping to nurture shows for eventual tours and Broadway-bound engagements—became a fan and supportive friend. Together with the show's producers, Linda Joe and Marcus Terrell Smith, they are deviating from the standard theater development process. For one thing, presentations of new shows are usually done for small focus groups but Accidental Joy is changing the trend and inviting 1,000 theater goers to have direct involvement in the development of this unique show, which will employ minimal sets and costumes for this workshop production on the 29th.

As Joy Perkins likes to say, “You can’t go half-ass on fate. She needs both cheeks to sit on.”


LINKS:
 Accidental Joy Event Info & Tickets - https://www.themontalban.com/accidentaljoy
 Accidental Joy: A New Musical - www.AccidentalJoyMusical.com
 Accidental Joy Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AccidentalJoyMusical
• Accidental Joy Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ACCIDENTALJOYMUSICAL
• The Montalbán - https://www.themontalban.com
• The Montalbán’s Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheMontalban
• The Montalbán’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/themontalban
• The Montalbán’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_montalban

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Hitchcock and Humor


"Hitchcock and Humor - Modes of Comedy in Twelve Defining Films"
by Wes D. Gehring coming June 26th

I don't want to start any blasphemous rumors, but I think Alfred Hitchcock has a sick sense of humor...
Paperback, 282 pages, McFarland & Co inc

"Gehring remains supreme in film comedy scholarship" - Choice
Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery has been described as "a kind of Rear Window for retirees." As this quote suggests, an analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's methodical use of comedy in his films is past due.

One of Turner Classic Movies' on-screen scholars for their summer 2017 online Hitchcock class, Gehring grew tired during research of misleading throwaway references to the director's "comic relief." This book examines what should be obvious: Hitchcock systematically incorporated assorted types of comedy-black humor, parody, farce/screwball comedy and romantic comedy-in his films to entertain his audience with "comic" thrillers. And a bonus twist is a provocatively new dark comedy "reading" of the Hitchcock MacGuffin.

Wes D. Gehring is a distinguished professor of film at Ball State University and associate media editor for USA Todaymagazine, for which he also writes a column "Reel World." He is the author of 39 film books. 

Friday, September 14, 2018

Freaky Friday

Stu Anyone?
Joan Collins
Wednesday was the debut of Season 8 of American Horror Story: Apocalypse - and like most shows the premiere episode was meh. Premiere episodes are always establishing ones thus they are always somewhat lackluster, that's just the way it goes. I am giving the season a few more views to see if I will continue watching. 

This being stated who would have ever thunk an icon from my youth would be eating a stew with Stu as the main ingredient?! 

"Yes" this Freaky Friday is dedicated to the great Joan Collins who portrayed Alexis Colby-Carrington on the nighttime soap Dynasty when I was a tadpole. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought at 85 years young she would turn up on the hit horror anthology as Evie Gallant who knowingly cannibalizes the first casualty of the fallout shelter post apocalypse, a gentleman named Stu, who is now, well stew.

Joan plays her role with sly humor and aplomb. That was to me the weirdest thing about the premiere episode, it played more like a demented dark comedy than anything that would actually get under my skin and disturb me.

Hats off to you Joan Collins, you've still got it, you cannibal freak!

Joan on IMDB:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001058/