Adventureland

One would think, that a movie directed by Greg Mottola of “Superbad” fame and featuring Ryan Reynolds and Saturday Night Live players Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig would be a rip-roaring display of lowbrow yet quality humor especially when the DVD has the ever-popular “unrated” stamp printed on its case. Newcomer Jesse Eisenberg and “Twilight’s” Kristen Stewart brought a level of complexity to this enjoyable, yet semi-serious comedy about life at a 1987 Pittsburgh amusement park. And yes, this movie did have its share of “kicks in the gonads,” “puke takes” and “boner jokes.”

Eisenberg plays an intellectual and timid virgin (James Brennan), whose parents welsh on their graduation gift of a trip to Europe and money for grad school, when his dad takes an unexpected pay cut and as a result finds himself having to seek employment at Adventureland. A cheesy amusement park with rigged carnival games, where he meets Em played by Stewart, who saves him from being knifed by an angry park patron trying to win a “giant-ass” stuffed panda. From that point on James becomes enamored with Em, who is having a secret love affair with the married park maintenance man Mike Connell played by Reynolds who, as always, does a remarkable performance of portraying your stereotypical d-bag.

It’s safe to say that “Adventureland” is one of those movies, which allows the audience to reminisce on those uncertain yet hope-filled days that a young adult feels when entering the real world. The viewer, who is currently at this stage of their life, can probably relate to this tumultuous and nauseating period, which can leave you feeling like one of Adventureland’s attendees, after eating a spoiled corndog. Memory evoker or not, this film is at the very least is an entertaining and well cast movie.

Eisenberg proves himself to be a talented actor and good lead who can, at times, deliver humor albeit as being the brunt of pathetic and embarrassing situations that are all too typical in these types of comedies. His character could have easily been portrayed by Michael Cera, but luckily for anyone watching the film it was not, as I think we’ve all had enough of him at this point.

Stewart, not surprisingly and Reynolds, surprisingly, played the straight roles in this comedy and added some of the drama that I was not anticipating prior to watching “Adventureland.” But a dash of drama made for a good balance to some of the wackiness provided by the supporting cast.

Hader and his fake (or at least it looked fake) mustache brought a good portion of the laughs as the park manager Bobby. While many of the supporting characters brought a smile to my face, Hader probably gave me the biggest laugh throughout the movie, which is not a surprise because he’s one of the few current cast members on SNL that can give me a genuine chuckle.

Martin Starr’s character Joel, James’ nihilist friend, and Friggo, James’ ball-kicking nemesis played by Matt Bush, also provide some of the funnier moments of the film. I would expect to see both of these young actors’ again in future comedic roles.

Other than the few moments of laugh-out-loud humor, “Adventureland” was not a crackup of a movie. That being said…it was humorous and entertaining, not to mention it has an excellent soundtrack. Looks like my desire to get out of Blockbuster quickly by grabbing the first comedy I found alphabetically in the “New Release” section, rewarded me this time by providing quality home entertainment for a rainy Sunday afternoon. If El Nino keeps dropping buckets of water on Los Angeles, I may find myself at Blockbuster a whole lot more, using the same lazy technique that landed “Adventureland” in my DVD player.

Middle Eastern Comedy

The Middle East always makes for a hot topic of discussion. Whether it be Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent appearance in front of the United Nations, where he addressed issues relating to Iran’s newly unveiled uranium enrichment facility, or the ongoing U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sounds like funny stuff, right? You are probably thinking “Um…no.” Well let me tell you, it can be very funny stuff if addressed by a talented group of sketch comedy performers, as it was on night two and three of the Middle Eastern Comedy Festival, which ran from Sept. 22 through Sept. 25.

Wednesday and Thursday nights of the festival at Acme were dedicated to sketch comedy while Tuesday’s opening night dubbed the “Brown Carpet” and Friday’s closer featured stand-ups at the Laugh Factory. But Thursday’s sold out show wasn’t solely sketch comedy based, in fact it too featured a sample of stand-up.

Stand-up comedian Amir K entertained the diverse crowd with his pokes at not only his own ethnicity with jokes about his Persian father’s misunderstanding of American culture, but also with his friendly jabs at other cultures. Amir’s imitation of a Mexican police officer pulling over his American tourist friends and his retelling of his Vietnamese drycleaner’s bad joke not only had the crowd rolling but also displayed his accent imitation skills.

Preceding and following Amir’s performance was a well produced series of sketches that blended Middle Eastern cultural references with a uniquely American style of humor, complete with a nightly news skit that reoccurred in between bits throughout the performance. The Nightly Neighborhood News with anchors Jumana and Wissam, played by Reem Mahmood and Sam Younis, was a humorous break in between sketches and was basically a Middle Eastern take on traditional American local broadcast journalism, complete with a weatherman whose forecast for the Middle East was “hot!” and a Daily Show-esque correspondent dawning a flack jacket and helmet reporting on a crisis involving a shortage of olive oil.

Much like other comic troops such as Culture Clash, the players in the sketch portion of the festival used humor and satire to bring light to issues concerning their culture using humor to break the ice for what can usually be an awkward subject. Skits such as The Dinner Game and Home for the Holidays exemplified such satire touching on subjects such as prejudice and racial profiling. Both of the aforementioned bits were the perfect examples of a sketch perfectly bringing the point they were respectively trying to make home and were downright funny on top of that.

One of the funniest sketches of the evening had nothing to do with Middle Eastern stereotypes or jokes about suspected terrorists, but with weather. Hurricane Bar was a clever and anthropomorphic sketch of hurricanes, other weather systems and an earthquake imbibing at a local dive and vying for the attention of a sultry hurricane named Katrina. While this sketch differed in the fact that it had no Middle Eastern references, it was similar in its political and social commentary.

Actor Ryan Shrime and comedian Ronnie Khalil, who co-produced and are the founders of the festival, which was sponsored by KPCC 89.3 public radio, spoke to the audience before and after the performances and let it be known that their mission is to represent a culture that is underrepresented in the comedy world and that is often times misrepresented and type-casted in the media.  Shrime and Khalil did a superb job at supporting their mission statement by putting together a show that people of any culture could have enjoyed.  The small portable sets, music, lighting and use of the video screen for various scenes created a vibrant backdrop for which the actors could exhibit their sheer talent and made for a very palatable night of comedy.  Palatability is something needed if you are trying to reach the masses and Shrime and Khalil had that down pat.

It’s rare that a comedy show, especially live sketch comedy, can make me genuinely laugh out loud throughout most of the performance, but this show did.  Even when I wasn’t laughing, I at least had a big enough smile on my face to leave my facial muscles aching after the show.  The combination of the talented actors, funny comedians and obviously excellent writers/sketch directors made for a perfect comic storm.

I didn’t know what exactly to expect when I was waiting in line on the La Brea sidewalk at 9:45 p.m. before what was supposed to be a 9:15 show started, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised and find myself wishing I would have caught the stand-up portion of the festival.  Oh well, maybe next year.  After all this was billed the First Annual Middle Eastern Comedy Festival.

Michael Calas Photography

Just how important is your headshot in comedy?

The first time I was asked to bring a headshot to a gig it really hit me: I was a performer not just a “comic.” I needed something to represent myself.

In a pinch I went to someone referred to me by an actor friend. The guy I chose had experience with actors in town but had never shot a comedian. The pictures that came from that shoot were missing something I was at a loss to name and I wasn’t satisfied with the results. I chalked it up to me just not being very photogenic.

Once I got more time behind me and met more comedians I saw much better headshots for some of my fellow comics. One photographer’s work really stood out-Michael Calas. I was excited to learn that he was also a working comedian. After meeting with him and performing with him I knew he would be able to tap into what makes stand up comics different from other performers. I decided to take another round of headshots.

The results were amazing. The whole experience from start to finish was delightful. Michael’s studio is located in downtown LA and has a chic urban New York feel. He welcomes you in the lobby and is warm and personable through the entire shoot.

During the shoot Michael really put me at ease-a hard enough task as I really dislike having my photo taken. The entire process was fun and enjoyable.

After my photo shoot I got a chance to speak with Michael about why headshots are so important and what makes his work stand out from the others.

Michael Calas was born in Habana, Cuba and raised throughout the Caribbean and in Miami Beach. He is now a leading Los Angeles based professional photographer, specializing in portraits. Michael’s father was also a photographer and some of his earliest memories are of being in front of his father’s camera.

Michael graduated with a BA degree in fashion design and photography and started his career shooting for numerous catalogues throughout the US. He has also worked as a professional make-up artist with some of the top names in the beauty industry such as Chanel, Este Lauder and Lancome. In Chicago, he worked as a fashion stylist for various top photographers and commercial production companies. These experiences helped him hone his†photographic†skills†and in turn, give his clients an added advantage when shooting with him. Most of the time Michael will do his subjects’ makeup prior to the shoot: this gives him yet another edge. Michael explained:

“ It’s really good to get your picture taken by somebody who knows you. That way the walls are down already and that’s why I like to do my clients’ make up before a shoot. That way we already have a bond when we move away from the make up table and step into the photo shoot. We’re already familiar with each other and comfortable with each other.” He went on to say “ I really like to bond with someone I’m photographing. Most of the time my clients leave hugging me. That’s how I can tell if I’ve had a successful shoot that day- if they leave with a good enough feeling to give me a hug on the way out the door.”

Another aspect of Michael’s work that makes him stand out is his experience performing stand up comedy . I asked him what is the most important aspect of selecting the right headshot and he drew upon his comedy training for the answer:

“ First off most people get caught up in little details that most casting directors won’t even notice – for example if there’s a wrinkle in their shirt or there’s a hair out of place. In the five seconds that a casting director has to look at your picture they will not see or look for those details. The single most important thing to convey in a headshot is warmth. It’s the same thing when you’re performing: you want to project an air of likeability and warmth onstage- that’s even more important sometimes than being funny. For a picture you can’t go wrong showing and projecting warmth.”

I asked Michael what he looks for while shooting a client- particularly a comedian:

“I tend to concentrate more on a person’s personality and emotions when I’m photographing them and I try to bring that out. That translates to a better picture that gets noticed by people in the industry.”

I asked him next what are the common mistakes comedic performers make when taking their headshots:

“Making funny faces or using silly props. Because casting director’s will see you very one dimensionally if you make a funny face on your headshot. There’s some great casting directors that hate to be hit over the head with a ‘character’-because then you’re doing their job for them. Again- casting agents and bookers see hundreds of headshots a day: they have maybe 5-10 seconds to look at your picture and get an impression.”

In summation I asked Michael what advice would he give to anyone selecting headshots for their work:

“ Knowing your strengths as a performer is crucial and working with someone who can recognize those strengths and bring them to life will really make a difference.”

Indeed that was the case as I perused my shots from my session with Michael. I must say it’s the best I’ve ever looked in pictures….

itstheleague.com

An ice cold glass of beer is being poured from the tap by the bartender and buffalo wings are being picked at by a patron who appears more bored than he does hungry as a sparsely populated bar challenges each other to a round of Jeopardy! that is being shown on the TV above the shelves of “potent potables”.  Sounds like the typical scenario one would imagine at the bar of a club that doesn’t really get going until say…around 10, right?  “No, I’m sorry that is incorrect,” as Trebek might say in his Canadian accent.

For this Thursday summer evening, the scene of the bar at the World Famous Improv in Hollywood would change as an icon for our time would walk through the club’s entrance.  Much like you might recall seeing an old Western where a hero moseys through the saloon doors, so did I see a comedic hero enter the Improv.  As the figure approached the bar from the hazy glare of the setting July sun it was then that most in the bar realized it was Dave Chappelle stopping by the Hollywood landmark.

A couple of nonchalant whispers were exchanged among those at the waterhole as not to seem sprung on the once recluse comic genius.  After all this is Hollywood, you have to act cool when spotting a celebrity, even if you are pissing your proverbial pants at the sight of such a star.

Chappelle, dressed casually and adorned with aviator glasses, strolled towards the bar while exchanging hellos as if he were a regular greeting his fellow bar schleps at a local dive.  He focused his iPhone on something and snapped a picture.  I’m not sure if he was asked or if Dave offered the information, but he announced what he was doing.  “I’m taking a picture of myself on the wall,” Chappelle said.  In my fantasy world that would have been followed by “…bitches!”

This Thursday night was getting off to a great start.  I already had a whole night of comedy to look forward to and now I had what might be a surprise guest finishing off the set of semi-pros.  But one must ask himself, why would a major headliner who is planning a surprise guest performance roll into a club an hour prior to the first show of the night?  If one asked himself, one would not know the answer.  So why not go straight to the source.  “Dave, are you going to be performing tonight?” I asked, not in my “reporter” voice but rather my adoring yet trying to seem smooth and natural voice.

“No, I just came to get my sweater,” Chappelle said. The funny part is that Dave was wearing the sweater when he arrived and the temperature was still in the 80s.  In a very down-to-earth way he bid us adieu and went on his way.  I wish I could say he went off into the sunset, but Dave was headed east that evening.  Suddenly, I realized that he wasn’t getting to the club early to prepare for a show that would shock the audience who was most likely expecting a set of amateurs and while in the process take a photo of himself on the wall of famed comedians.  Dave was simply there to take that picture.  Period.

Here was a natural acting (for the most part) guy who was human and innocent enough to want to take a picture of the photographic likeness of himself that hangs above a bar of dudes watching Jeopardy! and eating wings.  Most wannabe celebs would want that picture of themselves even more but would have gone to great lengths to have someone else take it as not to seem desperate.  But, I guess when you’re big enough and don’t give a shit you may as well go for it.  However, I was not there to see the latter but the rather the prior.

To be fair I wasn’t at the Improv to review Dave Chappelle making an appearance, but to see up and coming comedians take the stage.  But let’s be honest Dave was once in the position they all were and one day I’m sure they all hope to be in his position.

Eljaye hosted the 8 o’clock show; his intimidating physique yet warm demeanor welcomed playful jabs from the acts that he was introducing throughout the night.  Acts that mind you could have been snapped in half by this gentle giant who refers to himself as “the Raging Bull of Comedy”.

The only two performances that stood out to me, other than Eljaye’s (and I’m not just saying that because his biceps could smash me like a walnut, but because he was genuinely funny) were those of Ari Shaffir and Duncan Trussell.

It takes balls to remove Eljaye’s padlocked chain from his neck and put it around your scrawny neck for some laughs and that is exactly what comedian Duncan Trussell did when he took his spot on the Improv’s stage. In my humble opinion, Trussell should have been the headliner that night.

Probably, the most original act of the night, Trussell brought a sarcastic and dark charisma to the stage that could be compared to the likes of alternative acts such as Zach Galifianakis or Brian Posehn.

Shaffir, who preceded Trussell, was also a delight with his crude, yet subtly abrasive routine.

Tom Segura and Vinnie Oshana and headliner Erik Griffin were also on the bill that night.  While all of their acts had their moments, none proved to be something exceptional. Luckily the very small crowd didn’t seem to mind, as they obliged to the regulation of the two-drink minimum.

So I can’t say the comedians that night didn’t entertain me, but I can say that I wish Chappelle had not “forgot his sweater” and made an appearance as I thought he would when he slung those double-doors of the saloon open.  Okay there are no double doors and it’s not a saloon, but his appearance would have been just as heroic and would have validated the acts that came before him.  Or if he didn’t perform, maybe in some spiritual and Messianic way he could have sacrificed his comic ingenuity and dispersed it to the other five comedians, to make for an equally balanced night of hilarity.  Maybe, but then again part of fun of seeing amateur acts is sampling from the possibilities of potential talent.