Day: November 4, 2008

I am otherwise occupied this Election Day, so I won’t be attending an election-related comedy show, or perhaps even seeing it on TV, and maybe not even monitoring any liveblogs. But that doesn’t mean you cannot have fun (or hide out) tonight as the vote totals start coming in… In New York City, the top four options for live viewing and comedy, are:1) The Onion’s free party (with drinks?!) at Fontana’s, from 7-10 p.m. Eastern, with comedy from Todd Barry, Mike Birbiglia, Kurt & Krsten and Pangea 3000. But you had to be 21 and older, and RSVP in advance at nypromo@theonion.com with "Election Night RSVP" in the subject header. And since everyone knew about this since the most recent edition of the paper came out last week, you’re probably out of luck if you’re not already on the list. So, moving on…2) Seth Herzog’s show, Sweet, not only coincides with Election Day but also his birthday. And he’ll be celebrating along with Kristen Schaal, John Mulaney, James Adomian, Seth’s mom, and perhaps a surprise guest or two. $5 doors at 8:30 p.m. at The Slipper Room.3) The PIT offers Political Science Theatre 3000, free starting at 7 p.m. with running commentary from comedians including Kevin Allison (The State), Kevin Scott (Centralia, Burn Manhattan), Leslie Collins (VH1’s Best Night Ever), and so many more.  4) If you miss Comedy...

We can all agree that there is no place for heckling in a comedy club. Just because you’re drunk, or because you want to hear a particular joke, or even because you think you’re "helping" the comedian, well, you’re not helping. You’re interrupting the performance that everyone else gladly paid to see and hear. You’re making a fool of yourself. And no one likes you. So why do people still heckle? That’s what Jamie Kennedy wanted to find out when he confronted his own real-life hecklers in the 2007 documentary, Heckler, which Kennedy will screen live at Comix on Saturday. He’ll also perform later this month at The Comedy Festival at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Is this the longest movie screening tour ever? Kennedy laughs. "It’s going. People still want to see it," he told me. "People really like it when its in a comedy club. They like to watch it and ask questions. The director and me have a really good rapport. We show it, and it gets confrontational at times. It’s a good way to show the movie. Like if you were watching Mission: Impossible and Tom Cruise was there. Except it’s Heckler, and it’s me." Does he worry that his movie will only feed into the delusional ego of hecklers by putting them on film for everyone to see – one young heckler even says...

When Sacha Baron Cohen pulled off the trick of "Borat" on enough unsuspecting Americans (mostly targeting the Bible Belt portions of the South who’d be more likely not to have known him or his character from HBO, and also easier pickings to mock their beliefs and values), many fans and movie critics wondered how and if he’d be able to pull off a similar feat with his gay Austrian fashionista reporter character, aka "Bruno." Well, technology and communication has changed so much in that timeframe that Cohen’s feat most likely will be a mixed bag. As the AP reported yesterday, Cohen’s attempt to crash a California rally about Prop 8 (gay marriage) ended abruptly when people figured out who he was. And there is a dedicated channel on YouTube called TheBrunoMovie that collects and copies clips of "Bruno" getting caught in action. Take their most recent clip of the California rally, which is obviously taken from Perez Hilton, which in turn shows credit from The Yellow Mic. Knowing the Bruno movie crashes that rally, as well as Milan Fashion Week, and does a weird dance in a Kansas airport terminal, does knowing all of that spoil the upcoming 2009 movie experience for you, or does it serve as a tease to heighten your interest? The California Prop 8 Rally from early November 2008: The Daily Mirror has footage from...