Day: March 8, 2010

I remember when I first met Kyle Kinane three years ago at the HBO festival in Aspen. Kinane wasn't so happy about how he had performed at his stand-up showcases, but all I could see was a young man with creative flourish and colorful punchlines. I liked this guy from the get-go. Kinane, based in Los Angeles but a product of the Chicago/Blerds scene, reappeared on my radar not too long after that, showing up looking like a lumberjack on Last Call with Carson Daly. And now Kinane has released a wonderful new comedy CD, Death of the Party. It could be the funniest thing I've heard in a while. I'm not the only one who has noticed Kinane — Patton Oswalt, who had Kinane opening up for him on the road, said on the Comedy and Everything Else podcast: "This guy Kyle Kinane that I have open up for me. He‚Äôs gotten so good now (laughs) that I don‚Äôt really know if I want him opening up. He‚Äôs getting hard to follow ‚Äî but in a way that‚Äôs good because it makes me work harder." When I saw him co-headline an evening at Comix here in NYC last week, I was blown away by how sharp he is for a younger comedian. He reminded me of a younger, slightly less dangerous and thereby more accessible version of Doug...

I was looking for footage of Mo'Nique's acceptance speech from last night's Academy Awards, since it's more than a little bit notable when a stand-up comedian wins an Oscar (as Alec Baldwin joked to his co-host, Steve Martin). In her many speeches and appearances this awards season, Mo'Nique has talked about how personal of a project Precious was for her. And she did so again last night with Barbara Walters. But I also found this. Some of you remember that Mo'Nique went to an Ohio womens' prison a few years ago for a stand-up special, I Coulda Been Your Cellmate. It's all on Hulu. Note: In addition to normal Hulu restrictions, since the special is rated R, you need to sign in to view it. She was making bidet jokes years before SNL. Check it. She also produced a documentary interviewing some of the prisoners, called Behind Bars. The first two inmates Mo'Nique meets both were victims, indirectly and directly, of sexual abuse. This is on Hulu, also. And here is a clip of Mo'Nique from Precious talking about letting her daughter, spoiler alert city, fall victim of the same...

Back before they were famous for being the Upright Citizens Brigade, the UCB players produced their first feature-length film that spoofed both Spring Break and Girls Gone Wild. Naturally, it's called Wild Girls Gone, and it's only now available for your digital download pleasure via iTunes. Would you like to buy it? Would you like to see the not-so safe for work trailer? In addition to Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts, you also see Andy Daly and others. Roll it: That seemed so random, but then again, this isn't the only random comedy news for today. Betty White confirmed to People magazine that she will be on SNL this spring. When, and how, still to be determined. (People) Demetri Martin is now being played by Jonah Hill? Martin is out, and Hill is in, as the stats-cruncher co-starring with Brad Pitt in the adaptation of Moneyball. (ESPN) Mo'Nique surprised nobody by winning the Academy Award for best supporting actress in Precious, so of course, today people are circulating an old clip of Jeffrey Ross roasting her at the fete for Emmitt Smith. Very NSFW (YouTube) Drew Carey has some ideas on how to save his hometown of Cleveland, and he has documented them on film....