The Comedians of Comedy

Fans and members of the niche market that is the 'indie crowd' will probably at least know who these guys are. Most will probably recall Brian Posehn from 'Mr. Show' and Patton Oswald from 'King of Queens,' and Zach Galifinakis as the bus ticket taker in 'Bubble Boy.' And I don't know if Maria Bramford likes to act in professional settings. Anyways, many will be vaguely familiar with these personalities if you have interest in cult comedic scenes from the late nineties or if you have ever indulged in David Cross or Mr. Bob Odenkirk. Similar humor abounds, and taking a page from Cross' 'Let America Laugh' Doc, it follows these four characters through a tour of venues traditionally reserved for small rock shows. This is a taste of their humor and a window into their lifestyles. It is refreshing to see people who can progress the culture of stand up beyond the 'wacky' comedy clubs that seem to regurgitate talent whose sole aspiration is a comfy gig in the world of the sitcom. But these four are a pastiche of the work being done by a wide range of innovative comics. This film follows them on tour, and captures their spirit and outlook on life exceptionally well. While it does not saturate itself in the live performances, we are given a nice balance of performance and lifestyle that resonates well comedically and entices further interest in each one of their careers. Worth a watch.

if you're tired of hack comedy, the Carlos Mencias, Jeff Foxworthys, and Larry the Cable Guys of the world, then you might be open to something creative and hilarious. I defy anyone to attempt at the originality of Zach Galifianakis, both in content and delivery, the amazing undulating idiosyncratic rants of Patton Oswalt, or to be as engrossing as Maria Bamford's characters and stories can be... If you prefer tired old routines about race, married life, the predictably narrow comedy of a comedian who plays up a simple character or stereotype, then you can have your cavemannish Tim Allen, or go to the other extreme with the hyper-pretentious and unfunny Dennis Miller... But if you like creativity, not just because its different, but because it's true to the hilarious personality of the artist who it emanates from, and not just replicated bullsh!t echoing off these soundboards of a homogeneous and mediocre culture, then check out Comedians of Comedy...

Lots of goofy fun. These guys (and 1 gal) are as funny off the stage as they are on the stage. I've always enjoyed Patton Oswalt, and this gave me a chance to see what he's like goofing with his friends. Even bits I don't really find funny (or maybe don't understand) like the whole pretending to be gay shtick, are tolerable, and the parts that are funny are downright killer.

Patton was my favorite to start with, and I was really impressed with Zach Galifianakis. I didn't know him before I watched the show. He is extremely good at improv and he'll dare to do anything. He has an innate instinct for bringing a joke to the next level. I do wish I could spell his last name correctly, but no one could spell Arnold Schwarzennegger's name when he started out.

Maria Bamford has always annoyed me on a subcutaneous level, and the show didn't change my opinion, but some of the stuff she does is really funny. Brian is a great foil for Patton, and you can tell the two share a strong bond of friendship.

I've seen this in both episodic form on Comedy Central and in the uncut movie version on Showtime. I recommend the Showtime movie version, naturally.

Don't watch this show if the word M-F offends you, or if you're a die-hard Hannity Republican, or otherwise mentally impaired.

Not only did I just see this movie last week, but I went to see the Portland performance shown in the movie. The movie gives a great portion of these four hilarious comedians at their best. If it's playing in your area, you should really go and see it. It will not disappoint. It's high time that a movie that takes place in Oregon shows Oregon as a great state. It's all too often that it's seen as some backwoods hick state just because crystal meth has been a beaver state staple for so long. But, I digress. See the movie; it will make you laugh so hard that you will surely come up with some crass way of describing its high potency of hilarity. The stars of the movie will inspire you to do so.

Now granted, comedy is subjective and everyone has their own opinion of what is funny and what is not. Personally, I found this to be a terrifically funny and entertaining look at what life on the road is like for many modern-day comedians. Patton Oswalt has always been a favorite of mine, but I very much enjoy Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford and Zach Galifianikis as well. Maybe it's because I more closely identify with them and their "off-beat" personalities, this probably stems from the fact that I've been a proud "nerd" all my life. These are people who were brave enough to stand out by simply being themselves and not trying to fit into any category or alter their personalities in order to endear themselves to a wider audience. Brian and Patton are 40- year old comic book lovers, how could you not find that refreshing? Too many people take life much too seriously and spend most of it worrying about what everyone else thinks of them, these are INDIVIDUALS who could not care less about that. The comedy in this film is not always laugh-out-loud funny, but it is not forced. It's honest and unapologetic, which is what comedy is really all about.