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Reviews
Brian Simpson: Live from the Mothership (2024)
Hilarious
I followed Brian Simpson on Instagram after seeing some funny clips and instantly watched this special on sight.
I love his timing and overall delivery, but his writing is exceedingly clever when approaching topics that we've heard before. The driver's license bit, for example, is a brilliant twist on observations that I first heard from George Carlin in 1992.
For its considerable runtime, the set is very well paced and the closing segments had me laughing the hardest. More than anything, I admire the confidence of a road-tested comic who's not afraid to take his time and challenge the audience!
George Carlin's American Dream (2022)
A well-researched tribute to a comedy legend
Preface: I discovered George Carlin's "Jammin' in NY" on VHS in middle school. My friends and I watched him religiously; memorizing his routines. I still quote him in my daily life, having sampled and referenced his works on probably dozens of songs as a musician.
I'm a huge fan of Judd's films and books. His Garry Shandling doc was incredible, too. So when he announced this film, a doc about my absolute hero, I was elated.
The opening five minutes are tremendously exciting. I knew that it was made by people who truly got what George was about. Every era is represented, and for the most part, quite thoroughly. Many clips of his standup are presented without interruption.
The film opts for quality over quantity. I expected a plethora of comedians, but here we get the best voices working today: Chris Rock, Bill Burr, and Jerry Seinfeld. Frequent collaborator Kevin Smith also provides some valuable background on George's personal life.
After nearly four hours, it left me wanting more. I would've loved to see "Euhemisms" and "The 10 Commandments" represented, and the timely commentary of his Parental Advisory album cover.
Additionally, this was released 20 years and two days after the Complaints & Grievances album. Being one of his finest works, it's the only HBO special that was completely ignored. There was a brief mention of the original title, I Kinda Like it When a Lotta People Die-and what an amazing story to omit-but the content itself is not found. (For the backstory, listen to my interview on the Take 92 Podcast with Complaints & Grievances artist, Winston Smith.)
In the end, this film offers a closer look at the reasons for what he does. I was compelled by the timing of Brenda's death in relation to You Are All Diseased. It was that deep hurt that led to his most epic bits on religion. And it may have been the reason that he closed his heart to such an extent on his last two specials.* He was protecting himself. (*Note: I do not endorse the opinion that his last two specials were "too dark" or any less brilliant.)
The film shows someone who was deeply empathetic and also quite sensitive, using his stage persona to make sense of the world around him. George was dedicated to a fault, and sacrificed his most important relationships to become the fearless performer we all loved. His pursuit of the craft remains unparalleled by anyone in his field.
I miss George dearly and regret that I never got to meet him. I'll watch this documentary countless times, like so many of his specials. This is a gift to the fans. Thank you to Judd, Michael, and HBO. Joe bless GC.
Windfall (2022)
A pleasant surprise!
I watched a few seconds of the trailer and saw both Jason Segel and Jesse Plemons. Knowing the track record of these two great actors, I turned off the trailer (as to not spoil anything) and dove right in.
The first scene is remarkably quiet and takes its time. It lets you know right away that it isn't a fast paced thriller. The music is beautiful and tense at times, almost reminiscent of Vertigo by Bernard Herrmann.
In the first 20 minutes you get the feeling it's over before it starts, but the script does a good job of adding complications until you really don't know how it's going to end.
I'm only writing this because of the negative reviewers who may have been expecting a different type of movie. I, for one, was pleasantly surprised. Great performances all around.