Bert Kreischer: Secret Time (2018)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Todd Biermann

Cast: Bert Kreischer

Time: 57 minutes

I discovered Bert Kreischer through his “I Am The Machine/Russian Mafia” bit that has been circulating online and I loved his style, so I was happy to see that he had a full comedy special coming to Netflix.

Secret Time is a hilarious show from top to bottom. Kreischer, who is also known as the shirtless comic, discusses his youth, his dad, his wife and kids and many other topics. He is a great storyteller, with a very special knack for pulling you in and making you want to hear some more. This was laugh-out-loud funny!

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Playin' With Your Head (1986)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Rocco Urbisci

Cast: George Carlin

Time: 57 minutes

George Carlin’s fifth HBO special starts with a skit/mini-film shot in black-and-white where the comedian plays a detective being chased by three bad guys who want to take a mysterious envelope from him. Carlin escapes by taking the stage, where he discusses such topics as various ways to say hello and goodbye, carrying love and regards for other people, sports, losing things and battered plants. Yes, battered plants.

This is a very good show, with a good pace and some very solid material. I found myself laughing out loud many times watching this material again. Carlin is the greatest of all-time and what he did and he was truly finding his rhythm at this point. It would get even better.

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Trainwreck (2015)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Judd Apatow

Cast: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson

Time: 125 minutes

Highly influenced from her youth by the infidelities of her father, Amy Townsend has grown up with an intense fear of commitment. During the day, she works as a writer for a men’s magazine. Then, she spends her spare time drinking too much and going from one one-night-stand to another. Out on assignment, she meets sports doctor Aaron Conners, who might very well change her view on relationships.

This is a sweet little romantic comedy, where the acting is decent and the story is compelling enough to keep you interested. The end is predictable, but such is life with rom coms.

I am not a big fan of Amy Schumer’s stand-up work, but, here, she does a good job, which is not surprising since she basically plays the one-note character she is known for. When she is alone on stage, it can get irritating, but, surrounded with the write surroundings, it can be made bearable.

There were quite a few moments that made me laugh out loud. Colin Quinn’s performance was a highlight for me, and I sure did not expect that. The whole thing is a bit cheesy overall, but it is still an entertaining flick.

Rating: «««

I, Tonya (2017)

Genre: Biographical

Directed by: Craig Gillepsie

Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney

Time: 119 minutes

This 2017 biographical film chronicles the life of infamous former figure skater Tonya Harding, focusing mainly on the attack perpetrated by Harding’s husband and his accomplices on Tonya’s main skating rival, Nancy Kerrigan.

A lot has been said about this thing after it happened, back in 1994. Considering the over-the-top ridiculous nature of some of the people involved in this clubbing of Nancy Kerrigan’s knee, the mockumentary style used in this film was a great way to illustrate that funny side of the story.

While this movie never seems to take itself fully seriously, it also seems to want to give Harding a chance to offer her point of view and to play the victim. None of this is her fault. While it sure seems like she had a rough life, from her upbringing to a violent marriage, she has made many mistakes. I get that she is a product of her environment, but her failure to take any blame is kind of sad.

The film itself is well made. There are some sad moments, some funny ones too. Overall, it is a compelling film about a very interesting story. The acting was very good too.

Rating: ««««

Carlin on Campus (1984)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Steven Santos

Cast: George Carlin

Time: 60 minutes

Recorded live in UCLA, this is the fourth George Carlin HBO special. Admittedly, it is not his strongest show, though it has its very good moments throughout.

The show starts with a skit where the adult Carlin is back in a Catholic school classroom. This is inspired by his album called Class Clown. As for the standup show itself, Carlin discusses prayers, little dogs, flamethrowers, driving and getting sick, amongst other things. The comic also does two bits here that have become classics over the years: A Place for my Stuff and Baseball and Football.

The set on stage was a little cheesy, but that is forgivable considering the show was shot in the 80’s. I did not particularly care for the three cartoons shown during this comedy special. The material it contained was weak and, to me, it was a distraction from what Carlin does best: Live comedy on stage.

In spite of its weaknesses, this show had quite a few moments that made me laugh. The best was yet to come with Carlin by 1984.

Rating: «««

Hired Guns (2016)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Fran Strine

Cast: Kenny Aronoff, Corey Britz, Kara Britz

Time: 98 minutes

Many rock musicians and singers are known for their technical proficiency both in the studio and on stage, but that does not always translate into success as a main act. For a lot of these talented musicians, the way to making a living is to be a hired gun for an established act. They don’t get much credit or share of the spotlight, but at least they are doing what they love. This documentary sheds some light on a few such stories.

As a music fan, I love to hear stories about interesting people who do just that for a living. Hired Guns provides a lot of that. I also appreciate the fact that it gives a bit of spotlight to people who are mostly in the shadows, doing their best to make others look good.

I loved hearing from Alice Cooper, who comes off as very cool. The story of Liberty DeVitto, who played drums for Billy Joel for many years, is also quite compelling.

Overall, this is a must-see documentary for music fans out there.

Rating: «««««

Carlin at Carnegie (1983)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Steven Santos

Cast: George Carlin

Time: 60 minutes

This is George Carlin’s third HBO comedy special, shot live from the famous Carnegie Hall, in New York City. The show contains a lot of material from his album titled A Place for My Stuff, though the title bit is not there.

Carlin is starting to look older here, but he’s none the weaker. In fact, his pace is getting stronger and stronger. The angry edge that would define his material in later years is slowly starting to come through here, though there is still some cute stuff, like the bits about Rice Krispies, being a fussy eater and dogs vs cats. From the get-go, the comedian starts with a straightforward short joke about abortion and then discusses his recent heart attack in a dark and funny way. Carlin closes with a great updated bit about the dirty words. That final list he reads has a great comedic pace to it.

In this show from Carnegie Hall, we get to see the slow transformation of George Carlin into the comedian he would become in later years. It is a very good show.

Rating: ««««