On This Day In Comedy… In 1976 Comedian And Actor Felipe Esparza Was Born
On this day in comedy on June 11, 1976, Comedian, Actor, Felipe Esparza was born in Sinaloa, Mexico
Esparza wasn’t born in East L. A., but he was raised there and those experiences are the basis for his material. His comedy is raw, unflinching and filled with universal cultural references. You don’t have to be Latin to know what’s he’s talking about even though that’s what he’s talking about. With his signature wild hair and infectious catchphrase, “What’s up, fool’, Esparza got immediate attention as soon as he jumped into comedy.
Esparza received television exposure in record time. Within a year and a half of telling his first joke he was on Showtime; on the “Diamonds in the Rough” segment. From there he went on to appear on Showtime’s Comics Without Borders, Byron Allen’s Comic’s Unleashed, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, BET’s Comic View, Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey and Que Locos on Galavision. On the latter program he made more showings than any other comedian in the show’s history. The culmination of all this TV hopping was his 2010 win on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. In 2011 Showtime aired his special, They’re Not Gonna Laugh at You.
He was featured in two films in 2009: The Deported co-starring Nick Turturro, Paul Rodriguez and Talia Shire as well as I’m Not Like That Anymore, a movie based on Esparza’s stand-up and also co-starring Rodriguez (playing Esparza’s father). In 2014 he launched his hit podcast on the All Things Comedy Network entitled what else? – “What’s Up Fool?”
In 2014, Esparza was in a Honda ad campaign to sell more Hondas to the Latin market. The way he did the commercial was to make fun of ads that try to sell products to the Latin market. He also did some ads with comedienne, Lauren Lapkus for Target Mobile services. However, his main thing is touring and performing to packed crowds.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1937 Actor, John “Johnny” Brown Was Born!
On this day in comedy on June 11, 1937, Actor, John “Johnny” Brown was born in St. Petersburg, Florida
Brown established himself professionally as a Broadway performer in the Sammy Davis, Jr. musical, Golden Boy. He played the part of Ronnie and was featured in one of the show stopping numbers. Once he got that attention he landed the lead in a high profile national commercial for Papermate’s Write Brothers pen. Brown headed the musical number where he had the role of the teacher showing his students why they should use the Write Brothers pen. He also found film work in the movie The Out of Towners in 1970.
Known for his amiable persona, quick wit and easy-going comedy style, Brown soon found himself on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. That gig turned out to be a career break and killer. Norman Lear had originally considered Brown to play the part of Redd Foxx’s son Lamont in Sanford and Son, but because of his Laugh-In commitment, Lear had to look elsewhere and cast Demond Wilson.
Brown earned his sitcom success on Good Times. The CBS Esther Rolle / John Amos vehicle was a smash hit and the character of building superintendent, Bookman, was a stand out. That wasn’t easy with Jimmie Walker stealing most of the show. Walker’s scenes were always guaranteed extra laughs though, whenever Bookman entered the apartment and became the butt of a lot of fat boy, big butt jokes. However, Bookman also knew how to issue out jokes too and managed to often give as good as he got.
Once Good Times was canceled in 1979, Johnny Brown made the guest-starring rounds. He’d been seen previously on The Flip Wilson Show and he also did The Jeffersons, Family Matters, Martin and The Jamie Foxx Show. Johnny Brown later appeared in the Eddie Murphy / Martin Lawrence film, Life in 1999.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1895 Comedienne, Actress, Songwriter, Singer, Radio Personality, Hattie McDaniel Was Born
On this day in comedy on June 10, 1895, Comedienne, Actress, Songwriter, Singer, Radio Personality, Hattie McDaniel was born
The Wichita, Kansas native followed her brother, Sam into show business. He was a minstrel and she honed her songwriting skills on his show. Next, she inadvertently became a pioneer when she landed a spot on radio as Hi-Hat Hattie, the maid who often got out of line. This made McDaniel the first African-American female to perform on radio.
Historical achievements were fine, but the radio show paid so little McDaniel had to get a job as a real maid to pay the bills. Nevertheless, she didn’t let a little hard work stop her dream. She sang on the local radio station in Denver and recorded several records for Okeh Records and Paramount Records in Chicago. Then the stock market crash of ’29 hit and all that came to a screeching halt. McDaniel was forced to work as a bathroom attendant and waitress at Club Madrid in Milwaukee, where she was eventually allowed to take the stage and perform.
In 1931 McDaniel moved to Los Angeles where she found radio work and appeared in a number of uncredited film parts. In 1934 she joined the Screen Actors Guild and got parts as maids. During this period the black community lashed out at McDaniel for taking maid roles. No matter how sassy the maids she played were, blacks didn’t like it. Then came the casting process for the much publicized “Gone with the Wind”. With help of friend Clark Gable (they’d worked on a film together previously and he wanted her for the part), McDaniel got the coveted role.
However, getting the role was one thing, being able to watch her work at the premiere was another. “Gone with the Wind” made its debut in Atlanta, Georgia. None of the black actors from the film were invited to attend. As a matter of fact, they were expressly told not to attend. Clark Gable heatedly refused to go under those circumstances. That is until McDaniel pulled him to the side, thanked him for his friendship and loyalty, but informed him that she wasn’t surprised and he needed to go to promote the film. She’d make the Hollywood premiere. Reluctantly Gable relented and made the journey to Georgia.
For her troubles, Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award and the first to win (for Best Supporting Actress). In her speech she graciously thanked the Academy for the honor and sporting pulled back hair laced in gardenias expressed her gratitude and thanked God. Many in attendance were moved to tears.
Following “Gone with the Wind”, McDaniel played other maid parts in films starring Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart and working under the direction of John Huston. She always turned in fine performances and received glowing reviews. However, by the late 1940s the place for domestics on screen was becoming passé. Regardless, McDaniel stayed busy on radio and later in television starring in “Beulah” (both mediums), where she earned $2,000 per week. She’d taken over from Ethel Waters after the first season of the show, but after discovering she had breast cancer, McDaniel had to bow out and was herself replaced by Louise Beavers.
When Hattie McDaniel died from breast cancer at the age of 57 it was her wish was to be buried in the Hollywood Cemetery, but that wish was denied by the owner, Jules Roth because black people were not allowed there. So she found a final resting home at Rosedale Cemetery. Then in 1999 the Hollywood Cemetery reversed its decision under new owner Tyler Cassity, but it was too late. The family refused to have her remains moved so to make amends Cassity built a memorial at the Hollywood Cemetery in McDaniel’s honor.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1980 Comedian, Writer, And Actor Richard Pryor Set Himself On Fire!
On this day in comedy on June 9, 1980, Comedian, Writer, Actor, Richard Pryor set himself on fire.
In an incident fraught in mystery and conflicting versions, the end result was that one of the greatest comedians of all time was in critical condition with second and third degree burns over 50% of his body. It was the culmination of days of uninterrupted freebase cocaine use during a break while filming Bustin’ Loose. In the pre-crack era of hitting the pipe, Pryor had been ingesting virtually pure coke into his system and at one point made an almost fatal decision. He poured 151 proof rum all over his body and lit himself on fire. The immediate result was Richard Pryor running down Parthenia Street from his Los Angeles residence in plain sight, being rescued by police and taken to the hospital. The aftermath was a circus.
While Pryor laid prone in hospital wear fighting for his life the spin doctors went to work. His friend and business partner at the time, Jim Brown, insisted it was an accident. His daughter Rain, claimed it was drug-induced psychosis. Naturally, there were other theories – there was an explosion, a faulty lighter, a mistake. Then came the truth from the horse’s own mouth. Pryor had tried to commit suicide.
Following 6 weeks of recovery at the Herpolscheimer Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital, Pryor went back to work and made the incident the gift that kept on giving. Two years later he joked about it in his concert special, Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip. That was supposed to have been his final performance. Instead, the seemingly recovered artist shot Richard Pryor: Here & Now one year later. Three years after that he released his directorial debut, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling and centered the film on the 1980 freebasing episode and his bio.
Almost ending his life did not slow Pryor down that much. After the attempt, he made over a dozen more films and released several new records. However, multiple sclerosis did put a crimp in his style. Once he was diagnosed with the crippling disease the downward slide was steady. He still appeared on stage, but in a wheelchair usually pushed by longtime friend and writer, Paul Mooney. Pryor’s speech was impaired and some days were better than others as far as hearing him talk. The decline stopped on December 10, 2005 when Richard Pryor passed away at the age of 65 years old.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1923 Master Impressionist George Kirby Was Born!
On this day in comedy on June 8, 1923, Master Impressionist George Kirby was born in Chicago, IL
Kirby got started in show business at the Club DeLisa on the South Side. He cut a record as a stand-up blues singer in 1947 for Aristocrat Records. His easily accessible style and warm demeanor made him a favorite among other performers. It also made Kirby an unwitting pioneer for Civil Rights in entertainment when singer, Bobby Darin insisted Kirby open for him during his first run at the famed Copacabana, a club not known for allowing non-headlining “Negros” to perform or be in the show room. Darin and Kirby changed all that. The club forever changed its racist policy in the name of humanity and commerce.
Throughout Kirby’s career he had mixed audiences. Since he was an impressionist few could find division in laughing at familiar voices. He had universal appeal, doing impressions of white icons like John Wayne, Clark Gable and Walter Brennan and not just black performers like Nat King Cole (who he nailed). Kirby was innovative in his choice of targets. He did female singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and with a singer’s range and dexterity to pull it off flawlessly.
Television was a friend to Kirby as he worked across the board. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Temptations Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall and The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Kirby had his own show for a short time and was a regular on The Kopycats, a show with impressionists such as Frank Gorshin, Marilyn Michaels, Charlie Callas, Fred Travalena and Rich Little acting out famous scenes doing the impressions of those actors. Kirby was riding high.
Unfortunately, success for impressionists was tenuous. Like magicians at the turn of the century the day of the public’s rapt attention to the novelty art form cooled and acts like Kirby were left staring out at more tables and chairs than patrons. Gigs dried up and Kirby, a functioning heroin addict began dealing to make up the lost income. This led to a loss of freedom. Kirby was busted and sent to prison for 42 months on a plea bargain. His career never did recover to its former glory and his health was failing. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and died of it in a Las Vegas nursing home September 30, 1995.
Don Cheadle To Star In New Showtime Wall Street Comedy Pilot
House of Lies star Don Cheadle is returning to Showtime.
Following a lengthy deal-making period, the premium cable network has tapped Cheadle and Girls alum Andrew Rannells to star in comedy pilot Ball Street, from Happy Endings creator David Caspe and Jordan Cahan and exec produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
Ball Street kicks off on Oct. 19, 1987 — aka Black Monday, the day of the worst stock market crash in the history of Wall Street. The potential series will explore who caused it as it revolves around a group of outsiders who take on Wall Street.
The comedy is a co-production between Showtime and Sony Pictures Television, where Rogen and Goldberg as well as Caspe are under overall deals.
Cheadle, who won a Golden Globe and scored four Emmy nominations for Showtime comedy House of Lies, stars as Rod “The Jammer” Jaminski, a self-educated, self-made, self-destructive master of the universe whose firm the financial press called, “The L.A. Raiders of corporate raiders.” Rannells, a two-time Tony nominee, plays Blair Shmerman, a fresh-out-of-Wharton trading prodigy whose pure heart will struggle to survive Wall Street (from both a metaphoric and cocaine standpoint). Jammer’s top lieutenant, Dawn Darcy, has yet to be cast. Darcy is the first female head trader on the street, who’ll ride the second wave of feminism through a sea of horny millionaires.
Caspe and Cahan (My Best Friend’s Girl) will serve as showrunners. Production on the pilot will begin in February.
“When the global economy incinerates itself, people always wonder why. Ball Street is a dream project rising from the ashes of that disaster,” said Showtime CEO David Nevins. “In Don Cheadle and Andrew Rannells, we have two of the most dynamic performers in the world today — the question is which one of them lit the match. With Seth, Evan, David and Jordan at the helm, we are primed for the launch of something memorable.”
Ball Street, which is being redeveloped from a script at Showtime a few years ago, marks the latest foray for Rogen and Goldberg, who also exec produce AMC comic book take Preacher and next have Hulu comedy Future Man. They also have FX comedy pilot Singularity in the works. They’re repped by UTA.
Caspe, who created ABC critical favorite Happy Endings, is lifelong friends with Cahan and the duo previously teamed on NBC’s short-lived comedy Marry Me, where the latter was a supervising producer. Caspe is with WME. Cahan is with UTA.
Rannells (NBC’s The New Normal,HBO’s Girls) and Cheadle are also with UTA.
Ball Street is Showtime’s second pilot order and first comedy. It joins Ben Affleck- and Matt Damon-produced drama City on a Hill at the premium cable network.
The pilot pickup comes as Showtime is poised to launch two new half-hour series this year: White Famous and SMILF. Its half-hour comedy roster includes the final season of Episodes (currently airing) as well as season two of little-watched Dice.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Netflix Developing A Hip-Hop Competition Show Titled ‘Rhythm & Flow’ From John Legend
Looks like Netflix is putting their hand in the pot of the reality music competition game!
The streaming giant is developing Rhythm & Flow, a hip-hop competiton show from John Legend.
Legend is working on it with former NBC executive Jeff Gaspin and Primary Wave Entertainment.
Variety, who broke the news, says “the unscripted series is a classic shiny-floor music competition that focuses on a particular genre: hip-hop music.”
It is unclear if Legend would just be behind the scenes or on camera, or if any other talent that will star in the show.
While Netflix has done a ton of unscripted content, this would be their first foray into a competition-style program.
This would be one of the first reality music competitions with a targeted focus, their being on hip-hop, soul and R&B.
This announcement also comes at ABC has revived American Idol and FOX is beginning their own competition, The Four. NBC has also ordered The Stream, which could replace one out of two of The Voice seasons each year.
Source: Shadow & Act
WATCH: Stand Up Performance By Comedian Cookie Hull!
Watch comedian Cookie Hull, in this “Stripper Bitch” comedy routine below. Hull is an actress, comedian, and writer best known for Snoop Dogg Presents: The Bad Girls of Comedy, Afternoon Delight Live on Hollywood and Vine, and Internet Dating. Hull also recently was on a national tour with Katt Williams and is under Hollywood’s radar as a comedian to watch.
Check out the video below;
Whoopi Goldberg Lands In New Film With Charlie Sheen In ‘9/11’ Drama
Atlas Distribution will open 9/11 in several hundred locations this weekend, timed to the 16th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon as well as United Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, PA. The latter was itself detailed in Paul Greengrass’ 2006 film United 93. In 9/11, Charlie Sheen and Whoopi Goldberg are part of a group of people who find themselves trapped in an elevator in the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Industry folks will be busy up at the Toronto Film Festival, but in the states, there is a busy schedule of new films opening theatrically. IFC Films is bowing Rebel In the Rye about writer J.D. Salinger, while The Orchard is opening Sundance documentary Trophy, which it hopes to make traction on the awards circuit. China Lion is opening hot Chinese doc Twenty Two after picking up the title recently, and Grasshopper films will roll out SXSW debuter, Spettacolo exclusively in New York.
Other limited release openers on the docket include Memoir of a Murder from Well Go USA, Magnolia’s School Life, Paradise Club from Indican, Napping Princess from GKIDS. Additionally, Sony will open comedy Poster Boys with limited bows Friday.
Atlas Distribution
9/11
Director-writer: Martin Guigui
Writer: Steven Golebiowski
Cast: Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, Luis Guzman, Gina Garson, Wood Harris, Jacqueline Bisset, Olga Fonda, Bruce Davison
Distributor: Atlas Distribution Company
Martin Guigui’s feature film, 9/11, shot at Long Beach, California’s Thunder Studios a bit over a year ago. Starring Charlie Sheen and Whoopi Goldberg, the feature centers on a group of five people trapped in an elevator in the World Trade Center’s North Tower on 9/11. They work together, never giving up, to try to escape before the unthinkable happens.
“This is an unusual sort of film in that we want to message it out while being respectful of the subject matter. It’s sensitive obviously,” said Stephan Manpearl, who is spearheading the marketing campaign on the film for Atlas Distribution Company, which is releasing the title Friday. “We want to honor the memories of the people who lost their lives. It is still a commercial picture, not a documentary, but there is a fine line that makes it a balance between the two.”
Initially, the company released a trailer that was not well-received by viewers, but a second trailer came out a week later in early August that spurred positive reaction. In the second one, the primary actors in the film are simply talking heads conveying their personal feelings about what motivated them to take on their roles, giving thoughts about the first responders and others who died at the World Trade Center that day.
“The second one gives a personal touch for what we’re saying and the actors were great about doing that,” said Manpearl. “It was authentic in conveying why they wanted to do the movie. So, the campaign is just making people aware of the movie, while honoring and telling the story of five random people from different walks of life who happened to be in the elevator together.”
Manpearl stressed that the film is on a smaller scale than larger past 9/11 productions including Greengrass’s United 93 (2006) and Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center(2006). “As in many independent films, you don’t have the same resources available as studios, so we did most of our marketing through social media and finding influencers and bloggers who would respond to what the movie is about and sharing that with their constituencies,” he said. “We also had [publicity company] PMK help with that.”
9/11 is opening today in 400-plus theaters in all major markets. In New York, it will play the Empire 25 as well as other locations in the metropolitan area.
IFC Films
Rebel In the Rye
Director-writer: Danny Strong
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Spacey, Sarah Paulson, Zoey Deutch, Hope Davis, Victor Garber
Distributor: IFC Films
Multi-hyphenate Danny Strong happened upon Kenneth Slawenski’s book J.D. Salinger: A Life in New York’s East Village back in 2012. While reading the biography he decided it wanted to option the book with an eye at directing. “I took him to lunch and convinced him to option it to me,” said Strong. “I told him I write it and sell it to a mini-major and it may not get made, or I could do it on spec and we’ll have a better chance of getting the movie made.”
Set amidst the colorful backdrop of mid-20th century New York City, Rebel in the Rye follows a young Salinger (Nicholas Hoult) as he struggles to find his voice, pursues a love affair with famed socialite Oona O’Neill (Zoey Deutch), and fights on the frontlines of World War II. It’s these experiences that will inform the creation of his masterpiece, The Catcher in the Rye, bringing him overnight fame and notoriety, but leading him to withdraw from the public eye for the rest of his life.
Strong was not able to tackle the screenplay right away, however due to his commitments to The Hunger Games, but then had a draft of the title within six months, including notes from his producers who he tapped to board the project. After meeting with a number of financiers, production company Black Label Media came on with financing.
The production’s next challenge was finding the person who would play J.D. Salinger. Strong saw footage of Nicholas Hoult’s films and was “blown away” by his versatility. “Nicholas auditioned with other actors and he was clearly the one,” said Strong. “Then when we got Kevin Spacey as Whit, I had a film.”
Rebel In the Rye shot over 26 days in New York City, which was “very much a challenge,” according to Strong given the tight schedule and the frenzy of the U.S.’s largest city. Post was an abbreviated process in order to be ready for Sundance. After its World Premiere, Strong went back into the edit. “It was like a test screening,” he said. “And I [decided] I had to make some changes.”
IFC Films picked up the title out of the festival. The film had its New York premiere Wednesday at the Metrograph, which, along with cast and filmmakers, also brought out Kristen Stewart, Harry Connick, Jr., Erich Bergen, Paul Haggis, Whit Stillman and more. Rebel In the Rye opens in select locations today.
Orchard/CNN Films
Trophy
Director: Shaul Schwarz, Christina Clusiau
Distributor:
The Orchard and CNN Films picked up North American rights to Sundance documentary Trophy in a deal that Deadline reported at the time was close to $2M. The feature is an early non-fiction awards contender as the title heads out into theaters as the season gets underway.
Trophy journeys viewers across lush African forests and vast plains and into the world’s largest hunters’ convention in Las Vegas as it investigates the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation. Through the eyes of impassioned individuals who drive these industries—from a Texas-based trophy hunter to the world’s largest private rhino breeder in South Africa—the film grapples with the consequences of imposing economic value on animals. What are the implications of treating animals as commodities? Do breeding, farming and hunting offer some of the few remaining options to conserve our endangered animals?
“The minute we saw it, we were taken by it,” said The Orchard’s EVP of Film and Television Paul Davidson. “When evaluating whether you want [a film] for release, there needs to be something that creates desire to go to a theater to see a movie. It needs to feel theatrical in terms of scope and scale. The beauty and scale is great in Trophy, and the messaging in the film is an eye-opening experience.”
Davidson said that the film will play for people on both sides of the debate about big game hunting and noted that the company worked with “multiple grassroots groups that may not agree with the other side, but are open to discourse.”
Added Davidson: “Most people feel big game hunting is full-scale bad, but what they have done with this movie is a testament [ to the filmmakers] at being open to questions and uncovering all sides of the argument. It doesn’t tie-up neatly at the end. There is not a clear-cut answer.”
Theatrically, The Orchard will open Trophy in New York this weekend at The Quad where the filmmakers will take part in post-screening Q&As with photo editors from leading publications. Directors Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau are veteran photographers, which The Orchard is also touting in its promotion. Next weekend, the title will play Laemmle Santa Monica where Alec Baldwin will moderate discussion with the filmmakers. On September 26, Trophy will play 100-plus locations across the country as one-night event screenings via theatrical on-demand group, TUGG. Additionally, Trophy will play 50 markets in traditional release in major markets.
Said Davidson: “There are a lot of folks who are not typically documentary-goers like hunters and folks in middle America who are interested in this and that’s seen in the TUGG [events].” Trophy will have an IDA screening September 14.
China Lion
Twenty Two
Director: Guo Ke
Distributor: China Lion
Chinese documentary Twenty Two was a last minute U.S. pick-up for distributor China Lion. The company was familiar with the short that the feature is based on and the distributor took note when the title cracked the top five grossing films at home during its August release. Twenty Two picks up two years after Thirty Two. The latest title has grossed over $25M at home to date, according to China Lion.
“It’s an incredibly important story that was further supported on social media and elsewhere by popular Chinese actors, actresses and directors championing the film and encouraging the public to go see it,” said China Lion’s Robert Lundberg.
Twenty Two follows the lives of the elderly survivors who were forced into sex slavery as “Comfort Women” by the Japanese during World War II. At the time of filming, only 22 of these women were still alive to tell their stories; through their own personal histories and perspectives, they tell a tale that should never be forgotten to generations unaware of the brutalization that occurred.
China Lion is targeting student groups, North American-based government entities and local first-language Chinese speakers who are familiar with the topic. The company is engaged in a bigger-scale grassroots push to academics than it has done in with past titles.
“For the most part there is a correlation between theatrical box office success in the Mainland and elsewhere in the world, provided the marketing materials reflect the change of locale and the expectations of both Chinese speakers and non-Chinese speakers,” said Lundberg. “We’re hoping to see this success with Twenty Two. Additionally, we cut an international trailer for the film and we highlighted support by well-known supporters of the film like director Feng Xiaogang.”
China Lion will focus on its historically top markets as it takes the title to theaters today, opening in 11 theaters with an eye to expanding further as word-of-mouth sets in. Added Lundberg: “The film is an incredibly moving account of a very dark time in history, but still shows how society has come together and supported these victims of a war.”
Grasshopper Films
Spettacolo
Directors: Jeff Malmberg, Christina Shellen
Distributor: Grasshopper Films
Marwencol filmmakers (and spouses) Jeff Malmberg and Christina Shellen were on vacation together in Italy when they stumbled upon their next feature film topic. They noticed that the town, Monticchiello, did not have some of the quaint trappings of many Tuscan villages.
“We were fascinated,” said Shellen recalling their first visit in 2008. “We sat on it for a couple years, but then we went back and saw the theater [in the village] and it was incredible. The town’s people have spent 50 years joking about themselves and then they allowed two Americans in.”
Spettacolo focuses on a tiny hill town in the Italian region of Tuscany. The villagers came up with a way to confront their issues: they turned their lives into a play. Every summer, their piazza became their stage and residents of all ages played a part – the role of themselves. Monticchiello’s annual tradition has attracted worldwide attention and kept the town together for 50 years, but with an aging population and a future generation more interested in Facebook than farming, the town’s 50th–anniversary performance just might be its last.
The duo translated their 2010 feature documentary, Marwencol, into Italian in order to show the locals that their concept was more of a portrait than a news piece. “They got it when they saw it,” said Malmberg. “Our first directorial decision was to live their for six months [in 2012]. They’re used to a certain kind of ‘soft shoot’ about their theater, so there was a process to get around that and go underneath to something that was more interesting and an honest portrayal of what the theater is. We could see the cracks. It stopped necessarily being this all-beautiful thing that tied them altogether.”
Tribeca Film Institute gave a grant which allowed them to begin the project. More funds also came via Guggenheim, Sundance Documentary Fund, the National Endowment for the Humanities and Creative Capital. The bulk of the project shot over the six months while the pair lived there.
Malmberg and Shellen learned Italian quickly during their stay after a translator they hired fell through. At first the locals were patient with them, but the two realized they were going to have to overcome the language barrier in order to complete the film. “We basically had to learn through immersion,” said Shellen. “We speak at the intermediate level now. It was enough to cull through the footage.
“What we realized was that the best material was Italian vérité,” said Malmberg. “The way they speak to each other is musical, overlapping and complex. There was a lot of edit time involved.”
Spettacolo debuted at SXSW and will open at The Quad in New York this weekend before adding select markets in the coming weeks.
Source: Deadline
Dave Chappelle Wins Best Guest Actor In A Comedy Series for ‘SNL’
Dave Chappelle won his first Emmy Award – Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – for making his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on the NBC late-night franchise’s first post-election edition. Chappelle won the statuette in a field that included two other SNL hosts: Tom Hanks and Lin Manuel.
Saturday Night Live‘s Chappelle-hosted November 12 edition also delivered the franchise’s season high in adults 18-49 and total viewers, and the show’s highest 18-49 rating since 2013.
North Carolina viewers who watch the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on FXX will be at something of a disadvantage when it comes to this award, having not been able to experience Chappelle’s performance. North Carolina NBC affiliate WRAL-TV bleeped Chappelle repeatedly during his opening monologue and other sketches, including the very funny Walking Dead parody. In a statement, the station sniffed it “has a station obscenity, decency and profanity policy that outlines 10 specific words that will not be broadcast on our air.” Chappelle used two of those words – on nine different occasions.
Chappelle later apologized for the opening monologue, saying he “f*cked up.” Not for the language. Chappelle apologized for having told SNL’s viewers they should give the Celebrity Apprentice star turned new President of the United States a chance.
