Whilst no one is going to go out of their way to suggest The Spy Who Dumped Me is here to reinvent the wheel in its chosen hybrid genres, Susanna Fogel’s kinetic spy caper does a bloody good job at delivering on its advertised packaging. An action-comedy that proves both consistently amusing and alarmingly crazed…
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Given that we can almost outsource every chore, errand, and activity that come our way, it only makes sense that the unfortunate responsibility that is breaking up with someone be a lucrative business too. Enter The Breaker Upperers, a duo of frozen-hearted, screwed-over singletons who appear more than happy to break the heart of someone…
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Hours after landing in Australia, we spoke with US comedian, three time author, podcast host and former host of The Man Show, Doug Stanhope. He exclusively spoke to the AU’s Lachlan Mitchell about his upcoming appearance on an episode of the Roseanne revival, Roseanne Barr’s twitter feed, why he hates sitcoms, why he feels his season of…
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South by Southwest (SXSW) have announced the initial line up for the SXSW Comedy Festival, kicking of 9 to 18 March 2018. The festival will pull guests from all corners of the entertainment industry and showcase film and media icons alongside the next wave of groundbreaking comedic talent. This year will also host performances from…
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A word of warning; if you have a phobia or are allergic to pop corn then Tom Flanagan’s show Kaput is not for you. For everyone else though, read on. Kaput is a show in the mold of the ageless slap-stick style, from comics such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton to more modern day…
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The Alvarez Family’s return on January 26th is an understated mark of success for One Day at a Time. Centring on the lives of a Cuban-American family surviving under the Trump administration, the Netflix sitcom is a cultural manifesto, exploring Latin American family tropes through a period of uncertainty and division in the US. With the…
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Primarily known for the defining Australian classic Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, writer/director Stephan Elliott is hoping his latest cinematic venture earns similar status and praise. A labor of love, Swinging Safari is a semi-autobiographical comedy that expresses the trials and tribulations of Elliott’s own childhood through a series of wild montages that highlight the…
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In the lead up to its national release on January 18th, the cast and crew of the new Australian comedy Swinging Safari strutted their stuff down the orange carpet to talk all about their crazy new film, one which has the potential to earn classic status alongside director Stephan Elliott‘s defining feature, Priscilla, Queen of…
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Just To Be Sure (Ôtez-moi d’un doute) is a French comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It deals with some important and weighty issues like: family, identity and roots but handles these in a quirky and funny way. What could have been a self-proclaimed neo-Greek tragedy actually turns out to be a fun and…
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Who ever would’ve thought the day would come that Mel Gibson would be re-established enough to earn himself a prime role in a family-aimed comedy? Whilst the controversial figure has been steadily working over the least few years, either headlining under-seen projects (Get The Gringo, Blood Father) or co-starring in ensemble pieces (Expendables 3, Machete…
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Eleanor Shellstrop opens her eyes to find that she’s arrived in the afterlife. It appears – to her relief – that she made it to The Good Place (heaven). After being told she earnt her place in paradise because she saved innocent people from death row, she realises she has accidentally taken someone’s identity and…
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At a time when most animated programmes are crass, cruel or just plain depressing, it’s heartening to know that a show like Bob’s Burgers appears on our screens. The colourful hand-drawn sitcom follows the inane adventures of Bob Belcher (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) as he and his family try to operate their fast-food restaurant…
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This weekend heralds the return of everyone’s favourite anthropomorphic horse, with Netflix streaming the eagerly awaited fourth season of BoJack Horseman. Since its premiere in 2014, the animated comedy has received much praise from critics – despite an initially frosty reception – with some going as far as to call it the best television series…
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When spoofing a film or television series, one could create a shot-for-shot parody of the source material, or merely utilise its formula. The latter approach is the preferred option for many, but that brings with it a need to produce original, compelling material that is worthy of viewing in its own right. Such an example…
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Dating has become a complicated business – gone are the times when respectable men and women would try to court each other civilly. Nowadays, it’s all about Tinder, night clubs and one-night stands, with any hope of a meaningful relationship lost in a sea of lust and horniness. One programme looking to examine these modern…
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I’ve always felt an affinity with Bridget Jones. I, too, am hopeless in the realms of romance, and struggle daily to balance my desire to look like Margot Robbie with my simultaneous love of all things chocolate coated. But, after viewing Jude Perl’s comedy show Let’s Hang Out, I’ve realised that I am Jude Perl….
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Fans of off-kilter comedy should find something of value in Jeff Baena’s quirky spoof The Little Hours, a play on the 14th-century Giovanni Boccaccio novella The Decameron. With hefty doses of witchcraft, torture, and pan-sexuality peppered throughout the script, it’s not hard to see some viewers being confounded by Baena’s film just as much as those…
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There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned girl’s night out, so when this show came onto my radar I had to rally up my bestie and make a night of it. The idea of this show is that each night, three different female comedians will take to the stage with Cath Styles as the MC. Now,…
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I am no stranger to the man that is Joel Creasey and with a career as successful as his, you’re a downright nuffy if you haven’t heard of him! I saw his show at last year’s MICF and looooved it, but there is something about this year’s that is a whole other level. Yes, Creasey will…
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The first season of Judd Apatow‘s LOVE wasn’t the most hyped series of Netflix’s roster, but regardless it proved a refreshing take on what a romantic comedy series could be. For the most part, it leaned away from the tropes and kept the focus not on this idealised way we expect romance to be, but…
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Just as emotionally manipulative as the 2011 original Red Dog but less successful in its execution, Red Dog: True Blue looks to merely survive on a superficial level as the “aww shucks” cuteness of the titular canine appears to be the sole reasoning behind this sequel/prequel hybrid coming to fruition. The stunning harsh red dirt…
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Subplots run amok in Office Christmas Party, an overwraught holiday comedy that marks a return to the big screen for directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck, who are best known for the Will Ferrell and Jon Heder mishap Blades of Glory. Though unlike the 2007 sports comedy, the team’s latest feature doesn’t have the thick…
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If inferences can be drawn on the fans of Larry David, then the announcement of a ninth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm is probably being greeted with a lot of nonchalant, unenthusiastic cheers right about now. It has been five years since the friendly face of the neurotic Larry David flashed the screens of HBO…
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Twenty years of travellers’ tales have gone into British comedian Bill Bailey‘s latest show, Larks In Transit, which will be touring Australia and New Zealand later this year. His 15 date tour will see him travel around Australia, sharing tales from two decades as a comedian, from politics, to philosophy, to a painful encounter with Paul…
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Frontier comedy have announced that they’re bringing Police Academy’s Michael Winslow to Australia for his largest tour ever down under. The “Man of 10,000 Voices” sold out his shows when he came to Australia for the 2014 Comedy Festival and now he’ll be running his mouth from June 29 all through August. A mix of…
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Production of ABC comedy series Rosehaven has begun in Tasmania. The creators and stars of the show are well-known Tasmanian comedians Luke McGregor (Luke Warm Sex, Utopia) and Celia Pacquola (Utopia,The Beautiful Lie). Tasmanians also feature prominently among the cast, which includes Tasmanian-based Kris McQuade, Anthony Morgan, Katie Robertson, and Noela Foxcroft, alongside mainlanders David Quirk…
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A lot of visual comedy is driven by big personalities and even bigger setups. However, not all comedy films or shows are in it for the laughs. Some do have a more serious message for audiences in mind, slipped between the punchlines. In anticipation of Tina Fey‘s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, here are four times comedy invaded more serious issues!…
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As a card carrying feminist, my secret desire to be (and, let’s face it, be with) Indiana Jones always felt like something I had to suppress. Not because I didn’t want to get chased by giant boulders or offer up some great one-liners or have someone write “LOVE YOU” on their eyelids (I’ll win the…
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Scott Dooley’s Debut is a “Stand-up comedy film”. It’s not strictly a recorded version of his live show nor is it an in-depth documentary of his travels. In Debut Dools offers us an account of his life spent on the road, performing stand-up and doing promo spots and above all, making people laugh. Dools’ debut…
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Forget the Big Brother finale or the latest instalment of Underbelly, Australia’s television event of 2013 comes with the return of everyone’s favourite (or least favourite) polarising comedian. Chris Lilley’s Ja’mie: Private School Girl essentially picks up where we left off after Summer Heights High – it’s Ja’mie’s last year of high school, she’s the ‘quichest’ girl…
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