Mild Life Crisis: Comedy Fest Q&A

Comedy Fest Q&A –

A MILD LIFE CRISIS – each comedian in the show has answered the questions.

Brad Zimmerman

Tell us the name of your show:

1. A Mild Life Crisis

Which came first – the show name or the show content?

2. The content came first, and became the link between the three of us performers. We're all miserable old bastards (some of us before our time)

C’mon, be honest…. 

3. That was pretty honest, I reckon.

Any other working titles for the show?

4. My favourite working title is "Three Dumpy Unattractive White Guys Talk About Their Problems"

How long – honestly- have you been working on this?

5. Long enough to know it's going to rock your young world. whippersnapper. Or more accurately since last year's Comedy Festival.

What’s been the biggest challenge of pulling this show together? 

6. Biggest challenge has been getting the three of us in the same place long enough to hash things out. We're old, but we're all quite busy.

Who’s your biggest comedy rival – and why?

7. We're all in this crazy game together. Who has time for rivalry?

Who’s your biggest comedy friend – and why?

8. We're all in this crazy game together. Who has time for friendship?

Which show is your must see? Why?

9. Oh so many! That's what's great (and terrible) about the Festival. I really want to see what Adam Wright can do, in his first ever solo show (Adam Wright: Utopia). Also internationals like Steve Hughes and Tom Wrigglesworth.

Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival.

10. A great night out at the Festival is seeing three shows at the same venue, in one night. Local shows are often the best value for money and the best way to soak in heaps of comedy at once. (Try Kitty O'Sheas)

What goes through your mind, the minute before curtain goes up? 

11. I just remind myself that everybody in the room wants me to succeed. If I'm funny, then the audience has a good time, and I have a good time as well. We all win.

What about when you’re on stage?

12. When I'm on stage I'm thinking about how much time has passed so far, what the next few jokes are, if my closing joke is going to work, what that girl in the front row was thinking when she did her hair like that, where that guy over by the bar got his cool t-shirt, is my fly undone, why isn't that old guy laughing with everyone else, and a million other things.

How easily distracted are you?

13. If you look above, you'll see the answer is "very easily".

14. Dream comedy lineup?
Wow. Um, Louis CK, Mitch Hedberg, Sarah Millican, Hannibal Burress, Ricky Gervais, Daniel Kitson, Pete Holmes, I could list names all day if you had the print space.

Just finally, where will you be in 5 years’ time. 

15. In five years time, I'll be standing in the street, crying like a wuss, because my daughter just started her first day of school. She's about to be born in a few more weeks, you see... that's my mild life crisis.

Ricky Threlfo

Comedy Fest Q&A

1) Tell us the name of your show: What Brad said.

2) Which came first – the show name or the show content?
The content. We used a computer algorithm to come up with the show name. The best it could come up with was a pun.

3) C’mon, be honest…. Neither.

4) Any other working titles for the show?
The Medicine (shameless plug for my weekly show, 8pm, every Wed night at ‘Cavern Club’, Wellington)

5) How long – honestly- have you been working on this?
For the last 12 months . . . to the detriment of my day job.

6) What’s been the biggest challenge of pulling this show together?
It was pretty easy actually, no other comedians wanted to work with us. We’re that funny.

7) Who’s your biggest comedy rival – and why?
What Brad said.

8) Who’s your biggest comedy friend – and why?
John Doe, he's put on 15 kilograms of funny in the last 12 months.

9) Which show is your must see? Why?
Let me check the program and get back to you.

10) Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival.
Seeing our show of course!

11) What goes through your mind, the minute before curtain goes up?
We don’t have a curtain!

12) What about when you’re on stage?
Where is everybody?

13) How easily distracted are you?
What’s the time?

14) Give us your dream comedy line up:
Hannibal Burress, Paul F Tompkins, Patrice O’Neil, Bill Burr.

15) Just finally, where will you be in 5 years’ time.
If the apocalypse doesn’t happen, I’ll probably be relaxing on a yacht or working on goat farm.

15. In five years time, I'll be standing in the street, crying like a wuss, because my daughter just started her first day of school. She's about to be born in a few more weeks, you see... that's my mild life crisis.

Tito

1)      Tell us the name of your show

A Mild Life Crisis

2)      Which came first – the show name or the show content?

The title

3)      C’mon, be honest….

Ok, ok… The title.

4)      Any other working titles for the show?

Well it was originally going to be called The Young Professionals Guide to a Life Crisis, my friend Jared Bosecke came up with that. But he got given a solo show so I ran with his idea to the other guys and we came up with what we have now.

5)      How long – honestly- have you been working on this?

I haven’t even started working on my material. I should probably get on to that eh?

6)      What’s been the biggest challenge of pulling this show together?

Trying to juggle my commitments between full time employment, comedy, my girlfriend and not many people know this, but I am Sheamus from the WWE.

7)      Who’s your biggest comedy rival – and why?

The audience. They’re the ones that you have to try and impress and make laugh. I view them as my competition.

8)      Who’s your biggest comedy friend – and why?

Tough to choose just one so I’ll choose the Work Stories guys that I performed with in the last two festivals, Ants, Dan, Jared and Vitale.

9)      Which show is your must see? Why?

Reginald D Hunter has been a favourite of mine for a while now. I can’t wait to see him and I think New Zealand audiences will love him. He’s intelligent, witty and has boundary pushing material. Most of all though, he’s hilarious. Also, make sure if you’re in Wellington that you check out Jared Bosecke and Alexander Sparrow.

10)   Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival

Performing your show to a sold out audience, then heading back to the San Fran for drinks and a lock in with other comedy peeps and being lead in a rendition of Piano Man by Vaughan King! Now that’s a pretty sweet night!

11)   What goes through your mind, the minute before curtain goes up?

The first sentence that I’m going to say. If I can get that out without any trouble then I tend to be all good.

12)   What about when you’re on stage?

To have fun and enjoy what you do. But also, don’t fuck it up!

13)   How easily distracted are you?

Too easily distracted, especially by YouTube! I’m usually like “Ooh, I have to watch that NOW!”. It’s generally comedy or pro wrestling videos.

14)   Give us your dream comedy line up

Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor, Jim Jeffries, Steve Hughes, Reginald D Hunter and Billy Connolly

15)   Just finally, where will you be in 5 years’ time

I’d like to think that I’m living off my millions that I’ve made from comedy and bank rolling the Taranaki NPC team. But in all likelihood I’ll be cleaning out cement from kiln number 2 at Holcim in Westport…Or living in Featherston? Both are pretty bad…

Brad, Ricky and Tito perform A MILD LIFE CRISIS (AKL 25 - 26 April & WLG 7 - 10 May) as part of the 2014 NZ International Comedy Festival in cahoots with Old Mout Cider (24 – 18 May).  For more info visit www.comedyfestival.co.nz

Transcendence: Movie Review

Transcendence: Movie Review

Cast: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy
Director: Wally Pfister

There are some big beefy sci-fi and existential questions under scrutiny in Transcendence.

Johnny Depp stars as Dr Will Caster, an artificial intelligence researcher who's part of a team that wants to create a sentient artificial machine. But his desire to do so isn't universally shared, with a splinter terrorist group (called RIFT) violently opposed to doing so.

When Caster's shot at an event as part of a simultaneous terror attack, it transpires the bullet's laced with polonium and he begins to succumb to radiation poisoning. However, this merely pushes Caster and his wife, Evelyn (Hall) ahead with their project to upload his consciousness to a computer.

Aided by long time friend, Max (Bettany), the project falters, but suddenly, Caster's consciousness takes hold, and grows, putting them all on a moral and physical collision course with the RIFT separatists.

Transcendence is a case of great ideas, great cast but terrible execution.

Pfister's eye as a cinematographer is clearly evident throughout, with some truly gorgeous shots on display, but it appears his aptitude as a director is somewhat lacking as the film lapses into cliched horror movie territory, having squandered an intellectually impressive premise.

Depp is comatose as Caster, before he actually becomes comatose as a version of 80s icon Max Headroom on a screen - he's no HAL that's for sure; Hall goes from desperate wife unable to let go to horrified at what she's created and Paul Bettany's Max is the worst offender - initially, fully on board with Caster's plan, but kidnapped by RIFT and appears to turn against him without any hint of reason other than being locked in a cage like a monkey by a Julian Assange blonde haired lead terrorist, played with dead behind the eyes by Kate Mara.

Lapses in logic and story-telling blight Transcendence, turning it from a great sci-fi premise to a schlocky B- movie fest that takes in cliches aplenty. Visually, it's mightily impressive and on an intellectual, it has pretensions above its director's grasp. For a techno-thriller, it veers more into plodding than riveting and dulls any initial interest with a lack of cohesion.

Ultimately, Transcendence is a wasted opportunity all round as it teeters into cliched sci-fi territory and revels in the hokum of science and wastes its cast instead of concentrating on solid story-telling.

Rating:

Penny Ashton Comedy Fest Q&A

Penny Ashton Comedy Fest Q&A

Tell us the name of your showPromise and Promiscuity: A New Musical by Jane Austen and Penny Ashton

Which came first – the show name or the show content?The Title

C’mon, be honest….How dare you challenge my propriety.

Any other working titles for the show?Indeed not, I knew it had to be immediately evocative of our beloved Miss Jane Austen and that it also had to have her name in it. Mine is secondary you understand.

How long – honestly- have you been working on this?
You seem to intimate we comics are tardy in our preparations. I began toiling on my theatrical in mid 2012. I workshopped it with the eminantly eligible Mr Ben Crowder in late 2012 and debuted it at the charming Auckland Fringe Festival 2013.  From there it toured to that other colony; Canada, where it received the most wondrous reviews that I couldn’t possibly mention as it would not be humble. (Oh if you insist; 5 Stars, CBC, Manitoba.)  Since then it is booked to appear a mere 73 times this year….. as unbecoming as it is for a lady to work you understand. I expect I’ll be tired and distinctly unmarried by the end of it all.

What’s been the biggest challenge of pulling this show together?
For the intial production I would have to say trusting in myself to write a play, having never done that before. I seriously had no clue if I could or not.  Having improvised about 40 Austen Musicals with my improv troupe I knew what japes worked well, but who knew about the rest.  It seems I can, thanks be to the heavens.  The fun part was making my bonnet with a newfangled hot glue gun, and designing my most fetching costume.

Who’s your biggest comedy rival – and why?
Emily Bronte.  That bitch has it coming.

Who’s your biggest comedy friend – and why?
My partner, Mr Matthew Harvey. He is relatively new to the world of performance and comedy, but he staged a most accomplished Fringe show of his comedy poetry that was most pleasing and had the audience in stitiches. He is there to bounce ideas off of, whether he likes it or not, and is my metaphorical standing ovation every single day.

Which show is your must see? Why?
Oliver Twisted: An Improvised Dickens. I must see it as I am also in it and it will be very hard not to see it therefore. It will ALSO be a very silly fun time involving ladies of the night and vile foodstuffs. Otherwise Tom Wrigglesworth. I saw his last show and enjoyed the humour AND the heart in it.  I read that this is similar in that respect.

Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival
A fantastic show followed by a cheeky beer, always must be beer, then chatting to people who make a living doing the same sort of stupid things I do.

What goes through your mind, the minute before curtain goes up?
This corset is very tight.

What about when you’re on stage?
I eagerly anticipate the lines are know are packed with laughs. I can't wait to get to them.  It’s also possible to think about entirely mundane things when you’re onstage like what you’ll have for lunch the next day.

How easily distracted are you?
Well in Fort McMurray Canada, I was doing this show and the 6 month old screaming baby distracted me quite a lot. So much so I kicked her out. Well her Mum. Her 2 year old sister hadn’t been too quiet either. I gently reminded said mama I am not a TV.

Give us your dream comedy line up
Bette Midler, Dame Edna, Shirley McLaine, Louis CK, Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler. It’d be weird, but the oestrogen would get me totally high in a very good way.

Just finally, where will you be in 5 years’ time
IN Auckland, still not affording a house, marrying people (as a celebrant, not a Mormon), enjoying life and probably still recovering from my 45th birthday 2 months earlier. 
Penny Ashton performs her show PENNY ASHTON IN PROMISE AND PROMISCUITY A New Musical by Jane Austen and Penny Ashton in Auckland Tue 6 May - Sat 10 May, 7pm. 
For more information visit www.comedyfestival.co.nz

Old Mout Comedy Gala Review

Old Mout Cider Comedy Gala Review

It was a veritable smorgasbord of comics served up for your entertainment at the launch of the New Zealand International Comedy festival in Auckland.

21 in total - including the impish and anarchic host, Irishman Jason Byrne. He got off to an anally obsessed start and there were concerns that this was to be his obsession throughout, but thankfully, scatalogical humour was soon sidelined for a geniality that impressed as a host and a repartie that thrived on audience interaction and an uncertainty over what was to come next. (Complete with Wrecking Ball opening that had the audience in stitches) I'd be interested to see what a show he provides as being an MC is a completely different role to having a solo show, but with a quick wit and clever insight, he's clearly got an edge to watch.

It has to be said as well, that for the most part, the international visitors had the edge over the local comics - from the glee of Reginald D Hunter, who's making his first visit to New Zealand and seems genuinely thrilled to be here to last year's crowd favourite James Acaster (with some popular material from last year), there was a frisson of something different about them.

That's not to say the locals didn't put up a good fight - from last year's Fred Award, Jarred Christmas' obsessions to Guy Williams' taking his virtual war against Bishop Brian Tamaki into the real world, there was something for everyone at the opening. Samoan contender for any kind of Rat Pack revival James Nokise intoned how twerking was pooing in an earthquake in Samoa, before turning R&B tunes into reality. (Seriously, that guy always looks so damned smart wherever he goes). Show closer Rhys Darby got dangerously close to jazz ballet thanks to his finely honed pins and some silly physical comedy over theft and pickpockets.

It's good to see Jamie Bowen back on the comedy scene here, after a UK imposed absence which has done his brand of edginess no harm and provided material aplenty. His deduction of how life is like a box (not of chocolates though) belied a ferocious intelligence that burns still brightly.

Elsewhere, Rose Matafeo and Urzila Carlson flew the flag for the female contingent with both musing on life but on completely different tangents. Matafeo used her awkwardness to channel one of the best vibrating phones I've ever heard and Carlson put the fear of goodness into anyone ever planning to leave food on their plate again.

While there were some insights into the human condition (mainly from abroad) - UK Stalwart and top performer Steven K Amos rued the role of spokespeople , John Gordillo talked gay marriage and generational misunderstandings, US comic Reginald D Hunter got inside the Oscar Pistorius case in a way no-one else had - others settled for the smaller details in life.

UK comic Carl Donnelly mused on how a crumpet nearly killed him but veered off into a discussion about who drills the holes in the top and Brit comedienee Sara Pascoe talked irrational fears to comic ends. Aussie Steve Hughes very nearly lost the audience with a few edgy comments about the missing flight MH370 but showed how his dangerous skewed view on life can be a good thing if you like darker moments.

Aussie comic (and Super Mario Bros impersonator) Sam Simmons' bread obsession nearly got the better of the audience in a few moments of complete absurdity and Tom Binns as psychic Ian D Montford brilliantly and perfectly managed to send up those who make a living from psychics and their general vagueness. But audience interaction with 2 people left you wondering if he had some real skills on this front or whether they were plants. Still, he marked himself out as one to watch.

Paul Ego, Ben Hurley, Marcel Lucont and Nick Rado completed the line up too; all offering something different and providing more comic for your dollar seemed to be the way forward for the night, occasionally leading to a feeling that the bird was over-stuffed with goodness and that 4 minutes for each was just not enough.

There are certainly plenty of offerings in Auckland and Wellington over the next few weeks as the festival kicks in and it's worth getting in among the mix to get a giggle or two as the dark nights draw in.

For more on the NZ Comedy Festival and to book tickets, visit their website.

Half of A Yellow Sun: Movie Review

Half of A Yellow Sun: Movie Review

Cast: Chiwetel Eijofor, Thandie Newton, John Boyega
Director: Biyi Bandele

Based on the novel by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the story of Half Of A Yellow Sun concentrates on four people trying to live their lives during the Nigerian war of 1967-1970.

The film focuses on two sisters, Olanna (Newton) and Kainene as they are caught up in the conflict. Olanna's move in with her professor lover (played by 12 Years A Slave star Chiwetel Eijofor) brings about repercussions that none of them could have expected as the explosions of the coup outside match the emotional bombs going off at home.

Half of A Yellow Sun is one of those movies that's earnest in intentions, expertly well crafted, but feels occasionally aloof in its execution.

Using archive newsreel footage to serve as exposition for what's going on around them, Bandele chooses to let the people live in the moment rather than spend time setting the scene. The resulting shocks therefore feel a little calculated and serve to punctuate the narrative rather than help it along - a wedding is interrupted by shelling bringing horror into what should be a happy moment.

As the melodrama increases, there's the feeling that none of the characters are eminently likeable or leave you feel you should support them as the horrors of civil war come closer to home; it's a curious feeling and one that's more about how unlikeable people deal with difficult circumstances, but it does leave you wondering about its resolution. Talking of which, an out of left field end jars a little as it bookends the events in the Nigerian conflict.

Heartfelt, earnest and at times, a little slow to progress, Half of a Yellow Sun feels simply like a series of mounting tensions that are punctuated by little to no resonance - each character's motivations for their behaviour are too OTT to leave you caring - and for a film where the horrors of war match the horrors of home, it's a queasy unsatisfying mix.

Rating:

Lego: The Hobbit: PS4 Review

Lego: The Hobbit: PS4 Review

Released by Travellers Tales
Format: PS4

And so, the LEGO train keeps on rolling.

This latest sees Peter Jackson's miniature heroes miniaturised even further, with an adventure that encapsulates the whole of the Hobbit films so far - with DLC promised for the final flick when it arrives.

Following the movie more or less word for word, the humour of the LEGO stories is there for all and sundry to keep up with - once again, you get to play the entire cast of the films as they try and free their kingdom from the wicked dragon Smaug.

The platformer has a few new touches this time around - particularly for the Hobbit. One of these is you get to pick up collectibles around the lego world to trade in to make bits for doors or hooks and keys which are needed - it's a nice touch which adds a bit more than the usual collect all the studs, minikits and other such items. The other new touch is a chance to buddy up with another player to smash items or to work as a team when it counts - again, it's a smart way to deepen the LEGO experience and one which suggests Travellers Tales isn't trying to rest on its mighty laurels. You also get to build LEGO models within the games, under a timer, to collect studs all together and this component is also in the LEGO Movie Videogame - it's one that requires a brief bit of getting used to, but adds a nice touch as you still get to "build" LEGO as it were.

The Hobbit has all the touches of the Tolkein game you'd expect and there's a sheen to it on the PS4 that makes it look flashy and cutesy. Particularly the opening sequences where Bilbo meets the dwarves one by one, (which are faithful to the film) but they have the kind of kiddie appeal that's hard to deny.

Minigames within, collecting bits and bobs - really the LEGO MO hasn't changed much with this title; the battles are a little larger and the chances to buddy up are a welcome relief. The crafting element has added to it as well, giving you a bit more to do, but all in all, the LEGO Hobbit doesn't deviate too far away from what it's supposed to - it brings fun and games to the LEGO world, mixes in a dash of Tolkein and provides an unexpected journey into fun over the Easter holidays.

Rating:

The LEGO Movie: The Video Game: PS4 Review

The LEGO Movie: The Video Game: PS4 Review

Released by Travellers Tales
Platform: PS4

It's a LEGO smorgasbord at the moment.

What with The Lego Movie, and The Lego Hobbit, the plastic blocks have never had such a collective hold on our conscience.

The first out of the box (as far as this reviewer is concerned) is the game based on the movie, which is of course, based on the toy. Verily the head doth rotate. Following very closely the events of the film you take control of Emmett, Wyldstyle, Vitruvius and Lego Batman as they take on Lord Business.

But in the true LEGO style, it's upto you to follow the basics of the game as you go through the different parts - from the Old West, to the construction site and to Cloud CuckooLand, where Unikitty rules and Batman's sardonic tone comes to the fore.

As you negotiate the different environments, there's definitely the feeling that the random nature of the film has followed through to the game. But there's also a lot more fun here - while the cutscenes seem directly ripped from the movie, the gameplay itself is a lot more free-wheeling. Levels require you to search out instructions to build a creation at the end to try and save the day. As you fire up the instructions, you need to select pieces quickly or your LEGO studs rewards drop away very speedily.

In terms of the randomness, I think having a Quick Time Event while the construction crew dance to Everything is Awesome like something that the Village People would rock out, is a good start. But that's the thing with the The LEGO Movie - the Video Game, it's not supposed to be taken so seriously; it's just disposable fun that excels and revels in its own simplicity. It's a game for all ages, but youngsters will adore - the levels are just about long enough to avoid wandering attention. Along with the vocal talents channeling the cast, it feels like the genuine article and not just a tie in that is a quick cash in.

With a range of characters to buy through studs and unlock, there's plenty to do here, but it's the depth of the game that really rewards your attention - it's adorably cute, annoyingly addictive (and complete with irritating soundtrack) but it's what a game should be - good fun.

Rating: