Directed, written, and starring Billy Bob Thornton. A great story based in Arkansas about a mentally disabled kid (Karl Childers) who murdered his mom and her lover at the age of twelve. He is released from the psychiatric ward he'd been staying at for over half of his life.
It's a great display of the primal needs of humanity, eating, sleeping, fixing lawn mowers, and creating genuine human connections. It is a very touching and intense story of how Karl befriends a boy (Frank) who is living with his mother and her abusive piece of shit boyfriend.
It is very simple, and straight forward how he lives. And what he does to help Frank. It also co stars Jon Ritter! He is the gay friend of Karl's mom. He is great, and gives a wonderfully vulnerable performance. The film delivers with a solid ending, and reminded me of how basic living has to be, or how people become accustom to their living situations.
It is the film that made Billy Bob Thornton a big deal! It goes to prove that making your own stuff is important, and will make others recognize you for being talented. No wonder they're making a Bad Santa 2. It also shows how country singers are great actors! Dwight Yoakam plays the boy friend, you've seen him from somewhere.
It is on Netflix, watch it before it gets taken off!
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Improv and Stand up
I started doing stand up October 23rd 2013 and I fell in love. I used to stay awake at night dreaming about being on stage and sharing myself at the hopes of laughter. I no longer stay awake every night thinking about doing it because I've done it a decent amount of times. It became my gateway into doing improv. I still love it but don't do it anymore... Last time I did an open mic was in January.
I do comedy now via Improv. I took my first class June 28th 2014 and fell in love with that as well. Going to an Improv jam/workshop/mixer is more bonding to me and not as pain staking as going to an open mic. There is a lot less waiting, and a lot more support from your fellow performers.
Open mics are actually an amazing thing. People can show up and write their name down and perform. You can see some amazing stuff for free, and that's how you start doing stand up. I feel good that I did that before Improv, because it's harder and it made Improv seem so warm and pleasant, because it is. Open mics are the only way to learn stand up, besides classes, but nothing can teach you to perform in front of an audience. With Improv you can take classes and do jams/workshops/mixers. Stand up is the only art form that is learned by doing it in front of an audience... Besides a class, but a class won't help if you don't do an open mic.
I now hang out with improvisers, and meet new teams and people everyday being in the Chicago Improv community. Improv makes me a better person. It helps with listening, empathizing and having people's backs. Stand up is solo, analytical and judgmental. It is the comedian judging society, them self, and the crowd is judging them. Comedians make fun of everything and it is an amazing thing to watch great stand up. It is more of a rogue warrior having the balls to go up by themselves and be completely vulnerable to the world. Watching great Improv is amazing too, watching a seasoned team recognize each others patterns and build a beautiful painting before your eyes is a treasure.
Comparing it to stand up, I would say Improv is building a chair together, and stand up is tearing something down that is already built, or hitting other things with your chair. Yes anding yourself versus yes anding your partner.
I don't really meet new people who are stand ups because I no longer do open mics, but it is something I will always think about, and will get back to eventually. I feel fulfilled in doing Improv comedically. Although I'm sure I'm resisting something in not doing stand up anymore, I still come up with bits in my mind. I have huge love and respect for stand ups, it's so hard to go up by yourself and do poorly over and over. Being up alone allows you to be much more vulnerable to no laughter. It is still a magnificent feeling of defying the audience while you're bombing, and relishing in the laughter that you gave them. Bombing is beautiful in the fear going away, it is often times painful, but you come through it a stronger person. I can remember more times in stan up than in improv of doing poorly, and continuing on, knowing that people probably are still not going to laugh.
I am lucky to know great people in Improv, it is sharing, loving, and always fun. I'm constantly learning, watching and performing. I love the people that I know, they're kind and hilarious and we all want to see each other succeed. I think I am resisting stand up because I don't want to wait to perform. It can take up to hours, and the nerves just build and build as you wait for your turn, and sometimes you don't even get to perform! That's why I admire the successful and working stand ups so much, because they are willing to wait and go up night after night!
I do comedy now via Improv. I took my first class June 28th 2014 and fell in love with that as well. Going to an Improv jam/workshop/mixer is more bonding to me and not as pain staking as going to an open mic. There is a lot less waiting, and a lot more support from your fellow performers.
Open mics are actually an amazing thing. People can show up and write their name down and perform. You can see some amazing stuff for free, and that's how you start doing stand up. I feel good that I did that before Improv, because it's harder and it made Improv seem so warm and pleasant, because it is. Open mics are the only way to learn stand up, besides classes, but nothing can teach you to perform in front of an audience. With Improv you can take classes and do jams/workshops/mixers. Stand up is the only art form that is learned by doing it in front of an audience... Besides a class, but a class won't help if you don't do an open mic.
I now hang out with improvisers, and meet new teams and people everyday being in the Chicago Improv community. Improv makes me a better person. It helps with listening, empathizing and having people's backs. Stand up is solo, analytical and judgmental. It is the comedian judging society, them self, and the crowd is judging them. Comedians make fun of everything and it is an amazing thing to watch great stand up. It is more of a rogue warrior having the balls to go up by themselves and be completely vulnerable to the world. Watching great Improv is amazing too, watching a seasoned team recognize each others patterns and build a beautiful painting before your eyes is a treasure.
Comparing it to stand up, I would say Improv is building a chair together, and stand up is tearing something down that is already built, or hitting other things with your chair. Yes anding yourself versus yes anding your partner.
I don't really meet new people who are stand ups because I no longer do open mics, but it is something I will always think about, and will get back to eventually. I feel fulfilled in doing Improv comedically. Although I'm sure I'm resisting something in not doing stand up anymore, I still come up with bits in my mind. I have huge love and respect for stand ups, it's so hard to go up by yourself and do poorly over and over. Being up alone allows you to be much more vulnerable to no laughter. It is still a magnificent feeling of defying the audience while you're bombing, and relishing in the laughter that you gave them. Bombing is beautiful in the fear going away, it is often times painful, but you come through it a stronger person. I can remember more times in stan up than in improv of doing poorly, and continuing on, knowing that people probably are still not going to laugh.
I am lucky to know great people in Improv, it is sharing, loving, and always fun. I'm constantly learning, watching and performing. I love the people that I know, they're kind and hilarious and we all want to see each other succeed. I think I am resisting stand up because I don't want to wait to perform. It can take up to hours, and the nerves just build and build as you wait for your turn, and sometimes you don't even get to perform! That's why I admire the successful and working stand ups so much, because they are willing to wait and go up night after night!
Sunday, November 6, 2016
COMEDIAN: Nick Swardson
He is one of the first comedians whose Stand up Specials I watched over and over. Which is "Seriously, who Farted?"(2009) which I can't find on YouTube. But can find his newest special called "Taste it" (2016) Link below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t03_yGcitTY
He's in a lot of dumb Adam Sandler movies like "Benchwarmers" "Don't Mess With the Zohan" "The Longest Yard" "Jack and Jill" "Grown Ups" etc. But he is still fucking hilarious. This sounds negative but I really do love him!
He's been in good movies too, "Grandma's Boy" ""Heckler" and "Reno 911" a Good TV show and some other classics like "Buck Larsen, Born to be a Star."
"Pretend Time" was an amazing sketch show that was cancelled. Below is a bunch of clips from it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p5wDf1H3sM&list=PLx1otmbpjXJGt4Pvou4ohLHV-7xlAyNdv
He makes silly broad ridiculous comedies that appeal to all types of people. And some part of me wants to dislike him for not satirizing society, but there is always a place for genuine laughter. Because he really does care about people and humanity. And underneath his outrageous silliness, he wants to make a difference and he is. I always listen to podcasts with him and enjoy his insight and wisdom about comedy, and life and on being ridiculous. He is one of the first people to really make me laugh, and he is a treasure:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t03_yGcitTY
He's in a lot of dumb Adam Sandler movies like "Benchwarmers" "Don't Mess With the Zohan" "The Longest Yard" "Jack and Jill" "Grown Ups" etc. But he is still fucking hilarious. This sounds negative but I really do love him!
He's been in good movies too, "Grandma's Boy" ""Heckler" and "Reno 911" a Good TV show and some other classics like "Buck Larsen, Born to be a Star."
"Pretend Time" was an amazing sketch show that was cancelled. Below is a bunch of clips from it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p5wDf1H3sM&list=PLx1otmbpjXJGt4Pvou4ohLHV-7xlAyNdv
He makes silly broad ridiculous comedies that appeal to all types of people. And some part of me wants to dislike him for not satirizing society, but there is always a place for genuine laughter. Because he really does care about people and humanity. And underneath his outrageous silliness, he wants to make a difference and he is. I always listen to podcasts with him and enjoy his insight and wisdom about comedy, and life and on being ridiculous. He is one of the first people to really make me laugh, and he is a treasure:)
Thursday, November 3, 2016
CUBS WIN
"Nuff said. Went down to Wrigley field top of the 8th inning. Waited for the rain delay. Went into extra innings, and kind of barely watched it on a tiny iPhone. Someone was FaceTiming someone who was recording it for them. Then the place erupted! We 'heard' them win. Everybody started jumping, shoving each other, blasting off fireworks. Only two big fights broke out. I was expecting the city to burn! Like some homeless dude said on the Red Line.
It was surreal. It almost didn't happen. 108 YEARS! Not much else to say. Walking home through Wrigleyville was miraculously incredible. Being HISTORY! Fuck yeaH.
It was surreal. It almost didn't happen. 108 YEARS! Not much else to say. Walking home through Wrigleyville was miraculously incredible. Being HISTORY! Fuck yeaH.
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