Finding the best comedic talent around is no small undertaking. Add to that organizing the talent into a 10-day festival is simply inspiring. Festival director and founder, Lawrin Goulston Salazar, does just that and does it beautifully. This year’s LA Comedy Fest packed in the freshest shorts, features and live acts funny people from around the globe had to offer. Being my first time in attendance I was taken aback at the caliber and variety of all the performances. In the film category you had everything from film school productions to seasoned directorial submissions. The live theatre offered standup, improv, sketch, storytelling and even a comedy magic act. It was quite difficult to narrow down my favorites because I enjoyed it all but I’ve summarized some of the stand out shorts, features and live performances. Enjoy!
This short had me thoroughly surprised and delighted. I had no clue that Comedy Central’s “Mash Up” stars, T.J. Miller and Angela Trimbur were in this flick until the screening. In this short we find out just how far boyfriend David will go to avoid coming in contact with his, most likely, highly contagious girlfriend who he has to visit in the hospital. You will likely recognize Gerry Bednob (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, “Seinfeld”) who mans the front desk and contributes further to David’s germ anxiety. After the screening there was a Q&A in which we found out that the director, Tyler Spindel, had formally done stand-up himself and knew T.J. from his stand-up days. Spindel pointed out that T.J. was very enthusiastic about doing the physical comedy in the short and BOY could you tell. I’d like to point out that this short was voted Best Short Film at Montreal Just for Laughs Festival.
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If you are an admirer of the work of Jim O’Heir (“Parks and Recreation”) and Leslie David Baker (“The Office”) on television then their performances in this short will have you in stitches. Fathers, Larry and Phillip, are invited to an engagement dinner prepared by their respective daughter and son. All hell breaks loose when the two realize that they are sworn childhood rivals. Just how far do they take their conflict? As far as your dysfunctional mind can imagine. This short had superb acting by a superb cast. And to add to the goodness I had the pleasure of meeting Jim O’Heir after the Q&A. Yes, he IS as nice in person as his character Jerry on “Parks and Rec”.
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Teechers
I believe this short may have to be prerequisite viewing prior to entering the teaching field. Director Jon Stahl has captured both the reality and the absurdity of elementary school instruction. Some of my favorite scenes include a frustrated principal dealing with student cursing, a teacher demonstrating the magic of measurement with Hubba Bubba consumption, and a science teacher’s experiment turned tasting lab. A big hand goes out to all the actors including the children! You can view the full movie here.
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This viral gem was actually a British export that found legs on the Internet. The filmmakers put the film up on YouTube and it was viewed by a certain Stephen Fry who in turn tweeted about it. Before they knew it the video had thousands of hits. In this short film Isabel Fay and the Clever Pie team sing an ironic ode to those reviled Internet trolls that lurk the comment section of posts. At the Q&A Fay noted that the video was indeed a byproduct of her personal experience with trolls. It is encouraging to see what can come of turning a bad experience into a positive one. Some of the British comics featured in the video include Richard Herring, Tom Price, Isy Suttie, and Steve Furst. You can view the whole video here.
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Titanic Love
Couple Lucy and Jack appear to be your typical couple. They share a flat and have become comfortable with one another except for one glaring idiosyncrasy. Lucy is obsessed with the movie Titanic. OBSESSED! When the couple’s relationship comes to a crossroads Jack must make a “titanic” decision to please the woman of his dreams. I totally fell in love with this romantic comedy. A charming story and heartfelt performances lend to a truly magical film experience.
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A Portrait of Female Desperation
Wow, wow, and triple wow! This feature had me awestruck on all fronts. The creators of this film began with a simple outline and the rest was improvised. The performances that rose out of this hilarious mock-umentary just blow your mind. Ondine Rarey, the director, producer, and one of the stars of the film had not acted for 12 years until she made this feature. You would never notice. In the film documentary filmmaker Angie, marvelously portrayed by Alice Johnson Boher, follows around her lovelorn roommate Diane with camera in hand as Diane searches for “the one”. The wild goose chase that ensues is pure comedy gold. At the Q&A Alice remarked that filming the feature almost killed her. To that I say, it was sooooo worth it! I only see good things in the future for all those involved with the production.
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What happens when you combine parents, children, and sport? Complete madness! Director Caytha Jentis, a former sports mom herself, has captured the essence of parental participation in organized sports in her wonderful satire. Quite a few comedy heavy hitters made up the cast of this feature. Janeane Garofalo plays a stay-at-home mom new to the after school sports world. Cheri Oteri portrays an attention-seeking soccer mom vet who spares no expense when it comes to her kid’s sports future. Christopher Titus is a head coach hell bent on winning no matter the price. And Michael Boatman is an assistant coach who just can’t seem to catch a break trying to impress the egomaniacal head coach. This comedy gets as dark as a dungeon in hell but is so much fun getting there.
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Silent But Deadly
This screening was completely packed and for good reason. Some seriously seasoned professionals were in attendance — all of whom I consider personal heroes. A murderer in a kitty mask is on the loose at a retirement home. Only the seniors can figure out what’s going on. Let the name-dropping commence! The iconic cast includes Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from “Gilligan’s Island), Lee Meriwether (Catwoman from the 1960′s “Batman”), David Proval (“The Sopranos”), Martin Kove (The Karate Kid), Jerry Douglas (“The Young and the Restless”), Rip Taylor (confetti throwing genius with enough IMDB credits to drown you), and Bruce Vilanch, writer extraordinaire. Big props to John Tartaglia (the Tony-nominated star of “Avenue Q” from Broadway) who plays Dale, the manager of ill-fated retirement community. His comedy timing was off the charts. I hope this flick sees many more audiences. I also hope Rip Taylor is around to shout out “that’s me!”
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How to Like Yourself – A Comedy Seminar
It’s time to get on the Erin and MeLissa bandwagon, folks. This comedy duo composed of Erin McGowan and MeLissa Luna is refreshingly innovative and witty. Their mock-seminar was pure hilarity and they pulled out all the stops including a trombone, dance number and of course self-help tips. Find out more about this dynamic duo at erinandmelissa.com.
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Filthy Liars: A Funny Magic Show
Magic is always a crowd pleaser but when you add comedy to the mix it can be simply show stopping. David Blatter and Leeman Parker bring their own dapper style to an act that blends old-world tricks with contemporary flair. If you get the chance two see these guys perform do not miss it! Find tickets for their shows here.
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I can’t wait to see what 2013 holds for LA Comedy Fest that will be happening April 26 to May 5. Save up for what’s sure to be a tremendous event. Keep your eyes peeled at lacomedyfest.com for all updates.
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SO Note: Deborah Thomasian is the West Coast Editor for Serial Optimist. Follow her @SOoooohaha.