Out of Bounds Report No. 3: Get Up, The Premiere of Double Eagle Short Films Festival, and So Much More Tomorrow Night


The return of Get Up, Friday on the Apples Stage of the Salvage Vanguard Theater, 10 pm.

Out of Bounds Comedy Festival co-producer Shannon McCormick performs as one half of improv duo Get Up tomorrow night at the Salvage Vanguard Theater, Friday 29 August - 10 pm. McCormick and partner in comedy Shana Merlin deliver the unexpected with innate humor and acting ability. Nerdvana (Los Angeles, CA) mix up improv and sketch, making funny nerds funnier and sexier than "Beauty and The Geek". Before these two dynamic duos hit the Apples stage, audiences will be treated with the first Double Eagle Short Films Festival, which showcases comedic art on film at 6 pm, and improv by "smart, clean" 88 Improv (Omaha, NE) and the critically hailed Unexpected Company (Warwick, RI) at 8 pm. Tickets for the Apples stage shows are available here.



Let's not forget the Oranges stage and ColdTowne Theater...

On the Oranges stage: At 5:30 there's a panel discussion, "Improv Into Income", geared toward performers attending the festival, but free and open to the public. After the friendly panel, get ready for a rumble with Battle of the Sexes III - Improv Throwdown. It's the gals versus the guys in a series of scenarios and games where the audience decides the winner. The battle featuring improv pros from across the nation begins at 8 pm. Junk (Austin, TX) and pHrenzy! (Chicago, IL) make comedy chemistry with improv at 10 pm. (Get Tickets)


The OOB edition of Stool Pigeon plays at ColdTowne - Friday, 29 August @ 11 pm.

Friday night at ColdTowne: OOB expands its comedy repertoire to include stand-up, featuring the comedy of Austin comic Bryan Guttman (9 pm) and New Yorker Jamie Lee, of VH-1 fame (10 pm). Other comics include Kerri Lendo and Nick Ramirez, and one of the shows is hosted by Chris Trew (Terp2it). There's also a who's who of Out of Bounds performers teaming up for A Very Special Stool Pigeon I, in which the headlining stand-up comics encounter improv. These shows are expected to sell out fast, so get your tickets here.

Tomorrow: Out of Bounds Report No. 4 - More Comedy and More Stool Pigeons

~ diy danna

Out of Bounds Report No. 2: Apples & Oranges at The Salvage Vanguard Theater


Austin's Look Cookie improvises on the Apples Stage of the Salvage Vanguard Theater Tonight @ 10.

The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival continues through Labor Day weekend, with weekend panel discussions, workshops, and performances on two stages - Apples and Oranges - until Sunday. By the way, it may not be too late to register for workshops starting tomorrow at the Hideout Theater. OOB reduced the number of classes and number of people to provide longer, more in-depth sessions. Go to http://www.outofboundsimprov.com/2008/workshops08.html for more info.

Today and tomorrow, Thursday, 28 August, enjoy improv and sketch comedy on the Apples and Oranges stages at the Salvage Vanguard Theater starting at 8:00 pm. The choice is tough, but depending on your comedy style preference, you can't really go wrong. Here's a KTC highlight of another exciting night Out of Bounds:

Today (Wednesday, 27 August)

Apples Stage - 8 pm

The Starter Kit (Austin, TX) gets things started with a variety of improvisational techniques, followed by another Austin troupe that should win an award for funniest name, You're Not My Real Dad, featuring four older guys who aren't afraid to talk about the chips on their shoulders. Scatter! (Houston, TX) is another testosterone filled troupe that offer an energetic, longer set of improv.

Oranges Stage - 8 pm

Taking cues from the audience, Austin improvisers Snackers aren't light on teamwork and fun. Murphy (Austin) is a long-form, Chicago style troupe from the ColdTowne Conservatory. $10 Bourbon is as adult as the name suggests, developing improv from audience ideas and their own reflections about life.

Apples Stage - 10 pm

Featuring two of my favorite improv comedians I had the pleasure of watching at the Hideout two years ago, Bryan Roberts and Kerri Lendo, Look Cookie (Austin, TX) is an oddball family of improv sluggers big enough for a softball team. Improv for Evil (Austin) plunder and pillage at random on stage, proving that tyranny can be funny.


Grandma June's Sewing Circle (Chicago, IL) - Thursday @ 8pm on the Apples Stage

Tomorrow (Thursday, 28 August)

Apples - 8 pm

Forming from a large Austin troupe "Think Tank", and obviously inspired by The Three Musketeers, The 3 Actorteers take sketch comedy seriously. Grandma June's Sewing Circle (Chicago, IL) has been performing excellently crafted sketch comedy for five years.

Oranges - 8 pm

Austin's Skipfield doesn't skip lightly through comedy with engaging long-form narrative improv. They're followed by the talented foursome Curtis Needs A Ride (Fort Worth, TX), determined to become an improv staple of Austin. Far way from the islands, the long-form improv troupe Galapagos (Phoenix, AZ) takes a single suggestion from the audience and runs an entertaining marathon with it.

Apples - 10 pm

A band of improv performers from Camden, NJ called Quaint Little Coffee Shop runs on a platform of universal free coffee, while sketch duo from NYC Rue Brutalia provide sharp wit honed from biting the big apple.

Oranges - 10 pm

Improvisational troupe Midnight Society (Austin, TX) is described as "a blind date at ColdTowne Theater that worked". The Victims of Dallas, TX perform an indescribable long-form set of improv.

If you've liked what I've described so far, what the heck are you waiting for? Buy individual or package tickets here!

~ diy danna

The Out of Bounds 2008 Report No. 1: Inaugural Event Tonight With Comedy Representative Maria Bamford


Tonight you can Tivo/DVR that other event happening in Denver, CO.

Since 2002 Out of Bounds has campaigned as one of the very best comedy festivals in the U.S. Co-produced by actor/comedian Shannon McCormick and founder/comedic mastermind Jeremy Lamb, the event has expanded from a comedy improv weekend on one stage to a two stage, seven-day event with panel discussions, workshops, and stand-up and sketch comedy performed by the finest comedic talents in the country. Oh, yeah - and there's a miniature golf tournament for fest performers.

The workshops and panels don't start till this Friday, but there are some exciting performances happening every day through Labor Day, September 1st in the capital city of comedy. Kill The Critic will highlight each day, starting with tonight's inaugural event:



Local comedy gem Matt Bearden is the MC for the opening show at Esther's Pool, with stand-up comic Maria Bamford, star of the SuperDeluxe.com sitcom appropriately titled "The Maria Bamford Show", and one of the funny ladies of Comedy Central's new series "The Comedians of Comedy". According to OOB's official portal to the comedy dimension, you can rent the first season from Netflix. Bamford's hair may be less pink these days, but she's still funny. (Not Dane Cook funny, but she's really trying to hack away at it.) Sketch 'n' improv duo Lovey Lovey - ColdTowne Theater's Michael Jastroch and Tami Nelson - also stars. (Think Nick and Nora Charles meet Mike Nichols and Elaine May for cocktails in Austin.) The smart comedy starts at 9pm. Get your tickets here.

Tomorrow: Report No. 2 - Apples and Oranges at The Salvage Vanguard

Filmmaking Frenzy's Unncessary Sequels Contest Winners Announced Sunday

I wasn't able to attend, but I got the news from one of the stars of the video I took part in ("Powder 2: Powder 2 The People" by Kung Fu Halloween).

Here is a video from one of the local competitors:
"5 to 9: It's No Way to Make A Living" by Short Bus Attack


And the winners are...

Unnecessary Sequels Results

I'd like you to visit the site, maybe check out a few videos. And I like building a little suspense...

Filmmaking Frenzy's Unnecessary Sequels Part 2: Only 4 Hours Left to Vote!


Ulf Kastner in Kung Fu Halloween's "Powder 2".

"This time they're back again for more."

Filmmaking Frenzy, the site sponsored by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, tests the talent and movie-making skills of film fans around the world, is hosting a few contests coinciding with the upcoming Fantastic Fest. held annually at the South Lamar theatre. The rules were changed for Unnecessary Sequels in 2008, and the is competition stiffer, making it a successful contest - despite the dwindling number of contestants. There were about 90 applicants but only 24 official entries and one official screening, compared to one of the last contest's 140+ entries and multiple screenings. (See Rewind Kindly.)

I attended the single screening at the new downtown location, Alamo Ritz, and was impressed with most of what I saw on the big screen. I even got my 15 seconds of fame as a participant in one of this year's entries. Powder 2: Powder 2 The People is facing tough competition with other entertaining videos for best short/trailer in the latest frenzy. Last time I checked, Powder 2 was in last place, which is a shame because it's truly unnecessary and brilliant.

So I won't be accused of favoritism, I'd also like to point out some other favorites worth checking out. Actually, they're all worth viewing, with a word of caution to younger or sensitive viewers. There is adult content and language in several entries that may be unsuitable for some. My Picks (in alphabetical order): Alien v. Predator v. Rocky, Bonnie & Clyde: Resurrection, Charlotte's Web 2: All the Pig's Men, The Eighth Seal, It's A Wonderful Life 2: Wings of Vengeance, Monster Squad 2, Over The Top 2: Armageddon (about arm wrestling, featuring those funny Master Pancake guys), and Willy Wonka - Requiem for a Cocoa Bean. Worthy Mentions: Close Encounters of the 4th Kind, Clue 2: Hint, Harold & Maude II: A Love for the Ages, and OTT: The Rise of Mike Hawk.

Curiosity piqued?

Start watching now by clicking on this Filmmaking Frenzy link.

Newsflash to "Tropic Thunder" Director, DreamWorks and Hollywood: The "R" Word Can Be As Offensive As The "N" Word (And Blackface)


The trailer most of us have seen.

The movie some were afraid was racist is instead viewed as derogatory toward people with mental disabilities. Since all the controversy began, two days before the scheduled opening, Special Olympics chairman Timothy Shriver is calling for a ban of the action comedy "Tropic Thunder", even though he hasn't seen it.

"Special Olympics and Coalition of Disability Organizations Protest DreamWorks' 'Tropic Thunder'"

DreamWorks is marketing the movie as a satire of Hollywood actors and the industry, including Robert Downey, Jr. portraying a white Australian actor Kirk Lazarus portraying a black soldier in a movie. The premise? A group of actors (including director Ben Stiller as action star Tugg Speedman and Jack Black as comedy actor Jeff Portnoy) becomes involved in a real guerrilla battle, mistakingly believing they are being filmed. The word "retard" is used in the movie, and the Special Olympics, in a joint protest with a coalition of American disability organisations.

The picket signs are reading "Tropic Thunder = Tropic Blunder".

The groups protesting are taking offense to the words "retard" and "retarded" used in the trailer and poster promoting the now released movie. I have been unable to find the originally offensive clip and poster referring to the "Simple Jack" bits (which have been removed by DreamWorks marketing as a result of the alleged insensitivity). However, I was able to locate quotes from the movie that could almost make me forget that other DreamWorks blunder (also starring Stiller and Black) "Envy" (2004).

"Once upon a time … There was a retard." (On one of the promotional posters. It refers to Stiller's character, action star Tugg Speedman, who receives harsh reviews for his performance in a previous movie as a mentally disabled character.)

"Nobody goes full retard." (Clip featuring Downey's character Lazarus commenting on Speedman's performance as Simple Jack.)

One of the film's critics, a writer for BuzzFlash.com wrote an open letter to a DreamWorks spokesman. This article in letter format was forwarded to DIY Danna by a fellow film lover, and she forwarded it to me, stating "it could help the piece you're writing about the Tropic Thunder controversy". It does. Tony Peyser's letter to Chip Sullivan could add more heat to to the debate between the behemoth filmmakers and disability activists, and keep some revenue away from the box office. "The Dark Night" could remain the #1 draw in the U.S.

"Tony Peyser: Open Letter To DreamWorks About Ben Stiller's 'Tropic Thunder'"

I realise this is only part of the story, and we have not heard much from DreamWorks in response. And maybe that's a good thing.

For the record, I would like to include the definitions of retard according to the American Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Please note that the definition used in this context contains the asterisk (*):

Main Entry:

¹re·tard \ri-ˈtärd\

Function:

verb

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French retarder, from Latin retardare, from re- + tardus slow

Date:

15th century

transitive verb 1 : to slow up especially by preventing or hindering advance or accomplishment : impede

2 : to delay academic progress by failure to promote

intransitive verb

: to undergo retardation

²re·tard*

Function:

noun

Date:

1788

1\ri-ˈtärd\: a holding back or slowing down : retardation2\ˈrē-ˌtärd\often offensive : a retarded person; also : a person held to resemble a retarded person in behavior

I am aware the word is used in slang, usually in a derogatorily humorous way, but even here the connotation seems limited. In or out of context, this reviewer and new blogger is curious to see the outcome of the protests, politically correct or not.

Elvis Hubert

Fans Are "Wondering About Wonder Woman"


How long must we wait?

While working on a film article about the dumbing-down of American films and audiences, I came across the following timely headline on Yahoo! News:

Wondering About Wonder Woman by Claudia Zap

The numbers of internet searches for "Wonder Woman" since the start of the summer blockbuster movie season (see "The Incredible Hulk", "Iron Man", and "Hancock") is staggering, justifying Wonder Woman fans like me who have been waiting for a movie since the first "Spider-Man", "X-men", and "Hulk" movies. DC Comics answered with two stellar Batman movies featuring one of my favorite actors, Christian Bale, and the moody blockbuster "Superman Returns", which I understand based on the popularity of the characters, but Marvel had already given Hollywood the greenlight for two Fantastic Four movies, while Joss Whedon's development of the Amazon Princess with a lasso was being stunted. I realize Hollywood has a problem with Wonder Woman, and it may have a lot to do with the marketing of singularly heroic women in movies.

Does anyone else remember the excitement about the news of Joss Whedon writing and directing a "Wonder Woman" movie? I had it posted on my MySpace profile for a couple of years before it became apparent it wasn't happening anytime soon. And then began the buzz about a live action Justice League movie, which would precede Whedon's adaptation but prominently feature Wonder Woman. Another reason for a fan to rejoice!

And to be let down again.

Whedon quit the project early last year due to "creative differences", and according to one online article about the Justice League movie, that idea was shelved indefinitely, allegedly due to the writer's strike. But maybe that was a smart move, with all the inferior CGI fodder since the ill-fated "Catwoman". Wonder Woman movie rights holder and producer Joel Silver seems to think putting it on hold is the best idea. It may be all about economics, and wanting to get top dollars in the box office competition. But if you look at successful movies featuring strong female characters (Sex in the City, Mamma Mia, and the potential of Sisters of The Traveling Pants 2), you would think Hollywood types like Silver would see the money is already there. Wonder Woman is still as familiar as Carrie and her three gal pals, and she's been around longer. And if we took a poll right now, I suspect a movie featuring the Amazon Princess would have more male fans in attendance than another movie featuring the four Manhattan princesses. Yet fans of Wonder Woman - men and women - are disappointed to find out the Justice League and Wonder Woman movies have been put on hold indefinitely.



Wonder Woman Trivia Questions

The following 5 questions will test if you're a true fan of the almost 67-year-old superheroine. (Answers at the end of this post.)

1. You probably already know who invented the DC Comics superheroine, William Moulton Marston, and when, in 1941. But do you know how the lasso she uses became legendary?

2. Do you know when the first Wonder Woman movie came to be, and who starred as the powerful princess?

3. Which famous actress was featured as Lynda Carter's sidekick in the 1970s television series "Wonder Woman", portraying a young Amazonian princess known as Wonder Girl?

4. Wonder Woman was featured on the long-running animated series "Super Friends", but this wasn't the first time she was broadcast on television. What and when was her animated debut?

5. How did the invisible airplane become a visible fixture in the Wonder Woman TV series and animated Super Friends?


But there is some good news for Wonder Woman fans: Comic-Con 2008 revealed a trailer new animated feature to be released on DVD. It's better than nothing. And Keri Russell (TV's "Felicity" and the late Adrienne Shelley's "Waitress") voices the superheroine.


Find more videos like this on ENewsi.com

Courtesy of ComicBookMovie.com

I can't wait to see it. And the list of possible leads for Wonder Woman will keep the myth of another live action movie alive. Just google "Wonder Woman Movie Lead Contenders" and you'll have fun speculating if you're a true fan.

~ Danna Williams

Trivia Answers:

1. The lasso of truth is based on the lie detector, invented by Wonder Woman creator. Her lasso became a symbol for truth and justice.

2. It's complicated: Technically, the first time fans saw Wonder Woman on film is when Ellie Wood Walker starred as the superheroine in the short (4 minute) feature "Wonder Woman: Who's Afraid of Diana Prince?" in 1967. She was cast as Diana Prince, and Linda Harrison was cast as her Wonder Woman alter ego. The first full-length "Wonder Woman" was a test, or pilot film for the eventual live action series. It was a 1974 movie airing on TV, starring Cathy Lee Crosby as Wonder Woman. (So if you guessed either one, consider yourself correct.)

3. Debra Winger. The academy award nominated actor made her debut as Wonder Girl in two episodes.

4. According to Wikipedia, "‎Wonder Woman's first actual broadcast appearance was as a guest in an episode of The Brady Kids cartoon series in 1972, entitled "It's All Greek to Me". The Brady kids meet Wonder Woman and together they find themselves accidentally transported back to the time of the Ancient Olympic Games. " Groovy...

5. That's a trick question: The invisible plane was invented early in the comic book series, 1942, not on television. It's not featured much in the recent comic book and animated series.