NTWON: Make Happy

This month Mick watched comedian Bo Burnham's one hour Netflix-exclusive special Make Happy.

The thing about comedy specials is you usually know what you're getting: someone standing on stage with a microphone and telling jokes. If you're familiar with the comedian, you may be able to further predict the content of the jokes in advance. Bo Burnham shatters the standard one hour stand-up format in this special, making for a one of a kind experience. 

Available on Netflix worldwide June 3rd.

If there was one word to summarize what sets Bo apart from other stand ups, it's this: Showmanship. Dude knows how to put on a dynamic and engaging program with a hilarious blend of comedy, light shows, and music. It's particularly fitting because a major theme of Bo's work is the nature of performance and how in our modern society we are pressured into performing for each other at all times on the stage of social media. 

There are points in this special where Bo gets serious, where he takes advantage of his place on the stage to do a little bit of social and political grandstanding. Immediately afterwards, he calls attention to how this kills the momentum of the show and wonders aloud as to how he will bring the audience back, making everyone laugh in the process.

Bo has a whip-smart sense of humor and isn't afraid to take risks. He plays with different formats in his jokes, using a mix of extemporaneous crowd-work alongside meticulously pre-prepared songs. One bit in particular that stands out in memory is a part where Bo asks an audience member his name, only to burst into a song about how he had sex with that audience member's mother.

Overall, Make Happy is a fantastic special. It's funny and thoughtful and it's very clear that Bo put in a lot of work and time to make this happen. Give it a watch and you'll find that you've never seen anything quite like it before.

Check it out! 

NTWON: Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil

It's the showdown everyone has been waiting for: two Appalachian hillbillies are the only ones who can save the world from a force of violence and evil known only as Chad. 

TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL is a hilariously gory, good-spirited horror comedy, doing for killer rednecks what Shaun of the Dead did for zombies. Tucker and Dale are two best friends on vacation at their dilapidated mountain house, who are mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies by a group of obnoxious, preppy college kids.

Normally, I don't go for blood and guts slasher flicks because I have the constitution of a twelve year old girl and have no desire to be reminded of the pointlessness of life by watching college kids get dismembered in increasingly creative ways. However, I was pleased to find that Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil is actually a sharp-witted black comedy dressed up as slasher.

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil is unique in its self-awareness as the characters ask the same questions audiences often ask themselves: "Why is everyone dying?", "Why can't we call the police?", "Why don't they just leave?". All of these are addressed in believable and hilarious ways.

The thing that's particularly amusing about Tucker and Dale's characters is that they are almost completely oblivious of the fear and havoc happening all around them. They're just two guys trying to spruce up their new cabin while college kids suffer from what has to be the worst case of bad luck ever encountered by another human.

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil can aptly described as a genre-busting film as it takes the horror format and adds a comedic twist on things. Remarkably, elements from rom-coms make their way into the movie as well, as Dale struggles with his inability to get a date among all the bloodshed.

Overall, Tucker and Dale made very effective use of its tight 88 minute runtime. Definitely a great movie to throw on if you could use a laugh but also want to see people die. 

NTWON: W/ Bob & David

Comedy nerds rejoice- Mr. Show's own Bob Odenkirk and David Cross have made their return to sketch comedy with their new Netflix-exclusive program W/ Bob & David. 

After being dishonorably discharged from the Navy Seals, Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are back serving our country the way they do best -- making sketch comedy. All Episodes November 13 netflix.com/withbobanddavid

W/ Bob & David retains many of the things audiences enjoyed about Mr. Show: the blend of the dark with the absurd, the semi-continuous transitions between sketches, and the vicious, no-holds-barred satire of modern society. 

Some of the bits include a freelance Jewish Pope, a sovereign citizen who only encounters friendly police officers, a man whose utterance of the word "cunt" summons the people he's shit-talking, and a musical about rooms called Rooms: The Musical. 

Acting out these crazy sketches are many of the old Mr. Show cast and writers, including: Paul F. Tompkins, Scott Aukerman, Jay Johnson, and Brian Posehn. And among the veterans are some familiar faces including: Keegan-Michael Key (of Key and Peele), Stephanie Courtney (Flo from Progressive), and Arden Myrin (of Chelsea Lately).

The only bad thing I can honestly say about W/ Bob & David is that it's too damn short. Clocking in at only 5 episodes (4 regular episode and 1 special), it's really closer to a movie than a season of a TV show. I highly recommend watching the one hour special as well, as it affords a rare look behind the curtain on how the show was made starting from the writers room and ending on set.

Park yourself in front of a screen and binge-watch this one.

NTWON: The Culture High

 This time around, I sat down and watched a movie called The Culture High.  The Culture High is a documentary exploring marijuana prohibition.

Subscribe to TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/sxaw6h Subscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUn Subscribe to INDIE & FILM FESTIVALS: http://bit.ly/1wbkfYg Like us on FACEBOOK: http://goo.gl/dHs73 Follow us on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/1ghOWmt The Culture High Official Trailer (2014) - Marijuana Documentary HD Scours the deep-seated roots of this morally induced Marijuana campaign and reveal the fascinating path it has taken to get to where it is today.

This documentary affords a no-holds-barred examination of marijuana prohibition in the United States. Note that this movie is staunchly in favor of ending prohibition and the War on Drugs at large, so if you're looking for something "objective", this isn't the film for you. But then again, if you're looking for information in favor of the War on Drugs, you're probably not at all the target audience in any case.

A wide range of individuals are interviewed and provide their perspective on prohibition. Snoop Dogg and Joe Rogan make an appearance in addition to a bevy of experts, scientists, lawyers, pundits, and police officers.

The thing that's the most interesting about this film is that it starts with a historical perspective and then moves into the current factors and vested interests in keeping marijuana illegal. Obviously, money  pouring in from all sides is the main factor. Police want to keep their absolutely fucked up civil forfeiture laws, for-profit prisons want to keep their populations up, and pharmaceutical companies don't want any competition.

There were points in this movie where I got legitimately angry. I knew things were bad, but I had no idea how bad they were. If you're curious about marijuana prohibition and why the War on Drugs is a thing, you need to absolutely watch this movie.

NTWON: They Came Together

This month I had the distinct pleasure of watching They Came Together, a biting absurdist parody of every trope in the Rom-Com playbook. 

Directed by David Wain (the brains behind mega-comedy Wet Hot American Summer) and written by Wain and Michael Showalter, this movie lives up to its predecessor's brand of anti-humor and parody. 

Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler star in this subversive romantic comedy from the director of Role Models and Wet Hot American Summer.

They Came Together is pure fun straight from the get-go. The standard rom-com plotline is framed with a dinner conversation between two couples describing how they met. This conversation is meant to serve as an audience surrogate, as there are frequent cuts to the couple asking questions about what is being described.

The plot is a ridiculous pastiche of every Romantic Comedy you have ever seen. Line after line of dialogue has either been ripped straight from the mouth of other movies, or directly addresses the fact they are living in the fuzzy pink bubble that is life in a romantic comedy.

Beyond the tight writing, this movie is a 90 minute cameo. Every part is filled by someone famous and hilarious. It's basically Wet Hot American Summer set in New York City. 

They Came Together is a fun, relaxing watch and a must-see for anyone who is a fan of Rom-Coms. It's a perfect movie to cuddle up with someone special and enjoy together. Check it out!

Nothing to Watch on Netflix: What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

In this month's installment of Nothing to Watch on Netflix, I chose to watch What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

Yeah, yeah. I know they changed their logo...

Yeah, yeah. I know they changed their logo...

I picked this movie mostly because of the cast. It features Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, two actors I generally like. (John C. Reilly is also inexplicably in this movie) Since this movie came out in 1993, Depp and DiCaprio are twenty years younger, long before Depp completely lost his mind and Leo snorted coke out of a hooker's ass. It was fun to see these actors when they were relatively nameless, as you can really see their potential. 

Depp plays the eldest son of a dysfunctional family living in a mid-western one horse town . DiCaprio plays the mentally handicapped younger brother who could "go at any minute." After seeing this movie, I am convinced that DiCaprio will never get an Academy Award. If you aren't getting an Oscar for playing someone who's disabled, you're not gonna get an Oscar period. 

I liked this movie. However, I want to make it clear that WEGG? is an extreme bummer. It follows a young man who is trying to hold his family together at a massive personal cost. His father is dead. His mother is morbidly obese and doesn't leave the house. He's got a retarded brother who can die at any moment. Apparently, a LOT is eating Gilbert Grape.

The characters are the driving force behind this movie. The plot is loose, centering around Arnie's (DiCaprio) upcoming 18th birthday party. There's a clear timeline of events, but things still feel episodic. You're really just trying to see what makes this characters tick. This is especially the case for the titular Gilbert Grape, but all of the characters get their share of development. 

I can't say it was particularly well shot. I don't mean that it was awkward or disorienting. I just mean that there wasn't anything that visually wowed me about this movie. One thing I will note is that there is a TON of foreshadowing and symbolism. It's subtle, but it's there. For example, the name of the town that Gilbert Grape lives in is called "Endora", which sounds a lot like the word endure, which is what Gilbert has to do in order to survive. 

Overall, I would recommend this movie if you're trying to watch something that makes you think and feel. It's not much of feel-good and it's not mindless. This is a movie to sit and watch and pick up all the nuances on. 

Check it out!