MY URBAN KVETCH

Reiner Talks Caesar, Brooks & "Your Show of Shows" at LA JFF

"Sid Caesar invented sketch," said comedy legend Carl Reiner in an interview with Phil Rosenthal (creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond") at the opening night of the L.A. Jewish Film Festival on May 1, which was in honor of Reiner and in memory of Caesar, who died in February. "Sid performed it in such a way that it was never the same after."

As the evening stretched on, the 92-year-old Reiner used his memories of time served on "Your Show of Shows," "The Dick Van Dyck Show" and others to bring the crowd to laughter and applause. Of course, we were there to laugh, and had been warmed up considerably by the film that preceded the conversation: "Ten From 'Your Show of Shows'," a 1973 compilation film by Max Liebman of ten sketches from the show's 1950-1954 run. Although the sketches were first performed 60 years ago, the actors' commitments to character and relationship made the bits are relatable today as they were when first they aired. 

Ten seems like a good round number. A one and a zero to please the mathematicians. Passover's plagues. Sinai's commandments. So I understand why "Ten From 'Your Show of Shows'" focused on the number 10.

In that spirit, here are 10 things I learned from Carl Reiner at tonight's event:

"Yes-Anding" Our Way to Organizational Progress

 

Me (and my purple scarf) leading a group in improv exercises at the ROI Summit

Back in New York, people had been encouraging me to do comedy for years. But as far as I knew "doing comedy" meant either a) moving out to LA, pitching agents and studios on ideas, only to have your heart trampled on, or b) doing standup at an open-mic or "bringer" night at a comedy club after midnight, only to have your heart trampled on. And then someone suggested I try improv classes - where there are no scripts, and - kind of like "the Tree" in Empire Strikes Back - the tools you bring in with you (thought, intelligence, sense of humor, and the rules of improv - more on that below) are the only ones you have (or need). 

While I wouldn't quite say that I "do comedy" (although I did move out to LA, so maybe part of me thrives on the possibility of heart-trampling), improv has changed (or in some cases validated) the way I think about things. I'm often able to detect improv training in performers on and offstage, and even watching TV, I see some sitcoms reflect improvisation training more than others. There was a lot about improv that I enjoyed - the energy of the spontaneous, the ability to find things that were funny because they were true. But chiefly, I enjoyed the teamwork, finding "the game" of the scene and playing it through, helping others on stage who were struggling by giving them something they could work with, and using my quirky (yet-I-hope-delightful) brainworks to play things truthfully while building something together. Standup is solitary and lonely; improv is group energy, a family.

Get G-dcast at Home!

If you're a regular reader, you already know that G-dcast is an inventive new way to get animated about Jewish texts. And now it's available on one handy DVD for you, so you can take it home and get animated about the weekly Torah portion!

For an intro to G-dcast, check out the below video with founder Sarah Lefton. You can order using any of the links above, or by clicking on the ad at right. Shabbat shalom!

 

Aba Kustanowitz Goes to Kosherfest - The Video

To recap, in the beginning, I started a blog. (Hint: You're reading it now.) Years later, my Aba started a blog. Several months ago, I started doing video. And now my Aba's doing video, live from the floor at Kosherfest.

That's right - from squeezable hummus, falafel filled with tehina and popcorn (in a box) to beverages like watermelon juice, tequila in painted skull bottles, and sangria (in a box), my father was there and covered it all.

So to go behind the scenes at Kosherfest (and perhaps also my childhood), view the video - and if you like it, share with a friend or leave him a comment. I happen to know that he enjoys both comments and traffic. 

Kol hakavod, Aba! (And don't you dare invade Twitter!)

Israel: Start With Funny, Then Add Comedians

The half bathroom in my apartment in Jerusalem is your basic W.C.: there's a toilet, and a door, and a window that opens onto one of two balconies. But there's also something else there: a faucet, about mid-calf length from the floor, for no apparent reason. And - until I fixed it a few days through brute bicep strength - it dripped. Not enough to cause a flood, or even notice for the first few days: but after I put a receptacle under it, I can tell you that it collects one honey jar of water every 1.5 to 2 days. 

I'm telling you this for two reasons: first, to show you that Israel is quirky, and second, to recommend that if you ever visit this W.C., and the faucet is dripping, be careful not to knock over the jar.

But back to that first reason...on the cab ride back from the airport, I saw a driver literally drive from the congested road, over to the sidewalk, onto the sidewalk, and then continue driving on the sidewalk for a full block. I asked the driver in Hebrew, "Is that legal?" And he said, "It shouldn't be legal, in this religious neighborhood, but they walk around like that anyway." Puzzled, I looked out the window and saw what he saw: women in tank tops.

Americans and Israelis (and I include in that term people who have made aliyah and cast their lot with the citizens of Israel) see things with different eyes. And although I am not an Israeli citizen, I have made enough trips here, and speak the language well enough, to see through both perspectives. I know that "icecafe" is not the same as "ice coffee," that the so-called first floor of a building is usually on the actual second or third floor of that building. And I have since learned that the faucet is there so you can "do sponga," which is pushing a rag around the floor on a squeegee - the Israeli approximation of mopping. I love these little differences, as do many of the American observers who visit or live here. We know that in Israel, you start with comedy, even before you add comedians.

As observers of human interaction and the world around them, comedians who come to Israel find it to be a richly hilarious experience. With his regular comedy missions to Israel featuring top Hollywood comics, comedian Avi Liberman (whose birthday is actually today) is providing his funny friends with fresh material while raising funds for the Koby Mandell Foundation, which helps victims of terror.

The Shushan Channel Strikes Back With "Wolfman, DDS"

Gerry Wolfman's a bit different from other dentists lately. Check out the surreal, faux-horror story of a man gone moon-mental complete with fine supporting turns by Faith Salie (Significant Others will always rock) and Will Forte, and penned by Sheryl Zohn (Penn & Teller) and Rob Kutner, former writer for both The Daily Show and The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien. Well-produced, as usual, by Stephen Levinson. 

So if you're in NY, make sure to get your tickets for the 92Y Tribeca Purim spiel run by the fine folks at the Shushan Channel. Why should you buy tickets for this spiel? I asked Rob to pitch you, the readers, directly: 

"I left the Daily Show and moved to LA to write for 'The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien.' And then suddenly, I had an awful lot of free time. And unresolved issues. So I wrote a sketch about 'Mordecoco' being displaced by 'Jayman,' and wrangled a star from the actual Tonight Show to weigh in on it by video. My therapy, or your entertainment? Come and find out."

Still not enough? The show features Lizz Winstead, the awesome original creator of The Daily Show, a video from Joel McHale, and a surprise message from a star of the gone-but-not-forgotten Conan show. Plus, the 10pm show features Scott Adsit (from 30 Rock).

Come on. You know you want to.

"Dr. Horrible 2: Teenage Boogaloo"

OK, so that's not its name. But someone (I suspect College Humor) has created "A Horrible Turn," a sorely needed musical prequel to "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." It's unauthorized, made by superfans, and depicts Dr. Horrible's early years. (And it'll be out on November 10 - view the trailer here or below.)

Production value looks good, and I have every expectation that the original cast and creator of "Dr. Horrible" will appreciate this for the video fanfic that it is. Those who are expecting that this homage will approximate the success of its predecessor may be disappointed - while I'm sure the actors in this trailer (and yes, I'm judging it from the trailer until the film is released) are fine, they're no NPH, @feliciaday and @nathanfillion, who have their own substantial hordes of followers. Not to mention that "inspired by Joss" is probably not the same level of adored genius as "actual Joss." (Gosh, why don't Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris tweet? We need to get @feliciaday on this.) 

But I'm fairly sure that the original team will see this as fan flattery and not as plagiarism. Check out the trailer, and begin to feel a little bit of the craving return. (Hat tip: Jake Marsh)

10 Twitter Lists I Don't Want to Be On

It was supposed to be a secret, but it's the kind of secret that no one is keeping. As some of us logged into our Twitter accounts, we were blessed with the appearance of "Tweetie" (that's the Twitter bird) who bore the following message:

New! Lists. A great way to organize the people you follow and discover new and interesting accounts. (BETA) Lists are timelines you build yourself, consisting of friends, family, co-workers, you name it.

Not everyone has Twitter Lists right now, but the plan is to roll them out soon. Since Twitter Lists launched (a week ago or so), I've been named to 13 lists, among them titles like "cooljews," "ROICom," and "chicksthatlead." It's an honor, really, to be considered so essential that other people want to organize your content among the liketweeted. And in case you wondered what your Twitter friends think of you, this is a good way - as they tag your life by listing you, you get a picture of which words are associated with you (or the Twitter representation of you) most. Also, people don't seem to care how long their list names are, which may yet change.

But someday soon, I'm going to land on a list with a name that's a little less than complimentary. In anticipation of that day, I present...

10 Twitter Lists I Don't Want to Be On

10. "funnyoddnotfunnyhaha"
9.  "cheesychicklit"
8. "burninhelljew"
7. "earthgirlsareeasy"
6. "fashionemergency"
5. "jdateforeva"
4. "girlswhowearglasses"
3. "justgiveup"
2. "ohcrapnother"

And it goes without saying that the number one Twitter List I don't want to be on is:

1. "schindlerslist"

Which of course lands me on the list called "makesjokesabouttheholocaust." Great.

This Post Will Not Be 140 Characters: A #140Conf LA Recap

[Picture: Billy Bush speaks at the 140 Characters Conference in Hollywood, October 27. Credit: Jason DeFillippo ]

I've just spent the last two days at a conference about Twitter held at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, also known as "where the Oscars are held." You can feel free to insert your own joke here, like "Did people actually go or just attend online?" "Were all the responses 140 characters or fewer?" or "Did anyone thank the Academy?"  Yes, ha, ha. Of course there was "thanking of the Academy" or agents, or some other showbiz cliches that showed up. (Rumor has it that there was even a Jack Nicholson cutout sitting in the front row.) 

People attended in person, but Tweeted the whole time (or at least for as much of the time as they had reception/wifi signal). It was basically like a giant classroom, with 140 teachers rotating in and out over two days, and with all the students passing Tweets back and forth. Only difference is that the teachers can view the passed notes, too. 

For this reason - the transparency of the Tweets and their association with both real names and (because it was an in-person conference) real faces - I'm not sure that the tagged Tweets are taking a critical look at the conference's highs and lows. 

Digital Hollywood Content Summit: Initial Observations

So, in case I haven't mentioned it, I'm at Digital Hollywood's Content Summit this week in Santa Monica. This is exciting a) because I love learning about how technology has impacted the entertainment sphere and b) because this is the first conference in a while that doesn't feature the term "good for the Jews" anywhere in the program.

Here are some initial "shorts," just perfect for you short-attention-spanners for whom a 5-minute YouTube video seems too long:

• Jewish conference: "What? Food again?" / Hollywood conference: "Where's the bar?" (There was no food anywhere that I saw during this conference. Tomorrow, I bring sandwiches. And sell them.)
• One thing that Jewish conferences and Hollywood conferences seem to agree on? Sarah Lefton and G-dcast are awesome. Sarah pitched G-dcast to a panel of Hollywood tastemakers and content producers...and they liked it.
• There was some debate over whether, when it comes to viral video, it's better to be first than be best. Thoughts?
• Saw Justine Bateman within ten minutes of my arrival. She was already surrounded, so I chickened out of talking to her. 
• Several people predicted that online space would totally take over the entertainment world in the next five years. Others thought it already was taking over the entertainment industry, but that the money models aren't really set yet - we have to figure out when doing our projects what people are willing to pay for in order to monetize the product. I know my money models aren't set yet. :)
• In "We Live in Public," the film's subject - Josh Harris - made a ton of money in the dot com boom, and engaged in experiments regarding living in public, having every moment of their lives taped. He's alternately hailed as a visionary, an artist, and a genius (often all by himself), but the truth is that he's accurately foreseen the trends that today's internet users embrace: self-exposure, the need for community approval, connection to people without really connecting to them.
• Harris admitted after the screening that he had never experienced real "intimate love," despite the fact that one of his experiments was him and his girlfriend - or as he referred to her, his "fake girlfriend" - living together and being taped in every moment. And the moment when it all clicked that intimate love had evaded him? When he watched "The Truman Show," and saw Truman's wife in their wedding picture, with her fingers crossed behind her back. 

There's much more to say on this film and the issues it brought up, but that'll have to be tomorrow. Writer's Boot Camp starts early in the am...

Good night, Hollywood.