My Favorite Comedians

My Favorite Comedians

Woody Allen

Uploaded by OwlCreekOccurrence on May 14, 2009
Love and Death (1975) Theatrical Trailer with Woody Allen voice-over.

His trailer for “Love and Death” got me interested in film comedy. I’ve always loved funny movies, but I remember being mesmerized by the previews for the Woody Allen film “Love and Death”. As Woody Allen says: “My father owned a small but valuable piece of property”, an old bearded man reaches into his coat and pulls out a piece of sod that he holds majestically.

Woody Allen inspired me to write humorous prose. All thanks to looking through an issue of “Scholastic” magazine in high school and reading this in “The UFO Menace” by Woody Allen: 

“UFOs are back in the news, and it is high time we took a serious look at this phenomenon. (Actually, the time is ten past eight, so not only are we a few minutes late but I’m hungry.)” 

I had never read anything like that before! Yes, I had been interested in comedy long before that; and would even make up jokes, but I do believe that reading that little bit got me interested in writing comedy. (And possibly that little bit inspired me to use parentheses so much.)

Steve Martin

Uploaded by johnnycarson on Aug 2, 2011
Steve Martin tells Johnny Carson he has to leave on "The Tonight Show" in 1978.

To pick a defining moment for standup, I would say watching Steve Martin (on a talk show, possibly “The Mike Douglas Show”) when he performed “The Cow Pasture Shuffle”. (Too bad I couldn’t find a clip of that iconic moment.) He held a deck of cards over his hand and let the cards plop down like a cow “fertilizing the field”. Thus, Steve Martin inspired me to want to perform standup comedy. His zaniness. His ability to stir crowds into a Beatlemania-style frenzy, only with comedy, instead of music. (Although he sang and played music too.) 

Brian Regan

Uploaded by dstewart21 on Nov 26, 2009
Brian Regan on Emergency Rooms. From the live DVD "I Walked on the Moon" - Recorded live in 2004 at The Improv in Irvine, CA.

Brian Regan is my favorite current standup comedian. His inflections, expressions, antics, and material teach us we can be truly hilarious without resorting to dirty tricks.

For more of Brian Regan, see: 

My Favorite Brian Regan Routines

Mitch Hedberg

Uploaded by krupsjustsayin on Nov 8, 2007
Mitch Hedberg's last performance on the Late Show with David Letterman (with guest host Elvis Costello)

Sadly, I didn’t “discover” Mitch Hedberg until after he died. But his cadence, delivery, and fast-paced material teach us to go for the laughs. No monkeying around, just make people laugh.

For more of Mitch Hedberg, see: 

The Comedic Brilliance of Mitch Hedberg's Delivery

The Day the Laughter Died

Some of My Favorite Mitch Hedberg Jokes

My Favorite Mitch Hedberg Routine

My secret favorite comedian ...

Me!

Uploaded by Elliander Eldridge on Jun 1, 2007
Bitten by a radioactive clueless teenager, it's Whatever Man!

But maybe that’s no secret. 
I’ve made myself (and others) laugh my whole life. 
(Usually on purpose.)

For more of me, keep reading: 
Heaven-Bent
My Favorite Blog
and my books on Amazon!

Blessings & Joy,

Dean

P.S. This post includes excerpts from my forthcoming book: “How to Write Comedy Jokes”

COMING FRIDAY August 3: My Favorite Pranks

COMING FRIDAY August 10: Some of My Favorite Steve Martin Jokes

COMING THURSDAY August 16: My Favorite Elvis Songs

My Favorite Commercials*

My Favorite Commercials*

Apparently, I like comedy, because all these are funny. 

Such as the following two fun movie genre spoofs for Vanguard: 

Uploaded by Vanguard on Jun 24, 2011

Uploaded by Vanguard on Jun 24, 2011

Cedric the Entertainer lives up to his name: 

Published on Mar 27, 2012 by pastimers

This one stars Anthony Perkins:

Uploaded by wtcvidman on Oct 27, 2011

I'm not sure if that one's really a favorite,
but I like it, because it was such a fun spoof of Psycho.
(Apparently I like movie spoofs.)

I like this next one,
because this is the first time I saw my favorite comedian Brian Regan:

Uploaded by BrianReganComic on Sep 29, 2009

That wasn't a movie spoof, but I first saw it at the movies. 

For more fun with Brian Regan, check out: 

My Favorite Brian Regan Routines

And my secret favorite commercial* ... 
Viewer Discretion Advised.


Uploaded by Awayneone on Oct 28, 2009

What a gasser!
Just be glad that wasn't aired on Smell-O-Vision!

Blessings & Joy,

Dean

* For my Favorite Favorite Commercial, see: My Favorite Commercial

My Favorite Screenwriting Books

My Favorite Screenwriting Books
(and a DVD)

Special blog posting for a new friend who also enjoys screenwriting.

 

In Writing for Emotional Impact, Karl Iglesias focuses on how our screenwriting affects the reader emotionally. Also has about 10 pages or so on Subtext! An important, but rarely covered, topic. He also has a DVD where he discusses The Psychology of Subtext. 

In The Secrets of Action Screenwriting, William C. Martell presents practical tips, pointers, and such that have worked for him. He's one of the few, if not the only, screenwriting guru who's actually written several produced screenplays. He also has several fun blue books, which each deal with various aspects of screenwriting. 

In Save the Cat, the late, the great, Blake Snyder provides practical tips and pointers, including his Beat Sheet. 

You can save money by clicking the box below, so you can read the less expensive, space-saving, Kindle editions without having to buy a Kindle: 

Blessings & Joy,

Dean

COMING JULY 20: My Favorite Commercials*

* For my Favorite Favorite Commercial, see: My Favorite Commercial

My Favorite TV Theme Songs

My Favorite TV Theme Songs

The theme song from Friends:
I'll Be There For You
Written by David Crane, Marta Kauffman, Michael Skloff,
Allee Willis, Phil Sōlem, and Danny Wilde
Performed by The Rembrandts

Published on Apr 29, 2012 by alfninux


The theme song for Cheers:
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Written by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo
Performed by Gary Portnoy

Uploaded by PopularNostalgia on May 5, 2010


The theme song from The Greatest American Hero:
Believe It Or Not
Music by Mike Post & Lyrics by Stephen Geyer
Performed by Joey Scarbury

Uploaded by elitewowmacho69 on Apr 30, 2011


The theme song from Psych:
I Know You Know
Written by Steve Franks (the creator of the show)
Performed by The Friendly Indians (with Steve Franks singing lead vocals)

Uploaded by StreaminGarage on Dec 22, 2010

That's a "live" version, click here for the studio version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojVryI6rgjo

Uploaded by hl6466 on Jan 2, 2012

For the lyrics, click here:
Full Psych Theme Song with 3 Verses!


And my secret favorite TV theme song ...

The theme song from Scooby Doo Where Are You:
Scooby Doo Where Are You
Written by David Mook and Ben Raleigh
Performed by Larry Marks in Season 1 (1969)
Performed by George A. Robertson, Jr. in Season 2 (1970)


Uploaded by yodahasnogrammar on Nov 4, 2010

Blessings & Joy,

Dean

 

COMING JULY 20: My Favorite Commercials*

* For my Favorite Favorite Commercial, see: My Favorite Commercial

My Favorite TV Shows

My Favorite TV Shows!
(Currently Running* Shows)


PSYCH

Uploaded by evergreen82 on Apr 5, 2009

(This show's a lot more fun than this promo shows.)

Fun, fun show about Shawn Spencer whose cop father raised him to be highly observant. Watching a news clip of a police investigation, Shawn solves the crime and reports that to the Santa Barbara Police Department. He stops by the station, expecting to receive a reward, but instead gets arrested, because: How else could he know what he knows? He then claims to be psychic and forms a psychic detective agency with his lifelong pal Burton Guster, a.k.a. Gus, a.k.a. whatever silly nickname Shawn gives him. The silly nicknames are one of the running gags of the show. Also, in every episode, a pineapple is shown, mentioned, and/or alluded to in some way. (Kind of like Superman on "Seinfeld".)

Psych's fun, because of its premise, its cool hipness, the character dynamics, the fast-paced funny banter chock full of pop culture references, the intriguing crimes that need to be solved, and much, much more. Helps that the camera highlights whatever Shawn looks at it, so we get to see the clues he sees. Watching/listening to the commentary on DVD, you can see/hear how much fun the cast and crew have creating the show. Also, the show has one of the best TV theme songs ever. The theme song's written and sung by the creator of the series: Steve Franks. (See next week's post: "My Favorite TV Theme Songs".)

Favorite Episodes: 

1X01: Pilot: It sets up the show and is so much fun. 

2X02: 65 Millions Years Off: Just plain fun, Shawn claims the killer is a T-Rex; and the interim police chief orders Shawn to undergo psychiatric evaluation. 

4X09: Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark: Not as funny, but well-written, suspenseful, Shawn gets shot! 

4X15: The Head, the Tail, the Whole D*mn Episode: Fun jabs at JAWS. 

5X09: One, Maybe Two, Ways Out: Franka Potente guest stars, forgetting that he's wired; and thus, unaware that Juliet can hear what he says, Shawn has his "Serious Shawn moment" where he tells Gus how he really feels about Juliet. 

THE MENTALIST

Uploaded by poohbear1701 on Sep 3, 2008

Oddly enough, The Mentalist is also about a fake psychic who uses his keen powers of observation to read people and solve crimes. Hmm. My top two favorite TV shows are both about fake psychics! What does that say about me? I think we’re all posers, painfully aware of the Grand Illusion? Or I just enjoy entertaining shows with captivating characters, clever mysteries, and hilarious humor. 

The Mentalist is still a funny show, but it takes itself more seriously. The thrust of the show, its undercurrent, if you will, is the relentless search of former "psychic" Patrick Jane's search for Red John, the serial killer who murdered his wife and daughter. Obviously, that part's not funny. But there's still a lot of humor and fun with this show too. Intriguing mysteries as well. Moving moments too, like when Patrick has to kill the only person who could lead him to Red John in order to save Detective Lisbon's life. 

I've only seen Season 1 in its entirety and various episodes from the other seasons, but I've enjoyed every one I've seen. Where the show excels is in the clever plans Patrick Jane devises to catch the guilty. Plus, part of the fun is the funny reason Patrick gives for why he first suspected the culprit he catches. Spoiler Alert: I.e., "He uses too much butter." "No one steals beef and barley soup." 

Favorite Episodes:

1X01: Pilot: It sets up the show and is so much fun, like when Patrick Jane talks to a shrink and says he feels guilty because he paid his brother to do his chores, but his brother got killed doing so; and the shrink comments about how the same thing happened to Johnny Cash. 

2X01: Redemption: The opening scene alone is well worth watching. The team gets pulled off the Red John case which makes Patrick Jane wonder why he should continue to work with the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation) if he can't pursue his wife and daughter's killer. 
3X02: Cackle-Bladder Blood: Patrick helps his brother-in-law. Funny, fun, and fascinating episode. From the opening scene until the ending where Patrick solves the case in an usual way. 


Although I haven't read it yet and can't say for sure, this book claims to help you become a mentalist and "master the secrets behind the hit show": 

CASTLE

Uploaded by charmed14921 on Jan 24, 2009

The Rule of Threes? Or because I don't want you to think I only like shows about fake psychics? Either way, another favorite show of mine is: Castle. Fiction writer Richard Castle tags along with New York Police Detective Kate Beckett, so he can base his character Nikki Heat on her. What adds to the fun of this show are Castle's mother and daughter. 

The undercurrent and thrust of the show Castle is Detective Beckett's search for her mother's killer. Similar in tone to The Mentalist. In fact, I think of The Mentalist as being the show Psych with the sentiments of Castle. The Mentalist is funny, but not zany. In another similar vein, Beckett had to shoot the only person who could lead her to her mother's killer to save Castle's life. Quite sad watching her continue to give the dead man CPR. But overall, this show's fun too. 

I missed the first season and some of the second season of this show, but I've thoroughly enjoyed Seasons 3 and 4 and what I saw of Season 2. What's brilliant about this show from a marketing standpoint is that a new Nikki Heat book gets published at the end of each season. Supposedly, these are the books Castle worked on all season. The books appear on the show too. And the books are published as if written by Richard Castle himself! For more info about two of these books, check out my book reviews: Book Review: Naked Heat by Richard Castle and Book Review: Heat Rises by Richard Castle.

Favorite Episodes:

3X24: Knockout: When Kate gets shot, Castle admits his love for her, which sets up a lot of forthcoming tension in Season 4 when she pretends she never heard him, but he eventually figures out she did. 

4X02: Heroes & Villains: Fun superhero story!

4X21: Headhunters: Nathan Fillion who plays Castle reunites with his fellow actor from the Firefly TV show and Serenity movie: Adam Baldwin. 

And my secret favorite TV show ...

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS


Uploaded by prettylittleliarsss on Apr 21, 2010

Fun show. Lots of twists and turns. Flashes of humor. Emotional. Suspense galore. A mysterious person (or persons) known only as "A" torments and taunts four friends whose friend Allison disappeared. But just when you think Allison might be A, she turns up dead. Dead from a year ago, which gives her a brilliant alibi! Might be the most intense of the shows listed. 


Ick Factor: Season 3 puts the "Liars" in their senior year in high school. I thought they were in their senior year the first season, and then the second season when they were still in high school; and thought the character of Aria might have been 18 in the first season; thus giving her teacher Ezra the benefit of the doubt. But if she was only a sophmore then, the oldest she would've been is 16, so eww! (Lucy Hale, the actress who portrays Aria is 23, but from the standpoint of the story that makes her former teacher Ezra ... Ick!) 


But Ick Factor aside, the show's fun with its other predominant story lines, character dynamics, the webs of deceit and tricks "A" uses against the "Liars", and their schemes to try to catch and foil "A" as well. 

The show is based on the book series by Sara Shepard:

  

And vice versa, some of the books are based on the TV series too:

Favorite Episodes:

1X01: Pilot: It sets up the show. 

2X25: unmAsked: Supposedly reveals the identity of A, but even with this person locked away in a loony bin, someone claiming to be A still threatens and frustrates the fab four. 

3X03: Kingdom of the Blind: The girls finally reconnect to an extent with Jenna whom they accidentally blinded before the series began (in the back story of the show). After undergoing surgery, Jenna can see now, even though she continued to pretend to be blind, because she seems to be hounded by A or someone like A too. This episode has the fun interchange: Spencer: "Hannah, you have all the subtlety of a hand grenade." Hannah: "Thank you!" 

Blessings& Joy,

Dean

* My all-time favorite TV shows will be revealed in a future blog. Although this list doesn't show it, I mostly like comedies. But, as this list makes apparent, I also enjoy mysteries, intrigue, and suspense. Even so, each of these shows demonstrate some humor too.

COMING JULY 13: My Favorite TV Theme Songs

COMING JULY 20: My Favorite Commercials*

* For my Favorite Favorite Commercial, see: My Favorite Commercial