Break out your old records of “Shark Sandwich.” Rob Reiner will be returning to his classic rock mockumentary after forty years to film the sequel to 1984’s This is Spinal Tap. Reiner’s comedy is a famous satire of the chronically flawed rock band Spinal Tap, which features comedic actors Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as the English band. The film follows Spinal Tap as they encounter mishap after mishap during their run as a music group, including concert set-ups that don’t quite work out, awful reviews, getting lost on the way to the stage and a number of other classic gags.
Variety has reported that Rob Reiner is planning to film his sequel in February of 2024. McKean, Shearer and Guest are set to reprise their roles. Reiner will once again be portraying Martin “Marty” Di Bergi as he catches back up with the aged rock band.
Variety has reported that Rob Reiner is planning to film his sequel in February of 2024. McKean, Shearer and Guest are set to reprise their roles. Reiner will once again be portraying Martin “Marty” Di Bergi as he catches back up with the aged rock band.
- 11/28/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Director Rob Reiner confirms that Spinal Tap 2 is very much alive and will go before cameras in a couple of months.
It’s been well over a year since we heard that Castle Rock Entertainment, the brilliant production company that gave us such late 80s/early 90s classics as When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and Before Sunrise, was reforming. After a stellar run, the company peaked in the mid-90s and was eventually folded into Warner Bros by 2002.
However, Castle Rock Entertainment relaunched its film division in October of 2022, still under the ownership of Warner Bros, and last summer the production company announced its first project: This Is Spinal Tap II.
The legendary ‘rock doc’ spoof was (Castle Rock Entertainment co-founder) Rob Reiner’s first film as director and it was announced last year that he would be returning to make the sequel. Original stars Micheal McKean,...
It’s been well over a year since we heard that Castle Rock Entertainment, the brilliant production company that gave us such late 80s/early 90s classics as When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and Before Sunrise, was reforming. After a stellar run, the company peaked in the mid-90s and was eventually folded into Warner Bros by 2002.
However, Castle Rock Entertainment relaunched its film division in October of 2022, still under the ownership of Warner Bros, and last summer the production company announced its first project: This Is Spinal Tap II.
The legendary ‘rock doc’ spoof was (Castle Rock Entertainment co-founder) Rob Reiner’s first film as director and it was announced last year that he would be returning to make the sequel. Original stars Micheal McKean,...
- 11/28/2023
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
Last year, a sequel to This Is Spin̈al Tap was announced. Now, director Rob Reiner has not only confirmed that shooting will begin next year, but has even a sneak peek at some of the “surprise” guests who will be featured the film, including Paul McCartney, Elton John, and more.
“We’re making a sequel,” Reiner told Richard Herring on an episode of his Rhlstp podcast, adding that “everybody’s back” for the project. Reiner will reprise his role as filmmaker Marty Dibergi, and Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer will return as Spin̈al Tap’s Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls, respectively.
Continuing, Reiner confirmed that the film is “going to start shooting at the end of February,” and revealed: “Paul McCartney is joining us, and Elton John, and a few other surprises, [like] Garth Brooks.”
Last year, Reiner spoke about the sequel with NME,...
“We’re making a sequel,” Reiner told Richard Herring on an episode of his Rhlstp podcast, adding that “everybody’s back” for the project. Reiner will reprise his role as filmmaker Marty Dibergi, and Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer will return as Spin̈al Tap’s Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls, respectively.
Continuing, Reiner confirmed that the film is “going to start shooting at the end of February,” and revealed: “Paul McCartney is joining us, and Elton John, and a few other surprises, [like] Garth Brooks.”
Last year, Reiner spoke about the sequel with NME,...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Film News
John Belushi was a force of comedic nature. He made a name for himself in the early 1970s via his raucously hilarious bits in "National Lampoon's Lemmings," an Off-Broadway showcase for up-and-coming talents like Christopher Guest, Chevy Chase, and Tony Hendra. He also joined as a cast member of the "National Lampoon Radio Hour" alongside Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis. He slayed in the former when he broke out his hilariously spot-on parody of Joe Cocker, and seemed on the cusp of New York City theater stardom at the same time Lorne Michaels began assembling the cast for a wild swing of a variety show called "NBC's Saturday Night."
Michaels' vision appeared doomed at the outset. How was a show pitched at hip young folks going to find an audience in an 11:30 Pm time slot, i.e. the exact hour most of these people were carousing at bars and parties?...
Michaels' vision appeared doomed at the outset. How was a show pitched at hip young folks going to find an audience in an 11:30 Pm time slot, i.e. the exact hour most of these people were carousing at bars and parties?...
- 3/8/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
"Animal House" was the first movie ever created under the name of National Lampoon. It made the humor magazine a household name, but not everybody on the staff was interested in venturing into the movie business. In fact, some of the writers and editors at the magazine felt that the film brought on an unwelcome shift that would eventually render them obsolete.
The film arrived in 1978, eight years after National Lampoon was founded, and achieved instant success. The magazine went on to attach its name to a number of other films, including 1983's "Vacation," which was so popular it exploded into its own movie franchise.
The success of "Animal House" brought a lot of new readers to the magazine, and it also brought a lot of the magazine's writers into the entertainment business. One of the magazine's founders, Henry Beard, had warned the staff against going into film and television before he moved on.
The film arrived in 1978, eight years after National Lampoon was founded, and achieved instant success. The magazine went on to attach its name to a number of other films, including 1983's "Vacation," which was so popular it exploded into its own movie franchise.
The success of "Animal House" brought a lot of new readers to the magazine, and it also brought a lot of the magazine's writers into the entertainment business. One of the magazine's founders, Henry Beard, had warned the staff against going into film and television before he moved on.
- 2/13/2023
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Miriam Margolyes broke the first rule of radio this morning (Saturday 15 October) as she said “f*** you” live on the Today programme.
The actor was reacting to seeing the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in the BBC Radio 4 studio, when she swore.
“When I saw him there,” she told the hosts Justin Webb and Martha Kearney, as she was finishing her interview, “I said, ‘You’ve got a hell of a job, best of luck.’ And what I really want to say was, ‘F*** you, bastard.’ But you cant say that.”
“Oh no no no you mustn’t say that,” replied Webb. “We’ll have to have you out of the studio now.”
“We will,” added Kearney. “With many apologies.”
Margolyes made the remark at about 8.30am, at the end of an interview about her Harry Potter co-star, Robbie Coltrane, who died aged 72 on Friday (14 October).
Speaking about her friend,...
The actor was reacting to seeing the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in the BBC Radio 4 studio, when she swore.
“When I saw him there,” she told the hosts Justin Webb and Martha Kearney, as she was finishing her interview, “I said, ‘You’ve got a hell of a job, best of luck.’ And what I really want to say was, ‘F*** you, bastard.’ But you cant say that.”
“Oh no no no you mustn’t say that,” replied Webb. “We’ll have to have you out of the studio now.”
“We will,” added Kearney. “With many apologies.”
Margolyes made the remark at about 8.30am, at the end of an interview about her Harry Potter co-star, Robbie Coltrane, who died aged 72 on Friday (14 October).
Speaking about her friend,...
- 10/15/2022
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
Miriam Margolyes broke the first rule of radio this morning (Saturday 15 October) as she said “f*** you” live on the Today programme.
The actor was reacting to seeing the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in the BBC Radio 4 studio, when she swore.
“When I saw him there,” she told the hosts Justin Webb and Martha Kearney, as she was finishing her interview, “I said, ‘You’ve got a hell of a job, best of luck.’ And what I really want to say was, ‘F*** you, bastard.’ But you cant say that.”
“Oh no no no you mustn’t say that,” replied Webb. “We’ll have to have you out of the studio now.”
“We will,” added Kearney. “With many apologies.”
Margolyes made the remark at about 8.30am, at the end of an interview about her Harry Potter co-star, Robbie Coltrane, who died aged 72 on Friday (14 October).
Speaking about her friend,...
The actor was reacting to seeing the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in the BBC Radio 4 studio, when she swore.
“When I saw him there,” she told the hosts Justin Webb and Martha Kearney, as she was finishing her interview, “I said, ‘You’ve got a hell of a job, best of luck.’ And what I really want to say was, ‘F*** you, bastard.’ But you cant say that.”
“Oh no no no you mustn’t say that,” replied Webb. “We’ll have to have you out of the studio now.”
“We will,” added Kearney. “With many apologies.”
Margolyes made the remark at about 8.30am, at the end of an interview about her Harry Potter co-star, Robbie Coltrane, who died aged 72 on Friday (14 October).
Speaking about her friend,...
- 10/15/2022
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
Sean Kelly, one of the earliest and most brazen National Lampoon writers whose lyrics for the influential 1973 Off Broadway revue National Lampoon’s Lemmings helped launch the careers of John Belushi, Christopher Guest and Chevy Chase, died July 11 in New York City of heart and renal failure. He was 81.
His death was announced by wife Patricia Todd to The New York Times.
A New York Drama Desk Award winner for Most Promising Lyricist following the 1973 Off Broadway debut of Lemmings, Kelly, at the time, specialized in song parodies, a skill that would make a considerable contribution to the revue’s notorious parody of Woodstock. The Lemmings satire of the festival featured such soon-to-be-stars as Chase and Guest impersonating, among others, John Denver and Bob Dylan (respectively).
Most famously, Lemmings’ Woodstock musical scenes included Belushi’s spot-on imitation of Joe Cocker, a savage impersonation the comic would take to Saturday Night Live...
His death was announced by wife Patricia Todd to The New York Times.
A New York Drama Desk Award winner for Most Promising Lyricist following the 1973 Off Broadway debut of Lemmings, Kelly, at the time, specialized in song parodies, a skill that would make a considerable contribution to the revue’s notorious parody of Woodstock. The Lemmings satire of the festival featured such soon-to-be-stars as Chase and Guest impersonating, among others, John Denver and Bob Dylan (respectively).
Most famously, Lemmings’ Woodstock musical scenes included Belushi’s spot-on imitation of Joe Cocker, a savage impersonation the comic would take to Saturday Night Live...
- 7/20/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
A version of this story about “George Carlin’s American Dream” first appeared in the Race Begins issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
When Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio began making “George Carlin’s American Dream,” their two-part HBO documentary series about the pioneering comic, they were working under a big request from Carlin’s daughter, Kelly. “She said, ‘You really have to do something bold and innovative,’” Apatow said. “My dad wouldn’t like the generic version of this. And that scared the hell out of me, because I didn’t quite know what it meant.”
Apatow and Bonfiglio never did figure out what Kelly meant, but they figured they should just make a film that dealt with George Carlin honestly. The result is a close to four-hour look at the man who started as a suit-and-tied comic with a knack for wordplay in the 1960s and then morphed...
When Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio began making “George Carlin’s American Dream,” their two-part HBO documentary series about the pioneering comic, they were working under a big request from Carlin’s daughter, Kelly. “She said, ‘You really have to do something bold and innovative,’” Apatow said. “My dad wouldn’t like the generic version of this. And that scared the hell out of me, because I didn’t quite know what it meant.”
Apatow and Bonfiglio never did figure out what Kelly meant, but they figured they should just make a film that dealt with George Carlin honestly. The result is a close to four-hour look at the man who started as a suit-and-tied comic with a knack for wordplay in the 1960s and then morphed...
- 6/13/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Just today, coming back from picking up a salad and potato chips—yin to yang, etc—I found myself wondering how Rob Reiner (few people’s idea of a pantheon filmmaker) could be responsible for one of the funniest, most obviously rewatchable films ever made. An idle thought not worth sharing then, perhaps (sound off in the comments) worth sharing now in light of news he’s teaming with Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest for Spinal Tap II, which Castle Rock Entertainment will sell from Cannes this month.
If curiosity abounds, Reiner is fairly open about the idea, telling Deadline:
“They haven’t spent any time together recently, and that became the premise. The idea was that Ian Faith, who was their manager, he passed away. In reality, [Ian Faith actor] Tony Hendra passed away. Ian’s widow inherited a contract that said Spinal Tap owed them one more concert. She...
If curiosity abounds, Reiner is fairly open about the idea, telling Deadline:
“They haven’t spent any time together recently, and that became the premise. The idea was that Ian Faith, who was their manager, he passed away. In reality, [Ian Faith actor] Tony Hendra passed away. Ian’s widow inherited a contract that said Spinal Tap owed them one more concert. She...
- 5/12/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: After relaunching its film division last October, Castle Rock Entertainment has set a first project out of the gate that will have a familiar ring. It’s Spinal Tap II, a sequel to the fabled rock mockumentary that set the film company on a run of hits, many of them directed by Rob Reiner. He made his directorial debut on the 1984 cult classic This Is Spinal Tap.
Reiner will direct the sequel and return as filmmaker Marty Dibergi. Also back are David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), the nucleus of England’s loudest and sauciest heavy metal band.
The package comes after the Cannes Film Festival announced the original will screen on the beach as part of the Cinema de la Plage sidebar on Wednesday, May 18th. The film was released to critical acclaim in 1984. In 2002, it was deemed “culturally, historically,...
Reiner will direct the sequel and return as filmmaker Marty Dibergi. Also back are David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), the nucleus of England’s loudest and sauciest heavy metal band.
The package comes after the Cannes Film Festival announced the original will screen on the beach as part of the Cinema de la Plage sidebar on Wednesday, May 18th. The film was released to critical acclaim in 1984. In 2002, it was deemed “culturally, historically,...
- 5/12/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Long before he was entertaining audiences with "The Breakfast Club" and "Planes Trains and Automobiles," John Hughes was a staff writer for one of the most chaotic American counter-cultural (if you can call a Harvard humor magazine spin-off such) outlets of the 21st century. "National Lampoon" magazine, during its run from 1970-1998, traded in bawdy jokes and stinging parody, and no subject was safe. As former "Lampoon" editor Tony Hendra says in the documentary "Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon": "It is the job of a satirist to make people in power uncomfortable." So they did, with social relevance...
The post John Hughes Wrote a National Lampoon Article That Launched His Career appeared first on /Film.
The post John Hughes Wrote a National Lampoon Article That Launched His Career appeared first on /Film.
- 3/24/2022
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
A look at all the stars in movies, TV, music, sports and media we’ve lost this year
Mike Fenton
The “E.T.” and “Back to the Future” casting director died Jan. 1. He was 85 years old.
Joan Micklin Silver
The director known for acclaimed films “Hester Street” and “Crossing Delancey” died Jan. 1 due to vascular dementia. She was 85.
Gerry Marsden
Gerry Marsden, lead signer of the British pop band Gerry and the Pacemakers, died Jan. 3 after an infection of the heart. He was 78.
Kerry Vincent
“Food Network Challenge” judge and cake designing expert Kerry Vincent passed away Jan. 4. She was 75 years old.
Tanya Roberts
Former Bond Girl and star of “A View to Kill” and “That 70s Show” Tanya Roberts was confirmed dead Jan. 5 after initial misleading reports that she had passed away, then was still alive. Roberts died of a urinary tract infection that spread to other organs, and she was 65 years old.
Mike Fenton
The “E.T.” and “Back to the Future” casting director died Jan. 1. He was 85 years old.
Joan Micklin Silver
The director known for acclaimed films “Hester Street” and “Crossing Delancey” died Jan. 1 due to vascular dementia. She was 85.
Gerry Marsden
Gerry Marsden, lead signer of the British pop band Gerry and the Pacemakers, died Jan. 3 after an infection of the heart. He was 78.
Kerry Vincent
“Food Network Challenge” judge and cake designing expert Kerry Vincent passed away Jan. 4. She was 75 years old.
Tanya Roberts
Former Bond Girl and star of “A View to Kill” and “That 70s Show” Tanya Roberts was confirmed dead Jan. 5 after initial misleading reports that she had passed away, then was still alive. Roberts died of a urinary tract infection that spread to other organs, and she was 65 years old.
- 4/26/2021
- by Samson Amore, Margeaux Sippell and Andrea Towers
- The Wrap
Tony Hendra, best known as bumbling band-manager Ian Faith in mockumentary classic This is Spinal Tap, died yesterday at the age of 79 after battling Lou Gehrig’s disease. Tony Hendra started writing and performing comedy while attending Cambridge University and soon formed a comedy act with Nick Ullett. After traveling to the United States, the pair performed stand-up on the comedy…...
- 3/5/2021
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Tony Hendra, a British satirist who worked as a top editor with National Lampoon and Spy magazines and is best known from “This Is Spinal Tap” as the band’s manager Ian Faith, has died. He was 79.
Hendra died on Thursday in Yonkers, N.Y., of Lou Gehrig’s disease, his wife Carla told the New York Times. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2019.
Hendra got his start at Cambridge University in the ’60s and worked alongside John Cleese and Graham Chapman just before Monty Python hit it big. He eventually took his comedy act to the U.S. and partnered with comedian Nick Ullett to perform stand-up and work as a writer and editor for various publications. In that time, he and Ullett opened for Lenny Bruce at the Cafe Au Go Go, and Hendra became a frequent guest on “The Merv Griffin Show” and “The Ed Sullivan Show.
Hendra died on Thursday in Yonkers, N.Y., of Lou Gehrig’s disease, his wife Carla told the New York Times. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2019.
Hendra got his start at Cambridge University in the ’60s and worked alongside John Cleese and Graham Chapman just before Monty Python hit it big. He eventually took his comedy act to the U.S. and partnered with comedian Nick Ullett to perform stand-up and work as a writer and editor for various publications. In that time, he and Ullett opened for Lenny Bruce at the Cafe Au Go Go, and Hendra became a frequent guest on “The Merv Griffin Show” and “The Ed Sullivan Show.
- 3/5/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Tony Hendra, the British humorist and National Lampoon alumnus who played the blundering This Is Spinal Tap band manager responsible for delivering both the tiny Stonehenge and one of the film’s greatest sight gags, died Thursday of Lou Gehrig’s disease in Yonkers, NY. He was 79.
Hendra’s wife Carla confirmed his death to The New York Times. The actor first was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Als), in 2019.
A member of the Cambridge University Footlights revue in 1961 and 1962, Hendra appeared onstage with both John Cleese and Graham Chapman, establishing himself in the new British humor scene along with those future Monty Python stars. He moved to the United States in 1964 with comedy partner Nick Ullett. The duo opened for Lenny Bruce at the Café Au Go Go in New York’s Greenwich Village and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Hendra, who had...
Hendra’s wife Carla confirmed his death to The New York Times. The actor first was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Als), in 2019.
A member of the Cambridge University Footlights revue in 1961 and 1962, Hendra appeared onstage with both John Cleese and Graham Chapman, establishing himself in the new British humor scene along with those future Monty Python stars. He moved to the United States in 1964 with comedy partner Nick Ullett. The duo opened for Lenny Bruce at the Café Au Go Go in New York’s Greenwich Village and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Hendra, who had...
- 3/5/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Tony Hendra, the British satirist and comic whose roles included top editing positions at magazines such as National Lampoon and Spy and a part in musical mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap,” died on Thursday in Yonkers, N.Y. He was 79.
His wife, Carla Meisner, told the New York Times the cause of death was Lou Gehrig’s disease, which the writer was first diagnosed with in 2019.
In Rob Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap,” he played Ian Faith, the bumbling band manager who tells Michael McKean’s character that having a gig in Boston canceled isn’t a big deal because “It’s not a big college town.”
Hendra began writing and performing comedy while a student at Cambridge University, working alongside future members of the Monty Python troupe. In 1964, he and his performing partner, Nick Ullett took their stage act to the United States, where he regularly began performing stand-up comedy,...
His wife, Carla Meisner, told the New York Times the cause of death was Lou Gehrig’s disease, which the writer was first diagnosed with in 2019.
In Rob Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap,” he played Ian Faith, the bumbling band manager who tells Michael McKean’s character that having a gig in Boston canceled isn’t a big deal because “It’s not a big college town.”
Hendra began writing and performing comedy while a student at Cambridge University, working alongside future members of the Monty Python troupe. In 1964, he and his performing partner, Nick Ullett took their stage act to the United States, where he regularly began performing stand-up comedy,...
- 3/5/2021
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- Variety Film + TV
Tony Hendra, the British satirist and National Lampoon alumnus who played the band manager on This Is Spinal Tap, died Thursday in Yonkers, New York. He was 79.
Hendra’s wife Carla confirmed his death to The New York Times, citing the cause as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The actor was diagnosed in 2019.
This Is Spinal Tap’s director Rob Reiner also shared the news of Hendra’s passing on Twitter, writing, “Tony Hendra who played Spinal Tap’s manager, Ian, has sadly passed away. A brilliant satirist who when learning that the band’s Boston gig had been canceled,...
Hendra’s wife Carla confirmed his death to The New York Times, citing the cause as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The actor was diagnosed in 2019.
This Is Spinal Tap’s director Rob Reiner also shared the news of Hendra’s passing on Twitter, writing, “Tony Hendra who played Spinal Tap’s manager, Ian, has sadly passed away. A brilliant satirist who when learning that the band’s Boston gig had been canceled,...
Tony Hendra, the British satirist and National Lampoon alumnus who played the band manager on This Is Spinal Tap, died Thursday in Yonkers, New York. He was 79.
Hendra’s wife Carla confirmed his death to The New York Times, citing the cause as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The actor was diagnosed in 2019.
This Is Spinal Tap’s director Rob Reiner also shared the news of Hendra’s passing on Twitter, writing, “Tony Hendra who played Spinal Tap’s manager, Ian, has sadly passed away. A brilliant satirist who when learning that the band’s Boston gig had been canceled,...
Hendra’s wife Carla confirmed his death to The New York Times, citing the cause as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The actor was diagnosed in 2019.
This Is Spinal Tap’s director Rob Reiner also shared the news of Hendra’s passing on Twitter, writing, “Tony Hendra who played Spinal Tap’s manager, Ian, has sadly passed away. A brilliant satirist who when learning that the band’s Boston gig had been canceled,...
Tony Sokol Jan 28, 2020
National Lampoon finds corporate sponsors for its Downfall Festival in Lemmings: 21st Century.
National Lampoon flayed the peace and love generation when a million Lemmings showed up to off themselves at a free concert. The National Lampoon franchise, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, will send a new wave over the cliff. The iconic comedy brand is rebooting their legendary Off-Broadway Show with Lemmings: 21st Century.
Lemmings was a take-off of Woodstock, promising three days of peace, love and death. John Belushi was the master of ceremonies, bassist, and suicidal cheerleader for the “Woodshuck" festival. The new original musical picks up where the original left off by spoofing the corporate festival culture which has taken over musical gatherings ever since. Lemmings: 21st Century takes on modern Millennial fests like Coachella, Burning Man, Bonnaroo, and Fyre. Their fictional music gathering is called the "Downfall Festival," and it is...
National Lampoon finds corporate sponsors for its Downfall Festival in Lemmings: 21st Century.
National Lampoon flayed the peace and love generation when a million Lemmings showed up to off themselves at a free concert. The National Lampoon franchise, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, will send a new wave over the cliff. The iconic comedy brand is rebooting their legendary Off-Broadway Show with Lemmings: 21st Century.
Lemmings was a take-off of Woodstock, promising three days of peace, love and death. John Belushi was the master of ceremonies, bassist, and suicidal cheerleader for the “Woodshuck" festival. The new original musical picks up where the original left off by spoofing the corporate festival culture which has taken over musical gatherings ever since. Lemmings: 21st Century takes on modern Millennial fests like Coachella, Burning Man, Bonnaroo, and Fyre. Their fictional music gathering is called the "Downfall Festival," and it is...
- 1/28/2020
- Den of Geek
Tony Sokol Dec 5, 2019
Rachel Dratch, Amy Sedaris and Jordan Klepper will guest star on the new National Lampoon Radio Hour podcast.
While much of the comedy world circumnavigates around the perilous waters of microagressions, there is at least one laughter delivery system which sails straight into it. Coming from an irreverent tradition which included an album called That's Not Funny, That's Sick, National Lampoon provides gags for an audience who can take a joke. They promise that now, as much as ever, is "time for a good laugh, again."
Starting on Dec. 19, National Lampoon Radio Hour, the iconic comedy show that introduced the world to John Belushi, Bill Murray and Gilda Radner returns to celebrate "the next generation of young, diverse comedic superstars," according to their press. They will produce a new, original 11-episode scripted podcast featuring special guests like Rachel Dratch, Amy Sedaris, Julie Klausner, Jordan Klepper and Chris Gethard.
Rachel Dratch, Amy Sedaris and Jordan Klepper will guest star on the new National Lampoon Radio Hour podcast.
While much of the comedy world circumnavigates around the perilous waters of microagressions, there is at least one laughter delivery system which sails straight into it. Coming from an irreverent tradition which included an album called That's Not Funny, That's Sick, National Lampoon provides gags for an audience who can take a joke. They promise that now, as much as ever, is "time for a good laugh, again."
Starting on Dec. 19, National Lampoon Radio Hour, the iconic comedy show that introduced the world to John Belushi, Bill Murray and Gilda Radner returns to celebrate "the next generation of young, diverse comedic superstars," according to their press. They will produce a new, original 11-episode scripted podcast featuring special guests like Rachel Dratch, Amy Sedaris, Julie Klausner, Jordan Klepper and Chris Gethard.
- 12/5/2019
- Den of Geek
The <em>National Lampoon</em> writers room just got a little bigger.
Matt Lucas is joining Netflix's <em>A Futile and Stupid Gesture</em>, the origin story of the humor magazine that became a major force in 1970s comedy.
He's attached to an ever-growing cast that already includes <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/will-forte-star-as-national-875870" target="_blank">Will Forte</a>, Domhnall Gleeson, Emmy Rossum, Matt Walsh and Joel McHale.
Lucas will be playing English satirist Tony Hendra, who was the first editor hired by <em>National Lampoon</em> founders Doug Kenney and Henry Beard.
<em>Wet Hot American Summer</em>'s David Wain will direct the film, which is adapted from the 2006 book by Josh Karp ...
Matt Lucas is joining Netflix's <em>A Futile and Stupid Gesture</em>, the origin story of the humor magazine that became a major force in 1970s comedy.
He's attached to an ever-growing cast that already includes <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/will-forte-star-as-national-875870" target="_blank">Will Forte</a>, Domhnall Gleeson, Emmy Rossum, Matt Walsh and Joel McHale.
Lucas will be playing English satirist Tony Hendra, who was the first editor hired by <em>National Lampoon</em> founders Doug Kenney and Henry Beard.
<em>Wet Hot American Summer</em>'s David Wain will direct the film, which is adapted from the 2006 book by Josh Karp ...
- 4/14/2016
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Attention comedy geeks everywhere! To paraphrase a literary classic, this new documentary feature lets us all “look back in laughter” at one of the most influential humor magazines of the last fifty years. Actually its legacy reaches on past its newstand existence. Yes, it’s been absent from newsstands (there’s still a few of them left) for nearly twenty years. But, to paraphrase again, we’ve come “not to bury this magazine, but to praise it”. And to recall the chuckles and the mini-empire it spawned. Of course, this wasn’t the first humor publication. Puck paved the way decades before. Then Mad magazine shook up the staid 1950’s. But by 1970, that mag had somewhat settled into a (still entertaining) routine, poking fun at suburbia, and wasn’t connecting with the “counter-culture”. Younger “baby boomers” wanted their humor to have a sharper edge, to reflect the “hippie” spirit, and...
- 10/9/2015
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon
Written by Douglas Tirola & Mark Monroe
Directed by Douglas Tirola
USA | UK, 2015
The new documentary Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon takes us back to the birth of the ultimate problem child, the National Lampoon magazine. Arrested development and controlled substances aside, the Lampoon crew shepherded comedy from its antiseptic television roots through the youth counterculture and back into the mainstream again. It was unfiltered anarchy; vulgar, subversive, and hilarious. Get ready to laugh, feel ashamed for laughing, and then laugh some more.
The list of alumni from National Lampoon reads like a who’s who of comedy royalty. Belushi, Chase, Ramis, Radner, Guest, Murray… and those are just the performers. That doesn’t include all the writers and illustrators toiling behind the scenes of each fevered edition. Writers like co-founders Doug Kenney and Henry Beard,...
Written by Douglas Tirola & Mark Monroe
Directed by Douglas Tirola
USA | UK, 2015
The new documentary Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon takes us back to the birth of the ultimate problem child, the National Lampoon magazine. Arrested development and controlled substances aside, the Lampoon crew shepherded comedy from its antiseptic television roots through the youth counterculture and back into the mainstream again. It was unfiltered anarchy; vulgar, subversive, and hilarious. Get ready to laugh, feel ashamed for laughing, and then laugh some more.
The list of alumni from National Lampoon reads like a who’s who of comedy royalty. Belushi, Chase, Ramis, Radner, Guest, Murray… and those are just the performers. That doesn’t include all the writers and illustrators toiling behind the scenes of each fevered edition. Writers like co-founders Doug Kenney and Henry Beard,...
- 2/5/2015
- by J.R. Kinnard
- SoundOnSight
It's been a whopping 30 years since Spitting Image first hit our screens on ITV in 1984. The satirical puppet show quickly became one of the most-watched shows of the 1980s and early 1990s.
I wasn't able to fully appreciate the series when it was first on TV. When I watched it in the early '90s as a child, I found it funny mainly because of the silly puppets, even if I didn't quite understand what was going on. But in retrospective viewings, it still holds up as a genuinely hilarious satire of politics, entertainment, sport and general UK culture of the era.
It's quite incredible to think that Spitting Image hasn't been on air since 1996. To put that into perspective, the Spice Girls had only just been unleashed, Tony Blair hadn't been elected yet, and Lorde had only just been born.
As a show that is heavily reliant on topical...
I wasn't able to fully appreciate the series when it was first on TV. When I watched it in the early '90s as a child, I found it funny mainly because of the silly puppets, even if I didn't quite understand what was going on. But in retrospective viewings, it still holds up as a genuinely hilarious satire of politics, entertainment, sport and general UK culture of the era.
It's quite incredible to think that Spitting Image hasn't been on air since 1996. To put that into perspective, the Spice Girls had only just been unleashed, Tony Blair hadn't been elected yet, and Lorde had only just been born.
As a show that is heavily reliant on topical...
- 2/26/2014
- Digital Spy
The Last Timescast from The Final Edition on Vimeo. Internet, meet The Final Edition, a nihilistic and deeply silly parody of The New York Times and the city it serves. The Final Edition is edited by Tony Hendra, the Spinal Tap actor, Vanity Fair contributor, and Spy and National Lampoon alumnus. With articles about the cycling culture wars (“New Second Avenue Subway Will Include Bike Lanes”), section names that refer to the Times’s Manhattan-centric perspective (“World /U.S./SoHo”), and conspicuously sympathetic business coverage (a recurring feature spotlights the “story of a great American businessman who, despite his lack of ethics, has bravely stayed out of jail”), The Final Edition is like a very parochial Onion.
- 5/10/2011
- Vanity Fair
Two classic animated movies – Jungle Burger (aka Shame of the Jungle) and The Big Bang - from the team of cartoonist/director Picha and producer Boris Szulzinger finally make their UK DVD debuts from Lace DVD later this month. It’s been years since I last saw Jungle Burger (I remember seeing some of it as a kid, shock horror!) and I’ve never seen The Big Bang so it was with an eager anticipation – based on their infamous reputations – that I sat down to watch the pair…
Jungle Burger (1975)
Stars (the voices of): John Belushi, Bill Murray, Johnny Weismuller Jr., Christopher Guest | Written by Pierre Bartier, Anne Beatts (Us version) | Directed by Picha, Boris Szulzinger
Shame, the ape man of the jungle, is aghast when his woman, June, is kidnapped by a gang of giant penises. They take her to their queen, Bazunga, a bald woman with fourteen breasts.
Jungle Burger (1975)
Stars (the voices of): John Belushi, Bill Murray, Johnny Weismuller Jr., Christopher Guest | Written by Pierre Bartier, Anne Beatts (Us version) | Directed by Picha, Boris Szulzinger
Shame, the ape man of the jungle, is aghast when his woman, June, is kidnapped by a gang of giant penises. They take her to their queen, Bazunga, a bald woman with fourteen breasts.
- 1/8/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
I’ve been obsessed with The Moth podcast for a while now, and, in the last few months, have forced my friends to listen various episodes because I’m convinced if I can get everyone hooked on the storytelling series, the world will be a marginally better place. (It can’t hurt, right?) I thought nothing could top Tony Hendra’s story about satire and spirituality, but then I heard last week’s episode. Steve Burns, better known as Steve from Blues Clues, told a story about being “fame-ish,” and it’s fantastic. Listen to it here, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.
- 10/14/2010
- by Margaret Lyons
- EW.com - PopWatch
George Carlin's Last Words are set to be published more than a year after his death - the comedian's autobiography will hit store shelves this November.
The funnyman died in June 2008 at the age of 71.
He had been working on his memoir with author Tony Hendra in the months up until his passing, and now fans will get the chance to read about his lengthy career and life under the spotlight in Carlin's own words.
Last Words will be released in the U.S. on 17 November.
The funnyman died in June 2008 at the age of 71.
He had been working on his memoir with author Tony Hendra in the months up until his passing, and now fans will get the chance to read about his lengthy career and life under the spotlight in Carlin's own words.
Last Words will be released in the U.S. on 17 November.
- 7/14/2009
- WENN
Creatives vs. managers. That's a battle the entertainment industry can certainly identify with and, happily, this brainy comedy at the Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival extends its comic outlook to just about every profession.
A devilishly funny send-up of advertising, big-agency style, "Suits" could pocket some significant change for a distributor willing to take a chance on a low-budget, anti-establishment satire whose appeal could certainly be milked in college towns. Any upper-level English, journalism or liberal arts major contemplating a job in the big, bad, entry-level world (possibly in advertising or media) could get a kick out of this cheeky comedy.
Indeed, "Suits" is the saga of one Ken Tuttle (Randy Pearlstein), a recent literature grad toiling away at a big-time ad agency in Manhattan. He's writing copy for the sale of such staples as batteries, deodorants and now, female hygiene articles, and he fears he's turned into a hack.
Like most successful business organizations, the agency is middle-managed by suits, power-mongers who look good in meetings. The actual work is done by the creatives, the motley gaggle of writers and goof-offs who come up with the actual product, in this case the ad campaigns. Essentially, the conflict in "Suits" is the war between the MBA-ish suits and the countercultural creatives. Sound familiar?
Fortunately, filmmaker Eric Weber, who toiled long in the ad game himself, has doled out a generally even-handed comedy, seeing humor on both sides and poking crazy fun at the stiffness of the suits and the immaturity of the creatives. It's often deliriously funny, more than a little bawdy and, in general, a consistently entertaining work.
It's the talented, well-chosen cast that fleshes out "Suits" to credible, comedic dimension, including Pearlstein's subtle portrayal of the conflicted copywriter. Special praise also to Robert Klein for his convincing turn as the agency head whose smarts and instincts keep the agency on course. Tony Hendra is wonderful as a talented creative director whose inner demons do daily battle with his writing talents; Paul Lazar is amusing as an untalented dweeb who kowtows to management; Ingrid Rogers is winning as a somewhat insecure and defensive "creative"; Mark Lake is so credible in his three pieces as a kiss-ass suit that you'd think he just got his MBA from Stanford last spring; and Eben More is hilarious as a prissy back-stabber.
"Suits" is Savile Row in its cut and look, owing to cinematographer Peter Nelson's comic compositions and costume designer Ivan Ingermann's daffy fits.
SUITS
Tenafly Films
Producer: Chris Giordano
Screenwriter-director: Eric Weber
Executive producer: Eric Weber
Director of photography: Peter Nelson
Editor: Nancy Novack
Art director: Pam Shamshiri
Costume designer: Ivan Ingermann
Music supervisors: Lisa Gottheil, Naomi Puterman
Music: Pat Irwin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Tom Cranston: Robert Klein
George Parkyn: Tony Hendra
Peter Haverford: Larry Pine
Mitchell Mitnick: Paul Lazar
Ken Tuttle: Randy Pearlstein
Anita Tanner: Ingrid Rogers
Doug Humphrey: James Villemaire
Harson Covington: Mark Lake
Heidi Wilson: Joelle Carter
Rodney De Mole: Eben More
Robert Naylor Sr.: Frank Minucci
Rober Naylor Jr.: Cary Prusa
Running time -- 88 minutes
No MPAA rating...
A devilishly funny send-up of advertising, big-agency style, "Suits" could pocket some significant change for a distributor willing to take a chance on a low-budget, anti-establishment satire whose appeal could certainly be milked in college towns. Any upper-level English, journalism or liberal arts major contemplating a job in the big, bad, entry-level world (possibly in advertising or media) could get a kick out of this cheeky comedy.
Indeed, "Suits" is the saga of one Ken Tuttle (Randy Pearlstein), a recent literature grad toiling away at a big-time ad agency in Manhattan. He's writing copy for the sale of such staples as batteries, deodorants and now, female hygiene articles, and he fears he's turned into a hack.
Like most successful business organizations, the agency is middle-managed by suits, power-mongers who look good in meetings. The actual work is done by the creatives, the motley gaggle of writers and goof-offs who come up with the actual product, in this case the ad campaigns. Essentially, the conflict in "Suits" is the war between the MBA-ish suits and the countercultural creatives. Sound familiar?
Fortunately, filmmaker Eric Weber, who toiled long in the ad game himself, has doled out a generally even-handed comedy, seeing humor on both sides and poking crazy fun at the stiffness of the suits and the immaturity of the creatives. It's often deliriously funny, more than a little bawdy and, in general, a consistently entertaining work.
It's the talented, well-chosen cast that fleshes out "Suits" to credible, comedic dimension, including Pearlstein's subtle portrayal of the conflicted copywriter. Special praise also to Robert Klein for his convincing turn as the agency head whose smarts and instincts keep the agency on course. Tony Hendra is wonderful as a talented creative director whose inner demons do daily battle with his writing talents; Paul Lazar is amusing as an untalented dweeb who kowtows to management; Ingrid Rogers is winning as a somewhat insecure and defensive "creative"; Mark Lake is so credible in his three pieces as a kiss-ass suit that you'd think he just got his MBA from Stanford last spring; and Eben More is hilarious as a prissy back-stabber.
"Suits" is Savile Row in its cut and look, owing to cinematographer Peter Nelson's comic compositions and costume designer Ivan Ingermann's daffy fits.
SUITS
Tenafly Films
Producer: Chris Giordano
Screenwriter-director: Eric Weber
Executive producer: Eric Weber
Director of photography: Peter Nelson
Editor: Nancy Novack
Art director: Pam Shamshiri
Costume designer: Ivan Ingermann
Music supervisors: Lisa Gottheil, Naomi Puterman
Music: Pat Irwin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Tom Cranston: Robert Klein
George Parkyn: Tony Hendra
Peter Haverford: Larry Pine
Mitchell Mitnick: Paul Lazar
Ken Tuttle: Randy Pearlstein
Anita Tanner: Ingrid Rogers
Doug Humphrey: James Villemaire
Harson Covington: Mark Lake
Heidi Wilson: Joelle Carter
Rodney De Mole: Eben More
Robert Naylor Sr.: Frank Minucci
Rober Naylor Jr.: Cary Prusa
Running time -- 88 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/13/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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