Reviews

The two completed episodes of this show are floating around the internet, along with some extra deleted scenes. Mr. Show is probably my favorite all-time sketch show, and "Next!" is basically Mr. Show II, the network version. Bob Odenkirk, Jay Johnstone, Jill Talley and Jerry Minor are in almost every scene, and there are clutch appearances from David Cross & Brian Posehn as well. The sensibility is somewhat similar to Mr. Show's 4th season, dark and weird at times, Bob playing lots of arrogant frustrated guys, the way he does so well.Fred Armisen and Galifianakis were clutch additions to the cast, and both went on to success on other shows.

Mr. Show, of course was, on HBO, and this was developed for Fox. As you might imagine, the humor is dumbed down a bit for network audiences; there are some poop jokes, nerds in chat rooms are zinged, and the recurring segment with Fred Armisen as a German version of James Lipton who cruelly mocks his guests is just plain unfunny.

But there are some insanely great skits as well; the newscasts are great, Jay and Bob as inept car salesmen, Fred Armisen in an airport security training video reminiscent of F.F. Woodycook's. It's a damn shame this got passed over. MadTV has been on the air for 13 years, and has sucked for the last 10.

Romantic comedies are formulaic and predictable. Still, there's such a thing as a "superior" genre film, and Adam & Steve is one of the lamentably few that rate that description. Although it's a gay romance, there's nothing that made me as a straight guy remotely uncomfortable. I do think the fact that gay actors played gay characters made things a bit more fluid- much better than, say, "Jeffrey," which featured straight actors overacting gay.

I laughed a lot more than I remember doing at any Rom-com in recent memory. Parker Posey really stole the show for me, but I've always been a fan of hers. The romantic aspect of the film is campy and farcical to the point of absurdity, and hence didn't bother me too much- and the jokes are constant and quality.

If I were to register any criticism, it would be of the generic plot devices- hidden identity, comical misunderstandings, the obligatory Rom-com chase-across-town-before-it's-too-late. But as I said, it's a genre film, and well done for what it is.