Apple announced the premiere date and shared a first look (pictured above) of “Echo 3,” the 10-episode action-thriller from Mark Boal and starring Luke Evans and Michiel Huisman, alongside Jessica Ann Collins. The show will premiere with the first three episodes on Wednesday, November 23, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday through January 13, 2023.
The action series, filmed in Colombia with English and Spanish dialogue, follows Amber Chesborough (Collins), a young scientist who is the emotional heart of a small American family. When she goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border, her brother, Bambi (Evans), and her husband, Prince (Huisman) – two men with deep military experience and complicated pasts – struggle to find her against the backdrop of a secret war.
Additional cast includes Martina Gusman as Violetta, a prominent political columnist, James Udom, Maria Del Rosario, Alejandro Furth, Juan Pablo Raba and special guest star Bradley Whitford. The show’s narrative is...
The action series, filmed in Colombia with English and Spanish dialogue, follows Amber Chesborough (Collins), a young scientist who is the emotional heart of a small American family. When she goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border, her brother, Bambi (Evans), and her husband, Prince (Huisman) – two men with deep military experience and complicated pasts – struggle to find her against the backdrop of a secret war.
Additional cast includes Martina Gusman as Violetta, a prominent political columnist, James Udom, Maria Del Rosario, Alejandro Furth, Juan Pablo Raba and special guest star Bradley Whitford. The show’s narrative is...
- 10/1/2022
- by EJ Panaligan
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Cobra Kai, Pinocchio, Gutsy and Growing Up.
Pinocchio premiere
Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, Luke Evans and director Robert Zemeckis premiered their new live-action adaptation at the Walt Disney Studios lot on Wednesday.
Luke Evans, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo and Robert Zemeckis Alan Bergman, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Cynthia Erivo, Bob Chapek, CEO of Walt Disney Studios, and Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production
Cobra Kai season five premiere
The fifth season of Netflix’s hit martial arts series was unveiled on Wednesday at L.A. State Historic Park, with stars William Zabka, Ralph Macchio and Martin Kove.
Griffin Santopietro, Thomas Ian Griffith, Dallas Dupree Young, Khalil Everage, Hannah Kepple, Yuji Okumoto, Joe Seo,...
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Cobra Kai, Pinocchio, Gutsy and Growing Up.
Pinocchio premiere
Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, Luke Evans and director Robert Zemeckis premiered their new live-action adaptation at the Walt Disney Studios lot on Wednesday.
Luke Evans, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo and Robert Zemeckis Alan Bergman, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Cynthia Erivo, Bob Chapek, CEO of Walt Disney Studios, and Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production
Cobra Kai season five premiere
The fifth season of Netflix’s hit martial arts series was unveiled on Wednesday at L.A. State Historic Park, with stars William Zabka, Ralph Macchio and Martin Kove.
Griffin Santopietro, Thomas Ian Griffith, Dallas Dupree Young, Khalil Everage, Hannah Kepple, Yuji Okumoto, Joe Seo,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stars: Robert Belushi, Jill-Michele Melean, Vince Donvito, Erinn Hayes, Bret Ernst, Monique Coleman, Tara Strong, Carlos Alazraqui, Maurice Lamarche, Joseph D. Reitman, Gary Anthony Williams, Roger Rignack | Written by Carlos Alazraqui, Jill-Michele Melean | Directed by Andy Palmer
Witness Infection tells the story of two rival mob families who are transferred from the Witness Protection Program to the same city by mistake. Life has always been pretty protected for Carlo Serrelli. But his past is about to come back and bite him. Carlo’s father has kept him out of the deadly mob business by giving him a job at the family dog groomers, while his younger brother, Dominic, has always done the dirty work. All that is coming to an end as Carlo’s father has to force him into an arranged marriage with the daughter of the rival Miola family boss. Carlo’s two best friends, Gina and Vince,...
Witness Infection tells the story of two rival mob families who are transferred from the Witness Protection Program to the same city by mistake. Life has always been pretty protected for Carlo Serrelli. But his past is about to come back and bite him. Carlo’s father has kept him out of the deadly mob business by giving him a job at the family dog groomers, while his younger brother, Dominic, has always done the dirty work. All that is coming to an end as Carlo’s father has to force him into an arranged marriage with the daughter of the rival Miola family boss. Carlo’s two best friends, Gina and Vince,...
- 5/7/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Freestyle Digital Media has announced the cable, satellite and Digital HD release of Witness Infection, from filmmaking team Carlos Alazraqui and Jill-Michele Melean and director Andy Palmer. Witness Infection will be available to rent and own on North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms and DVD on March 30, 2021 through Freestyle Digital Media. Here’s the trailer:
Winning Best Feature at the Horror Hound Film Festival and Best Director at the Frostbite International Film Festival, and showing at several others including Portland Horror Film Festival, Ha Comedy Arts Festival and more, Witness Infection is being lauded as “a wild ride of raucous fun” (Horror Buzz). The feature film by Andy Palmer has been entertaining audiences at film festivals, gathering up its very own cult following even before its wide release. This stomach-turning comedic horror/ mob movie mash-up is now poised for a March 30, 2021 release. Witness Infection will be available...
Winning Best Feature at the Horror Hound Film Festival and Best Director at the Frostbite International Film Festival, and showing at several others including Portland Horror Film Festival, Ha Comedy Arts Festival and more, Witness Infection is being lauded as “a wild ride of raucous fun” (Horror Buzz). The feature film by Andy Palmer has been entertaining audiences at film festivals, gathering up its very own cult following even before its wide release. This stomach-turning comedic horror/ mob movie mash-up is now poised for a March 30, 2021 release. Witness Infection will be available...
- 3/17/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Freestyle Digital Media has announced the US cable, satellite and Digital HD release of Witness Infection, from filmmaking team Carlos Alazraqui and Jill-Michele Melean and director Andy Palmer. The festival favorite living dead comedy will be available March 30th on a number of digital and cable platforms.
Witness Infection tells the story of two rival mob families who are transferred from the Witness Protection Program to the same city by mistake. Life has always been pretty protected for Carlo Serrelli. But his past is about to come back and bite him. Carlo’s father has kept him out of the deadly mob business by giving him a job at the family dog groomers, while his younger brother, Dominic, has always done the dirty work. All that is coming to an end as Carlo’s father has to force him into an arranged marriage with the daughter of the rival Miola family boss.
Witness Infection tells the story of two rival mob families who are transferred from the Witness Protection Program to the same city by mistake. Life has always been pretty protected for Carlo Serrelli. But his past is about to come back and bite him. Carlo’s father has kept him out of the deadly mob business by giving him a job at the family dog groomers, while his younger brother, Dominic, has always done the dirty work. All that is coming to an end as Carlo’s father has to force him into an arranged marriage with the daughter of the rival Miola family boss.
- 3/9/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Coming to digital services at the end of March from Freestyle Digital Media, here's a look at the trailer for the zombie comedy Witness Infection:
"Witness Infection tells the story of two rival mob families who are transferred from the Witness Protection Program to the same city by mistake. Life has always been pretty protected for Carlo Serrelli. But his past is about to come back and bite him. Carlo’s father has kept him out of the deadly mob business by giving him a job at the family dog groomers, while his younger brother, Dominic, has always done the dirty work.
All that is coming to an end as Carlo’s father has to force him into an arranged marriage with the daughter of the rival Miola family boss. Carlo’s two best friends, Gina and Vince, vow to help him get out of this predicament, but they...
"Witness Infection tells the story of two rival mob families who are transferred from the Witness Protection Program to the same city by mistake. Life has always been pretty protected for Carlo Serrelli. But his past is about to come back and bite him. Carlo’s father has kept him out of the deadly mob business by giving him a job at the family dog groomers, while his younger brother, Dominic, has always done the dirty work.
All that is coming to an end as Carlo’s father has to force him into an arranged marriage with the daughter of the rival Miola family boss. Carlo’s two best friends, Gina and Vince, vow to help him get out of this predicament, but they...
- 3/4/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
This article contains Cobra Kai season 3 spoilers.
Cobra Kai season 3 brought back several beloved characters from the original Karate Kid movies including Daniel’s first two loves, Ali (Elisabeth Shue) and Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), Daniel’s second major nemesis Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) and many more. In the process, however, season 3 also left some Cobra Kai characters on the sidelines. Fans sorely missed Aisha Robinson (Nichole Brown) and Raymond a.k.a. ‘Stingray’ (Paul Walter Hauser). Aisha has been part of the series since the beginning. She was the first female student of Johnny’s (William Zabka) Cobra Kai Dojo. Stingray first appeared in season 2 and has been the oldest Cobra Kai student so far.
Aisha is dismissed within the season 3 premiere episode ‘Aftermath.’ There’s a curt explanation that her parents moved her to private school after the catastrophic fight at the end of season 2. That seems appropriate. Given the damage to the student body,...
Cobra Kai season 3 brought back several beloved characters from the original Karate Kid movies including Daniel’s first two loves, Ali (Elisabeth Shue) and Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), Daniel’s second major nemesis Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) and many more. In the process, however, season 3 also left some Cobra Kai characters on the sidelines. Fans sorely missed Aisha Robinson (Nichole Brown) and Raymond a.k.a. ‘Stingray’ (Paul Walter Hauser). Aisha has been part of the series since the beginning. She was the first female student of Johnny’s (William Zabka) Cobra Kai Dojo. Stingray first appeared in season 2 and has been the oldest Cobra Kai student so far.
Aisha is dismissed within the season 3 premiere episode ‘Aftermath.’ There’s a curt explanation that her parents moved her to private school after the catastrophic fight at the end of season 2. That seems appropriate. Given the damage to the student body,...
- 1/6/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Since Netflix picked up Cobra Kai it’s been sweeping up viewership like Johnny on Daniel-san’s leg. When The Karate Kid debuted in 1984, it was a smash hit, delivering returns of $100 million on a modest budget of $8 million. It also earned Best Supporting Actor nominations for the late Pat Morita (Mr Miyagi) from both the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Miyagi was a crowning achievement for Morita whose career spanned 175 roles beginning in 1964.
The Karate Kid was embraced by pop culture, redefining the martial arts genre. It had a profound effect on the practice of martial arts in the United States. The Karate Kid stands alongside Enter the Dragon and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon as a film that reshaped the way Americans viewed martial arts. Martial arts made an amazing leap, one of the largest in U.S. history, boosting the whole economy. Everyone who ran a Dojo during...
The Karate Kid was embraced by pop culture, redefining the martial arts genre. It had a profound effect on the practice of martial arts in the United States. The Karate Kid stands alongside Enter the Dragon and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon as a film that reshaped the way Americans viewed martial arts. Martial arts made an amazing leap, one of the largest in U.S. history, boosting the whole economy. Everyone who ran a Dojo during...
- 9/7/2020
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
John Wesley Shipp, who played Barry Allen/The Flash in the 1990s TV series, has been added to the cast of the CW/Wbtv/DC pilot The Flash, which retells the story of scientist Allen (Grant Gustin) who, through a freak accident, is given the power of super speed. The producers are keeping Shipp’s recurring character a secret. Todd Grinnell and Bret Ernst have been cast as regulars in NBC‘s comedy pilot Mason Twins. Written by June Diane Raphael and Casey Wilson, it tells the the story of two fraternal twin sisters, Lizzie (Erinn Hayes) and Pender (Raphael), who reunite after being estranged since high school. Grinell, repped by Gersh, Gartner/Green and Loeb & Loeb, will play Kyle, Pender’s former boyfriend who is now her boss at the pizzeria. Ernst plays Joey, the bartender at the pizzeria.
- 2/12/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to the worthwhile titles currently available on Netflix Instant Watch.
This week there’s something strange lurking out there in the dark. While aliens and trolls cause havoc here and abroad, a band of British and Middle Eastern comedians take to the road to crack jokes and break down barriers. And if you’re eager to take these kinds of thrills and chuckles home, we’ve got a slew of suggestions for your viewing pleasure.
—
Super 8
Sci-fi icon Steven Spielberg and Star Trek director J.J. Abrams team up to bring this much-anticipated tale of childhood adventure and alien mystery to theaters. Super 8 centers on a tight-knit group of adolescent filmmakers who witness a horrifying train crash — and later spot something far more frightening emerge from the wreckage. But who will believe them? Joel Courtney,...
This week there’s something strange lurking out there in the dark. While aliens and trolls cause havoc here and abroad, a band of British and Middle Eastern comedians take to the road to crack jokes and break down barriers. And if you’re eager to take these kinds of thrills and chuckles home, we’ve got a slew of suggestions for your viewing pleasure.
—
Super 8
Sci-fi icon Steven Spielberg and Star Trek director J.J. Abrams team up to bring this much-anticipated tale of childhood adventure and alien mystery to theaters. Super 8 centers on a tight-knit group of adolescent filmmakers who witness a horrifying train crash — and later spot something far more frightening emerge from the wreckage. But who will believe them? Joel Courtney,...
- 6/9/2011
- by Kristy Puchko
- The Film Stage
We would have been pulling for the Fox pilot "Tagged" -- an ensemble comedy set at the Baltimore County coroner's office -- even if its creators had decided to surround its lead actor by a cast made up entirely of mimes. That's because we will literally watch anything featuring Gary Cole. Luckily, "Tagged" seems to be entirely mime-free and has now added the also-funny comedian Bret Ernst to a growing supporting cast that also includes Robin Givens ("Head of the Class") and Mel Rodriguez ("Running Wilde"). New Wave Entertainment, which represents Ernst, tells TheWrap...
- 3/11/2011
- The Wrap
Here's tonight's TV lineup (all times Eastern). All shows listed are new, unless otherwise noted.
Once again the schedule is light on the original. It may be time to clean out your DVR.
7:30
Cartoon Network: 'Batman: 'The Brave and the Bold'-- Fan of the show
8:00 to 9:00
The CW: 'Smallville'
NBC: 'Secrets of the Mountain' -- New made-for-tv movie
Disney Channel: 'The Suite Life on Deck' and 'Wizards of Waverly Place' -- 'Wizards' guest-stars Shakira
Nickelodeon: 'Big Time Rush' and 'The Troop'
9:00 to 10:00
ABC: 'Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution'
Animal Planet: 'I Shouldn't Be Alive'
Cartoon Network: 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'
Cmt: 'Gator 911' and 'Danger Coast'
HBO: 'The Ricky Gervais Show' and 'The Life & Times of Tim'
National Geographic: 'Dog Whisperer'
SyFy: 'Stargate Universe'
Teen Nick: 'Degrassi: The Next Generation'
Tlc:...
Once again the schedule is light on the original. It may be time to clean out your DVR.
7:30
Cartoon Network: 'Batman: 'The Brave and the Bold'-- Fan of the show
8:00 to 9:00
The CW: 'Smallville'
NBC: 'Secrets of the Mountain' -- New made-for-tv movie
Disney Channel: 'The Suite Life on Deck' and 'Wizards of Waverly Place' -- 'Wizards' guest-stars Shakira
Nickelodeon: 'Big Time Rush' and 'The Troop'
9:00 to 10:00
ABC: 'Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution'
Animal Planet: 'I Shouldn't Be Alive'
Cartoon Network: 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'
Cmt: 'Gator 911' and 'Danger Coast'
HBO: 'The Ricky Gervais Show' and 'The Life & Times of Tim'
National Geographic: 'Dog Whisperer'
SyFy: 'Stargate Universe'
Teen Nick: 'Degrassi: The Next Generation'
Tlc:...
- 4/16/2010
- by Rich Keller
- Aol TV.
TBS is rushing the "Frat House."
The cable network has ordered a presentation for a tentatively titled half-hour late-night project from Bunim-Murray that is in the vein of the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy "Old School."
The project follows three comedian-hosts -- Bret Ernst (Showtime's "Weeds"), Theo Von (ABC Family's "America's Prom Queen") and Bert Kreischer (Comedy Central's "Reality Bites Back") -- as they lead a band of guys, each at a crossroads, who long for the simpler, raucous days of life in a frat house.
The news comes on the heels of TBS' ordering a pilot for another late-night project, "The TBS Comedy Roadshow," a contemporary take on vaudeville hosted by Harland Williams.
Bunin-Murray's credits include MTV's "The Real World" and E!'s "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."...
The cable network has ordered a presentation for a tentatively titled half-hour late-night project from Bunim-Murray that is in the vein of the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy "Old School."
The project follows three comedian-hosts -- Bret Ernst (Showtime's "Weeds"), Theo Von (ABC Family's "America's Prom Queen") and Bert Kreischer (Comedy Central's "Reality Bites Back") -- as they lead a band of guys, each at a crossroads, who long for the simpler, raucous days of life in a frat house.
The news comes on the heels of TBS' ordering a pilot for another late-night project, "The TBS Comedy Roadshow," a contemporary take on vaudeville hosted by Harland Williams.
Bunin-Murray's credits include MTV's "The Real World" and E!'s "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."...
- 12/9/2008
- by By Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Narrative Review When you hear the name Vince Vaughn, you expect laughter. That seems to be the rule now. Sure, for a while he attempted drama with a "Psycho" remake, "Clay Pigeons" and "Return to Paradise," but the public spoke with their wallets. None of those films made much money, and Vaughn returned to comedy with huge hits such as "Wedding Crashers." So who better than Vaughn to lead us through 30 cities in 30 days with four stand-up comedians? "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days and 30 Nights, Hollywood to the Heartland" is supposed to be a raucous ride of laughter, but it's thin on one important aspect: the jokes. Vaughn is joined by four stand-up comedians (Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst and Sebastian Maniscalco)...
- 2/8/2008
- The Scorecard Review
NEW YORK -- Picturehouse and New Line International have nabbed all international rights to the comedy performance documentary Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights -- Hollywood to the Heartland.
Ari Sandel's film, produced by Vaughn, follows the actor as he leads a team of unknown comics on a monthlong tour across the U.S. In addition to showcasing stage performances with such guests as Justin Long and Dwight Yoakam, the film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of Vaughn and comedians Bret Ernst, Ahmed Ahmed, Sebastian Maniscalco and John Caparulo.
The pickup comes seven months after the Weinstein Co. purchased the feature for $2.5 million-$3.5 million at the Toronto International Film Festival. After tentatively slating the film for a spring release, the company put the project back up for sale with UTA a month ago. A source close to the deal said the new purchase was slightly below $2.5 million, with a larger allocation of the money put toward marketing.
Ari Sandel's film, produced by Vaughn, follows the actor as he leads a team of unknown comics on a monthlong tour across the U.S. In addition to showcasing stage performances with such guests as Justin Long and Dwight Yoakam, the film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of Vaughn and comedians Bret Ernst, Ahmed Ahmed, Sebastian Maniscalco and John Caparulo.
The pickup comes seven months after the Weinstein Co. purchased the feature for $2.5 million-$3.5 million at the Toronto International Film Festival. After tentatively slating the film for a spring release, the company put the project back up for sale with UTA a month ago. A source close to the deal said the new purchase was slightly below $2.5 million, with a larger allocation of the money put toward marketing.
- 4/25/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Vince Vaughn's name might be the one on the marquee every night, but his "Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights -- Hollywood to the Heartland" is all about the unknowns -- four performers plucked from the Comedy Store (former home to Richard Pryor) for a monthlong trek through the South and Midwest.
(Wild west has little significance, other than as Vaughn's nod to his impresario model, Buffalo Bill.) The enjoyable result doesn't have a lot of theatrical potential, but could do well on cable and video.
Vaughn's roster is a melting pot of familiar types, some of whom have history with the actor -- the macho everyguy, the self-proclaimed Guido, the Arab and the hick from Ohio. None of them will be hailed anytime soon as great innovators of the comedic arts, but all four are likable personalities with enough good material to carry a set. Each has his highpoints onstage here, with John Caparulo in particular looking like a candidate to anchor a Blue Collar Tour Version 2.0.
In the opening scenes, it looks as if Vaughn and company have figured out a way to make this something more than just another group tour. He wrangles surprise guests for the first few gigs and has entertaining things for them to do: Jon Favreau drops by (maybe "surprise" isn't the right word ) in a clever bit at the expense of more regular guest (and Vaughn's "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" co-star) Justin Long; Dwight Yoakam appears in Bakersfield to complain that the guitar Buck Owens gave him wasn't nearly as cool as the one he gave Vaughn.
This format peters out, though, the further the tour bus gets from Los Angeles. Soon, we're watching a more familiar backstage-tour format, pairing performance material with offstage interviews about where the comics come from and how they cope with the struggle to break out of the comedy-club scene.
The balance between on- and offstage material is fine, if slightly heavy on the latter, but around an hour in you begin to wonder how the filmmakers are going to keep it interesting for almost two hours. They don't quite manage it: Feeling the need to include at least montage elements for every stop on the 30-city tour, they wind up with some fat that could be trimmed to make this a real entertainer. A detour through the hurricane-ravaged South (the 2005 tour coincided with Hurricane Katrina) provides a chance for the performers to be thoughtful about something other than their own performance anxiety, but might be too much of a mood shift under the circumstances.
Shot on sometimes lousy-looking video, it seems unreasonable to ask audiences to pay to see this picture on a big screen. But Wild West, particularly with a bit of editing, would be a standout on cable, where shoddy production values would be eclipsed by some very funny material and the emcee presence of a sometimes charismatic (and sometimes obviously road-weary) star.
WILD WEST COMEDY SHOW: 30 DAYS & 30 NIGHTS - HOLLYWOOD TO THE HEARTLAND
Wild West Picture Show Prods.
Credits:
Director: Ari Sandel
Producer: Vince Vaughn
Executive producers: Peter Billingsley, Victoria Vaughn, John Isbell
Editor: Dan Lebental
Performers:
Vince Vaughn, Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst, Sebastian Mansicalco, Peter Billingsley, Keir O'Donnell, Justin Long
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 115 minutes...
(Wild west has little significance, other than as Vaughn's nod to his impresario model, Buffalo Bill.) The enjoyable result doesn't have a lot of theatrical potential, but could do well on cable and video.
Vaughn's roster is a melting pot of familiar types, some of whom have history with the actor -- the macho everyguy, the self-proclaimed Guido, the Arab and the hick from Ohio. None of them will be hailed anytime soon as great innovators of the comedic arts, but all four are likable personalities with enough good material to carry a set. Each has his highpoints onstage here, with John Caparulo in particular looking like a candidate to anchor a Blue Collar Tour Version 2.0.
In the opening scenes, it looks as if Vaughn and company have figured out a way to make this something more than just another group tour. He wrangles surprise guests for the first few gigs and has entertaining things for them to do: Jon Favreau drops by (maybe "surprise" isn't the right word ) in a clever bit at the expense of more regular guest (and Vaughn's "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" co-star) Justin Long; Dwight Yoakam appears in Bakersfield to complain that the guitar Buck Owens gave him wasn't nearly as cool as the one he gave Vaughn.
This format peters out, though, the further the tour bus gets from Los Angeles. Soon, we're watching a more familiar backstage-tour format, pairing performance material with offstage interviews about where the comics come from and how they cope with the struggle to break out of the comedy-club scene.
The balance between on- and offstage material is fine, if slightly heavy on the latter, but around an hour in you begin to wonder how the filmmakers are going to keep it interesting for almost two hours. They don't quite manage it: Feeling the need to include at least montage elements for every stop on the 30-city tour, they wind up with some fat that could be trimmed to make this a real entertainer. A detour through the hurricane-ravaged South (the 2005 tour coincided with Hurricane Katrina) provides a chance for the performers to be thoughtful about something other than their own performance anxiety, but might be too much of a mood shift under the circumstances.
Shot on sometimes lousy-looking video, it seems unreasonable to ask audiences to pay to see this picture on a big screen. But Wild West, particularly with a bit of editing, would be a standout on cable, where shoddy production values would be eclipsed by some very funny material and the emcee presence of a sometimes charismatic (and sometimes obviously road-weary) star.
WILD WEST COMEDY SHOW: 30 DAYS & 30 NIGHTS - HOLLYWOOD TO THE HEARTLAND
Wild West Picture Show Prods.
Credits:
Director: Ari Sandel
Producer: Vince Vaughn
Executive producers: Peter Billingsley, Victoria Vaughn, John Isbell
Editor: Dan Lebental
Performers:
Vince Vaughn, Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst, Sebastian Mansicalco, Peter Billingsley, Keir O'Donnell, Justin Long
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 115 minutes...
- 9/11/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Comedian Brett Ernst has signed a development deal with the WB Network for a comedy series project based on his stand-up act. Veteran writer-producer Barry Kemp (CBS' Newhart, ABC's Coach) and Eric Lapidus (CBS' Two and a Half Men) have come on board to pen and executive produce the project through Touchstone Television, where Kemp has an overall deal. The project marks a rare collaboration between the WB and ABC's sibling studio. Ernst, who had a talent holding deal at Touchstone last season, was featured in the New Faces showcase at the 2003 Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. He is repped by UTA and manager Joan Green. Kemp and Lapidus are represented by Broder Webb Chervin and Silvermann.
- 11/29/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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