Gene Wilder—one of cinema's greatest actors. This documentary short explores his incredible ability to react naturally as a performer. From his famous roles in Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, to his great chemistry with Richard Pryor, we take a look at what made his reactions and performances so great.
The Three Stooges—one of cinema's most beloved acts. But did you know there were actually technically eight Stooges? This documentary short explores all of the Stooges members, while highlighting their most underrated third player: Shemp Howard. From their beginnings in vaudeville to their end in the '70s, see how Shemp was essential to The Three Stooges act.
Jim Varney—most commonly known for portraying Ernest P. Worrell in a series of films, commercials and shorts, was the world's first viral star. His versatile characters and talent for mimicry made each of his performances memorable. This documentary short explores his amazing climb to success, going from a down on his luck stand-up comedian to a national sensation and pop-culture icon.
John Candy—one of the most beloved entertainers of all time. In a career spanning over two decades, he found his way into some of the films that would go on to define a generation. From his days in the cult sketch comedy series SCTV, to his great collaborations with John Hughes, this documentary tribute short explores why we should never stop talking about John Candy and why he will never stop being missed.
Walter Matthau & Jack Lemmon—one of the great movie duos of all time. They would become most famously known as the original “Odd Couple”, but these two weren't so different after all, and were actually very much in sync. Their comedy partnership spanned close to four decades, making them one of the longest tenured comedy acts of all time. We take a look at what made them such a durable act and why their partnership was so great.
Leslie Nielsen—one of the most inspiring success stories in film history. Although he had early ambitions to be a dramatic leading man, he would end up settling for smaller character parts in film and TV for most of his career. He was then cast in a comedy film at age 54 that would reinvent him as a performer and lead to him becoming one of the biggest film stars of the decade. We explore his rise to fame, amazing gift for comedy timing, and why he’ll always be a cult icon.
Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy—the greatest screen duo of all time. This documentary short, the first of three, explores their initial formation as a team, as well as their incredible adaptation from silent films to sound.
The Honeymooners was a definitive American sitcom that paved the way for the medium today. Created by and starring Jackie Gleason, it represented many real life frustrations by Americans at that time. I take a look at what make the show and its star still so special.
Chris Farley—a true titan of comedy performance. In a short screen career of just seven years, he managed to make an impact on comedy that would take others decades. This documentary short explores his quick rise to fame, popularity in films, and tragic demise. It’s a story about an incredible entertainer who left such a lasting impression on the world.
Gene Wilder—one of cinema's greatest actors. This remastered documentary short explores his incredible ability to react naturally as a performer. From his famous roles in Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, to his great chemistry with Richard Pryor, we take a look at what made his reactions and performances so great. Originally listed as "Gene Wilder: Nowhere Special"
A profile of one of my favorite film comedians—the great W.C. Fields.
Here's a little short about James Gandolfini. I wanted to talk about just a few film roles that he had outside of his masterful work on The Sopranos.
I've got many requests to cover the work of Bud Abbott & Lou Costello so, with October upon us, I decided to start by looking back at their collaborations with the Universal Monsters!
Planes, Trains & Automobiles is rightfully established as a Thanksgiving classic, but did you know the first cut of the film came in at 3 hours and 40 minutes? In this video I use the shooting script, images, unused footage and other resources to present some of this missing material, as well as offer a plea in the hopes that we could see John Hughes' original vision restored someday.
He mentored Charlie Chaplin, discovered Buster Keaton, and changed film comedy forever—before a scandal destroyed his career. His name was Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Though you may recognize his name or face, few know the heartbreaking story of his life. This short takes a look back at his controversial life & career to highlight what an instrumental figure he was in the evolution of cinema and why he should be more remembered today.
Mr. Bean is a British sitcom created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, with Robin Driscoll. Two theatrical feature-length films featuring Mr. Bean have also been released. The first film, Bean, was directed by Mel Smith, released in 1997 and followed the misadventures of Mr. Bean as he oversaw the transfer of Whistler's Mother to a Los Angeles art gallery. The second film, Mr. Bean's Holiday, was directed by Steve Bendelack, released in 2007 and followed Bean on an eventful journey across France for a holiday in the French Riviera to which, after a number of mishaps, culminates in an unscheduled screening of his video diary at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. There has also been an animated TV series, spinoffs, live sketches, and commercials featuring the character. This video explores the creation of the character and traces his evolution to present day.
I launched this channel a year ago with a video essay on one of my favorite humans, Gene Wilder. To commemorate the occasion I decided to present an in-depth look at his life and career. I thought it only fitting that he narrate the story himself—using voice clips I collected. This is the story of Gene Wilder—in his own words.
Join me in saluting the reserved genius of Larry Fine - the Stooge in the middle.
A look back at the feature films of Laurel and Hardy. This is Part 2 of a planned 3 mini-docs, following Laurel & Hardy: The Sound of Silents (s2020e07). I originally had put a version of this video out over the summer, but I felt I missed a few important details that are well worth mentioning. Enjoy!
Part Laurel & Hardy, part buddy cop action stars. Terence Hill & Bud Spencer have been global superstars for decades now—except in America. This video is an introduction to their work and a tribute to their partnership.
This video is a re-upload of an original edit that contained a technical error. This project was not commissioned by Harold Lloyd Entertainment Inc. and was made purely as a fan tribute.