Since earning an Emmy nomination for her breakout role as Deputy Molly Solverson on the first season of Noah Hawley’s FX anthology series, Fargo, Allison Tolman has taken pains not to pigeonhole herself. But there is a common thread to her roles; she plays an "everywoman" just trying to live her life until she gets dropped into extraordinary circumstances.
When Tolman hears that description, she laughs with sudden recognition that, yes, certain roles appeal to her more than others. "I guess I'm not offered a lot of superheroes," she tells Et. "I tend to be drawn to the roles where women are the heroes of their own story, and most of those women are real women. They are just trying to get through the day and hold down a job. I think that that's enough of a challenge."
In the film Barracuda, which opens in limited release on Friday, Oct. 6, she...
When Tolman hears that description, she laughs with sudden recognition that, yes, certain roles appeal to her more than others. "I guess I'm not offered a lot of superheroes," she tells Et. "I tend to be drawn to the roles where women are the heroes of their own story, and most of those women are real women. They are just trying to get through the day and hold down a job. I think that that's enough of a challenge."
In the film Barracuda, which opens in limited release on Friday, Oct. 6, she...
- 10/6/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveriesNEWSRadley Metzger's The Lickerish QuartetRadley Metzger, whose groundbreaking erotic films helped set standards of style for both mainstream and arthouse cinema, has died at 88. His classics Camille 2000 (1969) and The Lickerish Quartet (1970) were featured on Mubi last year. Critic and programmer Steve Macfarlane interviewed the director at Slant Magazine for the Film Society of Lincoln Center's 2014 retrospective devoted to Metzger.Recommended VIEWINGThe Cinémathèque française has been on a roll uploading video discussions that have taken place at their Paris cinema. This 34 minute talk is between Wes Anderson and director/producer Barbet Schroeder.The Criterion Collection has recently released a new edition of Michelangelo Antonioni's masterpiece Blow-Up, and has uploaded this stellar clip of actor David Hemmings speaking on a talk show about making the film.Recommended READINGHoward Hawks' ScarfaceHow does Chicago intertwine itself with crime and the culture created in the mix of the two?...
- 4/5/2017
- MUBI
Minnie Driver's sitcom, About a Boy, was cancelled last year after two seasons on NBC. Now she's back, with her Speechless TV show on ABC. You can watch the new family sitcom on ABC.com and via the ABC app, ahead of its September 21st primetime linear premiere .Speechless stars: Minnie Driver, John Ross Bowie, Mason Cook, Micah Fowler, Kyla Kenedy, and Cedric Yarbrough. Guest stars in the Speechless TV series premiere include: Marin Kinkle, Paul Bates, Darcy Shean, Daniel Zolghadri, Dina Spybey-Waters, Cyrus Deboo, Skyler James, Jonathan Slavin, Jay Chandrasekhar, Lukita Maxwell, and Daniel Nelson. Read More…...
- 9/9/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Let's say you're a six-person improv group — we'll call you "The Commune" — and you've been kicking around the New York City comedy scene for a while. You're drawing a decent crowd, playing the good nights in a Ucb-level venue downtown, and because you've been doing this together for so long, you're hitting maximum performer mind-meld onstage. Then one of your members gets recruited for an SNL-like show called Weekend Live. The rest of you are still left living gig to gig. What's a troupe to do?
That's the central premise of Don't Think Twice,...
That's the central premise of Don't Think Twice,...
- 7/21/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Incoming "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert was on "Howard Stern" this morning to discuss his new late-night gig, his career trajectory, his tragic family history, his infamous White House Correspondents stint and even Donald Trump, among numerous other things. Typical of a "Stern" sit-down, the interview was long and most importantly revealing, providing listeners a window into what makes the former "Colbert Report" host tick. Below I've rounded up the 19 most essential moments from the interview, from a discussion of his brief stint as a cast member on the doomed "Dana Carvey Show" in the mid '90s to what effect the tragic death of his father and two of his brothers had on his life and career. Check out the full roundup below. (Relevant clips included where available.) 1. Jim Carrey was supposed to play Ace in an "Ambiguously Gay Duo" live-action movie. Photo Credit: NBC Colbert voiced the role...
- 8/18/2015
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Former Daily Show colleagues Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell are set to reunite onstage for the Montclair Film Festival's annual celebrity fundraiser. The two comedians will participate in an in-depth conversation and present rarely seen highlights of their work together at an event to benefit the New Jersey film festival. Watch more Stephen Colbert's 5 Best Out-of-Character Moments Colbert and Carell worked together at the Second City improv troupe in Chicago and on The Dana Carvey Show before serving as Daily Show correspondents until 2005. Carell left to star in NBC's The Office and movies such as The
read more...
read more...
- 9/29/2014
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2014 Sham Film Festival has announced its slate of accepted films for its inaugural year, featuring an international group of filmmakers.
The festival – the first of its kind in the region – is a celebration of parody, mockery, spoofs and satire. The festival takes place Friday, October 24, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the campus of Webster University.
The Sham Film Festival will showcase filmmakers’ work in categories such as fake movie trailers and commercials, mockumentaries, parodies and spoofs.
The grand prize of the Sham Film Festival, the Palm’d Oar trophy, comes with a cash award of $250 and free entry into the 2015 festival. The evening will be hosted by NYC stand-up comic, storyteller and writer Graham Eason Nolan. A graduate of the Second City training center in Chicago, he has performed at the Metropolitan Room, Gotham Comedy Club and more.
The Sham Film Festival is hosting Two...
The festival – the first of its kind in the region – is a celebration of parody, mockery, spoofs and satire. The festival takes place Friday, October 24, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the campus of Webster University.
The Sham Film Festival will showcase filmmakers’ work in categories such as fake movie trailers and commercials, mockumentaries, parodies and spoofs.
The grand prize of the Sham Film Festival, the Palm’d Oar trophy, comes with a cash award of $250 and free entry into the 2015 festival. The evening will be hosted by NYC stand-up comic, storyteller and writer Graham Eason Nolan. A graduate of the Second City training center in Chicago, he has performed at the Metropolitan Room, Gotham Comedy Club and more.
The Sham Film Festival is hosting Two...
- 9/24/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Is Tina Fey the queen of comedy?
Since breaking out on "Saturday Night Live" as head writer and anchor of Weekend Update, Fey has had her hands all over TV and film. She engineered a critically acclaimed sitcom, "30 Rock," while starring in hits like "Mean Girls" and "The Muppets Most Wanted." Did we mention she's also hosted the Golden Globes... twice? This fall, she can be seen again on the big screen, in the ensemble comedy-drama "This Is Where I Leave You."
From her first "SNL" sketch to her real first name, here are 23 things you probably don't know about Tina Fey.
1. Tina Fey was born May 18, 1970 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania to Jeanne Xenakes and Donald Fey.
2. Her mother works at a brokerage firm, while her dad wrote grants for universities.
3. She is half German and half Greek.
4. Fey's birth name is actually Elizabeth Stamatina Fey. "Tina" is taken from...
Since breaking out on "Saturday Night Live" as head writer and anchor of Weekend Update, Fey has had her hands all over TV and film. She engineered a critically acclaimed sitcom, "30 Rock," while starring in hits like "Mean Girls" and "The Muppets Most Wanted." Did we mention she's also hosted the Golden Globes... twice? This fall, she can be seen again on the big screen, in the ensemble comedy-drama "This Is Where I Leave You."
From her first "SNL" sketch to her real first name, here are 23 things you probably don't know about Tina Fey.
1. Tina Fey was born May 18, 1970 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania to Jeanne Xenakes and Donald Fey.
2. Her mother works at a brokerage firm, while her dad wrote grants for universities.
3. She is half German and half Greek.
4. Fey's birth name is actually Elizabeth Stamatina Fey. "Tina" is taken from...
- 9/19/2014
- by Jonny Black
- Moviefone
WWE.com
Cm Punk walked away from WWE back on January 27th of this year. The Second City Saint was reportedly burned out from a nearly three year run that saw him hold the WWE Championship for 434 days and work main event matches all over the world. The man that so many fans believed in and supported from day one was apparently ready to just leave without even saying goodbye.
Since that time, there has been a plethora of theories about why he left and whether or not he will ever come back. Fans just seem unable to let it go and despite how much time passes, Punk is still being talked about. The WWE faithful know who they love and they know who they want; Punk has typically always fit that criteria and that has not changed now.
However, Punk the man claims his WWE career is over, that he will never return.
Cm Punk walked away from WWE back on January 27th of this year. The Second City Saint was reportedly burned out from a nearly three year run that saw him hold the WWE Championship for 434 days and work main event matches all over the world. The man that so many fans believed in and supported from day one was apparently ready to just leave without even saying goodbye.
Since that time, there has been a plethora of theories about why he left and whether or not he will ever come back. Fans just seem unable to let it go and despite how much time passes, Punk is still being talked about. The WWE faithful know who they love and they know who they want; Punk has typically always fit that criteria and that has not changed now.
However, Punk the man claims his WWE career is over, that he will never return.
- 9/16/2014
- by Tom Clark
- Obsessed with Film
This weekend update comes from Cecily Strong on her new 'SNL' role.
For this weekend, Cecily Strong has an update of her own. The Saturday Night Live star went on Instagram last night to explain her new role on the show after NBC announced that Daily Show correspondent Michael Che will be replacing her during the "Weekend Update" segment.
News: 'SNL' Hires Michael Che
With this picture, she says, "I don't see this as me leaving update, just as me being on update in a looser, goofier way that is a lot more fun for me and in a way I think I'm better at. And now I get to do features with the very funny and wonderful Michael Che! No point in being angry or sad for me for something I'm genuinely happy about! Unless you are just a person who enjoys being angry or sad. Then I guess...
For this weekend, Cecily Strong has an update of her own. The Saturday Night Live star went on Instagram last night to explain her new role on the show after NBC announced that Daily Show correspondent Michael Che will be replacing her during the "Weekend Update" segment.
News: 'SNL' Hires Michael Che
With this picture, she says, "I don't see this as me leaving update, just as me being on update in a looser, goofier way that is a lot more fun for me and in a way I think I'm better at. And now I get to do features with the very funny and wonderful Michael Che! No point in being angry or sad for me for something I'm genuinely happy about! Unless you are just a person who enjoys being angry or sad. Then I guess...
- 9/13/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
New York City – There are legends, and then there is Joan Rivers. The comedian and show business survivor had a life journey as an influential star from the 1960s all the way to the end of her life. Joan Rivers died on September 4th, 2014, in New York City after suffering respiratory failure last weekend.
Joan Rivers, Forever Young
Photo credit: E! Entertainment Network
Joan Alexandra Molinsky was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Barnard College. As she developed her comic act, her agent at the time – Tony Rivers – suggested a name change, so Joan took his last name as hers. She was fired by Rivers as a result. Her training in comedy included a seven-month stint at The Second City in Chicago, but she got her feet wet in the comedy clubs in New York City in the 1960s, which included fellow comedy performers like George Carlin,...
Joan Rivers, Forever Young
Photo credit: E! Entertainment Network
Joan Alexandra Molinsky was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Barnard College. As she developed her comic act, her agent at the time – Tony Rivers – suggested a name change, so Joan took his last name as hers. She was fired by Rivers as a result. Her training in comedy included a seven-month stint at The Second City in Chicago, but she got her feet wet in the comedy clubs in New York City in the 1960s, which included fellow comedy performers like George Carlin,...
- 9/4/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Before they were famous, before they were famous to only people in the know, and before they were even "those guys," Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert performed at Chicago's Second City. (The slightly younger Colbert was Carell's understudy.) Here is a clip of the two them with Paul Dinello (current Colbert Report writer and Strangers With Candy co-creator) and David Razowsky singing "The Obvious Song." The clip, which comes from the Second City show Take Me Out to the Balkans, was unearthed by Splitsider, as part of its weekly Second City Archives feature. It's wonderful. If only they were also nauseated by food.
- 8/28/2014
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
Kevin McCallister is all grown up now. Macaulay Culkin celebrates his 34th birthday today (August 26), so what better time to take a trip down memory lane to find out what happened to the cast of Culkin's greatest work: Home Alone.
Digital Spy goes 'then & now' with the cast of the comedy classic below...
Macaulay Culkin
The biggest child star of the '90s, Culkin spent almost a decade away from screen acting following 1994's Ri¢hie Ri¢h. After a stint on London's West End in Madame Melville, he returned to TV and film in 2003 with roles in Will & Grace and Party Monster. His acting parts since have been sparse - a 2010 Robot Chicken Christmas special is his last (voice only) credit - but Culkin seems to have found his calling as the frontman of a Velvet Underground pizza-themed cover band.
A 2013 YouTube video titled simply 'Macaulay Culkin Eating a...
Digital Spy goes 'then & now' with the cast of the comedy classic below...
Macaulay Culkin
The biggest child star of the '90s, Culkin spent almost a decade away from screen acting following 1994's Ri¢hie Ri¢h. After a stint on London's West End in Madame Melville, he returned to TV and film in 2003 with roles in Will & Grace and Party Monster. His acting parts since have been sparse - a 2010 Robot Chicken Christmas special is his last (voice only) credit - but Culkin seems to have found his calling as the frontman of a Velvet Underground pizza-themed cover band.
A 2013 YouTube video titled simply 'Macaulay Culkin Eating a...
- 8/26/2014
- Digital Spy
It's hard to believe a bona fide legend like Chris Farley could've ever been an amateur comic, but he too had to earn his spot on the 1990 cast of "Saturday Night Live." Farley was a performer at Chicago's Second City, where talents like John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Tina Fey also got their start.He was wild but in control on that stage and seemingly completely at home. (Via Splitslider)...
- 8/6/2014
- by Louis Virtel
- Hitfix
One one side of Chicago’s Second City stage, Rachel Dratch performs a one-woman show about the 19th-century woman’s rights activist Edwina Garth Burnahm. On the other, Tina Fey monologues about her vagina. This might sound like a fever dream you had after binging on Cheesy Blasters, but it actually happened.
A 1999 video of the the pair recently surfaced online, and if that description of the first sketch isn’t enough to get you hooked, then you have no soul. They performed Dratch and Fey at Second City as well as the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City.
A 1999 video of the the pair recently surfaced online, and if that description of the first sketch isn’t enough to get you hooked, then you have no soul. They performed Dratch and Fey at Second City as well as the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City.
- 7/25/2014
- by Jackson McHenry
- EW.com - PopWatch
Back in 1999 two upstart comedians, Rachel Dratch and Tina Fey, "accidentally" booked the same stage at Chicago's legendary Second City. So they decided to share the spotlight, performing their shows simultaneously: Dratch delivered a one-woman play about the obscure (possibly fictional) women's rights pioneer Edwina Garth Burnham; and Fey explored her sexuality in a series of monologues called, bluntly, "Cunt Poems."
50 Greatest 'Saturday Night Live' Sketches of All Time: 'Mom Jeans'
The rapid-fire, mind-boggling sketch kicked off an installment of the pair's show, Dratch & Fey, which they performed at Second City,...
50 Greatest 'Saturday Night Live' Sketches of All Time: 'Mom Jeans'
The rapid-fire, mind-boggling sketch kicked off an installment of the pair's show, Dratch & Fey, which they performed at Second City,...
- 7/24/2014
- Rollingstone.com
Before they were famous, in 1999 and 2000, Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch had a stage show called Dratch & Fey that ran in Chicago at Second City and in New York at the Ucb Theatre. Widely acclaimed at the time, the show has become a legend among comedy nerds over the last decade. Fortunately for everyone, somehow a video of the entire show has made its way online. The quality of the video isn't great, but the quality of the funny sure is.
- 7/24/2014
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
Tonight at 9 p.m., NBC will debut a comedy series starring a Poehler. Not A. Poehler as in Amy, but Greg Poehler, as in her younger brother. A former lawyer whose only Hollywood experience is that blood relation, Greg is the creator/writer/producer/star of Welcome to Sweden, a somewhat-autobiographical tale about a New York accountant named Bruce Evans who meets the Swede of his dreams (played by Josephine Bornebusch) and decides to give it all up for love and move to Scandinavia with her. (The single-camera comedy, which is also executive-produced by Amy, has already aired its first...
- 7/10/2014
- by Dan Snierson
- EW - Inside TV
The prolific Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director whose films include Harry And Tonto, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Down And Out In Beverly Hills, died yesterday in Los Angeles of pulmonary cardiac arrest. Paul Mazursky was 84. Born 1930 in Brooklyn as Irwin Mazursky, he was a graduate of Brooklyn College and made his cinema debut in Stanley Kubrick’s feature Fear And Desire. When he wasn’t acting, Mazursky was a stand-up comic in New York and at the Gate of Horn in Chicago. After befriending Pauls Sills and Barbara Harris, Marzursky appeared in the west coast company of Second City. Writing […]...
- 7/1/2014
- Deadline
Chicago – Locally produced TV shows are old school, but Wgn-tv in Chicago has had a long tradition of that type of show and hosts. Tapping into the legacy of Ray Rayner and Bozo the Clown, local programming is making a comeback, and one of the newest Wgn-tv hosts is Ryan Salzwedel of “Weekend Workbench.”
“Weekend Workbench” is a simple concept – break down common household repairs that on the surface are complex (think installing a ceiling fan) into simple steps that anyone can follow. Ryan Salzwedel represents that “anyone” on the show, as he demonstrates with experts what tools are necessary and how to tackle the chore with plain language.
Keeping the World Safe for Do-It-Yourself: Host Ryan Salzwedel of Wgn-tv’s ‘Weekend Workbench’
Photo credit: Wgn-tv
Salzwedel has injected his slightly skewed personality into the show, and highlights include his blooper reels, which he posts on the YouTube. He was born in Grand Rapids,...
“Weekend Workbench” is a simple concept – break down common household repairs that on the surface are complex (think installing a ceiling fan) into simple steps that anyone can follow. Ryan Salzwedel represents that “anyone” on the show, as he demonstrates with experts what tools are necessary and how to tackle the chore with plain language.
Keeping the World Safe for Do-It-Yourself: Host Ryan Salzwedel of Wgn-tv’s ‘Weekend Workbench’
Photo credit: Wgn-tv
Salzwedel has injected his slightly skewed personality into the show, and highlights include his blooper reels, which he posts on the YouTube. He was born in Grand Rapids,...
- 6/22/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Abed Nadir may not have gotten his six seasons and a movie, but Danny Pudi remains thankful that Community had five.
Related | Report: Hulu may Rescue Community
Playing Greendale’s resident pop-culture enthusiast gave the actor the opportunity to step into the shoes of everyone from Don Draper to Han Solo to various members of the show’s central study group.
Season 5 in particular, though, saw Abed dealing with an onslaught of changes, including a death in the college, the departure of his best friend and even the start of a romantic relationship, but Pudi rose to the challenge, grounding...
Related | Report: Hulu may Rescue Community
Playing Greendale’s resident pop-culture enthusiast gave the actor the opportunity to step into the shoes of everyone from Don Draper to Han Solo to various members of the show’s central study group.
Season 5 in particular, though, saw Abed dealing with an onslaught of changes, including a death in the college, the departure of his best friend and even the start of a romantic relationship, but Pudi rose to the challenge, grounding...
- 6/14/2014
- TVLine.com
Netflix released the new season of "Orange Is the New Black" last night, and I offered some early thoughts on the season yesterday. My plan is to review the season two episodes at a time, at a pace that may be weekly or may be more irregular than that, just to see how things go given the collision of the Netflix distribution model with the weekly discussion model. Thoughts on the first two episodes coming up just as soon as my mom tells me my birth story... "I think I've moved beyond stress into something more deeply disturbing." -Piper Like I said in yesterday's review, I'm impressed by Jenji Kohan responding to all the acclaim for the show's deep ensemble — and the ambivalence of many towards Piper (even if there are very passionate Piper/Alex partisans) — by returning with an episode that features only Piper (plus a little Alex). A...
- 6/6/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
The famed improv school is offering performers a chance to sample its classes for free during a June 28 open house event. Second City, which is headquartered in Chicago, launched the careers of performers ranging from John Candy and Steve Carell to Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. But in Los Angeles, it faces stiff competition for improv students from the Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade. Next month’s open house, said Scla artistic director Marc Warzecha, “is very much a community building event.” Warzecha said performers don’t have to be focused on comedy to get some use out of Sc’s improv classes. “Here in Hollywood there is a significant amount of our student base that are current working actors,” he said. “Some are working in drama and want the improv training to help them in auditions, help them be in the moment, help them think on their feet. They’re not necessarily pursuing comedy.
- 5/30/2014
- backstage.com
Allison Tolman was unemployed and unsure what she was going to do next with her life in Chicago when she sent in an audition tape to play Molly Solverson on FX’s Fargo. “I wore earmuffs, I think, for one of the scenes to signify it being cold, because I’m a master of my craft,” she remembers. A couple of weeks later, she heard her tape was still being considered. A couple of weeks after that, she heard it again. “I thought, ‘That’s awesome! Maybe the Chicago casting directors will get a bug in their ear and they’ll know who I am,...
- 5/27/2014
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW.com - PopWatch
Chicago – It was a cold Chicago day in May, typical of the endless winter. The coffee shop was warm and inviting, as I waited to interview the comedy icon, Cindy Caponera. She had written a book – “I Triggered Her Bully” – but as she walked in I was more interested in what she was wearing.
Her pullover was resplendent with an inlayed collar design, a thread embroidery that took me back to the court of Marie Antoinette. She paired that with one of the latest and hottest styles, the casual stretch pant, which she pulled off like a young Audrey Hepburn brought back to life for a chocolate ad. Her manicure, which she described as “mediocre,” glowed under the halogen lamps of the shop like Michael Jackson brought back to life as a sequined corpse. She said she had spent 45 minutes to make her eyebrows less purple, and as I looked more closely,...
Her pullover was resplendent with an inlayed collar design, a thread embroidery that took me back to the court of Marie Antoinette. She paired that with one of the latest and hottest styles, the casual stretch pant, which she pulled off like a young Audrey Hepburn brought back to life for a chocolate ad. Her manicure, which she described as “mediocre,” glowed under the halogen lamps of the shop like Michael Jackson brought back to life as a sequined corpse. She said she had spent 45 minutes to make her eyebrows less purple, and as I looked more closely,...
- 5/26/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Take a seat, kids.
Back in my day, movies couldn't advertise like this. We didn't have enough distance from the September 11th attacks. Now, I chuckled when I saw the lower third on the news footage over the Chicago battle at the end of Transformers: Dark of the Moon was: "Second City First To Fall."
Granted, my day was only a single decade ago and/or this is still my day. So, if we're being honest, as a New Yorker, I got a little chuckle that we now apply If You See Something, Say Something not only to New York Public Transit but to Transformers.
Hey, man: if you see a jeep turn into a giant robot? Tell a cop. Don't keep it to yourself.
Report activity to 855.363.8392...
Back in my day, movies couldn't advertise like this. We didn't have enough distance from the September 11th attacks. Now, I chuckled when I saw the lower third on the news footage over the Chicago battle at the end of Transformers: Dark of the Moon was: "Second City First To Fall."
Granted, my day was only a single decade ago and/or this is still my day. So, if we're being honest, as a New Yorker, I got a little chuckle that we now apply If You See Something, Say Something not only to New York Public Transit but to Transformers.
Hey, man: if you see a jeep turn into a giant robot? Tell a cop. Don't keep it to yourself.
Report activity to 855.363.8392...
- 5/22/2014
- by Da7e
- LRMonline.com
On the latest episode of TheWrap's popular series “Drinking With the Stars,” Allison Tolman, who plays Minnesota cop Molly Solverson on FX's “Fargo,” sat down with film reporter Jeff Sneider to discuss her breakout role and how she got her start in showbiz. Tolman and Sneider enjoyed drinks at Mixology at The Grove in West Hollywood, where the up-and-coming actress shed her winter jacket and showed off the comedic chops she honed at Second City in Chicago. Tolman has been taking agency meetings during her stay in Los Angeles, so expect to hear a lot more from her in the coming.
- 5/20/2014
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Chicago – One of the big kicking-off-the-summer film events is the “CineYouth Fest,” presented by Cinema/Chicago and The Chicago International Film Festival. Opening night is May 8th, 2014, and the special guest is actor, producer and director Fred Savage (“The Wonder Years”), who will participate in a career perspective and audience Q&A. The event is free and open to the public, click here for details and the CineYouth schedule.
Actor, Producer and Director Fred Savage Opens CineYouth Fest on May 8th
Photo credit: Cinema/Chicago
The CineYouth Fest is celebrating its 10th year and runs through May 10th, 2014. It is a yearly youth film festival celebrating and showcasing the short format from filmmakers who are 21 years old and younger. Besides the opening night festivities with Fred Savage, CineYouth Fest will feature Master Classes from The Second City comedy company and Hollywood producer Caryn Capotosto, as well as the several categories...
Actor, Producer and Director Fred Savage Opens CineYouth Fest on May 8th
Photo credit: Cinema/Chicago
The CineYouth Fest is celebrating its 10th year and runs through May 10th, 2014. It is a yearly youth film festival celebrating and showcasing the short format from filmmakers who are 21 years old and younger. Besides the opening night festivities with Fred Savage, CineYouth Fest will feature Master Classes from The Second City comedy company and Hollywood producer Caryn Capotosto, as well as the several categories...
- 5/7/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
MTV has handed out a cast-contingent pilot order to an untitled comedy project penned by young writers/performers Paul O’Toole and Andy St. Clair (Comedy Central’s Brickleberry). It centers on a 22-year-old Andy, who after catching his girlfriend cheating on him, accidentally rear-ends a celebrity, who takes pity on Andy and sets out to teach him how to man up. The pilot green light is contingent on casting the celebrity. O’Toole and St. Clair co-executive produce with Odenkirk Provissiero executive producing. Writing partners O’Toole and St. Clair both hail from Chicago where they met in the improv scene. (They’ve both have trained at Second City.) O’Toole and St. Clair most recently worked on Denis Leary’s USA comedy Sirens which is set in Chicago. The newly picked up project was their first script together that they sold. MTV took it in last year.
- 5/2/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Colbert on Letterman by poppadiddypuff New York (AP) — With the announcement that Stephen Colbert will be the new host of CBS' "Late Show," his fans likely feel a clash of emotions: — Happiness that their hero has landed a sweet promotion. — Regret that he's leaving his Comedy Central post. — Uncertainty over who the Stephen Colbert hosting "Late Show" will be. For nine years on "The Colbert Report," he has reigned as the founding father of Colbert Nation. He has won four Emmys, two Peabody awards and a stake in the national conversation. He hasn't just satirized politics and culture, he has rolled up his sleeves to organize a "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" on Washington's National Mall with his Comedy Central colleague Jon Stewart, and to create a super Pac to draw attention to the tyranny of money on elections. And he has done it all behind a mask — the mask of "Stephen Colbert,...
- 4/11/2014
- by Frazier Moore (AP)
- Hitfix
It was just last week when it was announced that David Letterman was stepping down from The Late Show after 21 years; now we already have a new host (among other duties) to announce.
Stephen Colbert will not only host The Late Show but will also serve as a writer and executive producer. He was probably a top 3-5 choice of most people who care to talk about these TV news items, so I don’t expect much of an uproar. We shouldn’t expect he will bring the satire and parody that made him famous on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, it’s The Late Show after all, right?
Here’s the boring press release:
CBS Announces Stephen Colbert As The Next Host
Of “The Late Show”
The CBS Television Network today announced that Stephen Colbert, the host, writer and executive producer of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “The Colbert Report,...
Stephen Colbert will not only host The Late Show but will also serve as a writer and executive producer. He was probably a top 3-5 choice of most people who care to talk about these TV news items, so I don’t expect much of an uproar. We shouldn’t expect he will bring the satire and parody that made him famous on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, it’s The Late Show after all, right?
Here’s the boring press release:
CBS Announces Stephen Colbert As The Next Host
Of “The Late Show”
The CBS Television Network today announced that Stephen Colbert, the host, writer and executive producer of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “The Colbert Report,...
- 4/10/2014
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
"Saturday Night Love" pals Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are ready to go back to "The Nest" together. The duo have signed on to play sisters in the new comedy from "Pitch Perfect" director Jason Moore. "The Nest" follows two fun-loving thirtysomething siblings who throw one last blow-out party after they discover that their parents are selling their childhood home, according to Showbiz411. Fey and Poehler first worked together at Chicago's legendary Second City, before starring on "SNL" together. They have since gone on to collaborate on the hit comedies "Mean Girls" and "Baby Mama," and have hosted the Golden Globes together twice. Poehler also appeared on an episode of Fey's "30 Rock." Poehler can be seen on NBC's "Parks and Recreation," and also produces Comedy Central’s acclaimed "Broad City." Fey is executive producing this fall's "Tooken" on NBC and "Cabot College" on Fox. She will also be seen alongside...
- 4/9/2014
- by HitFix Staff
- Hitfix
Chicago – The story of a Chicago-based woman – who died in 2009 at age 83 – has become the subject of a remarkable new documentary. “Finding Vivian Maier” is a film about revelation, and was created by co-directors John Maloof and Charlie Siskel, with the support of Executive Producer and comedian Jeff Garlin.
The tale of Vivian Maier seems impossible. It began after her death with an auction of her storage locker, which contained negatives of her street photographer’s life – from the 1950s through the ‘90s. One of the directors of the film, John Maloof, stumbled onto her treasure by purchasing a box of these negatives. He then became her archivist, cataloging her photos, films, audio recordings and even material possessions, to reveal an artist of unique magnitude. “Finding Vivian Maier” is Maloof’s story, Vivian’s journey and the story of an artist’s life that easily could have been lost with her demise.
The tale of Vivian Maier seems impossible. It began after her death with an auction of her storage locker, which contained negatives of her street photographer’s life – from the 1950s through the ‘90s. One of the directors of the film, John Maloof, stumbled onto her treasure by purchasing a box of these negatives. He then became her archivist, cataloging her photos, films, audio recordings and even material possessions, to reveal an artist of unique magnitude. “Finding Vivian Maier” is Maloof’s story, Vivian’s journey and the story of an artist’s life that easily could have been lost with her demise.
- 4/3/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
You recognize him from Bridesmaids, The It Crowd, Family Tree, Girls and plenty more, but Irish comic Chris O’Dowd has switched gears for his latest role.
He’s playing Lennie, the gentle half of a pair of migrant ranch workers who lead John Steinbeck’s classic Depression-era novella Of Mice and Men. In the newest Broadway revival of the play, O’Dowd makes his Broadway debut opposite James Franco (as the pragmatic George) and Leighton Meester (as a seductive, nameless flirt) in the Anna D. Shapiro-directed production, which opens April 16 at the Longacre Theatre.
Above, check out an exclusive...
He’s playing Lennie, the gentle half of a pair of migrant ranch workers who lead John Steinbeck’s classic Depression-era novella Of Mice and Men. In the newest Broadway revival of the play, O’Dowd makes his Broadway debut opposite James Franco (as the pragmatic George) and Leighton Meester (as a seductive, nameless flirt) in the Anna D. Shapiro-directed production, which opens April 16 at the Longacre Theatre.
Above, check out an exclusive...
- 3/28/2014
- by Marc Snetiker
- EW.com - PopWatch
TV Land is the latest cable channel to green-light a TV pilot based on a web series. The Viacom-owned hub best known for its repository of classic TV shows has a deal in place with Community star Alison Brie, who will produce a pilot based on the web series Teachers. Teachers, which first debuted on YouTube in November 2012, is created by The Katydids, an all-female sketch comedy group that has performed at Ucb and Second City. The group gets its name from its six members, whose names are all variations of Katherine: There's Caitlin Barlow, Katy Colloton, Cate Freedman, Kate Lambert, Katie O'Brien and Katie Thomas. In Teachers, the sextet plays instructors at an elementary school, where they must teach their impressionable kids while keeping their own lives in check. The 19 episodes of Teachers have collectively received more than 790,000 views on YouTube, with the Katydids gaining more exposure on channels like Above Average.
- 3/19/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Tina Fey wasn't always the queen of TV. Before the 30 Rock star hit it back with her own show and being the head writer on Saturday Night Live, Fey spent her free time going on commercial auditions. While living in Chicago and doing Second City with her Bff Amy Poehler, Fey said she'd go on commercial auditions, and there was one in particular that went badly. "I could never book anything because I didn't look like anything," Fey said in a web video for The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. "I had short hair with a perm on top, but I was young. I didn't look like a mom, I didn't look like a person—I just didn't look like anything." Fey said she'd always see friends...
- 3/6/2014
- E! Online
Flickr
I was there on Monday, March 3rd in Chicago.
I was there for the same reason as almost every fan in the Allstate Arena. I was there for a moment. If we’re honest with each other as wrestling fans, we watch the product for moments that transcend the business. Sure, we all have favorite characters. We all enjoy great matches, we all enjoy talented wrestling, or memorable promos, or intriguing storylines, or any combination of the aforementioned. But rarely do all combine to create a moment. Rarely as fans do we get to see the culmination of a perfect storyline involving a beloved character in the perfect setting.
One such moment happened during the 2011 Money in the Bank pay per view in Chicago, when Cm Punk not only won the WWE Championship, but subsequently walked out of the company with it, through the crowd. On Monday, the stage...
I was there on Monday, March 3rd in Chicago.
I was there for the same reason as almost every fan in the Allstate Arena. I was there for a moment. If we’re honest with each other as wrestling fans, we watch the product for moments that transcend the business. Sure, we all have favorite characters. We all enjoy great matches, we all enjoy talented wrestling, or memorable promos, or intriguing storylines, or any combination of the aforementioned. But rarely do all combine to create a moment. Rarely as fans do we get to see the culmination of a perfect storyline involving a beloved character in the perfect setting.
One such moment happened during the 2011 Money in the Bank pay per view in Chicago, when Cm Punk not only won the WWE Championship, but subsequently walked out of the company with it, through the crowd. On Monday, the stage...
- 3/6/2014
- by Dane Mamula
- Obsessed with Film
After an exhaustive search, Canadian actress/writer Stacey McGunnigle has been cast in the title role of NBC’s pilot Ellen More Or Less, written/exec produced by Jj Philbin, directed by Peyton Reed and exec produced by Jason Katims and Michelle Lee. The single-camera comedy, from Universal TV and Katims’ True Jack Prods., centers on Ellen (McGunnigle), an average-size woman who, after losing 100 pounds, begins reinventing herself in life and love. This marks the Us TV debut of McGunnigle, making her one of the discoveries of this pilot season. She landed the role after wowing NBC brass with her screen test, possibly aided by the fact that Ellen mirrors her real-life story of a “former fat girl.” McGunnigle, who has only a couple of screen credits in her native Canada, is a member of Toronto’s famous Second City comedy troupe and is probably best known for her online...
- 3/4/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
The Daily Show welcomes Upright Citizens Brigade performer Jordan Klepper as its new correspondent tonight, but before the comedian reports “live” from the Ukraine and joins fellow correspondents Samantha Bee, Jason Jones, Aasif Mandvi, and Jessica Williams on the Jon Stewart-hosted show, let’s get to know him a little more, shall we?
Klepper mastered his comedic skills in Chicago, where he was an original member of the long-running shows Whirled News Tonight, The Late Night Late Show, and Beatbox. He performed in the Second City Improv All-Stars and toured the world with the Second City National Touring Company.
Klepper mastered his comedic skills in Chicago, where he was an original member of the long-running shows Whirled News Tonight, The Late Night Late Show, and Beatbox. He performed in the Second City Improv All-Stars and toured the world with the Second City National Touring Company.
- 3/4/2014
- by Jake Perlman
- EW.com - PopWatch
It sounds like the Second City Saint, Cm Punk, is returning to WWE after all. It had been reported that Punk has become increasingly unhappy with his push, and the grueling travel schedule of the WWE lifestyle and decided to not show up for work anymore. Since then, there has been very little word from either side as to what really happened. No one seemed sure if we’d ever see him again.
But according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Punk has agreed to come back. While that’s exciting news, that leaves a big question mark as to what he will do on the weeks leading up to WrestleMania. If he wasn’t too happy with his match against Hhh, what will WWE give him now to make him content?
Luckily, WrestleMania is a little over a month away, so WWE has plenty of time to build a solid feud for him.
But according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Punk has agreed to come back. While that’s exciting news, that leaves a big question mark as to what he will do on the weeks leading up to WrestleMania. If he wasn’t too happy with his match against Hhh, what will WWE give him now to make him content?
Luckily, WrestleMania is a little over a month away, so WWE has plenty of time to build a solid feud for him.
- 3/3/2014
- by Andrew Soucek
- Obsessed with Film
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:cm-Punk-Best.jpg
Cm Punk, the Absentee Second City Saint. Where to even begin here……?
Lets be upfront about this, the majority of us wrestling fans? We love Punk. We’ve loved him since the indies, we’ve loved him since the day he set foot in the WWE, and we haven’t stopped. He’s brilliant in the ring, he’s a face we can all cheer for and when he’s a heel, he’s probably among the best heels in the industry. And his microphone skills are up there with the best ever; by 2011, I had drifted away from WWE programming like a lot of people had, disillusioned by the diminishing talent and depth of storyline. Then Cm Punk dropped the pipebomb and drew us all back in. It was a landmark moment in wrestling history. Most importantly, we love him because he is One Of Us.
Cm Punk, the Absentee Second City Saint. Where to even begin here……?
Lets be upfront about this, the majority of us wrestling fans? We love Punk. We’ve loved him since the indies, we’ve loved him since the day he set foot in the WWE, and we haven’t stopped. He’s brilliant in the ring, he’s a face we can all cheer for and when he’s a heel, he’s probably among the best heels in the industry. And his microphone skills are up there with the best ever; by 2011, I had drifted away from WWE programming like a lot of people had, disillusioned by the diminishing talent and depth of storyline. Then Cm Punk dropped the pipebomb and drew us all back in. It was a landmark moment in wrestling history. Most importantly, we love him because he is One Of Us.
- 3/2/2014
- by Marzi
- Obsessed with Film
Actor, filmmaker and comedy legend Harold Ramis, who passed away earlier this week, gave the world classic films like "Caddyshack," "Stripes," "Groundhog Day" and "Ghostbusters." He began his career at Chicago's Second City improv troupe, eventually becoming one of the original writers and performers on the much-loved "Second City Television" -- aka "Sctv," a sketch comedy series born from Second City's Toronto troupe that also featured John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara and Dave Thomas. In honor of Ramis, Second City has put together a video featuring Ramis at The Second City 50th anniversary, remembering his early days in comedy and explaining his determination to do something he loved. His words of wisdom ring true, carrying with them as big a significance as his movies have on all those who cherished him. Check out the video below:...
- 2/28/2014
- by Ziyad Saadi
- Indiewire
On a sunny May morning in northwest Atlanta, Will Ferrell ambles into the warehouse at 2282 Defoor Hills Road – a windowless, 31,000-square-foot behemoth that has been transformed, thanks to low rents and generous Georgia tax incentives, into a makeshift movie soundstage. The warehouse is typically home to moving companies, but today the tenant has a much higher profile: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, a.k.a. the most hotly anticipated comedy of the year, and the most buzzed-about sequel in comedy history. Ferrell is starting his workday as the film's hero,...
- 2/28/2014
- Rollingstone.com
The late Harold Ramis left an indelible mark on the comedy world upon his passing Monday, leaving behind a body of work that included some of the best-loved comedy films of all time – Animal House, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and Analyze This among them. If you’ve got an hour and a half, you probably won’t find a better in-depth and career-spanning look at a pioneering career as you will get from this interview that Ramis gave in 2009 at the Museum of the Moving Image on the eve of releasing his final film, Year One. He covers everything from his days of futility trying to break in at Saturday Night Live (too ethnic), to his days in the Second City comedy troupe through his big break into Hollywood, relationship with guys like Belushi and Murray, and beyond. It’s a long sit, so you might want to listen when you have some time,...
- 2/27/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
The late Harold Ramis left an indelible mark on the comedy world upon his passing Monday, leaving behind a body of work that included some of the best-loved comedy films of all time – Animal House, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and Analyze This among them. If you’ve got an hour and a half, you probably won’t find a better in-depth and career-spanning look at a pioneering career as you will get from this interview that Ramis gave in 2009 at the Museum of the Moving Image on the eve of releasing his final film, Year One. He covers everything from his days of futility trying to break in at Saturday Night Live (too ethnic), to his days in the Second City comedy troupe through his big break into Hollywood, relationship with guys like Belushi and Murray, and beyond. It’s a long sit, so you might want to listen when you have some time,...
- 2/27/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline TV
Actor, writer and director who changed the course of Us film comedy with movies such as Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day
The writer, director and actor Harold Ramis, who has died aged 69 from complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, was responsible for one masterpiece and several influential smash-hits. In each of his creative capacities, he was the eternal quiet man. In front of the camera, his blithe and undemanding presence often disguised his comic skill or made it appear effortless; he seemed happy to hang back and surrender the limelight to more demonstrative and dynamic collaborators, such as his Ghostbusters co-stars Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. In his writing and directing he was adept at capitalising on an audience's love of coarseness without resorting to cruelty or sacrificing his compassion.
Much of his work – including National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), Meatballs (1979) and Ghostbusters (1984), all of which he co-wrote, and Caddyshack (1980), which he co-wrote...
The writer, director and actor Harold Ramis, who has died aged 69 from complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, was responsible for one masterpiece and several influential smash-hits. In each of his creative capacities, he was the eternal quiet man. In front of the camera, his blithe and undemanding presence often disguised his comic skill or made it appear effortless; he seemed happy to hang back and surrender the limelight to more demonstrative and dynamic collaborators, such as his Ghostbusters co-stars Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. In his writing and directing he was adept at capitalising on an audience's love of coarseness without resorting to cruelty or sacrificing his compassion.
Much of his work – including National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), Meatballs (1979) and Ghostbusters (1984), all of which he co-wrote, and Caddyshack (1980), which he co-wrote...
- 2/26/2014
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
(Writer, director, and actor Harold Ramis passed away on February 24th, 2014 from complications relating to auto-immune inflammatory vasculitis. He was 69.) For a generation, Harold Ramis was responsible for many of the comedy classics we still quote today. Whether he co-wrote, directed, or starred in them, Ramis’ films spoke to people on a level that was almost unprecedented. He helped people rebel against authority and be comfortable with themselves, even when others weren’t comfortable with them. He gave us the charismatic slacker (often played by long time friend Bill Murray), and showed how well dry humor worked. Ramis began performing with the Second City improv troupe in Chicago, and it was working there that he started his long running connections to Murray and John Belushi. Later working with the people at National Lampoon Radio Hour and Show, he co-wrote the script for “National Lampoon’s Animal House” starring Belushi. That film broke box-office records,...
- 2/25/2014
- by Dedpool
- Beyond Hollywood
The president called Ramis, who died yesterday, 'one of America's greatest satirists' and a comic genius
Barack Obama has paid tribute to Harold Ramis, the comic film actor and writer who died yesterday aged 69, describing him as "one of America's greatest satirists, and like so many other comedic geniuses, a proud product of Chicago's Second City."
In a written statement, Obama said: "When we watched his movies – from Animal House and Caddyshack to Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day – we didn't just laugh until it hurt. We questioned authority. We identified with the outsider. We rooted for the underdog. And through it all, we never lost our faith in happy endings. Our thoughts and prayers are with Harold's wife, Erica, his children and grandchildren, and all those who loved him, who quote his work with abandon, and who hope that he received total consciousness."
This last line is a reference to Caddyshack,...
Barack Obama has paid tribute to Harold Ramis, the comic film actor and writer who died yesterday aged 69, describing him as "one of America's greatest satirists, and like so many other comedic geniuses, a proud product of Chicago's Second City."
In a written statement, Obama said: "When we watched his movies – from Animal House and Caddyshack to Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day – we didn't just laugh until it hurt. We questioned authority. We identified with the outsider. We rooted for the underdog. And through it all, we never lost our faith in happy endings. Our thoughts and prayers are with Harold's wife, Erica, his children and grandchildren, and all those who loved him, who quote his work with abandon, and who hope that he received total consciousness."
This last line is a reference to Caddyshack,...
- 2/25/2014
- by Ben Beaumont-Thomas
- The Guardian - Film News
Barack Obama praised actor, writer and director Harold Ramis, who died yesterday at the age of 69, as "one of America's greatest satirists" in a touching statement that detailed his and Michelle Obama's relationship with the entertainer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And, for good measure, the President even snuck in an excellent, poignant Caddyshack reference.
"When we watched his movies – from Animal House and Caddyshack to Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day – we didn’t just laugh until it hurt," Obama said. "We questioned authority. We identified with the outsider. We rooted for the underdog.
"When we watched his movies – from Animal House and Caddyshack to Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day – we didn’t just laugh until it hurt," Obama said. "We questioned authority. We identified with the outsider. We rooted for the underdog.
- 2/25/2014
- Rollingstone.com
The death of beloved actor-writer-director Harold Ramis yesterday at age 69 prompted a huge outpouring of grief from fans and famous folk alike, mourning the loss of the comedic genius and celebrating his impressive filmography. Throwing his hat into the ring was Pres. Barack Obama, who issued a statement marking Ramis's passing that included a clever wink to one of the late comedian's most famous works.
Obama's statement read:
Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Harold Ramis, one of America's greatest satirists, and like so many other comedic geniuses, a proud product of Chicago's Second City. When we watched his movies -- from Animal House and Caddyshack to Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day -- we didn't just laugh until it hurt. We questioned authority. We identified with the outsider. We rooted for the underdog. And through it all, we never lost our faith in happy endings. Our...
Obama's statement read:
Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Harold Ramis, one of America's greatest satirists, and like so many other comedic geniuses, a proud product of Chicago's Second City. When we watched his movies -- from Animal House and Caddyshack to Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day -- we didn't just laugh until it hurt. We questioned authority. We identified with the outsider. We rooted for the underdog. And through it all, we never lost our faith in happy endings. Our...
- 2/25/2014
- by Katie Roberts
- Moviefone
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