Another Victory for the Comedians of Comedy
Zach Galifianakis is funnier than most comedians you know, and as such has been relegated to working on the fringes of mainstream culture while bottom-feeding ripoff artists like Dane Cook and Carlos Mencia get famous making idiots laugh at dirty sanchez jokes. He’s had bit roles in “Reno 911!” and “The Sarah Silverman Program” (and, weirdly, Into the Wild), but for the most part he’s known for his unique brand of stand-up and his tours with fellow Comedians of Comedy members Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, and Brian Posehn. For evidence of his style, here’s his version of “Eternal Flame,” as well as a visit from Nathaniel Buckner.
Anyway, Galifianakis has landed a couple of roles that could lead to a higher profile, and I’m all for that. He’s snagged a lead role in the comedy The Hangover, about a group of guys in Las Vegas for a bachelor party who lose track of the groom. The cast includes Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms, so it’s admittedly a mixed bag, but still, hopefully Galifianakis can do his thing. But it seems more likely he’ll get to play a typically quirky character in the HBO pilot “Bored to Death,” about an alcoholic writer (Jason Schwartzman) who pretends to be a private eye. Galifianakis will play the writer’s best friend, a struggling comic book artist. There’s no telling yet whether the movie will do well or whether the pilot will become even a halfway decent series, but still, it’s always good to see Galifianakis getting work.
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Comments
You know, I'm gonna revise my position on Dane Cook, I recently re watched one of his way back in the day specials for Comedy Central, and sorry for you hipsters, but he was funny. Some of that still shows in his contemporary work.
Now is just EASY, and a true mark of doucheousness to slam on the guy. It's EASY to be a fringe, foul-mouthed, almost unknown third rater like Silverman, you gotta have something else to attract an audience AND keep it.
Posted by: BarbadoSlim at September 17, 2008 9:04 AM
Dane Cook was funny when no one knew who he was, and he didn't rely on merely recalling old jokes for a laugh. I remember once talking fondly about him on a train ride...oh how I miss college. Nevertheless, one cannot keep up the charade of talent forever...just ask Madonna.
Posted by: Mike R. at September 17, 2008 9:25 AM
There is a certain manic charm to the man's earlier work. Back when he was hustlin' just to get known. There's a certain appeal to that life for me. I'd like to try once.
Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at September 17, 2008 9:32 AM
This is pretty old, but funny. Galifianakis and Will Oldham doing a Kanye song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x0TumWdlhk
Posted by: Ol' Don at September 17, 2008 9:50 AM
Of course Dane Cook was funny back then, that's when he was using Louis C.K.'s jokes.
Posted by: Lucas at September 17, 2008 10:55 AM
How are you guys not up on his great work with Tim and Eric? Vodka movies 1-3 and his recurring character Tairy Greene are maybe the best stuff he's ever done.
Vodka Movie 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p0QtJMKt1s
Tairy Greene's Acting Seminar for Children:
http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a2505951b981e52011b9e63a2f600cb
Posted by: Frank at September 17, 2008 10:56 AM
you also freaking forgot he's in the upcoming "Visioneers"!! This looks radical
Posted by: Alexa Castro at September 17, 2008 11:14 AM
Out Cold, anyone?
Posted by: Kevin Longrie at September 17, 2008 11:25 AM
This is a little embarrassing, but Out Cold is one of my favorite movies and Zach Galifianakis is my favorite character therein.
In fact, I was kind of totally obsessed with him for a while, to the point where I made a friend who lives in LA track him down to find out what he is REALLY REALLY LIKE. ("Short and furry, wearing a fuzzy sweater" was her report.)
I am so glad he is going to be doing more stuff!
Posted by: Siege at September 17, 2008 11:53 AM
(takes deeeeeeeeeep breath)
I wasn't aware of Dane Cook until someone in my office brought me the Retaliation CD to listen to. I trusted his judgement on such things so I gave it a listen. And found it to be quite funny. Funny enough that I got his first CD and liked that as well. I didn't know he was stealing jokes...I was an accessory to his thieving ways. I even got people to listen to the CD's like my friend had before me. Looking back, I realize it was a Scientology like Ponzi scheme to infect the literati with his special flavor of smarmy doucheiocity.
That being said, I happened across a copy of his last CD, from Madison Square Garden. It was an amalgamation of the same type of crap, but the screaming of all of the teenage girls drowned out all of the punchlines. And it came to me....Dane Cook is the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus of comedy. Kids like it and think they are hip and edgy, but adults just look, cluck their tongues and scoff. I am glad to be out of that loop and at least I never went to one of his movies.
Zach Galifinakis is hilarious. I watch his video of him lipsynching Anita Baker's You Bring Me Joy and it's funnier than anything Cook had done in years. http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/603799136e
And his stand up kicks ass too...go Zack...
Posted by: Rubble44 at September 17, 2008 1:42 PM
Zach's hour comedy special on Comedy Central when he soulfully plays the piano and talks always gets me no matter how many times I watch it.
"I'm thinking of making a sequel to 'Schindler's List' called 'Schindler's List 2: Let's Get This Party Started'".
I can't HATE Dane Cook, because way back when his first thing on Comedy Central was funny to me, and I identified with the Catholic jokes (gettin' to church at 5am cause your parents had to get the "good" seats.) Plus before he became famous he went to high school with my boyfriend. Was told he was an okay guy.
Posted by: scorzi at September 17, 2008 4:14 PM
His new movie 'Visioneers' also looks pretty awesome. Why are all these comments about Dane Cook?
Posted by: mark at September 19, 2008 4:49 PM
