SF Sketchfest 2023: Line Up Additions!

Oh, man! Remember how excited we were about Sketchfest 2021? And then Sketchfest 2022? And remember how upset we all were when BOTH of them were sidelined due to that plague that still ravages our world? And then Jean Grae and I tried to develop a machine that would suck all the virus out of the air? Well, the good news is (provided BQ 1.1 doesn’t screw everything up), everything is a go for Sketchfest 2023, and they decided to add a few more shows to the lineup that go on sale Wednesday, 11/15 at 10 am PST: Continue reading “SF Sketchfest 2023: Line Up Additions!”

Keep Live Alive: SF Sketchfest & Noise Pop Open Their Archives

Before the COVID Virus decided to destroy life as we know it in the Bay Area, we were lucky enough to get to enjoy two of the best festivals the Bay has to offer: SF Sketchfest and Noise Pop. Both fests had banner years, and as a thank you to the venues that helped make them happen year after year, both SF Sketchfest and Noise Pop are opening up their rich archives of great shows. This gives you the opportunity to either relive these shows, or if you couldn’t make it, actually get to enjoy shows you missed, and all to raise money for these venues so they can reopen once the pandemic is contained, as well as other local charities!

Continue reading “Keep Live Alive: SF Sketchfest & Noise Pop Open Their Archives”

Film Review: Love, Gilda

A life, in comedic terms

In a mid ’70s comedy and TV landscape forever changed by Saturday Night Live, the Not Ready for Prime Time players seemed to effortlessly grow from goofy kids to global celebrities. The names read now like a Founding Fathers of Comedy: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Jane Curtin. Lost in that heady group was Gilda Radner, who initially struggled to be one of the boys, then found her footing with a number of memorable recurring characters.

The new film Love, Gilda clumsily attempts to make a number of points about comedy, stardom, women in show business, and the corrosive effect of being compared to her castmates. It misses a chance to help us understand Radner not as a pioneer, but as a flawed woman who for some years found comfort in her comedic talents. Continue reading “Film Review: Love, Gilda