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January 22, 2003
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Have you ever watched Dave Chappelle ... on weed?
'CHAPPELLE' S
SHOW'
NEW SKETCH SHOW ONE OF THE YEAR' S FINEST DEBUTS
By Daniel Yowell
Daily Arts Writer
While he is best known for his role as writer and star
of the classic comedy, "Half-Baked," Dave Chappelle has
paid his dues on the comedy scene. With a resume that
includes numerous stand-up appearances on Comedy
Central and network late-night shows, as well as memo-
rable supporting roles in "Robin Hood: Men in Tights"
and "The Nutty Professor," Chappelle is definitely quali-
fied to take the reins of his own sketch
comedy show. And he does just that in the "
aptly-titled "Chappelle's Show," a new
series in which Chappelle acts as creator, * *
executive producer and star.
Teaming up with Neal Brennan, Chap- CHAP
pelle's collaborator on "Half-Baked," SH
Chappelle brings his smart comedy to life Wedne
in a variety of sketches that unabashedly 10 3
tear American popular culture to shreds.
The biting satire of "Chappelle's Show" Comed
takes no prisoners, trampling over taboos
with style and hilarity, making it more than deserving of
a time slot following "South Park."
The sketches are framed by stand-up segments featur-
ing Chappelle, reminiscent of David Cross and Bob
Odenkirk's classic HBO series "Mr. Show." Chappelle
introduces each sketch in his own laid back style, some-
times even showing hilarious bloopers and outtakes. The
combination of Chappelle's street smart stand-up and
cutting edge sketches are a perfect formula for the show.
Comedy Central has given Chappelle enough freedom
to put "Chappelle's Show" on par with even HBO's
comedy programming, hence the slogan, "It's not HBO
- it's just regular ass TV!" While some language is, of
course, beeped out, Chappelle does not water down his
content for basic cable.
The first episode features such envelope-pushing
sketches as a satire of a certain copy shop's training
video, featuring its many policies on giving poor service
to its customers, to a long-awaited spoof of that annoying
Mitsubishi commercial with the dancing pink beret girl.
Most controversial, and best of all, is a sketch about a
blind white supremacist named Clayton Bigsby, who is
unaware of the fact that he is actually black.
In one scene, the racist Bigsby yells at three white
teens blaring rap music in their convertible, calling them
In a surprising and daring career
move, Martin Lawrence stars along-
side Steve Zahn in the action buddy
comedy "National Security." All sar-
casm aside, the humor in "Security"
is akin to that of the previous joke,
fairly obvious and stale at best.
Lawrence ("Black Knight") and
Zahn ("That Thing You 'Do") play
mismatched partners Earl Mont-
gomery and Hank Rafferty. The for-
mer is a Los Angeles police
academy reject who has always har-
bored a desire to be a cop. After he
fails the police force training in
grand fashion - destroying property
and assaulting a training officer -
Montgomery is forced into the
employ of private company National
Security. Rafferty is a policeman
whose partner's (Timothy Busfield,
"Thirtysomething") murder sends
his life into disarray. Rafferty joins
the same private security outfit fol-
lowing his discharge from the LAPD
and six months in prison after being
convicted of assaulting Montgomery.
The two men begrudgingly coop-
erate as partners
when a robbery
embroils them in a
convoluted scheme
to steal a precious
alloy. Solving the.
caper also promises
to resolve the mys-
tery of who killed
Rafferty's partner
how pleasantly
convenient.
Ignoring the
film's severely
lackluster plot,
"National Security"
suffers from tepid
chemistry between
its two protago- q.
nists. While the two.
do not seem
remote, their rela-
tionship suffers
from generic, lim- Daaammmnnn Gin
iting writing. Zahn
is relegated to straight-man duties,
sporadically grimacing, scowling
and yelling in response to
Lawrence's antics. This is an unfor-
tunate misappropriation of his talent
PELLE'S
[OW
esdays at
y Central
"niggers." One of the white kids then turns
to his buddies, asking, "Did he just call us
niggets?" to which they respond with
"Cool!" and an exchange of high fives.
Chappelle will continue to tackle racial
and sexual issues with humor and flair in
later episodes, with sketches ranging from
social commentary on slavery reparations
to a spoof called "It's a Wonderful Chest,"
in which Dave plays an angel who con-
vinces a big-breasted woman that life with
smaller boobs would be a terrible thing.
as he is usually much funnier in
roles that require more quirks and
greater nuance. -Meanwhile,
Lawrence has the lion's share of
jokes, though most of his comedic
episodes are simply
comprised of a loud
yell or muttered retort.
Some of the jokes hit
the mark, but they are
diluted in comedic NATi
value with better lines SECI
and gags lost in the At Sho'
melange of never-end- Qual
ing noise. Lawrence
really plays a caricature Colt
of himself, not break-
ing any new ground.
The interplay
between Zahn and
Lawrence is so
monotonous and
repetitive that nei-
ther seems particu-
larly engaged by
the other. Instead,
it appears almost as
though each actor
shot his scenes
independent of the
other and hoped
that they would get
spliced together in
post-production.
This glaring short-
coming owes to a
bland script and
u i unimaginative
directing.
Written by Jay
Courtesy of Columbia Scherick and David
Ronn (co-writers of
"I Spy"), "Security"
is a poor facsimile of a movie with a
script that is derivative and old. The
majority of the jokes concern the
interracial aspect of Montgomery and
Rafferty's relationship. When consid-
Courtes 01 oubia
Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters really gets me into the mood, baby.
'IC
lur
ered in the context of his career -
and in those of other prominent black
actors like Will Smith and Chris Rock
- this role is Lawrence going to a
dried up well, epitomized by Mont-
gomery's trite invoca-
tion of "DWB" (driving
while black) in a court-
room scene that comi-
cally displays his
)NAL unfamiliarity with the
RITY procedural standards.
case and Comedy veteran
ty 16 Dennis Dugan ("Happy
Gilmore") is particu-
nbia larly disappointing in
his direction. Not only
does he struggle to produce laughs
with a comedian and a great
comedic actor at his disposal, but he
also avoids anything else that may
have been interesting. There are no
new tricks, no new camera angles
and even the film's best sequences,
the car chases, are not particularly
gripping. "National Security" is a
spectacular failure of imagination.
The film's lone unqualified suc-
cess is the acting of Bill Duke
("Menace II Society"), literally an
imposingly large presence. Duke
adds some comic relief through his
deadpan reactions and, if nothing
else, steady portrayal of Lieutenant
Washington. He shouldn't get an
Academy Award, but he is always
bearable.
Eric Roberts ("Best of the Best
II"), always very available, also
pops up as the criminal mastermind
Nash, wearing bleached blond hair
and seeming too.old, and oddly too
notable, for the role.
"National Security" is not nearly
funny enough to be a comedy and
too dull to compensate as a grip-
ping action movie. Instead, it is a
boring mess.
In addition to cutting-edge comedy, the series also fea-
tures top musical acts such as Busta Rhymes, The Roots
and other hip hop and R&B artists. What sets the per-
formances on "Chappelle's Show" apart from the average
late night talk show is their setting. Artists will perform
from scenic locales like rooftops and parks, rather than
just the other side of the soundstage.
In many ways, "Chappelle's Show" is a sketch com-
edy show unlike any before it. With its sharp, intelli-
gent comedy and innovative presentation of musical
guests, Dave Chappelle's new show has the potential
to be a major hit for Comedy Central. In fact, if the
show can sustain the quality of its first episode, it
might just be the best new show on the network since
"South Park" debuted in 1997.
ina
Leigh's 'Nothing' a
realistic family film
By Matthew Wright Hollerbach
Daily Arts Writer
Writer/director Mike Leigh's
("Topsy-Turvy") most recent work is
not one to watch if you want
thrilling action or escapist cinema.
Set in southeast London (think south
Boston, but with less money and no
Matt Damon), the film primarily fol-
lows Phil (Timothy Spall, "Nicholas
Nickleby"), a taxi driver who barely
makes a meager living with his chil-
dren Rory (James Corden) and
Rachel (Alison Garland), and his
longtime girlfriend Penny (Lesley
Manville, "Topsy-Turvy"), whom he
never married.
In their run-down housing complex
live a few other families, each with
their own set of problems and all
driven by a shortage of
money. Penny's friend S
Maureen (Ruth Sheen,
"Secrets & Lies") and *7
her daughter Donna
(Helen Coker, AL
"Nicholas Nickleby") NOT
have their own set of At M
problems, including
Donna's abusive Unite
boyfriend. Phil's friend
and his family also enter into the pic-
ture, but serve more as accessories to
the action that anything else.
The children in these families pro-
pel the film's climactic action, with
Donna finding out that she is preg-
nant by her boyfriend and Rory suf-
fering a heart attack. This heart
attack is the closest the film comes
to melodrama and may be what saves
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Protests--
A retired KGB agent, now
living in Canada, wrote in a
Toronto newspaper: "Amer-
icans think that the Vietnam
War protest movement was
their movement, when in
fact it was ours." The pro-
testors were too eager to
believe all the propaganda
they were fed.
Gary Lillie & Assoc., Realtors
www.garylillie.com
_
Beefcake ... Beefcake!
conclusion to the tensions introduced
in the film but does not betray the
realist style of the film.
The film is chock full of wonder-
ful, incredibly realistic performances
from the very British cast. Timothy
Spall plays a very tender but much
fatter version of Willy
L OR
THING
adstone
d Artists
Loman from "Death of
a Salesman," who
seems to fall prey to
everything the world
throws at him. The per-
formances from the
children stand out with
James Cordon as Rory,
but especially with Ali-
son Garland as Rachel,
tle performance provides a
STUDENTS WITH
CKOHN'S DISEASE
OR
ULCERATIVE COLITIS
Please join
Dr. Ellen Zimmermann
Associate Professor of
Gastroenterology,
UofM
For an informal
discussion of
topics including:
eNutrition
eNew Therapies
oLatest Research
Next meeting will be:
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003
whose
fascinating glimpse into the opti-
mism possible in this world.
These performances, however, do
not revive what remains a dull story-
line that does not succeed in uniting
the audience with the characters and
their struggles. Mike Leigh certainly
elicited the best out of his actors but
did not provide enough compelling
enr or nhn.rtnarrnnhv, to.VPrnn .Anxi-
I