sxsw 2012

Maron, Benson and Earwolf, oh my! SXSW Comedy announces this year’s live podcastline-up

SXSW Comedy has announced this year’s line-up of live podcast recordings, a series of eight tapings that feature some of the biggest names in digital broadcasting alongside top comics (and, of course, plenty of surprise celebrity guests).

As previously announced, WTF with Marc Maron will tape an episode with guest Jeffrey Tambor (The Larry Sanders Show, Arrested Development), who will be presenting his wildly popular acting workshop at this year’s Interactive conference.

Here are the rest of the shows you’ll be able to catch:

Doug Loves Movies: Doug Benson (of Super High Me and The Benson Interruption) brings comics, actors, directors and writers together to talk about new releases and favorite films. Since it’s SXSW, expect at least a few cameos from the Film conference.

You Made It Weird: Hosted by Pete Holmes, YMIW is equal parts absurd and academic, with interviews that dive into all the, well, weirdest parts of performing comedy alongside discussions on process and practice.

The Smartest Man In The World: The title’s not just hyperbole; host Greg Proops (best known for his long-running stint on Whose Line, and his biting wit) delivers monologues that feel more like a fireside chat than a scripted bit. You never know what’ll come up on his “Proopcast.”

Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show: Yes, that Kevin Pollak (The Usual Suspects, Casino, A Few Good Men). The actor-slash-comic is also a prolific talk show host; every week, fans tune in online for this live interactive webcast.

Plus, SXSW is teaming up with podcasting powerhouse Earwolf to will host several live recordings:

Comedy Bang! Bang!: CBB is to many comedy fans what Jay-Z is to hip hop enthusiasts (or Oprah to moms, or Vonnegut to lit snobs — y’know, the best). It seems IFC agrees, because the network is turning the popular podcast into a TV talk show this fall. Hosted by Scott Aukerman (Mr. Show, Between Two Ferns), CBB always features fun guests, many of whom happen to be mind-blowingly brilliant improvised characters (from comics like James Adomian, Paul F. Tompkins and Eddie Pepitone, among others).

Sklarbro Country: If you haven’t seen Jason and Randy Sklar perform stand up, take a second and check out their act (go ahead, we’ll wait). This show’s a little different: Each week, the brothers welcome guests for sports talk that’ll appeal to casual fans and die-hards alike.

Who Charted?: Recently expanded to two weekly broadcasts, Who Charted? is hosted by Howard Kremer (stand-up and former star of Austin Stories) and Kulap Vilaysack, who count down and comment on new music and film releases.

It’s a big year for SXSW Comedy, which will run eight full days this year, from March 10 to 17. They’re also expanding to include more venues; while last year’s shows took place exclusively at Esther’s Follies, this year you’ll be able to catch comedy at The Velveeta Room as well as on the Next Stage at the SXSW Trade Show (from March 12 to 15). Plus, SXSW Comedy is teaming up to present showcases with partners like the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Funny or Die and Gotham Comedy Club.

There are also five comedy-focused panels debuting as part of the SXSW Interactive Festival, which will host podcasters, writers and performers in conversation about everything from breaking into the business to leveraging new media.

This announcement comes just as The New York Times takes a close look at comedy podcasts, exploring the recent trend towards topics that are more heartbreaking than humorous. Judging by past years, we know to expect a raucous good time at this year’s live tapings, but we also can’t wait to hear the incredibly revealing conversations that always result when hosts like Maron, Aukerman and Holmes are in charge. (Last year’s live Comedy Bang! Bang!, featuring Paul Ruebens, Dave Foley and ~~Thomas Lennon~~ Lil Gary, stands out as an example.)

SXSW Comedy doesn’t have its own dedicated badge or wristband, but if you’re interested in attending, good news: Comedy events are open, at no additional cost, to all SXSW attendees. Shows taking place during the Film and Interactive conferences (March 10 to 13) will be open to those with Platinum, Gold and Film badges. Shows during the Music festival (March 13 to 17) will be open to those with Platinum and Music badges and Music wristbands.

The full SXSW Comedy line-up will be announced in the coming weeks.

unspecified

Movie Review

Cheesiness undermines Whalefall's intense survival story

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Austin Abrams in Whalefall.

Austin Abrams has been a professional actor for 15 years, but the 30-year-old seems to just now be getting his due. After years of mostly supporting roles in films like Paper Towns, Brad’s Status, and Weapons, he has been charged with leading two films in 2026 where he’s largely acting by himself: First Resident Evil and now Whalefall.

Abrams plays Jay Gardiner, who has returned home to California a year after the death of his hard-ass father, Mitt (Josh Brolin). The two had a tempestuous relationship, and while his mom (Elisabeth Shue) and sisters (Jane Levy and Emily Rudd) reminisce fondly about him, Jay finds it difficult to come up with good memories. The two did share a connection with the ocean, and Jay decides to honor him by going scuba diving.

Ignoring warnings of whale activity in the area, Jay makes his way out into a notoriously dangerous part of the ocean near their home. Soon after he starts swimming, he encounters a sperm whale chasing after a giant squid. Jay inadvertently gets sucked into the enormous creature’s mouth and, ultimately, inside its body. Faced with a seemingly inescapable situation, Jay’s only hope lies in the lessons his father taught him.

Directed by Brian Duffield and adapted by Duffield and Daniel Kraus from Kraus’ book of the same name, the film is at its best when it depicts Jay struggling to survive within the whale. The claustrophobic nature of the setting and the various obstacles (multiple contracting chambers, the squid, and more) he faces make every scene inside the whale feel as intense and cover-your-eyes scary as any great horror movie.

Naturally, the entire movie can’t be about his survival efforts, and so the filmmakers toggle back and forth between Jay’s ordeal in the whale to memories of times with his father. Not so coincidentally, these remembrances come with subtle or overt wisdom from Mitt that would serve Jay well in his current situation. More often than not, these flashback scenes are so on-the-nose that they come off as cheesy instead of inspirational.

It’s also difficult to derive any big emotions from the story other than revulsion at the way Jay’s body is brutalized while he’s inside the whale. None of the characters in the film receive a notable introduction to the audience before big events start happening. It’s next-to-impossible to be invested in their stories when their personalities are being revealed in bits and pieces throughout the movie.

Abrams does well enough in bringing out the terror Jay feels in the whale and the sullenness/anger he has toward his father in other scenes. But whether it’s because his lines in the whale are hard to understand (he’s often talking around a scuba mouthpiece) or the disconnect the character has with father, there’s just something missing in his performance. Brolin’s performance is one-note, and Shue, Levy, Rudd, and John Ortiz don’t appear enough to make a big impact.

With Kraus onboard as the co-writer of the film, it may be the case that Duffield was not given leeway to change the story of Whalefall too much. What might have worked in the book doesn’t seem to translate equally to the film, and while Jay’s nightmare in the whale is effective, the rest of his story doesn’t come across as successfully.

---

Whalefall is now playing in theaters.

austin abrams book to film scuba diving survival theaters whalefall movie review