 High Maintenance is nothing short of brilliant. With six solid seasons streaming on Vimeo, the series presents a cyclist marijuana deliveryman as he makes weed transactions around the city. The format offers an excellent opportunity to showcase countless New York actors, as the nameless protagonist makes a different delivery in each episode.  As creators Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair have attested, the series is a perfect combination of Six Feet Under and Party Down. The result is hilarious and frequently poignant. It’s also a fascinating account of an alternative New York scene, with rad neighborhoods revealed throughout the series.
Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair have plenty reason to get high; HBO just picked up the series to air their seventh season.
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 Created by Carlo Lorenzo Garcia, Under Covers features a group of detectives as they follow crimes of the heart in everyday Chicago. Garcia has done a great job capturing the freshest talent Chi-City has to offer, and each episode in the newly minted series has been hilarious. Under Covers has already been screened at numerous festivals, including the Miami Independent Film Festival, Hollywood Independent CineFest, and San Jose International Short Film Festival. Garcia and company were also nominated for an Imagen Award last year.  The super talented writing staff consists of Garcia, Nick Mikula, Natalie DiCristofano, Kasia Januszewski, and Spenser Davis. They’re already a few episodes into the series, with hope for many more to come. Get Under Covers.
 When searching for inspiration, filmmaker Sam Bailey seeks out brutal honesty and vulnerability. She says, "As long as we're telling stories that come from a place of discovery and reflection, then I think we're making the most sincere work possible." Focusing on women and people of color, Bailey has an admirable talent for revealing truth and authenticity in her medium, specifically with her brilliant short form series, You're So Talented.  Bailey is interested in changing how filmmaking is perceived, specifically with production. She says, "I would love to be in a place where we create work on our own terms without having to cater to any type of agenda that doesn't align with our own."
Her sincere work is already gaining well-deserved attention; You're So Talented was recently nominated for a Gotham Award.  Filmed in Milwaukee, Doug and Alyssa Keeling’s Danny's Choice is a homespun homage to classic Public Service Announcements. What makes this series so hilariously unique is its biting sincerity, from the uncomfortably long opening sequence to every awkward head-tilt from the painfully endearing titular character. It's hysterical.  Each episode pits Danny against a worldly temptation: drugs, partying, gangs... In the end, Danny must overcome peer pressure and make the right choice. But will the right choice bring Danny success in life? The series builds to an uncanny conclusion that is certainly worth watching in its entirety. Danny's Choice is educational, motivational, and all the while satirical.
 Once a groundbreaking web series and now produced in a televised format on Comedy Central, Drunk History is a classic example of how one brilliant concept can develop within the industry. Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner created the series back in 2007. The idea was simple, yet this hilarious comedy yielded some of the late aughts’ greatest web moments. Each episode features a comedian who brushes up on a history lesson. The comedian then gets wasted. After pounding a six-pack of beer, few shots of whiskey, and/or half a bottle of absinthe, they recall the historical event. Scenes from the historical event are then reenacted by celebrities while the comedian's summery is provided as narration. The reenactments portray every inebriated hiccup, blunder, and anachronism with genuine sincerity, and the results are hilarious.  The web series' third volume features Jen Kirkman providing a gripping tale of Oney Judge's emancipation. This is drunk history.
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April 2017
FootnotesSome thoughts on art, life, and theatre. Stay positive. Categories |
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