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Netflix dominates Grammy comedy nominations
Netflix has long been establishing itself as the go-to place for stand-up comedy specials. In fact, it might lay claim to having the best ones around after dominating the Best Comedy Album category in this year's Grammy nominations.
Netflix's fifth Dave Chappelle comedy special debuts August 26th
Dave Chappelle has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Netflix over the last few years, having released four stand-up specials on the streaming service, picking up a hefty pay packet and Grammy and Emmy awards for them. The comedy icon is about to unleash his fifth set on Netflix when Sticks & Stones drops August 26th. It announced Chappelle's latest special with a Morgan Freeman-narrated trailer.
Netflix might pay Eddie Murphy $70 million for stand-up specials
Eddie Murphy might be better known these days for his work on the screen, but it was on the stage that he got his start. His stand-up specials Delirious and Raw are often ranked among the best ever, and Murphy has been open in recent years about wanting a return to live performance. Netflix might help him make the leap, as it's reportedly in talks with him for several stand-up specials.
Ellen DeGeneres' return to stand-up arrives on Netflix December 18th
Ellen DeGeneres hinted over a year ago that she'd return to stand-up specials through Netflix, and that revival is now close at hand. Netflix has announced that DeGeneres' comedy one-off Relatable will premiere on the streaming service December 18th. The teaser clip doesn't say much about what to expect, but it does have DeGeneres engaging in some tongue-in-cheek name-dropping as she confirms the premiere over and over again.
Netflix to spotlight up-and-coming comedians with 15-minute specials
Netflix has been streaming comedy specials for a while now. Seinfeld got his first show on the streaming platform last September and released a couple more events starring Patton Oswalt and Dave Chappelle before the New Year. Now, according to Deadline, Netflix is set to debut a series of 15-minute stand-up specials starring new comedic talents this year.
Netflix reportedly spent $40 million on Chris Rock
Chris Rock has had well-known comedy specials on HBO like Bigger and Blacker and Never Scared, but in 2017 when he returns with his first special in eight years, it will be on Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Deadline, the streaming service outbid others including HBO, Amazon and Hulu for the rights to two specials at a price of $40 million.
Amazon betting on newcomer talent to grow its comedy library
Netflix is looking to tackle the comedy genre with full force over the next few years -- and it's very serious about it too, having recruited Adam Sandler and Chelsea Handler to help along the way so far. Amazon, on the other hand, appears to be ready to take a much different approach. According to Reuters, the online retail titan has acquired Rooftop Media, an entertainment company focusing on recording comedy club performances (audio as well as video) and distributing them. Rooftop Media's main property is the site Rooftop Comedy, which describes itself as a medium that "provides over 6,500 comedians services to help build and expand their careers." Furthermore, Rooftop says it records stands-up comedy sessions in different venues throughout North America and the UK, doing so every day of the year.
Comedy Central laughs all the way to Xbox 360 with stand-up comedy app
Comedy Central announced that its CC: Stand-Up app is now available on Xbox 360. Using a layout similar to YouTube's Xbox 360 app, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can search over 6,000 stand-up comedy videos from over 700 comedians to find anybody but Dane Cook, please. CC: Stand-Up is compatible with both Kinect and SmartGlass, and the app itself is already available on iOS. Now that we have a Comedy Central app on Xbox to make us laugh, we're waiting on Lifetime to bring us the tear-jerkers via Xbox Live. We need to get our cry on.
Stand up for Blade's Edge bugs
This is the best bug I've heard about in the game yet so far-- Drysc has confirmed that there is a known bug in the Blade's Edge plateau area which will cause everyone, when someone starts up the Bombing Run quest, to stop eating and drinking and stand up. It's a respect thing, you know? Stand up for the cause!No, it's just a really, really weird bug, and a fix is on the way in an upcoming patch (I'm a little surprised they don't aim to fix it earlier, but apparently all that will be lost is the food anyone sits down to eat at the wrong time in Blade's Edge). Once again, I am dumbfounded at trying to figure out just how Blizzard's code works-- seems like they have the absolute weirdest bugs happen to them sometimes.
World of Warcraft-themed comedian. Yes. You heard me.
This is one of the bravest/loneliest men I've ever seen. Rosacrutian (Undead Warlock, Moonrunner Realm), drops a metric ton of WoW references on a very forgiving audience in the guise of comedy. While I can't fault his knowledge, watching this made me uncomfortable -- for him. I mean, sure, he knows what he's talking about, but there's more to comedy than 'Hey, I'm a gaming geek, and I'll prove it.' It's entirely possible to do themed humor, but you have to base it on the absurdities inherent in the show/game/genre. Just spouting a bunch of terms and hope your listeners laugh in recognition is not enough.However, picking your venue is also very important; I imagine this set would KILL at the Blizzard convention.[Thanks, NaOH!]
WoW Moviewatch: World of Warcraft stand-up comedy routine
Yeah, I couldn't believe it myself. Rosacrutian, who apparently plays an Undead Warlock on the Moonrunner Realm, promised a buddy of his that he'd do an entire 5-minute stand-up routine on World of Warcraft. This is one of those things that gets funnier as it goes on, because it's so painfully unfunny. I hope this guy got a ton of free beer afterwards from his buddy.Cheers to you, Rosacrutian, for swallowing pride and dignity and doing that routine. You are now legendary.And that's what you get on a Saturday night.
"The only thing that would have made the original NES better is if it had worked"
Kyle Cease, a stand-up comedian who also had roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and Not Another Teen Movie, covers NES sub-culture in this clip from one of his acts. Kyle sends up everything from out-of-touch parents ("MOM! PRESS THE B BUTTON!"), the fragility of the cartridge slot and the "suspenseful" music made out of bleeps.Before you click continue to watch the video, be aware that this is definitely NSFW.
Comedy Central bumps Lost for top spot in iTunes
Sorry, Lost. Comedy Central's stand-up clips [link] are performing very well in the iTunes Music Store. In fact, Dane Cook's episode currently has the top spot for videos. I've purchased Dane's show, as well as Lewis Black's. They're fun to watch while you're bored to tears standing in line at the bank. A note to Comedy Central: Please add Ron White![Via Tunevision]
