Allen Anders - Live at the Comedy Castle (circa 1987)
The 420 List
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25-Apr-2019
The fever dream of a 1980s stand-up comic who is either having a nervous breakdown or the best set of his life. Directed by Laura Moss, and written and performed by Tony Grayson, “Allen Anders - Live at the Comedy Castle (circa 1987)” is an ingenious sendup of a dated comedy special, darkly hilarious and thoroughly unsettling. As first delivered as a generic routine about snooze buttons and ‘cases of the Mondays,’ Anders quickly descends into confronting the meaninglessness of life, and the mortality of all, as the studio audience, shown in repeating motifs, smile and laugh innocently. Shot with a period authentic broadcast camera, delivered on glitching VHS, the film is built around a bravura performance by Grayson, perfectly mimicking the rhythm, mannerisms and confidence of a hack comedian trapped in a loop of existential dread.
Director: Laura Moss. Writer // Allen Anders: Tony Grayson. Director of Photography: Eythan Maidhof. Producers: Brendan O'Brien, Jacqueline Dow. Costume Designer: Kelsey Sasportas. Production Designer: Katrina Whalen.
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