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Episode 25 – Die Hard, A Drinking Game

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Anthony Lerner as John McClane

Joe Nicchi (Karl), Anthony Lerner (John McClane) and Natalie Lynch (Holly McClane) in 'Die Hard, A Drinking Game'

Once a month, I’m part of an undeniably awesome theater experience.  Since November of 2011, “A Drinking Game” has taken live  stage readings of the best films of the 80s and combined them with a custom drinking game for each film.  Not only does the audience drink along – so do the actors.  It’s been so successful, it recently spun off into a satellite show in Minneapolis.  I’m so lucky to get to work with these people, that I wanted you to meet as many of them as I could squeeze in before we had to get started this last Saturday during “Die Hard,” in which I played Hans Gruber.

Brett Schlank - A Drinking Game's Emcee

Brett Schlank - A Drinking Game's Emcee

First up is Brett Schlank.  Co-creator (with Natalie Lynch, pictured above) of A Drinking Game and one of my favorite people, Brett comes from a long line of entertainers.  He talks with me for a few minutes about Bob and Doug McKenzie’s “Great White North.”

 

Next is Joe Nicchi.  Not only is he hilarious, but his experience with stand-up comedy is unique – he practically grew up in his father’s comedy club.  He talks about Mitch Hedburg, being chauffeur to the comics, and what it’s like to see the best comics we’ve never heard of.

Anthony Lerner is the star of this month’s show.  He and I were at least twice enemies – he as Biff Tannen and I as Marty McFly, he as Westley and I as Vizzini & Count Rugen.  This week, it happens again, as we square off and he sends me to my death that will catch up with him two drinking games later.  Anthony opens up about his love of Bill Cosby and comedy in general, as well as having to say “fuck” a lot.

Alex Salem as Al Powell

Alex Salem as Al Powell

I met Alex Salem when he first rehearsed with us for “Ghostbusters,” in which he played Winston Zeddemore.  In “Die Hard,” he plays Al Powell (or, as our audience referred to him regularly, Carl Winslow) with aplomb. This week, he takes some time to talk with me about listening to David Cross.

The Cast of Die Hard: A Drinking Game

The Cast of Die Hard: A Drinking Game

A thank you to the entire cast and crew for an amazing show.  Jaymes Wheeler, Alyson King Wheeler, Joe Nicchi, Anthony Lerner, Natalie Lynch, Jeremy Guskin, Alex Salem and Brett Schlank, as well as Justin Wheeler and Jen.

A Drinking Game’s Website: http://adrinkinggame.com

Like A Drinking Game on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/adrinkinggame

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Brett Schlank, Joe Nicchi, Anthony Lerner and Alex Salem

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

A Drinking Game’s Website: http://adrinkinggame.com

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Episode 19 – Eddie Murphy – Self-Titled

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It’s about time we discuss an album none of us are familiar with and then turns out to be not nearly as good as we hoped.  It’s not going to be a regular feature, but this week I figured why not get a little perspective?  Before we talk about “Raw” or “Delirious,” let’s see where he was on the heels of being SNL’s first child prodigy.

At the end of the day, Eddie Murphy’s self-titled 1982 album is what you’d expect.  Rushed, somewhat inexperienced and shocking simply for the sake of it.  For all the times Eddie Murphy said something homophobic, sexist or racist after this, listening to this will give you an idea of what it sounds like to not wrap much content around it.  Fear not, we will soon be going over his best stuff.  You know, the stuff he eventually apologized for.

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Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guest: Mike Worden

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

Eddie Murphy on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000552/

Buy “Eddie Murphy” on Vinyl: http://goo.gl/Ey8On

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Episode 17 – Zero Mostel – How the Grinch Stole Christmas

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…I have no words.  Except Merry Christmas.  This special episode features the one and only Zero Mostel at possibly his most insane, reading Dr. Seuss’s timeless “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”  There are SO many things going on here, I can’t begin to describe it.

Just know that despite the fact that we didn’t talk much about Zero (his comedy was on the stage and screen), he was a great actor, and Mel Brooks’ “The Producers” wouldn’t have been the same without him intimidating the hell out of Gene Wilder.  In many ways, we wouldn’t have the same Gene Wilder.  Take a listen and, as always, have a Merry Thing.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Dan Gomiller, Ari Jarvis, Jeremy Guskin  and Jen Smith

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

Zero Mostel’s IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0609216/

Buy “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on vinyl: http://goo.gl/3fChz

Episode 17 Direct Download

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Episode 16 – George Carlin – Class Clown

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We waited too long to get to this album, since its among the first albums I ever listened to, and it simply blew my mind.  What’s disappointing is its the first one I simply have not been able to find locally on vinyl – despite having it in the secret Comedy on Vinyl Vaults somewhere deep in the woods of Upstate New York at my mom’s house (it also explains why we’re pointing to an image of the album cover on my phone).  THAT said, this is going to be one of those albums I absolutely DEMAND you purchase immediately.  I choose to sample these tracks without killing the value of purchasing the album, but believe me, it was very tempting to give you “Seven Words” in its entirety, as this is the greatest version there is.  That said, I didn’t – so go buy it.

Though people have treated George Carlin as though he was following the work of Lenny Bruce, Carlin was never an activist, and no matter what you thought of his changing onstage persona, he remained a comedian, unlike Lenny Bruce.  “Stand-up philosopher” is a phrase bandied about in this podcast, and I’ve always felt it fit George Carlin to a T.  Comedians are, by trade, thinkers before speakers.  Usually the speaking takes the form of a joke – Carlin weaves the traditional joke in with pure “one-on-one” conversation, letting you discover his thought process as he helps you understand your own.  All this, on top of being a bad-ass who did, indeed, challenge the FCC and, whether he tried to or not, changed the way the US and its government looks at “profanity,” makes George Carlin a legend.  Do yourself a favor and discover this album, if you haven’t already.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Dan Gomiller, Ari Jarvis and Jeremy Guskin

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

George Carlin’s official site: http://georgecarlin.com/

Buy “Class Clown” on vinyl: goo.gl/fs6ny

Episode 16 Direct Download

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New Episodes Coming Soon

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Our last recording session was canceled, hence the delay. You can thank Chris Hardwick for that. And because of said delay, you might just see me on the January 14 episode of the Nerdist BBC special. Maybe the December 24th one, briefly, along with Jen. I’m sporting a Nerdist-themed shirt of my own design, which is the reason I was asked to stick around.

I promise, we have some really good episodes coming up. Thanks for your patience!

  • Jason

Episode 15 – Eric Idle and Neil Innes – The Rutles

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After Monty Python, Eric Idle continued the sketch comedy television with Rutland Weekend Television, which featured “The Seventh Python,” Neil Innes.  Best known beyond The Rutles as an amazing absurd satirist, Innes brought a musical legitimacy that Idle, with impressive musical credentials of his own, likely couldn’t match.  Also, Innes did a dead-on John Lennon.

Hardly the first mock-documentary, this is one of the first – if not THE first musical-themed film in the genre.  A pretty literal parallel of the actual history of The Beatles, The Rutles is impressive, if only for its attention to detail.  The songs are, in many cases, dead-ringers for actual Beatles songs (which apparently caused a legal problem or two), and the story an absurd twist and comment on Beatlemania – an obsession that, no matter how you feel about The Beatles, is easily seen as one of the strangest phenomena to ever ripple through pop culture.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Dan Gomiller and Ari Jarvis

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

Buy “The Rutles” on vinyl: http://goo.gl/iafam

Buy “The Rutles” on DVD: http://goo.gl/l96Yx

Episode 15 Direct Download

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Episode 14 – Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder – Young Frankenstein

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Mel Brooks may have made the name he has today with a unique brand of parody, but Young Frankenstein is arguably his masterpiece, and is no doubt the beginning of a brand of pastiche that has informed the work of every great filmmaker of the last four decades.  Self-awareness without having to mug, genuine drama without a sly wink, and real, stone-faced, honest acting make this more than just what Mel Brooks calls a “spoof.” 

As Dan points out in this episode, “Young Frankenstein” is a spiritual sequel to its namesake, and even cursory knowledge of the original “Frankenstein” is enough to get the basics.  That said, it’s still a good, human story, given to us through some of the best slapstick ever put on film.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Jennifer Smith, Dan Gomiller & Ari Jarvis

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

Buy the “Young Frankenstein” soundtrack on VERY expensive vinyl: http://goo.gl/3qZPC

Buy “Young Frankenstein” on DVD: http://goo.gl/7OT4x

Episode 14 Direct Download

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