Secret Second City Movie Connections
Second City’s name is synonymous with improvisation and satirical sketch comedy. Alumni of Second City’s stages go on to do huge things in TV and film because of their ability to write, act, improvise and work well/play nice with others. (Quadruple threats are a thing, right?)
That being said, this article could be about Second City’s long cinematic tradition with the likes of SC alumni Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Adam McKay, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, etc., who went on to make notable contributions to the movies… but that’s boring.
So instead, we’re going for some deep cuts– sharing cool behind-the-scenes facts and revealing how some great films have secret Second City movie ties.
Trivia night, get ready!
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Right, so I said I wasn’t going to be obvious, and what’s more obvious than the seminal film The Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi (with killer cameos by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Princess Leia and Steven Spielberg)?
The interesting thing about this one is that it was Dan Aykroyd’s first screenplay. In fact, he had never even read one before, so he consequently turned in a 324-page tome titled Return of the Blues Brothers. Usually scripts are between 90-120 pages, with the loose understanding that 1 page equals 1 minute. If they had shot what he wrote, that film would have been five and half hours –the Infinite Jest of film scripts.
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006)
This movie was kind of a sleeper when it came out in 2007. It seems like either people have seen it and liked… or totally missed it. It follows Writer/director/star Jeff Garlin through the most terribly depressing episodes in anyone’s life. You probably know it’s got Second City connections, but the amount of Second City alumni in this movie is insane. By my count… (drumroll) fourteen! Including, but not limited to:
- David Pasquesi
- Amy Sedaris
- Bonnie Hunt
- Dan Castellaneta
- Richard Kind
- And many, many more!!!
The Graduate (1967)
Before there was The Second City, there was The Compass Players out of University of Chicago. Borrowing on Italian Commedia dell’Arte, their goal was the outrageous idea (at the time) to create a new play each week. It’s easy to lose sight now on how radical that actually was, considering that now you can see a trillion and three improvised shows every night of the week.
One of the players in this group was Mike Nichols, who went on to direct The Graduate, as well as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Angels in America. What became of The Compass Players? A couple of their members, Paul Sills and Howard Alk, went on to co-found The Second City with Bernie Sahlins.
Goldstein (1964)
You’ve probably never seen or heard of Goldstein, so this is the entry on the list where when someone asks, “Have you heard of Goldstein?” You can now proudly reply, “Yes.”
Made in 1964 by Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff, Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Goldstein played at Cannes and was considered a great micro-budget, independent film of its time, but is now incredibly hard to find.
The film is highly improvisational in its approach and stars Second City Mainstage alum Jack Burns, with appearances from improv legends Del Close, Viola Spolin and a cameo from Chicago writer Nelson Algren. If you ever have a chance to catch it, you should go, or else…
Donald Sutherland will do that to you.
The Razor’s Edge (1984)
In 1984, one of the greatest events in the history of the world happened: Ghostbusters came out.
We all know that the film’s success is due in part to Bill Murray’s improvisational additions as “Peter Venkman.” What’s less well-known is the other 1984 movie Bill Murray starred in, The Razor’s Edge. The film tells the story of a soldier’s (Bill Murray) struggle acclimating to suburban life after seeing the horrors of World War I. Sounds like a laugh riot, right?
The Razor’s Edge was a passion project for Murray– and he didn’t really want to do Ghostbusters (!!??)– so they made a deal: The Razor’s Edge would be greenlit if he did Ghostbusters. So, if you think about it, without The Razor’s Edge, there is no Ghostbusters, and no Ghostbusters means Egon Spangler never earns that Crunch bar.
If you’re totally nerding out reading this, then you’re a prime candidate for a new class we’re offering at The Second City Training Center Chicago: History of Comedy on Film, taught by Lee Ferdinand (who is a huge film nerd). Class starts June 24th, and you can find sign-up info right here.
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Thereʼs been plenty of advice offered up on this site for the Under-30 set. Die now, live later, you say? That might be all fine and dandy, but what about the rest of us? Those sad saps who were born before 1983? Whether you like it or not, here are the hard and fast truths about aging that you need to face right now. If you are doing– or are about to do– any of the following, STOP IMMEDIATELY. You are too old, my friend.
Attend a Music Festival That Involves Camping/Swedish Electronica/Side Braids
You saw all those awesome Instagrams your friends posted from SXSW. Youʼre pumped for this summerʼs Lolla lineup. Coachella is just a few weeks away… maybe youʼll try to figure out a way to get there? NO YOU WONʼT. Itʼs crowded. Itʼs sweaty. The foot- pump-y hand washing stations outside the porta potties are always out of non-potable water. Admit that a nice brunch with good friends sounds a hell of a lot better way to spend a weekend.
Apply to Medical School
Remember that one time you so knew you had blepharitis? For years, your superior symptom-Googling gave you a certain… I dunno, air of medical quasi-authority. Donʼt pretend like applying to medical school never crossed your mind… because you still had time to consider a career change. So letʼs see. If you start now, you should be a full- fledged M.D. when youʼre about 47 or so. Or maybe marketingʼs not so bad, after all.
Get a Nose Job
Speaking of doctors…. Elective plastic surgery is only fun to fantasize about until a certain age. Then you have kids, and the thought of risking something going wrong for a smaller bump doesnʼt seem (as) worth it. Youʼre just going to just have to be satisfied with the mocked up “before and after” photo you got at that appointment you had a few years ago when you were really, really worried about that potentially deviated septum. On the bright side, once the kids get married, the window opens again– and you can get a whole new face, if youʼve invested your funds wisely.
Flirt with Guys Who Look Like Johnny Depp
Let me save you on this one. Hereʼs what you donʼt want to have happen:
YOU
(breathy whisper, to dirty-hot barista)
Wow. You look just like Johnny Depp.
BARISTA
Thank you, maʼam.
Also, donʼt forget the part where “You” are 9 1/2 months pregnant and are literally out of breath from the human in your gullet sitting on your lungs.
Change Your name to Samantha
If youʼve been holding on to this dream past the age of nine and/or the cancellation of Gimme a Break!, weʼve really gotta talk. Unless your name right now is Arnold, Ralph or Joshua, in which case, I totally support you and want you to know I just want you to be happy. Everyone deserves to live their all of dreams. Mostly.
Liz Kozak (Editor) is a writer in Chicago who would take commas and hyphens over cake and ice cream any day. She also contributes regularly at The Huffington Post and blogs about stuff at poseypieproductions.com. Follow Liz: @LizKoz
BY THE SECOND CITY | APR 05, 2013
SCTV Sneak Previews
Gene and Roger review the latest Star Wars, “Empires are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
BY THE SECOND CITY | APR 05, 2013
Your Father’s Approval, and Other Things You Should Stop Striving For.
Some people spend their entire lives chasing their fathers’ approval. From choosing which college to attend to deciding whether or not mom would like that box set of Cheers for Christmas, dads influence our every decision. Well, I’m here to tell you now: stop. Your dad is one of literally billions of people on the planet. The only thing that connects you to him is the fact that he graciously spilled his DNA in your mother one day. If you really can’t live without other people’s approval, at least make a thoughtful selection. Find a community of people that you respect and then push each other to be better, like a cult or a high school wrestling team. Here are some other things that you should stop striving for:
-A Stress-Free CTA Ride. Yes, the CTA sucks. But looking in the direction of the next train doesn’t make it arrive faster, and working yourself into a quiet rage while squeezed between a DePaul student’s backpack and a lunatic pissing his sweatpants doesn’t get you to work any faster. Instead, force a smile and accept the CTA for what it is: a poorly-run public service.
-That Million-Dollar App Idea. You know that simple-yet-amazing iPhone app idea you have? Someone else developed it last year. Just play Powerball.
-A Full Understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Even International Relations professors don’t know what is going on over there. Read some Wikipedia articles and call it a day.
-A Productive Day Off. So you have MLK Day off, and you’re planning on knocking out that laundry list of chores? Your bottle of Lubriderm, box of tissues, and web browser have different plans. Don’t forget to turn on “private browsing.”
-A Drinkable Beer with Fewer Than 100 Calories. No number of ads featuring giggling gal pals on a night out can change the fact that Miller64 tastes like carbonated cat urine.
-The Perfect Fedora. If Justin Timberlake looks silly wearing something, rest assured you look even sillier.
-A Use for Your Philosophy Degree. It’s not that you’re unemployable. After all, there are lots of customer service and retail jobs available. Plus, college wasn’t a total waste of time. I’m sure you had a great time debating Ayn Rand with your buddies in the student union.
-A Valuable LinkedIn Profile. LinkedIn is an extra-boring Facebook. “I would like to add you to my professional network” might as well read “I have nothing to do today and, well, why not?”
-Writing the Next Great American Novel. After a decade of writing sessions, all you’ve accomplished is getting the Starbucks barista to memorize your order. And she totally hates you.
-Fame. The odds of achieving this are so low it’s laughable. Just have a good time and push your kid into piano classes at age 3. You never know.
-Fortune. The odds of achieving this are so low it’s laughable. Just have a good time and push your failed musician of a child into an MBA program. You can live off him.
-Convincing People That Disagree With You On Something That You Are Correct. This sounds defeatist, but it’s really intended to save you time. You are not Noam Chomsky or Christopher Hitchens, so you don’t stand a chance. Just hang out with people who already agree with you and high-five each other constantly.
-Flossing Everyday. Every… day…
-Being Cool. Coolness is overrated and silly. You know those brooding quiet guys at the party who look super badass and complicated? Me neither, because they’re boring. Unless you’re Johnny Depp or a main character in a nouveau vampire movie, just be energetic and emotionally open. It’s way more fun.
-A Perfect Pushup. This is completely unattainable unless you have perfect patience and everything fun in your house perfectly breaks at the perfect time.
-An Occupy Movement That Accomplishes Anything. I like camping too, but come on.
-A BMI in the “Healthy Range.” Diets are boring and so are conversations that revolve around them. Just put a belt on it or something if you want to feel different. You’re beautiful.
-World Peace… Ah, what the heck, we need dreams. Keep striving for this one.
Asher Perlman performs with iO, Second City, and Comedysportz. He also writes and performs comedy with ATV and is a winner of the Gimme 5 solo sketch competition at The Playground.
BY THE SECOND CITY | APR 04, 2013
Maribeth Monroe on No Jacket Required
This episode Chris sits down with the very hilarious Maribeth Monroe from Comedy Central’s Workaholics.
BY THE SECOND CITY | APR 04, 2013
A Word on Marriage
I didn’t change my facebook profile picture to a pink equal sign. Don’t get me wrong I support empty gestures as much as the next guy; and there’s nothing like a picture of Ernie and Burt superimposed over parallel lines to legitimize a serious political issue. I’m just not entirely on board with gay marriage or heterosexual marriage either. Sure, I’m a married man (very happily if my wife is reading this) but marriage is an institution that blurs the line between Church and State. A couple can get married in a church or a courthouse by a reverend or a judge, where else does this crossover exist? You can’t serve your jury duty in a church choir (although that could make for an hilarious Jack McBrayer movie). You can’t pay your taxes with prayers (I tried).
This whole debate could be clarified if the government left recognizing marriage to the churches, temples, synagogues, and covens and simply let two people of whatever gender, race, or religion merge like corporations do. That’s basically what marriage is in the eyes of the government, isn’t it? Two people combine their assets, tax responsibility, and such. Taking the word “marriage” out of the equation eliminates any questions of morality and then people who did oppose gay mergers would have to come out and say, “I oppose this because I’m a hateful, ignorant, prick”. The U.S. does not need to legislate morality, leave that to the Taliban. So if your church is progressive and approves of gay marriage, great; if your church opposes gay marriage, fine but the male prostitute your pastor visits is free to legally spend his life with the person he loves. That’s win-win. I hope the day comes soon when any U.S. citizen can get down on one knee and ask the person they love, “Will you file jointly with me?”
Ed Furman is a Second City alumni and a co-founder of the Annoyance Theater. He is a playwright and co-authored the hits Co-ed Prison Slutsand Rod Blagojevich: Superstar.
BY THE SECOND CITY | APR 03, 2013
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