My interview with Kevin Allison

Remember MTV's the State? Well back in the early 90's a bunch of NYU students got together and decided to put on a show. The cast: Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Ben Garant, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter, David Wain, Todd Holoubek.

The MTV show premiered in January of 1994, at which time it received some extremely bad reviews, which were proudly displayed in the highly talked about "more miserable crap" promo on MTV. Since then, the series was renewed twice, garnering increasingly good ratings, reviews and feedback as the critics and audiences caught on. (including being one of the top 10 shows of the year in the Wall Street Journal and highest rated sketch show in Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone.)


While riding the subway I managed to run into former cast member Kevin Allison. He was extremely nice and open. So I bring to you my interview with Kevin Allison.

What are you up to now?

There's two things I'm really excited about.

First, my brand new sketch comedy group, Big Flux. Normally when you put on any sort of show, you get people saying, "Hey, nice job." But at Big Flux shows recently, people have been coming up to us afterwards and saying, "Whoa. You've really got something here. This is the beginning of something." People are walking away pretty invigorated because the stuff is surprising and daring and pretty insane.

It occurred to me the other day that I'm the only member of The State who is now doing what The State was so devoted to, sketch comedy. Everyone else is doing hybrid forms of comedy now, and a lot of it is great. But I feel like Big Flux is pushing the envelope in the classic sketch form like Python and Mr. Show and The State. We're going from genre to genre, telling miniature stories and taking people completely off guard with most of it. It's a great challenge.

I met all the guys in Big Flux by teaching sketch comedy classes. New classes start in January, so if any of your readers are in the New York area, they should check out www.bigfluxcomedy.com to find out how to apply for the class. The web site is brand new, so there's not a lot of material there yet. But you can check out a few video sketches that Big Flux has done. We're going to keep uploading content--comics, funny stuff to read, merchandise and so on.

Also, Big Flux has two shows coming up at The Pit on December 16 at 7 pm and December 18 at 11 pm. There will be free booze at both shows, so people should definitely come out for a good time. You can make reservations by going to The Pit's site at www.thepit-nyc.com.

The other thing I'm really excited about is film reviewing. I'm getting published by magazines like Premiere and Giant. I love writing about movies and want to keep at it no matter where the rest of my career takes me. There aren't enough people writing really passionate, eloquent, mind-bending analysis out there.

How did you get started in comedy?

Before The State was The State, they were called The New Group. I saw their first show at NYU as a freshman. I was blown away. There was a palpable energy to the group. So in my sophomore year, I started deliberately signing up to take classes that I knew other members of the group were in. After classes, we'd go out drinking and I'd take off all my clothes and hop around singing whaling tunes. Eventually they thought, "Okay, Kevin is some kind of madman. Let's put him in shows."

We put shows together every few months the same way that Big Flux is doing now and eventually got some MTV folks to see us. That's how it all got rolling.

Do you find it harder to do political comedy giving the current climate in this country?

Our material gets extremely offensive, but in ways that are so absurd, you'd be an asshole to be offended.

Just like The State used to do, Big Flux steers clear of direct references to pop culture, because it's so common and so cheap feeling. So I'd never appear onstage as George W. Bush like SNL or Mad TV would do. But I have appeared onstage as a generic Bush-like jackass and people appreciate it as an archetype. Keep in mind, we've never performed outside of New York City yet. But no, I've never paid any attention to the cultural or political climate of the day in creating comedy. I prefer doing stuff that's not so specific to the news and thus more timeless.

I will say I hope the arts just get smarter and more inspired and more revolutionary now. This is the most corrupt, deceptive, heartless and incompetent presidential administration in our history.

What do you like better West coast or East?

What I remember about LA from the last time I was there was that everyone loved Elton John's latest hit, "Bennie and the Jets." Also, I shat on my dad's lap.

Have you ever considered trying out for SNL?

I have considered it. The thing is, I watch that show and have no clue as to what the sensibility is. Every now and then, a sketch is pretty odd and tight and smart. Then the next one lasts seven minutes and hits you over the head with the same joke 30 times. Then the next one seems like a paint-by-numbers deal where they literally just jotted down a few lines from some TV show that no one takes seriously in the first place and they re-deliver the lines but change a word here or there so that it's like parody Mad Libs-style.

I just don't get the impression I'd work well there. I have such a bizarre sensibility. What SNL is good for is that every now and then a dynamic performer like Will Ferrell or Molly Shannon is able to shine. But I much prefer the sort of set up that Python and the Kids in the Hall and The State had, where the writers are also the actors. That way, a group can really develop a voice.

What do you like better, writing comedy or performing comedy?

Writing. I love writing of damn near any kind. I'm just one of those people who finds putting ideas into words really gratifying. But one thing that's also really rewarding about Big Flux is that the group is more into group writing than The State was. It's only natural, because The State was 11 people, so it broke into cliques. Big Flux is just five guys, so it's easier to hash out a sketch idea all as one creative head. My own writing benefits from that collaboration. We revise and revise things until something one guy wrote may very well have changed into a different animal by the time we perform it.

Has there been talk of a State reunion? (I know you've heard that one a thousand times but I just had to ask.)

Yeah, we were all on the phone together about maybe doing a few TV specials for Comedy Central a couple years back. But then Reno 911 kicked into gear and I guess it was just too much to take on. Honestly, I have no idea if we ever will do something. The State was a pretty dysfunctional family--lots of love but lots of tension too. It would surprise me if we could all find time in our lives to get back together and then find ourselves on the same page creatively. But if everyone else was up for it, I'd certainly give it a shot.

What was the title of the book you were reading when we met?

"For Keeps." It's the best of the film criticism by Pauline Kael. She wrote for The New Yorker from 1967 to 1990. One tough cookie but an absolutely brilliant writer.

Vote for TJ Allard

Handsome isn't he? TJ Allard is a good friend of mine. He's in the running for a spot on Good Day Live.

Please click to his website for any updates on this situation

Vote using this number: 1-866-613-0004

More Red State Madness

Ok this woman was just simply psycho.

How could this woman do this to her kids? The reason, she wanted to give her baby to God.

I guess no one told her that God gave her the baby in the first place.

Hip Hop Wednesday 11/24/04

Well DMX has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Our last update. It didn't look good for Mr. Simmons.

But it looks like money won out on this one and DMX will not be serving any time.

You got lucky this time Earl. I think you should take some time out and figure your life out. Seriously you don't want to end up like ODB.

Red State Madness

Six hunters are dead

Why are they dead? Well here's what supposedly happened.

"The shootings occurred after hunters returning to a rural cabin saw a man in a deer stand, a platform built in a tree to give hunters a better view, on private property. The hunter radioed someone to ask about the man's presence there. Meier said the man had apparently been hunting and had gotten lost. He wandered onto 400 acres of private land.

One of the hunters "approached the person and asked him to leave, at which time the landowners and the occupants of the cabin came on the scene. The suspect got down from the deer stand, walked approximately 40 yards, fiddled with his rifle in some way ... turned and opened fire on the group," Meier said. He said it appeared some of the targeted hunters tried to fire back."

Of course the relatives of the alledged killer are shocked

The best NBA fight ever

What did I do?


Ron Artest is suspended for the rest of the season. This was the NBA's response to one of the greatest NBA fights ever.

Of course this is a terrible and awful and terrible but damn was it interesting to watch.

My Interview with Harold Ramis

Only in New York can you run into the director of Caddyshack and Groundhog's Day, the writer of Ghostbusters Mr. Harold Ramis. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you my first celebrity interview.

What do you think of the various improv groups out there today as compared to the "Second City"?

I don't see much live improv or sketch comedy, but most of the groups working today employ techniques developed at Second City and/or one of its many offspring like ImprovOlympic. But beyond technique, the secret of successful improv (besides talent, timing, wit, insight, culture, compassion and intelligence) is the capacity to work collaboratively and supportively with a group. It's not like stand-up comedy. Del Close, one of the great improv mentors always said that if you focussed on making other people on stage look good, as opposed to always selfishly worrying about how you yourself were doing, then everybody looks good, even though the particular scene may be less than perfect. He thought it sent a subliminal message about cooperation to the audience that was an important complement to the entertainment value of the scene.


What are you working on now?

I just finished a film called The Ice Harvest with John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Platt, Randy Quaid and Connie Neilsen. It's based on a novel by Scott Phillips, screenplay by Richard Russo (Pulitzer Prize winner for his novel Empire Falls) and Robert Benton (Oscar winner for his screenplays Kramer vs. Kramer and Places in the Heart.) It's a darkly funny, lurid, and violent film noir; great performances, a terrific look and I'm very proud of it.


What is your best memory of Caddyshack?

Caddyshack was a lot of fun to make. Almost too much fun. I had great partners who were also great friends, Doug Kenney and Brian Doyle-Murray; we all lived for three months in a hotel with the cast right on the golf course in Florida; we had the funniest people we knew in all the key roles and every day was an adventure in madness.


What made you stay at "Second City" rather than going to "SNL"?

I was asked to join the writing staff of SNL at the start of its second year, but I was already headwriter and a full-time performer on SCTV, and even though the show wasn't nearly as successful, I loved the cast-- Joe Flaherty, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin and Catherine O'Hara. We had total freedom to do whatever we wanted, and the atmosphere was considerably more "wholesome" than at SNL. At SNL writers had to fight to get pieces on the show which created lots of competition and tension. I didn't think it would do me any good to work there and I was already working on the screenplay of what would become Animal House, so TV in general just seemed like a stop along the way to something I'd always wanted to do-- make movies-- and even though I envied the mainstream success and visibility of SNL, I like it just fine where I was.


What do you think about the current state of comedy today?

I think it's hard to generalize about comedy. There's great stuff being done today in films, on TV and in the clubs. Chris Rock is just as funny and edgy as Richard Pryor was, shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office and Ali G are pushing the envelope in form and content, and new talent is developing constantly. Of course there's lots of crap too, but that's true in any creative medium; whether its theater, fiction, movies, TV, music, painting, etc., only about 10% of it is really worthy.


What is the question that most interviewers ask you that gets on your nerves?

It would be too easy to say "This question," so I won't. In fact, no one's ever asked me this before. What generally gets on my nerves in interviews (and I've done hundreds, probably over a thousand) is the short interview for local TV stations with the on-air personality who covers entertainment for them, which usually comes down to "tell me something funny that happened while youwere shooting" or "tell me something about a big star I can use on my five-minute segment on the 11 o'clock." What I like are longer interviews with thoughtful journalists or critics who actually want to talk about process, content, context, culture, history, religion, politics or anything other than, "I bet it's hilarious working with Billy Crystal. Tell me some of the funny things that happened on the set."

It's always the religious ones

Gary Sheffield is a big man.

Is it me or has R.Kelly put out more sex tapes than actual records this year?

I found this to be very interesting; In seven months of dating, Richards never allowed Sheffield to kiss her on the lips.

Feel free to laugh at will on that one.

Monday Night Footall Madness

I missed the opening to Monday Night Football. Apparently the FCC didn't.

Tony Dungy thinks it's racist.

I think he's reasoning is a little too deep for America. IMO if this was Tom Brady and Nicollette Sheridan. It wouldn't be an issue. But Hey that's just me.

Rest in Peace Mr. Jones

RIP


I really didn't see this coming.

So Long Mr. Ashcroft.

Good bye Mr. Ashcroft. One of the most polarizing members of the Bush administration is set to resign and he has named his successor. I really can't say I'll miss the guy.



Alberto Gonzales

Sparks are already flying

"As a member of the court, Gonzales ruled with the majority that some teenage girls should not be required to get parental permission for an abortion."

The Pro-life people will most likely see this as a slap in the face. I see it as a step in the right direction.

Friday Cinema

To cheer myself up I went to the movies this week and I saw two interesting movies, Saw and The Incredibles.



SAW
Saw is a combination of Seven and Silence of the Lambs. The only thing is though it really isn't. Forget what the critics say. The only thing this movie has in common with Seven is that both movies were graphic. This movie is a simple murder mystery. At times it was very suspenseful and you can best bet there are plenty of few plot twists. But if you are really smart you will be able to know who the killer is before he reveals himself. It really wasn't that much of a shock to me. Cary Elwes over acts and Danny Glover talents are under used. I think Mr. Glover just needed to pick up a check for this one. Cary Elwes looks like he's gained a bunch of weight. Yes this is an entertaining movie but don't fall into the hype.



The Incredibles
I first saw the premise for this movie about 2 years ago and I've been looking forward to it ever since. I've never seen any Pixar movie in the theater because I hate screaming kids. But last night I had the chance to go to a midnight showing in the city and I got to see it without any brats running up and down the isle causing havoc. This movie is incredible (I know you SAW that coming a mile away).

My view on 2004 Election

In this entry I will not be posting any links to any articles to back up my POV. The following is just a general opinion (read venting).

I woke up today to find that GW Bush has won the popular vote. 51% to Kerry's 49%. The votes in OHIO need to be counted but it doesn't look good for Kerry. Most of my friends think he should hang it up and call it a day. I was actually surprised to find them distressed at the fact that Bush won the popular vote.

One of them was quoted saying:

"I am apparently so far off the mark from the average American. Republicans control more House, Senate seats, Presidency remains (I hope we are ready for fundamentalism. I am actually afraid.)However, what I will say with confidence is, this too, shall pass. It just may take a long time to do so."

He still remains a little hopeful. Another friend was a little more distressed:

"I am just realizing that I am living in a very conservative
country where the majority of people want the government to tell them how to think on moral issues, where they accept racism, and like the separation of the economic classes. They also like some god with their government. This is scary, but I feel so trapped."

I don't feel trapped or distressed. I feel sad and angry. This election was a reminder that I am in the minority. It was a reminder that Americans want a war mongering conservative president. I have to make peace with that because if I don't I will not be able to survive.

I have to remind myself that I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world (NYC) in one of the most cultural rich neighborhoods (Harlem). I am gainfully employed (for now) and I am not of draft age. I am isolated from the ignorance of other states. There is no need to panic. I have to keep telling myself this. I can only hope that things will not get worse.

This election served as a wake up call to many of my friends. But it only underlined what I knew already. This country is scared and afraid of change. This country is as great as it is blind.