Jeff Garlin Movies

In this filmed version of cult film director John Waters' popular one-man show, the Pink Flamingos and A Dirty Shame director takes the stage to discuss everything from his early influences, fondest career memories, and notorious struggles against the MPAA rating system. Part endearing memoir and part hilarious lecture, This Filthy World touches on everything from the insanity of contemporary pop culture to the director's unforgettable early collaborations with inimitable Pink Flamingos star Divine. Captured live at the Harry du Jur Playhouse in New York, this performance is filled with the unique brand of outrageous insight and candid wit that has earned the so-called "Prince of Puke" an eternal place in the hearts of mischief-loving miscreants everywhere. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

HBO's hit series Curb Your Enthusiasm, featuring TV's most cantankerous character, is back and funnier than ever. Writer-producer-comedian Larry David stars as himself in a comic vision of his life. This year, David's world is especially off-kilter: An African-American family, displaced by a hurricane, moves in with the staunchly progressive Davids; and in episode 6 ("The Tivo Guy"), Larry and his wife, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), decide to separate. In addition to David, cast regulars include Jeff Garlin (as his manager, Jeff Greene) and Susie Essman (as Jeff's wife, Susie). The series also features appearances by guest celebrities playing themselves, such as returning favorites Ted Danson, Richard Lewis, and Mary Steenburgen. Season 6, originally telecast in 2007 over HBO, adds Vivica A. Fox as Loretta Black and Tia Carrere as Cha Cha.

Jeff Garlin, best known for his role as Larry David's manager on Curb Your Enthusiasm, has directed standup comedy specials for Jon Stewart and Denis Leary, and makes his feature-film debut with his own adaptation of his one-man stage show, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With. Garlin stars as James, an overweight, depressed actor who does improv at Second City. James lives with his mother (Mina Kolb) and constantly cheats on his diet. His life seems to be in a downward spiral. He quits his acting job on a sleazy prank show, his girlfriend (Rebecca Sage Allen) breaks up with him, and his agent (Richard Kind) dumps him. When he visits his friend's daughter's elementary school for Career Day, he embarrasses himself in front of the attractive teacher (Bonnie Hunt) by rambling inappropriately about his personal problems in front of the kids. He hears about a Chicago-based remake of Paddy Chayefsky's Marty, one of his favorite movies, and the role he seemingly was born to play, but he can't even get an audition. One day, after giving up on Compulsive Eaters Anonymous, he seeks solace in an ice cream parlor, where he meets Beth (Sarah Silverman), who quickly wins his heart by offering him free ice cream, and asking him a sexually provocative question. But his attraction to the sexually aggressive and somewhat demented Beth may bring James more problems than it solves. The film, which features appearances by Amy Sedaris, Dan Castellaneta, Wallace Langham, Roger Bart, Paul Mazursky, David Pasquesi, and Joey Slotnick, had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

The ten episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm's fourth season are largely motivated by the improbable premise of Mel Brooks offering Seinfeld creator Larry David the opportunity to star in Brooks' smash Broadway musical The Producers. Somehow this setup results in a blood feud between Larry and Ben Stiller (a case of adding injury to insult). Other mishaps during this season include a politically incorrect confrontation with a group of handicapped workers, a world-class crisis involving name tags, a set-to with David Schwimmer over cashews and raisins, an attempt to skirt the traffic laws and to provide medical marijuana for Larry's dad, and the near-death of the best friend of Larry's associate, Jeff (Jeff Garlin). The season comes to a riotous conclusion with a special one-hour episode built around Larry's opening night on Broadway. Events crucial to the outcome include a benighted tryst with The Producers co-star Cady Huffman and the ultimate revelation of Mel Brooks' ulterior motives for casting Larry in the first place. Suffice to say that the dialogue sounds awfully familiar in this climactic episode, which also features cameos by Brooks' actress wife Anne Bancroft and a certain comic named Jerry Seinfeld ~ Rovi

Seinfeld producer/creator Larry David has often claimed that the character of George Costanza, the abrasive, neurotic, spectacularly luckless Seinfeld supporting player so brilliantly played by Jason Alexander, was based on David himself. Small wonder, then, that most of the plotlines of the self-deprecating, reality-based sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm have a distinctly Costanzan flavor -- with Larry David, in the role of former standup comic-turned-TV executive Larry David, a dictionary definition of the phrase "his own worst enemy." A spinoff of the 1999 HBO "mockumentary" special of the same name, the weekly 30-minute Curb Your Enthusiasm is filmed in cinéma vérité fashion, with much of dialogue ad-libbed (though the premise of each episode has been carefully worked out in advance).

Larry David portrays himself as the archetypal Hollywood wheeler-dealer, forever promoting "can't miss" TV and film projects, and using (and sometimes abusing) his myriad of showbiz celebrity connections -- among them Richard Lewis, Rob Reiner, Shaquille O'Neal, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Wanda Sykes, and Mel Brooks, not to mention a generous supply of former Seinfeld stars -- to further advance his already super-successful career. And yet, no matter how high he climbs, David is a slave to his own foibles, phobias, and neuroses, perpetually opening mouth and inserting foot, making as many enemies as friends in high places and never relaxing long enough to enjoy or appreciate what he has accomplished. In typical Seinfeld fashion, our hero manages to make a sizable and often insurmountable mountain out of the tiniest and least significant of molehills. While the plotlines of the first two ten-episode HBO seasons were relatively self-contained, season three was held together with the through-line of Larry opening a Planet Hollywood-style restaurant, while the focus of season four was the rather improbable premise that Larry had been offered the starring role in Mel Brooks' smash Broadway musical The Producers. Also appearing on Curb Your Enthusiasm are Cheryl Hines as Larry's spouse, Cheryl; David's longtime production associate Jeff Garlin as Jeff Greene; and Susie Essman as Jeff's wife, Susie. The series is very much an HBO production with an unending stream of hilarious profanities and sexual situations (though the series' funniest running gag is probably the cleanest: Larry David's constitutional inability to figure out the basic protocol of tipping the help). ~ Rovi

Still intent upon re-igniting the spark in their marriage, Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) go off on their long-delayed honeymoon. In their absence, pediatrician Dr. Lee (Steve Park) makes certain that baby Mabel is well cared for. Whether or not Murray the dog is safe in the hands of Jamie's mercurial sister, Lisa (Anne Elizabeth Ramsay), is another matter entirely. And then there's that cooing married couple whom Jamie "fixed up".... ~ Rovi

To save the Buchmans' family store, Ira (John Pankow) offers to give away a new car to the customer who can keep his or her hands on the vehicle the longest. But Ira is reluctant to pony up, so he rigs the contest in the store's favor. Things get more complicated when Ira's temporarily sightless cousin, Paul (Paul Reiser), and Dr. Mark Devanow (welcome back, Richard Kind) are brought in as "ringers." ~ Rovi

Once again (and for the last time), Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) preside over an eventful Thanksgiving dinner. This time, the guest list includes not only the couple's families and friends, but also Jamie's boss Henry Vincent (Fred Willard), baby Mabel's pediatrician Dr. Lee (Steve Park), and airheaded waitress Ursula Buffay (Lisa Kudrow, taking time out from her Friends duties). Trouble ensues when little Mabel shows signs of developing an allergy -- and the source may be one of the guests. ~ Rovi

Nobody is allowed to leave the premises during the birthday party of Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser). For one thing, Paul's neighbors Maggie and Hal Conway (Judy Geeson, Paxton Whitehead) suspect that one of the guests has absconded with a valuable painting. And besides, who would want to leave during the epic growling match between Marvin the handyman (Jeff Garlin) and Murray the dog? ~ Rovi

Paul's mother, Sylvia (Cynthia Harris), and Jamie's mother, Theresa (Carol Burnett), both purchase cribs for the Buchman's new baby. This sparks a family feud that makes the Hatfields and McCoys seem like pikers. Meanwhile, Paul (Paul Reiser) wins a poker game from handyman Marvin (Jeff Garlin), who squares his debt "in trade." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi