George Carlin Movies
The titles of his popular record albums "Weird Behavior" and "Class Clown" sum up the childhood deportment of American comedian George Carlin. He tried to fit into the mainstream, but school was too confining. Carlin dropped out of high school to join the Air Force as a radar mechanic, and while stationed in Shreveport, Louisiana, the 17-year-old Carlin was given a shift as a deejay on a local radio station. At 18, Carlin teamed with the station's newsman Jack Burns and hit the nightclub circuit with a comedy act. Things didn't congeal, and soon both performers went their separate ways (Burns would later team more successfully with Avery Schreiber, then go on to become an influential comedy writer and producer). In the mid 1960s, Carlin began building a following with appearances on variety programs, delivering soon-to-be classic routines about Indian war parties ("You wit' the beads...get outta line"), crack-brained deejays ("Wonderful WINO....") and Al Sleet, the Hippie-Dippie weather man. This fresh burst of celebrity led to Carlin's being hired as a regular on Away We Go, the 1967 summer replacement for The Jackie Gleason Show. Carlin remained popular, but grew tired of pulling out the same routines in show after show; he also rebelled against the conservatism of his physical appearance. Before the 1960s had become the 1970s, Carlin had lost several TV jobs by dressing hippie-style, replete with beard and earrings. But changing public tastes made such eccentricity salable again, and soon Carlin was hot again. One of his more popular routines was one that he couldn't deliver on the air: "The Seven Words You Can't Use On Television." This more than any other piece of material would both deify Carlin with his fans and vilify him with the conservative element: an FM radio station nearly lost its license for playing the "Seven Words" routine, while Carlin himself was arrested during a Milwaukee appearance for violating obscenity laws. This served to solidify Carlin's link with the down-with-everything youth culture of the era, which may be why the comedian was the first guest on the doggedly anti-establishment Saturday Night Live. Carlin's performances became renowned for their unpredictability in the 1970s and early 1980s; sometimes he'd stalk off in the middle of the act if the laughs weren't there, other times he'd verbally abuse the audience, and still other times he wouldn't show up at all. By the mid 1980s, he had cleaned up his personal act (if not his public one); he landed and sustained
the surprising assignment of narrating a children's series (the British animated program Thomas and Friends); appeared in a supporting capacity in the 1987 Arthur Hiller female buddy comedy Outrageous Fortune!; and in 1989 became something of a teen idol thanks to his appearances as mentor-from-the-future Rufus in the lowbrow but profitable Bill and Ted movies. He also catered to audiences of a much different demographic, with a fine supporting role in Barbra Streisand's The Prince of Tides (1991). With nearly three decades of lofty career heights and equally precipitous lows behind him, Carlin then signed to star in a weekly sitcom for the Fox Network in 1993, in which he played a cab driver named George - and within a few weeks was up to his old tricks by weaving a heavily bleeped variation of those "Seven Words" into one of the plotlines.
The George Carlin Show debuted in January of 1994, but failed to connect with audiences and folded after a single season. This only marked the beginning of a career resurgence for Carlin, however - one that witnessed him maintaining a busier schedule than ever before over the decade and a half that followed. He cropped up in numerous additional features - including the gag-a-minute farce Scary Movie 3 (2003) and the Pixar/Disney CG-animated family film Cars (2006) (in which he voiced one of the titular automobiles); he also headlined numerous stand-up specials for HBO and continued to tour up through the time of his death. Carlin died of heart failure in June 2008 at the age of 71, about a year after issuing three new stand-up recordings back-to-back: Brain Droppings, Napalm and Silly Putty, and More Napalm and Silly Putty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
In the future (the distant year of 1997), the United States of America is in crisis. The oil shortage has grown to epic proportions, leading to people living in their cars and bicycling to work. Cigarettes and meat have been outlawed, gold coins are needed to operate common household appliances, and the Western White House (located in a luxury apartment in California) has been forced by economic necessity to operate round-the-clock tours for vacationing Chinese citizens. The economy is deep trouble; President Chet Roosevelt (John Ritter) has borrowed four billion dollars from Native American tennis shoe manufacturer Sam Birdwater (Chief Dan George), and he's foreclosing on the loan. When a media expert, Eric McMerkhin (Peter Riegert), is summoned for advice (since despite all hardships, Americans refuse to give up their televisions), he suggests a telethon. It's a great idea, except the President's assistant Vincent Vanderhoff (Fred Willard) is in cahoots with the United Heb-Rab Republic, a sinister coalition of Israeli and Arab nationals who want to snap up America if the debt can't be paid. He ensures that the show is stocked with endless ventriloquists and insists on Monty Rushmore (Harvey Korman), a washed-up, drug-addicted television personality as host. The star of the popular sitcom "Both Mother and Father," he is sure to self-destruct over the grueling 30-day-and-night telethon schedule. Despite terrorist attacks and the kidnapping of President Roosevelt, the patriotic spirit prevails and American citizens dig deep and pledge their gold to the cause. This outrageous farce (based on a play by Firesign Theatre alumni Philip Proctor and Peter Bergman) features cameos from Elvis Costello, Jay Leno, Meat Loaf and the Del Rubio Triplets, and is narrated by George Carlin. The Beach Boys, Eddie Money, and Nick Lowe contribute to the musical soundtrack. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Riegert, Harvey Korman, (more)
- 1990
Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, and Billy Crystal once again donate their time and talent to host the Best of Comic Relief '90, a charity event to benefit the Comic Relief organization, which aids America's homeless. Among the over 40 comedy stars performing in this program are Louie Anderson, George Carlin, Dennis Miller, Joan Rivers, and the Simpsons, America's favorite cartoon family. Comic Relief has raised and distributed nearly 50 million dollars, providing direct health care services to homeless men, women, and children throughout the United States. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey find the two obtuse pals battling The Grim Reaper, God, robots, great philosophical questions, and girls -- although not necessarily in that order. In this loose parody of the Terminator movies, directed by Peter Hewitt, the ultimate has happened -- at Bill and Ted University of the future, for many years now the people of the world have been "excellent to each other." But fed-up with Bill and Ted's peaceful world and even more fed up with heavy metal, the evil De Nomolos (Joss Ackland) decides to do something about it. De Nomolos creates a cyborg Bill and Ted, who travel back in time to kill the original Bill and Ted, win the Battle of the Bands and pave the way for the hellish reign of De Nomolos. In the past of 1990, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are immediately dispatched by the time-traveling cyborgs. And while the cyborgs Bill and Ted make time with the real Bill and Ted's girls (Sarah Trigger and Annette Azcuy) and prepare to take the real Bill and Ted's place in the Battle of the Bands, Bill and Ted are forced to deal with Hell ("Just like an Iron Maiden album cover"), the Grim Reaper (William Sadler), and God himself. When Bill and Ted are asked the secret of the universe, they get it right and as a reward a pair of Martians construct a set of "good" Bill and Ted robots to go head-to-head with the "bad" Bill and Ted robots at the Battle of the Bands. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, (more)
- 1989
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With only a few days before their high-school graduation, it looks like airheaded rock star wannabes Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are doomed to flunk all their finals. The boys' long-suffering teacher (Bernie Casey) gives them one more chance. If they can ace an oral exam on the topic of how a famous historical personality might react to modern times, they will be allowed to pass. If not, Ted's dad will plunk the boy into military school, thereby breaking up the boys' garage band permanently. Bill and Ted receive unexpected aid from a very unexpected source: Rufus (George Carlin), an Emissary from the Future. It seems that in Rufus' time, Bill and Ted's rock music is the basis of all society-and if their band is aborted, Rufus' world will no longer exist. Thus, Bill and Ted are whisked off in a time machine (actually a telephone booth) to retrieve a few historical characters--including Joan of Arc, Abe Lincoln, Napoleon and Beethoven--as "eyewitnesses" for their crucial oral exam. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure inspired both a sequel (Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) and a Saturday morning cartoon series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, (more)
- 2003
On the cusp of stardom, standup comic Maija DiGiorgio suffered an emotional breakdown while performing before a room packed with a number of the comedy industry's head honchos -- whom were on the receiving end of DiGiorgio's obscenity-laced outburst -- at the Aspen Comedy Festival. Subsequently faced with a nearly industry-wide blacklisting as a result, the comic (and film school graduate) came upon the idea of creating a film journal to document her struggles within the industry, as well as within her own psyche. The result is Bitter Jester, DiGiorgio's 2003 film that started as a document of self-examination and evolved into an examination of success and achievement within the standup circuit. Greatly assisted by the contacts and prestige of executive producer Richard Belzer -- a friend and former employer of DiGiorgio's boyfriend and co-conspirator Kenny Simmons -- DiGiorgio proceeds to gain access to a surprising berth of comedy legends, including Chevy Chase, Richard Pryor, Phyllis Diller, Whoopi Goldberg, and George Carlin, all of whom dispense insightful and sometimes surprising opinions about their individual achievements. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
Michael Schultz directed this kinetic, hyperventilating comedy (scripted by Joel Schumacher) concerning the crazed events that go on within a single 10-hour period at a Los Angeles car wash. The cast of colorful car-wash employees includes Lonnie (Ivan Dixon), an ex-con; Duane (Bill Duke), a militant black activist; and Lindy (Antonio Fargas), an obnoxious homosexual. Sully Boyar plays Mr. B, the frazzled car-wash owner who has to deal with his screwball employees along with his over-educated slip of a son, Irwin (Richard Brestoff), who quotes Mao and wants to radicalize the workers. Also along for the wash and wax are Miss Beverly Hills (Lauren Jones), with a wild assortment of wigs; Marsha (Melanie Mayron), the distracted car wash secretary; a mad bomber (Prof. Irwin Corey), who is terrorizing the neighborhood; and Daddy Rich (Richard Pryor), the founder of the Church of Divine Economic Spirituality, who sports a gold limousine. Danny de Vito, Brooke Adams and others were originally in the cast but their scenes were ultimately deleted. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franklyn Ajaye, Sully Boyar, (more)
The college campus is the perfect venue for the witty humor of George Carlin. The free-wheeling atmosphere of the campus and the informed audiences are a good match for the topical satire that have made Carlin a perennial favorite at universities. This documentary culls the best from his live performances at colleges and universities throughout America. Carlin's irreverent wit is brought to bear on a variety of topics, from the Vietnam War to pornography. He also is shown performing some of his best-known routines, including the classic "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" before appreciative campus audiences. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
A pedal-to-the-metal race car determined to prove his worth on the tracks discovers that life isn't always about crossing the finish line first in Toy Story director John Lasseter's mechanically minded tale of friendship and loyalty. Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) may be just a rookie, but he's convinced that he can realize his dream of zooming by the checkered flag if he can only make it to California in time to compete in the upcoming Piston Cup Championship. When Lightning takes a detour into the slow-moving, Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, however, it begins to appear as if his shot at the big time has effectively stalled out. Of course, Lightning's exciting cross-country trek wasn't all for naught, and after befriending such quirky Radiator Springs residents as Sally the Porsche (voice of Bonnie Hunt), Doc Hudson (voice of Paul Newman), and Mater the Tow Truck (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), the eager young racer learns that sometimes life is more about the voyage than the outcome of the race. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, (more)
- 2008
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Comic Relief: The Greatest... and the Latest features a number of performances by some of the most talented comics of their day performing for a charity that collects money for the homeless. Among the performers who appear on this release are Sarah Silverman, Lewis Black, Jon Stewart, and David Cross. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
Would you believe that the last living descendent of Jesus Christ is a woman working at an abortion clinic in Illinois? And that she's been sent on a holy mission with two minor characters from Clerks and Mallrats as her guides? Prepare to suspend any and all disbelief as you watch the religious satire Dogma, the fourth film from writer/director Kevin Smith. Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) has been disappointed in life and has found her faith severely tested after her husband leaves her when she discovers she cannot have children. So Bethany is all the more puzzled when she's approached by Metatron (Alan Rickman), a grumpy angel. Metatron wants her to help him stop Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon), two fallen angels who were ejected from paradise, have escaped from exile and are heading to New Jersey. If they are able to pass through the arc of a certain church, it will prove God is fallible and the world will come to a swift end. Bethany has no idea what to do or why she's been given this project, but she heads out anyway, with her assigned assistants Jay (Jason Mewes), an appallingly rude former dope dealer and self-styled ladies man, and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). Along the way, Bethany picks up more helpers, including a celestial muse named Serendipity (Salma Hayek) and Rufus (Chris Rock), who claims to have been the 13th apostle and that Jesus owes him 12 dollars. Boasting a huge supporting cast -- including George Carlin, Jason Lee, Janeane Garofalo, Bud Cort, and Alanis Morissette (as God) -- Dogma proved to be highly controversial even before its release. Miramax Pictures, owned by Disney, financed the film, but several weeks before Dogma's world premier at the Cannes Film Festival, they announced they would not release the picture and intended to sell it to another distributor (which would turn out to be Lions Gate Films). Director Smith, however, has always contended that Dogma is a film about the importance of faith, if not organized religion. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, George Carlin, (more)
This video offers viewers comedian George Carlin at his best, before a live and appreciative audience. This tape is of a performance at a comedy club in Phoenix, AZ. Among other classic routines, Carlin performs "Newscast Number Two," "Death," and "Kids and Parents." Intended for adult audiences, parents will likely find that the language and content of this video make it inappropriate for young viewers. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
George Carlin is one of America's most enduring comedians, with an appeal that spans decades and generations. He brings his unique brand of intelligent humor that has made him famous to this live 1983 performance at Carnegie Hall. Carlin exhibits his artistry in some of his best tongue-twisting routines. Included in his irreverent repertoire are the classic "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television," "Baseball and Football," and "A Place for My Stuff." ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1996
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This video offers viewers a taste of comedian George Carlin at his best, before a live and appreciative audience. Filmed live in New York City, Carlin offers viewers a wide range of his unique comedy style, from his observational humor to his often cutting remarks about society and government. Intended for adult audiences, parents will likely find that the language and content of this video make it inappropriate for younger viewers. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 2001
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In this hourlong made-for-cable comedy special, taped live at the Beacon Theater in New York City, veteran comic George Carlin combines his typically dirty-mouthed observational humor -- including material from his book Napalm & Silly Putty -- with jokes and anecdotes of a decidedly splenetic nature. An extended introduction establishes Carlin's New York credentials and addresses the aftermath of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks of September 11, 2001 (which occurred after most of the set's material was written). Carlin then lightens the mood, poking fun at a wide range of subjects, from farts and "lip crud" to traffic accidents and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Once he's warmed up, though, the meat of his performance consists of a list of "People Who Ought To Be Killed." These include readers of self-help books, parents who display bumper stickers about their kids' "minor academic achievements," men who use hands-free cellular telephones on the street, people who wear visors, singers without surnames, folks who state the obvious on their answering machines, hot air balloonists, consumers who buy gum and other small-ticket items with their charge cards, gun enthusiasts and would-be space colonists. Over-the-top profanity and oblique social commentary lace each of these extended complaints and grievances. The final piece of material -- an explanation of why the Ten Commandments should have been reduced down to the Two Commandments -- brings the set full circle as Carlin vents his political and religious beliefs and makes pointed barbs at religious fanatics who kill in the name of god. George Carlin: Complaints and Grievances was broadcast live on HBO on Nov. 17, 2001. The comic's longstanding relationship with HBO stretches back to 1977; Complaints and Grievances is his 13th special for the premium cable network. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
This video presents comedian George Carlin at his best, before a live and appreciative audience. In this particular tape, Carlin regales an audience with his observational humor. Intended for adult audiences, parents will likely find that the language and content of this video make it inappropriate for young viewers. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1996
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This video presents comedian George Carlin at his best, before a live and appreciative audience. In this particular tape, Carlin performs some of his best-loved routines including "A Place for My Stuff," "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television," and "Baseball and Football." Intended for adult audiences, parents will likely find that the language and content of this video make it inappropriate for young viewers. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
George Carlin's fourteenth and final special for HBO features the revered funnyman at his most cantankerous, throwing out verbally dexterous tirades about modern parenting, death, religion, and how annoying most people are. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Carlin
- 1992
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This video presents comedian George Carlin at his best, before a live and appreciative audience. This tape is of a performance in New York City. Included are his takes on government and society in general. Intended for adult audiences, parents will likely find that the language and content of this video make it inappropriate for young viewers. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1977
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Appearances on network television in the 1960s led comedian George Carlin into a mire of bland comedy that bored him. But when he went "counterculture" and started uttering the famous "Seven Words," he not only triggered a landmark FCC lawsuit, he stopped getting asked to be a guest on TV. He even got axed from the roster of many clubs. Nevertheless, in the long run, speaking his true mind was the best thing that ever happened to Carlin. Returning to television in the 1970s on such ground-breaking shows as Saturday Night Live (he was the show's very first guest host), he hit his stride with the less restrictive cable television. Starring the iconoclastic, Grammy Award-winning comedian, this video features the first of Carlin's numerous and popular HBO stand-up concert specials. Recorded live at the University of Southern California on March 5, 1977, the routines presented here include, among others, Monopoly, Dogs & Cats, Names, Supermarkets, and Words. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 2001
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Hosted by the iconoclastic, Grammy Award-winning comedian George Carlin and originally televised on HBO Comedy Hour, this video contains a compilation of various Carlin routines selected from his first six HBO specials, including On Location: George Carlin at USC (performed March 5, 1977), On Location: George Carlin at Phoenix (performed July 21-23, 1978), Carlin at Carnegie (performed October 12, 1982), Carlin on Campus (performed April 18-19, 1984), Playin' With Your Head (performed May 2-3, 1986), and What Am I Doin' in New Jersey (performed March 25-26, 1988). Individual routines include Hello-Goodbye, Earrings, Hitler, We Like War, It's Not a Sport, and two alternate versions of Baseball and Football and A Place for My Stuff. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1988
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This video presents comedian George Carlin at his best, before a live and appreciative audience. In this particular tape, Carlin performs a variety of his classic routines on stage. Also included is a short film with co-star Vic Tayback. Intended for adult audiences, parents will likely find that the language and content of this video make it inappropriate for young viewers. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1989
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George Carlin: What Am I Doing in New Jersey? was taped before a live audience. Carlin's conceptual brand of humor encompasses any number of topics, ranging from politics to those Seven Deadly Words. His random musings on stupid drivers would later be develop into a weekly Fox TV series. As with all of Carlin's video concerts, What Am I Doing in New Jersey is not recommended for children. This 60-minute concert was originally telecast on the HBO cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
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George Carlin has had a long, mutually beneficial relationship with the cable company HBO. This release documents a 1999 special by the comic entitled You Are All Diseased. Carlin fires away at such favorite targets as religion, airport security, and the ridiculousness of American culture. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Carlin
Cinderella's wicked stepmother has tipped the balance of power toward the dark side in Fairy Tale Land, and now it's up to the put-upon princess to restore order and ensure that good triumphs in an animated adventure featuring the voices of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sigourney Weaver, and George Carlin. For years, the Wise Wizard has worked hard to ensure that the scales of good and evil were always well-balanced, but as with any hard worker the Wise Wizard needs a relaxing vacation every once in a while. When the Wise Wizard goes on holiday, his faithful assistants Munk and Mambo make the crucial mistake of allowing Cinderella's wicked stepmother, Frieda, come into possession of their master's magical staff. With time fast running out before Frieda casts a shadow of darkness and sorrow over Fairy Tale Land, Cinderella must now awaken from her romantic dreams to take on her fearsome stepmother with a little help from her best friend, Rick, and a virtual army of heroic dwarves and fairies. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze, Jr., (more)
- 2008
This program follows famously angry comedian Lewis Black as he searches for the elusive origin to the most basic component of his career: the joke. Through interviews with comedians like George Carlin, Kathy Griffin, and Robert Klein, Black finds out where humor originates in the brains of his contemporaries in the hopes of finding out where it originated in history. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lewis Black, George Carlin, (more)
