David Steinberg Movies
The son of a Rumanian rabbi, Canadian actor/comedian David Steinberg was considered the quiet member of his large family -- until he developed a gift for lying. Steinberg's prevarications did not endear him to his father, who said "I kiss the train that takes you away" when Steinberg left Winnipeg to study theology in Israel. All plans for a rabbinical career ended when Steinberg happened to catch Lenny Bruce's act, whereupon he decided to become a comedian. Paul Sills of Chicago's Second City troupe hired Steinberg after seeing the young comic in a University of California production of Candide, but Steinberg didn't really fit in with the communal spirit of Second City and chose to strike out as a solo actor. He appeared in Broadway productions as Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights and Little Murders, both failures. Finally he attained a new agent who guided Steinberg through the Playboy-club circuit in the late '60s. Steinberg confused many club patrons by avoiding standard mother-in-law jokes in favor of conceptual comedy - humor based on observations of everyday life. One of his routines centered around a sanctimonious minister's sermon, and on the strength of this Steinberg was hired for guest spots on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. After his appearance on October 27, 1968, Steinberg was deluged with angry mail complaining about his "blasphemous" performance; the Smothers refused to cave in to pressure and used Steinberg on other programs, including their final taping in April 1969, which remained untelecast after the brothers were fired by CBS. Adverse publicity or no, Steinberg was hired to emcee a 45-minute ABC-TV variety program, The Music Scene, in 1969, where his comic gifts were stifled and he was expected to merely point fingers as the singing groups were introduced. In 1972, when censorial pressure had subsided somewhat at CBS thanks to the advent of All in the Family, Steinberg was hired by the network for a summer replacement series, The David Steinberg Show. The program played to so-so ratings, but did give Steinberg a brief spurt of popularity wherein fans could be heard repeating his catchphrases "Boogie boogie boogie" and "Get OFF me." Steinberg's fame crested in the mid '70s, after which he faded from television. In the early '80s Steinberg turned to film directing with such movies as Paternity (1980) and Going Berserk (1982), and in 1985 he gave TV another try with a series of syndicated interview specials. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2009
Comedy icon Robin Williams performs at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. in his first televised stand-up concert in seven years. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Jim Norton: Monster Rain captures a night of comedy by the stand-up who delivers routines about such diverse topics as advertising, toilet paper, and televised poker. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jim Norton
- 2006
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Observance and politically-incorrect comic Carlos Mencia commands the stage of San Francisco's Warfield Theater for an audacious night of no-holds-barred comedy that covers a wide ranging variety of topics ranging from religion and diversity to terrorism and race. Few comics can offer such astute observations about such sensitive issues as Mencia, and when the bad boy comic gets on a roll about the pope or the handicapped, he truly brings out the absurdity of day-to-day life as few other comedians can. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2005
- PG
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The true story of an upset victory that helped change the sport of golf forever provides the basis for this period drama. Francis Ouimet (played by Shia LaBeouf) was born in 1893 to a working-class family in Massachusetts, and grew up fascinated by golf. However, at that time golf was considered a pastime of the wealthy and privileged, and British and Scottish players dominated the professional game. Ouimet's familial home was near the Brookline, MA, Country Club, and over the stern objections of his father, Francis got a job there as a caddy. Honing his skill in his spare time, Francis displayed a tremendous natural talent for the game and an understanding of its strategies, and 1913 he became the first amateur to play in the U.S. Open, held at the Brookline Country Club. Ouimet's presence was considered little more than a novelty at the time; Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane), a British champion with six tournament victories under his belt, was considered a shoo-in to win, with Ted Ray (Stephen Marcus) his only serious competition. However, Vardon, a fellow working-class boy who had overcome tuberculosis to become Britain's premier professional golfer, had more in common with Ouimet than anyone expected, and the tournament unexpectedly became a hard-fought competition between an established star and a promising unknown. Directed by Bill Paxton in his second directorial effort, The Greatest Game Ever Played also stars Elias Koteas as Francis' father, Josh Flitter as the ten-year-old boy who becomes Francis' caddy, and Peyton List as Sarah Wallis, Francis' sweetheart. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane, (more)
- 2005
It's Larry's (Larry David) birthday. Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) has mysterious plans that have yet to come to fruition. Jeff (Jeff Garlin) gets invited to the Playboy Mansion, but Larry doesn't think he can go because Cheryl's already mad at him about something else. Jeff has to explain the "double transgression theory." Larry visits the comatose Louis Lewis (Bill Saluga), hoping that he'll die so that Larry won't have to give Richard a kidney. At the hospital, he meets Wilson (Grant Rosenmeyer), a terminally ill kid who has a wish that the Make-A-Wish Foundation refuses to grant. He turns to Larry. Larry's cousin Andy (Richard Kind) pays a visit, and receives a treasured smoking jacket from Larry's ailing father, Nat (Shelley Berman), that Larry believes was meant for him. Andy invites himself along on the visit to the Playboy Mansion, where Larry discovers that he has something in common with Hef (Hugh Hefner). Larry runs into repeated problems with people bringing items that belong to him into the bathroom with them. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
"A family walks into a talent agent's office..." So begins "The Aristocrats," a joke kept mostly secret by stand-up comedians for decades. An intentionally "bad" joke, the laughs in The Aristocrats aren't in the punch-line (one of the only elements that's the same every time), but in the set-up, made unique by each comedian who tells it in an attempt to fashion the world's dirtiest joke. The cat was finally let out of the bag by Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza, the seasoned funnymen who gathered together a hundred people to tell a hundred different renditions of the bit. Among those presenting their personal take on The Aristocrats in this film of the same name are Jason Alexander, Robin Williams, Gilbert Gottfried, Jon Stewart, Emo Philips, and Chris Rock. The Aristocrats premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- 2004
The Spider Demon (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), who appears once every century to feed upon the most magicially powerful being on earth, kidnaps and cocoons our gal Piper (Holly Marie Combs). In his efforts to protect his future mother, Whitelighter Chris (Drew Fuller) is himself infected by the Spider Demon's venom. As Paige (Rose McGowan), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and Leo (Brian Krause) prepare to go to the rescue, Leo makes a disturbing discovery about Chris. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Drew Fuller, (more)
- 2002
Larry (Larry David) visits Dr. Lynch (Jack Gallagher) because he's got what will discreetly be referred to as "a hair" stuck in his throat. He finds out that it will hurt to remove the hair, so he decides to let it work itself out. Dr. Lynch knows Larry went to see U2 the night before, because Larry's maid, Dora (Dyana Ortelli) told the receptionist. This alarms Larry, who doesn't want people knowing his business. When he gets home, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) tells him that they have to get a Christmas tree, because her parents are coming for Christmas. This concerns Larry. "There's nothing worse than Jews with trees," he later tells Jeff (Jeff Garlin). Cheryl asks Larry to take care of tipping everyone. He gives a tip to Dora, and tells her not to tell people where he goes. He also tips Carlos (Gary Carlos Cervantes), the gardener. Jeff tells Larry about an elaborate lie he told Susie (Susie Essman) and Larry backs up Jeff's lie, making it even more involved. Jeff and Larry go to the club and work the room, tipping everyone in sight. Larry gets into a confrontation with a waiter he thinks he accidentally tipped twice. He goes home to find Cheryl's parents (Paul Dooley and Julie Payne) and a huge Christmas tree in his living room. Cheryl tells him Dora heard that Carlos got a bigger tip, and suggests Larry take Dora to the club for lunch to make it up to her. This creates more problems Larry runs into Susie at the club. Larry's situation worsens when he eats the nativity cookies Cheryl and her sister baked, mistaking them for animal crackers. Larry decides to go out and hire a manger to replace the cookies. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
The horny teen heroes of American Pie (1999) return for further raunchy antics in this comedy sequel written by the first film's creator, Adam Herz. Returning home following their freshman year of college, old friends Jim (Jason Biggs), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Oz (Chris Klein), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and Stifler (Seann William Scott) rent a summer house on Lake Michigan where they hope to score romantically. However, complications ensue due to Jim's relative lack of experience, requiring an interlude with a fellow student and a visit to his old friend Michelle (Alyson Hanigan), who's now a band camp counselor, all in preparation for the return of Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). In the meantime, Oz is separated from Heather (Mena Suvari) by a trip abroad, Finch has another encounter with Stifler's mom (Jennifer Coolidge), and Jim's dad (Eugene Levy) is as clueless as ever about his son's love life. Director J.B. Rogers served as first assistant director on the first film and made his directorial debut with Say It Isn't So (2001). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, (more)
Twin sisters discover trading places isn't quite as simple as they imagined in this comedy for the whole family. Emma Stanton (Ashley Olsen) and Samantha Stanton (Mary-Kate Olsen) are a pair of 12-year-old identical twins who look alike, but otherwise have little in common. Samantha -- or Sam, as most everyone calls her -- loves sports and isn't much on frilly stuff, while Emma is a junior fashion maven who doesn't have any use for her sister's tomboy interests. Their father (Eric Lutes) thinks he doesn't have a close enough relationship with Emma, so he decides to draft her onto the winning girls' soccer team he's coaching; their mother (Kathryn Greenwood) signs Sam up for a second-string team coached by someone who acts as if he could hardly be bothered to watch the game. Neither Sam nor Emma is happy with this situation, so they decide to swap places on the teams; at first, neither Mom or Dad are the wiser, but when the girls' wildly different levels of play become obvious, Emma discovers she has to act like Sam to keep her folks from catching on to their plan, and vice versa. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1999
A real-life murder story that commanded headlines for several months in 1990 served as the basis for the tense but unsatisfying cable-TV movie Judgment Day: Ellie Nesler Story. Christine Lahti stars as Ellie Nesler, who cannot help but notice that her seven-year-old son Brandon (Andrew Ducote) has been sullen and withdrawn since returning from summer camp. Eventually it is revealed that Brandon had been sexually molested by camp counselor Daniel Driver (Robert Bockstael)--and that Driver has had a history of such repellant behavior, but has managed to remain out of prison thanks to the loopholes of the legal system. Driven over the edge when Driver beats the rap once more, Ellie confronts the man outside a courtroom and shoots him dead! The rest of the film recounts Ellie's murder trial, and the spectacular outpouring of public reaction--both pro and con--in its wake. Though it is uncompromising in detailing the long-range consequences of the actions by both Ellie Nesler and Daniel Driver, the film refuses to take a definite stance of its own in the controversy, and thus its dramatic impact is muted. Judgment Day: The Ellie Nesler Story made its USA cable network debut on June 23, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1999
After nearly two months of pre-emptions, Mad About You returned on April 26, 1999, with a brace of first-run episodes. In "Millenium Bug," Paul (Paul Reiser) is worried about the worldwide computer crash predicted for January 1, 2000. As Paul tries to re-create a dream in which Albert Einstein came up with a solution to his Y2K trauma, Jamie does battle with a recalcitrant dry-cleaning establishment. Jamie Farr appears unbilled as the owner of "Zippy's." ~ Rovi
- 1999
This episode is a belated follow-up to the second-season installment "Virtual Reality." A VR device originally bankrolled by Paul (Paul Reiser) and Ira (John Pankow) guarantees imaginary visits from the owner's favorite celebrities. While the Buchmans consider re-investing in the device, Jamie (Helen Hunt) finds herself sharing a "virtual" bed with home-run champ Mark McGwire (playing himself). ~ Rovi
- 1998
Launching a story thread that would ultimately dominate most of Friends' fourth season, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) contemplates granting the wishes of her half-brother, Frank Jr. (Giovanni Ribisi), and his wife, Alice (Debra Jo Rupp) -- namely, that Phoebe carry their child in her uterus. In other developments, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) is subjected to class discrimination while working as a tour guide at Ross' (David Schwimmer) museum. And Chandler (Matthew Perry) wonders if he will be able to measure up to Joey in his relationship with Joey's former girlfriend Kathy (Paget Brewster). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1998
Therapist Sheila Kleinman (Mo Gaffney) finally realizes that having Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) talk out their marital problems isn't working. Thus, Sheila suggests that the Buchmans might communicate better if they agreed to spend an entire day not talking at all. This experiment in silence coincides with an impromptu -- and extremely noisy -- rehearsal by the ensemble percussion group Stomp (playing themselves). ~ Rovi
- 1998
Hoping that a Hollywood "superagent" will agree to represent him, Paul (Paul Reiser) heads to L.A. with wife Jamie (Helen Hunt). Upon arrival, the Buchmans immediately adjust to the laid-back ambience of La-La Land. In fact, Jamie is so enchanted by her new, luxurious lifestyle (and the marked absence of maternal duties) that she is reluctant to return to New York. ~ Rovi
- 1998
Anne Elizabeth Ramsay makes one of her sporadic returns to Mad About You as Lisa, the still-unattached sister of Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt). Envious of Jamie's motherhood, Lisa adopts a surly kitten -- who turns out to be somewhat more than a kitten, and somewhat less than the ideal house pet. Elswhere, Jamie (Helen Hunt) is reinvigorated and Paul (Paul Reiser) is worn out by a noontime sex session. ~ Rovi
- 1998
Everybody wants new mother Jamie (Helen Hunt) to go back to work -- except Jamie. Despite her worries over leaving baby Mabel in the care of others, Jamie agrees to accept a job with political consultants James Carville and Mary Matalin (playing themselves). Elsewhere, Paul (Paul Reiser) goes on the defensive against the newspaper writer who turned out an error-ridden article on the movie "Buchman." Fred Willard makes his first appearance as Jamie's immediate superior, Henry Vincent. ~ Rovi
- 1998
The time has come for baby Mabel to choose between breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. Her choice does not please Paul (Paul Reiser) or Jamie (Helen Hunt), by try to reason with an infant. Meanwhile, Jamie's flamboyant mother, Theresa (Carol Burnett), begins dating a much-younger member of the Lord of the Dance ensemble. ~ Rovi
- 1998
Paul (Paul Reiser) takes a tumble in the shower, and in that split second his whole life flashes before his eyes. Highlights (or lowlights) include Paul's first kiss, and his mother Sylvia's (Cynthia Harris) outraged reaction; the sage advice of Paul's dad, Burt (Louis Zorich), specifically "you ain't ever going to win"; and the testimony of wife Jamie (Helen Hunt) regarding Paul's ability (or lack of same) to tell a lie. Gordon Hunt, frequent Mad About You director and the father of series star Helen Hunt, has a cameo role. ~ Rovi
TV director David Steinberg (Mad About You, Seinfeld) helmed this Canadian comedy satirizing The Fugitive and similar actioners. Cleveland corporate climber Nelson Hibbert (Dave Foley) is confident his promotion to company prez is just around the corner, but when it doesn't happen, he goes postal during a meeting, aiming threats at the boss who passed him over. Later, he barges into the boss' office, finds him dead, and runs from the office holding the bloody weapon. Since this was witnessed by his co-workers, he thinks they have accused him as the killer. Unaware surveillance cameras revealed the real killer, Hibbert hightails it for Mexico, certain that he's a most-wanted fugitive. Made in Toronto in 1996, this film expands on a sketch Foley scripted for Kids in the Hall. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dave Foley, Jennifer Tilly, (more)
- 1998
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
- 1998
Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser) is once again in the doghouse -- this time on two fronts. First off, Paul manages to alienate his father, Burt (Louis Zorich), by agreeing to umpire a senior-citizen baseball game. And secondly, Jamie (Helen Hunt) discovers that she is "the second Mrs. Buchman" -- and that Paul's first missus was an elderly Russian woman. To explain how this all came about (or to reveal the outcome) would spoil the fun. ~ Rovi
In the distant future, after the Texas Confederacy has gone to war and wiped out Syria with a deadly virus because of oil prices, disgraced Captain Sean Murdoch (Malcolm McDowell) is recruited to take command of a hulking ship headed for a port in Nigeria. The ship is operated by means of forced labor from slave prisoners, and its mysterious cargo happens to be containers of the deadly virus used in the war. The ruthless Proxate Corporation, represented on the ship by icy businessman Tarkis (Michael Pare), wants the ship sunk despite the idea that the cargo would contaminate all the water on the planet. Capt. Murdoch finds an opportunity to redeem himself in saving the ship and its crew of violent convicts, but the wily cyborg (Daniela Nolano) sent to sabotage the ship has abilities that may prove to be too much for Murdoch and his crew to combat. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, Michael Paré, (more)
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