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
- Add Carlos Mencia: No Strings Attached - Live, Extended and Uncensored to Queue Add Carlos Mencia: No Strings Attached - Live, Extended and Uncensored to top of Queue
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
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 1997
Mel Brooks makes another unbearably funny appearance as Uncle Phil, here about to face trial for coupon fraud. Meanwhile, three-week-old Mabel is placed on a long waiting list for preschool, and Jamie (Helen Hunt) and Ira (John Pankow) have a strange adventure. Listen carefully for the Grand Great-Uncle Lullaby. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
In their efforts to elude Jamie's (Helen Hunt) baby shower, Paul (Paul Reiser) and Ira (John Pankow) pile into the van owned by Ira's right-hand man, Marvin (Jeff Garlin), and drive off for parts unknown. At first, it seems as if the fugitive trio will be able to get in some good old-fashioned male bonding. Alas, Paul's quirky sense of humor lands everyone in big, big trouble. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
While being interviewed on film by Paul (Paul Reiser), great-uncle Marty (Shecky Green) ruins the shot by dropping dead. Marty's garbled final words ("Hummus?" "Cow Moos?" "Hey Miss?") touches off yet another crisis in the Buchman family. Amidst a veritable smorgasbord of famous guest stars, episode director David Steinberg garners some of the biggest laughs in the role of a long-winded rabbi. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
Wealthy department-store heir Sanford Klarik (Billy Morrissette), the latest fiancée of Lisa Stemple (Anne Ramsay), agrees to finance the already over-the-budget documentary being filmed by Lisa's brother-in-law, Paul (Paul Reiser). At the same time, Paul and wife Jamie (Helen Hunt) agree to let Lisa hire their handyman, Doug (Scott Atkinson). Things bode ill for Paul's movie epic when handsome Doug captures Lisa's heart. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
After a four-year absence, Spencer Klein returns in the role of Ryan Stemple, the son of Jamie's friend Fran (Leila Kenzle). In her efforts to compliment Ryan's violin virtuosity, Jamie (Helen Hunt) puts her politically incorrect foot into her politically incorrect mouth. On another front, Paul (Paul Reiser) plans to haggle with the Buchmans' therapist over some rather exorbitant fees. Jeff Garlin makes his first series appearance as Marvin, general factotum to Paul's cousin Ira (John Pankow). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
Mel Brooks returns as Paul's Uncle Phil, who has been on his deathbed for what seems to be years. Phil wants Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) to name their new baby after him. But Paul is convinced that the little visitor will be a "she" rather than a "he." Imagine an episode of a 1960s sitcom getting away with the title of this one. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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