CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED CHICAGO SKETCH GROUP SCHADENFREUDE PERFORMS SHOW ABOUT FOOTBALL

WHAT:  Schadenfreude, Chicago’s long-running, critically acclaimed sketch comedy ensemble, performs new material to skewer Bears football on Sunday, December 11, 2011, 3 PM at Lincoln Hall 2424 N. Lincoln Ave (in Chicago’s Lincoln Park), $5

Chicago’s comedic performers and improvisers take over the play-by-play for a Bears football game while watching on the big screen at one of Chicago’s preeminent rock clubs, Lincoln Hall. Join Schadenfreude and Chicago’s best and brightest performers “Mystery Science Theater 3000″ the heck out of the Sunday gridiron.

INFO/MEDIA:  773.576.6070; Justin [at] schadenfreude [dot] net
CD’s, photographs, videos, interviews and additional materials also available.                                 

CAST:  Kate James, Justin Kaufmann, Sandy Marshall, Stephen Schmidt and Adam Witt. Featuring: Cook County Social Club (sketch), Steve Gadlin (Blewt), Ernest Wilkins (RedEye), Scott Waguespack (32nd ward alderman), Burt Natarus (former 42nd ward alderman), Tim Smithe (Walter E. Smithe furniture), Samantha Irby (Bitches Gotta Eat), Ian Belknap (Write Club), Sarah Jindra (WBEZ), Marcus Gilmer (AV Club), Katie Rich (Second City), Phil Ridarelli (Neo-Futurists), Mark Bazer (Interview Show) and many, many more!  

HISTORY: Formed in 1997, Chicago’s sketch comedy ensemble Schadenfreude has performed on local and national stages, and is the creator and producer of the radio program “Schadenfreude,” (which aired on Chicago Public Radio 2003-05).  Schadenfreude has performed at countless venues including Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, The Second City, The Neo-Futurarium, and in New York City and Los Angeles.  Schadenfreude performed sold-out shows at the Chicago Improv Festival and was the inaugural recipient of the “Festival Highlight Award.” The ensemble has been featured in several national comedy festivals, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and at various colleges. Their work is on display at www.schadenfreude.net.

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Looking for something to liven up your next live event? Need some alternative sketch comedians? Stand-ups? Short films? Most of all, you want it to be memorable? Schadenfreude is the way to go.

Schadenfreude wrote and performed for a new WTTW-produced venture entitled “IL-Informed” – 30 minutes of Illinois fun.

This sketch is from the pilot episode in which we tackle issues centered on “housing”.

Ted has a small carpet cleaning business in receivership; Annette’s drawing a salary from a deferred bonus from two years ago! They got fifteen thousand left on the house at eight percent.

No big deal. We are really getting on the Bus for this election! We found a guy who was willing to help the campaign to elect Alderman Ed Bus to Mayor of the City of Chicago by making BUTTONS for the effort!

Do you want one?

Of course you do.

The only way you’re gonna get one is if you show up Friday or Saturday night to the Gallery Cabaret for the Alderman Ed Bus Victory Party.

Seriously. The ONLY way.

Ok, I added that last part for effect – but today MetroMix released their Top Places to hit for parties topically about the elections in the coming week. Or something to that effect…

Regardless – we got a nice mention, and the lead graphic. Any plug that includes Alderman Ed Bus saying:

If you don’t show and you don’t endorse Bus, I will remember. I will spend my life making your life a living hell.

You can’t go wrong!

Read the full article here.

In the meantime, do your civic duty, and pencil in your social calendar this Friday and Saturday night. 9PM. $10. 2020 N. Oakley. Vote Bus, and Keep It Like It Was!

Tron, 1982 (dir. Steve Lisberger)

SYNOPSIS: Jeff Bridges plays Tron? Nope. Let me stop you right there. Bridges plays Kevin. Kevin used to date Lora and now he’s mad at Encom CEO Ed for stealing his ideas. Meanwhile, Alan is Lora’s new boyfriend and also wrote a computer program called Tron (!) which can help Kevin get his ideas back. But before Kevin can use Alan’s program (Tron!), Ed traps Kevin in the Matrix (look it up) where he eventually frees the internet (Tron). Finally, Ed’s shenanigans are revealed and Kevin succeeds him as CEO of Encom in a move approved by shareholders.

Tagline: “Where love and escape do not compute.”

FILM: 6/10

BRIDGES: 8/10

BOTTOM LINE: (The Matrix + Disclosure) / The 80′s = Tron

The first time I saw Tron was at a birthday party. It was followed by cake and three hours of laser tag. Someone threw up cake in the “Photon Arena”. The last time I saw Tron was with Adam at the New Beverly. It was on a double bill with The Last Starfighter. I made this drawing with two new shading markers which don’t really match each other in hue but that seems to work in the drawing’s favor. I got the nose wrong so you can’t tell if he’s scared or sneering or surprised. I put the close-up of MCP on the side because it used to freak me out and I’m working through that in my art. I added all the diagonal lines so now it looks 3-D.

You’ll get the horns.

Winter Kills, 1979 (dir. William Richert)

SYNOPSIS: Bridges stars as Nick, the younger brother of the recently assassinated President. Nick tries to uncover the truth about his brother’s death and begins to suspect that his own father (John Fucking Huston) had something to do with it. And it’s sort of a comedy? In case you weren’t sure, here’s a fairly benign and expository scene featuring Sterling Hayden in a tank with a weirdo beard.

FILM: 6/10

BRIDGES: 7/10

BOTTOM LINE: (Parallax View – Warren Beatty) + (Dr. Strangelove – Peter Sellers) x John Fucking Huston = Winter Kills

I caught this movie late one night in a student lounge when I was taking a break from writing a paper about representations of evil in the works of Goya. Like many films from the late-70′s/early-80′s, it was obviously financed by cocaine dealers and features a rather nihilistic worldview countered only by insane production values and gloriously broad tonal shifts (see also: Night Moves). The upside-down Bridges on top had weird eyes so I started over at the bottom but the eyes are too big. Something wrong with the nose too but my new, grey pen-brush helps. I tried to do something cool with the title. Tried.

Tucker: The Man and His Dream, 1988 (dir. Francis Ford Coppola)

SYNOPSIS: Preston Tucker (Bridges) basically invents cars and wholesomeness with the help of the Pleasantville Milf, Father Guido Sarducci and a pre-cube gleaming Christian Slater. Martin Landau reprises his role as the oldest cast member in all of the movies. The film follows Tucker as he tries to make all his American Dreamz come true by buying a factory in Chicago and trying to introduce the city to a new industry… so it is basically a tragedy… except for the part where all the cars in the movie belong to Coppola and George Lucas and a lot of facts about Preston Tucker being a grifting fraud a-hole are suppressed so that the value of all those cars goes up and they can sell them all off to make personal projects like Star Wars video games and the shittiest third of New York Stories.

FILM: 7/10

BRIDGES: 9/10

BOTTOM LINE: Tucker:Cars::The Hudsucker Proxy:Hula Hoops

I saw this when it first opened at a United Artists’ theater near White Settlement Road (relax, this was in the South so it’s okay). I remember the film being advertised as a big epic full of themes (runtime 110 minutes) so I was pretty proud of myself for not getting tired and bored. I still get a lot of the workshop/garage scenes mixed up with parts of The Rocketeer.