1. Entertainment

The Farrelly Brothers Bring Back The Three Stooges

Three Stooges movie cast

Larry, Moe and Curly are remade for 2012 courtesy of Peter and Bobby Farrelly, but do they capture the eye-gouging, face-slapping, hair-pulling magic of the original Stooges? Check out this review to find out.

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New Comedy Releases for Tuesday, May 8

Tuesday May 8, 2012

Bobcat Goldthwait You Don't Look the Same EitherHey, everyone! It seems like it's been a while since we did a New Comedy Tuesday. Choices are limited this week, but there's a new stand-up special from Bobcat Goldthwait (whose latest movie as writer/director, God Bless America, is currently playing in limited release and on Video On Demand) and the destined-to-be-cult-favorite Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie. I wasn't crazy about it, but I'm not the world's biggest fan of Tim and Eric Awesome Show! Great Job, the absurdist sketch comedy series from Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim from which the movie springs. If you love that show, there's no reason to think you won't dig Billion Dollar Movie.

CD

  • John Moses - On the Edge

DVD

Photo courtesy PriceGrabber

Check Out the Winners of the Comedy Awards

Monday May 7, 2012

Robin Williams accepts a 2012 comedy awardAlthough the 2012 Comedy Awards were taped and the winners announced over a week ago, I held off on publishing the list of recipients for fear of spoiling the fun of everyone else. Now the awards have aired on TV (this past weekend), so we're free to talk about who took home a statue.

The answer is actually pretty simple: if your name is Louis C.K. or has the word Bridesmaids attached to it in any way, you probably won a Comedy Award. C.K. won for Stand-up Tour and Best Stand-up Special (for Live at the Beacon Theater), plus several more for his FX series Louie. Other notable winners of this year's awards included Hannibal Buress for Best Club Comic, Donald Glover for Breakout Performer of the Year, Rob Delaney for Funniest Person on Twitter and Marc Maron, whose WTF was voted Best Comedy Podcast. Two honorary awards were also given out: the Stand-up Icon award went to Robin Williams (pictured at right), while Don Rickles was honored with the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence.

For more, check out the full list of winners.

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Saturday Night Live Recap: Eli Manning/Rihanna

Monday May 7, 2012

Eli Manning on Saturday Night LiveIt's not likely that anyone looks at two-time Super Bowl-winning New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and thinks "comic genius." And, on the basis of his first-ever hosting gig on Saturday Night Live this week, that's not going to change.

Which isn't to say that Manning wasn't at all funny, or that he wasn't, at the very least, earnest and likeable in his efforts to be funny. The writers did a good job of figuring out how to use his limited skill set -- for a while, anyway, until they apparently just threw up their hands and put him in a dress for cheap laughs near the end of the episode. He wasn't quite as confident or funny a host as his older brother, former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Petyon Manning, was a few seasons ago (thought this episode did pay tribute to Peyton's best and most memorable sketch), but he was nowhere near the disaster he could have been. Often times, having a non-actor host the show feels like a stunt, and, like all stunts, this could have gone pretty wrong. It didn't -- not completely, anyway -- which made the episode a success.

I say this with the full knowledge that this was far from the funniest or most consistent episode of the season. There were a number of sketches that ranged from forgettable to downright bad. But at least there were hardly any repeats, and the original sketches that were included were offbeat and ambitious in a way that allowed the episode to carve out a unique space for itself amidst the rest of the season. It might not have been the best episode of this surprisingly good season, but it will end up being more memorable than many of the other shows. That has to count for something.

(Read the full "SNL Eli Manning" recap)

Photo courtesy NBC

First Wave of Shows Announced for 2012 Just for Laughs Chicago

Monday May 7, 2012

Just for Laughs Chicago theaterWe're only a month away from the fourth annual Just for Laughs Chicago festival, and the first group of shows and performers has been announced.

This year's festival, which takes place in the Windy City from June 12-17, will feature performances from Patton Oswalt, Bill Engvall, John Oliver, Amy Schumer, director Kevin Smith and many, many more. Aziz Ansari will bring his new stand-up hour, "Buried Alive," for two shows at the Chicago Theater, while Mike Birbiglia will perform his latest one-man show, "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend," five out of the festival's six nights. Sometimes twice a night.

It's still early, so you can expect future announcements and lineup additions. To be honest, right now the festival is a little thin, with a whole lot of repetition and not as many big names as in festivals past. That will more than likely change in the coming weeks, so keep checking back for updates and new festival information.

You can check out the full 2012 Just for Laughs Chicago lineup here. For more details or to purchase tickets, visit the Just for Laughs Chicago official site.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images

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