lafferguy

I taped this off pay-cable probably 4-5 years ago and made the mistake not saving it. I remember it as one of the funniest comedy specials I have ever seen. It was like watching early Woody Allen meets Tarantino. I thought about it recently because so many of the memorable sketches in it reminded me of what's going on in today's headlines. There was a spoof of Howard Stern being shut down by the FCC, a controversial film about Jesus, soft core dating shows, rappers singing violent lyrics, nudity on TV and on and on and on. I remember that the writers also wrote Landis' Kentucky Fried Movie sequel, "Amazon Women On The Moon." Like that film this show had so many cameos from recognizable actors that I remember thinking at the time how expensive it must have been for cable. Shelly Long (who I normally have a problem with) was absolutely hilarious as a Jane Pauley-esque news anchor. Martin Mull as a sleazy dating show host, Kenneth Mars (from The Producers) hosting a religious shopping network. It was the kind of smart irreverence that surfaces so rarely these days. If this is available for purchase anywhere please snap it up and give me a call.

Thanks to my TIVO, which recommended and recorded this, I discovered a little known comic gem. At first I thought I was watching an unsold pilot for a TV adaptation of, "Analyze This" with Kevin Pollak playing the Billy Crystal part. I even felt he was doing a better job with the shrink character when I realized that this was indeed it's own movie.

I guess this must have been a straight to video film which obviously pre-dated Analyze This by at least a couple of years. How did DeNiro & Crystal get away with it? There are some scenes and situations that are uncannily similar.

Nonetheless The Don's Analyst, kept me laughing throughout. It was briskly paced and had a Coen Bros. feel to the directing and comic tone. It was also really well shot and looked more "realistic" then Analyze This which I feel was brightly lit and over the top comedy.

So hats off to the underdogs who made this really good little film. Set your TIVO and be prepared to smile and laugh.