Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim in THE COMEDY, opening Friday at BAM
The Comedy opens Friday, November 16th at BAMcinématek, featuring Q&A’s with Tim Heidecker and writer/director Rick Alverson following the Friday and Saturday 6:50pm shows.
“By far one of the most wildly inappropriate and pitch black comedies I’ve ever seen in my life.” – Film Threat
“Transgressively brilliant.” – Village Voice
“Tim Heidecker gives a compulsively fascinating performance.” – Variety
“A work of art that’s simultaneously hilarious and disturbing.” – Hollywood.com
On the cusp of inheriting his father’s estate, Swanson (Tim Heidecker, “Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!”) is a man with unlimited options. An aging hipster in Brooklyn, he spends his days in aimless recreation with like-minded friends (“Tim & Eric” co-star Eric Wareheim, LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy and comedian Gregg Turkington a.k.a.“Neil Hamburger”) in games of comic irreverence and mock sincerity. As Swanson grows restless of the safety a sheltered life offers him, he tests the limits of acceptable behavior, pushing the envelope in every way he can. Played brilliantly by Heidecker, his deadpan delivery cleverly masks a deep desire for connection and sense in the modern world. The Comedy wears its name on its sleeve, but director Rick Alverson’s powerful and provocative character study touches a darkness behind the humor that resonates with viewers long after the story ends.
One of the most talked about films at Sundance and SXSW, Rick Alverson’s layered character study has generated exceptional buzz throughout the indie film world. Described by Indiewire as “a powerful generational statement,” The Comedy explores the dark recesses of a social milieu in which even the privileged have become listless and disinterested.
Heidecker’s Swanson is a polarizing figure, capable of great aggression, often choosing to antagonize and harass others simply to get a reaction. At the same time, he unpredictably exhibits extreme tenderness in the most unlikely of situations, making him even more of an enigma.
Tickets are available at BAM.org/TheComedy. You can also enter to win a pair! Just like The Comedy on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thecomedyfilm–where you can find the trailer, uncensored clips from the film and more–and email us the night you’d like to see it. We’ll announce winners by 10am on Thursday.
