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March 28, 2024, 01:13:50 PM

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The Larry Sanders Show

Started by MortSahlFan, March 19, 2018, 12:48:10 AM

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MortSahlFan

Garry Shandling has to receive a lot of credit for creating the show, but he also starred and wrote quite a bit... But to me, the funniest guy is Rip Torn. He's hilarious, and probably the funniest non-Italian/Greek on the screen, like Joe Pesci, Danny Devitto, Ben Gazzarra... But the funniest person I ever saw in movies was Catherine Cassavetes - John's mom!

What I love about the show besides the humor, is the truth. It's a show within a show within their life outside the show. The writing is top-notch. A lot is covered without filler. For a show based on a talk show, it's pretty diverse, and just great. Even the minor characters add a lot, and it's also extra interesting that real Hollywood stars would come on, but sometimes they would take the liberty to fictionalize, but also to mention the latest scandal they were experiencing.

Any fans? I'd say this might be the best show, and one of a few with my kind of humor - satire, which doesn't seem to exist much nowadays. It's been replaced by parody, snobbery, bitchery, mockery, fake outrage by people who don't want to change the system, but only say it to make all the money out of the present chaos.

In the US, if you have HBO, you probably have this ON-DEMAND... I highly recommend it.

Mobius

Yeah big fan, was re-watching it last night actually. One of the all-time greats.

Get a nice warm feeling watching it, an impressive cavalcade of 90s faces which really takes you back.

"What about the time I chipped my tooth on the bathroom urinal?! What the FUCK is so comical about that?!"

"..it was a back tooth, Hank..."

St_Eddie

I've been working my way through the entire run of the show for the past year or so (I'm currently halfway through season 3).  It's excellent and very well observed.  Hank is easily my favourite character but I agree, that Artie is great too.

Quote from: Mobius on March 19, 2018, 01:08:25 AM
"What about the time I chipped my tooth on the bathroom urinal?! What the FUCK is so comical about that?!"

"..it was a back tooth, Hank..."

Heh.  That line's been the highlight of the series so far, for me.

Nowhere Man

It's mad that Rip is still around, what with him already looking pretty old 20 odd years ago.
When he goes will we have to say RIP RIP?

Erm, anyway yeah, The Larry Sanders show was amazing, in a one way tie with Seinfeld and Simpsons Seasons 1-8 as far as i'm concerned.

mr. logic

'I'm pissing myself laughing, conceptual flaw and all.'

Neomod

Quote from: Nowhere Man on March 19, 2018, 02:14:08 AM
Erm, anyway yeah, The Larry Sanders show was amazing, in a one way tie with Seinfeld and Simpsons Seasons 1-8 as far as i'm concerned.

Sanders and Seinfeld are definitely my two favourite/most re-watched comedy shows. Both enjoyed superb casting with Hank Kingsley and George Costanza probably two of the greatest comic creations of all time.

Famous Mortimer


Cuellar

Never seen this, always mean to watch it. But never done so. Should do.

BeardFaceMan

Are there any decent 'making of' docs or interviews on the DVDs? Not the one with Tom Shales though, he makes my skin crawl. I'm interested in how they did the chat show bits, what did they tell the audience, was the chat with the celebs scripted or not, that kind of thing. I love the way it changes the look depending on if youre viewing the show or the behind the scenes stuff, little touches like that make this so great.

St_Eddie

Quote from: BeardFaceMan on March 19, 2018, 12:48:48 PM
Are there any decent 'making of' docs or interviews on the DVDs? Not the one with Tom Shales though, he makes my skin crawl. I'm interested in how they did the chat show bits, what did they tell the audience, was the chat with the celebs scripted or not, that kind of thing. I love the way it changes the look depending on if youre viewing the show or the behind the scenes stuff, little touches like that make this so great.

What I do know is that all of the chat show scenes for each individual season were filmed in front of an actual audience, across two or three days and that the audience were aware of the nature of the show (obviously for the latter seasons but also for the first season).

MortSahlFan

I couldn't stop laughing when R.T. (Rip Torn, get it?) says what he does at the end...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF94LvnRlKA

magval

Quote from: BeardFaceMan on March 19, 2018, 12:48:48 PM
Are there any decent 'making of' docs or interviews on the DVDs? Not the one with Tom Shales though, he makes my skin crawl. I'm interested in how they did the chat show bits, what did they tell the audience, was the chat with the celebs scripted or not, that kind of thing. I love the way it changes the look depending on if youre viewing the show or the behind the scenes stuff, little touches like that make this so great.

I don't know if there's anything on the UK discs (at all, I mean) but the US set has a LOT of very good extras. I just can't remember if it has any of what you've asked about, but if you have a region-free player it's well worth importing.

BeardFaceMan

Quote from: magval on March 19, 2018, 05:15:33 PM
I don't know if there's anything on the UK discs (at all, I mean) but the US set has a LOT of very good extras. I just can't remember if it has any of what you've asked about, but if you have a region-free player it's well worth importing.

Yeah that seems to be the way doesnt it, the UK releases of US stuff are usually bare bones while the US releases have a shitload of stuff. I think that Tom Shales interview may be the only extra on the UK release. I literally cant bear to listen to the man talk.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: magval on March 19, 2018, 05:15:33 PM
I don't know if there's anything on the UK discs (at all, I mean) but the US set has a LOT of very good extras. I just can't remember if it has any of what you've asked about, but if you have a region-free player it's well worth importing.

I've always wanted to see them as well, I remember hearing at the time a lot of the extras involved Shandling and various actors who guest starred in the series fighting in the boxing ring, but there was a lot more besides that.

Edit: Just found some of them on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCBB6EC1648FA3726

St_Eddie

Quote from: magval on March 19, 2018, 05:15:33 PM
I don't know if there's anything on the UK discs (at all, I mean) but the US set has a LOT of very good extras. I just can't remember if it has any of what you've asked about, but if you have a region-free player it's well worth importing.

I can confirm that the UK DVDs are an absolute disgrace in terms of extras, or to put it more positively; they're an generous bounty of absolutely non-existent extras.

imitationleather

Until 2017 I genuinely thought this was about Bernie Sanders' brother. :/

SavageHedgehog

At the time I bought it (yes, shamefully, shortly after Shandling's death) it was far cheaper to buy the UK release to get all the episodes and buy Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show for the extras. I believe the vast majority of the extras from the US Set are on the compilation (which is where they originated from) bar a couple of commentaries and maybe one or two other things. The extras are certainly worth it, very interesting, soul-searching stuff on Shandling's part.

magval

Ah, that's great news. I think I'll buy this again, I've not seen it in seven or eight years. UK release for the episodes and that compilation for the extras. Only thing missing are a few commentaries, outtakes and a Shandling lecture from USC as far as I can tell.

Nice one.

Squink

Good thread timing, there's a two-part HBO doc on Shandling airing next week:

QuoteWhen Garry Shandling passed away in 2016, he was widely remembered as a top stand-up comic and the star of two of the most innovative sitcoms in TV history. But to those who knew him, the "real" Garry Shandling was a far more complex person. Now, Judd Apatow has created a remarkable portrait of this iconic comedian in the four-and-a-half-hour documentary The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling.

https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-zen-diaries-of-garry-shandling

BeardFaceMan

Personal journals, private letters, candid video? I do hate it when people make public things like that after someones death without their permission. They were personal and private for a reason.

MortSahlFan

Quote from: BeardFaceMan on March 19, 2018, 09:43:25 PM
Personal journals, private letters, candid video? I do hate it when people make public things like that after someones death without their permission. They were personal and private for a reason.

It's great for the people, but I figure a guy has them private for a reason. I'm guessing family authorized this to make money, and probably not for historical purposes.

St_Eddie

#21
Quote from: BeardFaceMan on March 19, 2018, 12:48:48 PM
...I'm interested in how they did the chat show bits, what did they tell the audience...

I highly recommend that people watch/rewatch season 3, episode 1.  At the part where Larry comes back on air, having previously quit the show and is giving his introductory monologue; the audience have clearly been instructed to whoop and holler out of excitement at Larry's return.

However, you can hear one guy in the audience, whom clearly thinks that he's the star of the show.  He won't stop obnoxiously over-performing his whooping and hollering, even when everyone else has stopped.  Listen carefully and you can hear an irritated stage hand shout "stop it!".  He even gives one more defiant "WHHHOOOOOOOO!", a few beats after being told to stop.  Made me chuckle.  Of course, it still works in the reality of the show but none the less, that guy in the audience is an attention seeking bellend.

SavageHedgehog

Didn't they stop using a real audience for those scenes at some point?

Mr Banlon


MortSahlFan

Quote from: Mr Banlon on October 27, 2018, 05:03:27 PM
They're all up on dailymotion : https://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x5s28j
Thank you very much -- I'd love to spread the word! Much more difficult 10 years ago with no link (I don't know anyone who spends money on DVDs)

a duncandisorderly

stand-out moment for me, & one I always point newcomers to/at is the episode with elvis costello, where the crew have been told (by paula- garofalo) to give him plenty of room as he's a private sort of guy. he's baffled by all the blanking, & eventually trashes his dressing room because of it.

that. that sort of unexpected fictional revelation about a public figure is what made the show for me. ryan o'neal turning up to attack larry because he though FFM was having a fling with him. david duchovny's man-crush on larry.
a magnificent show.

I think... the studio inserts (i.e. the actual show within a show) were shot on normal video cameras & tape, while the behind-the-scenes stuff was either 16mm or processed video. I should know, I work in telly, but tbh I just noticed it the first time & went 'oh, cute.'

[imdb says 16mm.]

I have the episodes as files from a disreputable online source, so I'm missing the extras/commentaries & whatnot too. I'll have a look for a US boxed set one day.


magval

I spent an awfully long time ripping the extras (and episodes) from DVD earlier this year. The files are very big (no idea what I'm doing but I at least wanted no major loss of quality) but if someone can tell me how I'd go about sharing them with everybody I gladly will.

MortSahlFan

Quote from: magval on October 28, 2018, 08:25:15 AM
I spent an awfully long time ripping the extras (and episodes) from DVD earlier this year. The files are very big (no idea what I'm doing but I at least wanted no major loss of quality) but if someone can tell me how I'd go about sharing them with everybody I gladly will.
WeTransfer.com is a great site, as long as each file is under 2GB... Someone once gave me a link of their "cloud" and it had a ton of movies, etc., that I downloaded from.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: magval on October 28, 2018, 08:25:15 AM
I spent an awfully long time ripping the extras (and episodes) from DVD earlier this year. The files are very big (no idea what I'm doing but I at least wanted no major loss of quality) but if someone can tell me how I'd go about sharing them with everybody I gladly will.

I'd love to see the extras as I'm an enormous fan of the show, if you are able to upload them anywhere I'd kiss you on the knee several times.