*NOTE*: This review is based squarely on the first episode: "Sandy Passage".
In my opinion, IFC has produced some of the best alternative comedy in the past decade. From Portlandia to Comedy Bang Bang!, they've raised the stakes for what alt comedy should/could be.
Imagine to my surprise when several months ago, while watching the premiere of The Spoils of Babylon, I saw a promo for a new series called Documentary Now! Starring alt comedy darlings Bill Hader and Fred Armisan, produced by Seth Myers and Lorne Micheals, and presented by Helen Friggin' Mirren! My expectations rose to kilimanjaric levels after seeing it.
Now, having seen the first installment, I feel as if I have a firm grasp on this series and can review it in full. So, here we go.
"Sandy Passage". A "parody" (using that term loosely) of the 1975 classic about a two- man film crew who set their sights on chronicling a mother-daughter pair of socialites living in a ramshackle estate. The episode essentially plays the film beat-by-beat with Armisen being the mother and Hader being the daughter.
It's all very funny, satisfying, and even a bit poignant, but the real kicker comes at the very end, when it is revealed that the mother and daughter are murderers; both responsible for the "disappearances" of their former boyfriends and grocery boys. The ending genuinely scarred me, and as someone who often watches horror movies, that's saying something. Though the twist does feel a bit jarring after having sat through something so slow.
Overall, "Sandy Passage" is a surprisingly nice little tribute a trailblazer of the documentary industry, and a nice entrance into the world of Documentary Now! I will definitely be watching further episodes.
RATING: B+
In my opinion, IFC has produced some of the best alternative comedy in the past decade. From Portlandia to Comedy Bang Bang!, they've raised the stakes for what alt comedy should/could be.
Imagine to my surprise when several months ago, while watching the premiere of The Spoils of Babylon, I saw a promo for a new series called Documentary Now! Starring alt comedy darlings Bill Hader and Fred Armisan, produced by Seth Myers and Lorne Micheals, and presented by Helen Friggin' Mirren! My expectations rose to kilimanjaric levels after seeing it.
Now, having seen the first installment, I feel as if I have a firm grasp on this series and can review it in full. So, here we go.
"Sandy Passage". A "parody" (using that term loosely) of the 1975 classic about a two- man film crew who set their sights on chronicling a mother-daughter pair of socialites living in a ramshackle estate. The episode essentially plays the film beat-by-beat with Armisen being the mother and Hader being the daughter.
It's all very funny, satisfying, and even a bit poignant, but the real kicker comes at the very end, when it is revealed that the mother and daughter are murderers; both responsible for the "disappearances" of their former boyfriends and grocery boys. The ending genuinely scarred me, and as someone who often watches horror movies, that's saying something. Though the twist does feel a bit jarring after having sat through something so slow.
Overall, "Sandy Passage" is a surprisingly nice little tribute a trailblazer of the documentary industry, and a nice entrance into the world of Documentary Now! I will definitely be watching further episodes.
RATING: B+