Baltimore Comedy Festival at the Parkway Theater
Comedians are taking to stages across the city Labor Day weekend for the annual Baltimore Comedy Festival, so the Parkway is keeping the laughs going with a selection of classic laugh-filled films. Between checking out your favorite live sets, catch a glimpse behind the mic, with three films hand-picked together with the Festival!
Friday, August 30, 6 p.m.: MAN ON THE MOON
Jim Carrey won a Golden Globe Award for his performance as the legendary comedian Andy Kaufman in this 1999 biopic that also features Danny DeVito, Courtney Love and Paul Giamatti. With his boundary pushing absurdity and perpetual blurring of the lines between performance and real-life, Kaufman remains a vital influence for many contemporary comics. Though filled with brilliance, mystery and, of course, laughs, the film forces us to question if Kaufman took his jokes a little too far.
“What the filmmakers have accomplished here is the simplest and best thing they possibly could have done. For two hours, they have brought Andy back to us just as we remember him – brilliant, provocative and, yes, very funny.” – Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Friday, August 30, 9 p.m.: TALKIN’ DIRTY AFTER DARK
Maryland’s own Martin Lawrence stars as a struggling stand-up comedian who seems to always find his way into trouble. A favorite among many of our local comedians, Talkin’ Dirty offers an unfiltered look at backstage life can be like for rising comedy talent. Filled with dirty jokes, affairs, and a struggle to pay the phone bill, it’s a filthy, hilarious, and loveable time capsule from the early career of one of comedy’s enduring stars.
“A classic comedic masterpiece that gives you a sneak peek of what happens backstage…a classic among comedians.” – Ivan Martin, founder of the Baltimore Comedy Festival
Saturday, August 31, 5 p.m.: JO JO DANCER, YOUR LIFE IS CALLING – 5pm
Called “the Picasso of our profession” by Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Pryor remains one of the most revered stand-up comedians of all time. In this loosely autobiographical film written and directed by Pryor, he plays JoJo Dancer a stand-up comedian trying to reconcile with his self-destructive behavior while recovering in the hospital from a drug related accident. Released six years after Pryor was hospitalized for accidentally burning himself in similar circumstances, the film showcases his remarkable ability to find humor in tragedy while offering a warning on the pitfalls of fame.
“Above all, Pryor emphasizes…Jo Jo’s elusive selfhood – the fundamental problem of what performers who feel fully alive only while onstage or on camera do with the rest of their time.” – Richard Brody, New Yorker
Don’t miss other, free*comedy programming at the Parkway this weekend:
BCF PREMIER SHOWCASE – SATURDAY, AUG. 31 at 8 p.m.
BCF OPEN MIC – FRIDAY, AUG 30 at 8 p.m.
The Baltimore Comedy Festival is presenting live comedy showcases at multiple venues throughout Baltimore, and the Parkway is thrilled to be one of them for the 8th annual festival. Besides hosting an open mic session and a side-splitting Premier Showcase, Parkway will also screen the trailer for Humility – The Baltimore Comedy Festival, a documentary about the uniqueness, talent, and grit that separates the Baltimore comedy scene from the rest of the comedy world.
*Admission to the Premier Showcase is free with 2-drink minimum
