The Funny Farm

It's an interesting coincidence that I decided to watch "The Funny Farm", as only a couple weeks ago, I watched the Canadian film "Gas"...which ALSO starred Peter Aykroyd (Brother of Dan) and Howie Mandel. It was a terrible movie...and I hope this one is better! It coudn't be a lot worse.

The story is about a struggling young comic, Mark (Miles Chapin). He heads to Los Angeles to get noticed and The Funny Farm is a comedy club where he soon gets work. During the time there, you see many young, struggling comics and their acts. Some are pretty funny...most aren't. I was most impressed by Maurice LaMarche...who later went on to do voicework for animation because of his great ability to mimic famous folks. There isn't much more plot...just Stephen hanging out at the club...hoping to get noticed and seeing a lot of acts.

A few things to note. First, while the film was supposed to be set in LA, it was filmed at a comedy club in Montreal...hence a lot of Canadian comics. Second, you get a short cameo with Steve Allen...who just seems to want to get it over with when he meets Mark.

So is it any good? Well, it's very uneven when it comes to comedy...with some decent comics and a lot of lame ones. It does give some insight into the lifestyle...which is mildly interesting. Overall, it's a decent enough time-passer but not much more.