Louie on FX - Page 9

two new episodes of louie tonight

Yep, one of of which features Doug Stanhope. Can't wait.

The Stanhope episode was just stunning, and I'd like to see him get some more acting gigs, 'cause he tore that shit up.

The masturbation episode had some great moments, and I applaud them for not going the obvious route of making the Christian kook a hypocrite or a scam artist, but I think the script missed some opportunities. At one point the woman says to Louis, "Wow. Masturbating's really important to you." Right. Louis is the one holding rallies and doing television promotions and interviews because he's the one obsessed with sex.

Stanhope and LCK were both very good during their last scene together. Louis is a perfect comedian but he's really developing as an actor this season. His love confession to Pamela a few weeks ago was also excellent.

I actually liked the masturbation episode best though. Funniest episode of the season so far (Louis turning "under God's loving gaze" into He likes to watch and jerk off was gold), and that actress was amazing. Best of all was old Asian man in the elevator offering bag of dicks advice. It was the amateurishness of his delivery that made it so great.

Only flaw of the episode, I wish he hadn't used that "funny" Fox News guy. Most punchable face ever? I think so.

Really, Louie?  Loretta Swit?  

More power to Louie for somehow making that actress come across as sweet and caring without ever making her a charicature.  It helped to make his weakness at the end that much funnier by her not being a horrible condescending person or a hypocrite.

I started farting! 

Oh Louie!!!

That's TWICE that this show has given me a fantastic fart joke!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob Singer 

The masturbation episode had some great moments, and I applaud them for not going the obvious route of making the Christian kook a hypocrite or a scam artist, but I think the script missed some opportunities. At one point the woman says to Louis, "Wow. Masturbating's really important to you." Right. Louis is the one holding rallies and doing television promotions and interviews because he's the one obsessed with sex.

Well, it's NOT masturbating that was really important to them.  If the institution of masturbation were to come under attack, I'm sure there would be people holding rallies and making TV appearances to defend it.  Heheh

The strange feeling I had during this episode is that I halfway felt that the more 'even-handed' approach would be the obvious route to go for this particular show.  So I still ended up wondering which approach the show would take, if that makes any sense.

I'd like to have that CAM logo on a t-shirt.

I kept waiting for the masturbation bit to go for the easy joke and ridicule the Christian chick but to its credit it didn't. Who would have known that a cum and fart joke wouldn't be the easy punchline to a setup?

And Stanhope was tremendous. His exchange with Louis really embodied a big part of both his and Louis' comedy.

This was some next level shit. There have been a few episodes this season that I thought were too obvious and predictable, but I can forgive countless future underwhelming episodes if we get a few of these every season. These weren't just series highlights, they were television classics, period. I agree about the "porn for God" line. Biggest laugh for me so far this season. On a technical level, I have to praise the first episode for that shaking 'masturbation cam'. It almost looked like he was beating off the camera itself...such a cool effect. Who'd have thought there was some immensely original way to depict masturbation like that? 

At least for now, it's safe to say "Louie" is on a hell of a roll. The masturbation stuff seemed a bit ridiculous to me at first, because I can't believe someone could be naive enough to believe masturbation is a choice, rather than something humans physically need to do. But once you get past that small lapse in logic, it becomes clear that the episode is actually a really smart and articulate debate about abstinence/sex before marriage.

I really thought the woman was a caricature at the beginning, but by the end, her character emerged as a respectably thoughtful individual with a very understandable and fascinating perspective on sex. As for "Eddie", I found the beginning grating because of how obnoxious the Eddie character was, but I later realized his obnoxiousness was necessary to make the final scene so resonant. I agree that the acting by Stanhope in it was tremendous. This is the kind of stuff 'best guest actor' Emmy awards should exist for. I also think that scene had the best performance I've ever seen from Louis C.K.

I was reminded of that Matthew Broderick episode where Louie has this running gag about what a challenge it can be for an actor to react believably to hearing that someone died. I imagine reacting to someone saying they want to commit suicide is a similar challenge, but Louie really nailed the reaction. When Eddie dropped the bombshell about suicide with 5 minutes left in the episode, I doubted the episode could end satisfyingly.

I expected Louie's reaction to be rushed, and either maudlin or making light of the situation in a way that's supposed to be funny, but isn't. The way he wrote and performed a reaction that wasn't either felt like an amazing feat to me. He likes to self-deprecatingly joke about how he really doesn't know much about acting (making his Emmy nomination for best actor ironic), but if he's not just being modest, this episode proved he's a much better actor than he thinks. 

And while I appreciated the meat of these episodes like the direction, performances, and writing, I love how there were a lot of spot-on small details to enjoy as well. For example, the way the logo for the anti-masturbation group clearly resembled hands holding a shaft and cupping balls simultaneously (as shown above), and the way Louie's big reaction to the suicide revelation was disrupted by the bickering pair walking by. 

I interpreted that as Louie realizing what a needless spectacle he'd be making of himself if he went on a long, angry rant (as he possibly intended to). I may be reading too much into this, but I think seeing the people yelling was what inspired Louie to just be really blunt and terse in his response, instead of making a big, potentially preachy speech. Also, I have to agree that the fart joke at the end was sublime. I never thought I'd say that about a fart joke, but it really was. Since he built up to it earlier with his story about teenage sexual shame, it made a masterful (pun intended) pay-off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naisu Baddi 
The masturbation stuff seemed a bit ridiculous to me at first, because I can't believe someone could be naive enough to believe masturbation is a choice, rather than something humans physically need to do.

But people like that really exist. One of them ran for senate in Delaware.

Great post, Naisu.

Just finished watching these latest episodes, and was suitably bowled over. The Masturbation episode was just flat out hilarious, and I have to admit that I was getting kind of turned on by the anti-masturbation lady. That's something that this show does really well, and what sets it apart. I've seen it compared to Curb Your Enthusiasm, but Louie's really a completely different thing. With Curb, you're waiting to laugh at Larry. With Louie, you're drawn in to what he's feeling and experiencing, and when he flips it and it goes wrong you're right there with him, and laughing at your own absurdity just as much as Louis'. This show certainly offers one of the strangest forms of catharsis I've come across.

The second episode was great, too, of course. And Stanhope was phenomenal. It was a hard episode for me to watch. I've just known so many people who have wound up in that place. None of them have ever gone through with it, but it's always hard.

http://teamcoco.com/video/15979/louis-c-k-saves-his-dumb-dog-s-life

At what point does it not become premature hyperbole to call Louis CK one of the greatest comedians of all time?

You can only really tell that, in my opinion, after looking at the entirety of their work. He's certainly at the very top right now. And Louie is most likely the best TV show at the moment. Yes, Breaking Bad included.

Anyway, I love how his pitch to the Paramount VP actually mirrored  what was happening in that scene. And the stand up bits were absolutely funny. The amount of material this guy guy produces is phenomenal. 

Probably my least favorite episode this season.   I did laugh at his daughter dressing up as Frederick Douglas, though.  

That bit about the masturbating roommate seems left over from last week's show.   

Quite frankly, I didn't find any humor in seeing a parent with small children get hassled on the street by crazies. It's simply too horrific a thought. Better luck next week.

Those two girls playing Louie's daughters are delightful. I was worried that they might not come back because of the way Louie will happily use certain characters several times and then not bring them back for a whole season (i.e. his brother). Those two are always fun to watch, so I was happy to see them again. This episode was inevitably a let down after the brilliant one-two punch of "Come On, God" and "Eddie", but it was all right. I didn't mind the masturbation joke...its punchline was strong. I can't believe he can tell so many jokes about that and farting without his material sounding stale. He really knows how to mine that subject matter for laughs.

The casting on this show continues to be flawless. I loved all the smarmy facial expressions from the actress playing Ellie. I haven't seen "A Serious Man", but from what I've heard about it, Louie's pitch sounded a bit similar. This may not have been one of the best episodes, but its pay-offs were a lot more satisfying than those of "Country Drive" or "Moving". Louie's solution to get rid of the freaky trick-or-treaters was cool. I was as impressed with it as his daughter. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Decade 

Quite frankly, I didn't find any humor in seeing a parent with small children get hassled on the street by crazies.

But look at the entire show. The main question Louie C.K. seems to be asking is, "does it NEED to be funny?"
 

Just started mainlining this show. I don't think there's anything more remarkable currently airing.

If that was an "off week", every show on television wishes it had "on weeks" that good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabe T 

But look at the entire show. The main question Louie C.K. seems to be asking is, "does it NEED to be funny?"

I totally get that & the "dramatic" eps have actually been my favorites this season. Just this episode...I dunno.

Holy crap...

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201108/louis-ck-interview-gq-august-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseph P. Brenner 

I love that one of the Youtube comments remarked, "I'M BORED!" (in a sarcastic, ironic way, of course).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseph P. Brenner 

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201108/louis-ck-interview-gq-august-2011

That Patton Oswalt quote about Hendrix was really fucking good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Decade 

Quote:

I totally get that & the "dramatic" eps have actually been my favorites this season. Just this episode...I dunno.

 

It was uncomfortable to watch, and if you have kids it was probably especially uncomfortable to watch.  I know it was for me, because if you have kids chances are good you've been in a situation where you realize how quickly the balance can tip to them not being protected by you any more.  It's terrifying.  The way this was shot, the anxiousness of the whole thing, the quick shift from the innocense of trick or treating to really seeing how a bunch of drunk costumed adults look to children and worst of all being confronted by idiots that literally make no sense but have the power to do harm to something so precious to you.  It's scary as hell, it's not funny, but it's real.  Just his ability to evoke emotions right now is so dead on.

Been cataching up on Season 2 on Hulu. First 2 eps are down already, but I watched eps 3-5. I like when Louie gets all philosophical, but man those were some depressing shows. I do, however, plan on showing Louie's Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn bit in one of my classes one day. It's amazing how many people, White people in particular, are afraid to acknowledge America's past. Doing so doesn't make you racist. Pretending racism didn't happen or creating a revisionist history where everything was hunky dory (Tea Partiers, I'm looking at you!) does. I saw the Dane clip in an article a few weeks back. Looking forward to seeing it in the context of the show. I've always liked him, so glad he's getting some cred back.But then again, I like Tom Greene too so I'm easy like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseph P. Brenner 

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201108/louis-ck-interview-gq-august-2011

Awesome piece. Thanks for the link, Joseph.

Also, there's a link to "Louis CK's 10 Most Infamous Sketches" on the first page of the article. Even if you're familiar with the bits, still well worth a look.

It was mentioned in the gq article and I've posted it in this thread before but here it is again:

~ 2 hours

Oh shit, I just watched his "Goodbye Jews" bit on Conan. This has to be the funniest thing I've heard in years. I cannot speak about the guy in anything but hyperbole.

hour long episode tonight

Quote:

Originally Posted by stelios 

Oh shit, I just watched his "Goodbye Jews" bit on Conan. This has to be the funniest thing I've heard in years. I cannot speak about the guy in anything but hyperbole.

That's the exact bit that prompted me to speculate on his place in the pantheon of great comedians upthread. Who else could turn a banal anecdote about flipping channels and catching part of Schindler's List into a laugh-out-loud funny stand-up routine? Hell, who else is comedically deft enough to make a joke about Schindler's List that funny without resorting to being cheaply offensive?
 

Tonight's episode(s) is amazing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Nunziata 

Tonight's episode(s) is amazing.

I loved season 1, but this season feels more important somehow.  Like I enjoyed Season 1, and I had friends that I recommended it to, and sometimes they didn't like it and that was fine.  But now I'm going back to those friends to let them know they're wrong and need to be watching this.

Tonight's Middle East centric episode will win an Emmy.

http://www.louisck.net/2009/03/uso-tour-weblog-kuwait-iraq-af.html

http://www.louisck.net/2009/03/uso-trip-day-one.html

http://www.louisck.net/2009/03/uso-day-two-kuwait.html

http://www.louisck.net/2009/03/uso-blog-update-coming.html

http://www.louisck.net/2009/03/uso-blog-kuwait-day-two.html

http://www.louisck.net/2009/03/uso-blog-baghdad-day-one.html

http://www.louisck.net/2009/03/uso-blog-baghdad-day-day-one-p.html

http://www.louisck.net/2009/05/uso-blog-iraq-day-one-part-2.html

Jaw dropping episode. Louie CK has not only stepped into the void left by Carlin, he may ultimately prove to be the greater of the two. 

Beautiful episode.

Thanks for those links to Louie's blog, Joseph.  They really add something to tonight's episode.

My day was really seriously shitty. Not any more. Best show on TV. No reservations, no ifs and buts.

I was on day two of his blog before I realized that Dino is Starburns.  Great stuff, Joseph.  Much thanks. 

I too was feeling a bit blah, then got immensely cheered up by this episode. It was truly life-affirming. Funny, sweet, beautifully shot, and an instant classic. One of the best, most intellectually and emotionally satisfying episodes of television I've ever watched.

Just saw it & I'm bawling like baby.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Nunziata 

Tonight's Middle East centric episode will win an Emmy.

And a Peabody.  Great stuff tonight.  

Nice cameo by the crazy blueberry woman at the school.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mattioli 

I had no idea that Pamela Adlon was Bobby Hill's voice until I read through this thread and, now, I cannot unhear it.  It made Louie's profession of love, as well as her admission that she was going to take a bath with him, really awkward for me.  [Hank Hill] That boy just ain't right. [/Hank Hill]

Agreed! Cannot unhear the Bobby Hill now. And oh Louie...
 

I'm loving this show MORE with the surreal tone its taken this season. Easily the most interesting and real thing on TV right now.

Did anyone else fear for the ducklings life at the end of the last episode? That can't end well. Plus the kids teacher is probably going to be pissed.

What an unbelievable episode, probably better than any movie I've seen this year.

Criterion this shit.

What an amazing show. Does anybody know where it was filmed?