We open on the CEO of Comedy Central Europe ensconced in his office in a high-rise building. He tells us that comedy is serious business, which is why Comedy Central has to be selective in what it shows, translating into its strict “no clown” policy. Suddenly a cream pie hits the office window.
The spot cuts outside to a horde of rioting clowns, pitted against a fully equipped police squadron. Pies are thrown at the cops who raise their shields, blocking the dessert assault. However, a clown gets on the other side of the blockade, taps a policeman on the shoulder who turns around. The clown lifts the cop’s helmet visor and make a direct hit with a cream pie.
The chaos includes a clown fired from a cannon who lands safely on the Comedy Central roof. He unfurls multi-colored handkerchiefs which are tied together, making for an amusing impromptu ladder for other clowns to climb up on in their bid to take over the building.
Back to ground level, a clown juggles a number of red balls, only to throw them all at riot squad police.
Authority prevails it would seen, though, as one of the parting scenes shows several sad clowns being hauled off in a paddy wagon.
“Riot” was directed by Jonathan David of recently launched production house Happy Ending for Amsterdam-based agency Nothing.
For Documentaries At Sundance, Oscar Nominations (and Wins) Often Follow
The Sundance Film Festival welcomed back three Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers to help kick off the annual independent film showcase in Park City, Utah.
On Thursday night at The Ray Theater, "20 Days in Mariupol" filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov, who won the Oscar last year, debuted his latest dispatch from Ukraine, "2000 Meters to Andriivka," a harrowing journey to the front lines of a 2023 counteroffensive. A few hours later, at the Eccles, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, who won an Oscar for "Summer of Soul" in 2022, unveiled his Sly Stone portrait, "SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genuis)." Earlier, "One Day in September" filmmaker Kevin MacDonald also showcased his film "One to One: John & Yoko," which debuted last year at the Venice Film Festival and will get an IMAX release on April 11 before hitting Max later this year.
Some critics reflected that "2000 Meters to Andriivka," a joint production between The Associated Press and PBS Frontline, was even more powerful than "20 Days in Mariupol." "SLY LIVES!" (on Hulu Feb. 13) was called "sublime" and "illuminating" in its examination of an underappreciated, shapeshifting genius.
"I've been coming here since 2000 and I thought the coolest thing you could do would be to DJ an after party," Thompson said before the screening. "I never dreamt this for my future, so this is really humbling."
It was a full-circle end to a day that began with a slate of documentary Oscar nominations all connected to the Sundance Institute in some way. Some were supported by the Institute, some debuted at the festival as recently as last year.
"Black Box Diaries," in which a Japanese filmmaker investigates her own sexual assault, had its premiere in Park City last year and was supported by the... Read More