Vancouver’s Just for Laughs Film Festival takes a closer look at a failed comedy show
Posted March 3, 2018 8:53 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The first-ever Vancouver Just For Laughs Film Festival is underway, with 31 features and short films over 10 days.
Tonight’s feature at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver is Too Funny to Fail, which is a documentary charting the spectacular crash and burn of The Dana Carvey Show.
Festival Director Paul Ronca says the sketch comedy show had all the makings of a hit, with the writers’ room and cast including then-unknowns Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Louis C.K., Robert Smigel, and filmmaker Charlie Kaufman.
“It tells the story of a crew of genius misfits who set out to make comedy history and succeeded in a way that people won’t realize it did. And I think people have to see it because I don’t want to ruin the punch [line].”
He feels the show should have made it big, but just fell short. “It sort of sets up to be a failure but ends up being a success in its own unique way and I enjoyed it for that reason.”
Carvey left Saturday Night Live after the 1993 season where many of his characters became well known in homes every weekend like Hans, the Church Lady, Garth, Ross Perot and former US President George H.W. Bush.
The Dana Carvey Show launched on Mar. 12, 1996 and ended the following month, airing a total of eight episodes.
The Just For Laughs Film Festival, which includes screenings, talks and master classes across the city, runs until March 10th.
