The Kids in the Hall: Live as We'll Ever Be at The Chicago Theatre 4/29/08

The performance of the aging veteran Canadian sketch troupe was nearly irrelevant to my enjoyment of their live show. Don't get me wrong, it was great. It was solid. Their performance sets them further apart from SNL as far as cutting edge, tight knit, and frankly, good.
Let me give an example of the types of post-show conversations I engaged in:

Co-worker: So what did you do last night?
Rb: I went and saw Kids in the Hall downtown.
Cw: Oh what's that?
Rb: They're a sketch comedy troupe from Canada, but they've got all these guys that made it in really weird disparate ways (references to Talk Radio, Lilo & Stitch, Bug's Life, SNL).
Cw: Oh. Now sketch, how's that different than Second City or SNL?
(Punch Cw in face with elitist fist)
Cw: Right I understand. Did you get the memo about punching at work?
(cops arrive)

I understand that not everyone got cable in the early '90s. And, being one myself, some folks don't get Comedy Central now. But other folks are just dumb.
At any rate, fast or slow to literalize that idiom, almost every "rule" of comedy and maybe even production was totally validated by this show. It wasn't a teary moment like the end of Speed Racer, but it gave me hope that if I keep plugging away and doing what I've done and push the story/script I too can be successful, provided I get discovered in Canada by Lorne Michaels, and get money thrown at me by New Yorkers and the Canadian government, and provided I stay with it for the money even after my ensemble parts ways, and if I rehash my most famous and overdone characters.
Joking aside they left me in awe with how good simplicity can be and I will be happy to scratch them off my mental list entitled: See Them Before They Die.
In that way, they share a spot with B.B. King, Weird Al, The Presidents of the United States of America, and Violent Femmes.*

*Footnote: In most instances, folks make the list without me knowing they should have been on it until after they've been seen. Currently Neil Young is the top act not viewed yet.

She's the Man (2006)

Not having any knowledge of the actors or even the movie was a nice way to go into this light teen flick. Amanda Bynes plays Viola, an avid soccer player whose team lacks enough players and therefore cancels their season. When her twin brother decides to play with his band in London rather than attend the first couple weeks of school at his elite boys' boarding academy, Viola takes his place and joins the boys' soccer team.

The acting is good. David Cross plays the high school principal, a bald, petty, in-the-dark and somewhat motivating authority figure. He has a nice hearty laugh when he says he was young "back when dinosaurs ruled the earth." Other good characters are the British soccer coach, a tough looking Vinny Jones (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and the hip, gay older friend (brother?) with big city, ethnic friends.

The plot is predictable - Viola gets into an awkward friendship with a guy who think's she's a guy, too; her brother comes back; she gets found out and all heck breaks loose in the big game. She eventually reveals herself and the game goes on.

The theme of growing up and boy/girl drama is pretty standard, but Bynes is talented and gave a good comic turn to the role. The film lacks the social class tension of Mean Girls; Drumline and I imagine Bend it Like Beckham have more racial commentary, not to mention better action sequences -- She's the Man is pretty heavily white washed and most of the soccer action is weak. (Coincidence?) I think the story is based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Why else would the main character be named Viola?

No watch checks, but I did leave the room for a couple minutes.