Sam Rubinoff is a triple threat. A stand up comic, writer, director, and actor. That’s actually a quadruple threat. He’s been around awhile, and another in the march of talent storming out of the DYI comedy world on You Tube and such. Take some time and watch Sam’s shorts. They’re well written, produced, shot, and performed. And more important, they’re funny.

CIVIC DUTY

His newest film is a short he’s done starring, Joe List and Tommy Pope. Two strong stand ups having a good time in a film that let’s them just throw the ball back and forth and showcase their comedy acting chops. I’ve been a fan of Joe List’s for awhile, since he made that killer indy with Louis C.K. ‘Fourth of July’.  I  had him on the podcast and I really like his stand up and his own little shorts.  This is a good one, yet oddly, as interesting and as well produced and directied as it is,  it’s not my favorite of Sam’s stuff.

 

SAM’S YOU TUBE PAGE

Has some true gems on it. ‘Mixed Up’ is interesting, ‘The Best Man’ is a continuation of his characters inability to be in any form of a relationship with anybody, and again, for this You Tube world he’s working in, like all his film stuff, well thought out, cast,  and sturdily produced.

DOG DAYS

I think though my favorite stuff among the mixed bag of goodies on this page is a nine year old series he made called ‘Dog Days’. It’s really worth watching. In fact it could be re-worked right now and could be a great HBO or Netflix series. Just a fun slice of life in Brooklyn. The show is populated with a handful of future top comedy names, H.Foley from Are You Garbage is hysterical as a Russian layabout, (Foley also directs some episodes) one of my favorite comics / actors, Rosebud Baker makes a fledgling appearance and scores quiet nice, as do Michael Blaustein, Emma Willaman, and Ian Fidance in tenderfoot acting roles that showed them all to have the chops they would need  to have, as time has let us know they all do indeed have.

A lot of this is DIY level work, but done with a self possessed zip and a snap that makes me wonder what this guy could do if someone gave him a show, or some money to make a film. I think he’d do something worthy and then some. Paging Netflix? Mr. Apatow? …..Mr. Judd Apatow?

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*NOTE; This is a reprint  of a reprint of the chapter on Ali Mac from my book ‘Standupworld- Essays on the World’s Greatest Artform’. Download it FREE when you sign up for our newsletter. It’s also a reminder that she’s on the show with me this Sat. Night at The Ice House in Pasadena at 8PM and that she’s one of the funniest and sharpest comics working. I met her when she was working the door at the store and she’s gone on to be a genuine big shot. Read about her. Again. I think she’s awesome!

ALI MAC

Ali Macofsky makes me laugh. I’m not alone. She’s been making a lot of people laugh. Whether it’s killing at The Bellco in Denver opening up for Joe Rogan, or playing some iconic music centers on tour all over the country with St. Vincent last summer where she had these amazing sets that a couple of my friends called me to tell me about.
I mean it was like a minute ago my son and I and the crew were filming her as one of the pack of the ‘Door-man’ staff at The Comedy Store’ for episode five of the doc we did. Now she’s on fire. Joe Rogan had her on his podcast and she killed it. It was clear he got a kick out of her, which isn’t always the case. He’s not a pushover.

I loved how she cracked Joe up when they were talking about there being no jobs during the pandemic.

 

If you watch the episode she did with him, you get a sense of her potential. She’s innately confident in spite of all of the insecurity, insanity, and self doubt that comes baked into the reasons why we become stand-ups in the first place. She’s actually listening. Silence doesn’t scare her. She is, as she says, sort of droll, low key, but that’s because she’s real. Unwilling to paste on a facade. Trust me, in stand-up, and entertainment that’s not always going to be a plus. You have to be willing to flash bright objects in one way or another. If you’re not going to show skin you better fall down or juggle and if you won’t fall down and can’t juggle you better have something special to say in a way that’s never been said. If not buy a puppet. Teach it to talk.

My point is Ali has her work cut out for her. She’s not in the slightest way a panderer. She’s not coming out and spinning plates, yet at the same time, she’s damn good and she’s smart and likeable. You get a great sense of her appeal and her promise watching a few episodes of her podcast. (*which I believe she’s no longer doing.) It’s just not even worth describing. You have to watch it. There’s no real there there, yet it’s truly fun and watch-able. It’s eavesdropping.

She did a set not too long ago on ‘Just For Laughs’ that went viral with over three million views, which is a shit-ton. That stat right there tells you everything about her appeal.

“ALI; When I was young I once Googled ‘How to tell if you’re bi-sexual’, and Google was like, ‘if you’re looking this up, you probably are.’ Now, as an adult I just look up things like ‘How to tell if you’ve cum?’, and Google is like, ‘If you’re looking this up, you definitely haven’t.’

 

I’m really looking forward to seeing what Ali’s first hour looks like. I’m always eager to get behind any ex ‘door-person’.
If Netflix or HBO or someone is smart they’ll sign her up quick.

Here’s some links to get more ‘Ali Mac’
https://alimacofsky.com/
https://twitter.com/notalimac
https://www.instagram.com/notalimac/
https://www.altpress.com/features/ali-macofsky-interview/”

 

If you’re in L.A. this weekend I’m at the Ice House in Pasadena for Mike Binder and Friends. There’s still some tickets left. Not a lot, so get them now. It’s going to be a great show.

https://www.showclix.com/event/ice-house-mike-binder-and-friends-july-1-8-pm/listing

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I have to say I’m so excited to have had Leanne Morgan on the podcast. Anyone reading this blog, or listening to the platform for awhile knows how much I think of her. Not only what a great stand up she is, but how much respect I have for her journey.

She didn’t let me down either, it was so much fun to talk to her. I love this episode.

 

 

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