battlerealmsrule: Offerman Live

I grabbed this pic from a recent live appearance by Nick Offerman at a BAM screening of his ultra-low-budget whimsical indie flick Somebody Up There Likes Me.

Bob Byington's Somebody Up There Likes Me is the story of a empty man-child who stays forever young with the help of a magic suitcase, but who remains a clueless dolt from one end of the film to the other. The film wants to say something about being engaged iwth life and not being oblivious to its major milestones as they pass you by. Unfortunately, the main character (Keith Poulson) reacts to every event in life with the same slack-jawed blankness, to the degree that the story only succeeds in being a mystery about how anyone can tolerate this one insufferable clod. I can scarcely remember a film character I've liked less. The film clocks in under 90 minutes and even that was pushing the amount of time I was willing to endure in this guy's company. The only bright spots in the film involve stand-alone bits of comedic business from Offerman's as the lead character's best friend and Jess Weixler as his estranged wife. My verdict would be 3 out of 10 but I have no malice towards the film, which is packed with good intentions despite ultimately doing them very little justice.

Some notes from the Q & A: - Offerman made his entrance sliding head first across the theater floor. He then favored us with a Shakespearean performance consisting of the one line he had when he played a guard as a young man.- Following the immutable laws of Q&A's the first questioners demanded the filmmakers explain away any ambiguity that was purposefully worked into the film. Since the movie concerns a mysterious briefcase there was inevitably a few people who wanted the filmmakers to own up to an intentional Pulp Fiction rip off. Offerman and director Bob Byington answered with good natured sarcasm but it was clear they've had it with answering the Pulp Fiction question.- To be frank I got the impression a good chunk of the audience was there for Offerman more than the movie. If that was the case they weren't disappointed because Offerman killed, turning the Q & A into a hour long comedic concert of his gruff trademark persona.- As usual, Offerman gushed about the prodigious talent of wife Megan Mullaly (who has a tiny part in the movie). You can feel the ladies in the room swoon when he goes on like this.- Other thing that endears him to the ladies - and, ok, me as well - his incongruous high-pitched giggle.- A woman (quite randomly) accused the film of misogyny. Director and stars took the charges in stride. Offerman remarked that it was good to stay vigilant against undercurrents of misogyny in the culture and directed her to next door showing of Spring Breakers.

- Offerman brought a handmade mustache comb from his woodshop as a giveaway. I would have desperately loved to win it, but I correctly guessed that Offerman would hand out the prize to the person who asked the best question and I couldn't think of anything to say that wasn't some form of criticism, so I kept my trap shut. I didn't want to spoil the post-film love-in with my griping, and I couldn't bring myself to come up with some question that sugar-coated my negative reaction to the film. Winning through deception is not what Offerman Woodshop is about.
Source:http://seriousfilm.blogspot.com/2013/05/offerman-live.html

Offerman Live Images