Sketch O’The Week
May 29th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
It’s another “Famous Movie Moment” sketch, and this one needs more cowbell. In “The Deer Hunter”, Christopher Walken‘s character Nikanor “Nick” Chevotarevich endures a lot as a soldier and prisoner of war in Vietnam, and ends up killing himself in a game of Russian roulette in a Saigon gambling den. There’s a lot more to the story. It’s a brutal and tragic film. Walken won an Academy Award for his role. READ MORE
May 22nd, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
It’s another “Famous Movie Moment” sketch, this week featuring Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard”. This is of course from the famous final scene, where the deranged Norma believes she’s making a new picture rather than being arrested for murder. She over-dramatically descends the grand staircase in her mansion mugging for the camera. Some call it a “black comedy”, but I think it’s more of a satire on Hollywood and obsession with fame. READ MORE
May 15th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Here’s another of those famous moments in movie history that needs no preface, explanation, or context… it’s completely encapsulated in a single expression. The moment when Roy Scheider‘s “Chief Brody” first sees the shark in “Jaws” is part of movie history. In a rare departure from tradition, this original sketch is still available to buy! Jaws was released in 1975. I was nine years old, and this movie had a profound effect on me that I still remember to this day. Did I somehow see the film at only 9? I actually do not remember if I did or not. I doubt it. My parents… READ MORE
May 8th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
It’s another “famous movie moment” caricature sketch! This week features Al Pacino going full-on cocaine rage in “Scarface” in the “Say hello to my little friend!” scene. This is another good example of how, in the moment and with the expression/emotion being shown by the subject, a lot of the usual likeness landmarks of the subject have to be ignored. Typically when you think of Al Pacino, you think of heavy, sleepy eyelids, a long nose, a small mouth and very high and sharp cheekbones. This moment requires emphasis on the mouth and the gritted teeth, the squinted eyes, and angled back head. All that… READ MORE
May 1st, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
This week’s “famous movie moment” caricature sketch is Jack Nicholson as “Lt. Col. Nathan Jessep” on the stand in “A Few Good Men”. Nicholson has been in so many memorable movies that I could probably do a whole series of his famous movie moments, but this one came to mind first. One of the goals of these is for the exact moment in the film to play in your head when you see the caricature. That has a lot to do with getting the “presence” right, and exaggerating it. READ MORE
April 17th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Remember how I promised threatened to start a new series for the SotW based on famous moments in movies? Bad news… it’s started! This week’s movie moment is Robert De Niro as “Travis Bickle” in the famous “are you talkin’ to me?” scene from “Taxi Driver”. This might be the most often and badly imitated scene in all of movie history… well, this and any Sean Connery impression. Oh, and before I get a flood of responses to this telling me I put De Niro’s mole on the wrong side of his face, remember this scene takes place in a MIRROR! READ MORE
March 27th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
In a rare break from tradition, the original of this sketch is still available! We are Burning Down the House with this week’s sketch of “Talking Heads” frontman David Byrne! The “Talking Heads” was one of those bands that was impossible to categorize. They came into being during the punk rock/New wave era of the late 1970’s, but they weren’t really part of either movement, although “New Wave” is what they get shoehorned into when being discussed. They were the definition of “their own thing”, and a big part of that was Byrne’s oddball but charismatic presence. You couldn’t quite tell if he and the… READ MORE
March 20th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
We continue our new “famous blind black musicians” series this week with the late, great Ray Charles! Actually we really could do a series of famous blind black musicians if we wanted to. Ronnie Milsap, Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind John Davis, Art Tatum, The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Blind Boys of Mississippi… that would keep me busy for a couple of months! I think we’ll cap it off with Brother Ray, though. This sketch is based on a caricature of him in one of the panels from “The Blues Brothers”… READ MORE
