Louis ck may very well be the funniest man on the planet. He’s cerebral and still relatable. Stories about his daughters, his life, his observations, have made him millions of dollars. He’s a rock star in the stand-up comedy world.
He also pioneered the often copied concept of releasing a stand-up movie on one’s website for $5. Other comics have followed and found great success this way. Jim Gaffigan, Tig Notaro, David Spade and many others have gone the five-buck way.
So when I got my latest email from Louis revealing that his old, previously unfinished movie, Tomorrow Night, was available for download for $5 I thought, it’s Louis ck, how could I go wrong?
I could go very wrong. Tomorrow Night is an awful film. Shot in 1998 when Louis was a struggling comic, it features his famous friends such as Steve Carrell and Wanda Sykes, who I was surprised to notice has obviously had a nose job since then. It’s a black and white, slow-moving tale of an eccentric photo-shop owner who offends and alienates just about everyone he meets, customers included. Finally he decides to get into mainstream society by going on dates and making friends. This is a good thing because his lonely nightly ritual involves filling a stainless steel mixing bowl with ice cream, dropping his pants, and sitting in it.
I sure didn’t find it funny. I find Louis ck of today hilarious so maybe back in 1998, he wouldn’t have made me laugh. One scene drew a grin: a shopkeeper spraying the sidewalk in front of his store with a hose, soaks passersby who maintain their indifferent expressions and walk on as if nothing has happened. On his website, Louis describes the movie as “not for everyone”. I can’t figure out who it’s possibly for. Louis said he wanted to raise enough money to pay back everyone who invested in the film. Dude, you’re rich, next time just write a cheque.