I Used to be Funny vs Punchline: I Used to be a Punchline

Two Reel Cinema Club

It’s comedy night at the Two Reel Cinema Club this episode, as we watch the new Canadian dramedy I Used To Be Funny and compare it to an early Tom Hanks picture, Punchline, from 1988. Both films are set in and around stand-up comedy venues, and it’s fascinating to see what’s changed and what’s not in 36 years. But does either film have much more to say than the usual ‘tears of a clown’ cliches about comedians being sad and troubled people off stage? Which film is the most authentic? Which film is the funniest? And which film features the most bacon?

Plus: we discuss a little about our own brief stand-up career, we weigh up the value of getting the audience hammered during the interval, we try to prove the existence of God and regret seeing a recent Disney clunker, we ask how far can you get in New York on $15, we welcome a furry new sponsor to the podcast, and we warn against typing ‘out-joking each other’ into your phone when you have autocorrect switched on…

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