''When Stand Up Stood Out'' is a

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

by former

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

comedian Fran Solomita which chronicles the explosive popularity of the Boston Stand-up comedy scene in the 80s and early 90s. It was released on DVD on June 20, 2006 by THINKFilm, the distributor behind the documentary '' The Aristocrats''.

Synopsis

Produced by Chad Sahley, the film portrays the smart yet gritty comedy of Boston, a veritable melting pot of people of very different backgrounds: the multi-ethnic working class and the hip, learned college crowd. In an interview for the film, Solomita commented that "Those two things right next to each other created an odd vibe - really smart people who also understand a dollar earned. The comedy just sort of percolated." Along with its joyful 'insider' look at comedy (Solomita performed at the Ding Ho for 2 years in his youth), the film also explores the darker side of the scene.

Cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

, the glamor drug of choice of the 1980s, was a problem in the circles of performers and club owners. Equally bad was the cut-throat competition between the clubs themselves. One of the film's most gripping sequences is the story of Steven Wright's appearance on

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

on 6 August 1982. Apparently, Carson was so impressed with Wright that he invited him to sit down on the couch, an occurrence almost unheard of for first time guests.http://www.townonline.com/somerville/entertainment/view.bg?articleid=520937&format=&page=1 The event is presented as a boiling point; when the brash, rowdy, innovative Boston scene of the early 80s finally broke into the national spotlight.

Features

The film features original footage from two of the Boston area's most renowned comedy clubs: The Comedy Connection in

Quincy Market Quincy Market is a historic building near Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was constructed between 1824 and 1826 and named in honor of mayor Josiah Quincy, who organized its construction without any tax or debt. The market is ...

, and the club which operated at The Ding Ho in Inman Square in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

. Some of this footage was obtained via one of the film's producers, Doug Miller, who worked for Channel 5 and frequented the comedy clubs with his camera. Still other footage from the era came courtesy of DJ Hazard. Also notable are the interviews with many comics who got their start in Boston, including

Kevin Meaney Kevin Gerard Meaney (April 23, 1956 – October 21, 2016) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Early life Meaney graduated from Valhalla High School in Westchester County, New York, and attended State University of New York at Mor ...

Denis Leary Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song "Asshole") and throu ...

, Steven Wright,

Janeane Garofalo Janeane Marie Garofalo ( ; born September 28, 1964) is an American comedian, actress, and former co-host on the now-defunct Air America Radio's ''The Majority Report''. Garofalo began her career as a stand-up comedian and became a cast member on ...

Bobcat Goldthwait Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait (born May 26, 1962) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter, known for his black comedy stand-up act, delivered through an energetic stage persona with an unusual raspy and high-pitched voice. ...

, Paula Poundstone, Don Gavin, Kenny Rogerson, Jimmy Tingle,

Barry Crimmins Barry Francis Crimmins (July 3, 1953 – February 28, 2018) was an American stand-up comedian, political satirist, activist, author, Air America Radio writer and correspondent, and comedy club owner. Early life Crimmins was born in Kingston, New ...

, and

Lenny Clarke Lenny or Lennie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lenny (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lennie (surname), a list of people * Lenny (singer) (born 1993), Czech songwriter Arts and entertainment Music * ''L ...

at locations which include The Comedy Studio and The Comedy Connection.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0790823, When Stand Up Stood Out
www.townonline.com

Films set in Massachusetts American documentary films Documentary films about comedy and comedians Culture of Boston 2003 films 2003 documentary films Direct-to-video documentary films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films English-language documentary films