“Tomorrow Night” is a Spotlight on Louis C.K. Humor
“Tomorrow Night” is bizarre, but good for a quick chuckle
I don’t know if I would’ve liked Tomorrow Night if I weren’t already a fan of Louis C.K.’s stand up and his FX comedy Louie. The black and white film was made in 1998 and is not easy to watch. If I had been one of the handfuls of people who attended the various festivals the film premiered in back then, I probably would’ve hated it. But knowing C.K.’s sense of humor and how improved he is as a director, I can enjoy Tomorrow Night as a piece of work from a director trying to figure out how best to convey his brand of humor.
While Louis C.K. has since honed his skills, there’s something interesting about watching his directorial debut knowing that his present day work is much improved. There are bits and pieces from the film that reflect well on his work today. Here are five things I have to say about Tomorrow Night:
The Main Character Sits In Ice Cream While Listening to Classical Music
This is without a doubt the most bizarre thing in the film. The protagonist Charles, played by comedian Chuck Sklar, owns a photo shop (which is already a non-existent entity in the present day), and is a socially inept stickler for a sanitized environment. He also, as the title above says, likes to sit in ice cream. It’s one of the most bizarre visuals I have ever seen, but of course it’s not much of a surprise given that it comes from the mind of Louis C.K. I don’t know what possessed him to make this a character trait for Charles, but it’s definitely a memorable one.
The Two Sons: Willie and Clean
One of the funnier portions of the film involve Willie, an Army man who hasn’t contacted his mother in 20 years thanks to a prank by two of his army buddies (Steve Carell and Robert Smigel). He’s very gullible and doesn’t seem to have much of a brain, but the way Greg Hahn plays the character makes me chuckle throughout. Then there is Clean, who is adopted by Charles and Florence and tells Charles to “Shut it man, I’ll kill you” after Charles tells him he should go to school. The best moment comes when Clean is introduced to Willie and ends up pulling a gun on Willie at the dinner table. It’s the biggest laugh in the film.
Amy Poehler Is Sprayed With A Hose By Louis C.K.
It’s a quick scene, but it speaks to the distorted reality that Louis C.K. enjoys exploring. He is a storeowner spraying down the sidewalk as Poehler walks by unfazed at the fact that water is being sprayed on her from a close distance. It’s funny for it’s complete lack of coherence to anything except for a quick chuckle. It’s brilliant.
J.B. Smoove Is Fantastic
J.B. Smoove is probably best known for his work on Curb Your Enthusiasm, but he is also a hilarious comedian and probably gives the best performance in Tomorrow Night. He plays a mailman who visits Charles’ photo shop several times throughout the film and he always has something observational to say with little to no reaction from Charles. Smoove’s character is overbearing towards Charles, but he somehow brings the film down towards some form of reality when you factor in the entirety of the film.
The Film Is Only Five Bucks
For those of you who like to purchase online video legally, Tomorrow Night is very cheap to download and it’s yours forever. On his website, C.K. hopes you won’t download the film illegally, but why would you when it’s this cheap? It’s a great way to release material and he’s done this already with his stand up work. He has said he would like to put out another film with the profits from this one, but in order for that to happen fans will have to contribute.
Tomorrow Night can be downloaded at LouisCK.net
