The Nose looks at ‘George Carlin’s American Dream’ and ‘Brigsby Bear’

This week’s Nose is the first one to say it’s a great country, but it’s a strange culture.

George Carlin’s American Dream is a new, two-part, nearly-four-hour HBO documentary directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. At 225 minutes, it actually runs 45 minutes shorter than Apatow’s previous HBO doc, The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling.

And: Brigsby Bear is a 2017 comedy-drama written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney from a story by Mooney and directed by Dave McCary. Mooney is one of four major departures from the cast of Saturday Night Live last weekend. Brigsby Bear stars Mooney, Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Andy Samberg, and Matt Walsh.

Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:

• ‘Goodfellas’ Star Ray Liotta Dies at 67
• Colin Cantwell, The Concept Artist Who Designed The Death Star, Dies At 90
• Andy “Fletch” Fletcher Dies: Depeche Mode Keyboard Player, Founding Member Was 60
• Ricky Gervais’ Netflix Special Draws Criticism for Graphic Jokes Mocking Trans People
• I Watched the New Ricky Gervais Stand-up Special So You Don’t Have To
• John Mulaney Draws Criticism for Having Dave Chappelle Open, Tell ‘Transphobic Jokes’ at Ohio Show
• The Kids in the Hall Have Gotten Old. Their Comedy Hasn’t. A new documentary explains the undersung Canadian troupe’s brilliance, and a new season of its sketch show confirms it.
• The 100 Greatest Stools in Stand-up Special History
• A ‘Jaws’ actor is named police chief in the town where the iconic movie was filmed
• Broadcast TV’s reduced role made clear in fall presentations
• How Wordle brought us back together Spelling Bee, too, and Words With Friends. Who knew online word games would get us talking to each other again?
• Why the Depp-Heard trial is so much worse than you realize Amber Heard is just the first target of a new extremist playbook.
• As Frank Langella Defies His Firing, More Details About Inappropriate Behavior Claims On Set Of Netflix Series Emerge
• Rita Moreno to Play Vin Diesel’s Grandmother in ‘Fast X’
• Conan O’Brien’s Podcast Company Sells to SiriusXM in Deal Valued Around $150 Million The sale of Team Coco comes as audio companies make deals with podcasters with large followings
• How Reality TV Stars Conquered Your Bookshelves
• Has Time Passed ‘Stranger Things’ By? In 2016, the Netflix hit became a zeitgeist-driving sensation. But in a streaming landscape that’s much more competitive, the supersized and long-awaited Season 4 may have a harder time standing out.
• ‘50% sweet, 50% salty’: Oreo, Ritz team up to make limited edition cookie-cracker snack
• A Brief History of the Cheez-It America’s iconic orange cracker turns 100 this year
• How Top Gun Became A Gay Classic
• Inside the Ambient Music Streaming Boom As more people turn to ambient playlists for sleeping, meditating, and growing houseplants, what does it mean for the artists behind the serene soundscapes?
• LARPing Goes to Disney World On a “Star Wars” spaceship, the company has taken live-action role-play to a lavish extreme. Guests spend days eating, scheming, and assembling lightsabres in character.
• ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey’ Director Teases Slasher Film Plot: ‘Pooh and Piglet Go on a Rampage’

GUEST:

• Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast
• Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer, and the founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance
• Bill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University

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