European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 8, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Works to get his own film and television projects under Way is just a few minutes Down the Pacific coast Highway. A a Quot tire truth is id much rather spend time Wil h them than work a he says. Describing a recent excursion to see the movie on deadly ground he sounds like any exasperated Parent a except for the moment when he screws his face into an Impromptu impression of the films Star Steven Seagal perfectly capturing the actors air of zen paranoia. It is a split second blast from Thomas comedic past. Born in St. Catherines Ontario in Canada Thomas who has a masters degree in English literature from Mcmaster University quit an advertising Job at age 27 to join the Toronto Branch of the second City improvisation comedy group. His cohorts included most of the future members of the set show first seen in 1977 As a half hour Toronto based program syndicated in the United states. In 1 981 Abc picked up 5ctv, turned it into a 90-minute program produced in Edmonton Alberta and ran it at 12 30 am on saturdays. One memorable sketch teamed Thomas Bob Hope with Moranis a flawless Woody alien in a movie called play it again Bob. But he is Best remembered As Doug Mckenzie half of the Mckenzie Brothers a stocking capped Beer Swilling duo who in a regular segment titled the great White North delivered sub proletarian discourses on such topics As a Why the parking lots Are so Small at doughnut they were the set Way of complying with Canadian broadcasting co. Regulations demanding that All television shows contain a certain proportion of a Canadian Bob and Doug were probably not what the Csc had in mind they and their moronic catch phrases a a Beauty he a and a take off you losers a a became cult favourites. As did sctt. Shot far away from Burbank dropped into an obscure time Slot and stubbornly resistant to network interference Thinas served As the Point Manit began to win american awards and recognition and its members were seen As the successors to the first wave of saturday night live performer. This Success planted the inevitable seeds of scrips demise. A one of the sketches we did a Thomas says a had the entire cast of Hill Street blues winning emmy and when they All came up at once to get them crashing right through the stage. In 1982, when the writing staff for 5c7vwon emmy there were like 18 of us up there. I remember turning to Catherine when we were up there getting our awards and saying a does no to this remind you of something a a it the emmy got Hollywood a attention and soon the troupe was splitting up to pursue projects there. Thomas left set after the 1982 season. The show survived for one More year on the Showtime Cable network in 1983 be and Moranis co wrote co directed and co starred in a Mckenzie Brothers. Movie strange brew. This thematic forerunner to Wayne s world was not a Success a and As a result Thomas lost the leverage to control big budget movie or television projects. For All Thomas talk about living for the moment and subduing ones anger he clearly harbours ill will Over that stage of his career. A a in a go in to talk to the movie execs to pitch them my ideas a he recalls Quot and they wind up pitching me things they want me to do for them ideas maybe some lawyer or some. Old writer Friend gave them. And they re never funny so what a the Point a in 1984 Thomas joined the cast of lome Michaelso Short lived comedy variety program. The new show. After that he wrote the first of Many drafts of the Dan Ackroyd Chevy Chase movie spies like us and directed the experts a John Travolta comedy deemed a releasable by its studio. Last year Thomas auditioned for Grace under fire and won the part. He works on the show 2vi Days a week and meets with writers and potential investors in his spare time. A i like doing Grace Quot he says. A i go on stage i say my jines i my laughs or i Don 1.1 Don t have to wait for ratings or the opening weekend Box office. You know what i mean the feedback is immediate and i love that. A a it a not the Ideal situation but right now this. Seems to be As close to it As i can Martin Lawrence a stand up routine reaches stateside movie Heaters with his new Ubu to crazy. Fox Lawrence movie Isnit All that crazy by Desson Howe the Washington Post. He language in Martin Lawrence a movie you so crazy will be considered offensive by most mainstream audiences. Unleashing every taboo subject imaginable a sex masturbation homosexuality racism marijuana and crack smoking a Lawrence romps around the stage like a pied Piper of profanity. But while the 28-Ycar-old comedian leads the audience through a Shock corridor full of four letter words there a method to his badness. Lawrence wants to make his generation laugh a and will door say just about anything to achieve that. But with acidic social commentary and anecdotes of surprising sensitivity he a also nudging anyone toward his version of sanity. A racism bothers me it expletive with me a he says at the beginning of this concert recorded at the Brooklyn Academy of music a Majestic theatre last year. A you brought us to this expletive a he tells White people in general. A we was in Africa Lawrence who got ids Start in Landover mde a and had a string of supporting roles in movies including do the right thing and House part of ars in the to sitcom Martin and hosts the weekly Hob pc comedy Jam series is More than Mere sensation. Here in an eerily sardonic imitation of a stoned woman trying futilely to maintain her dignity he in weighs against taking crack. He also weighs an satirically on Rodney King the . Riots anti White. Film goers silently uncomfortable with Blacks who talk their Way through movies. In sexual matters the greater part of his attention Lawrence revels boys Fly in talking about male and female Genita Liui but his crudeness always reveals an Issue a of loneliness sadness frustration whatever. There san intriguing vein of quasi feminism in there too. He reveres his Mother a my Tomsa poverty struck woman who raised him and five other fatherless children. And he presses his male audience to pursue rewarding relationships with women a your girl be Ter be your Best Friend use condoms and take care of the kids they do make. You so crazy originally received an nc-17 rating causing Miramar pictures now u Hamstrung leg of Walt Disney to dump it. The Samuel Goldwyn co. Picked it up and distributed it without a rating. You so crazy directed unobtrusively by Thomas Schlamme show s a comic Talent sometimes at its worst but More frequently at its Best. _ a i cafes says it has not scheduled you so cd Ylo fun on its 8, 1994 sunday Page
