Jason Zinoman
Posts
When Jewish Artists Wrestle With Antisemitism
In this unsettling moment, comedians, filmmakers, playwrights and others have been struggling against a long-ingrained American response to look away.
‘Nocebo’ Review: A Troubled Home and a Sick Mother
A new horror starring Eva Green has a point to make about economic exploitation but lacks a sense of surprise.
‘V/H/S/99’ Review: Death on the Way to DVD
The long-running horror anthology has a new installment.
‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ Was the ’90s Cartoon That Mattered
It doesn’t make best-of lists, but the series, then and now, was always much smarter than its characters, and it didn’t try too hard. Sorry,...
Jokes + Exasperation + Subtext = a New York Club Comic on the Rise
In Raanan Hershberg’s standup, the punchline is not the point; it’s what his runaway emotions reveal that’s funny.
Kate Berlant Can’t Hide Any Longer
The experimental comic is known for freewheeling sets. Then Bo Burnham asked, “What if you actually tried to make something?” The transition has been hard.
You Are Getting Sleepy. When You Wake Up, You Will Be an Improv Star.
In “Hyprov,” audience members are hypnotized into performing sketches. The show’s creators argue that the novices make stronger choices than pros would.
5 Smart Comedy Specials From Veteran Standups
Joel Kim Booster, Nikki Glaser, Bill Burr, Fahim Anwar and Cristela Alonzo deliver strong hours ideal for summer viewing.
Janeane Garofalo Never Sold Out. What a Relief.
That concept might be the reason her trailblazing stand-up career has been overshadowed; it may also be the reason she’s still so sharp, our critic...
What Makes Katt Williams Great? It’s Not the Jokes, It’s the Performance
His new special, “World War III” on Netflix, underlines the showmanship and drama that make him the finest arena stand-up of the moment.