Mock documentary about Seinfeld writer Larry David featuring contributions from his friends and colleagues. Larry makes a return to stand-up comedy and prepares to film a television special ... Read allMock documentary about Seinfeld writer Larry David featuring contributions from his friends and colleagues. Larry makes a return to stand-up comedy and prepares to film a television special for HBO.Mock documentary about Seinfeld writer Larry David featuring contributions from his friends and colleagues. Larry makes a return to stand-up comedy and prepares to film a television special for HBO.
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Coming back to the one-hour-long HBO pilot for the series, "Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm," the humor is just as strong. It's not exactly like the series and is more like a "mockumentary" - with interviews from the cast of "Seinfeld," etc. - but it's just as funny.
I actually read somewhere that this wasn't intended as a television show pilot, but based on its success it spawned the series. I'm not sure, but I do know that "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is one of the best television shows out there, and this was a great way of introducing the concept to viewers.
It's not a conventional pilot: It's more like a one-off mockumentary special that probably inspired HBO to pursue a series. The only reason I give it only 8/10 is because the series would become even better in many episodes.
It seems that some of the interviews (with Charles and Seinfeld for example) aren't scripted at all, but are their actual comments about the real Larry David. This isn't surprising, since even the rest of the screen time doesn't seem that outside reality.
Absolutely hilarious. I had already seen Curb Your Enthusiasm the series before I watched this, so knew what to expect but, even so, this is brilliant. Fresh, original, off-beat and actually feels like a real documentary.
While mostly a faux documentary, there are semi-serious interviews with people like Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander and these help you understand Larry David more. The "real" documentary sections help the humorous parts.
Plus, a bonus in that you get to see Larry David do some stand-up - didn't get that in the series. Better still - it's great!
A must-see if you're a fan of the series or of Seinfeld, or just appreciate good humour.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLarry David and HBO originally envisioned this as a one-time project, but it eventually became Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000). While that series also has ad-libbed dialogue and (during the first 6 seasons) a similar visual style, it's not a mockumentary (the characters don't acknowledge the cameras) and Larry & Cheryl David don't have kids.
- GoofsEarly on, after Larry and Jeff exit the initial HBO meeting and are walking to the elevator, you can clearly see Larry reach for the elevator button, hesitate, then move his finger up a couple inches and press it into empty metal above the button. This was presumably done to prevent the elevator doors from opening during filming of the scene.
- Quotes
Larry: I'm wondering, uh, in case I break into some Spanish or french... may I use the familiar tu form with you people? Instead of usted? Because I think usted is gonna be a little too formal for this crowd. I feel already I've established the kind of rapport than I can, I can jump into the tu form with you! That quickly! I'm taking a tu liberty with you, I'm gonna use the tu form, and that's it! You can't talk me out of it. You know, Caesar used the tu form with Brutus, even after Brutus stabbed him. He said "et tu Brute," and I think that's a little too informal when someone's trying to assassinate you.
- Crazy creditsTo add authenticity to this mockumentary, the credits don't list a writer (it was Larry David himself).
- ConnectionsFollowed by Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
- SoundtracksLet's Call the Whole Thing Off
Written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Performed by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
Courtesy of Verve Records
Under license from Universal Music Special Markets
Details
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- Also known as
- Ларри Дэвид: Умерь свой энтузиазм
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro