The Unbookables (2012)

Director
Jeff Pearson

Main cast
Andy Andrist; Brett Erikson; James Inman; Kristine Levine; Travis Lipski

Genres
Documentary, Comedy

Description
The Unbookables is a narrative documentary about stand-up comics who have spent their careers pushing limits--on stage and off. Relegated to small venues and touring in a crappy van through the Midwest they careen between the desire to succeed and the reality that there may be nothing left to lose. Road life is far from glamorous: comics come and go and cruel pranks and hard drinking punctuate their obsidian dark comedy on stage. They succeed and fail-spectacularly. When they face being fired for going too far on stage, the conflict culminates in a showdown: compromise or double down?


Similar movies

A camping trip results in some twisted family memories in this off-the-wall black comedy. Hoping for one last family vacation before his children leave the nest, laid-back dad Eric Bury (Frank Harper) takes his brood to a trailer park teeming with oddballs. The clan's plans for a relaxing holiday go down the drain as they encounter sex addicts, a sadistic cop (Michael Bowen), decapitated corpses, bloodthirsty fish and a sage (David Carradine).
In 1903 there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire nation and most people had never seen a “horseless buggy”—but that did not stop Horatio Nelson Jackson, a thirty-one-year-old Vermont doctor, who impulsively bet fifty dollars that he could drive his 20-horsepower automobile from San Francisco to New York City. Here—in Jackson’s own words and photographs—is a glorious account of that months-long, problem-beset, thrilling-to-the-rattled-bones trip with his mechanic, Sewall Crocker, and a bulldog named Bud. Jackson was possessed of a deep thirst for adventure, and his remarkable story chronicles the very beginning of the restless road trips that soon became a way of life in America. Horatio’s Drive is the first chapter in our nation’s great romance with the road.
The aim: to select the ideal mode of transport for each leg of a pilgrimage from Venice, Italy to Pau in France – home to a legendary street circuit and the origins of Grand Prix racing. On the way we prepare by taking to the track at Monza – the home of Italian Formula One. We try to get noticed on the road course in Monaco in a Bugatti, a Lamborghini and a Model T Ford. After cruising the canals in Venice we take to the tarmac and things look good - thanks to the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and Mercedes SLS Black. Throw in a Pagani Huayra, Porsche Cayman S and a GT3 as well as the Aston Martin Vanquish centenary edition, Bentley V8 convertible, Rolls Royce Phantom coupe and the face-bending BAC Mono all seems pretty perfect to us.
Alexandra Pelosi travels through the United States interviewing and filming several evangelical pastors and congregations.
Nev, a 24-year-old New York-based photographer, has no idea what he's in for when Abby, an eight-year-old girl from rural Michigan, contacts him on Facebook, seeking permission to paint one of his photographs. When he receives her remarkable painting, Nev begins a friendship and correspondence with Abby's family. But things really get interesting when he develops a cyber-romance with Abby's attractive older sister, Megan, a musician and model. Prompted by some startling revelations about Megan, Nev and his buddies embark on a road trip in search of the truth.
It’s Road Trip - Beer Pong! Three college roommates are on the ride of their lives when they drop everything to join a bus full of sexy, scantily clad models to compete in the ultimate sport competition: the National Beer Pong Tournament.
Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) is a failed childrens folk singer, a career proofreader, a less-than-extraordinary weekend dad, and perhaps the most negative man alive. Floundering in all aspects of his life, Ben's only comfort comes from regular chess games and friendly debates on game theory with his Senegalese roommate Ibou (Michael Kenneth Williams). When Ibou is suddenly struck ill, Ben's pessimistic worldview seems unequivocally confirmed. It takes an extended visit from Ibou's sister Khadi (Sanaa Lathan) for Ben to realize that cynicism may be all a matter of perspective.
Four friends take off on an 1800 mile road trip to retrieve an illicit tape mistakenly mailed to a girl friend.
When an overachieving high school student decides to travel around the country to choose the perfect college, her overprotective cop father also decides to accompany her in order to keep her on the straight and narrow.
A sarcastic and self-deprecating Asian-American must take his naive Japanese cousin on a road trip along the California coast to find his ex-girlfriend.
Two guys find a beautiful young woman to take the place of their missing roommate. Everything seems fine until a horrible mistake on drunken night leads all three on a downward spiral.
JR has broken up with her professor. She enlists her nervous and obnoxious younger brother Colin to take a short road trip in order to help move out her belongings. They bicker and fight, with one another and pretty much anybody they encounter, before being brought to a place of togetherness and understanding as a result of being pushed away by everybody in their lives except one another.
A dark comedy which follows two brothers who are in love with the same woman.
Five college buddies from the University of Texas circa 1971 embark on a final road trip odyssey across the Mexican border before facing up to uncertain futures, in Vietnam and otherwise.
Nick (Jacot), whose life seemed to be going perfectly, realizes he may lose his girlfriend to a famous music producer (Priestley). He sets out on a roadtrip from the west coast to go to the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, along with two buddies (Tyler and Dime), for the road trip of their lives.
A dark comedy about two people's chase around Los Angeles to find a missing cooler.
A dark comedy about an eclectic group of strangers invited to a downtown bar by a mutual ex-lover, Nikki Franklyn, a maddeningly sexy, unpredictable and possibly insane young woman who's recently gotten out of prison for murdering her last ex-boyfriend. The party really gets started when Nikki herself arrives, hauling her latest lover and fiancee, the morally challenged lawyer who'd been handling her case. She's mysterious about her intentions and her current and former lovers soon realize they are all caught in one of her brilliant, mischievous mind-games with possible deadly consequences. By the night's end, revenge will be had, new romance will bloom, and Nikki will have delivered on her reputation as the sexy evil genius
An inventor and his mom hit the road together so he can sell his latest invention.
Powerfully redemptive and darkly comedic revenge thriller set in the vicious world of stand-up comedy, starring Stephen McCole and Malcolm Shields.
Three guys on the verge of forty begin to realize all the best things in their lives happened before they were twenty. A spontaneous road trip adventure gives them a chance to balance the ledger
This dark comedy is set in Dunedin, New Zealand. A university student finds an old "abandoned" house and proceeds to invite other students to share. It even has running electricity. But what is the catch?
Hoping to bring his family closer together and to recreate his childhood vacation for his own kids, a grown up Rusty Griswold takes his wife and their two sons on a cross-country road trip to the coolest theme park in America, Walley World. Needless to say, things don't go quite as planned.
A new drug promises out-of-body experiences, but users are coming back changed forever, and an otherworldly invasion of Earth is underway.
Colin Frampton is an Englishman who never stops worrying, not even on holiday in Prague. When Colin's wife is accidentally squashed by a statue, he decides that he can't face life without her. So Colin bribes Pavel to help him die. An unlikely friendship develops as Pavel's plans for Colin's death spin out of control, attracting the violent interest of local gangster Karel Karlovic.
The comedy film sees TV Burp star Hill embark on a road trip to Blackpool with his Nan (Julie Walters) when he discovers that his hamster only has one week to live.
A year in the life of Alice Klieg, a woman with Borderline Personality Disorder who wins Mega-millions, quits her meds and buys her own talk show.
A comedic drama about a group of people (and several robots) living on a space station in a 1970’s-version of the future. When a new Assistant Captain arrives, she inadvertently ignites tensions among the crew, prompting them to confront their darkest secrets. Barely contained lust, jealousy, and anger all bubble to the surface, becoming just as dangerous as the asteroid that’s heading right for them.
Susan wants to work in television and will therefore do anything it takes, even if it means killing her husband. A very dark comedy from independent director Gus Van Sant with a brilliant Nicole Kidman in the leading role.
Mortimer Brewster is a newspaperman and author known for his diatribes against marriage. We watch him being married at city hall in the opening scene. Now all that is required is a quick trip home to tell Mortimer's two maiden aunts. While trying to break the news, he finds out his aunts' hobby; killing lonely old men and burying them in the cellar. It gets worse.
A man embarks on a road trip to find his lost love.
A family purchases a home robot designed to look like a grandmum. Their neighbours immediately buy a more expensivve model as the two families always try to up the other one. Both grandmums start to "terorize" their families because they were set up to ensure the mums exercise, the kids study etc. Apart from that they start causing problems to the other family ... cut ropes with hanging clothes, pierced tires, etc. Once they get to killing each other family's pets the parents get really worried about the safety of their kids. The grannys later destroy each other while fighting and the families decide that they'll be better off without any robots. (It's some time since I saw this so the details may be off.) Mainly thanks to the design of the robots it's rather a comedy than a horror. Unless you are ten. And a rather good comedy!
Lighthearted suspense film about a phony psychic/con artist and her taxi driver/private investigator boyfriend who encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir in California.
After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.
Duets is a road-trip comedy which revolves around the little known world of karaoke and the whimsical characters who inhabit it. All roads lead to Omaha, site of a national karaoke competition where this motley group of singers and stars come together for a blow-out sing-off.
An inept karate instructor struggles with marital troubles and an unhealthy obsession with fellow karate enthusiast Chuck "The Truck" Williams.
A road trip comedy about three friends who travel across the country in a Wiener Wagon to beat up a popular daytime talk show therapist.
Christopher Walken shines in this cult-favorite dark comedy as Charlie, a former mobster who is abducted by five privileged young men (Sean Patrick Flanery, Johnny Galecki, Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto, Henry Thomas) desperate to raise a $2 million ransom to save the sister of a friend. As Charlie plays mind games, however, his captors splinter -- each wondering whether one of their own had a hand in the crime.
An unusual road trip movie about a mother driving her two sons from New York to Pittsburgh to St. Louis and eventually Hollywood in her quest to find a man to take care of them all.
When recently single Steven moves into his new apartment, cable guy Chip comes to hook him up -- and doesn't let go. Initially, Chip is just overzealous in his desire to be Steven's pal, but when Steven tries to end the "friendship," Chip shows his dark side. He begins stalking Steven, who's left to fend for himself because no one else can believe Chip's capable of such behavior.
A horror movie/buddy comedy about Joey and his undead friend Bart who comes back from the dead as a revenant: an articulate zombie that needs to drink blood to arrest the decomposition of his body.
When his mother dies, a teenager takes a road-trip in a stolen car to find his long-lost brother. Along the way he discovers a profound connection with the car-owner and with himself as well.
The young Harold lives in his own world of suicide-attempts and funeral visits to avoid the misery of his current family and home environment. Harold meets an 80-year-old woman named Maude who also lives in her own world yet one in which she is having the time of her life. When the two opposites meet they realize that their differences don’t matter and they become best friends and love each other.
A gas is let loose upon the world that kills anyone over 25 years old.
YouTube personalities Joe Sugg and Caspar Lee go on a road trip driving all around Europ
An intent fast paced Danish dark comedy film about two separately motivated brothers who with their slightly psychopathic tendencies end up in a touchy situation. One brother gets in serious trouble after a bank robbery and begs the other brother for help.
The Chumscrubber is a dark comedy about the lives of people who live in upper-class suburbia. It all begins when Dean Stiffle finds the body of his friend, Troy. He doesn't bother telling any of the adults because he knows they won't care. Everyone in town is too self consumed to worry about anything else than themselves. And everybody is on some form of drug just to get through their days.
A young man awakens from a four-year coma to hear that his once virginal high-school sweetheart has since become a centerfold in one of the world's most famous men's magazines. He and his sex-crazed best friend decide to take a cross-country road trip in order to crash a party at the magazine's legendary mansion headquarters and win back the girl.
Nightclub manager Darnell Wright is a perpetual playboy who is almost as devoted to his job as he is to the pursuit of beautiful women. After he sets his sights on the ultra-classy Brandi Web, he launches an all-out assault to win her heart. Ultimately, charm, lust and passion prevail, but Darnell learns the hard way that when you play, you pay. Brandi is much harder to get rid of than she was to get--especially when she realizes that she has a rival vying for Darnell's affection. When he finally decides to call it quits, Brandi becomes an obsessed femme fatale stalking the new love of her life.
A road trip from Karachi to Lahore where 5 friends discover themselves and the country amidst getting to their destination.
In a California high school, a married teacher is the athletic coach and faculty advisor. He starts to have sex flings with his female students and eventually has to kill several of the girls to keep them quiet.
Four grumpy old men go on a road trip from their retired life in Florida to the excitement of Las Vegas in order to stop one of their daughters from marrying the wrong guy.
In New York City, a husband and wife butt heads with the granddaughters of the elderly woman who lives in the apartment the couple owns.
Ashley Scott plays an executive for a company that produces pet supplies. Just after getting into a fight with her boyfriend about their relationship status, she takes up with the company's mascot and the company president's son on a road trip across America at Christmastime in an effort to get home for the holiday season.
Martin meets Samantha, the sister of Nicole who is the leader of a band called "Chery Suicide". While Martin and Samantha are beginning a relationship, Nicole is trying to get away from her ex-boyfriend an insane punk rocker named Ivan. One night Ivan breaks in to Nicole and Samantha's apt. and they knock him unconscious. They run away in a taxi with Curtis the guitarist, Martin, and a blind street philosopher named Wally. They and the taxi driver make their way south to Virginia. In virginia they manage to buy instruments, a van, meet Lenny when their tire blows out, get chased by Ivan, give a concert, crash a Christian fair, and have a fun memorable time doing it.
Me, Myself & I is a 1992 dark romantic comedy starring JoBeth Williams and George Segal. The movie is the directorial debut of editor and producer Pablo Ferro. Bill Macy, Shelley Hack and Ruth Gilbert also appear in this independent film.
One murdered man, eight women, each seeming to be more eager than the others to know the truth. Gimme, gimme, gimme some clues to make up my mind. And eventually enter the truth. Oh, thou cruel woman!
Two young friends embark on a road trip across France in a vehicle they built themselves.
In Blythe, California, a small town in the remote California desert, Ethan Inglebrink is an eccentric, agoraphobic heroin addict who is obsessed with his garden. This dark comedy follows the last days of Ethan's life as he struggles to find purpose at a time when it might be too late to even matter.
Restless and ready for adventure, four suburban bikers leave the safety of their subdivision and head out on the open road. But complications ensue when they cross paths with an intimidating band of New Mexico bikers known as the Del Fuegos.
A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York. In the mid-1970's, a homely, friendless Australian girl of 8 picks a name out of a Manhattan phone book and writes to him; she includes a chocolate bar. She's Mary Dinkle, the only child of an alcoholic mother and a distracted father. He's Max Horowitz, living alone in New York, overweight, subject to anxiety attacks. He writes back, with chocolate. Thus begins a 20-year correspondence, interrupted by a stay in an asylum and a few misunderstandings. Mary falls in love with a neighbor, saves money to have a birthmark removed and deals with loss. Max has a friendship with a neighbor, tries to control his weight, and finally gets the dream job. Will the two ever meet face to face?

© Valossa 2015–2024