Bob Zany: Close But No Cigar

Product Description

Bob Zany has been a comedian, actor and radio personality for over three decades. He's worked with some of the biggest names in the business. He's appeared on and in every thing. So why hasn't he made it? ...Or has he?

Includes BONUS DISC of the Hour-Long Stand-Up comedy show, Can't Stop The Gift, Bay-Bee!

Review

Comedian Bob Zany has been cracking jokes in front of crowds for more than 30 years. In that time, the 47-year-old has made hundreds of national television appearances (Gong Show, Drew Carey, Star Search, etc., etc.) and carved out a weekly spot each week on the syndicated radio program, the Bob & Tom Show. Still, for all his many achievements Zany is one of the first to admit that he's never struck it big in the profession. 'I've had breaks, but I haven't had the big break,' he concedes. That topic -- coupled with the stories of other performers in the comedy circuit -- is the theme of a movie under production by local filmmaker Jay Kanzler. Kanzler calls the film a 'mockumentary' -- though that's not exactly how Zany sees it. 'That's what were calling it!?' says a surprised Zany during an interview Thursday at Riverfront Times. 'Get my agent on the line! Hello?? Hello?? He hung up.' Zany and Kanzler are something of an Odd Couple. The outspoken Zany bills himself as something of an unemployable louse whose last bit of honest work came as a Los Angeles courier in the early-1980s. The reserved Kanzler, meanwhile, works as a white-collar St. Louis attorney (who dabbles in a few outlandish cases) and is also an ordained Episcopal priest. Their one commonality? A shared sense of humor. Kanzler first met Zany in 2002 when he won the Fix That Joke contest on Zany's website in which fans provide new punch lines for old yarns. 'You could say that Jay reached out to me. Scratch that. He gave me the reach around and from there it blossomed into heavy spooning,' cracks Zany. 'He likes to provide me with some of the most disgusting, vile and repressed jokes that an attorney/priest could possible dream up and have me read them in front of an audience.' The duo began discussing a film a couple years back that would explore all the behind-the-scenes work Zany puts into his act -- from booking events, to writing jokes and interacting with fans. The movie will also call on other comedians to share their experiences in comedy while providing Zany with a good ribbing or two. 'Rodney Dangerfield had the best act in this business,' notes Zany. 'Boil it down, and it is all about getting no respect.' The working title for the film plays on Zany's stogie-chomping stand-up persona. It's called Close, But No Cigar. --Riverfront Times, St. Louis

For a documentarian covering a single individual, nothing is ultimately as important as the inter-related need for access and honesty. From the start of the production of the work-in-progress, 'Close But No Cigar: Bob Zany' local filmmaker Jay Kanzler had a clear path to the time of Zany; after all, the two had known each other since 2002, when Kanzler first submitted jokes to the veteran comedian. But Kanzler admits that it took almost an entire year to find Zany truly opening up to the camera. 'We started out talking about regular stuff,' Kanzler admits. 'We had to establish some trust. And that took time.' It's not that Zany is afraid of the camera or the media in general. In fact, the comedian's been in some level of the public eye since he was a teenager, when he bombed on The Gong Show to semi-hilarious effect. Since then, Zany's been involved in literally hundreds of televised events, from roasts to telethons, and he's scored a few minor film roles along the way. Radio's been good to him, too, with a weekly segment on the popular Bob and Tom Show. But it's his never-ending concert tour that's introduced him to most fans, as his relentless live comedy work takes his from coast-to-coast, with a long-standing emphasis on dates in the Midwest. I think he really loves the Midwest, Kanzler says. He spends more time here than in LA. In St. Louis, they love Bob Zany. He should move to the Midwest. But he grew up in LA, and that's his world. Shooting on the film began locally, in --Searching for Chet Baker

For a documentarian covering a single individual, nothing is ultimately as important as the inter-related need for access and honesty. From the start of the production of the work-in-progress, 'Close But No Cigar: Bob Zany' local filmmaker Jay Kanzler had a clear path to the time of Zany; after all, the two had known each other since 2002, when Kanzler first submitted jokes to the veteran comedian. But Kanzler admits that it took almost an entire year to find Zany truly opening up to the camera. 'We started out talking about regular stuff,' Kanzler admits. 'We had to establish some trust. And that took time.' It's not that Zany is afraid of the camera or the media in general. In fact, the comedian's been in some level of the public eye since he was a teenager, when he bombed on The Gong Show to semi-hilarious effect. Since then, Zany's been involved in literally hundreds of televised events, from roasts to telethons, and he's scored a few minor film roles along the way. Radio's been good to him, too, with a weekly segment on the popular Bob and Tom Show. But it's his never-ending concert tour that's introduced him to most fans, as his relentless live comedy work takes his from coast-to-coast, with a long-standing emphasis on dates in the Midwest. I think he really loves the Midwest, Kanzler says. He spends more time here than in LA. In St. Louis, they love Bob Zany. He should move to the Midwest. But he grew up in LA, and that's his world. Shooting on the film began locally, in 2008, when Kanzler caught a live act of Zany's at the Argosy Alton Belle Casino. Over time, he'd shoot a few scenes around town, including visits to the statue of Alton Giant Robert Wadlow and to the studios of KMOX for a visit with comic-loving host John Carney. To that degree, the film ha some definite local touches. But Kanzler also logged time in spots like Galesburg and Decatur, Ill., Indianapolis, LA and Las Vegas. Thousands of miles and 70 hours of tape later, he figured he had a film, all of which reinforces the essential truth of the film's title: Zany's been close to fame, he's even tasted it a bit, but there's still a lot of unfinished business in his career. 'It's a long process,' Kanzler says of any comedian, as much as Zany. 'It can be very frustrating. But he keeps going. That's not every performer's story. He keeps pressing on. But deep down, he really enjoys it.' And yet, that certain sense of dissatisfaction within Zany lies at the heart of the film. Says Kanzler, 'I think one of the things he's wanted has been a sitcom. And yet if he got a sitcom what he'd say 'what I really want is...', or 'what I really meant is...' But in some places, he can fill a 700 or 800 seat house. So, yeah, at that point you've made it.' The film really strikes a human chord when Zany sits down for a rarity in the film, a two-subject shot. Full Article: stlbeacon.org/#!/content/17666/preview_of_jay_kanzler_movie_about_bob_zany --St. Louis Beacon

A few years back I read something about [Bob] Zany that I had never known, and that was that he had never had a one hour comedy special. That was amazing to me, as he's a fairly well known comic and seems to be well respected by his peers. How had he not had an hour special? There are plenty of comedians who I don't think are as good, who have had specials on Comedy Central whether 30 minutes or hour specials. Well apparently I wasn't the only one who felt this way, as a documentary was done, by filmmaker Jay Kanzler, about Bob's career and his lack of a special called 'Close but No Cigar', a reference to Bob always bringing on his trademark cigar with him on stage. The documentary is to chronicle the life and career of a comic that has, in his own words, achieved almost everything he wanted. That 'almost' is the framing device around the various clips of comics talking about him, as well as vintage clips of him on The Gong Show making his debut as well as random short clips of him on the Star Search (where he beat out Carrot Top) and The Tonight Show, at Drew Carey's Roast as well as many of a teenage Zany before he became well known. The documentary opens up with Habanera's 'Tiger Club' playing over a long tracking shot of Bob walking through groups of people, and going backstage in what appears to be a show that he is about to perform. It then cuts to Bob talking about how he's accomplished pretty much everything he set out to do. 'I've starred in movies, in TV shows. I hosted my own show on Comcast Comedy Spotlight. Rodney's Stand Up Special, I've been on every stand up comedy special imaginable, but I've never had my hour special.' The person off camera, Jay Kanzler, I imagine, asked him why doesn't he just do it. Just do a show. Bob mentions that it costs money. 'ou gotta do a 5 camera shoot, You gotta shoot it in high def, because, you know, all the kids love that. I mean. I don't know why you don't do it. I mean can't you do it?' Bob asks. And that seems to be the light bulb moment of, 'Holy ..., maybe we can do this ourselves?' Watching the documentary was a very fun experience, as I get to learn more about one of my favorite comedians, and there's a lot of funny things in there, as you have many well known comics who are interviewed and who tell various stories about being with Bob in the comedy clubs, and cracking jokes. Comedians including George Wallace, Kathleen Madigan, Frank Caliendo, Carrot Top, Todd Glass and Zany's wife and fellow comic Erin O'Connor. And many of them offered up their ideas of why Zany had never gotten a special, because the overwhelming feeling was that he should have had one by now. Full article: searchingforchetbaker.com/2014/08/review-bobzany-close-but-no-cigar.html --Searching for Chet Baker