This weekend: Paul F. Tompkins' "Laboring Under Delusions"

[BillBrasky]

Paul F. Tompkins' one-hour stand-up special, "Laboring Under Delusions", premieres this Saturday, April 21st at 11:00pm ET/PT on Comedy Central. Before achieving success as a comedian, actor, and writer, Tompkins toiled in the ranks of the common working man, and he shares some of his incredible experiences in this all-new special. Using his trademark storytelling style, Tompkins recounts his stint as a disgruntled hat salesman, his evolution into a sticky-fingered video store clerk, and how hosting VH1’s “Best Week Ever” led to inadvertently donning women’s undergarments. With his fist raised high, Tompkins delivers a rousing hour of comedy to a raucous audience at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA.

The "Laboring Under Delusions" extended and uncensored DVD, with 30 minutes of material not seen in the broadcast, will be released on April 24th by Comedy Central Entertainment. The bonus features include: “Director’s Commentary by a Director,” a series of musings on the full special from Tompkins, impersonating a famous director; an additional 16 minutes of show in the form of “Danny Boy Encore” and “The Pod F. Tompkast: Episode 16 – Behind the Scenes,” featuring insights into the voicing of The Great Undiscovered Project: Part 16 and podcast guest Gillian Jacobs ("Community"). The extended and uncensored version of "Laboring Under Delusions" will also be available for download on April 24th at all major digital outlets.

In this clip from the special, Paul discusses working with actor Daniel Day-Lewis on the film "There Will Be Blood":

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[BillBrasky]

In case anyone is interested, tonight at 2:30 AM, Comedy Central is going to be showing Patton Oswalt's "My Weakness is Strong" and then Paul's "You Should Have Told Me" special at 3:30 AM (both Comedy Central premieres). I guess this means they will be "Secret Stash" presentations (although I don't really recall much swearing in either special).

Then, at 10 PM, before Paul's new special, Patton's "Finest Hour".

[smartbunny]

It's all too much beauty.

[beccaBeccaBECCA]

This is so good. IT'S JUST SO GOOD!

[Itslikeimsayin]

The best sports announcers are often known for shutting up and letting the action speak for itself at the most climactic moments within a game. Vin Scully gets a lot of credit for this technique (some might even say he invented it). I don't know that I've ever thought of it in the context of stand-up comedy until tonight. Paul's handling of the "king hat" joke evoked that same thing to me. The way he just lets the concept sink in, while also wordlessly conveying his disdain for this neanderthal customer, before eventually blurting out, "What are you doing?" is masterful. I love the whole special but that part is the pinnacle for me. I loved it just as much on TV as in person and am really looking forward to getting the uncut version this week.

[smartbunny]

"You know the saying... BATS in the Belfry????" - example of stellar delivery of a standard line of dialogue done by PFT.

[beccaBeccaBECCA]

He killed me with just "MUST I?" Everything about that. PFT is masterful.

[BillBrasky]

Questions:

1) Is the video store he stole tapes from the same one where he saw Fabio? Tower Records? ("Burn that place to the ground and salt the earth so that nothing else may grow there...")

2) Who was the musician he opened for whose fans threw ice at him? Grant Lee Phillips? Michael Penn? Jon Brion? All seem like they'd have kinda low-key fans.

(Not sure why I'm expecting Paul to hop on here and answer these questions)

[smartbunny]

Would those musicians play the Whisky? Isn't that a hard-rock heavy metal thing? I only know what I see on those VH-1 documentaries.

[aenemaTron]

When I heard the "you're a piece of shit" story, it was him opening for Grant Lee Phillips.

[BillBrasky]

Yeah, Paul just said on Twitter it was Grant Lee Buffalo.