Any Curb Your Enthusiasm fans here?

falsealarms · **on:** December 19, 2011, 02:25:01 PM

As an extension of becoming a big fan of Seinfeld, I've gotten into Curb Your Enthusiasm. The common link is Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld and creator and star of the latter. I've never had HBO (where it airs), but I've recently seen the seventh season on DVD (because that season has a Seinfeld reunion arc). The show was a lot better than I was expecting and had some of the funniest bits I've seen. It's not as good as Seinfeld but the 10 episodes of Curb that I've seen are pretty high end comedy. That kind of vulgar humor definitely isn't for everyone and it seems like people either love or hate Larry David's comedy.

So, does anyone else here think Curb is great? Any favorite episodes/seasons?

Larry's accused of getting a 7 year old drunk in this season 3 clip (warning - language)

Clips from the Seinfeld "reunion" from season 7. Imagine Seinfeld being set in 2009. This is great - you'll see a lot of familiar characters.

Larry's friend sleeps with a deranged woman. Season 7 (warning - language)

Seamus · **Reply #1 on:** December 19, 2011, 04:06:24 PM

Yeah, love this show. I've been slowly working through the seasons for about a year, and I'm only through season three. The problem for me is that it's DVD-only on Netflix, and my DVD queue has slowed to a crawl since the advent of Netflix instant.

Hard to pick a favorite season out of the three I've seen. If you're a Seinfeld fan, you'll probably like the story arc in season two, with Larry trying to get a new show off the ground with a couple of the ex-cast members, but repeatedly fucking things up with each of the prospective networks in turn just as he's about to get them to pick up the show.

I haven't seen enough Seinfeld to make a comparison, but Curb is pretty tough to beat.

Nice to see Catherine O' Hara as the mental patient in that last clip!

falsealarms · **Reply #2 on:** December 19, 2011, 04:55:33 PM

Curb star Susie Essman, who plays Jeff's wife, reminds me of Rhea Pearlman from Cheers. They resemble each other looks wise but being on HBO lets Essman be a lot more vulgar.

One thing I really like about Curb is the exterior/on location shooting. Gives it a real feel.

Season 7 was great. THE HOT TOWEL was great, as was THE BARE MIDRIFF, THE TABLE READ, THE REUNION, and SEINFELD. Not a dud in the whole year. Season 2 definitely has my interest

No matter what else she does, O'Hara will always be Kevin's mom from HOME ALONE for me.

metaldams · **Reply #3 on:** December 19, 2011, 05:03:13 PM

I wouldn't say I'm a regular viewer, but the few times I've caught episodes on TV I enjoyed them. It's uncanny how much Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld sound alike.

Seamus · **Reply #4 on:** December 19, 2011, 05:20:59 PM

Quote from: falsealarms on December 19, 2011, 04:55:33 PM

One thing I really like about Curb is the exterior/on location shooting. Gives it a real feel.

Season 7 was great. THE HOT TOWEL was great, as was THE BARE MIDRIFF, THE TABLE READ, THE REUNION, and SEINFELD. Not a dud in the whole year. Season 2 definitely has my interest

No matter what else she does, O'Hara will always be Kevin's mom from HOME ALONE for me.

I agree about the exterior filming. The location shooting combined with the off-the-cuff improv-y nature of the dialog give the show a realistic context, but I love how the characters are just exaggerated enough to work against the realistic framework without making it feel like a traditional sitcom.

O'Hara's pretty versatile. I mostly know her from all those improvised Christopher Guest movies she's been in, so it's impossible for me to pin her down to one character. The loony she plays in that clip is the kind of thing she does well.

falsealarms · **Reply #5 on:** December 19, 2011, 06:53:18 PM

I think Seinfeld has better characters which ultimately makes it better, but both shows can be laugh out loud funny. The characters on Curb aren't as likable (doesn't mean they're bad). Seinfeld had so many great characters - besides the main four, you had Newman, Susan Ross, George's parents, Jerry's parents, Uncle Leo, Kenny Bania, and so on.

Ever wonder what Seinfeld would have been like with Larry David in the George role?

booklover · **Reply #6 on:** December 22, 2011, 12:13:01 PM

I love it. To me, it's just as good as "Seinfeld". I don't get to watch the seasons first run, because I don't have cable, so I catch them when they are on dvd.
Favorite season? Probably the one where they did the "Seinfeld" reunion special. Runner up would be the season with "The Producers".
I think it's interesting how Larry is always getting dumped on. You'd think that, being the co-creator of one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, people would always be falling all over him. But that wouldn't be as funny as him being the victim and admittingly, he does bring a lot of it on himself.
I'm amazed at how many "Seinfeld" fans have never even seen the show. I guess it being on cable has a lot to do with it. Not everyone is going to bother ordering it on dvd, or check their local public library to see if they carry it. It's too bad, because I don't see how anybody who loves "Seinfeld" wouldn't as least enjoy "Enthusiasm".
Since the show does mirror Larry's real life somewhat, I'm curious as to whether or not there has been any mention of him playing a nun in the upcoming Three Stooges movie.

falsealarms · **Reply #7 on:** December 22, 2011, 09:43:09 PM

Larry David's legacy is going to be interesting. Does the average person out there know he co-created Seinfeld and wrote many of the episodes? And Curb Your Enthusiasm certainly has a devoted following (and has lasted for 8 seasons now) but being on a premium channel like HBO show certainly "curbs" its exposure. So for as great as that show it, it hasn't reached many people. More so than most shows, I think Seinfeld and Curb are either shows you "get" or you don't.

I think a case can be made that David is one of the best comic minds of his time, but I'm not sure everyone else would agree. He's had a big hand in two of the funniest shows of the last couple decades, in front of and behind the camera.

middlenamewayne · **Reply #8 on:** December 22, 2011, 10:45:34 PM

I worked with Larry's "dad" (Shelley Berman) on a production of "Fiddler On The Roof" in the '80s -- what a magnificent bastard he is! Someone posted a great visualization of Shelley's "Cleans & Dirtys" here: