Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for Criminally Posehn
Cover image credit:

Source

Criminally Posehn

Brian Posehn

Seeso · 2016 · 61 min

Nerd-friendly, self-deprecating stand-up filmed live at Comic-Con.

Watch on Seeso(opens in a new tab)

At fifty years old, Brian Posehn remains committed to the art of self-deprecation, analyzing his aging body with the same geek-adjacent neurosis he has carried his entire career.

Filmed at the House of Blues in San Diego during Comic-Con, the special marks Posehn’s first time in the director’s chair for one of his own hours. He leans heavily into his specific brand of metal-head, nerd-friendly exhaustion, taking on topics like the physical decline of his body—describing his appearance as a bunch of farts in a man costume—and the junk food cravings he calls depressed treats. Other bits cover a hotel toilet mishap, an encounter with a drug-sniffing dog, and his wife banning him from strip clubs.

Originally released on the streaming platform Seeso, the hour was well-received by fans of his alternative comedy style, earning a spot on several year-end lists.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Roasting a young hipster opening comedian

    Argues that at 49 years old he has actually earned his self-hatred, contrasting himself with a young hipster comic, and notes how out of touch he is by no longer recognizing Weird Al parodies and referring to Robin Thicke as Alan Thicke's kid.

  2. Sweating man boobs and a failing body

    Riffs self-deprecatingly on having rude, sweating man boobs that resemble those of an older woman, finding humor in the reality of physical decline.

  3. Depression, hotel room snacks, and toilet troubles

    Shares an honest story about watching a movie naked in a hotel room while battling depression, which devolves into eating night-night treats and causing a disastrous bathroom clogging incident.

  4. Best Dinner Ever and angel excretion

    Recounts dining at a restaurant without a menu where his friend described the food as tasting like angel come, pushing the premise into an absurd, uncomfortable place involving angel exploitation.

  5. Guy Fieri and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

    Takes comedic shots at the television host while acknowledging his own appreciation for finding places to put cheese on gravy.

  6. Serial killers targeting weak victims

    Questions why serial killers prey on defenseless victims rather than challenging martial arts experts or former soldiers.

How it plays

Tone
Self-deprecating, bawdy, fearless, silly, and dark yet ridiculous.
On stage
Nerdy, heavy-metal-loving, raunchy, self-deprecating older comic reconciling his geek passions with aging.
Pace
Meticulously prepared and scripted delivery with rehearsed material worked out in advance.
About
Aging and physical deterioration, Depression and loneliness on the road, Comic-Con and nerd culture, Food and late-night snacking, Marriage and wife, Self-hatred

What the critics said

Praised as fearless, funny, and deeply honest, successfully combining dark neuroses and depression with Posehn's signature silly, lowbrow, and nerd-friendly comedy.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: brianposehn.com, allmovie.com, themoviedb.org, avclub.com, pastemagazine.com, nickzaino.com, 800poundgorillamedia.com.

Backstory

Filmed during Comic-Con in San Diego; deeply informed by Posehn's experiences with depression, physical aging, childhood neuroses, and longtime nerd and metal passions.

Details

Released
Taped
House of Blues, San Diego
Runtime
61 min
Where
Seeso
Director
Brian Posehn
Topics
Before
Live In: Nerd Rage (2005)
After
25x2 (2017)

More from Brian Posehn

If you liked this