After hearing our very own Katey Rich rave about Derrick Comedy’s Mystery Team at ComicCon earlier this year, I was finally able to catch it last week. Small comedies are rare, but quality small comedies are even rarer. This one is a gem and will begin a New York City run today at Quad Cinema, where the Derrick Comedy crew will introduce the night showings. You don’t owe it to Derrick Comedy to see this movie. They’ll get by on their own. But you do, however, owe it to youself.
With the new internet age, how often do you get to say you knew about something before your friends did? Nowadays, someone releases one song on Myspace, and within five days, they have a fanbase of a million loyal followers. The same thing goes for movies and videos and websites. No matter what it is, you’re always the last to know. “Dude, you BARELY saw that? LAME.” And while Derrick Comedy has had their fair share of internet fame, they’ve yet to truly break out of the internet circle. So here’s your chance to be the condescending dude or dudette that gets to scoff at people when Derrick Comedy blows up, gets a studio deal and releases a cult comedy classic. Remember when Super Troopers came out? Well, you can be the person who knew about Broken Lizard before they released that flick. Except with Derrick Comedy, who are even better.
I’m not sure how they did it, but the Derrick Comedy crew was able to write three characters that were completely faithful to their innocent personas throughout an hour and half movie without it ever growing stale. Each character has a schtick, just like all of those ridiculous mystery books we used to read as kids. Jason is a master of disguise (but not really). Duncan is the boy genius (who is also not a ‘boy’ anymore). And Charlie is the brawn of the team, although what little strength he has hardly makes up for his lack of common sense. And while one would assume that this would not only get old but also be hard to believe for the span of a full-length film, Derrick Comedy pulls it off with great writing, acting, and by being honest to each character, both in their interactions with each other and with their fellow classmates. That takes talent.
What has that dude with the really deep voice done lately? The chocolate rain guy? He was in a Coke commercial or something, right? Then nothing. Same with the TRON guy. The problem with many YouTube stars is that we don’t love them sincerely, we love them out of irony, because whatever it is they do is done with such conviction and obliviousness, that’s it’s hard not to laugh at them rather than with them. YouTube stars are typically like those weird kids at school that were convinced they were funny because everyone laughed at their stupid dance. Derrick Comedy has transcended this by a long shot by offering up hilarious, well-written shorts that have become popular because they’re actually good, not because we’re embarrassed for them. We’re laughing with these guys, and to be honest, they’re probably laughing at us.
Last week, I was lucky enough to catch Donald Glover doing stand-up at a small bar in Brooklyn. There weren’t more than 30 people there, and yet, he tore the place apart as though he was playing to Carnegie Hall. As a writer for 30 Rock, a star of Community, and an up-and-coming stand up comic, Glover is proving time and time again that he’s the next big, and it’s only a matter of time before he blows up. He wears his Dave Chappelle influences on his sleeve and in a great way; in fact, you can say that he does what Chappelle does with more accessibility. Soon, his Comedy Central special will air, and it will likely catapult him one level higher on the fame scale. Then after that, there may be no turning back. This guy’s going to the big leagues, and it’s up to you to make sure you follow him as he climbs.
What else do you want out of a comedy? With The Hangover and I Love You, Man (among others), this year has been a great year for laughs, and Mystery Team adds one more film to that list. With the holiday season already here, and Oscar season just around the corner, you owe it to yourself to catch something funny before all of the Holocaust, dead burning baby movies start getting released and you’ll be forced to be depressed for three months. Sure, Derrick Comedy could use all the help they can get with this tiny movie, but this has nothing to do with pity and everything to do with quality film. It’s a really bad call to miss this flick. So don’t make any bad calls.
In case you've missed it till now, check out the Mystery Team trailer below.
