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The Last Stand

Worth a laugh and a cry

By PETER KEOUGH | July 19, 2006

2.5 Stars

Russ Parr’s first feature and the opening program of the Roxbury Film Festival begins with every stand-up comic’s nightmare: death. One of the acts from the seedy LA club of the title has jumped from the roof and ended his life on the pavement amid the bad jokes of his peers. Which of the four aspiring stars headlining this rough but resilient tragi-comedy took the plunge? They all seem likely candidates as each embodies a familiar doomed type. Reggie (Guy Torry), trying to prove his disapproving father wrong, finds that taking a nip before show time helps him deal with hecklers. Bo (Todd Williams) battles the negativity of his grasping wife. TD (Darrin Dewitt Henson) has spent time in the joint and overdoes the homophobic material. And DeDe (Tami Roman) hopes to get her big break from a sleazy agent. Their stories take predictable and sometimes surprising turns. Although relying over much on clichés and technical tricks, Parr in the end earns his laughs and his tears.

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Topics: Reviews , Entertainment, Performing Arts, Stand-up Comedy, More

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