Boston, the Hollywood Way

Ever heard of the Improv Asylum? They’re a comedy theater group out of Boston, and Variety’s Anne Thompson made me aware of them today in her blog. The YouTube clip above is their work, a satire on crime movies set in Boston, The Town in particular. Childhood buddies who turn on each other, bank robberies, sports, working-class neighborhoods, chilly, wintry Boston locations – all the clichés are there. Not as hilarious as it could have been, but pretty much hits the target. The video made me think not only of The Town, but also the 1980s TV show Spenser for Hire, which always seemed to portray Boston in the harshest, coldest light possible. The punchline of the video makes it clear how Hollywood this phenomenon is.

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Published by Stefan Hedmark 2011-02-27 11:33

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Remember This?

“A lot of holes in the desert and a lot of problems are buried in those holes. But you gotta do it right. I mean you gotta have the hole dug before you show up with a package in the trunk. Otherwise, you're talking about a half-hour to forty-five minutes worth of digging. And who knows who's gonna come along in that time? Pretty soon, you gotta dig a few more holes. You could be there all fuckin' night.”

Joe Pesci (Casino, 1995)