It's A Disaster Press Summary

VSC It’s a Disaster – Theatrical Premiere April 2013 GAT PR Press Summary

It’s the end of the world. What’s for brunch?

MICHAEL POSNER The Globe and Mail Published Friday, Apr. 19 2013, 5:00 PM EDT

When David Cross was invited to appear in Todd Berger’s new black comedy,It’s a Disaster, his first impulse was to say no.

The American comic had just spent eight very pleasant months in London, and was anxious to get home to New York to resume work on his multi-­‐pronged film and TV career.

But his new wife, actress Amber Tamblyn (General Hospital) – they married last fall after a two-­‐year courtship – had a project in Los Angeles and he accompanied her out west.

There, Tamblyn’s friend, America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), asked again if Cross would read Berger’s new script, to which she was already committed.

Again, Cross demurred – he had no great desire to spend three weeks shooting in L.A. in mid-­‐summer.

“But Amber just said, ‘Oh, c’mon, just read it, read it,’” Cross recalled in a recent interview. “‘You’d be perfect for the role.’”

He ended up reading it in one sitting, then promptly called Ferrera and said, “I’m in.”

It’s a Disaster is your classic indie – a small-­‐budget, one-­‐location film. The script brings together four essentially dysfunctional thirty-­‐something couples for a Sunday brunch in one of their homes.

“I liked it a lot,” says Cross. “I liked Todd’s pitch-­‐perfect ear for dialogue, the restraint and the naturalness of it.”

The meal becomes one kind of disaster, a claustrophobic, Seinfeldian mash-­‐up of competing neuroses, infidelities, self-­‐ absorption andschadenfreude.

Then it gets worse, with news that unidentified terrorists have unleashed a chemical weapon attack on LA. Sooner rather than later, everyone is going to die.

The film’s critical reception in the U.S. has been mixed, but Cross is unfazed.

“In a world in which seven or eight movies come out every week, most of them crap or pretentious or cloying or bombastic, this one,” he insists, “really appeals to me.”

Cross plays Glen Randolph, largely the straight man to the others’ mishegas.

Even before he committed to the project, Berger had signed Julia Stiles (Silver Linings Playbook, Dexter) to play Glen’s brunch date, Tracy, a woman having a streak of bad luck with men. Her streak continues with Glenn who, it turns out, also has some major cuckoo up his sleeve. (Stiles is about to shoot a supernatural horror thriller directed by Spaniard Luis Quilez, and then appear in The First, as screenwriter Francis Marion, in a biopic about Mary Pickford.)

The shoot, says Cross, was “a lot of fun, except that we happened to pick the hottest weeks in recent history.

“And because it was supposed to be fall, in the film, we were all wearing sweaters, and just baking under the film lights.”

Cross, 49, discovered the lure of comedy as a child. Growing up in Atlanta, Ga., he remembers treasuring Jonathan Winters, Monty Python and other comedians’ records. “That was unusual for a kid.”

Just before his 18th birthday, he went to a local club called The Punch Line and did his first stand-­‐up act, about seven minutes of esoteric material influenced by the likes of Andy Kaufman, Steven Wright and Steve Martin.

“It was the craziest story, no exaggeration,” he says. “I killed. I just killed. It almost could have been a prank, because the audience went nuts. I remember saying, ‘Oh, I see my red light is on’– my cue for getting off stage and they started hollering, ‘No, no, more, more.’ I really wasn’t that funny, but I got this huge ovation.”

It was, he says, a classic case of first-­‐time lucky, “like a .200 hitter in baseball who gets called up from the minors and gets five RBIs in his first major-­‐league game.”

For his next 20 performances, he could not buy a laugh. “I just ate it – as I should have. I thought, ‘Wait a minute, what’s wrong here? This stuff worked before? It must be you, the audience, not me.’”

For the next decade, Cross honed the stand-­‐up craft. He won his first HBO special in 1999, was voted number 85 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest stand-­‐ups of all time, won an Emmy for writing for The Ben Stiller Show, and in 2003, landed the role for which he is probably best known, as Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development, with Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor and Michael Cera.

Cancelled by Fox in 2006 after three seasons, Arrested Development is now staging a comeback. Next month, Netflix in the United States, Canada and several other territories will begin airing what amounts to season four – 15 new episodes that reunite much of the old cast.

Lately, there’s also been talk of a movie version of the show. “We’d all certainly like to do it,” Cross allows.

“But to say it’s in the works is a stretch. It’s not anything beyond a desire at this point.”

Interview: Director Todd Berger talks ‘It’s a Disaster’ PHIL BROWN | APRIL 19, 2013 HTTP://WWW.CRITICIZETHIS.CA/2013/04/INTERVIEW-DIRECTOR-TODD-BERGER-TALKS-ITS-A-DISASTER.HTML

Some might claim that there’s nothing funny about the apocalypse, but there are plenty of comedians who would disagree. This summer alone Seth Rogen and his gang of misfits will endure the end of the world in This Is the End, while Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg will offer the Brit-­‐com take on the end of days in The World’s End. However, beating both of them to the apocalyptic comedy party is writer-­‐ director Todd Berger (who previously made The Scenesters and a number of internet shorts) with It’s a Disaster. Thankfully, that’s just the title and not at all an accurate description of the hilarious indie comedy about a collections of awkward couples (including the likes of David Cross, America Ferrera, and Julia Stiles) who meet for a particularly awkward brunch that awkwardly happens to be timed with an apocalyptic invasion involving poisonous gas.

So, an uncomfortable couples brunch turns into a panicked realization that the disappointing Sunday spread will be their last meal on earth. Sure, that might not sound like a laugh-­‐a-­‐second concept, but Berger’s delicate combination of expertly performed character comedy with unexpected bursts of melancholy plays surprisingly well and deservingly earns comparison’s to Don McKellar’s similarly themed darkly comic masterpiece Last Night. We got a chance to chat with Todd Berger about his latest project and the burgeoning filmmaker explained all

the ideas, themes, motivations behind It’s A Disasteras well as discussing his upcoming Muppet murder mystery and blockbuster adaptation of Where’s Waldo? (yes, both of those movies are real. Or at least they will be soon).

Why do you consider a couples brunch to be the worst possible location to be trapped in during an apocalypse?

Todd Berger: [Laughs] Well, the original idea came from wanting to make a zombie movie. I was reading an article about George Romero’s Night Of The Living Dead and how it’s in the public domain. I thought it would be really funny to shoot a bunch of new footage of a bunch of couples getting together for a brunch when the zombies attack. I would have used all the zombie footage from Night Of The Living Dead and shoot my material around it. Then I watched Night Of The Living Dead again and realized how hard it would be to recreate that 16mm look. So I decided not to do that, but still loved the idea of a bunch of couples getting together and then something horrible happens outside that forces them to stay in. So it evolved into this idea. I always wanted the movie to be in one location. And I have an aversion to couples brunches. I have an aversion to couples gatherings in general. I think it’s rude to ostracize single people. So it kind of just came naturally.

So you never intended to go outside of the house?

TB: Well, the original script was pretty similar to what you saw, but there was one draft I did where Pete gets so upset that he has to leave. So he drives off and encounters a soldier who doesn’t know what’s happening either. The soldier just says, “I was hoping you could tell me what’s going on.” But I just scrapped that. I felt like tonally it just didn’t fit what else was going on. I didn’t want news reports showing what was happening around the country or cut to exteriors or explosions or anything like that.

I really enjoyed how unprepared everyone was to deal with the situation. Once the Internet and cable went down, they’re clueless and can’t even find a radio. Was that something that you found amusing and wanted to explore right off the bat?

TB: Yeah. After the tsunami in Japan, I remember my wife and I looking at each other and saying, “do we have an emergency kit? We live in Los Angeles where there could be an earthquake at any moment and do we even have a fire extinguisher? I’m not sure.” So we actually went out and made an emergency kit. But what’s funny is that you assume you’re going to be home during a disaster. You could be anywhere. So, we started to wonder if we should have an emergency kit in our car. I mean, how prepared should you be?

Was Last Night an influence on this? Because I kept thinking of it while watching your movie.

TB: Yeah, I love Last Night. I remember watching it when it came out and loving it because it never got dark. It got lighter as it approached midnight and they never explained why. I kind of loved that: “we’re never going to explain why the world is ending.

It just is.”

That’s actually something that I wanted to ask you about. Did you ever work out the specifics of what your apocalypse was all about even though it was never going to be touched on specifically in the movie?

TB: For me it was a Red Dawn kind of invasion, probably. But I never wanted to get to specific because I didn’t want anyone in the house to know because in real life, you’d never really know what was going on. I wanted to keep it intentionally vague, but yeah it’s an invasion of some sort.

Was there anything you tried to keep in mind when conceiving the characters so they would hate each other as much as possible as quickly as possible?

TB: Well, I decided early on that I wanted eight characters and four couples, with each couple at a different stage in their relationship. I was trying to differentiate the characters and decided to base all of the characters in one of the stages of grief: denial, acceptance, bargaining, guilt, all of those things. So I decided that America Ferrera’s character would immediately go into shock and the question is, “why would you go into shock?” Well because she’s the only character who knows what’s going on because she’s a chemistry teacher and understands the implications. Then Julia Stiles character represents guilt because all she does is feel bad about all the things she didn’t do, so she became the neurotic perpetually single lady. So I started with that idea and then worked backwards with the characters and that helped differentiate how each person would react.

This is kind of a tricky one, but I was wondering if you and David Cross found it amusing that he had a certain twist to his character that adamantly opposes certain perspectives he’s put out through his comedy? I’m trying to be vague.

TB: Yeah. When we first met he said he read the script, liked it, and was excited to do the movie because he’s always offered the crazy Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development kind of role. But in this movie he essentially plays a normal guy and the straight man. Then without giving anything away there’s that twist. That twist is really fun because if you’re at all familiar with his comedic philosophy, there’s an extra level of hilariousness for me once you realize what’s really going on.

Since the comedy so deadpan, I feel like that’s got to be the hardest to film as an actor without breaking up because you have to maintain such a serious façade. So what was the hardest scene to shoot without people getting silly?

TB: Oh, absolutely. There’s a scene with David and Julia in the basement towards the end of the movie where no one could keep a straight face. It was shot over Julia’s shoulder and she cracked up every time. It’s a testament to David that he was able to keep doing his scene even though she was laughing. Then there were a couple moments in the big dinner scenes that were tough. David really enjoys throwing in weird non-­‐sequiturs at the end of scenes to make everyone laugh, but everyone was good for the most part.

I thought the movie became unexpectedly touching towards the end in an interesting way and wondered as a writer if you found it difficult to settle on a tone that would keep things funny without ignoring the gravity of, you know, the apocalypse?

TB: Yeah, I really wanted you to care about the characters at the end of the movie. I’m in the movie as the neighbor who shows up to deliver the bad news, but that doesn’t happen until about 25 minutes into the movie. When some people read the script they were like, “No, no, no. We need to find out that there’s a disaster on page 10 or page 5.” I always thought, “No, we need to spend time getting to know these people and understand who they are before the craziness. That way once you know who they are, you can appreciate how they respond.” I always thought just taking that time up front really helped. As an audience, you know something’s wrong because the movie is called It’s A Disaster and none of the phones or cable connections work. But none of these characters know yet. So I think that helped and all the actors were on the same page about wanting to make their characters seem like real people and not just cartoons. I was very clear about the tone of the movie we were making. I really stressed that I wanted it to be more like a Woody Allen movie or a Robert Altman movie than another Disaster Movie parody.

I read that you’re working on an R-­‐rated Muppets movie and was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your plans for that. Is that a Meet The Feebles kind of thing?

TB: Nope, it’s called The Happy Time Murders and it’s being made through The Henson Company and Brian Henson is actually going to direct it. It’s basically a serial killer murder mystery like Se7en but set in a world where puppets and humans co-­‐exist.

We want to shoot it and treat it like a real thriller, except half the characters are puppets. So it’s about a serial killer going after the cast of a 1980s TV show, following a detective whose working on the case.

Have you got to spend anytime in the Henson Studio working on the puppets yet?

TB: Oh yeah, I’ve got to go over to Creature Shop and meet some of the puppets and puppeteers. It’s really cool when you go into the lot because the security guard will be like, “ok you’re going to want to go into Studio 4 and then take a left at the dinosaur. Then when you see a Fraggle head up the stairs.” That’s a lot of fun every time.

How exactly are you planning on turning Where’s Waldo? into a movie?

TB: [Laughs] Well, I’m not allowed to talk too much about it because I’ve signed a non-­‐disclosure agreement. But it’s a big, fun, globe-­‐trotting adventure movie. It’s a book that’s known all over the world, he’s Wally in England and Windel or whatever in Italy. So, it’ll be a big family-­‐focused chase across the world that I think will be a lot of fun.

And I’m assuming David Cross will play Waldo?

TB: [Laughs] We’ll figure that out later. It’s too early to tell just yet.

It’s a Disaster is currently playing in Toronto and other select cities. Check out the trailer below.

It's a Disaster: The apocalypse is all about them http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-­‐reviews/its-­‐a-­‐disaster-­‐the-­‐apocalypse-­‐is-­‐all-­‐about-­‐ them/article11379911/

By Rick Groen | April 19, 2013

Apocalypse now and forever – on the big screen, the big bang is tolling like Big Ben. Sometimes the end is nigh, sometimes it’s the messy aftermath but, either way, doomsday has become everyday business as usual. At this familiar point, tragedy is optional, as are zombies – hell, we might as well laugh. It’s a Disaster is just the latest notch in extinction’s belt, but at least credit writer/director Todd Berger with concocting a relatively fresh take on a suddenly stale genre – Armageddon played out as drawing-­‐room comedy, the Four Horsemen wrangled by Noel Coward.

The rooms in question belong to a house in suburban Los Angeles, where a covey of your typically narcissistic thirtysomethings gather for their monthly “couples brunch.” Nice-­‐guy Glen (David Cross), on only his third date with the serially dating Tracy (Julia Stiles), is the newcomer to the group and thus our surrogate through the early getting-­‐to-­‐know-­‐them chatter. Of course, to know them is not to love them, since dysfunction abounds – the better to mine a few yuks.

Turns out that the hosts Pete and Emma (Blaise Miller and Erinn Hayes) are on the cusp of a divorce announcement. By contrast, comic-­‐book nerd Shane and chemistry teacher Hedy (Jeff Grace and America Ferrera) are marooned in a perpetual engagement. For their part, tattooed Buck and libidinous Lexi (Kevin M. Brennan and Rachel Boston) are happy with each other and just about anyone else – they’re keen to put the poly into amorous. So, as the women bicker in the kitchen while the men gossip in the den, the wit trickles until the power fails and the door bell rings.

Enter a neighbour who, from behind the mask of his bio-­‐hazard suit, delivers the news: “A bunch of dirty bombs were set off downtown.” Indeed, L.A., New York and Orlando were all hit by simultaneous blasts, which fetches an “Awesome” from one of the brunchers and from another a more discerning observation: “Somebody thought Orlando was on a par with those other cities?”

And there’s the picture’s basic gag: Lethal nerve gas may be wafting their way, but nothing can dent the self-­‐absorbed shell of this merry band of narcissists. Doors still slam, doors still open, and the drawing-­‐ room comedy remains a drawing-­‐room comedy even onto the 11th hour. In case anyone misses the point, Hedy seizes upon impending disaster as the opportunity to upbraid her boyfriend: “This end-­‐of-­‐ the-­‐world thing has really got me re-­‐examining our relationship.”

Happily, it isn’t always that bad. The humour may not be wickedly black, but once in a while it’s amusingly beige. Berger keeps the pace brisk, the cast has fun with their caricatures, and the occasional joke takes wing. Like when Tracy, slumped in a corner and scanning her life’s regrets, laments: “I never went to Europe. I never even went to Montreal, which I hear is very European. And I never watched The Wire.”

Never watched The Wire – finally, the antic doings take a truly tragic turn. Me, I kept hoping she would make amends, find a generator, fire up the TV and load it with a boxed set of all five seasons. Pay the bombs no heed and the gas no never mind. Just settle back and savour the thought: This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, neither a whimper, but with a jaunty whistle and the heady cry of, “Omar coming.”

This Week in Film: Posted by Blake Williams http://www.blogto.com/film/2013/04/this_week_in_film_to_the_wonder_much _ado_about_nothing_taxi_driver_and_speaking_directly_some_american_notes/ §

It's a Disaster (Carlton)

My Awkward Sexual Adventure and It’s a Disaster: double review

By Peter Howell | April 18, 2013 http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2013/04/18/my_awkward_sexual_adventure_and_its_ a_disaster_double_review.html

My Awkward Sexual Adventure 3 stars Starring Jonas Chernick, Emily Hampshire, Sarah Manninen, Vik Sahay and Melissa Elias. Directed by Sean Garrity. 103 minutes. Opens April 19 at major theatres.18A

It’s a Disaster 1.5 stars Starring Julia Stiles, David Cross and America Ferrara. Directed by Todd Berger. 88 minutes. Opens April 19 at the Carlton. 14A

Modern romance, ain’t it a ball of confusion?

If you’re not already dealing with the ins and outs of sexting, tranny bloggers and suggestible groceries, then a citywide catastrophe might well come along to harsh your love buzz.

Such are the trials facing our everyday heroes in My Awkward Sexual Adventure and It’s a Disaster , two movies arriving at Toronto theatres Friday with promises of wacky relationship chuckles — but only one delivers.

Sean Garrity’s My Awkward Sexual Adventure comes with deserved laurels as one of Canada’s Top 10 picks for 2012, chosen by a TIFF panel after premiering at the festival last fall.

It’s your standard nerd-­‐meets-­‐stripper scenario, but filmmaking sparks and a combustible cast set this rom-­‐com blazing.

Winnipeg accountant Jordan (Jonas Chernick, who also wrote the mirthful screenplay) is planning a romantic Toronto vacation with his girlfriend Rachel (Sarah Manninen), whom he hopes will soon become his fiancée.

She has other ideas. Bored by Jordan’s dull bedroom routine (he calls sex “gentle time”), she sends him packing solo to T.O., his heart in tatters. He can’t believe she’s leaving him, even after his player pal Dandak (Vik Sahay) points out that she’s ignoring his constant iPhone pleas.

Jordan visits a strip club, with plans to make Rachel jealous by sexting back photos of a boob cavorting with boobies. His drunken stumbles land him on the couch of Julia (Emily Hampshire), a peeler who knows her way around a pole and a kitchen, but who is hopeless at anything to do with money.

Julia is as dire with debt as Jordan is with foreplay, and the two strike a deal: she’ll teach him to be a better lover (and maybe win back Rachel) if he shows her how to avoid bankruptcy. Slice the cantaloupe, get out the leather gear and switch on the vibrator (and calculator).

It’s the kind of thing you might expect to come with a canned laugh track, but happily My Awkward Sexual Adventure is packed with randy cheer, not at all afraid to push that 18A Ontario film rating to the limit.

Chernick and Hampshire make a grand pair, and just watch what they get up to with unsuspecting produce. It’s kind of like Mighty Aphrodite meets Like Water for Chocolate .

The stakes are much higher all around in It’s a Disaster , but the laughs aren’t up to the challenge.

A group of Los Angeles pals meet at the home of married couple Pete (Blaise Miller) and Emma (Erinn Hayes) for one of their “famous couple brunches” they regular enjoy — or endure.

The grab-­‐bag of brunchers also include nervous new daters Tracy (Julia Stiles) and Glenn (David Cross); perpetually engaged nerds Shane (Jeff Grace) and Hedy (America Ferrara); and coked-­‐up swingers Lexi (Rachel Boston) and Buck (Kevin Brennan).

As we get to know their tedious foibles, frets and hangups, along with a difficult announcement from Pete and Emma, a distant emergency starts to draw close: “dirty” bombs have been detonated in downtown L.A., and clouds of toxic nerve gas are heading straight for the suburbs.

This would normally be the cue for high drama or, even better, exceedingly dark satire. But there’s no Dr. Strangelove to rescue this dismally unfunny crew, least of all writer/director Todd Berger, who is determined to ride his one-­‐trick pony straight into the ground.

I kept wondering while watching It’s a Disaster whether it would work if everybody spoke with an English accent, along the lines of the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead .

But Britain’s “keep calm and carry on” dry wit doesn’t transfer well to excitable Americans.

And you need better dialogue than Berger supplies to help It’s a Disaster make a liar out of its title.

When the best you can come up with is doomed characters arguing over the proper pronunciation of “duct tape,” then that’s the real catastrophe of this film.

It’s not the end of the world. Actually, it is.

By Liz Braun | April 18, 2013 http://www.torontosun.com/2013/04/18/its-­‐not-­‐the-­‐end-­‐of-­‐the-­‐world-­‐actually-­‐it-­‐is

TORONTO -­‐ The end of the world? That’s no reason to put a halt to domestic squabbles according to It’s A Disaster, a crisp black comedy about brunch and Armageddon.

Tracy (Julia Stiles) is bringing her new man, Glen (David Cross), to meet her friends at a regular couples’ brunch.

It’s quickly made obvious that Tracy has brought several other guys to these brunches, but as events unfold, her relationship issues pale in comparison to those of her friends.

The brunch hosts, Emma (Erin Hayes) and Pete (Blaise Miller) appear to have adult life under control, but announce early on that they are separating. Another happy couple (played by Rachel Boston and Kevin Brennan) turn out to be a pair of well-­‐matched loose cannons, interested in cocaine and threesomes, and then there’s Hedy (America Ferrera) and Shane (Jeff Grace), who are engaged but can’t seem to get to the altar.

There’s biting chit-­‐chat galore — everyone is competitive and ready to judge — and then, things change. A neighbour (director Todd Berger) comes by in a Hazmat suit to explain that dirty bombs have gone off in the city.

They’re all going to die, says the neighbour. He only takes off his gas mask long enough to ask why he wasn’t invited to the brunch.

With death staring them all in the face, our sophisticated group of friends prepares for the end. Well, not really.

Even their own mortality can’t stop the petty sniping.

It’s A Disaster is full of sharp, funny observations about contemporary life.

The horrors going on outside the house, courtesy of world events, are well-­‐matched by what’s going on inside; you just have to pick your poison.

It’s A Disaster is a brisk and breezy indie with some great laughs.

It’s A Disaster

Yes, it is

By NORMAN WILNER http://www.nowtoronto.com/movies/story.cfm?content=192147

IT’S A DISASTER (Todd Berger). 89 minutes. Opens Friday (April 19). For venues and times, see Movies.

NOW RATING: N N

The first in an upcoming spate of apocalypse satires, It’s A Disaster at least has the novelty of landing early, well ahead of this summer’s Rapture-­‐Palooza, This Is The End and The World’s End. On the other hand, it’s reaching theatres just days after the Boston Marathon bombing.

In writer/director Todd Berger’s domestic farce, the Sunday brunch date of four Los Angeles couples gets more than a little awkward when news breaks of a dirty bomb attack downtown. As the air fills with unknown toxins, they duct-­‐tape themselves inside the house only to realize that their various issues are trapped inside with them.

A Buñuelian remake of the post-­‐9/11 thriller Right At Your Door could be a great idea – The Slow Decay Of The Bourgeoisie, maybe? – but Berger can’t deliver on the promise of his premise. It’s one thing to make a movie about small-­‐minded, petty characters, but when the movie is small-­‐minded and petty, too, there’s nothing to give us a rooting interest.

Fond as I am of David Cross, Julia Stiles, America Ferrera and Children’s Hospital’s Erinn Hayes, watching them struggle to animate Berger’s dialogue is no fun at all. After the halfway point, when the horror literally lands on the doorstep and the characters go on behaving like self-­‐absorbed dicks, I just didn’t care if they lived or died.

'It's A Disaster' tears down some our social barriers in the face of oblivion http://www.examiner.com/review/it-­‐s-­‐a-­‐disaster-­‐tears-­‐down-­‐some-­‐our-­‐social-­‐barriers-­‐the-­‐face-­‐of-­‐ oblivion

There are plenty of horrible things that go on in the world, it's pretty to easy to close off from the world and get fairly depressed about it all. Opening today exclusively at the Carlton here in downtown Toronto is a film that tries to help us laugh in the face of it all.

"It's A Disaster" takes us to a standard couple brunch in metropolitan suburb where the unthinkable happens.

It's a run of the mill Sunday afternoon where 4 couples gather together for a Sunday afternoon brunch. Slowly but surely they all slowly begin to realize as the TV, the internet and the phone lines that they are all stuck in this house together on the brink of the end of the world as they know it.

The premise of the end of the world and how we all deal with it is one that has been done countless times before, but writer/directorTodd Berger has assembled a dry, funny and realistic spin on the interminable couples gatherings that we congregate for and how the social and societal expectations get stripped bare in the face of Armageddon. Setting the entire film in a house was a smart move as it gave every character the opportunity to interact separately and as a group as his narrative was filled with some witty and outright hilarious moments that happen when a group of couples get together for an event. Berger keeps it moving at a brisk pace despite some occasional uneven moments and makes fantastic use of the surroundings making for some excellently hilarious interaction with one another as they either lob zingers at one another or just go catatonic. Films like this either thrive or survive based on the ensemble, and for the most part they are up to the challenge.

Led by Juila Stiles, David Cross and America Ferrera the ensemble navigates the end of the world and the dynamics of relationships with a deft hand. A true ensemble in every sense of the world as it effectively mirrored the dynamic of a group of friends when the gather as couples, it even had the single friend and every actor gets their moments in the comedic sun as it builds to its conclusion.

A fun balance of wit and laugh out loud moments, "It's A Disaster" is a fun little piece of counterprogramming that will at least take your mind off of the 24 hour news cycle and put a smile on your face.

3 out of 5 stars.

"It's A Disaster" is now playing exclusively at the Carlton cinemas here in downtown Toronto, please click right here for show times.

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It’s a Disaster

By Marc Glassman http://www.classical963fm.com/blog/arts-­‐review/its-­‐a-­‐disaster/

Starring: Julia Stiles (Tracy), David Cross (Glen), Blaise Miller (Pete), Erinn Hayes (Emma), Jeff Grace (Shane), America Ferrera (Hedy), Rachel Boston (Lexi), Kevin M. Brennan (Buck), Todd Berger (Hal Lousteau)

The buzz Writer-­‐director Todd Berger and It’s a Disaster actors Jeff Grace, Kevin M. Brennan and Blaise Miller have been performing as a comedy troupe The Vacationeers since 2006. Besides performing live, mainly in Los Angeles, they’ve been making videos and created a feature film The Scenesters in 2009. It’s a Disaster is their second film.

The genres Comedy; couples; end-­‐of-­‐the-­‐world The premise Tracy (Julia Stiles) shows up with her new beau Glen (David Cross) at Pete (Blaise Miller) and Emma’s (Erinn Hayes) regular “couple’s brunch,” an event which every one of these middlebrow Anglenos love and dread. Tracy is the odd one out in a group of couples that includes musicians Lexi (Rachel Boston) and Buck (Kevin M. Brennan) and teacher Shane (Jeff Grace) and scientist Hedy (America Ferrera). This is Glen’s first time meeting the other couples and Tracy is concerned about how he’ll fit in.

As the lunch is being prepared, it becomes obvious that something is amiss. Comic tension is built as the computers, telephone and TV stop working, leading Pete to leap to the conclusion that Emma hasn’t paid the bills. In an angry outburst, he reveals to the group that he and Emma are breaking up and this will be the last of their brunches. Before that revelation has sunk in, the next-­‐door neighbour Hal Lousteau (Berger) arrives in an orange survival costume complete with a mask. He delivers the news: dirty bombs have exploded downtown and the end of the world has come. People will start to die within hours, especially if they don’t barricade their doors and seal off their windows.

While duct tape is being applied liberally to the windows to keep the couples alive for a few more hours, confessions fly thick and fast. Infidelities are revealed. Couples break up and get back together again. Finally, Glen—now the odd man in—proposes that they drink poisoned wine together and embrace the Rapture. Will they do it?

The performances Since this is a comedy timing and attitude is absolutely crucial if the film is to be successful. Julia Stiles (the Bourne series, Dexter) is wonderful as Tracy, appropriately neurotic as the one member of the group who never “coupled” correctly. David Cross, formerly of Arrested Development and Mr. Show, is nimble and entertaining as Glen. Rachel Boston is fine as Lexi.

But what happened to The Vacationeers? Blaise Miller, Kevin M. Brennan and Jeff Grace do very little with their roles. This should have been their film and it’s not.

The writer/director and the skinny There’s a problem with sketch comedy. It’s based on a clever premise and a set of virtuoso character actors who shine because of their ability to play so many parts reasonably well. But sketches last 10 minutes, not an hour and a half. Great short story writers don’t always become brilliant novelists. Todd Berger can’t build on his two solid pillars, a marital break-­‐up and the end-­‐ of-­‐the-­‐world to construct something memorable. In his hands, both concepts yield good results for about ten minutes. But features last 90 minutes.

It’s too easy to play with a title like It’s a Disaster in a review, particularly in a week that will always be remembered for the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. No need to be cruel then—let’s just call this a film that can be missed. And, please, can’t someone find a script for Julia Stiles?

It's a Disaster

Directed by Todd Berger http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/Film/its_disaster-directed_by_todd_berger

By Robert Bell

7 As suggested by the simple yet evocative title, It's a Disaster, the central, guiding gag of Todd Berger's apocalyptic comedy of manners links the absurdity of hyperbolized social silliness with the most dire of mortal anxieties: annihilation.

Like a higher concept, less metaphorically rich variation onCarnage, with a healthy dose of Exterminating Angel satire, the set-up is that of a brunch — a ridiculously conceived and entirely unnecessary portmanteau in itself — where four couples confine themselves to a suburban home after learning of dirty

bombs being dropped nearby.

It simplifies the scenario, reducing the action to a single locale, while forcing the situational humour of protracted customary awkwardness exacerbated by the depleted etiquette demonstrated when death, or failure, becomes inevitable.

Hosting couple Emma (Erinn Hayes) and Pete (Blaise Miller) are having marital woes. It's not clear at first when everyone is politely asking arbitrary questions about each other's lives, offering transparent forms of flattery while exaggerating their happiness and contentment. But once the power goes out and the couple start blaming each other for not paying the bill, the imperfections in everyone begin to emerge.

Hippie pair Lexi (Rachel Boston) and Buck (Kevin N. Brennan) start revealing their sexual liberties, coming on to Tracy's (Julia Stiles) date —group newcomer Glen (David Cross) — while Hedy (America Ferrera) and Shane (Jeff Owens) begin to realize that marriage may not be a plausible option.

All of this is filtered through the exaggerated behaviours that knowledge of the end-of-the-world brings: Tracy mopes; Hedy succumbs to shock; Lexi and Buck indulge in simpler pleasures; and Shane has the constant, irrational emotional reactions of a control freak. Conversations about what the afterlife might bring arise, as do confessions of infidelities and repressed truths.

Berger's decision to ground all of this within the logical lexicon of human behaviour and likely response leaves the comedy of mixed honesty and feigned niceties to do most of the work. The plot, or concerns about the root cause ("If I'm going to die, I think I have the right to know who is the one doing it"), exists merely to allow these idiosyncratic, overly conditioned people to have awkward conversations and make pithy observations about how annoying a heaven with 160 billion people playing harps would be.

While there's nothing groundbreaking or particularly new, the levity and acute observations about human inanity are often laugh-out-loud funny. And what's weird is that even though Boston and Brennan are positioned as the comic relief, being the hippie-dippy idiots of the bunch, America Ferrera demonstrates the strongest comic timing, being the practical doctor that decides to make homemade ecstasy for shits and giggles.

The notion that silly social customs, like brunch, are treated with reverence and significance when life is so short and fleeting is the biggest joke of it all. But the greatest part of It's a Disaster is that these eight people never figure that out.

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It’s a Disaster

http://www.toromagazine.com/culture/film/713b2d12-­‐c8af-­‐5284-­‐d56d-­‐ef259f8b7e84/Its-­‐a-­‐Disaster/

The post-­‐Gen X comedy It’s a Disaster finds eight 30-­‐something friends preparing for brunch before the end of the world. They are all so self-­‐absorbed the sudden apocalypse barely disrupts their morning.

Little wonder the new guy, Glen (David Cross), seems to have his head screwed on tightest. Of the seven others the most interesting is certainly Hedy (America Ferrara), a chemistry teacher who leaps past grief and gets set to welcome the end tripping on homemade ecstasy.

Others argue, make love, or imagine their now-­‐vanquished futures. Nobody seems to get worked up. The characters’ blankness is played so consistently and convincingly it’s hard to tell if it’s all a dry joke, or a feature-­‐ length hard lesson on how spoiled grown-­‐ups can willfully shut out the world around them.

It’s a Disaster doesn’t have the production values to show disaster or the nerve to totally ignore it. It might have worked better on stage, where technical limitations encourage audiences to do more heavy lifting with their imaginations, or with a much stronger budget. As it is, it’s somewhere in the middle, suggesting the breakdown of society with a few touches – overflying fighter jets, latecomer friends denied access to the house and treated to an unfortunate end – that aren’t impactful or unnerving enough to make the unsafe outside world seem that much different than the final refuge of humanity barricaded in the house.

The movie is pretty low-­‐stakes like that for a while, anyway. Its midsection is padded with interpersonal squabbles and the forced irony of otherwise smart people ignoring something incredibly serious. In its final 20 minutes however Berger stops dicking around and throws a philosophical curveball at the characters, asking them to reconsider their fates and make a seemingly impossible choice. With its brilliant final beat – a punch line, you could say – It’s a Disaster is the rare movie that starts off well, grows tiresome, but returns for an unexpected comeback.

Stick with it.

Director: Todd Berger Oscilloscope Laboratories, 90 minutes Rating: 3.5/5

Review: It’s A Disaster

http://thetfs.ca/2013/04/19/review-­‐its-­‐a-­‐disaster/

By William Brownridge | April 19, 2013

Tracy (Julia Stiles) gets together once a month for a couples’ brunch with her friends. This month, she’s bringing her new boyfriend Glen (David Cross) for their third date. Before the quiche is even served, problems between the couples start to appear, leaving Glen feeling rather awkward. As things start to break down and people are about to leave, the friends find out that a dirty bomb has gone off in the city, forcing them to stay indoors. With the apocalypse on the horizon, the group start to realize that their problems could be worse, but that won’t stop them from arguing about it first.

Todd Berger tackles triple duty with his film It’s A Disaster, appearing in a cameo role, as well as writing and directing. This is very much a Murphy’s Law kind of film. If you can think of a problem that could happen between a couple, chances are that it’s packed in here, including an end of the world scenario. The apocalypse is the least of the problems for the characters here as they deal with infidelity, immaturity, and insanity.

Although the film wanders into very darkly comedic territory, things start out simply enough. Tracy and Glen are only on their third date, but he’s the most normal person she’s dated in quite a long time. Her friends seem normal enough, but before they’ve even walked in the door, Tracy is warning Glen not to talk about Hedy (America Ferrera) and Shane’s (Jeff Grace) engagement. Emma (Erinn Hayes) greets them at the door, but gives Glen a rather chill reception. Things are already starting to take a turn for the worse.

As the afternoon progresses, things begin to get more uncomfortable, and much more hilarious. David Cross does a great job as the straight man through most of the film, and much of the humour comes from the awkward situations he finds himself in. Since he’s new to the group, he’s constantly putting his foot in his mouth, and watching him try to talk his way out of things is very funny.

The entire cast does well, but it’s when they realize a dirty bomb has gone off that the film veers into dark comedy.

The final moments take that idea to another level, delivering a twist that you’ll never see coming, and one that will have you rolling on the floor with laughter.

Is It’s A Disaster Opening Weekend Worthy?

It’s not necessary to race out on Friday to catch this one, but it would make for a great Sunday afternoon film. Just make sure you have your own brunch before you head to the theatre.

It’s A Disaster opens on Friday, April 19, 2013 at Carlton Cinemas. Check the website for screening details.

It’s A Disaster Is A Dialogue Driven Delight

By Emer Schlosser http://www.weraddicted.com/its-­‐a-­‐disaster-­‐is-­‐a-­‐dialogue-­‐driven-­‐delight/

It’s a Disaster is a dialogue-­‐driven ensemble cast comedy about what comes to the surface when you’re trapped with friends and doom is imminent.

A gaggle of brunching couples gather on a day that seems like any other. The perpetually late couple is tardy once again, there’s tension between the hosting married couple, there’s the awkwardness of a potential new couple on their third date, and the group as a whole banters back and forth like any other who have known each other for years. As the brunch gets underway, it’s discovered that seemingly unrelated pieces of technology breaking down is due to the occurence of several mysterious, massive explosions downtown. As the occupants seal themselves inside the house knowing the end nigh, each cope with their impending fate in their own ways. Comical, lecherous, and dramatic domestic grievances bubble to the surface and the result is highly entertaining. Plus, I don’t want to give the end away, but it is one that I’m sure could lead to discussions and debates.

The script is fantastic, complete with laugh out loud moments, and the actors deliver their lines just like a genuine group of friends. The film stars big names David Cross, Julia Stiles, and America Ferrera, and names you may not know but with faces you may recognize: Erinn Hayes, Jeff Grace,Rachel Boston, Kevin Brennan, and Blaise Miller.

It’s a Disaster hits theaters today (April 19). This evening there are two special screenings with special guests at Carlton Cinema (Magic Lantern) in Toronto: 7:00pm screening followed by Q&A with writer/director Todd Berger and actor/producer Jeff Grace 9:10pm screening with intro by writer/director Todd Berger and actor/producer Jeff Grace

It’s a Disaster Review

By Andrew Parker | April 20, 2013 http://dorkshelf.com/2013/04/20/its-­‐a-­‐disaster-­‐review/

Most films about the apocalypse or global crises are often very quick to point out how humanity can begin to crumble within a given social system, giving way to animosity and a drive for survival at all costs. What many of them tend to neglect looking at, however, is what happens to certain subsections of the population that are already fractured to begin with. In this respect, Todd Berger’s low budget, independent, end of days style comedy It’s a Disaster sets itself apart.

Four couples meet up at a suburban home to have a semi-­‐regular brunch date that deep down none of them can stand to begin with. Tracy (Julia Styles) has been single the longest thanks to always attracting psychos, and she brings along her latest beau Glen (David Cross) for only their third date together. Homeowners Pete (Blaise Miller) and Emma (Erinn Hayes) are on the verge of a divorce. High school teacher Hedy (America Ferrera) is almost in the throes of a nervous breakdown and dragging her heels in her engagement to paranoid comic nerd, Shane (Jeff Grace). Also on board and seemingly ruining everyone’s day with their cutsey aloofness is flirty Lexi (Rachel Boston) and her dullard hubby Buck (Kevin M. Brennan). With their relationships all strained to certain degrees, a dirty bomb attack has caused fallout to make its way to their neighbourhood, trapping them all inside while the world begins dying rapidly outside the house.

More of a character study and twisted comedy of manners than an over the top, broad showpiece or outright farce, Berger places the emphasis here on the banter and interplay of the characters. While not everything that he has scripted comes to hilarious ends, his cast constantly sells the material splendidly. He’s crafted a well paced and plotted film that feels oddly real in terms of the feelings and forced mirth that these people are trying desperately to have with one another. These are couples we all know in a situation we all want to avoid. They’re the type of people who just want to tell each other to fuck off but politeness dictates that civility needs to remain intact. They are people so delusional and self-­‐absorbed that appearances are all they have left. Berger achieves this by lucking into a cast that can adequately convey that.

It’s nice to see Cross get a chance to play the straight man for a change instead of being off the wall and wacky. For the majority of the film’s running time he gets to act as the audience surrogate since everyone around him seems loopier than he is. He’s still an awkward and imperfect person, and probably not the kind of guy one wants to spend their last day on Earth with. Styles gets a nice chance to reassert herself as the comedic actress audiences remember from the 90s with her performance as the gruff realist of the bunch, getting the best scene in the film where she literally strands a pair of friend’s outside the house to teach them a lesson about punctuality. Possibly the biggest standout here is the always underrated Ferrera, playing easily the most sympathetic and understandably downbeat of the bunch. Her scenes with Grace have the biggest emotional punch and add the little bit of heart that the film needs to succeed.

It all builds to a curious climax that works on paper thanks to a somewhat nifty and batshit twist, but still feels somewhat abrupt. It makes sense once the punchline to the movie finally hits, but while it’s satisfying, given how much time was spent building these characters up it still feels a little disappointing. Despite that, it’s still an accomplishment that Berger could make a film about such largely unlikeable people in a dire situation this amusing. It’s a feat many people have tried and failed at spectacularly. Maybe it really did take the end of the world to bring out the best in such a dark comedy.

Review: ‘It’s a Disaster’ Is Everything But

http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/tag/its-­‐a-­‐disaster

By Rob Hunter | April 12, 2013

You wouldn’t think large-­‐scale death and destruction would be good fodder for comedy, but last year’s Seeking a Friend For the End of the World proved otherwise with its sweet mix of laughs and heart. This year sees two higher profile attempts at the formula with Seth Rogen’s This Is the Endand Edgar Wright’s The World’s End, but the odds are both of these will lean far heavier on the comedy aspect.

Unfairly allocated to the limited release indie circuit though is a little film that may just be the best of the bunch. Or should I say, the best of the brunch… (don’t worry, I didn’t write the movie).

Pete and Emma (Blaise Miller & Erinn Hayes) host a regular “couples” brunch for their favorite fellow couples, but today’s get together won’t be going entirely to plan. Judging by how some of the regular attendees despise the mundane nature of the gathering that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Except in this case it totally is a bad thing. In addition to Pete and Emma’s real motive for the brunch, issues arise between the others as well. There’s a reason Shane and Hedy (Jeff Grace & America Ferrera) have been

engaged for five years, Buck and Lexi (Kevin M. Brennan & Rachel Boston) have made some questionable choices when it comes to infidelity equality, and Glen and Tracy (David Cross & Julia Stiles) are just trying to get through their third date unscathed.

Oh, and there’s a man at the front door wearing a hazmat suit.

“Lexi’s gone vegan, so everyone has to suffer.”

The beauty of writer/director Todd Berger‘s film is in its simplicity. All of the action takes place in a single location by way of the various rooms throughout Pete and Emma’s house with character interactions occurring en masse and in smaller, more intimate exchanges as friends and lovers split off away from the group. We’re given hints as to what’s happening outside, and suspicions are confirmed by their neighbor Hal (Berger) and the typically late arrival of Jenny and Gordon who probably won’t be making that mistake again.

Glen is the newcomer to the group, and he seems to be the antidote to Tracy’s string of self-­‐described “weirdo” boyfriends. When the waffles hit the fan he’s the one who stays calm, collected and focused in their efforts to stay alive and survive the invisible threat outside their walls. Buck and Lexi are fairly relaxed too, but their casual attitudes do more harm (and offer up more laughs) than good as they let spill information that infuriates some of those around them. It seems everyone has secrets to share, and like the members of Stillwater on a sketchy airplane in the middle of a storm the dams open up and truths are revealed.

Thankfully Berger and his cast strike a fantastic balance between the funny and the not-­‐so, and while serious topics arise none of them are allowed to drown out the laughs. Cross and Stiles are easily the most recognizable faces here, and both do strong comedic work. His comedic skills are well know, but she shows a gift for timing and delivery not often explored elsewhere. The others do equally fine work with Grace and Boston being the standouts thanks to some perfectly dry and loopy performances.

A more well-­‐known cast, like the ones from the Apatow and David Wain stables, would easily deliver the big laughs, but as funny as those folks are they don’t excel at hitting the subtle character nuances alongside the guffaws. Berger’s players by contrast benefit from an unfamiliarity with their particular mannerisms leading to laughs and realizations that hit viewers’ funny bones and own experiences like a joke-­‐lined brick. Regrets only come to life when you’re on the precipice of your own death, and Berger’s comedic cautionary tale reminds us that it’s never too late to watch The Wire. Because seriously.

It’s a Disaster received raves on the festival circuit (including one from our own Kate Erbland), and if there’s any justice the film will receive an equally appreciative reception from the public. Seek it out now before your next brunch goes awry.

The Upside: Very funny; surprising amount of heart; moves effortlessly between personal exchanges and larger story; perfect ending The Downside: Some second act slowdown On the Side: It’s a Disaster is also currently available on VOD

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