Day 8: Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

Date: July 8
Film: Conan O'Brien Can't Stop [usa, 2011]
Where: Tulsa/Circle Cinema
Who with: David, Aaron, Peter
Rating: Joshua ****; David  ***1/2

I was lucky enough to get to see Conan O'Brien on his comedic tour this documentary was filmed around as it played at the Brady Theatre in Tulsa. The show was funny, had some good music and was filled with Conan's manic energy and comic style to make the crowded theatre forget he'd been booted from the airwaves a few months earlier. Conan O'Brien Can't Stop is the chronicle of O'Brien's 40+ city tour since he was legally prohibited from appearing on TV. This was Conan's workaholic idea of taking his act to the people of North America.

I'm a Conan watcher from way back, so I'm an easy mark to enjoy this. The film is more than snippets of the performances [although there are a fare share of those, almost too many actually] as we get to see a lot of behind the scenes moments as O'Brien interacts with writers, producers, friends, family and yes, fans. If it is one thing that came to light in his much publicized removal from NBC it's that his fans are loyal and vocal. We see a lot of that in this documentary. I wish there's been less songs from the stage and more of the backstage, personal interactions as O'Brien soaks up the adulation and then recoils from it.