Phillip Abraham Part 2: Late Night with Phil and the Entertainment World

After resurfacing and coming back for air from Part 1, dive back into Part 2 of our conversation with stand up comedian Phillip Abraham, also known as The Rising Social Media Sensation! On today's episode, we discuss more about his comedy show, Late Night with Phil, and making way through the entertainment world through humor, interviews with guests, and the news. And of course, it wouldn't be an episode of the Fisch Bowl without talking more about movies and TV shows!

Transcript

Satire Bits And Favorite Jokes

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Attention, all you fishes in the sea. Welcome to the fishbowl with Sam. The late night with filthing is is genius. Thank you. I mean, like that that's something I I really appreciate because obviously me and you talking right now and you know in our interview, you know, I I I I just like I don't know, it hits me like that's something I I would have you know that that's it's my type of humor basically. You know, and like spoofing stuff like that and doing like a satire. And I I've I've seen your the all the clips with Tony Pepperoni and that that one is is really hysterical. I think the two the two bits that I I like the most number one is is is the uh sausage pepperoni comparison to circumcision. Yeah. Um I was I was like I thought that was pretty pretty, you know, using the meats, you know, yeah, yeah kind of joke. And then the uh Dune, which I also could compare to Scanners.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that would have been good. We don't have the budget for that, but that would have been right, right, right, right.

How The Late Night Clips Started

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Yeah, but uh that that that I was like, I was like, that would have happened. I was like that that would have been the the icing on the cake, but the dune, the dune thing was also like I guess, you know, more relevant now. Yeah, yeah, you know, people only people like you and my age and like cult, you know, horror kids that are you know in high school and in their 20s and whatnot are like even aware of who David Cronenberg is, you know, and his his his his repertoire of of of films different, you know, body horror film genres and stuff. But yeah, I was I I immediately was like, doing was funny, but I was also thinking scanners, and I was like, that that if I saw the head explode, that would have actually been like pretty pretty cool, but still I was like that how that you know how Tony just like you know put his hand on your head and was like you know, I didn't know he was gonna do that. That it gave I guess it kind of shows in the the reel or whatever. It was it was it was that those are like my two favorite bits, and then uh yeah, yeah. I I mean what's what's like all in like how did that kind of come about and you know any like future stuff involvement, more guests, stuff like that coming down the line, sort of thing.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

Yeah, we were just doing the monologue and then wanted to start trying out some interviews and and things like that. So we've got so Tony probably the there's somebody else named Robbie Key, a comedian here. He does this character where he's president Zachary Taylor. Yeah, yeah, I saw that one. Yeah, so he's doing some we did some interviews with him, and then this one, and then do you know we don't know this guy, but he does a character called Black Wolf, I think it is.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Yes, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

So we we we did an interview too, but we don't release them as interviews, it's just a clip. Okay, okay. Uh yeah, he's really funny because he's like uh expert on women.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

And like the pickup game. Yeah, yeah. That's that's pretty good. Yeah, I'm I look forward to that one. Uh it's like I I get a good chuckle sharing checking out the stuff, the reels and everything. I'm like trying to currently like revamp my own stuff to put out as reels and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Okay. Yeah, I appreciate the support. You've been like, you know, resharing stuff and appreciate that. Because we just started doing it. It's only been three or four months. We started doing the monologues and then just started doing the interviews maybe like two months ago. But we we have a little situation with the monologue timing because a lot of this stuff is headline news, right? Right. So by the time we write it and then we shoot it and then we release these clips, it's already a lot of time has been passed. So we're trying to figure out how we can do this faster and like quicker, put it out quicker. Because we want to catch the the news a little bit, it's not gonna be right.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Yeah. Well, the the well, one the the one of the issues with that alone is that like with news these days, yeah, it's fast. It's it's it's literally uh on a on a second to minute to hourly day-by-day basis.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

There are some stories, there are some topics that just stay in the news. It's like absolutely that that's true, that's true. You know, there's certain things that are like kind of staying around, which is good for us. And then we do local stuff too, so it's it's international, national, and local. We try to get like one local story in which yeah, it's um it's been a lot of fun. We're gonna keep keep you know, working on it. And we usually do about maybe 15 to 20 headlines and we'll take that and then cut that out be once every week. Yeah, because we'll get in there and we'll do it in an hour and a half, two hours at the max, get everything shot, and then those clips can go out for you know, we release it daily, so it's like two weeks worth of clips, but we're already shooting a week later the next 15 clips or whatever, but it'll vary. But yeah, when you have that much uh stuff in the can ready to own, it it's you gotta kind of choose what you're gonna post because it's like what's relevant. You know, what we wrote a week ago is now maybe not relevant either. But we're still posting it because it's like what else are we gonna do with it if it's maybe the comeback or maybe the residual interest in that topic or something like that.

Speed Versus Relevance In News Comedy

SPEAKER_00 7:24

I totally get it. I I mean, I'm kind of in the same boat with you where I just am now getting off the ground because like I I've like had stockpiles of episodes and I'm just now like after a break from kind of doing it for a couple years and figuring things out, like how am I how am I gonna get the content out, you know, to keep it relevant and also get to the point where you know, like all these other big podcasters like do it daily, you know, and have new content to put out and the production value to do that, all that costs money, you know. So I have you know, I'm looking to my my old college, which might be an avenue to look into if there's any like I mean, I know there's there has to be you know colleges in Austin with you know like a cinema department or like some like that.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

UT has uh amazing programs.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Yeah, yeah. I I I would community college. Yeah, a community college especially would probably be the a really good route. But I know I mean if I can contact my college, you know, and basically say like I need help, you know, and then there's also a speaking back to Tom Savini, he has uh a makeup effects school that's like his school in that area uh little outside of Pittsburgh, it's called Menesscent, it's like its own little I guess like county or something, whatever, district, city, whatever. But they have a little bit of movie trivia history because I've I've gone on tours there because I used to want to pursue that. And they the the shootout in the first Robocop, the climax at the steel factory, the abandoned steel factory, that was actually shot in Manassin. Oh, okay. So the whole like reference where Lewis's character's family is from Pittsburgh, like that's probably a good a good reason why, because they filmed uh the the Steel Factory showdown with like Clarence and his whole gang at a abandoned steel factory in Manasset in in Pittsburgh. Um okay, and you also kind of hear in a lot of other movies like you know, Pittsburgh being mentioned like you know a lot. And I'm not always sure why it is, but I do know that Pittsburgh has like a big like film connection to Hollywood somehow. I mean, I I know that they they film a lot of stuff here. I actually know that from when I first started going to uh Point Park, I was taking this like intro to film history type class, and they took us on this tour. It was in downtown Pittsburgh, and they uh took us on this tour, and I actually found out that the one uh the famous Warner Brothers Studios WB that just was freaking sold or bought by Netflix. Uh the two brothers, Jewish brothers, started here in in downtown Pittsburgh. Oh, I didn't know that. Yes, and there's a whole very cool story behind it, and basically they owned what it was originally was a vaudeville, going back to you know, comedy and everything, the yeah, the you know, dawn of the century styling film guys, you know, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, the three Stooges, you know, all those major, you know, innovators in comedy would play it at vaudevilles, and there was the Warner Brothers the Warner Brothers Theater in downtown Pittsburgh, and basically two mafioso guys come into the Warner Brothers Theater and they're like, You two Jew boys doing so well for yourselves, you need protection, you know, and you're gonna basically cough up XYZ amount to us, you know, once a week, once a month, sort of thing, whatever. And, you know, we're we're that's gonna be paying for our protection. The two Warner Brothers were like, what the fuck do we need their protection for? You know, they they want to steal our profits, you know, because we're doing good for ourselves. And they basically said, you know, they knew Los Angeles at the time was a place where the future of industry and entertainment was going to be. And that time to travel cross-country, you had to do it by train. And there were no air conditionings in those trains. So they basically like in a week, they closed up shop, packed everything up, moved all the way out to Los Angeles, set up shop, and and the theory was like if the mafioso guys are gonna come after us, we're gonna make it hard for them to come after us because they're gonna have to basically travel from you know, like New York, New Jersey area, all the way to the opposite end of the country where it's hot, you know, sweaty, you know, it's a major inconvenience at the time, and the rest is like, you know, history, you know, up to up to now with the thing being bought by Netflix. But that's like the actual story about how Warner Brothers studios actually started. I mean, it goes back to here in Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Yeah, no idea.

Pittsburgh Film Roots And Zombie Legacy

SPEAKER_00 13:25

Yeah, yeah. And the other thing is I like to tell people about Pittsburgh, is we are besides you know big sports city, we are the zombie capital uh of uh of the world because George Ramiro, the guy who did, pretty much invented the modern zombie, you know, you know, the the undead coming back to life, shoot it in the head and the brain, the kill it, you know, thing all came from Night of the Living Dead into Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, and he creep show, you know, one of my favorites, Tom Savini, also from Pittsburgh, Greg Nicotero, who is the guy in charge of The Walking Dead, now also from Pittsburgh and was that still going? Yeah, apparently. I'm I'm as shocked as you are. I think they're now at the point that all the major like you know characters have their like spin-off shows. Yeah, you know, so they're kind of doing, I guess, what that was that show on Star's power. I never saw it, but yeah, I heard about that. I I I honestly don't watch it either. I I just it's it I see the commercials enough that I kind of know like what the yeah what the what the storyline is, you know, but like I know that like it storyline, what storyline? Right, right, right, right. You know, honestly, like all those shows on stores kind of blend together, you know. The the only show that I ever like religiously watched on there was Ash versus Evil Dead. Because I am a huge, huge Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, Evil Dead fan. That's like that is one of my top, top like five favorite horror movies of all time. Really, it's Evil Dead 2. Evil Dead 2 is is the one that I'm they remake it twice?

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Did they do the same version twice or something?

SPEAKER_00 15:41

So they they remade the original one in like the 2010s, and then last summer or something, maybe the summer before, they had a new Evil Dead movie that is still within the original. That's the one where they're in the apartment building. Yeah, yeah, Evil Dead Rise.

SPEAKER_01 16:11

I thought it was good, it was it was scary.

Evil Dead Love And Modern Hollywood

SPEAKER_00 16:13

Yeah, yeah. I I just watched it. It reminds me of the first Evil Dead. Like, like for me, like I like Evil Evil Dead 2 is my favorite, then I'd go Army of Darkness, then Evil Dead 1. Just because like Evil Dead 2 to me has the perfect amount of like the horror versus like the the slapstick humor, like campiness, yeah, aspect, and then Army of Darkness. The first one's just dark. Yeah, it's like it literally is NC17. Yeah. Like, you know, I mean, there's disturbing like images and stuff with the effects in the in the first one. And it's straight horror. Straight, like, you know, like it's and it's it's done on like a very like indie kind of kind of budget, too. And they do like a lot with with the money that they have, which is why I'm like Sam Raimi is one of the genius filmmakers of our generation. I don't think he gets enough credit as uh as with as good of a writer and director than he is, you know, because you know, he's he started out doing Evil Dead and then like transitioned to doing more like you know, serious movies, and then obviously Spider-Man. But I mean, as far as Spider-Man goes, I I don't think Spider-Man has gotten better since his movies. I mean, yeah, the third one has problems for sure, which is a lot of studio interference, but like in terms of the writing and I don't know, emotional like character development, I always thought that Toby McGuire Spider-Man movies, and not just because like you know, you appear old enough to be like that's what we grew up with, and then every everything else has just been like a rehash, you know, respat, like reiteration, literally up to that last one where they had all the Spider-Man's in one movie thing, you know, which is like I I get how like for the here and now, like that's like a big deal, but like I don't know, from like a writer's perspective, I'm like that's real lazy writing, you know, like it works in like a comic book universe, you know, because that's how stuff is actually like in the comics, but like in terms of like I don't know, movie film entertainment, it just is like you're throwing a bunch of people from older movies into like new movies, is like a rehash sort of thing, because you're I feel, and it's kind of obvious that you're lazy and out of ideas, and everything in that's like mainstream Hollywood has to have like some sort of propaganda or like agenda, you know, inserted into the movie, and nothing can be like you know, like it was, you know, when we were growing up. Like you had options, like, you know, comic book movies didn't dominate, you know, the the film and TV, you know, entertainment. We we had the freaking X Files. You know, we we I mean, how many shows in the 90s and even 2000s, you know, were we like, you know, it was like you had a lot of different options, yeah. You know, and I just feel like even going.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

Yeah, I mean, it's all getting conglomerated, right?

SPEAKER_00 20:06

Yeah, it's just like every everything's getting bought by something else. It reminds me of both basketball and idiocracy. Yeah, I mean, everybody's drawing parallels to idiocracy. Yeah, well, that that movie, especially. Yeah. I feel like you know, like we're getting dumber and dumber, and we're losing track of not not just like, you know, it's it's society, but it's also like entertainment. Like everything, everything has to be about money, you know. I get that like it was always kind of about money to begin with, especially with movies and stuff like that. But like, I also can say that like there was at least like you know, more freedom of like, you know, like like you kind of said at the beginning with like just try it out, let's see if it works, sort of sort of thing.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

And I remember there were a lot more tours, artists just making stuff and then getting into the the system to get paid, right? And I don't think that's happening as much. It's more like they have like tight-knit, you know, the agencies, the people that they work with, the books that they publish, that ownership, it's all connected. So they're just like working in these ecosystems. But I think when everything was good, better creatively, you were getting people pulled out who had stuff that people liked, and then they're betting that this person's gonna make a good song or a good Movie or whatever it is. I don't think that there is much that now. And Kill Tony, a lot of people see that as a way to, you know, springboard from nothing. Right. Right. So yeah, I think those are very limited now compared to how open it was. You used to have people going around looking for people to represent, like, you know, actively. Right. Right. In all in all the arts, all the fields. Exactly. And and those are the times when all of those agencies were started. All of the studios that built all those movies got bought out later. But that's really the you know the times where it's all about talent. And so going out and finding new talent consistently without it having to be sold to you already. Something that doesn't exist anymore. You know that famous agent? I think he represented Mike Myers and like hundreds of other people. Rick Rubin, maybe for his name, but Mike Myers did a movie about him, a documentary called Uber Mensch, I think. But yeah, like a guy like that doesn't exist in this time, which is a guy that's literally going into clubs, going into you know, meeting people, and naturally being like, hey, I think we should try this with this person.

SPEAKER_00 23:39

Like that, that doesn't exist. Exactly, exactly. And and even more so, it's like, you know, I follow uh Tyler Fisher a lot. He's he is brilliant, hysterical, and I will say a patriot to this country in comedy. Keeping keeping racial edgy, pushing the budget, pushing the edge on what you can and cannot do.

Free Speech Comedy And Politics Drift

SPEAKER_01 24:06

I was on a podcast with him if you want to watch it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's the comedy seller. He and I were talking about free speech and comedy and stuff. But yeah, check it out.

SPEAKER_00 24:23

Just go to comedy seller, pilot fish. I will I will definitely check that out because I mean, I mean, it's oh my link, my link tree has it too.

SPEAKER_01 24:32

If you go to my Instagram, you can click the link, it'll take you to that interview.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

Okay, I will definitely do that today. Uh after we whenever we're finished, chatting here and check it out. Because I I totally agree with everything that he has to say. And it's it's a fucking scary time that that we're living in. And I honestly think it's like the fall of Rome. Sort of thing. He he you know, listen, I I relate to Tyler uh not just like from like belief perspective, but on like a personal level, like divorced household situation, which my parents are divorced, and it's an ugly uh ugly situation, you know, unfortunately. But you know, I I just I I I relate to him on that level, and then like on his beliefs and comedy style, and you know, everything he kind of pushes the keeps pushing the edge, and you know, I mean I I share all his stuff too. I'm like he he is not only like a brilliant comedian as well, but the voices that he does, his the the things that he's making fun of, you know, are very, you know, I mean it's it's stuff that nobody wants to talk about, you know, and stuff that nobody, you know, there's people who want to talk about it, but we get shut down for wanting to talk about it, you know, and it's it's by our family members, it's by our friends, it's by our our jobs, our employers, you know. What's he talking about? Well, just like you know, stuff on like current events stuff, you know, all his like COVID stuff and um stuff on like Trump and you know Mam Dani and he likes Trump? Well, he's I think he likes Trump. I mean, I can I can I mean he does a pretty good Trump impression. I mean, I I I try to steer away from like politics and political beliefs because honestly, in my opinion, I don't trust the government. Yeah, no, I'm with you. I'm like, I'm like, they they don't have they they they they never and ever will have the best interests of the people in in mind. And honestly, from seeing like everything unfold, you know, from like uh I'll go back to to Bush Jr. To Obama to Trump won to Biden slash weekend at Bernie's to Trump 2 2.0 that we're in now. All it says to me is that there's somebody running the show, and it ain't us. That's that's for sure. So somebody has an agenda, and there's almost like frighteningly more evidence that like we the common people, supposedly what the constitution was founded on and intended for, are losing our our rights, you know, on a f alarming, frighteningly alarming rate.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

You know, we have we have covered a lot of ground. Um yeah, we're not we're not getting into this that an hour and a half.

SPEAKER_00 28:18

Uh well we'll we'll save that for for another time. Another time. Again, I hate to go down that road because because we can it's it's a dirty, it's a shady, it's it's a uh nasty, dirty road. Uh and uh I'm I'm right I'm right there with you. Um I guess I've I can't believe it's been an hour and a half already. Jeez. Yeah, time flu, man.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

You got any other any other questions for me before?

SPEAKER_00 28:50

Yeah, yeah. I guess I have some closer questions for you. Um let's get to those. One, I wanted to know what are some of your favorite films slash music, bands, and all that, and then upcoming projects, stuff with uh late night with Phil anything, and then have one final question.

SPEAKER_01 29:16

That's like 10 questions, Sam. What the hell are you okay? Movies, you know, we talked about predator.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

We can we can skip movies. Those are great. Those are great. We'll go to upcoming stuff, and then I have one.

SPEAKER_01 29:32

I will say though, I am a big indie film guy, so like you know, starting out with the you know, very early on with a lot of indie films, probably like early Soderbergh and all that stuff for the 90s, all that kind of stuff, and then getting into 70s, 80s, and then pre-stuff. Um, but yeah, I'm really in film, and I worked in film for like uh seven years before a while back, long time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

So what what do you want to jump into? All right, so here's a silly question. It's my final question uh on the jumping ending on a note of a comedic note. If you were a fish or a sea creature, what fish or sea creature would you be? Sea creature or a fish. Lochness monster. I love it. Yeah, I can do that. I I I'd be uh the Meg.

Fishbowl Lightning Question And Farewell

SPEAKER_01 30:39

Oh shit. Okay. That's uh fantastical creature. It's made up by CGI. It's not the lock the Loch Ness is real, so real thing.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

Now, now that we'll also have to save for another time because I'm also a uh tinfoil nut when you know when it comes to aliens and mythology and stuff like that. I'm very uh Bigfoot exists. Bigfoot does exist, and so does the Loch Ness monster. Um I'm right, I'm right there.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

Again, everything I say, ironically, you're taking it literally. It's crazy. I it's not it's not my part to interpret. That's for everyone else, their responsibilities to interpret things as they see fit.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

Oh boy, do I do I feel like a fish in hot water? Or uh fried fish in this sense. Oh, fish and chips, mate. Excellent. Well, Phil, thank you so much for taking the time to swim in the fishbowl with me. Yes. I hope the temperature was just right. Yeah, it was good, Sam.

SPEAKER_01 31:59

It was good talking with you, good meeting, yeah. And uh God bless you.

SPEAKER_00 32:04

Definitely, definitely. I will uh let you know when this is up, but any kind of shout-out or something would be awesome. Uh, I look forward to keeping in touch and Fishbowl 2.0.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

I'll see you around. Catch me out, fellas funny.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

Definitely, definitely.

SPEAKER_01 32:23

All right. See you.

SPEAKER_00 32:26

Hey there, all my fishes in the sea. Thanks for tuning in to today's episode and for being a subscriber. Your continued listenership and support means the most and helps keep the show growing to deeper and deeper depths. I want to let all my guppies in the sea know the fishbowl has now officially partnered with fastcustomirts.com, where they're now selling custom fishbowl t-shirts under their podcast and website section. Every t-shirt that's purchased helps and goes a long way to keep the show growing to deeper and deeper in higher, higher depths. I also now have custom hats, beanies, handbags, pens, mouse pads, everything to make you look like the coolest looking fish in the sea, which you can DM me directly on Instagram at the Fishbowl88 or on Facebook at just the fishbowl, or you can friend request me, Sam Fish, directly and get yours today. Your continued listenership and support again means the most. It's the most important fishes that flock together. We are a school of fish and we keep the unit going. Let's all keep swimming upstream.