There’s a Woody Allen reference in the first 30 seconds of the latest and greatest installment of the indy web series duder.
Ricky, cooking breakfast in his newly renovated Brooklyn apartment, asks Glen, playing video games in Ricky’s newly renovated Brooklyn apartment, if he wants to see a screening of Stardust Memories in McCarren Park. Glen, despite being a huge Woody Allen fan, is apathetic. His reasoning? “It’s just going to be so crowded, you know, because everybody in New York City has a deep, personal relationship with Woody Allen movies.”
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It’s funny because it’s sort of true, but more because duder writer, creator, and actor Matt Kirsch (who plays Glen) is obviously projecting. His relationship with one of America’s greatest film directors goes beyond deep and personal and enters the realm of influential and intimate.
Kirsch channels Allen (along with other devotees to Allen’s particular brand of Jewish, neurotic humor that’s at once about everything and nothing, including Jerrry Seinfeld and Larry David) throughout the whole of duder. It’s the same self-indulgent, mildly offensive, somewhat self-loathing, smart, Semitic character embodied in a new persona, placed in a new environment on the other side of the East River. It’s an “agonizing, overzealous analysis of life’s least important mysteries.” And it’s good.
The premiere episode of Season Three is the best installment of duder yet. It picks up right where Season Two left off. Glen and Ricky (played by Alden Ford from The Webventures of Justin & Alden) are hanging out, talking about whatevs.
Kirsch, who works as a Digital Producer at The Onion, produces duder at his own pace. He told me over e-mail he expects Season Three to last anywhere from 6 to 10 monthly episodes. Kirsch also produces the series out of his own pocket. He’s certainly open to to the idea of sponsors, but said it’s not the end goal, “We’ve always just focused on making the best show possible.”
In addition to creative drive, duder is back for a third season because of two more reasons: 1) the WGA East and 2) new film equipment. Kirsch explained:
I’d say a large reason we brought the show back was encouragement from the Writer’s Guild East, their creation of a new digital WGA award, and the positive responses I’ve received from other content creators I’ve met through the guild. Also, Alden happened to be sitting on some amazing new equipment (including a Canon 5d) so we couldn’t resist playing with it.
We always wanted to bring the show back and I’ve had a bunch of scripts written for a while, but time constraints always made it difficult. The WGA gave us a kick in the pants to actually get moving.
Makes sense. The writing has always been duder‘s strong point and if the show could use an upgrade in any area it’s camera quality. The latest installment of the series looks fantastic, especially when you compare to episodes from last season. A cleaner, crisper picture can highlight Kirsch and Ford’s dialogue and dynamic for judging bodies and broader audiences. Be sure to check it out at dudershow.com.
