Articles by Josh Heath
Sheila Robertson Sheila Robertson wants 'more cheddar' for Monkey Business Institute
Madison’s obsession with basement-based comedy extends well beyond Comedy on State. Monkey Business Institute, MBI to fans and friends alike, is another underground comedy offering. It teaches classes on different improv formats. They also serve up multiple formats of improv shows and have for more than two decades, with the bonus aroma of Glass Nickel Pizza from upstairs permeating the performance space.
Amalgam Improv celebrates its second year
When Amalgam Improv, Madison’s newest improvisational comedy company, launched in the summer of 2024, it was almost “accidental,” says founder Ben Rush. But audiences asked for more, prompting Rush to go all in on Amalgam. Now audiences are growing, the number of improv formats and types of shows is increasing, and the group’s been nominated for “Best Comedy Group” for 2026 in the Best Of Madison contest from Madison Magazine.
Club basketball flick ‘Last Shot’ bonds a father and son
“What’s a shooter do? Shoot!” yells Michael Rapaport. In “Last Shot,” he’s in character as an alcoholic father, yelling at his talented son during a basketball game’s time-out. Now four years sober, Todd M.
For Chris Calogero and Emily Winter, TrainCar Comedy is just one of their creative ventures
2026 is going to be a busy, busy year for Chris Calogero and Emily Winter, Madison-based multi-genre creatives. Between producing and hosting local shows; touring with live comedy shows on the East Coast; writing a Wisconsin-based novel; creating an independent short film; and writing and recording stand-up albums, this power couple can’t stop entertaining the masses — regardless of the medium. Isthmus chatted with the duo over Zoom to discuss comedy writing, live shows, and short filmmaking.
64 comedians and 100 minutes later, one will be Madison’s joke champion
Stand-up comedy tends to be a little one-sided. Shows typically feature just one funny person — sometimes up to three if openers perform well — who talk for 30 minutes or maybe one full Earth hour if they have a lot of society to comment on. But only three comedians over an hour and a half? Surely more can be done with this format. Enter Emily Winter, a Wisconsin expat now based in California as a writer, comedian and producer.
Looking to make a career change
I been in sales for over 17 years. The small business world is great but I'm looking to move into being a full time landlord with many rental properties. I currently yown two single family homes that are in great positions and cash flowing nicely. I am meeting with a lender today that specializes in fix and flip and brrrr opportunities. id like to know more about how to leverage the equity I have in my two rental and even my primary residence to get some more deals going.
Paul F. Tompkins is doing what he does best: everything
Varietopia is a variety show in the truest sense of the phrase, like a cross between American Bandstand and The Carol Burnett Show. It’s also comedian-improviser-actor-writer Paul F. Tompkins’ “favorite thing to do.” Zooming with Isthmus from Los Angeles, Tompkins — PFT to his fans — appears adorned in all green, from his sweatshirt to his baseball cap that says “Amadán,” the Gaelic word for fool.
What to watch at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival
Based on a first look at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival schedule, here are a few recommendations. The festival runs April 3-10 around Madison. Check the full guide at wifilmfest.org. “Anywhere Anytime” (3:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 8 & 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, Flix Brewhouse) First-time director Milad Tangshir has made a film worthy of comparison to “Bicycle Thieves,” the 1948 Italian classic. No small feat.
Wisconsin Film Festival announces 170 films in 8 days this April
Madison film lovers, prepare to seize the moment: 80% of the movies shown at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival will probably never be shown on a big screen again. The 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival, running April 3-10, announced its full schedule on Wednesday. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 8, at noon. Buy them online at wifilmfest.eventive.org or in person at the Barrymore Theatre, the Mitchell Theatre on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, or Leopold's Books Bar Caffe (March 12 and 27).
Laughing Liberally walks into a bar, bringing comfort to lefties
Matthew Filipowicz is pretty sure the next four years are going to be dark. “We’re about to enter this era where we’re going to be watching a sequel to the worst movie ever made,” said Filipowicz, a Milwaukee-based comedian, political satirist and cartoonist.
Comedian Ben Miller brings his Volcano set to the Crucible Madison - Isthmus
Most comedians tend to follow the advice of Mark Twain to “write what you know.” Probably explains most of the relationship foibles, family drama, and personal failings we tend to traditionally hear about from stand-up comedians. Fewer comedians manage to work their educational backgrounds into their bits, incorporating specialized knowledge with the more traditional fare. Ben Miller, an up-and-comer in the comedy scene, has managed to pull off the latter with aplomb.
Making money from funny
Making people laugh is hard. Making card games is also challenging. But there is one Madison man daring to do both: Tim Sanders. The online store for Sanders’ company, The Raccoon Society, sells games, cards and posters that aim to make people laugh. Sanders moved to Madison with his family eight years ago from Seattle.
Madison comic Charlie Kojis is in a normal amount of pain
“Every step of the process of getting married is embarrassing,” comedian Charlie Kojis asserts on his upcoming debut special, A Normal Amount of Pain. “You have to get down on one knee, and then you have to go take pictures in a field, and then you have to dance with your mom.” Those obstacles are good, he jokes, because otherwise it’d be too easy to marry someone after just a couple of weeks. “Do you wanna dance with your mom about it?
‘Friday Night Blind’ explores the world of three vision-impaired bowlers
About 13 years ago, Milwaukee resident Scott Krahn, a veteran advertising art director, decided to sign up to be a Big Brother. Little did he know how much that choice would change his life. A film that in a roundabout way grew out of that experience, the short documentary Friday Night Blind, would end up winning a Wisconsin Film Festival Golden Badger Award for Krahn and his co-director, Robb Fischer. It will screen as part of the “Real People/Real Places” program on April 14 and 15.
Hilldale AMC gets one final run as a venue for the Wisconsin Film Festival
Although closed since December, the AMC Hilldale theater will remain a site for the Wisconsin Film Festival for 2023, Hilldale officials announced at a news conference today. In addition, Hilldale will be donating equipment and furnishings from the theater to the festival. “We were hearing rumors even before the 2022 Wisconsin Film Festival that AMC Hilldale was going to close by the end of 2022,” Ben Reiser, director of programming for the Wisconsin Film Festival, tells Isthmus over email.
Chuck at the end of the world
There was but one man who could conquer planets full of apes and overcome an agitated Mother Nature, and that man was Oscar-winning actor Charlton Heston. To celebrate Heston’s cinematic triumphs — specifically his triumphs over more apocalyptic scenarios — the kind folks at the UW Cinematheque have put together a film series titled “Damn You All To Hell!: Charleton Heston and the End of the World,” which kicks off at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5, at 4070 Vilas Hall with the 1974 disaster epic Earthquake.
They Came to Get You, Barbra!
Narrator 1: THEY Narrator 2: They died. They’re supposed to be dead. Yet they walk the earth, violently attacking anyone who crosses their path. [cue lightning strike] Narrator 1: THEY CAME Narrator 2: They came from the morgues, from the cemeteries, and from beyond the grave! The dead have risen. Narrator 2: The cause of their return remains unknown at this time. What they want however should be quite clear. Narrator 1: THEY CAME TO Narrator 2: They came to eat flesh, human flesh.
A humble legend
Wright carved a niche for himself early in his career and rode it to wild success. His two comedy albums each garnered a Grammy nomination, and he’s also received two Emmy nominations for television production. He even won an Oscar for writing, producing and starring in a short film called The Appointments of Dennis Jennings in 1988! Isthmus spoke to Wright by phone ahead of his Oct. 8 stop at the Barrymore Theatre, and he was as monotone as ever.
Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast will be live at the Barrymore Theatre in Madison
“It’s funny to me that sometimes people take things I say on any show seriously,” says writer-director-actor-podcaster Scott Aukerman, host of the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast. “I’m just saying it to be funny, you know?” Comedy Bang! Bang! is a long-running satirical improv comedy podcast that started in 2009. It features interviews with celebrity guests, with additional improviser guests playing outlandish characters “of all stars and stripes,” as Aukerman, as the show’s host, would describe them.
Local children learn golf and life lessons from the country’s top female golfers
Thanks to sponsors like Bank of America, First Tee-Augusta can train the next generation of business leaders. The bank sponsored the inaugural Play it Forward Golf Clinic on April 3 at First Tee located at 3165 Damascus Road in Augusta. Players from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur tournament and other female professional golfers shared golf tips and life lessons with 35 kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta.
Laughs last
I sit at my desk one brisk December morning, waiting on the masterminds behind Madison Indie Comedy to join the Zoom call. Finally, someone enters the call with the display name: SHIT SLURPING DADDY. Oh yeah, I’m talking to some comedians all right. Local comedians/improvisers/producers/hosts Sasha Rosser and Shauna Jungdahl joined forces over quarantine to create Madison Indie Comedy, a new show production company with a positive purpose. “Madison Indie Comedy has a mission statement,” says Rosser.
The Binding Of Isaac: 10 Pro Tips For Playing As Azazel
Playing as Azazel is a balancing act since he does high damage but has few survival instincts. Here are some pro tips to playing as the demon child. Email The Binding of Isaac, a 2011 roguelike (and one of the best of the decade), is based on the story from The Bible where God demanded Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac. In this particular instance, Isaac runs into the spooky, gross basement the game takes place in to fight for his right to survive.
Every Mech In Titanfall 2, Ranked
Fans of the series lap up any news of Titanfall 3 which is, sadly, limited. But remember the Leeroy Jenkins Ronins? Which of the Titans rank the best? Email Before Apex Legends was even a glimmer of a star in the sky, EA started the whole universe with the Titanfall series. The criminally underrated Titanfall 2 has been making a bit of a comeback lately since finally coming to Steam in June of 2020.
9 Of Sam Fisher’s Best Quips From The Splinter Cell Series
Though the Splinter Cell series isn't known primarily for Sam Fisher's sense of humor, it is loved by its fans for some of Fisher's best quotes. Email Back in the day, Ubisoft used to make this amazing stealth-action series called Splinter Cell. It featured tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold superspy Sam Fisher, expertly voiced by veteran live-action actor Michael Ironside. Ironside imbued Fisher with a sense of urgency, grit, experience, and, above all else, levity.
10 Great Mods For Slay The Spire
Slay the Spire is a fantastic and highly replayable card-based game, one that comes with a robust mod scene. What are the title's best mods? Email Cards have been around almost as long as the concept of recreation. Deck builders, on the other hand, have been experiencing a surge in virtual popularity in recent years. One of the best card games to come out during this genre boon has been Slay the Spire, a fantastically animated, fresh-feeling deck-building experience.
Assassin Creed Valhalla 1.1.2 Update's New Abilities, Ranked
Eivor has tons of abilities and skills to take down baddies with. But Update 1.1.2. adds some new essentials like Battle Cry and Assassin Slide. Email Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is fun. There’s plenty to do like finding old artifacts, fighting wolves, or romancing fellow Vikings. But the developers and publisher Ubisoft gifted gamers with yet another feature. They endowed players with something else to do in the newest 1.1.2 “River Raids” update -- that being the titular river raids.
Deep Rock Galactic: Every Mission Type (And What They Require)
Deep Rock Galactic features several mission types for players to literally delve into, and here is a look at the objectives of each one. Email In Deep Rock Galactic, there is one ideology that rises above all: Rock and Stone, until it is done. Working for DRG has its benefits, like drinking on the job and the ability, nay, requirement that all workers blast bugs to bits with big bazookas.
10 Best Easter Eggs In The Hitman Series
IO Interactive's Hitman series does not always take itself too seriously. What are the best Easter eggs that have appeared in Agent 47's missions? Email Agent 47, the leading man of the Hitman franchise, has been through a lot during his tenure as the world’s greatest assassin. He’s jet-set across the entire globe multiple times over, killed evil clones of himself, killed people with guns, killed people with engineering feats of Rube Goldbergian proportions...basically, he has killed. Often.
10 Essential Mods To Make XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen Even Better
XCOM 2's expansion, War of the Chosen, is a great addition to the game, and these mods make the experience even better. Email XCOM 2, upon its initial release, was met with high praise and was regarded as a step up from its predecessor, a successful reboot of a long-dormant franchise.
The 10 Best Enter The Gungeon Guns, Officially Ranked
Before you Enter the Gungeon, it's important to know which guns in your arsenal are the best to make it through the game. Email Once upon a time, on the planet Gunymede, four unlikely heroes (aka The Gungeoneers) decided to Enter The Gungeon, hell-bent on killing their regrets and getting over their embarrassing pasts. How? Travel through five floors of sentient bullets and defeat five furious, gun-pun bosses in order to collect the parts needed to build The Gun That Can Kill The Past.
10 Things We Want From Back 4 Blood's Full Release
Back 4 Blood is one of the most highly anticipated games of the coming summer, and fans want to see their hopes for the title come to fruition. Email Back in the halcyon days of 2008, when things were simple and gas cost a ha'penny, Turtle Rock Studios (under the name Valve South) let Left 4 Dead loose upon the world. Much like the zombie virus itself, the game took the world by storm, as did its sequel, Left 4 Dead 2.
10 Original Xbox Games That Were Held Back By The Hardware
From Halo 2 to Doom 3, these original Xbox titles and ports definitely suffered on Microsoft's first console. Email On November 15, 2001, Microsoft officially entered the video game console market with the Xbox, which was, at the time, the most powerful home gaming system around. Featuring state-of-the-art graphics, online connectivity and the biggest controller the world had ever seen, game developers were chomping at the bit to get their games featured on the system.
The Future Of DC Universe Looks Extremely Bleak
Alas, poor Swamp Thing, we hardly knew thee before a quick and painful demise. Harley Quinn‘s adult-oriented animated antics are a delight, Titans was a surprising success, and Doom Patrol‘s wackiness stood out in a crowded market. Despite these seeming successes and smaller projects on the horizon, DC Universe‘s continued existence seems like an unsure thing at this moment in time.
Syfy Orders Up Day Of The Dead TV Series
Usually, zombies are faceless (sometimes literally) creatures who want nothing more than to eat the skin off your bones…and then maybe suck on your bones for a bit. In 1985, however, George Romero gave us Bub, a cuddly zombie who wanted nothing more than to call his auntie in Day of the Dead, the grand finale of the zombie trilogy. Soon enough, we’re gonna get a new version of the semi-intelligent zombie’s debut on the small screen over on Syfy.
Capcom Reveals Why They Removed Live Choices From Resident Evil 3 Remake
Enter the police station? Fight with the monster? Let a bunch of boxes hit you in the face as you dangle over a sinkhole in an auto body shop? These were just some of the live choices one could make in the original Resident Evil 3‘s dynamic situations. They offered players more replayability in the game, which was shorter than it’s predecessor, Resident Evil 2, due to an abbreviated development cycle. In the upcoming remake, however, Capcom decided to do away with the original system. But why?
Chris Evans Eyed For Lead Role In Little Shop Of Horrors Remake
When Chris Evans was younger, just a bad little kid, Hollywood noticed the funny things he did. Like throwing shields at HYRDA agents, and starring in Not Another Teen Movie. He found an Ana de Armas and almost bashed her head, that’s when Warner Brothers said…”I think some day, you’ll find a way, to make your natural charisma pay!” So, he’ll be a dentist! All riffing aside, it’s breaking now that Captain America himself is in talks to play the evil dentist in the remake of Little Shop of Horrors.
Back To The Future Co-Creator Promises To Never Remake The Series
Hollywood producer Bob Gale got real lucky in the 1980s. While many other people in his position have to work pretty hard their entire lives to produce a wide range of content, he didn’t have to after 1985, when his co-creation, Back to the Future, blew the lid off Tinseltown. It was a mega hit and spawned two good-but-not-great sequels, a short-lived animated series that I didn’t know about until writing this, and those collective shrugs of Telltale Games (RIP) titles.
Bill & Ted Face The Music Releases 6 Month Countdown Teaser
Wanna hear something excellent, my dudes and dudettes and non-binaryettes? We all get to see Keanu’s smooth, un-aged face in a mere six months! Also, Alex Winter is there, and he’s very nice, so we should be excited for that, too! Where are we seeing these fellas? Why, in Bill & Ted Face The Music of course! We’ve already waited 19 years, so what’s another half a year, right?
Sam Neill Teases His Return In Jurassic World 3
“Rawr! I’m a dinosaur! I’m literally in your house, eating you!” That would be my pitch for Jurassic World 3, which is probably why Colin Trevorrow, not me, is handling the actual making of the movie. I’m just here to tell you all that world treasure Sam Neill, Dr. Grant from Jurassic Parks 1 & 3, posted something super cute on Twitter, teasing his reappearance in the franchise.
DC Films Head Allegedly Forced Ben Affleck Out Of The Batman Role
Ben Affleck had a rough 2010s. Sure, he got some of that Oscar goodness in 2012 with Argo, but other than that, he came on as the most divisive Dark Knight ever, directed a major flop of a passion project, got divorced from Jennifer Garner, and fell deep back into alcoholism. Things seemed to be on an upswing for the troubled mutlti-hyphenate when it was announced he was taking over The Batman from Zack Snyder and crew…until he unceremoniously left the project.
An awesome chat with Eric
“The show you’re gonna see next week is kind of a train wreck. A beautiful train wreck,” Eric Wareheim tells Isthmus. The comedian is half of the surrealist-absurdist humor duo Tim and Eric, whose Mandatory Attendance Tour™ stops by the Orpheum on Feb. 23. While most famous for Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! on Adult Swim, which ran from 2007-10, don’t expect a rehash of old bits. “We came up with a bunch of new characters.
Hostel's Eli Roth Is Reportedly Directing A Borderlands Movie
Shush up your Claptrap and grab your assorted weaponry with all your wacky damage bonuses, because we’re going vault hunting in Pandora’s Borderlands to find some even better loot! Allegedly! Maybe, actually…nothing is confirmed yet. Sorry to be backpedaling, but that is exactly what the Gearbox Studios co-founder did after possibly blowing up Eli Roth’s spot on Twitter earlier today, deleting a tweet that stated the director would be taking on the movie adaptation of the video game series.
Disney Now Hunting Down Knock-Off Baby Yoda Merchandise On Etsy
“Today is the end of non-sanctioned merchandise! The end of a regime of Star Wars fans that acquiesce to disorder. At this very moment, in a factory far from here, Baby Yoda lies to the galaxy while secretly supporting the treachery of the rogues of Etsy.” I imagine this is how Jon Favreau or Bob Iger or whoever has final say on merch for The Mandalorian has yelled at their legal team lately to motivate them.
Leigh Whannell Updates Us On Escape From New York Remake
“You go in, find the remake, bring him out in 24 hours, and you’re a free man.” I can only imagine that this is how Paramount pitched the upcoming The Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell a possible remake of cult classic Escape From New York. While previously announced as far back as 2017, with Robert Rodriquez attached to direct and Whannell just writing, but nothing’s really come of it for a while. Now, Mr. Whannell offers an update of sorts.
The Mandalorian Actor Reveals The Full Story Of Punching Baby Yoda
Cameos from folks you wouldn’t otherwise find in a Star Wars enterprise has become, in this new era, quite the common happening. In The Force Awakens alone, there are blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em/too-heavily-costumed-to-be-recognized spots from Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Ben Schwartz (aka Sonic the Hedgehog), and in The Last Jedi we had directors Gareth Edwards and Edgar Wright popping up too. None of them caused any problems. However, comedian Adam Pally almost derailed The Mandalorian for everyone.
Friday The 13th Legal Case May Be Over By The Summer
Yesterday, I wrote a little something about the 11th anniversary of Friday the 13th‘s last appearance in theaters. On top of that momentous occasion, the original film’s director, Sean Cunningham, and the original film’s writer, Victor Miller, met in court to debate the rights to the first movie and all of its contents. The case seemingly may be cleared up sometime this summer, per an entertainment lawyer close to the proceedings.
Today Marks 11 Years Since Friday The 13th Was In Theaters
Between 1980 and 1989, Jason Voorhees (or his mom, technically kicking things off in ’80) got real good at slashing unsuspecting campers and counselors up. The Friday the 13th franchise churned out a film almost every year, making eight movies in those nine years. Jason, through various incarnations and mutations, killed 85 people if we combine Part 2, Part III, The Final Chapter, Jason Lives, The New Blood and Jason Takes Manhattan. You know, the movies where Jason is actually the killer?
Avengers: Endgame Made History With Its Oscars Snub
Avengers: Endgame truly had it all. And after debuting, it writhed around in its piles and pools of money, getting bills dirty with sweat and tears and becoming the highest-grossing film of all-time, dethroning Avatar. Those silly billies at Disney and Marvel then had the audacity to push many For Your Consideration campaigns for the film, including Best Actor for Robert Downey Jr. (haha), Best Visual Effects (sure, makes sense) and, most importantly, Best Picture (ooookay).
Oscar Issac Says He Wanted To Kill The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda
A tragedy has befallen us as a human collective. Someone, some vile, evil man has declared war on the cutest creature in the known universe. Or, more specifically, a galaxy far, far away. The creature in question? The Mandalorian‘s breakout star Baby Yoda. The horrible, horrible man at the center of our attention? Sexiest Man Alive Oscar Issac. How could such an atrocity come to light?
Halloween Kills Star Says The Film Is Halloween On Speed
“They’re creepy and they’re spooky, they’re ominous and ooky, they’re all together cooky, the Myers’ family!” Wait, did I mix my horror theme songs up? Damn, I hope Michael ain’t angry that I messed up. I wouldn’t want to become the victim of Halloween Kills, you know? Good thing I sang quietly. Even if I sang loudly, though, apparently, per Michael Myers actor/stuntman James Jude Courtney, my voice would be drowned out by the film itself. Okay, not literally, but maybe viscerally.
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