Robert Benchley offers a humorous lecture on how to avoid different types of strain during reading.
Social & External
The people behind it
Robert Benchley
Lecturer
Barbara Bedford
Dental Patient (uncredited)
Marie Blake
Nagging Wife (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson
Annoying Club Member (uncredited)
Mahlon Hamilton
Man in Library (uncredited)
Bertram Pincus, a cranky, people-hating Manhattan dentist, develops the unwelcome ability to see dead people. Really annoying dead people. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy, a smooth-talking ghost, who pesters him into a romantic scheme involving his widow Gwen. They are soon entangled in a hilarious predicament between the now and the hereafter!
The ennui of a filmmaker, trapped between aspiration and reality, frames Lana Jing’s quirky, sarcastic, and cinematic-joke filled quarter-life crisis. At her lecture hall job, where aging white men wax on, self-involved, Lana accidentally frames her friend and co-worker when she destroys the only copy of an aging tech-bro’s high-profile lecture. Lana is forced to navigate stop motion animation, a secret admirer, and terrible bridge traffic to sort out a way forward to her destiny… kinda.
Yes, stress can be a positive experience! In this program, humorist and stress-management specialist Loretta LaRoche illustrates how to combat stressful situations with humor, wisdom and patience. Learn how to use humor to de-stress anywhere and anytime -- in traffic jams, at the office or with your family. Break the negative and irrational thought patterns that cause stress and turn them into positive, powerful and productive experiences!
After squandering his grant money, despondent and recently widowed anthropologist James Krippendorf must produce hard evidence of the existence of a heretofore undiscovered New Guinea tribe. Grass skirts, makeup, and staged rituals transform his three troubled children into the Shelmikedmu, a primitive culture whose habits enthrall scholars. But when a spiteful rival threatens to blow the whistle on Krippendorf's ruse, he gets into the act as well.
Chasing women for the weekend at a luxurious Miami resort, teen buddies Ben and Jack get more than they bargained for after crossing paths with a crafty criminal.
After being dumped by his model girlfriend, aspiring writer Quincy Watson quits his job and is inspired to pen the ultimate how-to book on breaking up. When it becomes a smash bestseller, he starts giving his player cousin, Evan, choice tips on how to win the battle of the sexes. But when Evan's beautiful girlfriend Nikki gets wind of the plan, it's these players that end up getting played.
From an ominous Lecturer, a small 1930s middle American community learns of the Harper Affair, in which young Jimmy Harper finds his life of promise turn into a life of debauchery and murder thanks to the new drug menace marijuana. Along the way, he receives help from his girlfriend Mary and Jesus Himself, but always finds himself in the arms of the Reefer Man and the rest of the denizens of the Reefer Den.
After the death of his mother, a man tries to discover a meaning to his life, to the universe and to rebuild a relationship with the only family he has left: his gay brother.
Humorous how-to video explains partying.
A host teaches the world to make crackers.
Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen. As they delve into Austen's literature, the club members find themselves dealing with life experiences that parallel the themes of the books they are reading.
Ruben Creed tells us How To Survive a Kidnapping in this hilarious satire
Makhmalbaf puts an advertisement in the papers calling for an open casting for his next movie. However when hundreds of people show up, he decides to make a movie about the casting and the screen tests of the would-be actors.
An illiterate and lonely man bonds with an older and well-read woman.
Goofy learns to take care of his yard, throughout the four seasons. While doing so he unintentionally wrecks his house.
Learn today's simple, step-by-step way to make more money with less effort...and have fun! Phyllis Diller shares her "garage sale secrets" with you, digging into closets, plowing through old boxes and clearing out the attic as she organizes an attractive, moneymaking garage sale.
When Momo leaves his small home town to go to university, he is full of enthusiasm and confidence, but slowly the pressures of study and campus living begin to grind him down. Half way through his course he finds himself at a crossroads with both his relationship and studies.
A person narrates themself making a salad
Discover the "magic of reading" with Montgomery Charlotte (Lotta) and Margaret LaRue (Rita) as they bring their dream of a traveling library to life, despite the schemings of the extremely boring Daryl Dull and his sidekick, Felicity. Narrated by Phineas Teller, this short film explores the first of many chapters of a magical, musical, magnificent moving library.
Vasoula is a poor girl who works as a secretary for a cranky older lady, Ms Kleio who loves novels with knights and lives secluded in her mansion with her butler Aristeidis. One day, in the absence of Ms Kleio, Vasoula is visited by a couple, Popi and Mitsos Bezestainis who ask if they can stay. The sudden return of Ms Kleio causes great upheaval kai Vasoula is forced to introduce Mitsos as her husband, who is a sailor and often away. When Ms Kleio dies, she leaves her entire estate to Vasoula whom she mentions in her will as "wife of Dimitrios Bezestainis". Now, the problems begin, and they can only be solved when Vasoula marries Mitsos.
Mr. Wilson's ever-present annoyance comes in the form of one mischievous kid named Dennis. But he'll need Dennis's tricks to uncover a collection of gold coins that go missing when a shady drifter named Switchblade Sam comes to town.
A relaxing spa getaway evolves into a prehistoric panic when Scooby-Doo and the gang uncover the horrible Phantosaur, an ancient legend come to life to protect hidden treasures buried in secret desert caves. But this scare-a-saurus doesn’t stand a chance with Shaggy around, after he finds his inner hero with the help of new-age hypnosis. Like, it makes him more brave and less hungry!
In this unique and dynamic live concert experience, Louis C.K.'s exploration of life after 40 destroys politically correct images of modern life with thoughts we have all had...but would rarely admit to.
A decade has passed in the small town where the original Sandlot gang banded together during the summer of ’62 to play baseball and battle the Beast. Now, back at the dugout, nine new kids descend on the diamond only to discover that a descendant of the Beast lives in Mr. Mertle’s backyard – a monster of mythical proportions known as 'The Great Fear'.
Mickey and gang must stop hundreds of old film reel versions of Mickey from wreaking havoc all over town.
The Duchy of Grand Fenwick decides that the only way to get out of their economic woes is to declare war on the United States, lose and accept foreign aid. They send an invasion force (in chain mail, armed with bows and arrows) to New York and they arrive during a nuclear drill that has cleared the streets.
In a world where walking, talking, digitally connected bots have become children's best friends, an 11-year-old finds that his robot buddy doesn't quite work the same as the others do.
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
Mike discovers that being the top-ranking laugh collector at Monsters, Inc. has its benefits – in particular, earning enough money to buy a six-wheel-drive car that's loaded with gadgets. That new-car smell doesn't last long enough, however, as Sulley jump-starts an ill-fated road test that teaches Mike the true meaning of buyer's remorse.
A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
Mickey Moran, son of two vaudeville veterans, decides to put up his own vaudeville show with his girlfriend Patsy Barton. But child actress Rosalie wants to make a comeback and replace Patsy both professionally and as Mickey's girl.
When Scooby and Mystery Inc. visit an off-road racing competition, it's not long before strange events start to occur. A mysterious phantom racer, known only as Inferno, is causing chaos and is determined to sabotage the race. It's up to Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and their new driving partner, The Undertaker, to save the race and solve the mystery.
The nefarious Warwick the Warlock has returned from his astral imprisonment, and plans to make the final sacrifice for ultimate power - all he needs is the soul of a pure heart. The Buddies, alongside their new spectral friend Pip, race against the clock to defeat the sorcerer, who has enlisted the Halloween Hound to do his dirty work under the cover of the neighborhood festivities.
Hyperactive teenager Kelly is enrolled into a military school when her new stepfather becomes the Commandant. At first she has problems fitting in and taking orders until she tries out for the drill team.
Wimpy Greg Heffley, now in seventh grade, thinks he has it all together. He has mastered middle school and gotten rid of the Cheese Touch. However, Greg's older brother, Rodrick, is itching to cut him down to size. He gets the perfect opportunity when their mother tries to force the boys to bond. Rodrick may be Greg's chief tormentor, but he feels his constant pranks are just what his little brother needs to prepare him for life's hard knocks.
Best friends Tod, a fox kit, and Copper, a hound puppy, visit a country fair when they see a band of dogs called "The Singin' Strays". The band has five members: Dixie, Cash, Granny Rose, and twin brothers Waylon and Floyd. It is important that they perform well because a talent scout is visiting.
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Woody Woodpecker enters a turf war with a big city lawyer wanting to tear down his home in an effort to build a house to flip.
It's the night of Peppermint Patty’s New Year’s Eve bash, but Charlie Brown has to write a book report about War and Peace. Hoping to join the fun for a special dance with the Little Red-Haired Girl, he tries desperately to finish in time.
To free Baba Yaga and Renfield from the clutches of Monster Hunter Mila Starr, the Wishbone Family once more transforms into a Vampire, Frankenstein's Monster, a Mummy and a Werewolf but when aided by their three pet bats, the Monster Family zooms around the world again to save their friends, make new monstrous acquaintances.
