Bryon P
This is one of two unique, surreal series from John Lurie that never got the wide audience and respect it deserved. The other was Painting with John in the 2020's. May have liked Paining with John even more than Fishing with John. So, of course, HBO in their determined plan to create much more mediocre content, canceled the series after Season 3. Shame.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/05/24
Full Review
dave s
In Fishing with John, jack-of-all-trades artist John Lurie sets off on fishing adventures with the likes of Willem Dafoe, Jim Jarmusch, Matt Dillon, Tom Waits, and Dennis Hopper. Clear from the start that none of the participants are particularly skilled at fishing and truthfully don't appear to have much interest in actually catching a fish, the six-part television series is a lighthearted and borderline surreal look at friendship and comradery. With some irreverent narration (‘Lon has wooden legs, but real feet'), there are laughs to be found, especially in the Hopper segment where they set out to capture the giant squid. While nothing in this will change the way you view the world, it is certainly a lot of fun.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
William L
Though its somewhat slow pace may not be to all tastes, Fishing with John's absurdist premise, hilarious parody, and nonsense dialogue has proved to be extraordinarily forward-thinking; elements can be clearly felt in television comedies built around the talk show premise or general narrative-based miniseries, essentially a toned-down critic's Eric Andre Show. The celebrity guests are all top-notch and the narration is brilliantly written, perfectly timed and beautifully inauthentic. A series that barely exceeds the length of a feature film and makes for great viewing. (4.5/5)
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
12/13/20
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Audience Member
(3 1/2 out of 4 stars) Fishing with John is among the most comfortable shows I have ever watched. It is a parody of those boring fishing shows that have the potential to cure a case of insomnia. The humor is dry and often lands effectively. The characters are bizarre, and are definitely pleasurable to watch as John and his guest go on exotic adventures catching fish, despite the fact they really know next to nothing about it.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/07/23
Full Review
Audience Member
"Fishing with John" stars John Lurie with guests such as Jim Jarmusch, Willem Dafoe, Dennis Hopper, Matt Dillon and Tom Waits. Originally the show aired on IFC and Bravo in 1991 with a six episode run. I've never watched fishing shows on ESPN or other sports channels and although Lurie and his guests go fishing in beautiful locales that are tropical, arctic, etc., this show through its six episodes seems more about enjoying life then actually fishing. It's sometimes funny, sometimes poignant and sometimes introspective.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/15/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Fishing with John is a highlight in absurdist film, i`m not sure John knows how to fish or which end of the rod goes in the water but then neither do his friends a sea sick tom waits and the obviously pretend fishing they do, are a highlight ,as is a creepy overnight stay with willem dafoe ice fishing i`m not sure i`d want that face grinning at me as I lay sleeping
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/15/23
Full Review
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