David Yazbek Interview
I continue my interviews with one of my dearest friends, David Yazbek. As I mentioned, he’s starting a monthly residency at the 92YTribeca. Hurricane Sandy pushed back his inaugural show to December 3rd. Here, I ask him questions about poker and his dad’s favorite song of his.
TED GREENBERG: What are your five favorite poker scenes in film or TV?
DAVID YAZBEK:
1. John Hamburg’s bromance I Love You, Man has a poker scene where Paul Rudd breaks all the rules of rational poker-play and annoys everyone by winning and then projectile-vomits into Jon Favreau’s face.
2. The British film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels has a great poker scene near the beginning of the film. It takes place in a boxing ring and ends with our protagonist losing maybe 200k that he doesn’t have. The moment he loses something like 4 of a kind to a straight flush (the other guy cheats) is exquisitely nauseating.
3. Rounders final poker scene. Even with its stupid Oreo-cookie-tell conceit, it’s fun and plausible to see [John] Malkovich’s character admit defeat to better play. I also like when Matt Damon correctly reads everyone’s hand at the law professor’s poker game.
4. Cincinnati Kid final poker scene. Pretty stupid but Steve McQueen’s face is priceless throughout.
5. California Split is an obscure film about two gamblers played by Elliot Gould and George Segal. For years you couldn’t get it and now you can. There’s great, sad stuff in it.
TED GREENBERG: Of all your songs, what’s your dad’s favorite?
DAVID YAZBEK: My Dad recently told me The Full Monty is his favorite musical but I think his favorite song of mine is “See How the Moon Behaves” which is what he consistently incorrectly calls “Nothing Is Too Wonderful to be True” from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
