Worth watching: 'Behind the Star' with Michael Stahl-David

Michael Stahl-David and Odette Yustman star in "Cloverfield." (Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

Shows chronicling the ups and downs of real or fake celebrities have become a genre unto themselves, whether you're talking about "The Larry Sanders Show," "The Comeback," "Entourage," "Being Bobby Brown" or even Ileana Douglas' upcoming web series "Easy to Assemble." 

Yet another entry into this meta-genre is Crackle.com's new "Behind the Star," (which we can't link to due to some off-color language).  The show is a pseudo-documentary on Michael Stahl-David, who played the hero-boyfriend in the movie "Cloverfield."

In the show, Stahl-David plays an ego-inflamed version of himself, still clinging to the success of "Cloverfield" — whose box office numbers he repeats as though teaching a class.  But, he assures viewers, he's still a normal guy. "I could make my bed before I became a movie star, and I can make my bed after," he says, moments before searching for his own name on YouTube.

Turns out Stahl-David, like actor James Franco, can play quirky comedy as well as or better than he can do big tent action-drama. These self-effacing roles can be hard to pull off; if there's even a hint that the star isn't actually on board with the idea that they're a little bit selfish and narcissistic, the whole endeavor can begin to seem unintentionally autobiographical. 

Not so here. Stahl-David creates a subtle doppelganger, one with so little  self-awareness that he can be utterly convinced of his own humility and still seem maniacally self-obsessed. In one scene, he suggests that in order to liven up a photo of himself on the red carpet, the photographer insert another image of him in the background.

"Behind the Star" is one of Crackle.com's new slate of shows, which includes an upcoming sketch-fest by L.A.'s Groundlings, as well as the watchable "Dating Brad Garrett."