Clear History on HBO pits Larry David against Jon Hamm

Clear History on HBO finds the “Mad Men” honcho Jon Hamm battling it out with Larry David.  It’s been a while for Larry David fans. The Curb Your Enthusiasm star has taken his usual time between projects, this time exerting his creative energies on the HBO comedy film Clear History debuting Saturday, Aug. 10 at 9pm ET/PT, which he cowrote.

Clear History on HBO stars Jon Hamm and Larry DavidDavid stars as hippie-looking marketing executive Nathan Flomm from a startup electric car company — he looks like “The Dude” from The Big Lebowski or, as costar Danny McBride says in the film, “the guy who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart.” He’s at odds with his boss Will Haney (played by Jon Hamm) over naming the car The Howard.

“Nobody’s gonna buy a car named Howard,” he argues. But Will (he’s got that Don Draper instinct) believes the name and the car will be a success. The two can’t come to an agreement, so Nathan sells his shares back. “You’ve made the worst decision in your entire life,” Will tells Nathan. And he’s right. The car becomes a global success and the company makes billions, destroying Nathan’s life and leaving him publicly humiliated.

Flash forward 10 years and it’s Larry David looking like Larry David but now he’s Rolly DaVore. He’s changed his name and moved to a small island off the Massachusetts coast. But a new opportunity and his old nemesis Will Haney threaten his new life. The film feels a lot like an episode out of Curb with Larry just being Larry, and Hamm being a more contemporary, still arrogant, Don Draper.

The film also features comedy staples J.B. Smoove (Larry’s Curb buddy), Bill Hader, Kate Hudson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Amy Ryan and Philip Baker Hall.