July « 2008 « FRED Entertainment

July 4, 2008

Cabin Fever #29: Along Came A Spider

Filed under: Cabin Fever — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:41 am

Oh no! Just when you thought it was safe to hang out at the Quick Stop…

Cabin Fever (hosted by the twisted souls Brian Fitzpatrick and Aaron Poole) is the result of having too much time on your hands and access to your local community radio station.

Over the course of an hour, they manage to trawl the depths of good taste, plus throw some music in. How much more could you want from a podcast?… Quality? Oh… we didn’t think of that.

Enjoy! And we hope our cross Atlantic friends can understand the Irish accent 😉

Hugs and Kisses,
Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy

CABIN FEVER #29: Along Came A Spider – Brian has recovered from his dose of ebola and returns to help Aaron produce probably our geekiest episode yet. And that’s saying something. The Cabin boys discuss missing feet, life on Mars, the word “flabbergast”, and all things arachnid. To keep your toes tapping we have music from The Tender Box, MGMT, The Smiths, and Michael Buble… That’s right – The Buble opens this shizzle. Press Play… Now.

[CONTENT WARNING]: Explicit contents! We say every naughty word you can think of. You have been warned!

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Win THE DUKES OF HAZZARD TWO MOVIE COLLECTION on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:32 am

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Warner Home Video, three (3) copies of THE DUKES OF HAZZARD: TWO MOVIE COLLECTION on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, July 10th.

CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, July 10th.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

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July 3, 2008

Trailer Park: Brandon Barash

Filed under: Interviews,Trailer Park — admin @ 10:46 pm

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

I’m awesome. I wrote a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

I used to watch Days of Our Lives in college.

I don’t know how it happened or why I didn’t question my masculinity when I did find myself wondering whether Billie and Bo would ever end up together, whether Stefano could be done away with completely and why Diedre Hall ignited my Cougar Complex in such a randy way.

The fact is, though, that soap operas fill a niche within television and some of these serials have been launching pads for many A-list stars. Enough derision has been tossed in the way of many a reality show but programs like Days or General Hospital are largely devoid of criticism in many critics’ circles.

The pleasure was all mine when I talked to Brandon Barash, actor on General Hospital, the longest running serial on ABC and which also celebrates its 45th year as it churns through 2008. The series also nabbed its record making 10th Daytime Emmy for best Best Drama and snagged a lead actor award for Anthony Geary. What’s more about Brandon, and why I agreed to do the interview, is that his is a story of what it’s like to be a literal working actor. The amount, the sheer volume of learning his lines, performing incessantly, keeping his character focused and consistent, being present for every aspect of what he needs to do, is the very thing those who aspire to be an actor should listen to and take to heart.

He comes across as someone just thankful to be working in an industry where there are more willing bodies than there are parts to give. I won’t steal any of Brandon’s thunder but this is a story that’s worth reading and appreciating from the standpoint that there is more to life in LA for an actor than just those who have only a few pages’ of lines to remember; that’s just a day’s work for him.

CHRISTOPHER STIPP: I’ve been going over your resume and you have a lot of episodes of General Hospital under your belt.

BRANDON BARASH: It’s been a busy couple months.

CS: How long does that represent?

BARASH: 80 some odd episodes.

I think 80 some odd episodes was up to a week or so ago and it’s funny you mentioned that because the other day I realized that it’s got to be close to 100 episodes which is just wacky. In the last 6 months, I’ve taped 100 episodes of this TV show.

CS: One of the reasons I wanted to do this was that I really wanted to get a good feel for the pace you work under”“ it just has to be maddening.

BARASH: Oh yeah. It’s very intense. Actually, before I called you I was sitting here running my script for tomorrow which is some I think 10 scenes and some 20 pages of solid dialogue and that starts tomorrow. I’m lucky enough to have the day off today but yesterday and the day before that and the day before that it’s the same everyday. You do anywhere from 2 to 10 scenes a day which is 4 ““ 20 some odd pages and you have to do your homework the night before and show up game day ready to play.

CS: How is that for you as an actor? Day one, when you were given the script, did you have any idea that it would be as intense a schedule that you could get used to?

BARASH: Well, I met with the writers before hand and thankfully, they warned me. They said we are going to start you out slowly but then we’re just going to run you into the ground. So I told them to bring it and they definitely brought it and it’s good. I’ve used the term so many times but it’s really actor’s boot camp. You get paid to do it and that’s the best thing. I get up everyday, I get to go play, I get to hone my craft and if I have an off day one day I can show up the next day and do a better job.

CS: It’s got to be liberating from a craft standpoint to, like you said, be able to refine or do other things, because there is always tomorrow.

BARASH: Actually, it’s so liberating ““ takes the pressure off of everything. Every good athlete has a bad game. Babe Ruth didn’t hit a home run every game, Kobe Bryant doesn’t lead by 30 points and win every game ““ it’s a bout showing up, trusting yourself and if you have a bad day, you get to do it again the next. It’s not so much you have a bad day, but you have another crack at it.

CS: For schedule sake, what’s the average day to shoot an hour long episode, what kind of production schedule are you looking at?

BARASH: Production schedule for the entire day can go anywhere from 10 to 14 sometimes 16 ““ 18 hour days.

CS: Wow.

BARASH: It’s a really rigorous schedule and we go at a grueling pace but I feel really lucky to be on the acting side of it because we have our makeup artists, our lighting grips and everybody–they are there the whole day, they don’t get to leave. We get to just show up, do our thing and go home but the flip side of that is we go home and spend several hours working on our stuff for the next day. So it’s pretty grueling.

CS: Talk to me about the actual soap ““ General Hospital has been a staple in American culture. I was in college, hooked on Days of Our Lives for reasons unknown, I don’t know why, but once you get into one of these things you can’t help but keep returning and returning again. Sometimes the plot lines are absurd, but what initially drew you to the idea of getting yourself hooked up or connected with a soap opera?

BARASH: I never thought I would be and, of course, there are all these untrue stigmas that go along with soap operas and soap acting, but what drew me to this one in particular…I have auditioned a couple times beforehand…but what drew me to this was my manager called me one day and told me, “We have the most perfect part for you. This young, brooding, intense but good underneath kind of guy.” And, “Are you interested?” I said, “Absolutely!” So I went in and met with them and literally not even an hour after I left the office I found out I got it and I couldn’t have been happier. I always felt that playing a part like this that has so many layers and so much going on ““ the surface of this guy, Johnny is really the tip of the iceberg. It’s really an honor to play him.

CS: And explain your character a little bit and how you fit into the grand plot line.

BARASH: Well, you have Johnny, who is the lead character of the show. He’s the Port Charles Mob Boss and I’m the son of the Manhattan Mob Boss but I’m kind of like the interim Mob Boss at the same time because my father is in the hospital injured and incapacitated. So that’s how I fit in. And of course I (Johnny) have a history with Luke and Laura’s daughter, Lulu. We have an off and on relationship since I’ve been on the show.

CS: You talked about that soap stigma ““ I’m curious what void to soap operas fill in the grand landscape of television because they’ve been around for decades. What draws people ““ from what you’ve heard and now you are hip-deep in it, why are people so hungry for these things?

BARASH: Well it’s definitely interesting. Our show has been around for 45 years so they definitely got quite a following and I honestly don’t know what the big draw is. I wish I could tap into the psyche of our two and a half million fans or how many we have, what draws them in everyday but I think the biggest thing is when people connect with a show or a character they see a trace of themselves or they see who they want to be or who they’ve always fantasized about being with and I think that’s a lot of the big draw is we have a lot of great people on our show who are extremely talented and they bring to life these characters that ““ it’s definitely intriguing to fans to be a fly on the wall everyday.

CS: And being a part of this, does it ever prohibit you from your other work like film?

BARASH: Yes, there are some contractual restrictions but I am allowed to do movies, which is great and I am allowed to do ABC TV shows but I’m not allowed to take off too long to do those but they do allow me one a year. I can do a movie once a year.

CS: Has your film work been limited just to TEN INCH HERO?

(Laughs)

BARASH: No. I did that…that was a tiny, tiny part ““ I did that and I did a film formerly called INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY which is now known as DARK MIND staring Chris Masterson and Lyndsy Fonseca ““ I actually played her boyfriend and I also did a pretty terrible film called CRASH LANDING.

CS: What made it so terrible?

BARASH: I’m not afraid to say this because he was just a monster ““ the director was incredibly abusive to the crew and the cast and I’m not one to make waves but I’m not afraid to say it from the moment we all showed up on set he was yelling every obscenity in the book and he was just abusive and it was an awful experience.

CS: What happens with that? How do you deal with that? You get a job and at the end of the day the people I’ve talked to, actors what have you, they say it’s fun work but it’s a job. How do you deal with someone that you literally have to put on a good face for someone who is trying to whip you?

BARASH: At the end of the day, like you said, it is a job and you have to be able to separate yourself from it. Millions of people go to work everyday and have bosses they can’t stand and they just have to put their pride aside and focus on just doing the job and as long as you can do that, you are in good hands.

CS: And the directors on General Hospital, how does, in your opinion, the actual technical stuff of directing, people say blocking and what have you, is it done by just a core group of people, directors on set?

BARASH: We basically have about 4-5 directors that rotate. They are the anthisis of the person I just described to work with. They come to work with great ideas, they arrive on time, prepared and at the same time they are not stubborn and set in their ways and they definitely take suggestions from the actors. We’ll talk before a scene, what do you see for this scene? Do you have any input? It’s really nice because their job is to direct us and tell us what to do and where to go but at the same time we are allowed to give input. It’s really nice. It’s a group effort.

CS: You said before that if you have input you give input, but do you have these things down to a science or is there a lot of room to really play with the format?

BARASH: Well, I think it’s a little bit of both. It’s definitely down to a science and if there wasn’t a format then there would just be mayhem everyday. But, at the same time you have to have the perfect marriage of the science and then also mixing it up. You have to mix it up or else the fans are going to lose interest. And, as an actor if I’m not going to work every day and creating life behind this character it gets stale, it gets boring and it shows on the screen.

CS: How do you do that from week to week – trying to make the character your own? Do the writers share with you? Usually when you go in to make a movie, you have a beginning, a middle and an end. But with a soap opera”¦.

BARASH: Absolutely. We don’t know that but the writers do a great job in writing the characters but at the end of the day I think it’s up the actor to lift those words off the page and lift the character off the page and lift the character into a real living being and I think its up to us as actors to really read the text and not just the lines. To be able to read what’s going on behind the lines can bring these characters to life. The analogy I like to use is the words…it’s just the tip of the iceberg. You see this little piece of ice floating on top of the water but what you don’t see is this mass underneath the water that’s holding up the whole thing. And that’s kind of like the character. What we say and what we say as people in everyday life is just the tip of the iceberg when in fact there’s a lot of stuff going on underneath.

CS: Do you ever get anything back from the writers and say now this is getting a little obnoxious? Some of these plot lines can get a little insane.

BARASH: I can’t. I’ve been lucky enough and am very happy with my story line. I’m not doing anything too absurd. I’m not possessed by the devil yet.

(Laughs)

I’ve seen on some other soaps that things can get a bit absurd but I think the big part of what draws the fans in is the silly circumstances these characters find themselves in. Like I said I’ve been very lucky in that the story line has been a lot of fun to bring to life.

CS: And the brand ““ the General Hospital brand has been around for a long, long time.

BARASH: It has. I just got back today ““ we celebrated our 45th anniversary or birthday, whatever you want to call it, on set and because we are filming that episode today. Like you said, General Hospital has been a staple in American culture this last half century which is just crazy to imagine that I’ve been a part of it. It’s awesome.

CS: I’ve noticed a lot of “A” list actors who got their start from soap operas. Is it like what you alluded to earlier that this is an actor’s boot camp, that it really does something to an actors or actress to take this seriously.

BARASH: Absolutely. It’s definitely that. You show up to work one day and you have 20 pages you have to eek out. You’ve got to give it your all. Pour your heart and soul into it. Then you have to go home and learn 25 pages for the next day and it’s very easy for us to fall into habits and just get by. But it’s another thing to really be hungry and make those strong choices and make your character stand out and really read between the lines and find that life underneath the water that I was talking about earlier. And I think that if you have that hunger to become a better artist and to constantly be honing your craft then absolutely – that’s what makes great actors because they teach you to work under the gun, make your choices and commit.

CS: How picky can you be with other roles that you find ““ has this opened some doors for you? Are people asking for you to come read a script or try out for their film based on what you’ve done on HOSPITAL?

BARASH: Absolutely. It’s opened all sorts of doors and I can be very picky with what I do now. I have to be incredibly selective because I can only do one movie a year so I’m going to be sure that that movie is going to serve me in my career in the best way possible. It’s a nice position to be in to turn things down.

CS: Of course.

BARASH: We should all be so lucky.

(Laughs)

CS: Looking back ““ taking stock of today and where you want to go tomorrow what is it that you hopes your next steps are beyond what you are doing today?

BARASH: Looking back before today, before I finished college I made myself a 30 year goal. That 30 year goal (I guess I will be 52) but my 30 year goal is to be able to write, direct star in my own films and I’d love to score some of those films and then if I want go onto Broadway and do a play for a few months. That’s the kind of career I want to have and live without regret and I know that if I keep working hard and take a step in that direction every day, I will achieve that.

I’m envisioning that that’s what I want to do with my life, that’s what I want to be and at the same time not getting overwhelmed with that big goal and breaking it down into basically little sections and not looking at the big picture. Basically, today is a new day what do I need to do today to get to my goal. That’s what it is about for me.

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Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #50: The Big One

Filed under: Ken P.D. Snydecast — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:12 pm

Adult Swim’s Dana Snyder and FRED’s Ken Plume set out to have a literate conversation between two pals, but inevitably devolve into a verbal, and funny, free-for-all full of bickering, infighting, and the special kind of male bonding that comes from conflict expressed through the podcast medium.

Actor/comedian/raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Master Shake, Squidbillies‘ Granny, Minoriteam’s Dr. Wang, and The Venture Bros.‘ Alchemist. Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.

Ken Plume is the editor-in-chief here at FRED. He is a friend of Dana’s, as well as his arch-nemesis.

VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #50: The Big One – Ken & Dana celebrate their golden anniversary with more of the same – the same greatness! That’s right, it’s party time in Casa de Snydecast, and we’ve brought the balloons, the party favors, and a not a whole lot of bitterness and resentment. Well, maybe just a little.
[CONTENT WARNING]: This podcast may contain some foul language and horribly off-color jokes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #50 (MP3 format)

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Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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Party Favors: The Summer Of Danny McBride

Filed under: Columns — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:23 am

ATLANTIC BEACH – Welcome to the summer of Danny McBride!

He’s already tearing up the indie cinema in The Foot Fist Way. Come the heated month of August McBride will be a hype monster that rivals the size of the Hulk with superstar making roles in Seth Rogen’s The Pineapple Express and Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder. Plus he’s already doing the early promotions for next summer’s Will Ferrell epic Land of the Lost.

The clock on Danny’s 2008 conquest kicked off in the spring with his part as Owen Wilson’s homeless buddy in Drillbit Taylor. In case you don’t want to watch the whole movie when it comes out on DVD this July 1, here’s Danny’s highlights:

Come August, people will ask: Where did this Danny McBride come from? There will be numerous answers, but my favorite: me.

I produced a movie at North Carolina School of the Arts’ School of Filmmaking that starred Danny. As far as I’m concerned, it was his first big break in the world of showbiz. “In the Sauce” was classic tale of a young man who needs fatherly advice to score with the ladies. The secret can be found in the family’s spaghetti sauce recipe. Showing his diversity, Danny played the father. The director described the character as “a stereotypical Italian father.” Danny played it to the hilt. I believed Danny’s late wife was played by a photo of Dom DeLuise in drag from Haunted Honeymoon. Danny gave that heartbroken look at Dom’s mug. Dom and I had worked together on Candid Camera. Now Danny will be this summer’s Dom to Seth Rogen’s Burt.

It seemed like hours that Danny remained it that character. He stirred a giant pot of spaghetti sauce under the hot lamps. He was so humble back then. At no point did he brag that he’d be making a $100 million plus big screen version of Land of the Lost. Shivers go down my spine while remembering him rubbing the thick red sauce on his checks for the martini. Everybody cracked up on the set once “cut” was called. During the screening, it was easy to testify that Danny was bound for greater roles than a guy in a hat covered in sauce.

I haven’t been able to locate a copy of “In the Sauce.” Rumor has it that a few years back the Dean “requisitioned” all the student project videotapes to record the Charles In Charge marathon on PAX. By September, perhaps a bootleg of it will appear on Youtube. Although for now you must settle for the red band trailer of The Foot Fist Way.

It is strange that Danny has taken off as an actor since he wrote and directed the film that was a sensation at the film school’s LA screenings. It was about a pack of teenage superheroes. Before the lights had come up, agents were passing cards to Danny. He spent the next few days bouncing around at all the major agencies getting the Entourage pitch. My major memory of his glorious hour was when we discovered the 16mm print received a thick green scratch down the middle of all the frames. The film school dean blamed me for an agency flunky’s projection screw up. Thus my last memories of Danny involve restraining myself from slapping the dork that brought you Meet the Deedles.

As I watched Danny on the MTV movie awards talking crap with Will Ferrell, I understood what Roger Corman feels when he sees Jack sitting courtside at Laker games. A strange sense of pride that you boosted that man to the stars; along with the sad knowledge that he’s priced himself out of your cinematic budgets. There will be no Danny McBride’s Killer Sloth.

BEFORE SHE SWUNG

The hottest new TV series this summer also has a Corey connection. Long before Kate Norby was razorblading lines on CBS’s Swingtown, she got cut out of another film I produced.

Norby currently plays Gail Saxton, the coke fueled semi-divorcee neighbor. She’s the one with the daughter that ran away. But she doesn’t care what the kid’s doing as she lines up her next line. She was also in the first season of Mad Men. Here’s a clip of her trying to bring a little girl-girl action to the world of Leave It to Beaver:

Norby was at the North Carolina School of the Arts at the same time as me. I remember “discovering” her on the set of a project shooting in 16mm. The camera remained on her face while the crew was tweaking a light. Her face filled the video monitor. I was mesmerized by her relaxed look. The key to a good actor is how they appeal to the eye when they aren’t playing with the ball. She had that talent. At that moment, I wanted to be her manager. But that was not to be.

We did the next best thing and cast her in an independent feature that I was producing in Wilmington, NC. Her role was extremely small. She was the ex-girlfriend of a guy sent down to the coast to work on his grandfather’s fishing boat. The old man was supposed to set him straight. Her role consisted of being on a videotape watched by the boy. Her video footage was shot at a fake picnic on the top of Pilot Mountain. Fans of The Andy Griffith Show might recognize that name as Mount Pilot. Kate teased the camera like a true professional. She looked sweet high above sea level.

Things however went weird during the 35mm production when the director decided we needed to juice up the scene. He had our hero masturbating on the sofa while watching Norby on the TV.

Production was halted due to circumstances that my lawyer has advised me not to expose since the statue of limitations is active on a couple event. We took the footage and made a short film so we’d have something to shop to festivals. Norby discovered the clip of the hero spanking to her image. She was not at the raw nature of the scene. But I promised her that the footage would not make it into the final short film. Thus when the “Outer Banks” short played several film festivals, she was not in the credits. This probably helped her career since she has yet to be referred to as the “girl in the spanking scene.”

Although that didn’t prevent her from being known as “the girl in the shower scene” from Rob Zombie’s Devil’s Rejects. Norby rocked the merkin in that film when she wasn’t being terrorized by Sid Haig. As a demonstration of how weird the world connects: Rob Zombie’s former girlfriend (Sean Yseult) in White Zombie’s father was the head of the English Department at NC State that surrendered my first degree. You want to know the first secret of success: Get to know me.

It is nice to see Kate Norby back on my video monitor even if she is strung out while competing for mother of the year.

BLAND OUT

Shame on ABC for Wipeout. What’s the point of ripping off Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (or for my Japanese readers: Takeshi’s Castle) if you’re going to bland it up? The various challenges as shown in the previews are grey vinyl in the middle of a mud pit. Gimme some f’n color! Half the fun of MXC on Spike is the outrageous costumes on the contestants and the color props that knock the crap out of them. The blah equipment looks like it was stolen from an elementary school’s gym storage room.

Why is American TV afraid of hues? Enough of the earth tones. Liberace once said, “If you’re going to be a spectacle, wear something spectacular.” Network executives need to take note. Enough of the dark suits and mall clothes. What’s the point of colorful HDTV if everyone looks like a funeral home director? Did Six Feet Under establish the wardrobe rules for the 21st century?

DVD Shelf

Even with the new season of Weeds and Swingtown, I need to supplement my viewing pleasure with shiny discs. What’s new? Let’s look.

Californication: The First Season helped establish Showtime as the location for adult sitcoms. David Duchovny returns to his Red Shoes roots by bringing nudity back to the pay channel. This time he’s a stud writer in Los Angeles that is screwing any woman that mistakes him for the guy from The X-Files. He’s still getting over his divorce from Natascha McElhone. One of his conquests turns out to be his ex-wife’s boyfriend’s daughter. For those who pondered what the daughter from The Nanny (Madeline Zima) would be like as the ultimate jailbait: Merry Christmas. This is one of my favorite shows in production.

Futurama: Beast with a Billion Backs is the second feature length movie starring the delivery men of the future. A crack in the universe has allowed a strange creature voiced by David Cross to conquer the earth. There’s great moments when everyone thinks they’re taking escalators to heaven. Does Warren Beatty get a royalty for using his iconic assumption technique? This series deserved to be revived.

Early Edition: The First Season has Kyle Chandler get tomorrow’s newspaper a day early. It’s his job to fix things. Fisher Stevens (currently appearing in Lost flashbacks) is his buddy on these time preventing adventures. They have to stop airplanes from crashing, basketball players from dying and dognappings. It’s kind of like a constant “City on the Edge of Forever” life for them. Of course this show wouldn’t work in the 21st century since we all read the newspaper online. Early Edition lasted four seasons which is a headline to me.

Dynasty: The Third Season, Volume 1 takes us back to that time when hair and shoulder pad were stacked high. The rich Carrington family rule Denver in these dozen episodes. The focus seems to be on Joan Collins remarrying and a kid proving he’s really Blake’s son. It’s trashy good fun for those who want more conflict from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Fourth Season should be called Nick Bakay Talks Like a Pussy. It’s fun to watch the Shagmaster General from Night After Night with Allan Havey voice an animatronic cat. This is not the animated version. You really get Melissa Joan Hart casting spells around the house. The big moment this season is when she goes to the prom. Fernwood Tonight fans get to see Martin Mull continue as the principal that’s dating Beth Broderick. Think he’s ticked off at the money given the “Things White People Like” since he paved the way with The History of White People In America?

Jericho: The Second Season proves that not every series that fans fight to revive will thrive in their second life like Family Guy. The fans fought so hard and when the new season started, the ratings were worse. Here are the final 7 episodes about what happens when America gets nailed with a nuclear attack. Skeet Ulrich has to maintain his community of Jericho as they discover others have plans on them. Who can you trust? They also released Jericho: The Complete Series for those who want to watch it all. It is a shame the show got axed, but it speaks about the diminishing audience for network entertainment.

Meerkat Manor: Season Three continues to remind us that the kids from The Hills are not nearly as interesting to watch as a pack of animals in Africa. The Whiskers are certainly more entertaining that the Hogans, Simmons and Osbournes. This season opens with Flower guiding the Whiskers tribe to better hunting grounds. But they run into trouble with their rival Zappa tribe. How cool is it that they named a tribe after Frank’s family? It also demonstrates Mean Girls is real as the females fight to rule their families. This is the only family-based reality show that a family should watch.

Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins is a prequel to the Animal Planet series. We get to follow Flower’s rise to power. She’s a regular Rose Kennedy amongst her Kalahari clan. There’s plenty of lessons we can take from her since there’s little difference between their organization and our community. Whoopi Goldberg fills in for regular narrator Sean Astin.

The Streets of San Francisco: The Second Season, Volume 1 reminds us of the power of Michael Douglas’ hair. He’s the young cop to Karl Malden’s old school vet as they patrol the city of Rice-A-Roni. The nice part is they shot around San Francisco instead of L.A. backlots. You get a real sense of the city as they chase down hoods and hustlers. Martin Sheen pops up in “Betrayed.” Vic Morrow gets ’em ill on “The Twenty-four Karat Plague” when uranium is part of the heist. It’s become on of my favorite ’70s cop shows.

Walker, Texas Ranger: The Fifth Season is an excuse to drink. Chuck Norris continues his style of kicking ass and letting his assistants take name. “Higher Power” has him buttkicking to protect the reincarnation of a Buddhist monk. “Patriot” has him overpowering white supremacists that hijack a minority TV station. Even spirits help Walker kick ass in “Ghost Rider.” The nice part is watching without commercial breaks that lessen the impact of Norris’ kicks. Why isn’t Chuck Norris being mentioned for Vice President?

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Win IN BRUGES on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:02 am

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Universal Home Video, ten (10) copies of IN BRUGES on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 9th.

CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

Official Rules

No member of Quick Stop Entertainment or their immediate families may enter.

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July 9th.

The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after notification of win to receive the product.

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July 2, 2008

Comics & Comics: Hellboy II and the Golden Review

Filed under: Comics and Comics — admin @ 11:45 pm

COMics & Comics 31208- lOGO

Howdy Inter-Webbers. I’m Matt Cohen, and I dig Hellboy.

Anyone who remotely knows me knows that. I wear my love for all things Hellboy proudly on my sleeve (of my homemade BPRD shirt, no less). Big Red is my single favorite fictional character of all time, and his comic book is my favorite work of fiction. From the moment I first laid eyes on Hellboy on a T-shirt in Dogma I was in geek love. And, funnily enough, at some point the heavens conspired and my favorite filmmaker in the world, Guillermo Del Toro (or GDT, as he shall henceforth be referred to) decided to adapt my favorite comic book to screen. Rarely do things work out that perfect. The first Hellboy movie was a lot of fun but it left me wishing it were more, wishing it was an unfettered GDT film rather then what seemed like a tightly controlled studio movie. I was left wanting more comic book content and the visual flair that GDT was known for. I was left wanting a sequel. Well, on Saturday night I had the privilege of a lifetime to attend the world premiere of Hellboy II: The Golden Army and I can happily and proudly tell you that it has been done. The perfect Hellboy film has been made, and at the same time, one of the best comic to film adaptations I have seen in my entire life. Hellboy II is, to say it lightly, awesome. It makes up for everything the first film lacked, and more. GDT has managed to merge his big studio action flicks with his small personal Spanish language films, and the result is a giant roller-coaster of a summer good time mixed with the nuances and sensibilities of a small art film. Ron Perlman returns as the only man on the planet who can possibly do HB justice. And once again, he gives the performance of a life time. To make a long story short, this is as fun a time in the movie theatre that I’ve had in my life.

This is one of my favorite films of this year (or any other), and I truly feel that anyone who ever has called themselves a “Movie Fan” should experience this film in theaters for themselves. With that in mind, I want to avoid spoilers entirely if possible. Yes, there will be some hints of the movie discussed in here, but more theme and overall reaction then specific moments. And, as always, to save you the time and eye strain of reading another novel of a review, I’ve broken my feelings down into points, like so…

Bprd

HERE TO PROTECT (PROS):

PLOT: While far from groundbreaking, the story of HB II works tremendously and GDT has honestly crafted a pretty timeless tale here, regardless of whether you’re a fan of the big red ape or not. If you have yet to watch it I would definitely recommend checking out the animated prologue released a week or so ago, and found here. What GDT (and Hellboy’s dad and Filmic co-scripter Mike Mignola) have cooked up is a tale that not only fits perfectly into the HB universe but also manages to quite skillfully echo some of our own modern “real world” concerns. GDT doesnt go as far as to make this an “eco-agenda” movie, but there is definitely a theme of “Man’s destruction of the planet” which makes the Elves and their leader, Nuada’s (Luke Goss) , motivations all the more genuine and sincere.

Imagine that humans aren’t the original inhabitants of this planet, but rather a passing fad. Now imagine the first citizens of the Earth, the ones relegated to shadows and living underground, forced out of their rightful homes by this interloper of a species (man). With that in mind, Nuada’s goals never seem evil for a moment, making him a much more complex and quite tragic baddie than the previous film offered in Rasputin, or most “Superhero” films offer in general. Nuada is not a bad guy. He is loyal to his people (to a fault). The viewer never once hates Nuada or the Elven forces, which makes Hellboy’s inevitable conflict (Monsters or Man ; Where does he belong?) all the more genuine seeming. Further then that, I found myself sort of agreeing with the “Baddies” by the end of the film rather then rooting against them. One gets the feeling, watching this film, that GDT sides with the monsters (and that he would make an amazing Frankenstein film) and at the end of the day, that is sort of what Hellboy II is all about. The monsters we can see versus the monsters inside of us.

There are some other more character based “spoilers” that I’d rather not go into, but let’s just say that the Elves aren’t the only conflict in Hellboy‘s life. He’s got a girlfriend now (Liz Sherman/Selma Blair) and we all know how that goes… Right? (just ruined my chances of ever dating a female reader, didn’t I?). Mix in a new Elven love interest for Abe Sapien and the introduction of the german ghost man Johann, and you’ve got yourself one of the better ensemble/team movies I can think of. GDT didn’t reinvent the wheel, he just made it spin a lot faster and better.

ACTING: Let’s break this down again, shall we?

Ron Perlman (Hellboy): The only man who could do this part justice. Physically menacing and yet somehow so damn vulnerable, innocent, and likable at the same time. Whatever the first movie’s failings were, Perlman was perfect in it; much as he is in this film. I can’t imagine anyone else playing Hellboy, and the fact that Perlman is nearing 60 just makes the performance that more astounding and one for the ages. One of the greatest film characters ever realized, due in a huge part to this man. Ron Perlman is Hellboy, and I would pay to watch him do his laundry as this character, let alone beat the crap out of monsters. One of the most inspired and brilliant casting decisions of all time. I bow down…

Hellboy and Big Baby

“Who said they don’t like Comics & Comics?”

Selma Blair (Liz Sherman): Leagues better then she was in the first film, it seems that Selma Blair has finally found her voice in this crazy universe, and shines in the sequel (and smolders… I know. I’m hilarious). Sporting a new haircut but that same old Liz attitude, Selma turns in a really good performance, having to handle some chunks of dialogue that in the hands of a lesser actor may have come of cheesy and stilted. She is a great compliment to Perlman’s Hellboy and I look forward to seeing the happy couple together again in the third HB film.

Doug Jones (Abe Sapien): A minor buzz was created when it was announced that Doug Jones, that man responsible for the physical performance of Abe Sapien in Hellboy (And the SIlver Surfer, The Fawn in Pans Labyrinth, etc) would also be assuming the voice role of Abe in HB II, replacing David Hyde Pierce from the first film. And as a testament to Doug, the change over is barely noticeable if noticeable if all. In all honesty, I prefer Jone’s performance to that of Pierce. Jones brings a sense of calm and innocence that Pierce missed out on entirely. Doug Jones is one of my favorite actors in the world, and to finally hear him speak in a role made my day. In many ways this is Abe’s movie, and that is due in a large part to the wonderful performance of Doug Jones.

Luke Goss (Prince Nuada): Goss does a very capable job here, building on his first real feature role in Blade II. Nuada is not campy or stereotypically evil for one frame of film, and Goss goes out of his way to portray that. Many “unpolished” actors may have taken this role into the realm of overacting, but Goss maintains a sublety and grace that really befits the noble but disgraced character he plays. A good job by a young actor who I look forward to seeing in more films. Oh, and the dude is AWESOME at action scenes. Nuada gets some of the more impressive physical feats that I’ve seen in a long time on film.

Nuada

“Is there something on my hand? You guys…? You guys…?”

Jeffrey Tambor (Tom Manning): I love The Larry Sanders Show, I love Arrested Development, and I love the comedic stylings of Mr. Jeffrey Tambor. Where extremely funny people can get relegated to cheesy laughs and one liners in some action films, Tambor is allowed to introduce his own hilarious sense of humor into the character, and it works. Really well. Like, much better than the character ever was in the comic book medium. The comic relief in a film that needs relief from nothing, so he’s pretty much just icing on the cake. Hey now!

ACTION: Anyone who’s seen the massively underrated Blade II knows that GDT can shoot action. Blade II‘s fight scenes blew me away those many years ago, and I am happy to say that a few years of “Art” films haven’t spoiled GDT’S eye for all things awesome. THE ACTION IS FANTASTIC! From the hordes of “Tooth Fairies” that can be seen attacking in the now online trailer, to the more traditional Hellboy “Smash’em up” monster fights, to graceful and almost dance like sword fighting, Hellboy II has some of the most exciting and visually compelling action sequences I have seen in film. Period. GDT manages to channel everyone from John Woo to Woo Ping to the classic Universal Monster movies to John Carpenter, and more. This movie is an action buff’s wet dream. Stunningly gorgeous visuals mixed with envigorating and gravity defying action that not for one moment seems “CGI’d” out like some other big summer films. (I saw the trailer for the new Mummy film today. Yeah. It’s like that). Whether HB is knocking a fool with his fist or plugging away with his hilariously badass arsenal, this film doesn’t let down for a second (unless it calls for it). It’s rare that one man can make films that are both heartfelt and deep, and yet gigantic balls to the wall action at the same time, and Hellboy II further cements GDT as one of the best filmmakers in the world (and my personal favorite).

CREATURES: Before the film ran, GDT addressed the audience, and to paraphrase (sloppily at that) “People are right when they say that I make two different types of film in an alternating sequence – One small, Spanish language film and then one big budget studio action flick. Hellboy II is the first film that belongs in both of those worlds. The creatures and characters in this movie belong in the same universe as the little girl and fawn in Pan’s Labyrinth, and the babies in The Devils Backbone“. The man couldn’t have been more correct. Not only are the creatures in this new movie just as odd and wonderful as the ones in GDT’S previous work, to call them some of the best onscreen creatures of all time would not be overstating it. Simply put, GDT knows monsters, and the monsters in Hellboy II are the craziest, most imaginative, most visually stunning characters I have seen on screen since my childhood. I am immediately reminded of three films, A New Hope, Ghostbusters and Gremlins 2; my three childhood favorites. I think of the characters and practical makeup effects in those films and I weigh them against HB II, I am extremely hard pressed to declare a “winner”. Yes, I just compared Hellboy II to Star Wars, Ghostbusters and Gremlins. If I was a child when HB II came out, it may have been my favorite movie in the world. If you read any reviews before the film gets released, I can almost promise you the critic will make mention of the “Troll Market” scene, possibly comparing it to the Mos Eisley Cantina scene in the O.G Star Wars – and not only will they not be wrong, they will be closer to the mark then many of us will realize. Give this film some time to settle, and I definitely think it will deserve its place among the best “Monster” films of all time. Amazing work by the man, Rick Baker, their digital effects team, and anyone else who helped bring this world I love so much to life to life.

. Tecate

COMEDY: The first film had some laughs, but the sequel is downright hilarious. GDT has managed to make Hellboy and his universe funnier and warmer then Mignola ever did (though this movie does reek of Mike, in a good way). Johann in particular gets a lot of the really big chuckles, but the entire film is very funny. I couldn’t help smiling throughout, and that is due in a large part to this whimsical and light-but-dark tone that GDT has perfected in HB II. Perlman is no slouch in the laughs department, either, and Red is yet again one of the funnier more deadpan characters to grace movie screens this year. Unlike the first movie, however, the laughs are not kept to HB and Manning. Liz, Abe and particularly the new recruit, Johann, all have their moments to shine. SEMI SPOILER ALERT: There is a scene in this movie, so hilarious, so amazing, so perfect that I haven’t seen one review fully reveal it yet. And, I am not going to be that guy. Suffice it to say, A floor, lots of beer, Hellboy, Abe, and Barry Manilow. You should see the smile on my face right now…

SPECIAL AWARD: Seth McFarlane – Yes. I was wrong, yet again. I was one of the numerous people on the web who read the announcement that Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane would be voicing Johann, and I, like many others immediately, called shenanigans. I am embarrassed to admit that I doubted GDT for even one moment. I let my dislike of Family Guy cloud my faith in my favorite filmmaker. And boy oh boy, am I glad GDT’s a lot smarter then me. SETH McFARLANE NAILS IT!!! He is incredible in this movie – hilarious, authentic, creepy and yet vulnerable at the same time. His performance as the B.P.R.D’s Teutonic ectoplasmic man is one of the best voice over jobs I have ever heard in my life, and made me appreciate the character more then I ever thought I would. He not only fits in the film universe, he compliments it amazingly well, gaining many of the biggest laughs and “badass” moments of the film. Johann is a welcome member to the cinema team, and one of my favorite comic to film translations to date. A tremendous performance that just earned Seth McFarlane a new fan. Truly Awesome.

Johann

“A government hired crime fighter or walking bong… You decide”

SENT TO DESTROY (CONS):

Young Hellboy’s makeup: Not great. Not even good. But not horrible. You can see what GDT and Baker were going for here, and though it is a noble attempt, the look just doesn’t work well. The skin is way too red and the hair just looks goofy…

Not one other flaw I can think of: Yeah, kids… It’s like that!

So, basically, see this movie, folks. Many many times. You won’t regret it. I’m gonna go as far as to say this is one of my all time favorite films. I really hope the world loves it as much as I do.

Anyhoo friends, check back next week for more fun in the proverbial sun. You won’t regret that, either. I’ll be here, you’ll be here. It’ll be nice. And, as always…

“Keep em’ bagged and boarded”

Matt Cohen is currently typing with the right hand of doom.

Comments (8)

Masters Of Song Fu #1: Round 2 Challenge Voting Begins!

Filed under: Masters Of Song Fu — Tags: contest, jonathan-coulton, Masters Of Song Fu, music, paul-and-storm — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:22 am

We here at Quick Stop Entertainment are true lovers of music, in all its forms. We’re also quite keen on the spirit of competition, and of spurring creativity through said competition.

To that end, we’ve launched a brand new form of creative combat here at the Stop.

In this age of manufactured and painfully earnest talent contests, we’ve decided to instead shine a light on the quirky, quixotic underworld of musicians that don’t get nearly the attention they deserve.

Ah, but I did mention that there was a competition involved…

A few weeks back, we sent out the call for challengers. Hundreds of you heard the call and fought for a chance to be in the initial group. 20 were selected. Only 19 responded in time.

Like a songwriting version of Iron Chef, the challengers were presented with a very specific songwriting challenge. They were given one week to complete their songs – however they saw fit, within the parameters set forth below…

ROUND 1 CHALLENGE

You must do a song in the style of a classic television show. Not only that, but this song is the theme for a fictional television show about yourself (or your band). By “classic television show” theme song, we mean the type of themes found in shows from the 1960’s – 1980’s (ie Gilligan’s Island, Cheers, The Fall Guy, Diff’rent Strokes, Welcome Back Kotter, Greatest American Hero, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, The Facts Of Life, Green Acres, Gimme A Break, The Monkees, etc.). Your theme song must include both lyrics and music. It must run no shorter than 30 seconds, and no longer than one (1) minute.

When all was said and done, only 16 of the 19 Challengers were able to send in the songs in time. You voted HERE. The TOP 7 vote getters then moved on to Round 2. Here’s the challenge given to our 7 Semi-Finalists…

ROUND 2 CHALLENGE

Here’s where we step things up a notch. Your challenge is to write a song that utilizes a repeating syllable (ex: la, na, doo, etc.). The syllable must repeat at least 5 times in a row (ex: la la la la la). The resulting “repeated syllable” phrase can appear anywhere in your song, but must be repeated in full at least 3 times within the song. Also, this challenge includes a thematic element. Your song must feature a conflict between two (2) elements, provided below. You must choose one (1) element from COLUMN A and one (1) element from COLUMN B.

COLUMN A
—————
Santa Claus

Miami Dolphins

Stephen Hawking

A Beach Towel

High School Physics

Albania

The Color Orange

A Toothpick Factory

Marc Singer

Hydroponics

———————————————————————–

COLUMN B
—————
Dracula

Linux

Pudding

Coupons

Scabies

Cosplayers

Your Kindergarten Teacher (must be named)

Albert Camus

Non-Alcoholic Lager

Doc Hammer

Your song must be at least 1m45s in length. Finally, your song must be an ORIGINAL CREATION, both music and lyrics, and can not utilize or sample a preexisting work.

You also voted on the contributions of our three Masters, eliminating one. Two Masters remained, and they were presented a special challenge of their own. Their entries will also be voted on by you, the readers. The winner of the Masters Challenge will be the one who duels with the winning Challenger.

ROUND 2 MASTERS CHALLENGE

The following challenge applies to our Masters of Song Fu only. As Masters, it is expected that they have achieved a musical voice all their own – but does their mastery extend to assuming the voice of another artist? With that in mind, Each Master is tasked with writing a song in the style of their opponent. The Masters will be judged on how accurately they write a song in their opponent’s style without it becoming a simple parody. When listening to their entries, you must genuinely believe that they were written by the original Master. Got that? The Master’s songs must also be no shorter than 1m45s.

As we mentioned, the winner of the Round 2 Challenge will move on to a head-to-head battle with one of our Masters Of Song Fu, whose fate will also be determined by you.

But right now, let’s check out the Round 2 songs from each of our Masters and the 6 challengers that made the deadline. At the bottom of the page, you’ll then be able to place your votes, and decide who brings their Fu to the head-to-head battle…

MASTERS OF SONG FU

JONATHAN COULTON

Jonathan Coulton on Jonathan Coulton: “In 2005 I left my day job writing software to pursue music full time. To keep myself busy I released a new song on this website every week for a year in a project called Thing a Week. A few of those songs became big internet hits (my folky cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”, a funny video called “Flickr”, a song called “Code Monkey”), and I am now fortunate enough to make my living as a musician.

I write about a lot of geeky stuff because I am a geek. Some of it’s funny, but a lot of it’s not so funny, and even more of it is somewhere in between. I’ve been compared to They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, Loudon Wainwright III, and other musicians you REALLY LOVE.

I give lots of music away because I believe it helps my cause, and I love it when people use my music to create other stuff – music videos, pictures, remixes, etc. At the moment I’m unsigned, and I’m proud to say I’ve created this whole thing mostly on my own (with plenty of help from an amazingly supportive bunch of fans). But it certainly is getting busy… I will probably sell out and go Hollywood any day now…”

Official Website: www.jonathancoulton.com

ROUND 2 SONG: “Big Dick Farts A Polka (in the style of Paul & Storm)”
ROUND 1 SONG: “Monkey Shines“

PAUL & STORM

Paul and Storm are a comedy music duo, and they have been performing as a duo since 2004. Before that, they were one half of a cappella band Da Vinci’s Notebook for about 12 years. A Paul and Storm show is part music concert and part standup/improv comedy”“just enough of both to fit neatly in neither category. They like to engage the audience, and are known to award snack cakes and/or other prizes for good (and sometimes bad) behavior. Their show would be PERFECT as a cable special, and would make lots of money for whichever brave channel decides to air them first.

Official Website: www.paulandstorm.com

ROUND 2 SONG: “Live (in the style of Jonathan Coulton)”
ROUND 1 SONG: “Theme Song To Paul & Storm“

THE CHALLENGERS

PAUL FRUMPTON EXPERIENCE FEATURING LARRY

Born in the fall of 2006 in the center of the two-man acoustic comedy rock scene, Columbus, Ohio, the self proclaimed Turner and Hooch of Rock and Roll, The Paul Frumpton Experience Featuring Larry – known more colloquially as Jeff Stormer and Jeremy Hoover – are best described as what happens when comedy, music, caffeine, and improv collide in a chocolaty, peanut buttery explosion of good times. Stormer and Hoover met as students of Ohio State University and have been performing for scraps of food and hobo nickels ever since. Jeremy and Jeff’s major influences include Bacon, Booster Gold & Blue Beetle’s irreverent banter, David Bowie’s crotch in Labyrinth, and a deep-seated love of go karts. Finally, we feel obliged to mention all the things that are off limits to the comedy duo… This list includes NOTHING.

Official Website: myspace.com/thepaulfrumtonexperiencefeaturinglarry

ROUND 2 SONG: “Dracula’s Beach Towel”
ROUND 1 SONG: “The Paul Frumpton Experience (Feat. Larry) Comedy Hour Spectacular“

LEX FRIEDMAN

Lex Friedman’s musical influences include artists like They Might Be Giants, Moxy Fruvous, “Weird Al” Yankovic, CAKE, Barenaked Ladies, Tom Lehrer, Ben Folds, and Michael Jackson. Lex has left a smattering of bizarre music videos on YouTube, which have been slowly overtaken by videos of his 18-month-old daughter Anya. He occasionally shares new songs on his blog. He currently appears both weekly and weakly as the host of the “Week in Douchebaggery” on Cracked.com. Lex, his aforementioned daughter Anya, his lovely wife Lauren, and his diabetic maltese Charlie all live together in New Jersey, and sincerely hope that you don’t hold that against them. He gives one of them two injections if insulin each day – guess which! Lex also wrote this sentence. To avoid appearing like a suck-up, Lex has neglected to mention other musical influences of his who may or may not be the Iron Chefs of this Song Fu competition. Let’s just say he happens to also love the musical stylings of a guy whose name rhymes with Shmonathan Shmoulton.

Official Website: www.thefriedmans.net/blog

ROUND 2 SONG: “Orange vs Lager”
ROUND 1 SONG: “Hey, It’s Lex Friedman!“

CLOAKIE

My Fu is stronger than you! I am Coleman Bear Saunders, or Cloakie to most. At the age of 25 I work with music everyday at my studio that I recently built. I produce, engineer and compose various genres of music with ninja like precision. I have been picking away at the guitar since the age of 7 after watching my Dad play Johnny Cash tunes in the wrong key while singing the wrong lyrics, although I do the same thing because that’s the way I was learnt, ya hear me boy? I live in Kentucky and the music scene isn’t the greatest, so I turn to the internet to pipeline my Fu to the masses for free. I’m getting tired of music these days, I want some more songs about Dragons and fucking! Songs that take you on a journey and let you experience a different world, like movies do. My dream is to compose and score music for video games, TV, and my ultimate goal, the big screen. This is why the Song Fu competition was made for me. All the challenges that the competition presents to me will be similar to the expectations of future employers. Good luck to all, and may the best Fu win.

Official Website: myspace.com/colemansaunders

ROUND 2 SONG: “The Tale Of Hawking vs Dracula” (EXPLICIT Lyrics)
ROUND 1 SONG: “Cloakie The Nazi Killing Zombie“

ELAINE CHAO FINNELL

Elaine Chao Finnell is a singer/songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area. In her checkered musical past, she has been a choral singer, a pit musician, an a cappella vocalist, a vocal percussionist, a hip hop beatboxer, contemporary Christian worship musician, and a musical librettist. After leaving the a cappella world in 2001, Elaine shifted into the world of hip hop theater, touring with spoken word artist Aya de LeÃ³n, then going solo and performing in such venues as the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco and at the Apollo Theater in New York City. She began writing music at the tender age of 17, co-authoring her first musical with Brian Allan Hobbs. Since then, she has written two full length musicals and two plays. She currently plays regularly at her church as a lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. While not in her musical pursuits, Elaine can be found in a cubicle at a major software company, at home with her engineer husband and their network of Macs, or studying martial arts at a local university.

Official Website: www.gotspit.com

ROUND 2 SONG: “The Dance”
ROUND 1 SONG: “Cubicle Gopher“

JEFF MacDOUGALL

The Deal: After 20+ years making music as a hobby, I recently wrote and recorded a song for my daughter. I got a little taste of mild success (hey, my mom liked it). So now I’m taking my music out of the closet, dusting it off, and seeing how it does in the sunshine. Who knew there was so much work in just attempting to do music for a living. I feel like I am opening a Subway franchise (Only opening a Subway franchise seems more fulfilling in a creative way).

Official Website: jeffmacdougall.com

ROUND 2 SONG: “A Brief History Of Pudding”
ROUND 1 SONG: “Jeff MacDougall Dot Com“

RUN AT THE DOG

Run At The Dog are high energy, rock/pop, category-sluts with multi-gendered vocals and intricate arrangements. They are like Abba meets Faith No More meets Mos Def meets the Mormon Tabernacle Choir meets Steely Dan. The songs of this Minneapolis 5-piece are always written right away, with no respect for the calculating mind. Audience members are unsure whether to dance, laugh, or panic.

Official Website: myspace.com/runatthedog

ROUND 2 SONG: “Pudding Came To Town”
ROUND 1 SONG: “Run At The Dog TV Theme“

[display_podcast]

ROUND 2 VOTING

And now, it’s time for that all important voting, where you’ll decide who the Challenger who will get to move on to The Final Round. Please remember, you can only vote FOR ONE song – so choose very carefully. Also, be sure to vote for your favorite song from our reigning Masters of Song Fu – either Jonathan Coulton or Paul & Storm. You may only vote once, so make it count. VOTING CLOSES AT 11:59pm EST on WEDNESDAY, JULY 9th.

ROUND 2 VOTING – THE CHALLENGERS

[poll id=”3″]

ROUND 2 VOTING – THE MASTERS

[poll id=”2″]

If you triumph, not only will you win remarkable (and potentially off-putting) bragging rights and a clutch of fantastic mystery prizes, you will also become the proud owner of the magnificent, one-of-a-kind MASTER OF SONG FU TROPHY, designed and handcrafted by [adult swim] superstar Dana Snyder. Yes. Dana Snyder.

Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

Comments (62)

July 1, 2008

Interview: John Waters

Filed under: Interviews — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:49 am

-by Ken Plume

Surely, you know who John Waters is.

If you don’t, let me mention just a few of the film he’s written and directed – Pink Flamingos, Cry Baby, Female Trouble, Polyester, and Hairspray.

As a certifiable pop culture icon, he’s guested on everything from The Simpsons to My Name Is Early.

He’s also the host of TruTV’s Till Death Do Us Part – where he acts as the macabre “Groom Reaper”, who presents true life tales of marital betrayal and murder. Think of him as the true crime Crypt Keeper, with similar sarcastic asides and morbidly acerbic commentary.

The first season of Till Death is now hitting DVD, and we got a chance to chat with John. In fact, here it is…

KP: Well, let me say, it’s a pleasure to be speaking with you…

WATERS: Thank you.

KP: I guess the first question – which I’m sure you’ve been asked a few dozen times already – is what was it about doing Till Death that appealed to you?

WATERS: The biggest appeal was that I didn’t have to think it up. I didn’t have to direct it. I didn’t have to write it. I had to show up and look like I was half dead. (laughing)

KP: Would you say that that was the challenge?

WATERS: No, it wasn’t a challenge! Just I was always glad I never got Botox, because I wouldn’t have been cast.

KP: Do you regret that there was no challenge?

WATERS: (laughing) No, it’s fine. I always wanted to look like the Wicked Witch of the West, so it’s coming through. I actually thought it was funny. I thought the part was funny. It reminded me when I was young and I used to watch Boris Karloff on this show called Thriller. It reminded me of that. I think the idea of Court TV – which is no longer but Court TV – and John Waters together is a good marriage. I even tried to get them to help us when we made Serial Mom, but they had just started, so they thought that might be a little early to get hooked up with me. It took a while.

KP: They should have been forward thinking…

WATERS: Yeah. I always wanted to be a commentator on Court TV, since my real life was Court TV before, because I used to go to trials all the time. So I was Court TV, only just in my personal life.

KP: So, really, Court TV was the answer to a dream for you.

WATERS: Oh, it was – but then they even stopped really doing courtroom stuff because there aren’t enough famous trials that people will watch. Once OJ happened, there was never one that was that big. Even when they had the Phil Specter one, I don’t think a lot of people watched it, and I think that was when they changed to truTV – which is fine with me. I love truTV, too, but it’s… the days of watching courtrooms, I think, has peaked.

KP: Do you think that the sensational aspect of it is lost on audiences today?

WATERS: No, I just think there’s so much more media. And before, it was exciting when you… there was only 10 seats open to a trial. So Court TV made it much more ordinary to watch. To see a famous trial – if you could get in, as a person – was almost impossible, and when you did, you… it was like this amazing theater production, in a way. But Court TV made everybody a court hag. It made everybody want to watch courtrooms. So then once that happened, I mean, you can go down to any courthouse now and you’ll see people every day that hang around and just watch trials. They’re groupies. You’ll see them all the time. They just watch tickets, anything… You know, the lowest level court is always… it just was reality TV before there was such a thing. And on truTV, now, isn’t there a show about people getting traffic tickets?

KP: Yeah, I think there is some kind of traffic court…

WATERS: I love that! It’s like, yeah…

KP: Now you’re watching small claims…

WATERS: Yeah, exactly. Well, small claims court is kind of interesting if you go to see it. It’s always a battle. There are always two sides. There’s always a gray area, which is what all good drama is.

KP: Well, that essentially was what People’s Court was…

WATERS: Yeah, yeah….

KP: What was the first trial you ever saw, and what was the impetus to go down to the courthouse and see it?

WATERS: First trial I ever saw was probably the Manson trial, because it was obviously – at that point – an incredibly famous trial that was very much influencing the work I was doing at the time. The frightening hippies and that whole thing. That’s a very different thing, when I look back on it now, but it was one of the first trials that was a media sensation. And certainly Serial Mom, a movie I made, was about that. It sort of came true, Serial Mom. Serial Mom was at least not very far before the OJ trial did happen, and then it came true.

KP: Was it your years of viewing trials that made you think those events could conceivably could come to pass?

WATERS: Serial Mom, and even Female Trouble, came from that, because that was a fictitious biography of somebody that wanted to get the electric chair because – to them – it was like receiving the Oscar if you were a criminal. So I would say Female Trouble and Serial Mom are both my movies that came from my interest in true crime and attending trials. I don’t go to trials anymore. I can’t because they recognize me, and it’s a whole different ball game now.

KP: What was the last one you attended?

WATERS: Oh, it’s been a long time. The last famous one?

KP: No, just the last one in general…

WATERS: I think a friend of mine. That was different. (laughing)

KP: What was the last one that you weren’t personally connected to?

WATERS: That I wasn’t personally connected… I don’t know, let me think. It’s been quite a while, because now they recognize me. And the press thinks I’m there making a movie about it, which I’m not, and I always feel bad for the defendants that somehow they all get more time if I like them. If the jury hates my movies and sees me there… and then jury duty is, like, ludicrous because they know that I go to trials, and they never pick me. I’ve never been picked to be on a jury. Never been picked.

KP: What’s the closest you’ve come?

WATERS: Well, I don’t know, because they just don’t pick me…

KP: Well, did you ever get past at least one of the lawyers?

WATERS: Yeah, and then I tell them I taught in prison, and as soon as I say that…

KP: So, at this point, you’re pretty well known to the legal community…

WATERS: I am known in the legal community, yes. And I have helped people get out of jail, yes.

KP: Is there any trial that you regretted going to?

WATERS: No, but I wish I’d gone to Johnny Walker Lindh’s. The first lie the government told us about Iraq. He got 20 years. He didn’t do anything. He learned how to speak a foreign language and met a leader. I think his parents should reward him. Talk about well traveled!

KP: That’s the problem with America today; we’re not rewarding initiative…

WATERS: Yeah! I mean, it’s not easy to get through the desert and meet Bin Laden. This was before anybody knew who Bin Laden was. All he did was meet him once. I went to the Reagan White House once too.

KP: We’re still going to get you for that…

WATERS: I know! I went because Lee Atwater was my fan, and I went when no one was there but me, and he gave me the personal tour. It was like being over to someone’s house when they were babysitting. Which was so odd because I certainly didn’t believe in his pol… well, he didn’t have politics. He just worked for either side as dirty tricks. And he was a huge movie fan. So when I was there, all we talked about was exploitation films – and he knew everything about every one of them.

KP: What was his favorite?

WATERS: God, I don’t remember. Probably Herschell Gordon Lewis or The Worm Eaters. We talked about all that kind of stuff and he didn’t ever not know what I was talking about. He also loved rhythm & blues music, too. So it was odd – we never talked about politics. The only president that’s ever invited me… I have, like, cufflinks from the White House. So, oddly enough, the only administration that ever somehow I got in the White House was Reagan, which was probably fairly ludicrous.

KP: Did you get your jar of Jelly Bellies when you went?

WATERS: No, I didn’t get them, I just got the cufflinks. But I got to see the button next to the toilet where Nixon – where you could push it if you were having a heart attack or something.

KP: His panic button?

WATERS: There is one.

KP: Well, it’s good to know that there’s a quick response no matter where you are in the White House.

WATERS: Yeah. Next to the toilet there’s one.

KP: So, what would you say has been the oddest fan experience you’ve ever had?

WATERS: Well, I tell about this filthy woman that you’re never going to be able… well, the girl that came up to me and said would I sign anything, and took her Tampax right out and splatted it on the counter.

KP: Did you sign it?

WATERS: Yeah, I did. She bought the book. But people mostly give me great presents. They’re very nice.

KP: What’s been the present that’s impressed you the most?

WATERS: The best was one I talk about in my college lecture, about how Alvin the Chipmunk turns me on erotically, and someone that worked for Disney in the old days, that did the show, did a cell of Alvin jerking off and sent it to me.

KP: So, Simon and Theodore do nothing for you…

WATERS: No they’re in the back filming him. In the cell drawing. Talk about a good fan present.

KP: Where is that hanging proudly right now?

WATERS: In my guest bedroom in Baltimore.

KP: Is this the same guest bedroom that has the Gacy painting?

WATERS: Actually, now that I think about it, it’s in the bathroom. It’s right around the corner, yeah.

KP: So, really, the guest experience at the Waters house is one to remember…

WATERS: I don’t encourage guests to stay too long.

KP: What’s the longest you’ve ever had a guest stay in those environs?

WATERS: Oh, a week? They don’t stay long. I’m not looking for a roommate.

KP: So you have a set expiration date where they pretty much feel it’s time to move on…

WATERS: Yeah. My mother always told me when I was young, “After three days, guests and fish smell.”

KP: I noticed that, starting in the late 90s, it seemed like there was a massive increase in you stepping in front of the camera. Is there anything that happened in that period specifically, or it was just a momentum that built up?

WATERS: No, it’s just kinda… I don’t know. I became a cartoon character. I don’t know, maybe from The Simpsons. I don’t know how that happened. I always said yes as long as it was something that I liked doing. It was either a director I really liked – or I wanted to be in the Chucky movie, and Woody Allen asked me to be in his movie. Every once in a while, I know just my mustache gets me the part.

KP: Did you feel that – moving beyond just the movies having an influence – that you yourself would become a part of pop culture?

WATERS: Well, I’d be happy to. I guess that’s what I always wanted to be when I was a kid. I think, yeah… subtle. It has been astonishing, certainly, what has happened, but I was always kind of ambitious. I had a career as a puppeteer when I was 12 years old at children’s birthday parties. I sent out ads in the mail. I did like two or three shows a week sometimes, and I think – at the peak – I got $25 a show, which was really a lot in 1954. So I think anything’s possible. But I also have to always reinvent myself and try different things and not… if I was still making underground movies, if I was still trying to top Pink Flamingos I wouldn’t be here.

KP: Is there anything that you wouldn’t do at this point?

WATERS: Sure, lots of stuff. I wouldn’t try to repeat myself. I would try to surprise the next group of 20-year-olds, because that’s what it’s about, is getting the next generation of young people, and so far I’ve been able to do that.

KP: How would you describe the direction you’re moving in with Fruitcake?

WATERS: Well, it’s a parody of a children’s movie. I mean, last time I parodied a sexploitation movie, so I can’t think of the other opposite end – but think of the Little Rascals on LSD. It’s not about LSD, but you know what I mean. The characters are very John Waters-esque characters, but they’re all children.

KP: Sort of Willy Wonka-esque?

WATERS: Oh, I love Willy Wonka, but I wouldn’t put it quite that way. It takes place in Baltimore. They’re not that rich. (laughing)

KP: Is this a period piece or modern?

WATERS: No, it’s modern.

KP: And still looking at shooting in the fall?

WATERS: I hope so. Yes, November.

KP: Any plans for another book?

WATERS: I’m in the middle of writing it. It’s called Role Models. It’s a self-portrait told through people that have inspired me. Everybody from Tennessee Williams to Bobby ‘Boris’ Picket.

KP: Is that this year…

WATERS: Well, it depends if I make the movie. It’s supposed to be end of ’09, but it could be the next year because of my contract, depending on if I make the movie or not. I can’t write a book and make a movie at the same time. That’s one thing I can’t do.

KP: Have you tried?

WATERS: No.

KP: You never know until you try.

WATERS: Yeah, but I know the hours. (laughing) I mean, I work every morning, now, doing it. I couldn’t get up and go on a set and do it.

KP: So, I guess the final question would be – is there any project or thing you’ve had in mind that you have always wanted to get to but just keeps getting pushed back?

WATERS: No. I think every script I ever did actually ended up getting made except the sequel to Pink Flamingos, and that came out as a book. I try not to be frustrated. All show business is frustration. Impatience is my biggest fault. But you have to just keep trying. So if I don’t make a movie, I write a book…If I don’t make a movie, I do this. And so you always have to have alternate plans in show business, because it never seems to work right when you want it.

KP: Is there one thing that you’ve always wanted to be asked to do, but had no control over?

WATERS: Oh, I don’t know if I ever wanted… I always wanted to be in Final Destination 2, or the new Final Destination movie, and I asked so many times that they finally did ask me to be in it, but then I couldn’t because of the scheduling. That was frustrating.

KP: But now, in some ways, you’ve got that with Till Death…

WATERS: Yeah, we do. No, I’m a very satisfied man. I’ve had a great career. I’ve been understood right from the beginning. I don’t have… I always want to keep working. Tomorrow is always more interesting than yesterday to me. I have great memories, but I don’t think those were better days. I think, “Hopefully tomorrow will be the best day.” So I’m an insane optimist that believes in the basic goodness of people, and not much else.

KP: And you’ve got a legacy, and you’re a pop culture icon… So, you can’t get much better than that.

WATERS: Well, thank you.

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