FRED Entertainment

June 23, 2009

Toy Box: Hellboy II – Wink Mini-Bust

Filed under: Toy Box — Tags: , — admin @ 3:18 am

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If you’re a Hellboy fan, it’s been a very good year for you and collectibles based on the license. Even without a new movie, plenty of terrific product is being released. And it’s not just expensive stuff, but everything from kid themed B.P.R.D. Buddies to high end Hot Toys figures.

Gentle Giant picked up the license for Hellboy II for a series of mini-busts, but the results so far have been less than exciting. The first release included Red of course, as well as Prince Nuada. This version of Hellboy was one of the worst sculpts I’ve seen in quite some time, looking nothing like the movie character.

Now the third bust is out, and it’s the big bad Wink. Johann is the fourth, but nothing else has been announced, and I’d be surprised if there is. The edition size on Wink is only 500, down even further from the low edition size of 700 for Nuada.

If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at mwc@mwctoys.com, or swing by my site at Michael’s Review of the Week – Captain Toy, where you’ll find thousands of reviews of pop culture collectibles like this.

Hellboy II Wink Mini-bust by Gentle Giant

Technically, it’s Mr. Wink, but I have a hard time envisioning a cave troll like this being called ‘mister’. Then again, if he wants to be called ‘mister’, you call him ‘mister’.

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Packaging – ***
It’s the usual box you’ve come to know and love from Gentle Giant. Wink has those little spikes on his back, and they are VERY fragile, so designing an interior tray that would keep him safe was critical. Judging from mine, they did a great job, as he arrived safe and sound without any trouble. Be careful taking him out though – while the spikes might make it to you in one piece, it will take great care to keep them that way.

There’s also the usual Certificate of Authenticity as well, a feature that I’ve always liked about Gentle Giant busts.

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Sculpting – ***
Gentle Giant hasn’t wowed me with a mini-bust sculpt in quite some time, but this one is at least an improvement on the Hellboy bust they did earlier this year. What impresses you most right out of the box is its size, as it stands a whopping 8 inches tall. It has plenty of heft and volume to go with that height, making it a bust that will certainly stand out for this if no other reason. These are designed to be sixth scale, so the usual bust is around 6″ tall, making this guy tower over them.

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The sculpt detailing is decent, but it’s still a bit softer than what we’ve come to expect these days. The best work is on the face and eyes, where the wrinkles and scars add all that troll personality. The details aren’t perfectly movie accurate, and if you check out the stunt mask in comparison you’ll notice issues (such as the shape of the nose, or the details around the area where the tusks attach to the face), but it’s in the ball park.

Of course, the lack of textures that has always been an issue for Gentle Giant and their busts remains so, becoming even more glaring as other companies step up to create sculpts that are as realistic as possible.

Paint – **
Unfortunately, it’s once again the paint that lets the overall bust down. There’s a flat, cheap look to the work on these busts, which doesn’t help the lack of fine texturing. The brush strokes are fairly broad and sweeping too, with no real attempt to give us smaller detailing or any realism.

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There’s also a fair amount of basic slop, like poor cut lines along the body armor, and errant marks and bubbles. The darker shadowing is done in a very heavy handed way, too toyish and cheap looking for something in this price range. Great paint jobs are the key to making truly fantastic looking collectibles, but for some reason, Gentle Giant’s paint work has been going in the wrong direction in recent months.

Design/Quality – ***1/2
I do really like the design, however. The smaller, hair-like spikes on his back were definitely tricky to design and execute, but they did so extremely well. The pose, with the box over one shoulder and a snarl on his face, works great both in context of the movie and this particularly character. And the sheer mass of this guy gives him some added punch on the shelf.

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Value – **
These guys have steadily risen to a $60 – $70 price point, depending on the retailer, and that’s too much for what you’re getting. Wink makes up for it a bit with both his large size and his low edition number, but he’s still a bit below average in this category.

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Things to Watch Out For –
Those spikes on his back! They might make it to you safely due to the intelligent design of the interior foam trays, but once you get them out, it’s awfully easy to hold the bust wrong, or pick it up wrong, or just breathe on it wrong and break one. They’d be mighty tough to glue back on straight too, so take care and avoid the issue all together.

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Overall – ***
Much like Nuada, Wink has a reasonably good sculpt, but weak paint work. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a truly outstanding bust come out of Gentle Giant, but I’m hopeful that this summer’s SDCC Dumbledore will turn things around.

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Score Recap –
Packaging – ***
Sculpting – ***
Paint – **
Design/Quality – ***1/2
Value – **
Overall – ***

Where to Buy –
Check out these online options:

Urban Collector has him at $60.

Entertainment Earth his him in stock at $66.67.

Related Links –
There’s been a ton of Hellboy merchandise over the past few years, and I’ve covered an awful lot of it:

– Most recent was the B.P.R.D Buddies, little figures done in the Galactic Heroes style.

– Hot Toys recently released both Hellboy and Abe Sapien in sixth scale, with their usual level of quality.

– Before that was the other two Gentle Giant Hellboy busts, which I’m not too keen on.

- if you’re looking for another expensive collectible, check out the 1:1 replica Samaritan.

– there’s the 3 3/4″ line of action
figures from Mezco, the SDCC exclusive Hellboy that is also in that scale, as well as their 18″ HB II igure, and the smaller scale Angel of Death.

– Mezco released series 1 of their movie figures, which are covered in two guest reviews, one here and one here.

– I ran two ‘retro reviews of the old Hellboy movie line – one for Hellboy, and one for Sammael.

– Gentle Giant did some animated versions, including one included in the most recent release of the movies, and there was also a guest review by Poe Ghostal of the first DVD release of Hellboy. I looked at the regular release animated figures as well.

– I also have guest reviews of some of the comic based figures, including Kreigaffe #10, Lobster Johnson, and the old Graphitti Designs version.

– I have my own reviews of the comic based battle damaged Hellboy and 18″ version, the stylized Extreme Hellboy, the movie 8″ line (including the Nazi Kroenen in the second series), the 18″ version, and even some Mez-itz.

– also movie based, Sideshow has done several 12″ figures, including Abe Sapien, Nazi Kroenen, regular Kroenen, and regular Hellboy.

– for those into mini-busts, there’s also this version that came with the release of the DVD.

Masters Of Song Fu #4: Round 3 Challenge Voting Begins!

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******DUE TO THE HOLIDAY, ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FINAL CHALLENGE WILL BE MADE DURING THE WEEK OF JULY 6th. IN THE MEANTIME, CONGRATULATIONS TO BERG & JERRY FOR MOVING ON TO THE FINAL ROUND******

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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 launched a unique 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…

Like a songwriting version of Iron Chef, the competitors will be presented with a very specific songwriting challenge. They’ll be given one week to complete their songs – however they see fit, within the parameters set forth – after which time the entries will be uploaded to Quick Stop to be voted on by you, the audience.

Oh, and what do we call this competition?

MASTERS OF SONG FU

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Let us not forget the very special Masters of MASTERS OF SONG FU. Think of them as the iron chefs of Song Fu – one of which will be revealed as the ultimate challenger in THE FINAL CHALLENGE. Past Masters have included Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm, Neil Innes, The RiffTones, and Garfunkel & Oates. Any one of them could be the Master in the final Challenge – or perhaps it could be a brand new Master. Only the Challenger who garners the most cumulative votes in all 3 Challenges will move on to the Final and face that Master, mano a mano.

As with the last edition of Song Fu, all of the Challengers will be able to compete in every Challenge, and the Challenger with the most cumulative votes after the 3 Challenges will be the one that takes on the Master in the Final Round. So what was the first Challenge?

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ROUND 1 CHALLENGE

Write a song from the perspective of an inanimate object. This inanimate object must have no moving parts. Also no computers, no objects that look like living things, either human or animal (i.e. a statue, an action figure, etc.), and no celestial objects (i.e. the sun or the moon). Your song can be in any style you choose.

That’s it. The only other directive is that your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

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You’ll find the Round 1 songs from each of our Challengers below (for those Challengers that did not progress to Round 2, you’ll find those songs HERE), as well as the results of the Round 1 voting. The Challengers were then issued their Round 2 Challenge…

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ROUND 2 CHALLENGE

Write a march.

A march is “a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to” – and that is your challenge. You can write on any topic. Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 15 seconds.

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You’ll find the Round 2 songs from each of our Challengers below (for those Challengers that did not progress to Round 3, you’ll find those songs HERE), as well as the results of the Round 2 voting. The Challengers were then issued their Round 3 Challenge…

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ROUND 3 CHALLENGE

For your third challenge, you are to write a standard song. I am defining a “standard song” as one with a definite melody and a chorus that repeats at least once (to clarify: the chorus should appear at least twice in the song). However, your song must run EXACTLY 1 minute in length – no shorter, and no longer. You can write on any topic.

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You’ll find the Round 3 songs from each of our Challengers below, followed by the voting form…

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THE CHALLENGERS

EDRIC HALEEN

songfu-edrichaleen.jpgEdric has been writing music (off and on) since the early nineties. He wrote and directed a musical, The Pushcart War, based on Jean Merrill’s wonderful novel. He has written and/or arranged a number of songs for various friends – some commissioned, some as surprises. He loves acting in community theatre, and is inspired by the music of Stephen Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown, Adam Guettel, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. He is also happy to finally return his Happiness Board to the Internet. Check out the link on his web pages.

Official Website: happinessboard.com/Edric_Haleen.html
ROUND 3 SONG:Acceptance
ROUND 2 SONG:Whispered In Your Ear
ROUND 1 SONG:All For This Moment

GöDZ PööDLZ

Legendz foretell of a mighty duo, born in the frozen North. Two neighborz and friendz will unite to form “Gödz Pöödlz” and battle the Mazterz or Song Fu for glory and bragging rightz! Gödz Pöödlz are Rüss Rögers and Röd Dürre. Rüss Rögers was once a member of “Kit and Kaboodle” (still available on iTunes) and currently performs in “Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree!” Röd Dürre wrote and performed with the Goth Rock Godz “Sear”, and last year Röd won the Coor’s Light “Take the 4:53 to Happy Hour” songwriting contest! Remember, the heaviest of metals are soft!

Official Website: www.rockingjamboree.com
ROUND 3 SONG:Bomb Squad Girl
ROUND 2 SONG:Godz Poodlz On Parade
ROUND 1 SONG:Bad Penny

STEVE CHATTERTON

songfu-stevechatterton.pngHi, my name is Steve Chatterton, the quintessential one-man-band singer/songwriter net-based recording project. Mom always said I marched to the sound of a different drummer, but she never mentioned which one. Dad had a fondness for bagpipes. Fortunately, neither of them have any direct influence on my music. Specializing in quirky little guitar-oriented pop songs about bugs, the Scooby gang, pirates, palindromes, superheroes, old movies, infectious diseases, imaginary friends and sideshow freaks, I guess you could say I pretty much write love songs. I’m a cheesy bastard at heart. I’m a stay-at-home dad who’s looking to find more time in the studio when my youngest starts school in September. I have an ever-expanding back catalog (at least 3 albums worth & counting) I’m dying to share with the world one download at a time.

Official Website: www.stevechatterton.com
Twitter: twitter.com/SteveChatterton
ROUND 3 SONG:You Chose To Be A Dick
ROUND 2 SONG:The Only Way I Know
ROUND 1 SONG:I Will Always Look Up To You

JUTZE SCHULT

Johannes “Jutze” Schult (from Germany) likes to live in a dream world where there has been no Grunge and where he is a talented singer. Sometimes his little folky pop songs find their way into the real world. Here they suffer from his hoarse voice and the do-it-yourself home recording production, struggling to appeal off and on beaten musical paths.

Official Website: www.jutze.com
Twitter: twitter.com/schult
ROUND 3 SONG:Joey Dumps Pacey
ROUND 2 SONG:March 2003
ROUND 1 SONG:Natalie Portman’s Doormat

JALEPENO HABANEROS

In the far off land of Chandler, Arizona, where the rivers flow with sand and cacti, our leader and master, the Lord of Our Lady Gwynyth, guitar and microphone in hand, called for the greatest musicians in the land to assemble a rock and roll group like none other. Unfortunately, they were cut off on the road, and the Jalapeño Habañeros made it there first. With The Rogue Bohemian on saxophone and The Boxcar Bassist on bass and keyboards, the Lord was pleased. Now, they roam the streets of Chandler, playing epic songs and rocking faces, much like Bon Jovi. Unfortunately they are paid in change, and often get thrown into the street, also like Bon Jovi. Their lives have intertwined, and the era of the Jalapeño Habañeros has begun. Be prepared.

Official Website: None
ROUND 3 SONG:Wish You Were Here (Falling)
ROUND 2 SONG:La Marcha de Oppurtunidades
ROUND 1 SONG:Aquaman’s Trident’s Lament

THE SCRIBBLES

The Scribbles are one of the most popular ukulele-based trios in their entire 6th grade class. Oh sure, there is the rumor that Peter Choi hates them. Meh. He’s a hater. Ha ha. The Scribbles formed last November when they all agreed on the name. After that they bought some instruments and started writing songs and stuff. So far, they’ve played a handful of shows around their hometown of Springfield, MO. Everyone’s favorite song seems to be “The Robot Song”. Maybe it’s because robots really are taking over the world, or maybe because Connor wears the robot suit during that song and that’s pretty funny. Thanks to MySpace, they are now friends with really cool people like The Beatles and Weezer and Tom. They’ve said some really nice things like “iloveyouguys:D” and “thanx for the add:).” Oh, and by the way, Peter Choi, The Scribbles still luv u.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/thescribbles1
ROUND 3 SONG:We Miss You Yeti
ROUND 2 SONG:The Student’s Revenge
ROUND 1 SONG:Snuggie Like Me

GORBZILLA

songfu-gorbzilla.pngGorbzilla is a musician/band teacher in Mid-Michigan. He has been in a few bands over the years, most notably as the bass player/vocalist for the band “Satin Jones” and the guitarist/vocalist for the band “Jimmy Likes Pie”. The proud father of two future rock maniacs, Gorbzilla has been writing music for the past twenty years, and is currently working on his first musical Beer ““ Finally a Musical for Men based on the Haiku by Patrick “Horkmeister” Sweet entitled, “I Think I Threw Up”. He has been happily married for eight years, and is looking forward to this competition.

Official Website: gorbzilla.blogspot.com
ROUND 3 SONG:Minuteman
ROUND 2 SONG:March Of The Geeks (Semi-Autobiographical)
ROUND 1 SONG:I Am Your Pants

DARRELL MacLAINE

Darrell Maclaine has been devouring comedy songs and interesting music ever since he was old enough to know better, and is taking part in this competition essentially as penance for the amount of free music he has obtained via the previous rounds. He plays piano and keyboard bass as one fifth of oddball UK pop group The Directors (another fifth of the group, Mathew Cornah, possesses both more instrumental expertise and a much better home studio than him and will inevitably be press-ganged into contributing to his entries), and has decided to exercise his rusty songwriting muscles in the most embarrassingly public way possible.

Official Website: directors.mashedbins.com
ROUND 3 SONG:Song
ROUND 2 SONG:Football Is Good (The Football Song)
ROUND 1 SONG:Strawberry Fool

BERG AND JERRY

Berg and Jerry are a small suburban acoustic group comprised of Andrew Berg (Lead Vocals, Melodica and, maybe, eventually the Ukulele) and Jerry Geleff (Guitar and Backup Vocals). Mid-summer ’08, Berg and Jerry began writing songs together and since then… well, basically nothing. As rookies to this competition, these guys hope to at least make one good song, and entertain at least one person (*fingers crossed*). Berg and Jerry have a fun ska/indie/punk acoustic sound and often try to write clever witty lyrics. So listen, laugh, and something else that starts with an “L”, because Berg and Jerry are ready to slightly attempt to be THE MASTERS OF SONG FU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Official Website: www.myspace.com/bergandjerry
ROUND 3 SONG:Inside Jokes
ROUND 2 SONG:This Day Shall Be Mine
ROUND 1 SONG:The Green Potato Chip Song

DENISE HUDSON

Denise lived in a grey house in the city of Austin. Her favorite pastimes were playing piano, polishing her guitar, and tormenting the geeky programmer boy who lived there. His name was Michael, but she never called him that… Isn’t that a wonderful bio???

Official Website: www.myspace.com/denisehudson
ROUND 3 SONG:O Queen
ROUND 2 SONG:Anna’s Gerbil & The Singularity
ROUND 1 SONG:Leave The Stone Alone, Yep

LEX VADER

Lex Vader was born to a single mother who worked as silicon tycoon’s personal assistant. When she died of poor hygiene, Lex was sent to an orphanage where he showed interest in organizing races and laser fencing. After being recruited into a religious order, he spent the next few years between several of their private schools. In his final year, Lex lost his hand in an argument with a professor over Kryptochlorians. Despite this, Lex was able to achieve a successful business career and even a knighthood. Tragedy struck, however, when a former classmate’s arctic home caught fire during a business lunch, scarring half of Lex’s face. At this point, Lex’s behavior became erratic. When he managed to buy SithCo, the cult that schooled him, he was shunned by the corporate world. No longer taken seriously, Lex started an evil empire and now moonlights with his evil emotronic alternapop band.

Official Website: lexvaderssecretjournal.wordpress.com
ROUND 3 SONG:Keen Dreams
ROUND 2 SONG:Doomsday March
ROUND 1 SONG:Just A Rock

CALEB HINES

Caleb became a software engineer instead of a musician because the type of music he likes best went out of style at the end of the 18th century. Self-taught in music theory, he is more comfortable writing a four-part instrumental fugue than he is writing a verse-chorus-bridge song. After discovering the likes of Weird Al, Dr. Horrible, and especially Jonathan Coulton, he realized that “modern music” can be fun too. Now he is on a quest to update, expand, and diversify his musical knowledge and experience. In addition to singing, he plays a whole family of recorders (not usually all at once) and baroque flute, pretends to play keyboard, and most recently, ukulele. He also uses virtual MIDI instruments because a real orchestra costs too much.

Official Website: refactoringmybrain.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/calebhines
ROUND 3 SONG:A Standard Song
ROUND 2 SONG:Marching To Selador (Traditional Dwarven March)
ROUND 1 SONG:Ancient Wonder

RICHARD CLAYTON SPRING

Hailing from a small town in Southern Minnesota, Richard Clayton Spring has risen above the norm, blossoming into a beautiful butterfly of acoustic guitars, pianos, synths, electronic beats, and vocals ranging from the softest of whispers to the yelp of the Great Wolf. The only style of music Richard can’t write incredibly is generic pop music, or else he would be in a limousine drinking champagne with Lady GaGa. But he has acquired an auto-tuner, so he’s working his way there.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/richardclaytonspring
ROUND 3 SONG:Warp Speed
ROUND 2 SONG:A Soldier Forever
ROUND 1 SONG:Crazy Straw

SARA PARSONS

Parsons is a 20-year-old student from California. She can leap small buildings in a few bounds. She fears large fish, but for some reason not sharks or whales. Parsons always makes the same New Year’s resolution: to survive to see the next year. So far, this has worked well for her. Parsons comes from an impressive songwriting pedigree: her older brother wrote the song “Blue Moon” in 1934, managing to overcome his crippling dyslexia and the fact that the song was written 51 years before his birth. Parsons’s songwriting influences include Beethoven, The Beatles, and Weird Al. Her sense of humor comes from The Simpsons, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and her frequent injections of concentrated doses of Vitamin K. Parsons hopes to go far in this competition. If she doesn’t emerge victorious, she will be forced to turn to Operation Omega. Nobody wants that to happen.

Official Website: www.youtube.com/user/sargeantketchup
ROUND 3 SONG:I Can’t Sleep (Manatee Dreams)
ROUND 2 SONG:Let’s Have An Awkward March
ROUND 1 SONG:Throw Me Away

IAN & MELISSA

Melissa and Ian are two amateur musicians with a longtime love of composing and performing classical music. Whether this is useful or relevant for a songwriting competition remains to be seen. They are eagerly awaiting the “Write a song in the style of an obscure Baroque composer” round, ’cause somebody totally told them there would be such a round and why would someone lie like that?

Official Website: www.ianandmelissa.com
ROUND 3 SONG:Quickie
ROUND 2 SONG:Song FUneral March
ROUND 1 SONG:I Remember

THE PERFECT PLACE

When two musicians marry one another, it’s a wonderful thing. When a multi-instrumental songwriter marries an amazing vocalist, it’s even better. Bud (oldest of three, one insane sibling of each gender) was born and raised in sunny San Diego, CA ““ a drummer first, guitarist second, and just about everything you could imagine third through last. Christin Joy (youngest of four, with 3 older brothers) was born and raised in beautiful Annapolis, MD ““ with the voice of an angel and the compassion to match; she is quite a wonderful singer and writer. The Perfect Place is a Husband/Wife duo that enjoys writing and performing music in their spare time. While their main area of expertise is theologically minded, they have been known to get a little silly from time to time. Masters of Song Fu should prove to be an interesting challenge, one we await with eager anticipation. Woot!

Official Website: www.myspace.com/oneperfectplace
ROUND 3 SONG:wtfpeople20 (Three Short Stories)
ROUND 2 SONG:March Of The Clandestine Ninjas
ROUND 1 SONG:If I’ve Learned Anything

HIS NAME IS LEGS

His Name Is Legs is a newly-created rock band comprised of guitarist/vocalist/Song Fu veteran Hazen Nester and bassist Cameron Accola, who collaborated with Nester on two of his previous entries. Born out of a mutual love of Rush and talented musicians in general, His Name Is Legs pledges to provide listeners with an eclectic array of sounds designed to stimulate and elevate. What makes this band unique is that neither Accola nor Nester have ever met each other in person.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/hisnameislegs
ROUND 3 SONG:Swan Song
ROUND 2 SONG:The Ocoee Shopper
ROUND 1 SONG:One Of The Team

CALEB LEE

To Whom It May Concern: Caleb didn’t want to write his own bio (musicians, eh?) so I will do the honours. After peddling his wares leading the criminally unnoticed Yay For Squares (www.myspace.com/yayforsquares) and playing an inadvisable amount of shows alongside good friends The Tastydactyls, Caleb decided to go solo in the early parts of 2008. Since then he’s enjoyed the success of dozens of fans and casual mentions on low-brow podcasts. With a flair for heartfelt song-writing and a wildly erotic combover, he’s hoping to win your love in this competition and will be wildly neurotic about it until he does so. – His bud, Aaron.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/caleblee
Twitter: twitter.com/thecaleblee
ROUND 3 SONG:Don’t Sing Along
ROUND 1 SONG:How Man Years Bad Luck If You Break A Mirror’s Heart

AUSTIN & THE PUDAKS

With only two members, the name may be misleading, but that seems to be a theme here. Austin Morley and Jeremy Pudak have been playing music together for several years now, and have never really settled on a genre or a name. In their younger days they would draw on rock influences like Rancid or The Ramones. In recent years, they have settled into slightly quieter influences like She & Him and Bob Dylan. Jeremy has always had a talent for the guitar, but Austin was not so lucky and decided to stick with a bass guitar. Austin & The Pudaks will be rocking your face off, but may not actually be in a rock genre. Be careful, as exposure to this amount of awesome has unpredictable effects.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/nodirectionhome89
ROUND 3 SONG:Typo In The Lyric Sheet
ROUND 1 SONG:A Record Of Your Life

DERREK J. THOMPSON

Derrek J. Thompson is an irresponsible and unimportant song-writer and all-around creative type that lives in the middle of nowhere. His hobbies include sleeping and performing Bach at old-folks homes. He plays keyboards in a band called Anthropophobia but they don’t seem to be going anywhere. He hopes to become more disciplined with his creative endeavors as a result of Song Fu.

Official Website: www.derrekswords.com/
ROUND 3 SONG:Fu In The Key Of C
ROUND 1 SONG:O’Riely’s Underpants

TRAVIS NORRIS

Over the twelve years since young-ish midwesterner Travis Norris first picked up a guitar, he has played and written music in a wide variety of genres ranging from rock that a-billies, metal of a medium or heavier weight, “outlaw” country (aka “the good kind”) and “frosty” jazz (not a real subgenre). Left to his own devices, something like “U2 meets Jonny Lang meets various two-to-three-hit-wonder bands of the ’90s indie/alternative scene” is what you’ll usually get. Travis’s instrumental talents range from lead guitar, 2nd lead guitar, rhythm guitar, auxiliary guitar, and bass (sorta). He can also drag and drop drum loops like you wouldn’t believe. He comes to this competition armed with three electric guitars, a neglected bass, an Ebow, and absolutely no fan base or public recognition. So be nice, eh? I hear he’s real sensitive when people that aren’t him make fun of him.

Official Website: NONE
ROUND 3 SONG:Finite
ROUND 2 SONG:Deserter’s March
ROUND 1 SONG:Enertronic Bow

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To download a ZIP FILE containing all of the ROUND 3 songs, CLICK HERE.

To download a ZIP FILE containing all of the ROUND 2 songs, CLICK HERE.
To download a ZIP FILE containing all of the ROUND 1 songs, CLICK HERE.

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ROUND 3 VOTING

And now, it’s time for that all important voting. For this round, you can choose your TOP 5 FAVORITE Challenger songs. Be sure to choose carefully. VOTING CLOSES AT 11:59pm EST on SUNDAY, JUNE 28th. If you are having trouble voting, CLEAR YOUR BROWSER’S CACHE and try again. THE FINAL CHALLENGE WILL BE REVEALED ON MONDAY, JUNE 29th.

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ROUND 3 VOTING – THE CHALLENGERS

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View Results

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ROUND 2 VOTING RESULTS – THE CHALLENGERS

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View Results

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ROUND 1 VOTING RESULTS – THE CHALLENGERS

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View Results

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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.

Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

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June 22, 2009

SModcast 89

Filed under: SModcast — Tags: , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:04 am

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Your TextSModcast is the meandering palaver of a pair of dudes whose voices are so dull, they don’t deserve to be on the radio (and, hence, aren’t). Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier are SModcast.The best thing about SModcast? It don’t cost nothing.

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SModcast 89: SMart! –

In which our heroes worship false idols and graven images.

[CONTENT WARNING] SModcast features harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Listener discretion is advised.

DOWNLOAD:

SModcast 89 (MP3 format)

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SUBSCRIBE

Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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Wanna add your two cents? Spend it here, in the SModcast mailbag.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE SMODCAST ARCHIVES

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June 21, 2009

TV Or Not TV: 6/22 – 6/28

Filed under: TV Or Not TV — Tags: — admin @ 11:35 pm

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Welcome to another edition of TV or Not TV where I’m actually impressed by THE LISTENER.

In case you haven’t caught this quirky little sci-fi/mystery/drama put on every Thursday at 10:00 PM on NBC it’s the story of EMT Toby Logan happens to have the ability to read minds. He can’t probe them, he can’t get into your thoughts, but he can pick up on what you are thinking at that moment. Most of the time he filters out the voices in the heads around him, but at times the thoughts are so strong that he just can’t shut them out. Usually these thoughts are what get the story going.

As far as mystery drama shows go the show itself pretty much sticks to the formula that most similar shows follow: mystery introduced, investigation begins, investigation heads in the direction of a red herring, mystery solved in a suspenseful final few minutes of the show. Bones, Law & Order: SVU and even Psych use the same formula and each does it in a way that is still effective to their show. The Listener does this as well. Just like all of those other shows The Listener pulls it off by the strength of it’s cast. This show has the EMT side kick for comic relief, the former girlfriend doctor and the tough-as-nails female detective who is appreciative and suspicious of his ability and motive in aiding with investigations.

Another item that the show employs is the unresolved backstory of the shows hero. In each episode Toby remembers a bit more about his life prior to being delivered to college professor Ray Mercer for help. Early on the details of this life as sketchy as he has very few memories of this mother. This is another device that has been used by several shows and again it is done very well in The Listener, so much so that I find myself tuning in again to see what else will be revealed in the memories of this trailer in the middle of nowehere.

The Listener has already aired in several other parts of the world and is having a relative neck-and-neck run on NBC as well as CTV, the network which created the show. The ratings have declined since the premiere, but I’m hoping the cost of the show is deferred enough that we may see it return next summer since it is the kind of TV I’d definitely recommend.

Now that you’ve listened about me talk about The Listener let’s move on to the few viewing choices we really have available this week.

MONDAY

ABC FAMILY8:00 PM: The light weight teen drama is back with the season premiere of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

TLC – 8:00 PM: Tonight there’s a “special announcement” on Jon & Kate Plus 8. Divorce? Quitting their show? Asking the media to finally mind their own business? We’ll find out tonight, I just hope it’s not that they are having another kid.

BRAVO – 10:00 PM: Kathy Griffin hooks up with Paula Deen tonight on My Life on the D-List. 10 to 1 Deen tries to deep fry Griffin or smothers her in butter. Why not, she does with just about everything else?

TUESDAY

NBC – 9:00 PM: Let’s face it, America’s Got Talent is really hoping to find the USA version of Susan Boyle. I’ll probably not watch and just let YouTube tell me if they find one or not.

A&E – 10:oo PM: The Cleaner returns for another season, with Whoopi Goldberg in a recurring role as Benjamin Bratt‘s ex-sponsor.

WEDNESDAY

MTV – 10:00 PM: Yet again seven strangers are picked to live in a house in The Real World: Cancun. I’m sure the producers are leaving the house fully stocked with alchohol in the hopes of ratings grabing debauchery. What? I’m just sayin’.

NBC – 10:00 PM: A rich kid grows a conscience and wants to help those in need in the new series The Philanthropist. A modern day The Millionaire or will it just be the new Juan to a Million? Only the ratings know.

THURSDAY

ABC – 8:00 PM: John Taylor of Duran Duran guests as a rock star that Samantha dates on Samantha Who?

SHO – 10:00 PM: It’s a brand new season of Penn & Teller: Bull$hit! and they start things off with the light and family friendly subject matter of orgasm.

FRIDAY

FOX – 8:00 PM: FOX hopes to cash in on a little Sci-Fi Friday with Ron Moore’s Virtuality. Earth’s first starship has to try to find salvation for mankind and the crew keeps sain by using virtual reality. Whackiness ensues.

CARTOON – 8:00 PM: Why not catch The Penguins of Madagascar? Seriously, there isn’t much else on.

SATURDAY

HISTORY – 8:00 PM: If you haven’t been watching the new season of Ice Road Truckers than you can take in three hours tonight to get all caught up.

ABC – 9:00 PM: Just a reminder if you didn’t set your DVR last week for the re-air of the first episode of Castle than you can at least catch the second episode tonight.

TBS – 9:00 PM: Just when you thought you needed more celebrity hosted variety shows there comes Ellen’s Bigger, Longer and Wider Show.

SUNDAY

COMEDY CENTRAL – 7:00 PM: It’s Van Wilder night with the original immediately followed by the abysmal Rise of Taj.

HBO – 10:00 PM: Once again an HBO original series about a high school gym teacher comes out, but this one is no Kenny Powers. Thomas Jane is apparently Hung and he turns his gift into money by moonlighting as a male escort.

June 19, 2009

Weekend Shopping Guide 6/19/09: Riff If You Wanna

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The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)

Summer days are long. And often hot. Sometimes stormy. Who wants to venture out onto the surface of the sun when you can kick back with some cool lemonade in even cooler air conditioning with a big ol’ batch of DVDs from RiffTrax. If you’re not familiar with RiffTrax, here’s the nutshell version – they’re downloadable Mystery Science Theater 3000-esque audio riffs of movies that you sync up to your DVD, with the comedy provided by MST3K alum Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, & Bill Corbett. Ah, but there’s a clutch of films now hitting stores (and available on RiffTrax.com) where you can buy the DVD with the RiffTrax commentary track included – no syncing, just easy comedy for those sweltering days. The RiffTrax edition films currently on offer are Missile To The Moon, House On Haunted Hill, Swing Parade, The Little Shop Of Horrors, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Reefer Madness, Night Of the Living Dead, and Carnival Of Souls (Legend Films, Not Rated, DVD-$9.95 SRP each). Some of these films were previously released with just Mike Nelson providing commentary, but these new versions are full on RiffTrax. Also available are a pair of shorts collections entitled (whouldja believe?) The Best Of RiffTrax Shorts: Volume One & The Best Of RiffTrax Shorts: Volume Two (Legend Films, Not Rated, DVD-$9.95 SRP each).

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The first time I ever encountered a Lite Brite – you know, the light-bulb, black paper, and colored peg wonder of childhood – it was during play time in kindergarten. Like most kids, I was fascinated, and soon moved on from the structured pattern paper to just sticking the pegs in wherever the hell the whim dictated. Like most things nowadays, the Lite Brite has gone 3-D with Lite Brite Cubed ($22.99), featuring 4 whole sides of glowing peg fun. My nephew couldn’t get enough of it (starting with the sailboat).

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Ever since seeing the original trailers long, long ago, I’ve been eager to lay my hands on the video game derived from one of my favorite childhood films, Ghostbusters. Well, after laying hands upon it (and then playing it), I found myself enjoying the experience of this video game iteration of Ghostbusters (Atari, PS3-$59.99 SRP, XBOX-$59.99 SRP), as I found myself in what is essentially the 3rd film in the series, which thankfully takes most of its cues from the original. Not only was the script written by Aykroyd & Ramis, but all four Ghostbusters reprise their roles, with a few other actors making a welcome return as well (Annie Potts & William Atherton). As for the game, you find yourself as the latest hire at Ghostbusters, Inc., right on the cusp of a major ghost spike prompted by an occurrence at the local museum’s Gozer exhibit. You can pretty much guess what happens next, as you run around Manhattan trying to catch a few ghosts. Is it worth it? Certainly.

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However, if you’re a casual gamer, a fine game is the Nintendo Wii version of Ghostbusters (Atari, Wii-$39.99 SRP), which trades the realistic rendering of the PS3/Xbox edition for a much cartoonier, instant-multiplayer experience. It’s a nice complement to the other version, unique unto itself, and a grand old time for the kids.

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I continue to delight that Sony seems intent on finishing their chronological release of the Three Stooges shorts with the release of The Three Stooges Collection Volume Six: 1949-1951 (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$24.96 SRP). The 2-disc shorts contain 24 remastered shorts comprising what is essentially (sans a few on volume 5) the first half of the Shemp shorts.

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Erase memories of Michael Bay’s sound & the fury approach to your 80’s childhood by revisiting the original epic battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons with the new special edition of Transformers: The Complete First Season (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP). The episodes have never looked our sounded better. The 3-disc set contains the first 16 episodes, plus a rare PSA, a printable script, toy commercials, and the first part of a massive retrospective documentary that will span future sets.

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Producer Michael Bay does what he does best with his reimagining of Friday the 13th (New Line, Rated R, DVD-$28.98 SRP) – it’s a slick, wholly disposable, instantly forgettable take on the material. You certainly get what it says on the tin. Bonus features include additional scenes and a featurette.

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The title of the album says it all – Spinal Tap is Back From The Dead (The Label Industry Records, $18.98 SRP) with a clutch of new tunes, a few old favorites, and a few old favorites that don’t sound like you remember. Best of all, though, is the bonus DVD, which features video commentary on every track.

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Season 3 & 4 have been available on Blu-Ray already, but fans can now backfill with the release of Lost: Season 1 & Season 2 in high definition (ABC Studios, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$69.99 SRP each). Believe you me, seeing those Hawaiian locales in high-def almost makes up for the confused storylines. Bonus features on the sets are identical to their standard edition counterparts, plus a Blu-Ray exclusive SeasonPlay feature.

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The laughs are more strained and are more often than not merely groans elicited by “they did what” moments, but fans are sure to snap up Family Guy: Volume Seven (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), featuring 13 episodes plus audio commentaries, animatics, deleted scenes, and a quartet of featurettes.

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Although my interest was certainly piqued, I in no way expected to be as swept up as I became in HBO’s miniseries on the political life of our 2nd president, John Adams (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.98 SRP). But swept up I was, and it certainly brought all of the drama, disagreement, infighting, political machinations, interpersonal issues, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles that led to the formation and establishment of the United States as an independent, thriving democracy. As Adams, Paul Giamatti certainly earns the Emmy he is most assuredly due, alongside the equally Emmy-worthy Laura Linney as his wife, Abigail. The true test of a miniseries like this is if it manages to make history engrossing, and it succeeds in spades. Now in high definition, the 3-disc set features a behind-the-scenes documentary, a spotlight on author David McCullough, an onscreen historical guide, and a who’s who guide.

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Commemorating the 25th anniversary of his death, My Breakfast With Blassie (VSC, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) contains Andy Kaufman’s memorable conversation with professional wrestler Freddie Blassie, conducted during the height of Kaufman’s wrestling phase. The disc also contains lost footage, home movies, a making-of, premiere footage, and a photo gallery.

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Not quite as fun as the first season, the sophomore outing of Burn Notice (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.98 SRP) is still an engaging spy romp, made all the more enjoyable by the presence of Bruce Campbell. As one would expect. Available in high-def, the 3-disc set features all 16 episodes, plus audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a featurette, and a gag reel.

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We all saw it in school, but The Diary of Anne Frank (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP) arrives in high definition for its 50th anniversary, with an audio commentary, a clutch of featurettes, a screen test, Movietone clips, and more.

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I think we’re just now starting to get the distance necessary to effectively dramatize the ground events of the Iraq War, and the first project that feels like it’s accomplished the task is HBO’s Generation Kill (HBO, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$79.98 SRP). The 7-part miniseries follows the Marines of the First Recon Battalion in the first 40 days of the war as they face a disjointed chain of command, inadequate and ineffective supplies, and their own doubts about the effectiveness of their mission. It’s certainly no rah-rah Band Of Brothers. The 3-disc set arrives in high definition with audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, and a Blu-Ray exclusive military glossary, chain of command chart, and mission maps.

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I think Disney may be trying to give us a hint that perhaps we should all venture outside and do something this summer, as they’ve dropped a trio of their aspirational sports flicks on Blu-Ray – Shia LaBeouf in The Greatest Game Ever Played, Kurt Russell in Miracle, and the sailing documentary Morning Light (Walt Disney, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$34.99 SRP each). Bonus features are identical to their standard edition counterparts.

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On the heels of the DVD release of Michael Bay’s new Friday The 13th, Paramount drops another batch of special editions from the original “run”. First up is the standard def deluxe editions of Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter, Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning, and Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$16.99 SRP each). The all feature audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, and more. Making their high-def debut are the previously released deluxe editions of Friday The 13th: Part 2 & Friday The 13th: Part 3 (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP each), featuring the same bonus materials as the standard def releases.

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The pilot itself was anticlimactic, but I can’t fault the score by Bear McGreary. You can give a listen to the score to Caprica (La-La-Land Records, $17.99 SRP) and judge for yourself. I think he did a fine job despite an underwhelming story.

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So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…

-Ken Plume

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June 18, 2009

Trailer Park: THE PROPOSAL – Review

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — admin @ 8:04 pm

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies.Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp

SCREENINGS, SCREENINGS, SCREENINGS

bruno_posterI know, it sucks when you don’t live in New York or LA.

They get all the good things but the nice thing about having me around like a corpse you decide to stick in a chair, just taking up space and requiring no maintenance at all, is that it’s a good thing to live in the Valley of the Sun. I know it’s been strange around here as of late if you were to listen to Howard Stern, with there being a runoff election being decided by cutting a deck of cards (yeah, we’re real progressive in this state) and some a-hole who tried to end it all by sticking a samurai sword in the steering wheel and trying to ram a wall only to go through the goddamn wall and end up not finishing what he started, but I’ve got screenings to invite you to: BRÜNO and, later in July, FUNNY PEOPLE.

BRÜNO will be screening on July 7 at Harkins Tempe Marketplace and FUNNY PEOPLE will be screening on July 28 at Harkins Tempe Marketplace.

I hope to have more information on how many tickets I’ll have for each but until that time, block out your calendars as scuttlebutt has been pretty positive for both.

TWITTER CHAT WITH THE DIRECTOR OF FOOD, INC. THIS FRIDAY AT 10 am PST

food-inc-posterNo, I haven’t been able to see this documentary about all the lovely things that go into making our meals but word’s been good for this movie and now you can feel free to talk directly to the director himself. Now, I’m still on the fence about how “interviews” on Twitter can be effective but if any of you give this a whirl and find it useful please let me know. The information for this follows below…

Food Inc. Live Twitter Chat with Director Robert Kenner this Friday at 10 am PST!

Food Inc opened in select markets last week to an overwhelming response! As we prepare to open around the country this Friday we want to give fans an opportunity to conduct a live twitter chat (at #foodinc) with the director, Robert Kenner.

It’s simple to participate. At 10am PST this Friday (June 19th) login to twitter and put #foodinc in the search bar and hit enter. You are now following the conversation! If you have a question, be sure to include the #foodinc tag. This way the question will stay on this thread. We hope for a large turnout so please be patient while we try to answer as many questions as possible. We appreciate your support in getting our vital message out to the public!

In the meantime, please follow Magnolia Pictures on twitter and Facebook for updates on Food Inc. and all of Magnolia’s upcoming films.

THE PROPOSAL – REVIEW

proposalThere’s a moment in the movie when you realize that basing a review on its actual mechanics would be a fish/barrel situation.

For some reason, and if you just pay attention to the screen you’ll notice it, Alaskan Brewing Company has paid for a product placement. The movie takes place, for the most part, in Alaska and everyone seems hooked on Alaskan Amber. The bottle is everywhere and when you dig a little further into the line of brew this company puts out you see that they have 8 different varieties. This product placement is curious because you find your eye drifting to the red labels of this beer, extras are drinking it, Craig T. Nelson is drinking it, Sandra Bullock is drinking it, Malin Akerman is drinking it, the whole town seemed zombified by this beverage and, I’m pretty sure, this is not what you want someone like me doing while watching your film: wondering why everyone is hooked on Alaskan Amber and not their pale, IPA, ale, stout varieties. And this is all neither here nor there but this is what happens when you have a script that’s about as airy and delicately put together like a petite madeleine and performances from the likes of Bullock and Reynolds that, honestly, felt like they were done with about as much regard for the audience as a 10 year-old is on Valium. That said, though, you could have done a lot worse.

Noticing that this hackneyed story, the theme of the mean curmudgeon who suddenly has a new outlook on life by the end of the film, is something that is as old as time is eternal. THE PROPOSAL doesn’t look to blaze any new trails when it comes to the romantic comedy formula and, in fact, it takes some of the more basic elements of what makes them so enduring like bubblegum pop music. You have the wacky comedic relief played by Oscar Nunez who is absolutely the funniest thing in this film when you realize that he embraced the kind of role usually reserved for a John Turturro-type and explored all the ways in which he could make a true mark on this film; his unshaved bikini area absolutely solidified this. You have the wise one who knows what’s good for everyone, played here by Betty White who is just a delightful and spry actress who brings a bubbly effervescence to the role as the grandma who knows it all. You have the evil, metaphorically mustachioed, character that is looking to tear everything asunder, played here by Denis O’Hare whose character actually becomes funnier when he’s off camera at the end of the film. You also have the red herring of the group, Malin Akerman, who is not only wasted in her performance as an old girlfriend who, in other films, is used as someone who represents the lost lover who might-possibly-maybe be the one our protagonist decides to fall in love with instead but she’s horribly utilized in this movie. These four players represent what’s usually at the core for a successful romantic comedy and, to be fair, everyone does what they are supposed to do. They’re caricatures of real people and they play their far-removed-from-reality roles as best they can. It falls on Bullock and Reynolds to make it work.

The two of these actors work well with one another. Ryan Reynolds without question has the kind of comedic timing and subtlety necessary to make this movie more than just a bland story about how one person is going to need to marry the other in order to keep them in the country. Reynolds shines as someone who could actually bring a much needed relief to those who are dragged to these movies with their significant others (read here: men) because he understands the kind of movie he’s in. It’s not a question of whether or not he can pull it off, much like a Matthew McConaughey who embodies sleepwalking through a film as of late, but how he can make a film feel much more livelier than it isn’t. On paper this is about as routine as it comes, first time writer Pete Chiarrelli making good use of the basics in a romantic comedy that will bring people to the multiplex, and disappointingly it’s Sandra Bullock who fails to bring anything fresh to a genre that would have done well with some of what made her performance in 2006’s THE LAKE HOUSE a surprising delight.

Playing the shrew of a boss who no one likes respects or admires, stop me if you’ve heard that one before, the film goes out of its way to showcase Bullock as a woman who simply hates the world. I don’t think she loves anything, money, power, advantage, none of these things, as the film paints her an inhuman robot that not even the most testosterone fueled type-a personality would be able to match. That’s what makes her glorious transformation into a woman who can find love that much more grandiose but it genuinely does a disservice to a film that is broadcasting that it is simply a vehicle to make a buck and to be forgotten as soon as you walk out of the door. Bullock has her moments but, as the script is written, there isn’t much more she can do other than not exude a real human emotion for more than 1/2 of the film; it just doesn’t feel like acting, it’s more akin to following instructions on a piece of paper as if it were a table from Ikea that needs some assembly. She doesn’t acquit herself well in this role and it’s really not Bullock’s fault if you try and understand what’s really amiss. That fault lays at the feet of Anne Fletcher who has been in this territory before.

Bursting on the scene like an adolescent zit, Fletcher gave us her opening salvo as a director, the abominable STEP UP in 2006. This gave her enough juice to take the reigns of the genuinely terrible 27 DRESSES. DRESSES, if you read some of the comments leveled at her by other critics, garnered the same criticism which I am leveling at it. THE PROPOSAL feels like a movie that is devoid of any human tethering. From its unnatural use of lighting, set design and set-ups you would be hard pressed to find a modicum of reality stitched within the layers of this rancid onion. Craig T. Nelson feels like a caricature of a dad who is having trouble connecting with his son, the mother feels like an oblivious opposite to Nelson’s distant behavior and the film suffers as if it were a sitcom put to celluloid. Truly, if you want to know why some films are critic proof the answer is embedded within this film. It is because there is nothing of value to criticize. Like the petite madeleine the film crumbles upon inspection. It cannot stand up to someone taking the movie to task for all its shortcomings because, yes, it would be like picking on someone smaller than you, weaker than you. It’s strength is in its weakness and middle America is going to devour and eat this up.

This is Ryan Reynold’s film and thankfully he makes all this pap tolerable as it’s forced down the gullet of your brain. Should you find yourself laughing it’s not because there isn’t anything to laugh as there are a few good moments but a few moments does not a movie make. It may be good enough for the ladies of America who believe this movie is what they’re looking for this summer but they would much be better served with a movie that comes out next month, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, a movie that wants to be more than a romantic comedy; it wants to be remembered.

THE PROPOSAL is a film that you can tolerate, even enjoy, for its run time. There are more than enough moments for those with a low threshold of what they find funny to laugh at, and it will most certainly entertain them, but for those who are looking for a film they would actually want to enjoy beyond the superficiality of its plot I would recommend to keep looking.

Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #100: Our Only Friend, The End

Filed under: Ken P.D. Snydecast — Tags: , , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:19 pm

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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

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KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #100: Our Only Friend, The End – Ken & Dana return with their 100th episode. They never thought they’d make it this for. Perhaps they shouldn’t have made it this far. YOU be the judge. (Many thanks to listener Sam Fines for the fine logos.)

[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 #100 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-100.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

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June 17, 2009

Cabin Fever 69: Huh, That Sounds Dirty

Filed under: Cabin Fever — Tags: , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 8:35 pm

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cabin.jpgOh 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

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CABIN FEVER #69: Huh, That Sounds Dirty – How do you celebrate a podcast that is having its 69th episode? You read all of the genital related stories you’ve been sent by listeners, of course! The boys answer questions asked by Twitter followers and play out with music by Pogo. Recorded just moments before their embarrassingly successful mixer fundraiser.

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

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #69 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_69.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Got something to say? E-mail Aaron & Brian at the Cabin Fever mailbag.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES

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Contest Round-Up: 2009-06-17

Filed under: Articles — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:39 am

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Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!

In conjunction with Thinkgeek.com, we’re giving away a GREMLINS: DANCING GIZMO PLUSH DOLL.

In conjunction with MGM Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of THE PINK PANTHER 2 on DVD.

In conjunction with Rhino Home Video, we’re giving away a copy of LAST DAYS OF THE FILLMORE on DVD.

In conjunction with First Look Pictures, we’re giving away four (4) copies of THE CODE on DVD, plus t-shirts.

Win THE CODE on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:36 am

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In conjunction with First Look Pictures, we’re giving away four (4) copies of THE CODE on DVD, plus t-shirts.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July, 8th.

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 July, 8th.

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

Win LAST DAYS OF THE FILLMORE on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:30 am

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In conjunction with Rhino Home Video, we’re giving away a copy of LAST DAYS OF THE FILLMORE on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July, 8th.

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 July, 8th.

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

Win THE PINK PANTHER 2 on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:25 am

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In conjunction with MGM Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of THE PINK PANTHER 2 on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July, 8th.

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 July, 8th.

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

Win a GREMLINS: DANCING GIZMO PLUSH DOLL from Thinkgeek.com!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:19 am

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In conjunction with Thinkgeek.com, we’re giving away a GREMLINS: DANCING GIZMO PLUSH DOLL.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July, 8th.

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 July, 8th.

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

June 15, 2009

Toy Box: Hot Toys Terminator T-700 Sixth Scale Action Figure

Filed under: Toy Box — Tags: , — admin @ 11:21 pm

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It’s been almost four weeks since Terminator: Salvation was released to theaters, and fans and critics have not been kind. With a disappointing 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s not even as well liked as the God awful Rise of the Machines.

Ah, but Hot Toys is producing a series of sixth scale figures based on the film, and let’s face it – if it’s Hot Toys, it has to be good. They have both John Connor and Marcus Wright coming soon, as well as a very cool T-600, but the first release is the T-700.

Hot Toys isn’t new to the Terminator license, and one of their best figures is the T-800 Endoskeleton based on Terminator 2, which they released a couple years ago. This figure came with several weapons, and set a new standard at the time for well designed articulation.

While the T-700 is a predecessor to the T-800 we all know and love, it’s still a very similar beast, particularly under the skin. Perhaps Hot Toys realized that, because they went with a different route for this figure, stripping him of his accessories and offering him at a considerably lower price point. While you can expect to pay around $150 for most Hot Toys figures, this guy comes in at closer to $110 at most retailers.

If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at mwc@mwctoys.com, or check out my site at Michael’s Review of the Week – Captain Toy. Now, on to the review!

Hot Toys T-700 sixth scale action figure

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Packaging – ****
While much of this figure has a been there, done that feel due to the earlier Hot Toys T-800 release, the one area that really took me by surprise was the package. This thing is way cool! It comes in a dark gray (almost black) hard foam (very hard) package, with just a top and bottom held together by a much smaller than usual outer sleeve. The foam is intricately carved, giving it a machined appearance. It’s very striking, and one of Hot Toys most innovative box designs in quite awhile.

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Inside, you get the figure carefully packed and no twisties or other annoying encumbrances. The package is very collector friendly, with no need to damage or destroy anything in the removal of the figure.

Sculpting – ****
I haven’t reviewed a lot of Hot Toys figures here at QSE, but I cover quite a few at my site. And believe me, they are the finest sixth scale figures on the market today. This Endoskeleton is a thing of beauty, with sharply defined sculpting, excellent small detail work, and an amazing level of movie accuracy.

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However, Hot Toys isn’t the first company to produce an amazing looking Endoskeleton, T-700 or otherwise. But they go beyond just the sculpt, engineering the figure to combine this amazing realism with stupendous articulation. It’s figures like this one that prove you don’t have to forfeit articulation for great looks.

The mechanical nature of this monster requires a sharp edge to the sculpt. Pieces need to look like machined metal, not soft plastic, and here again Hot Toys manages to give us the closest thing to the real deal possible. The surface of the figure is also scored and pocked, much like wrought iron, adding to the metallic effect. You really have to see this guy in person to appreciate the work.

I do wish he was a smidge bigger. Yea, I know. He’s the interior skeleton of a slightly larger than normal human male. So he’s not going to be quite as big as a figure with skin and muscle on him, but I would have personally preferred a little more height.

Paint – ****
The paint work here isn’t complex, but the potential to over do it is there, and other companies have certainly had less restraint. The temptation to try to do too much is hard to resist, but that wouldn’t make this figure better.

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I’ve said before that the paint can improve any sculpt, and here it adds to the appearance of the metal body. Had they gone with something too shiny, that iron works style texturing wouldn’t have looked right. Instead, they’ve matched the color with the style of sculpt perfectly.

Articulation – ****
Other companies that produce robots or figures in armor usually throw in the towel when it comes to articulation. The pistons, gears, and other small mechanical devices makes it impossible to have useful joints, or so most people think.

Hot Toys doesn’t believe it though, and they continue to prove that it’s possible to engineer joints that work with even the most complicated robotic sculpts. Here, the pistons move smoothly at each of the joints, especially the jaw, ball jointed neck, shoulders, wrists, elbows, waist, knees and ankles. While it might appear that there is no way these joints could have much range of movement due to the complicated nature of the mechanics, they actually do. It’s really quite impressive!

Even the toes are articulated, and the fingers have multiple joints. There’s a joint at each knuckle, and a joint at the base of the finger that allows them to spread wider or come together close! Getting the fingers in just the right position can be a bit frustrating, and they can be a little loose at times, but you have to be impressed with the overall workmanship.

They also seem much more stable and sturdy than the similar joints on their earlier endoskeleton. Hot Toys is improving, even when it seems like they’ve already hit perfection.

Actually, they do still have one joint on these figures that could use a little improvement – the hips. They do move in and out from the plane of the body slightly, but not as much as I’d really like. But deducting for that after seeing all the other exceptional joints just doesn’t seem appropriate.

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Accessories – *1/2
While the other Terminator related figures from Hot Toys have been loaded with accessories, this guy only comes with his T-700 base, made to look like a factory platform. It’s a nice looking base, and includes a spot to connect the wire arm that could attach around his waist. I’ll be skipping the arm however, and just standing him on the base, since he has no trouble staying upright on his own. The hole for the arm is hidden well enough to make this possible.

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Light up Feature – ***
Like the later model that came out first, he has light up eyes. These are activated with a small, well hidden button on his back. The two small, red LED eyes are bright and clean when lit, and the wiring for this feature doesn’t get in the way of the articulation or appearance. The batteries are relatively easy to swap, and he comes with a set already installed.

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However, one of the eyes is slightly brighter than the other, and I noticed that the batteries seem to be dying pretty fast. They are minor quibbles, but enough to pull this down a bit. I haven’t had that issue with my Iron Man figures from Hot Toys, or the first T-800, and I didn’t expect to have it here.

Fun Factor ***
Even with the small fingers and tiny joints, this guy is remarkably sturdy. He feels much less likely to break when you’re posing and handling than the earlier T-800 endoskeleton does. Hard to believe it, but somehow Hot Toys continues to improve.

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That being said, breaking the smaller joints and even some of the pistons would be pretty easy if you don’t take some basic care. He’s sturdy enough that an older kid who loves the license could get some great poses out of him, but the under ten crowd would be like Sarah Connor to this guy.

Value – **1/2
I commend Hot Toys on finding a way to drop the price on this figure, especially since he’s similar to their earlier release. A bennie ain’t cheap no matter what though, and by dropping the accessories to drop the price, the value ends up washing out at average.

Things to Watch Out For –
While these joints are sturdier than I expected, you still have to take care when posing him. The fingers are especially tricky, but that’s part of the price you pay for this type of realism.

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Overall – ***1/2
With three key four star categories, this guy was bucking for a four star overall. I held off slightly though, because I do really, really miss any accessories, even at the lower price point. I can’t argue with the sculpt, paint or articulation, but we’ve seen this figure – almost – already once before, and I really wish we’d gotten something a little extra this time around. Hot Toys did that with their Iron Man line, where they knew that the MKII figure needed something extra, since he was so close to the MKIII (in terms of the sculpt). This time around, they cut back on the price rather than give us anything extra, and I can appreciate the sentiment…but the lack of accessories still hurts this guy for me.

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Scoring Recap –
Packaging – ****
Sculpting -****
Paint – ****
Articulation – ****
Accessories – *1/2
Light Up Feature – ***
Fun Factor – ***
Value – **1/2
Overall – ***1/2

Where to Buy –
You have a number of great online options:

Urban Collector has a great price at $106.

Alter Ego Comics has him at $108.

Corner Store Comics also has it at $108.

Show Piece Collectibles doesn’t have the T-700, but they have a great price on the T-660 at just $168. Most other sites are pre-selling this guy for around $200!

Related Reviews:
Check out Hot Toys previous Endoskeleton, the T-800.

Bagged & Boarded 28: And The Band Plays On

Filed under: Bagged & Boarded — Tags: , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 11:14 pm

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What happens when two young men let their love of movies, comic books, and all things “geek” take over their lives? They run away from their families, bringing only the most essential DVDs and comics to their secret, highly fortified underground bunker in sunny Southern California, where they start recording podcasts that will change the world.

Are they heroes?

No.

Are they geniuses?

Far from it.

Are they the future of this planet?

I sure hope not.

Simply put… Matt Cohen and Jesse Rivers are “Bagged and Boarded”.

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BAGGED & BOARDED #28: And The Band Plays On   – In which Matt and Jesse are brought together again at last, discuss recent developments in comics and movies, food based phobias, and Green Arrow’s pimp quotient. This episode is dedicated to the memory of our friend, Rob Boone (T.B Player). We miss you already, dude.

[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 #28 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/baggedboarded/bagged_boarded-28.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Got something to say? E-mail Matt & Jesse at the B & B mailbag.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE BAGGED & BOARDED ARCHIVES

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Masters Of Song Fu #4: Round 3 Challenge Revealed!

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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 launched a unique 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…

Like a songwriting version of Iron Chef, the competitors will be presented with a very specific songwriting challenge. They’ll be given one week to complete their songs – however they see fit, within the parameters set forth – after which time the entries will be uploaded to Quick Stop to be voted on by you, the audience.

Oh, and what do we call this competition?

MASTERS OF SONG FU

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Let us not forget the very special Masters of MASTERS OF SONG FU. Think of them as the iron chefs of Song Fu – one of which will be revealed as the ultimate challenger in THE FINAL CHALLENGE. Past Masters have included Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm, Neil Innes, The RiffTones, and Garfunkel & Oates. Any one of them could be the Master in the final Challenge – or perhaps it could be a brand new Master. Only the Challenger who garners the most cumulative votes in all 3 Challenges will move on to the Final and face that Master, mano a mano.

As with the last edition of Song Fu, all of the Challengers will be able to compete in every Challenge, and the Challenger with the most cumulative votes after the 3 Challenges will be the one that takes on the Master in the Final Round. So what was the first Challenge?

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ROUND 1 CHALLENGE

Write a song from the perspective of an inanimate object. This inanimate object must have no moving parts. Also no computers, no objects that look like living things, either human or animal (i.e. a statue, an action figure, etc.), and no celestial objects (i.e. the sun or the moon). Your song can be in any style you choose.

That’s it. The only other directive is that your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

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You’ll find the Round 1 songs from each of our Challengers below (for those Challengers that did not progress to Round 2, you’ll find those songs HERE), as well as the results of the Round 1 voting. The Challengers were then issued their Round 2 Challenge…

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ROUND 2 CHALLENGE

Write a march.

A march is “a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to” – and that is your challenge. You can write on any topic. Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 15 seconds.

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You’ll find the Round 2 songs from each of our Challengers below, as well as the results of the Round 2 voting. More importantly, though, you’ll also discover what the Round 3 Challenge is!

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THE CHALLENGERS

EDRIC HALEEN

songfu-edrichaleen.jpgEdric has been writing music (off and on) since the early nineties. He wrote and directed a musical, The Pushcart War, based on Jean Merrill’s wonderful novel. He has written and/or arranged a number of songs for various friends – some commissioned, some as surprises. He loves acting in community theatre, and is inspired by the music of Stephen Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown, Adam Guettel, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. He is also happy to finally return his Happiness Board to the Internet. Check out the link on his web pages.

Official Website: happinessboard.com/Edric_Haleen.html
ROUND 2 SONG:Whispered In Your Ear
ROUND 1 SONG:All For This Moment

GöDZ PööDLZ

Legendz foretell of a mighty duo, born in the frozen North. Two neighborz and friendz will unite to form “Gödz Pöödlz” and battle the Mazterz or Song Fu for glory and bragging rightz! Gödz Pöödlz are Rüss Rögers and Röd Dürre. Rüss Rögers was once a member of “Kit and Kaboodle” (still available on iTunes) and currently performs in “Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree!” Röd Dürre wrote and performed with the Goth Rock Godz “Sear”, and last year Röd won the Coor’s Light “Take the 4:53 to Happy Hour” songwriting contest! Remember, the heaviest of metals are soft!

Official Website: www.rockingjamboree.com
ROUND 2 SONG:Godz Poodlz On Parade
ROUND 1 SONG:Bad Penny

STEVE CHATTERTON

songfu-stevechatterton.pngHi, my name is Steve Chatterton, the quintessential one-man-band singer/songwriter net-based recording project. Mom always said I marched to the sound of a different drummer, but she never mentioned which one. Dad had a fondness for bagpipes. Fortunately, neither of them have any direct influence on my music. Specializing in quirky little guitar-oriented pop songs about bugs, the Scooby gang, pirates, palindromes, superheroes, old movies, infectious diseases, imaginary friends and sideshow freaks, I guess you could say I pretty much write love songs. I’m a cheesy bastard at heart. I’m a stay-at-home dad who’s looking to find more time in the studio when my youngest starts school in September. I have an ever-expanding back catalog (at least 3 albums worth & counting) I’m dying to share with the world one download at a time.

Official Website: www.stevechatterton.com
Twitter: twitter.com/SteveChatterton
ROUND 2 SONG:The Only Way I Know
ROUND 1 SONG:I Will Always Look Up To You

JUTZE SCHULT

Johannes “Jutze” Schult (from Germany) likes to live in a dream world where there has been no Grunge and where he is a talented singer. Sometimes his little folky pop songs find their way into the real world. Here they suffer from his hoarse voice and the do-it-yourself home recording production, struggling to appeal off and on beaten musical paths.

Official Website: www.jutze.com
Twitter: twitter.com/schult
ROUND 2 SONG:March 2003
ROUND 1 SONG:Natalie Portman’s Doormat

AUDIOMOHEL

Forged in the furnace of irony, molded with the hammer of satire, flattened on the anvil of righteousness, and cooled in the water of awesomeness, AudioMohel was thrust upon the world. Named from the lost audio transcripts of ’09, AudioMohel serves as a public-service backlash against the anti-circumcision trend sweeping the so-called “enlightened parents” crowd, AudioMohel urges their more devoted and impressionable fans to undergo the snip two or even three times. AudioMohel enjoys experimenting with new breakthrough genres like speed blues and death classical even though most of AudioMohel’s tunes reside firmly in the ethereal realm of vapor-ware. Some of AudioMohel’s members admitted to being a bit intimidated by the professed experience and actual musical talent apparently possessed by the Song Fu Masters, but finally it was decided that if the need arose, sabotage would not be out of the question. To be used as a last resort, naturally, but not out of the question.

Official Website: www.AudioMohel.com
Twitter: twitter.com/AudioMohel
ROUND 2 SONG:The Battle Of Cobra Island
ROUND 1 SONG:Hubcap Without A Home

JALEPENO HABANEROS

In the far off land of Chandler, Arizona, where the rivers flow with sand and cacti, our leader and master, the Lord of Our Lady Gwynyth, guitar and microphone in hand, called for the greatest musicians in the land to assemble a rock and roll group like none other. Unfortunately, they were cut off on the road, and the Jalapeño Habañeros made it there first. With The Rogue Bohemian on saxophone and The Boxcar Bassist on bass and keyboards, the Lord was pleased. Now, they roam the streets of Chandler, playing epic songs and rocking faces, much like Bon Jovi. Unfortunately they are paid in change, and often get thrown into the street, also like Bon Jovi. Their lives have intertwined, and the era of the Jalapeño Habañeros has begun. Be prepared.

Official Website: None
ROUND 2 SONG:La Marcha de Oppurtunidades
ROUND 1 SONG:Aquaman’s Trident’s Lament

THE SCRIBBLES

The Scribbles are one of the most popular ukulele-based trios in their entire 6th grade class. Oh sure, there is the rumor that Peter Choi hates them. Meh. He’s a hater. Ha ha. The Scribbles formed last November when they all agreed on the name. After that they bought some instruments and started writing songs and stuff. So far, they’ve played a handful of shows around their hometown of Springfield, MO. Everyone’s favorite song seems to be “The Robot Song”. Maybe it’s because robots really are taking over the world, or maybe because Connor wears the robot suit during that song and that’s pretty funny. Thanks to MySpace, they are now friends with really cool people like The Beatles and Weezer and Tom. They’ve said some really nice things like “iloveyouguys:D” and “thanx for the add:).” Oh, and by the way, Peter Choi, The Scribbles still luv u.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/thescribbles1
ROUND 2 SONG:The Student’s Revenge
ROUND 1 SONG:Snuggie Like Me

GORBZILLA

songfu-gorbzilla.pngGorbzilla is a musician/band teacher in Mid-Michigan. He has been in a few bands over the years, most notably as the bass player/vocalist for the band “Satin Jones” and the guitarist/vocalist for the band “Jimmy Likes Pie”. The proud father of two future rock maniacs, Gorbzilla has been writing music for the past twenty years, and is currently working on his first musical Beer ““ Finally a Musical for Men based on the Haiku by Patrick “Horkmeister” Sweet entitled, “I Think I Threw Up”. He has been happily married for eight years, and is looking forward to this competition.

Official Website: gorbzilla.blogspot.com
ROUND 2 SONG:March Of The Geeks (Semi-Autobiographical)
ROUND 1 SONG:I Am Your Pants

DARRELL MacLAINE

Darrell Maclaine has been devouring comedy songs and interesting music ever since he was old enough to know better, and is taking part in this competition essentially as penance for the amount of free music he has obtained via the previous rounds. He plays piano and keyboard bass as one fifth of oddball UK pop group The Directors (another fifth of the group, Mathew Cornah, possesses both more instrumental expertise and a much better home studio than him and will inevitably be press-ganged into contributing to his entries), and has decided to exercise his rusty songwriting muscles in the most embarrassingly public way possible.

Official Website: directors.mashedbins.com
ROUND 2 SONG:Football Is Good (The Football Song)
ROUND 1 SONG:Strawberry Fool

BERG AND JERRY

Berg and Jerry are a small suburban acoustic group comprised of Andrew Berg (Lead Vocals, Melodica and, maybe, eventually the Ukulele) and Jerry Geleff (Guitar and Backup Vocals). Mid-summer ’08, Berg and Jerry began writing songs together and since then… well, basically nothing. As rookies to this competition, these guys hope to at least make one good song, and entertain at least one person (*fingers crossed*). Berg and Jerry have a fun ska/indie/punk acoustic sound and often try to write clever witty lyrics. So listen, laugh, and something else that starts with an “L”, because Berg and Jerry are ready to slightly attempt to be THE MASTERS OF SONG FU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Official Website: www.myspace.com/bergandjerry
ROUND 2 SONG:This Day Shall Be Mine
ROUND 1 SONG:The Green Potato Chip Song

DENISE HUDSON

Denise lived in a grey house in the city of Austin. Her favorite pastimes were playing piano, polishing her guitar, and tormenting the geeky programmer boy who lived there. His name was Michael, but she never called him that… Isn’t that a wonderful bio???

Official Website: www.myspace.com/denisehudson
ROUND 2 SONG:Anna’s Gerbil & The Singularity
ROUND 1 SONG:Leave The Stone Alone, Yep

LEX VADER

Lex Vader was born to a single mother who worked as silicon tycoon’s personal assistant. When she died of poor hygiene, Lex was sent to an orphanage where he showed interest in organizing races and laser fencing. After being recruited into a religious order, he spent the next few years between several of their private schools. In his final year, Lex lost his hand in an argument with a professor over Kryptochlorians. Despite this, Lex was able to achieve a successful business career and even a knighthood. Tragedy struck, however, when a former classmate’s arctic home caught fire during a business lunch, scarring half of Lex’s face. At this point, Lex’s behavior became erratic. When he managed to buy SithCo, the cult that schooled him, he was shunned by the corporate world. No longer taken seriously, Lex started an evil empire and now moonlights with his evil emotronic alternapop band.

Official Website: lexvaderssecretjournal.wordpress.com
ROUND 2 SONG:Doomsday March
ROUND 1 SONG:Just A Rock

TOM MILSOM

Tom Milsom is a musician, writer, artist and videomaker who has had nearly 2,000,000 views of his YouTube videos and has released an album, Awkward Ballads for the Easily Pleased, to murmurs of critical success. Faced with this onslaught of vague acceptance, he plans to release his second album, Painfully Mainstream, later this year, and is thrilled to be a part of this frankly charming and delightful competition.

Official Website: www.tommilsom.com
ROUND 2 SONG:March As A Mad Hare
ROUND 1 SONG:The Raincoat’s Lament

CALEB HINES

Caleb became a software engineer instead of a musician because the type of music he likes best went out of style at the end of the 18th century. Self-taught in music theory, he is more comfortable writing a four-part instrumental fugue than he is writing a verse-chorus-bridge song. After discovering the likes of Weird Al, Dr. Horrible, and especially Jonathan Coulton, he realized that “modern music” can be fun too. Now he is on a quest to update, expand, and diversify his musical knowledge and experience. In addition to singing, he plays a whole family of recorders (not usually all at once) and baroque flute, pretends to play keyboard, and most recently, ukulele. He also uses virtual MIDI instruments because a real orchestra costs too much.

Official Website: NONE
ROUND 2 SONG:Marching To Selador (Traditional Dwarven March)
ROUND 1 SONG:Ancient Wonder

MILES FROM NASHVILLE

Miles from Nashville was born in early 2009 when multi-instrumentalist Charlie Wolf and harmonica player Michael Ruhland ran into each-other one day at the Albertson’s supermarket in Hermosa Beach, CA. Miles from Nashville play an eclectic mix of country, folk, rock, blues, pop, indie rock, rap (just kidding), and polka that they like to call “guacamole rock”. They are currently working on their debut album, Songs about November, and have their very own website (though who doesn’t these days?). If you happen to have large sums of money and/or expensive guitars that you don’t need, they’ll be glad to put them to use for you. Miles from Nashville plays shows around Los Angeles, CA every so often, so be sure to check the website for gigs.

Official Website: www.milesfromnashville.com
ROUND 2 SONG:Another Bittersweet Ending
ROUND 1 SONG:A Bridge To Nowhere

ANDREW THOMSON

Hello. I am singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, filmmaker, writer and activist Andrew Jon Thomson. I am honored to have played, collaborated, performed, and recorded with many outstanding musicians from many fantastic bands including the following current and past collaborators: The Memphis Horns, Dweezil Zappa, Anton Fig, Chuck Rainey, Tom Roady, Charlie Chalmers, Roades Chalmers Roades, Arthur Barrow, Walfredo Reyes Jr., Tommy Mars, Clayton Ivey, Charlie Morgan, Pablo Herrera (Cuba), Richard Nelson (Ireland), Mike Garson, Pat Mastellotto, Marc Muller, Rob Paporozzi, Sammy Merendino, Graham Maby, Paul Robinson (UK), Paul C. Robinson (US), Pete Lockett (UK),Victor Indrizzo, Fima Ephron, Dave “Fuze” Fiuczynski, Bassy B Brockman, David Gilmore, Victor Damiani, Todd Roper, Greg Brown, and DJ Qbert.

Official Website: www.helloandrew.com
ROUND 2 SONG:March Of The Martyrs
ROUND 1 SONG:Someplace 2 Land: Bush’s Flight Suit’s Lament

RICHARD CLAYTON SPRING

Hailing from a small town in Southern Minnesota, Richard Clayton Spring has risen above the norm, blossoming into a beautiful butterfly of acoustic guitars, pianos, synths, electronic beats, and vocals ranging from the softest of whispers to the yelp of the Great Wolf. The only style of music Richard can’t write incredibly is generic pop music, or else he would be in a limousine drinking champagne with Lady GaGa. But he has acquired an auto-tuner, so he’s working his way there.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/richardclaytonspring
ROUND 2 SONG:A Soldier Forever
ROUND 1 SONG:Crazy Straw

SARA PARSONS

Parsons is a 20-year-old student from California. She can leap small buildings in a few bounds. She fears large fish, but for some reason not sharks or whales. Parsons always makes the same New Year’s resolution: to survive to see the next year. So far, this has worked well for her. Parsons comes from an impressive songwriting pedigree: her older brother wrote the song “Blue Moon” in 1934, managing to overcome his crippling dyslexia and the fact that the song was written 51 years before his birth. Parsons’s songwriting influences include Beethoven, The Beatles, and Weird Al. Her sense of humor comes from The Simpsons, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and her frequent injections of concentrated doses of Vitamin K. Parsons hopes to go far in this competition. If she doesn’t emerge victorious, she will be forced to turn to Operation Omega. Nobody wants that to happen.

Official Website: www.youtube.com/user/sargeantketchup
ROUND 2 SONG:Let’s Have An Awkward March
ROUND 1 SONG:Throw Me Away

IAN & MELISSA

Melissa and Ian are two amateur musicians with a longtime love of composing and performing classical music. Whether this is useful or relevant for a songwriting competition remains to be seen. They are eagerly awaiting the “Write a song in the style of an obscure Baroque composer” round, ’cause somebody totally told them there would be such a round and why would someone lie like that?

Official Website: www.ianandmelissa.com
ROUND 2 SONG:Song FUneral March
ROUND 1 SONG:I Remember

TRAVIS NORRIS

Over the twelve years since young-ish midwesterner Travis Norris first picked up a guitar, he has played and written music in a wide variety of genres ranging from rock that a-billies, metal of a medium or heavier weight, “outlaw” country (aka “the good kind”) and “frosty” jazz (not a real subgenre). Left to his own devices, something like “U2 meets Jonny Lang meets various two-to-three-hit-wonder bands of the ’90s indie/alternative scene” is what you’ll usually get. Travis’s instrumental talents range from lead guitar, 2nd lead guitar, rhythm guitar, auxiliary guitar, and bass (sorta). He can also drag and drop drum loops like you wouldn’t believe. He comes to this competition armed with three electric guitars, a neglected bass, an Ebow, and absolutely no fan base or public recognition. So be nice, eh? I hear he’s real sensitive when people that aren’t him make fun of him.

Official Website: NONE
ROUND 2 SONG:Deserter’s March
ROUND 1 SONG:Enertronic Bow

THE GREMLINS

When we’re not turning scrap metal into transportation and weaponry suited to post-apocalyptic life, studying the obsolete sociopolitical establishment of the twenty-first century under the guise of civil service, or scouting subterranean wilds for a suitable base of operations, The Gremlins are dedicated to sabotaging the destructive technological forces that have become your way of life through whatever mischief is at our disposal. Banjos are fun, too.

Official Website: NONE
ROUND 2 SONG:Doctor
ROUND 1 SONG:Neutron Star

THE PERFECT PLACE

When two musicians marry one another, it’s a wonderful thing. When a multi-instrumental songwriter marries an amazing vocalist, it’s even better. Bud (oldest of three, one insane sibling of each gender) was born and raised in sunny San Diego, CA ““ a drummer first, guitarist second, and just about everything you could imagine third through last. Christin Joy (youngest of four, with 3 older brothers) was born and raised in beautiful Annapolis, MD ““ with the voice of an angel and the compassion to match; she is quite a wonderful singer and writer. The Perfect Place is a Husband/Wife duo that enjoys writing and performing music in their spare time. While their main area of expertise is theologically minded, they have been known to get a little silly from time to time. Masters of Song Fu should prove to be an interesting challenge, one we await with eager anticipation. Woot!

Official Website: www.myspace.com/oneperfectplace
ROUND 2 SONG:March Of The Clandestine Ninjas
ROUND 1 SONG:If I’ve Learned Anything

HIS NAME IS LEGS

His Name Is Legs is a newly-created rock band comprised of guitarist/vocalist/Song Fu veteran Hazen Nester and bassist Cameron Accola, who collaborated with Nester on two of his previous entries. Born out of a mutual love of Rush and talented musicians in general, His Name Is Legs pledges to provide listeners with an eclectic array of sounds designed to stimulate and elevate. What makes this band unique is that neither Accola nor Nester have ever met each other in person.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/hisnameislegs
ROUND 2 SONG:All For This Moment
ROUND 1 SONG:One Of The Team

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To download a ZIP FILE containing all of the ROUND 2 songs, CLICK HERE.
To download a ZIP FILE containing all of the ROUND 1 songs, CLICK HERE.

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ROUND 3 CHALLENGE

For your third challenge, you are to write a standard song. I am defining a “standard song” as one with a definite melody and a chorus that repeats at least once (to clarify: the chorus should appear at least twice in the song). However, your song must run EXACTLY 1 minute in length – no shorter, and no longer. You can write on any topic.

Your song must be submitted in mp3 form (128-192kbps) either via e-mail (to songfu @ asitecalledfred.com – remember to remove the spaces) or a file upload service (like RapidShare or YouSendIt). Deadline for submission is 11:59pm EST on Monday, June 22nd, 2009.

Voting on Round 3 submissions will commence on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009.

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ROUND 2 VOTING RESULTS – THE CHALLENGERS

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View Results

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ROUND 1 VOTING RESULTS – THE CHALLENGERS

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View Results

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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.

Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

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TV Or Not TV: 6/15 – 6/21

Filed under: TV Or Not TV — Tags: , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 9:44 pm

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Welcome to another edition of TV or Not TV where I’m talking about Sunday night.

Last night there were two shows of note that I took in. The first, Hammertime on A&E at 10:oo PM, is a reality show following the everyday life of the early 90’s chart topper, rapper, dancer, and entourage funder (MC) Hammer. With some shame I have to admit to pumping the bass thumping track from Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Um so I felt it was part of my duty to take in this show.

Although I did find the subject matter and the stories that played out on the show very entertaining there was a heavy handed tone of pre-determined reality happening in the premiere episode. Clearly Hammer spent time walking around the house to find his cell phone as  a vehicle for us to be introduced to the entire cast of players in his family and on the show. Other elements felt equally forced like the working out of Cousin Marv and the serendipitous timing of the discovery of one of those classic baggy pants suits worn by Hammer in public and music video. Forced or not I can’t really blame the show for these things happening since I’m sure it is very hard to find the direction of a reality show when you have no idea what is going to play out. You haven’t seen any of the life or drama unfold yet so you have a lot of time to fill. At least that’s what I’d imagine.

The subsequent second episode that aired benefited greatly from the cameras having been rolling for a little while. The forced feeling was lessened and I felt like we were seeing more of what really goes on day-to-day. You can get a feel where things will be heading and the family is proving to be very entertaining. All-in-all I’ll be keeping an eye on Hammertime for a while.

I also can’t talk about Sunday night without mentioning the return of the critically and publically acclaimed HBO original True Blood (also airing at 10 PM).

I remember watching the first episode of the first season of True Blood feeling very bored and underwhelmed. I gave up on the show right then and there. Six weeks later I heard people talking about True Blood and realized that something must have changed, I had been too early to judge and it was time to go back. Thanks to HBO OnDemand I was engrossed in a five episode marathon that taught me that I should never judge something solely from the first viewing alone.

Last night when I took in the first episode of the second season of True Blood made me realize that I had already forgotten the impressive and heavy hitting nature of the show as it grew last season. From start to finish the show held my attention as we learned who’s body was discovered at the end of last season, how was Bill dealing with his new vampire ward, and what happened to Lafeyette. The show came back with ferocious strength in continuing the stories while also not alienating new viewers. If this first episode is an indication of how good the rest of this season will be than I don’t think we have to worry about a sophmore slump.

Enough about rap stars and vampires (sounds like the makings for a Broadway show), let’s take a look at what the week holds for our viewing choices.

MONDAY

TLC – 7:30 PM: It’s the Teutuls meet the Gosslins night on TLC with a special 90 minute edition of American Chopper followed by the companion episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8.

DISCOVERY – 8:00 PM: When I first read about Pig Bomb I thought this would be about  a new terrorist plan. It turns out that it’s about a population explosion in the US wild pig population. Swine Flu, I blame you!

COMEDY CENTRAL – 9:00 PM: If you didn’t buy the Futurama DVD The Beast With A Billion Backs than you can now enjoy it for free… on cable… where you pay for the channel.. oh never mind.

E! – 9:00 PM: In the most obvious situation named category THS Investigates wins with Teen Pregnancy Nightmares. This trumps a zit on picture day 100 fold.

SHOWTIME ““ 10:00 PM: All opinions of Weeds aside tonight is enjoyable in seeing Silas and Doug trekking through the national park to plant the clones.

TUESDAY

DISCOVERY – 8:00 PM: Get caught up on the hazards of one of the world’s lousiest jobs with the re-air of last week’s episode of Deadliest Catch followed by this week’s.

CMT ““ 8:00 PM: Get you’re yee-haw ready for the 2009 CMT Music Awards.

SPIKE – 9:00 PM: I’m sure there are lots of people that might like to see custom bike maker Jesse James set himself on fire. Tune in to Jesse James is a Dead Man tonight and you can finally see it.

TNT – 9:00 PM: Most clever naming convention of the night goes to HawthoRNe. The show’s central character is a nurse. Get it? TV schedule’s across the country were probably almost as annoyed by this one as they were the episode of LOST titled “?”.

WEDNESDAY

TBS ““ 8:00 PM: Can you handle 2 straight hours of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne? How can you not, he’s in charge of Starfleet Academy you know.

E! ““ 8:00 PM: Is there a curse attached to those that win the lottery? THS Investigates wants you to think so. Wait, are we talking about the money lottery or the one where you get stoned if you are chosen? If it’s the latter than mystery solved!

AMC ““ 8:00 PM: Remember when James Cameron actually used to still make movies? Aliens was by far one of his best.

ABC ““ 10:01 PM: The final episode ever of The Unusuals airs tonight. Based on the ratings I just wrote that for NO ONE!

THURSDAY

CBS ““ 8:00 PM: There are worse ways to spend an hour than watching How I Met Your Mother repeats, but I can’t think of many better (watching TV anyway).

BRAVO ““ 8:00 PM: If you didn’t catch the season finale of The Real Housewives of New Jersey you can watch it tonight followed by The Last Supper where I assume they look back at the season. I know, you just can’t wait now can you?

WEtv ““ 10:00 PM: It’s not Jon & Kate in this new reality show named Raising Sextuplets. I’ll give it a shot since I don’t know how these people survive all those kids without losing their hair.

FRIDAY

SPROUT ““ 6:00 PM: No, there’s nothing special about the three hour The Goodnight Show tonight. I just figured why not tell you what would really be on at my home tonight, unless I can get my daughter interested in”¦

NICK ““ 8:00 PM: George Lopez stars in this retake of the classic “professional dad tries to reconnect with his kid” original made-for-TV movie. I won’t watch it, but I bet my daughter will love it.

NBC ““ 8:00 PM: Whoa! The Chopping Block is back. Is it safe to consume a show like this after it’s been left out for so long?

AMC ““ 8:00 PM: Once again American Movie Classics gets loose with its own network’s premise with Die Hard 2.

SATURDAY

FOOD ““ 8:00 PM: Grill Girls features ladies that love to cook on the grill. I’d love for this to be a face off show with these ladies up against a Grillin’ & Chillin’ reunion show with Bobby Flay and that guy in the overalls.

AMC ““ 8:00 PM: OK, seriously AMC, I’m starting to think you just don’t believe in your name any more. Although The Whole Nine Yards was an enjoyable film is it truly classic? I think not.

ABC ““ 9:00 PM: Nathan Fillion’s freshly renewed Castle is starting from the beginning again tonight, so if you missed it the first time around I suggest you get caught up.

SUNDAY

NBC ““ 8:00 PM: I think tonight marks at least the third Merlin based show/movie that NBC has run. This UK import tried to merge Old Camelot into The OC.

DISCOVERY ““ 8:00 PM: Two hours of MythBusters means my butt will be firmly glued into place. I can’t wait to see them tackle the myth of a skydiver landing in a playground and catapulting a little girl up in the air. Wait, WHAT?!?!

A&E ““ 10:00 PM: Hammer books a concert in Utah on his birthday and the family rallies to surprise him still in tonight’s episode of Hammertime. After talking about it so much I figured I better mention it.

Will Wilkins has now returned to his regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

June 13, 2009

SModcast 88

Filed under: SModcast — Tags: , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 10:48 pm

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Your TextSModcast is the meandering palaver of a pair of dudes whose voices are so dull, they don’t deserve to be on the radio (and, hence, aren’t). Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier are SModcast.The best thing about SModcast? It don’t cost nothing.

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SModcast 88: 11 Short of 99, The Number of the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, Son of Walter and Phyllis from Brantford, Ontario, Where This Was Recorded Live, Onstage at the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts, June 6, 2009, eh? –

In which our heroes’ adventure is shrouded in mystery.

[CONTENT WARNING] SModcast features harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Listener discretion is advised.

DOWNLOAD:

SModcast 88 (MP3 format)

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SUBSCRIBE

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Wanna add your two cents? Spend it here, in the SModcast mailbag.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE SMODCAST ARCHIVES

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Trailer Park: THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 – Review

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies.Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp

Note Bene: It’s been a long week for and I have some great news to share next week about a writing project that has a lot to do with a documentary and John Hughes. Stay tuned…

PUBLIC ENEMIES – Arizona Screening

pe_field_300x250So, is it bad that I hope this is the real summer movie that Christian Bale is in?

I know a lot of whiners out there want to take the movie to task for using digital but I, for one, applaud Michael Mann for using what worked for well for him in COLLATERAL and MIAMI VICE. Those two movies benefited from a technology that brought a different film going experience to the multiplex. It’s obvious some people like it, some not but Christian Bale and Johnny Depp? I’m sorry but Bruce Wayne in his non-Batman throaty scratch and Depp playing a role that doesn’t require him channeling Keith Richards is a movie I want to see.

So, if you’re free June 25th and can make it to Harkins Fashion Square for a sneak preview then I will have passes for you, some of you anyway. Shoot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and I’ll enter you for a chance to win.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 – Review

taking_of_pelham_1-2-3_2009It’s nice that my parents finally have a summer movie to call their own.

The biggest problem I have with this film, which is about as close as a Paint-By-Numbers exercise in filmmaking as you can get when you consider how rote Tony Scott’s direction is in this clone of a movie, is how utterly vapid and cardboard the characters are.

You’ve got a tougher than sun dried leather man in John Travolta playing the film’s resident badass, Ryder. His foil, the angel to his devil on his shoulder, is Walter Garber played by Denzel Washington. For those who need the crash course in what this movie is about, it seems that Ryder wants to hijack a subway car for a lump sum of cash. Garber is a dispatcher who just happens to be at the other end of the call demanding that money but the issues that are glaringly obvious as soon as this plot starts to push forward like a labored moving subway car is that the movie can’t capture the same riveting intimacy as the 1974 classic because Scott wants to employ all the frenetic camera movements, and we’ll get into this shortly, in his wheelhouse. The problem is that this isn’t a movie that is served by quick shots, sets drenched in hazy green lighting, stylized slo-motion clips or, quite literally, spastic camera jiggling. 1974’s version of PELHAM worked because it didn’t have the same access to effect work as Scott obviously does and, here’s the thing, wants to remind you that he’s in charge of directing this thing.

This film doesn’t need to be treated as an equal to the previous PELHAM, it is obvious it has no concern for it, but if what we have in the first 1/3rd of this movie is so appallingly numbing with its insistence on pushing its literal vision on an audience there shouldn’t be any reason why any other part of the film should be regarded with any care as well. Lucky for us, Scott doesn’t.

The performances that are eked out of Travolta is nothing short of campy and should be placed in the realm of bombastic simply for the sake of it, Denzel seemingly sleepwalking through a role that has about as much weight as a dozen balloons filled with helium. This ought to be a film about a savvy mastermind who wants to mete out his revenge in a thoughtful, dramatic fashion and who has no qualms about taking the lives of those he’s taken hostage. A simple illustrative comparison of what made Hans Gruber such a sinister bad guy was that he was at once suave, intelligent and dangerously cold blooded. Both films used the idea of having a crime take place in a tight, confined space, and I realize these are two different kinds of films, but Hans was a character that was used to a lot better effect than Travolta hamming it up here was able to do. Travolta is PLAYING the part of being a telephone tough guy but he isn’t tough, he’s all bark. It’s only because the script calls for him to pop a guy or two that you believe he’s capable of killing as he certainly doesn’t earn any genuine intimidation when he’s on the screen.

Now, Denzel, on the other hand, deserves a little bit more credit but not much. Playing a character who’s on probation for suspicion for doing something so morally objectionable certainly doesn’t display any of the affectations of someone who is at the precipice of losing it all. The character he plays isn’t as likable, to drag this comparison back to DIE HARD, as Sgt. Al Powell who also had to use nothing but a microphone to sell his character. Denzel had to act against a microphone and does a pretty decent job. I say decent because there isn’t any way I could care less or more about his circumstances. I don’t know whether I should think he’s just an innocent man caught up in a dire situation or if he’s just as bad as the guy leading the hijacking; obviously, there is an overt difference between the two but the problem is the movie doesn’t make that distinction. It lets that sort of float out there in the ether of flashy editing. The movie misses a great opportunity to differentiate the two men or to completely muddle the idea that maybe they aren’t different. We just don’t know and that’s the failure of the film: it doesn’t want to invest in any emotional tethering.

I want to feel a certain amount of pity for Denzel. I want to believe that there might be a way to get through to Travolta. I certainly want to feel something. But with all the other circus characters that are introduced James Gandolfini (the Mayor of New York), John Turturro (the negotiator), and a host of others just become dizzying distractions to what is already a mess of lifeless corpses. I simply don’t care about, nor am I given much reason to, anyone here. Sure, Denzel is the real protagonist here but simply because someone is put in a dire situation doesn’t mean you earn the right for me to care. There is a real opportunity missed in turning the one moment of this film where the line between thief and thief is blurred and making that a touchstone. No, we’re just pushed along because Scott has a finish line, and dammit, we’re going to make it. The final 20 minutes of this film are genuinely anticlimactic in the very worst sense. There is no danger, no imminent danger to anyone, no real threat and that’s one of the greatest crimes committed against audiences who deserve to be thrilled and who are only left mildly piqued by what they’re given.

That brings us to Tony Scott’s direction.

I’ve never really seen a movie that embodies the idea of over stylized than I did as Scott employed the very same tricks here as he has with DOMINO and DEJA VU. Not only that but should a viewer be more consumed with wondering why a scene suddenly ends with a freeze frame or wondering why the camera seemingly is having an epileptic fit in the middle of a scene or why any number of overtly in-your-face shaky cam sequences are employed one after another? No, as the filmmaker’s job is not to be there but to lead you to one moment to the next without ever making their presence felt. If I am wrong about that assumption then I take back all I’ve said about being aware every few minutes that this was absolutely, positively, without question a Tony Scott film.

June 12, 2009

Weekend Shopping Guide 6/12/09: Who Ya Gonna Call?

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The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)

I have been waiting with bated breathe for the high definition release of the original Ghostbusters (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$28.95 SRP). I admit, I had high hopes for it. Would this 25th anniversary edition live up to expectations? Well, in terms of sound and picture, it certainly is a snazzy affair, looking better than the DVD release. Most of the bonus features from the original special edition have ported over, save for the silhouette commentary, while the Blu-Ray adds a picture-in-picture commentary track, a look at the restoration of the Ecto-1, and a peek at the Ghostbusters video game. What’s glaringly missing YET AGAIN, though, is the Ray Parker, Jr. music video. Come on, people! Clear it up already!

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OK, besides the fact that it looks vaguely similar to The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver, there’s something “Ooh! Science & Engineering!” cool about the Hydrokinetic Adjustable Wrench ($24.99). Its liquid core allows doe an instantly adjustable all-in-one wrench that locks tight as a drum over even the most damaged of bolts. It’s just a cool, cool tool.

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Although I’m disappointed they’re not doing season sets, at least The Best Of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Uncensored (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP) contains one of the most hilarious episodes the Drew Carey-helmed version ever dared to air – the one featuring Richard Simmons as a surprise guest. The rest of the episodes featured on the 2-disc set are also corkers, but that one takes the cake.

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Expanded with a brand new director’s cut and looking & sounding far, far better than it ever has before, I’m going to say that the Collector’s Edition of Woodstock (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$59.98 SRP) is a must-have. Not only does the A/V truly (and appropriately) rock, but you also get additional concert footage, a retrospective documentary, additional interviews, and much more. But truly, the way to go is the Blu-Ray edition ($69.99 SRP), for you reasons you can probably guess. If you can’t, it has something to do with that audio visual remaster being in high definition.

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Whatever your opinion of Will Ferrell’s big screen comedic take on the material, those of a certain age probably have a fondness in their heart for Sid & Marty Kroftt’s kitsch Saturday morning adventure series Land of the Lost (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$69.98 SRP). To service those viewers, Universal has released all 3 seasons together in a retro metal lunchbox. It’s practically irresistible.

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Audiences largely shied away from The International (Sony, Rated R, DVD-$28.96 SRP), but as action thrillers go, it’s a pretty decent entry in the genre. In short, it stars Clive Owen as an Interpol agent tasked with exposing an arms ring with the aid of Manhattan Assistant DA (Namoi Watts). Bonus features include a making-of featurette, a look at shooting in the Guggenheim, and an extended scene. The Blu-Ray edition ($39.95 SRP) adds a picture-in-picture experience.

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The rest of the Kubrick oeuvre is all well and good, but the film I was waiting to get in high-def was Kubrick’s black comedy masterpiece, Dr. Strangelove (Sony, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$38.96 SRP). And now, my wishes have been granted. The film has never looked better, and the disc keeps all of the documentaries and featurettes found on the standard special edition, adding a Blu-Ray exclusive picture-in-picture trivia track.

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An uneven but largely entertaining second season turned out to be the last for Reaper (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). In what must be record time, the 13 episode DVD is already out, featuring deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a gag reel.

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In Gran Torino (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$28.98 SRP), Clint Eastwood stars as a Korean War vet and retired blue collar worker who has problems with what he sees as the degeneration of his beloved neighborhood, and the immigrant neighbors who have moved in next door. Violent events conspire to bring him to their defense, though, in a film that is often good, but often heavy-handed in a Crash-ian fashion. Bonus features include a pair of featurettes on the titular car and car culture in America. The Blu-Ray edition ($35.99 SRP) also adds an exclusive look at Eastwood’s filmmaking process.

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A post-Porridge Ronnie Barker stars with a pre-Only Fools & Horses David Jason in Roy Clarke’s Open All Hours (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP), a wonderful little series about a Northern shop-keeper (Barker) trying hard to keep his corner shop open, and his nephew (Jason) in line while playing for the affections of comely nurse Gladys. The 4-disc set features all 4 series, plus the 1973 pilot episode.

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After years of dancing around the line, the world comes crashing down for crooked cop Vic Mackey in the 7th and final season of The Shield (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP). The 4-disc set features all 13 episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes with optional commentary.

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Fox’s catalogue Blu-Ray releases get a so-so bump with the high-def arrival of Danny Glover’s finest acting moment, Predator 2, and the New York in lockdown actioner The Siege (Fox, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP each), starring Bruce Willis and Denzel Washington.

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One of the many TV concepts scrawled on napkins and developed after his passing, Earth: Final Conflict (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) was often overlooked in favor of Gene Roddenberry’s other posthumous show, Andromeda. Previously released by ADV and now out of print, the complete first season is available again, featuring audio commentaries, featurettes, and more.

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Neither rain, nor sleet, nor diversions ordered by a court of law would keep Jack Bauer from eventually getting 24‘s 7th season mission (Fox, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$69.99 SRP) finished. Bauer has been hauled before Congress to justify his tactics, but wouldn’t you know it – a big national emergency arises, and who are they gonna call? The 6-disc set features audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and a trio of featurettes in high definition.

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When something advertises itself as a six-part documentary series investigating bones, skulls, mummies, and vampires and it comes from the fine folks at the Smithsonian – as Tomb Detectives (Smithsonian Networks, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) does, how can you not watch it?

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Although I think they would have been a nicely perverse Valentine’s Day release, Paramount has instead waiting until now to give a high definition release to the one-two punch of Indecent Proposal & Fatal Attraction (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP each). Bonus materials is identical to the recent standard def special editions.

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Briefly on life support and saved at the last minute, the third season of Friday Night Lights (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) arrives with all 13 episodes, audio commentaries, and deleted scenes – all of which will tide you over until the Fall.

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As you can imagine, Fillmore: The Last Days (Rhino, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is a concert film documenting the final concerts to play at Bill Graham’s legendary San Francisco landmark Fillmore West from June 30th to July 4th, 1971. Considering the time period, the line-up is understandably epic, including the Grateful Dead, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, and more.

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Raymond Burr’s fearless defense attorney returns in the first volume of Perry Mason‘s fourth season (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP). The 4-disc set features the first 16 episodes of the season.

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Already axed, fans can now own the second – and last- season of Lipstick Jungle (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP). The 3-disc set features all 13 episodes, but nary a bonus feature. Could no one ring up Brooke Shields?

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So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…

-Ken Plume

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June 11, 2009

Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #99: Mailbag Special

Filed under: Ken P.D. Snydecast — Tags: , , , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 6:27 pm

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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

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KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #99: Mailbag Special – Ken & Dana return with their long-promised and thoroughly underwhelming Mailbag Special, which mostly meets expectations… Mostly.

[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 #99 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-99.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Got something to say? E-mail Dana & Ken at the Snydecast mailbag.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

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Masters Of Song Fu #4: Challenge 2 Listening Party!

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This evening – Thursday, June 11th – we’ll be holding a special live, streaming listening party. We’ll be playing all 23 Challenge 2 tunes.

The event begins at 7pm EST, and you can access it by clicking HERE

Come on out, support all of the wonderful artists, and then go place your votes if you haven’t already.

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June 10, 2009

Cabin Fever 68: Lazy Sunday

Filed under: Cabin Fever — Tags: , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 9:11 pm

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cabin.jpgOh 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

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CABIN FEVER #68: Lazy Sunday – The guys kick back after some Sunday grub for a leisurely chat about movies and other junk, all the while nibbling on kiwi flavoured jellies. TERMINATOR SALVATION and DRAG ME TO HELL are discussed, and they think aloud about their ideal line-up for a GHOSTBUSTERS sequel. Music is provided by Sean Fournier with a delightful little number, “Broken Stereo”.

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

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #68 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_68.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Got something to say? E-mail Aaron & Brian at the Cabin Fever mailbag.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES

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Contest Round-Up: 2009-06-10

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Welcome to our weekly round-up of featured giveaways here at Quick Stop. Every Wednesday, we’ll present a new clutch of DVDs, books, and other cool stuff you can take a shot at winning. All you have to do is click on the graphics below to be taken to their respective contest pages. And good luck!

In conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of TOM & JERRY: THE CHUCK JONES COLLECTION on DVD.

In conjunction with HBO Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of JOHN ADAMS on Blu-Ray.

In conjunction with HBO Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of GENERATION KILL on Blu-Ray.

In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of BURN NOTICE: SEASON 2 on DVD.

In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of SAVING GRACE: SEASON 2 on DVD.

In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of MIRACLE on DVD.

In conjunction with Walt Disney Home Video, we’re giving away one (1) copy of THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED on Blu-Ray.

In conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, we’re giving away four (4) copies of TOM & JERRY’S GREATEST CHASES: VOLUME 2 on DVD.

In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away five (5) copies of GARFIELD’S PET FORCE on DVD.

In conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, we’re giving away four (4) copies of EVERWOOD: SEASON 2 on DVD.

Win TOM & JERRY: THE CHUCK JONES COLLECTION on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: , , , , , — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:50 pm

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In conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, we’re giving away two (2) copies of TOM & JERRY: THE CHUCK JONES COLLECTION on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, July, 1st.

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 July, 1st.

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

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