FRED Entertainment

June 9, 2009

Masters Of Song Fu #4: Round 2 Challenge Voting Begins!

Filed under: Masters Of Song Fu — Tags: beatles, bonzos, Masters Of Song Fu, monty python, music, neil innes, paul-and-storm, rock band, rutles, songwriting — UncaScroogeMcD @ 9:11 pm

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

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?

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.

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…

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.

If you want some inspiration, here’s a march from Harry Nilsson…

You’ll find the Round 2 songs from each of our Challengers below, followed by the voting form…

THE CHALLENGERS

EDRIC HALEEN

Edric 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“

GÃ¶DZ PÃ¶Ã¶DLZ

Legendz foretell of a mighty duo, born in the frozen North. Two neighborz and friendz will unite to form “GÃ¶dz PÃ¶Ã¶dlz” and battle the Mazterz or Song Fu for glory and bragging rightz! GÃ¶dz PÃ¶Ã¶dlz are RÃ¼ss RÃ¶gers and RÃ¶d DÃ¼rre. RÃ¼ss RÃ¶gers was once a member of “Kit and Kaboodle” (still available on iTunes) and currently performs in “Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree!” RÃ¶d DÃ¼rre wrote and performed with the Goth Rock Godz “Sear”, and last year RÃ¶d 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

Hi, 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 JalapeÃ±o HabaÃ±eros 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 JalapeÃ±o HabaÃ±eros 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

Gorbzilla 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“

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.

[display_podcast]

ROUND 2 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 14th. If you are having trouble voting, CLEAR YOUR BROWSER’S CACHE and try again. THE THIRD CHALLENGE WILL BE REVEALED ON MONDAY, JUNE 15th.

ROUND 2 VOTING – THE CHALLENGERS

[poll id=”19″]

View Results

ROUND 1 VOTING RESULTS – THE CHALLENGERS

[poll id=”18″]

View Results

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.

[ad#contestbox]

Comments (125)

June 8, 2009

A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Kevin Murphy

Filed under: A Bit Of A Chat With Ken Plume,Interviews — Tags: bill corbett, comedy, film crew, kevin muphy, mike nelson, mst3k, mystery science theater, rifftrax — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:04 pm

I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.

In this episode, I’m having a bit of a chat with author, NPR commentator, Mystery Science Theater alumnus, member of The Film Crew, and RiffTrax riffer, Kevin Murphy.

Though an accomplished author and performer, Kevin Murphy will perhaps be forever known as a wise-cracking robot with a gumball dispenser head, springy arms, a stout body, and an underwear fetish. Barring that, he’ll probably also be remembered as a giant talking monkey.

For 9 seasons, Kevin performed Tom Servo on Mystery Science Theater 3000, expanding his on-screen time with his frighteningly nuanced portrayal of the intelligent simian Professor Bobo, in addition to being a member of the writing staff and having numerous production duties during the series.

Post-MST, Kevin has been a frequent contributor to NPR, and written the cinematic travelogue A Year At The Movies, which chronicled his worldwide journey to experience a film a day in theaters around the globe.

He re-teamed with fellow Satellite of Love refugees Mike Nelson and Bill Corbett as the B-movie quipping Film Crew, and now is back to riffing full time with Mike & Bill on Legend Films’ downloadable RiffTrax commentaries, a massive clutch of which have just been released on DVD. Also available at RiffTrax is a virtual CD containing the songs of the RiffTones, a band forged in the fires of our very own Masters of Song Fu competition.

Kevin was sequestered in his palatial, heavily wooded retreat when he deigned to grant me a further fraction of his valuable (and creative) “me” time… As this wasn’t the first time we’d spoken – far from it – the conversation got a little… unique…

Here now is my chat with Kevin Murphy… Hope you enjoy…

Download “A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume & Kevin Murphy“:

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/bitofachat/bit_of_a_chat-kevin_murphy.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

##

Drop Ken a line HERE.

##

You can also find more of my interviews by clicking HERE.

Comments (0)

TV Or Not TV: 6/8 – 6/14

Filed under: TV Or Not TV — admin @ 10:44 am

Welcome to TV or Not TV where I will sincerely miss The Piemaker.

As a long time fan of Bryan Fuller‘s I suppose I was almost genetically pre-disposed to like Pushing Daisies. The characters were quirky, the dialogue snappy, and the show existed in a world so vibrant that you almost wished you could live in it.

Saturday on ABC at 10 PM, as noted below, marks the final new episode of Pushing Daisies that will air. (Insert narration by Jim Dale here) In the matter of the final episode of Pushing Daisies, the facts are these…

The original intent of this final episode was to end on a cliff-hanger, as this was not meant to be the final episode, and this cliff-hanger was a very well thought out and incredible cliff-hanger that would have every Pushing Daisies fan salivating for the next episode. Sadly the producers of the show found themselves with a cancellation and no funds available to re-shoot their ending, now a series finale, and they were left with a dilemma. How could they deliver a feeling of closure with little to no budget?

After you see the ending of this episode, however, you will know where the television and movie making term “I’ll fix it in post” comes from, for the creator of the show was a very ingenious man. In the face of cancellation and knowing his ending had to be one that did not hang cliffs but instead must warm hearts, he was able to cobble together an ending from footage already shot and he must have also thrown himself upon the good graces of one Jim Dale to provide the final narration that tied these images together into something that does in fact bring a happy ending to this amazing yet network rejected show. (end Jim Dale style narration)

I will sincerely miss Pushing Daisies. I don’t think I’ll really understand how the show, which was met with quite a lot of critical acclaim, fell by the way side so quickly. I have used the Writer’s Strike as an easy scape goat for quite a lot of things, but I really do think that Pushing Daisies was definitely a casualty of the war between the writers and the studios. The shows first series run definitely felt cut short, so much so that it was almost hard to remember what had transpired before when it finally did come back on. I also think that ABC wasn’t really behind the show once it came back and that’s why there wasn’t a lot of advertising around the shows return.

In the end the answer really doesn’t matter since it really is a numbers game, one that is dictated by the now outdated Neilsen Ratings system. A show I love is gone, it won’t be aired on broadcast television again, and the TV airwaves will be just a little emptier. I’m just glad Bryan Fuller was able to give us a happy ending instead of a frustrating and empty cliff-hanger that would never pay off.

Now that I’ve drolled on enough about the exit of TV’s forensic fantasy, let’s take a look at what is on deck for this week’s viewing.

MONDAY

TLC – 9:00 PM: Emiril Lagasse shows up on Jon & Kate Plus 8 to remind us he’s still around.

BrAVO – 10:00 PM: Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List is back for another season. I miss the imbezzling husband. Too bad this great show is premiering up against…

SHO – 10:00 PM: Weeds is back, but is it better than ever? I’ve seen the first three episodes, and sadly I don’t think so. Really hoping they round it out before the end because this used to be one of my favorite shows.

TUESDAY

HIST – 8:00 PM: Get your check list ready and see how many ofÂ The Seven Signs of the Apocalypse have happened around us.

FOX – 9:00 PM: Mental featuresÂ David Carradine this week. Watching this now is going to be real awkward.

WEDNESDAY

ABC – 8:00 PM: Four words to ensure that you may not move from 8 to 10: four hours of Wipeout.

E! – 10:00 PM: The E! True Hollywood Story: Patrick Swayze will remind you exactly why you don’t put baby in a corner and why we thought he’d be bigger.

THURSDAY

USA – 9:00 PM: Wow, can’t beleive I missed last week’s season premiere of Burn Notice. I know where I’ll be tonight.

CARTOON NETWORK- 9:00 PM: If you were a fan of the animatedÂ Total Drama Island than you will want to check out the new show set in an abandoned movie-studio back lot onÂ Total Drama Action.

MTV – 10:00 PM: Can’t muster up the strength to talk to your teen daughter about “safe sex”? DVR 16 and Pregnant and make it required viewing every week.

FRIDAY

VH-1 – 9:00 PM: Haven’t watched Kendra featuring theÂ former Girl Next Door? Catch two episodes back-to-back.

ABC – 9:00 PM: Even though it’s been cancelled for next season I still enjoy Samantha Who? and will enjoy the back-to-back episodes tonight.

SATURDAY

NBC – 8:00 PM: Wait, Kings is still on? Who knew? (Not many according to the ratings.)

ABC – 8:00 PM: The Haunted Mansion proves that you can’t turn every Disney ride into a successful movie.

A&E – 8:00 PM: I remember seeing The Fugitive at the Chinese Theater in LA. It blew me away.

ABC – 10:00 PM: This is it, the series finale of Pushing Daisies. It wasn’t the strongest episode for the show to go out on but at least they were able to bring closure for us devoted fans.

SUNDAY

HBO – 9:00 PM: Really, do I have to recommend anything else other than True Blood‘s season premiere tonight?

NBC – 8:00 PM: Mentioning 10.5: Apocalypse as an alternative viewing choice to True Blood is like telling you to have a bowl of lint instead of ice cream. Hey, I can’t just recommend one thing tonight. It’s in my contract. Don’t hate.

– Will Wilkins is amazed how few choices there are right now.

Comments (0)

June 5, 2009

Trailer Park: Ed Helms of THE HANGOVER

Filed under: Articles,Columns,Interviews,Trailer Park — Tags: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Todd Phillips, Zach Galifianakis. Hangover — admin @ 2:20 am

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

hangover1 Ed Helms brings a unique flavor to the funny served up in THE HANGOVER.

While I did find the antics of Zach Galifianakis more endearing and weirdly comedic Ed Helms proved that he can be front and center in a film and not just relegated to the background. His turn as Stu Price, the spineless and browbeaten boyfriend of a woman more likely to tear your manhood off before ever going to a place like Las Vegas just to ensure your fun doesn’t get out of hand, is masterfully executed. His time with the Upright Citizens Brigade helped to hone the ability to bring the comedy within a group and it pays dividends in this movie. He stopped by Phoenix recently to answer some questions in a roundtable fashion, he participated in a Q&A the night before to a general audience that actually asked the question “Did Mike Tyson really hit Zach Galifianakis?” (yeah, we breed geniuses up in this desert), and I’ve made sure to break out which questions I actually asked. And, yeah, to paraphrase Ed, it was fuckin’ hot out there…

THE HANGOVER opens today.

QUESTION: Welcome to Arizona.

ED HELMS: Thank you very much.

Q: How has it been treating you?

HELMS: I just got in last night and have been driving around all morning to all these different interviews so it’s been fun.

Q: Well you got here on a day when it’s not too hot and crazy, so that’s good.

HELMS: Is that right? Because it’s pretty fuckin’ hot out there.

Q: This is mild compared to what’s coming.

HELMS: Oh boy. Glad I don’t live here.

Q: I have to ask about the missing tooth thing. It looks so real.

HELMS: OK, so the tooth is totally real in the movie. I actually have an implant here that I got when I was about 15. It’s been there for about 20 years and when we were discussing how to make the tooth look like it was gone, we tried to black it out, we did some camera tests and then they made a prosthetic for me but it made me look like a donkey so there was no way we were doing that. Then I just thought “Hey, why don’t I just ask my dentist what’s the deal with this?” and he said, “Yeah, I think we can actually do that safely.” So we took the tooth out for three months and I had a removable tooth for those three months and now that the movie wrapped it went right back in and this is the new one and it’s permanent again.

Q: Did they have that written before?

HELMS: Totally. It was in the script.

Q: So what are the odds?

HELMS: Yeah, just super lucky and ironically when I was a teenager I had a removable tooth before I got the implant and I took it out for a high school play too where I played this redneck. So I guess that was good training or something.

Q: How close did you get to the tiger and was it more or less ferocious than Mike Tyson?

HELMS: I got really, really close to the tiger, closer than we are sitting right now on numerous occasions. In my head it was the most ferocious animal ever, in reality I think it really was pretty docile. Tyson was ““ there was no comparison. He was a delight. He was really cool and fun and disarming and eager to screw around and have a good time. The tiger though was crazy and the whole time you’re working with the tiger there’s this little voice in the back of your head just saying “this is so stupid ““ you should not be here.”

Q: A bunch of guys on the set with tranquilizer guns?

HELMS: No, they had a few trainers around and the trainers have them on a leash but the lease isn’t anchored to anything and the tiger weighs twice as much as the trainer so it’s like, is this sufficient? The trainers had this cavalier attitude where at one point ““ you know the scene where I toss the steak to him ““ we did a bunch of takes of that and a couple takes in Todd Phillips said try to hit them in the head with the steak. And I’m like, I don’t think that’s a very good idea. And he said, come on, just try it and let’s see what happens. So I asked the trainer, what happens if I hit him in the head? Because I was so close to the tiger and I knew I could hit him in the head. I asked the trainer if he thought he would flip out if I hit him in the head. He said, “I don’t know. Let’s try it.”

(Laughs)

And that was their attitude about everything by the way. There was no scientific process here. It was just, “Fuck it…What the hell…Let’s give it a try.” Against all better judgment I did try to hit the tiger in the head and it turns out, you can’t do that because the tiger’s reflexes are so quick he will catch the steak anywhere near his head if it’s airborne. I keep trying to hit him in the head but he would just catch it in his mouth. I don’t think any of that is in the movie. I don’t remember which take they used.

CHRISTOPHER STIPP: I think the very last one. You mentioned it last night.

HELMS: Oh you were at the Q&A?

CS: You said you were out of steaks.

HELMS: And I was using the plastic steak. But there’s a few edits in that but maybe not. I don’t remember now. The very end of the shot is a composite of the tiger leaping at a trainer and me running away scared. But I think it cuts to a reverse like over the tiger of me coming in at one point. I can’t remember now. I have to look at again.

CS: Speaking of that, tied into the way you explain Zach Galifianakis’ impersonation of the pepper on the steak, Ben Stiller this week on Howard Stern was talking about what a miserable experience Mystery Man was and he kind of talked about it on a larger sense and said, “You know what, for comedy to really work on film you have to be one of those guys who does one take, two take, you can’t over think it.” You can’t over think it. You can’t overdo it. You just have to go in there, know what’s funny, do it and be confident in that. How was it working with Todd and his philosophy on when he thinks he’s got the funny on film?

HELMS: I’m curious ““ I’m not sure what Ben meant. Did he say just do as many takes as you want?

CS: No, that’s what was so aggravating to him, that they lost that spontaneity and ended up with a laborious…”Alright, let’s do take 37.”

HELMS: Who directed that movie?

CS: I don’t know but he said he hasn’t done anything after that.

HELMS: I’m trying to remember. I think it was a commercial director. Anyway, it wasn’t a terrible movie.

CS: No, it was good but he just stressed how you just can’t over think it.

HELMS: Yeah, I totally agree with that. Todd is a master. He’s such a good director. He knows what he wants but is so collaborative, he listens but also incredibly manipulative in a good way. You’ll find yourself doing things that maybe you were hesitant about and then find out that he cajoles you into it and you’re glad he did at the end of the day, because it looked great or it was a really strong comedic choice.

I know Zach. He’s so funny because the baby thing and wearing a jock strap ““ there were a number of jokes that Zach actually pitched ironically as a joke, like wouldn’t it be funny if I did this”¦and then Todd said, “Yeah, you are actually going to do that now.” And Zach was like “Dammit, I got talked into it” and of course, they are the funniest bits of the movie. So there’s a lot of trust we all put in Todd and I think he earned it and used it wisely.

As far as over-thinking…I like to do lots of takes because I love to play around. I’ve actually worked with Ben and we’ve done lots of takes too. As long as, and I’m going to try and read into Ben’s words but I didn’t hear it firsthand , but there is something, even when you are doing lots of takes you want to keep it fresh. You don’t want to talk about it too much because it just doesn’t help. Just throw it out there and in the time it takes to discus if something’s funny, you could have done four takes and tried it four different ways and I totally agree with that. You also get momentum when you do a lot of takes when you don’t stop and talk because talking puts the brakes on your process as you are trying to stay in the moment. It’s fun to whittle something down over a series of takes. You get a little kernel of an idea you riff on it and start going but it’s too long, you didn’t quite get it right. So you do it again and it’s a little shorter and there’s lots of moments like that in the movie.

ho22 Like when we come back to the hotel after Mr. Chow beats us up with the crowbar and we get to the door of the hotel room and Zach goes what about the tiger? And Brad is like, “Oh yeah, the tiger.” And I say “I wonder why” or something like that and then Zach goes, “That’s one of the side effects of herpes, you forget things.” Brad says “I keep forgetting about the tiger, how did the tiger get in there” and I look at Zach and go, “I don’t know, I don’t remember. ” Doesn’t pick up on it, just “Yeah, one of the side effects of herpes” and I go “You are literally too stupid to insult” and he goes, “Thank you””¦just completely straight. We must have done that about 15 times and always different with different riffs and tangents but over a series of takes, Todd would say “Take that out” or “Do this” and our own discretion would filter in and we wound up with a really quick little exchange that has a couple of great beats in it. So, that’s a little bit about the process.

Q: Who makes you laugh?

HELMS: Oh my gosh, so many people make me laugh. If I go way back, some of the initial reasons I decided I wanted to get into comedy was really those SNL shows in the 80’s, like when I was a very little kid I started watching Saturday Night Live and I just was so enamored with the energy of the show. I didn’t get it I don’t think at the time but I just wanted to be a part of that energy. Eddie Murphy was hands down one of the reasons I ever wanted to do comedy but his era around that time was also Joe Piscopo, Martin Short, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael Keaton. Phil Hartman is one of my all time favorites and I still get misty sometimes because I always wanted to meet him and it breaks my heart I will never get that chance. He just meant so much to me and I was really devastated when we lost him.

The next chapter of SNL is Mike Myers, David Spade, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and they all just made me laugh and made me want to be a part of it ““ Will Farrell and Terry O’Terry and that wave Chris Kattan”¦ So really SNL was a big thing and everyone in it ““ Ellen Cleghorne ““ just so many moments and such a fun world. Outside of SNL I was a huge Bill Cosby fan as a little kid. I had a bunch of his records and I got super into Jerry Seinfeld and still just adore. A lot of comedians make me laugh.

Q: I’m thinking about the banjo. Are you a fan of Steve Martin?

HELMS: Yea, Steve Martin. He’s the man. He’s an idol of mine on many fronts. He is just a guy that leads his life in a very upstanding way and has maintained an incredible career as a comedic actor and then of course he’s an insanely good banjo player. I love a lot of the songs he’s written. I learned a bunch of them. So, yea, he’s definitely on that list. I could go on forever. In the standup area, there’s this guy, Brian Regan. Do you know who he is?

Absolutely.

HELMS: He’s just one of my favorite comedians ever. Jim Gaffigan, Patton Oswalt, Mitch Hedberg, really make me laugh. And Zach is a great stand up. He’s just this wickedly, witty guy. I don’t know what it is. He’s just got something really special. That’s a long list.

(Laughs)

HELMS: And it’s really longer too. I just love comedy and comedians. Such a fun world.

Q: In 100 words or less describe Heather Graham’s kiss.

(Laughs)

HELMS: Hmm”¦.100 words or less. How about this? Just silky smooth.

(Laughs)

HELMS: Is that less than 100 words?

Q: Did you screw up that scene enough so you could retake it over and over again?

HELMS: Yeah. I asked Heather to rehearse that a bunch but she didn’t want to do that. No, it’s a funny thing. Everyone asks me that but the reality is in that scene I’m surprised by the kiss so I don’t actually kiss her back. So, it’s not a mutual kiss. It’s her kissing me. So to be totally candid, it wasn’t that great for me because I didn’t get to engage the kiss in anyway. But that said, just to have Heather Graham kiss you, even on the cheek, is just so uplifting. She’s so peculiar because she’s this sunshiny, bright effervescent woman but also has this Buddha like serenity and comfort with herself and just drops these little pearls of wisdom about her life experience. And it’s like, wow, I think she could be a guru. People would really follow her.

Q: Wasn’t she in that movie?

HELMS: Oh, she was? Yes, she’s really something.

Q: Are you anything like Stu in real life? And if not, if you were actually in the events of The Hangover, which character would you be more like?

HELMS: I am like Stu. I regret and it pains me to admit I am a bit more like Stu than I would like to acknowledge. Am I exactly like Stu? Of course not. I think I have a little more awareness and not in as much denial about issues in my life, particularly regarding relationships and so forth as Stu is. That said when I was doing the movie and thinking about how to respond to moments in the narrative, I really tapped into my own gut reaction to things and I think we all did actually. It is sort of why the movie stays somehow, in the face of the most craziest and most ridiculous things happening, it stays plausible to me. At least to me it does. That was a lot of Todd wanting us to be ourselves and respect us and respond honestly to each situation.

CS: Coming through UCB which has produced just an enormous amount of talent, you can talk about the west coast Groundlings, how did that ““ you went from a lover of comedy when you were younger and then said to yourself I have to learn to do comedy and went to New York or doing UCB, getting your way on the Daily Show, then The Office, how does that transform when you were learning what’s important on live theater when working in front of a live group, The Office is perfect as is the Daily Show because you have to work with an ensemble. It obviously came across on the film because you, Bradley and Zach seemed like a very cohesive ““ the chemistry is perfect ““ how did that at least when you were learning how to deal with the group dynamic in comedy ““ did you ever go from thinking comedy was one way and then going into UCB and actually learning what the secrets are as to what makes good comedy?

HELMS: I don’t think UCB has a monopoly on any sort of secrets as to what’s funny, or how to be funny but that said, it has very quickly established itself on par with the Second City in Chicago and the Groundlings in LA, both of which were avenues which I considered going down. When I was in college I wondered how I was going to do this. I had to get into comedy. So, I analyzed the careers of those people I mentioned before and really thought methodically about how they went about it and I boiled it down to three tracks basically. One was the Groundlings in LA and that was Will Ferrell and Phil Hartman and Molly Shannon, Sherry O’Terry, Chris Purnell, Chris Kattan, they all came out of the Groundlings.

Then there was Second City which had the real old tradition of Saturday Night Live going all the way back to Belushi and Aykroyd and also the Toronto Second City with Martin Short and John Candy. Then the other avenue was doing standup in New York City which was Adam Sandler and Chris Rock and a handful of others, Eddie Murphy. And, Eddie Murphy was again my guy. He’s the one I wanted to be like the most. And Jimmy Fallon I think also came into the New York City comedy bracket. So, that just seemed like the best fit for me and I wanted to be in New York City. And it wasn’t for a few years, around 2000, I had been doing standup in New York for a while and started to establish some credibility and started to ratchet it up a bit and then that’s when USB started to pick up steam and offer classes and some comedian friends of mine were starting to look into it and I just loved that energy. I went to go check it out and started hanging out there doing shows.

ho3 It was really cool because in Chicago the impov and standup worlds are very competitive and separate. It’s a different world. In New York they just reinforced each other in a really cool way in a symbiotic kind of relationship between the improve world and the standup world. The UCB was hosting standup shows at their theatre and I just worked my way up and took all the classes and I joined a team there so I could perform regularly. The improve training, as great as UCB is I don’t think anyone has a monopoly on these ideas but I did happen to learn at UCB about being incredibly present in the scene or as an actor listening to the other actors in the scene because that’s what improve is all about. They hammer it into you. It’s almost like a weird ““ something bigger than the individual ““ an energy ““ a good energy ““ a good improve scene is bigger than anyone in it. Something happening that everyone is contributing to. It’s like jazz. People make that analogy a lot. Good jazz is everyone doing their own thing and putting a little spice and flavor in places and creating something that no one could have created by themselves.

It’s a real sort of celebration of communal effort and that’s something, that’s certainly as a standup you don’t ever learn but it’s what forms great comedy. When you see it on film, guys like Ben Stiller and Seth Rogan who are so generous with what’s going on around them and with what’s going on with the other actors, it’s not about owning a moment, it’s about sharing it and I try to the extent that I can, try to bring it to my work too.

Q: Bigger diva? Colbert or Stewart.

(Laughs)

HELMS: I would say that Colbert is a huge diva but a lot of it’s ironic and adorable. Stephen Colbert is ““ I am just so lucky to have been around him at that time because he and Carell are like huge ““ all I did was copy them. I showed up on the Daily Show and I was like these two guys have cracked it. They are doing it right. They are very different but Colbert and Carell have very different MO’s on that show and they are doing it right so I’m just going to try and do what they do and maybe over the course of five years maybe I found my own voice a little bit, but it started out like I just gotta do it the way they do it because they are so good.

Colbert was so supportive. He had a lot of seniority when I joined the show but I always would go to him for advice and he was really generous with it. It’s really cool. Stephen is so smart and so quick and also a step ahead of you. But there are moments after a while that I think he began to get to know me and trust me as a friend that you get these fleeting moments of genuine interaction with him and it’s incredibly gratifying. He’s a really smart and generous guy. Really. How fuckin’ funny is his show? I email him from time to time and just say that was genius. And, it’s just pure him. Obviously he’s got a great staff, I don’t want to take anything away from them, but his brain is something that’s extremely rare.

Comments (2)

Trailer Park: THE HANGOVER – Review

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: Ed Helms, movie, Review, The Hangover, Todd Phillips, Zach Galifianakis — admin @ 2:11 am

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

THE HANGOVER – Review

A ra-tard.

A ra-tard is perhaps the one word that I have been chewing on like a cow gums cud for weeks after seeing THE HANGOVER. It’s delivered by Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and it’s such a non sequitur, one of many, that you wonder what’s taken so long to get Zach into the mix of modern cinematic comedy; he’s the cosmic little brother of Danny McBride. And it’s Zach who illustrates why THE HANGOVER is the comedy that will keep people coming back for a 2nd or 3rd viewing.

What everyone should know going into this film is that the premise of it is deceptively simple: Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) is going to Vegas to have a bachelor party. Aided by an ethically challenged mischief maker Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), browbeaten and p-whipped whipping boy Stu Price (Ed Helms) and Alan the boys go off to enjoy an evening of frivolity and licentiousness. The brilliance of the comedy really begins after we’ve established who everyone is and are watching these gents offer a toast to one another as they look forward to their last evening with their bachelor friend.

Time fast forwards without you seeing nary a moment more of the evening and you have a scene that is reminiscent of the SIXTEEN CANDLES after-party when we find Farmer Ted trapped in a table. Here, though, that table is shattered, furniture is smoldering, nudity abounds and there’s a tiger in the toilet.

The non-linear storytelling is a unique way to tell the story even if this wasn’t a comedy. It’s a bold decision to make because we don’t know, aren’t told and there are not any convenient flashback sequences to assist in filling in the gaps as we get acquainted with the reasons why their very expensive hotel suite has gone from pristine to thrashed and why Doug is MIA. Now, and of course, we’ll eventually figure out why there’s a big tiger hanging out in their bathroom but Todd Phillips as a director metes out the information in small bites, opening up the ability to have Galifianakis, Cooper and Helms to really explore the comedic possibilities of what did happen last night.

The mix of performers here is what heightens the comedic effect of two comedians doing their thing and one actor who is just reacting to the obnoxiousness of it all. To that point, this is really an ensemble comedy, much like Phillips’ ROAD TRIP where you have a non-comedian in Breckin Meyer who was at the center of the maelstrom that was Seann William Scott and company, and that is spearheaded by Galifianakis and Helms. The former, a celebrated underground comedian who trades in the sharpest forms of subtlety, and the latter, in Helms, who has been a periphery player in another ensemble comedy, The Office. The pair are one/two punches of non-stop quips, parries, offhanded comments and totally wrong behaviors. To wit, Galifianakis’ opening salvo to the puerile funny about to be unleashed on the audience has him taking a baby, who they’ve just happened to find in their hotel room, an using the child’s hand to perform auto erotica. Yeah, it’s not going to be your parents’ STARSKY AND HUTCH.

While these gents try and piece together what exactly happened to their missing groom (his disappearance is one of the better sleight of hands in cinema as of late as you almost think of him as an afterthought while the film progresses) the wackiness that ensues is really the core of the film’s comedy. You have improbable characters popping up left and right, you’ve got a nude man who makes a break for it after climbing on Bradley Cooper like a spider monkey and the number of sub-plots abounds. One of those plots, where Helms finds out he married a Vegas stripper is one of the more heartfelt moments (if this could even be classified as one) throughout the film as Stu really goes far afield for the usual henpecked man who finds the stones to stand up to his domineering significant other but he makes it work to great comedic effect. Bradley Cooper, meanwhile is just the face man throughout this circus; he’s just a willing accomplice to the frivolity and the profane that happens as they track down their missing groom. The real star here in this movie is Galifianakis.

His strange, Asperger inspired behavior is the real treat that you should be watching as he is part enigma, part sideshow. He’s more than willing to go along with the physical humor required of him when the boys make their way to a police station and he’s incredible at not letting on to anything remotely funny that escapes his lips. He makes you work for the comedy, his dry wit translates well to a movie that depends heavily on some of the basest forms of modern comedy (nudity, slapstick, bestiality, et al..) but it’s his perceived innocence that makes him the true darling of this movie. You almost fear for his well being as the boys get into physical altercation after altercation and he knows how to make mental illness funny again. He’s the man you root for. He’s the guy who can deliver a joke about roofies with not so much as a smirk on his face. This movie is the vehicle, I will assert, that captures his comedic essence and, equally assert, it’s a shame that I predict you won’t see it in its natural form on the big screen any time soon.

Ed Helms acquits himself well in this movie as the film’s resident p-whipped weakling but Helms displays the ability to not only display humor in a broad, bombastic way but he’s just as razor sharp if you compare him to Galifianakis. Helms’ most nuanced line comes as the boys come back to their hotel room after a long day of searching for Doug. They are no doubt exhausted and as one of them complains of having a foggy head Galifianakis makes a quick remark to which Helms picks right back up to score one of the best lines in the film.

Cooper, for his part, just plays well with others. He isn’t especially compelling but he is the Moe to the other Stooges on display and, in fact, provides a real weight to the film’s narrative. He brings a level head, a suave tone and simply makes the film nicer to look at. From knowing how to wrangle Galifianakis, to dealing with the police when it’s time to strike a deal Cooper is exactly what this film needs.

This movie couldn’t be any more recommended. It is absolutely the reason to go to the movies if what you need is just a good laugh. It is so out there, so bizzarre, so completely unrealistic that it finally brings Todd Phillips back to where he belongs: in an elevator getting head. His last few films have been weak entries into a career where his only aim should be to figure out how to be incredibly entertaining, fantastically out there while employing the talents of those, and this is key, who know how to be funny. Anything less would warrant having a roofie popped in your Pepsi before going in to see it.

Comments (2)

Weekend Shopping Guide 6/05/09: You Can See My Back In That Shot

Filed under: Shopping Guides — Tags: Charlie Mingus, Clint Eastwood, Dana Carvey, Dave Brubeck, Denzel Washington, Dolph Lundgren, dr. horrible, Eddie Murphy, elmo, harrison ford, Joss Whedon, Kate Winslet, kenneth branagh, Leonardo DiCaprio, Miles Davis, Sergio Leone, The Jetsons, up, William Conrad, wolverine — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:25 am

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…)

When I was a young college freshman near the end of my first (and only) disastrous year at NYU, I was able to arrange for a press ticket to a taping of The Dana Carvey Show (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$24.99 SRP). And then they say me up front. Way up front. In fact, you can see me during Carvey’s monologue in the 7th episode, which was also the last aired. You’ll find that episode, plus an unaired 8th, in the long-awaited DVD release. The show was hit and miss, but it had an almost literal ton of up-and-coming talent, including Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell, Robert Smigel, Louis CK, Charlie Kaufman, and Dino Stamatopoulos. The set also contains an interview with Carvey & Smigel, plus deleted scenes.

For years and years and years, ever since I first saw one when I was a kid, I’ve wanted a book that opens up to reveal a cut-out hole. You know what I mean? The kind you could hide things in. Like a jewel. Or booze. Well, Thinkgeek now gives you that Book Vault ($34.99). You absolutely, positively know that you want one. How can you not? It’s a friggin’ book vault!

Another Pixar film in theaters means another eye-candy filled “Art Of” book, which is exactly what you get with The Art Of Up (Chronicle Books, $40.00 SRP). As usual, the hardcover tome is packed to the rafters with production artwork, designs, interviews, and more.

Forged in the fire of the Writers Strike of 2008, released on the internet to rabid fan acclaim, and long available on that selfsame net, everyday people can now get a copy of Joss Whedon’s online musical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (New Video, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99 SRP) wherever they’d like. Bonus features include a musical studio commentary, a standard commentary, making-of featurettes, and Evil League Of Evil application videos.

Much of the comedy in Eddie Murphy’s game-changing stand-up concert Delirious (Entertainment Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$29.97 SRP) has not aged well, and some of it is just uncomfortable. Still, if you can get past those bumps in the road, there’s still a fair amount to laugh at. The 2-disc 25th anniversary edition contains additional footage, a making-of featurette, and an interview with Murphy.

It’s pure popcorn, but I think Air Force One (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$28.95 SRP) is the last great Harrison Ford movie. From that point forward, a once winning movie star couldn’t pick a solid project to save his life, steadily devolving into a caricature of himself. Ignore all those future failures and instead relive this last great one in full high definition, which ports over the audio commentary from the standard DVD release.

Another great flick making its transition to high definition is the Civil War epic Glory (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$28.95 SRP), which benefits from the audio/visual upgrade. It was a fine film to begin with, but the battle scenes have certainly been plussed. Bonus features carried over from the standard edition include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and featurettes, with the addition of a Blu-Ray exclusive virtual Civil War battlefield map.

I must admit, Revolutionary Road (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP) is a good film, but a very difficult one to make it through… Perhaps because the young 50’s couple we’re following (a reunited Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet) are coming apart at the suburban seams. Bonus features include an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a pair of featurettes. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) is also available, with identical features.

June has become decidedly jazzy with a trio of deluxe Legacy Edition catalogue releases from Sony Music. First up is a 3-disc edition of Dave Brubeck’s Time Out (Sony Legacy, $24.98 SRP), containing the original album, se second disc with 3 years worth of live performances, and a DVD with performance footage, and interview with Brubeck, and a photo gallery. Next up is Charles Mingus’s Mingus Ah Um (Sony Legacy, $24.98 SRP), with 2-discs containing the original album, alternate takes, and bonus tracks. Finally, it’s Miles Davis’s Sketches Of Spain (Sony Legacy, $24.98 SRP), with the album, alternate takes, and bonus tracks. Sweet, daddy. Sweet.

Paramount isn’t the only one unleashing a tidal wave of Blu-Ray catalogue titles, as Universal dips into their extensive roster for a batch of their own, many of them must haves. So what does the batch consist of? Field Of Dreams, Fletch, Inside Man, Spy Game, Children Of Men, Seabiscuit, Bruce Almighty, and Cinderella Man (Universal, Rated PG/PG-13/R, Blu-Ray-$29.98 SRP each). Bonus features are identical to the standard editions, so the A/V upgrade is the big bonus here.

I still can’t fathom what people saw in the three flicks currently comprising the X-Men Trilogy (Fox, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$79.98 SRP). They’re poorly written, badly acted, and in no way capture the source material. But people still saw them. In droves. And must have enjoyed them. No accounting for taste. For those that dug them, the trio – X-Men, X-Men 2, & X-Men: The Last Stand – are now available in a 9-disc Blu-Ray box set, porting over all of the bonus materials available in the standard editions.

Sergio Leone’s The Good The Bad And The Ugly (MGM/UA, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP) made an icon out of Clint Eastwood, and it gets a spiffy high definition treatment that translates all the grit quite nicely. The bonus features are a direct port of the excellent special edition DVD from a few years back, including audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, and the theatrical trailer.

Over 20 years after its single season run, The Jetsons returned to television with brand new episodes, the first 21 of which are being released as The Jetsons: Season 2 Volume 1 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP). The 2-disc set also contains a featurette looking at the evolution of the series.

The BBC’s nature documentarians can always be counted on to deliver stunning visuals, and that’s certainly the case with Nature’s Most Amazing Events (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), which is 2-discs packed with exactly what it says on the tin. A Blu-Ray edition ($34.98 SRP) is also available, which cranks everything up with even more impressive high definition.

I can’t see William Conrad in the episodes features in Cannon: Season 2 Volume 1 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$36.98 SRP) without thinking of all of the voice work he did on the Jay Ward cartoons of the 60’s, particularly Fractured Fairy Tales. The 3-disc set contains the first 12 episodes of season 2, plus episodic promos.

The movie’s a dud, but it’s still fun to flip through both Terminator Salvation: The Official Companion (Titan Books, $29.95 SRP) and its companion The Art Of Terminator Salvation (Titan Books, $35.00 SRP). Both are packed with plenty of photos, art, and info. Shame the movie couldn’t have been… you know… good.

Though often a director, I always get a kick out of Kenneth Branagh, the actor, who is in fine form in the UK series Wallander (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP), in which he stars as the titular Swedish detective. The 2-disc set features a trio of episodes, plus featurettes and a Branagh interview.

Surprisingly, Fargo (MGM/UA, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$29.99 SRP) is still, I believe, the most successful, accessible Coen Brothers film. It’s not my personal favorite (hello, Hudsucker Proxy), but it is a quirky delight. And guess what? Now it’s available in high def, with an audio commentary, a featurette, and a trivia track.

The folks at Sesame certainly are pushing Abby Cadabra, aren’t they? The latest team up with their little red cash cow is Elmo And Abby’s Birthday Fun! (Genius, Not Rated, DVD-$14.93 SRP), where the duo travel to Fairy Tale Land to celebrate Little Red Riding Hood’s birthday.

Nancy Botwin moves her mini pot empire south of the border in the fourth season of Weeds (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), and the trip to Mexico doesn’t exactly make things easier – or safer. The 3-disc set features all 13 episodes, plus commentaries, featurettes, and a gag reel.

It’s not my cup of tea, but Army Wives (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$45.99 SRP) seems to have gotten traction with audiences in its second season, which arrives on a 5-disc set with featurettes, deleted scenes, and bloopers.

Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell star as a trio of simple farmhand brothers who goes up against the Nazis in Defiance (Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP), a flick that was largely overlooked at the box office but makes for quite a good at-home watch. Bonus materials include an audio commentary, a quartet of featurettes, and more. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus features.

In Direct Contact (First Look Studios, Rated R, DVD-$28.98 SRP), Dolph Lundgren stars as an ex US Special Forces soldier whose imprisonment in Russia is lifted if he agrees to undertake a daring rescue – only to find out it was all a ruse, and means he’s now a pursued man. A Blu-Ray edition ($29.98 SRP) is also available.

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

Comments (0)

June 4, 2009

Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #98: Timothy’s Circus of Crime

Filed under: Ken P.D. Snydecast — Tags: adult swim, aqua teen, comedy, dana snyder, ken plume, master shake, Podcast, snydecast — UncaScroogeMcD @ 4:45 pm

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

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

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

VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #98: Timothy’s Circus of Crime – Ken & Dana return a bit under the weather with a cast that quickly degenerates into savaging childhood memories before moving into nautical territory.

[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 #98 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-98.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

Comments (3)

Party Favors: Wayne Wang & Faye Yu

Filed under: Interviews,Joe Corey's Party Favors — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:41 am

CHINA GROVE — Wayne Wang has lived a double life as a director of studio film geared towards women (The Joy Luck Club and Maid In Manhattan) and low budget films aimed at the art house (Chan Is Missing and Center of the World). Now he has a double feature in A Thousand Years of Good Prayers and Princess of Nebraska. The films have just been released as a double feature DVD set by Magnolia Home Entertainment.

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers has father (Henry O) flying in from China to visit his daughter (Faye Yu) in Spokane, Washington. The quiet film examines their relationship. Her time in America has changed her attitude towards dad. The Princess of Nebraska is a much more kinetic tale of a young woman (Ling Li) arriving in San Francisco to see the sights with her friend (Brian Danforth). The two lust after the same Beijing based opera singer. The difference is she’s pregnant with the singer’s child. She’s not sure what to do with the baby.

What made Wang tackle both of these films after making The Last Holiday with Queen Latifah and LL Cool J? I asked the question when he called the Party Favors hotline.

“I’d just come off doing a whole series of Hollywood films. I was looking to get back to doing things about Chinese or Chinese Americans. I found this collection of short stories by Yiyun Li (A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories). One of the biggest changes with the Chinese communities here is the influx of immigrants from China. These two stories (dealt with) two women from two slightly different generations from China in America.”

He made A Thousand Years of Good Prayers first. While in the editing room, he embarked upon adapting Li’s “The Princess of Nebraska” short story for the screen. “I wanted them as companion pieces,” Wang said.

“The first one was very difficult to put the money together. It was such a minimalist movie. It doesn’t have the typical drama and no stars. There was a Japanese investor behind me. That’s the only reason why it got done,” Wang said. “In the beginning half the money was supposed to come from China. They backed away from it. There were some lines they wanted censored, but I wouldn’t take them out.”

“I came in slightly under budget on the first one. I was able to convince the distributor, by the time I was editing the film, that for the little money that’s left, I can do Princess of Nebraska. Which is the same thing I did with Smoke and Blue in the Face.”

In America, only A Thousand Years was given a theatrical release. However people who saw the film were informed that they could see The Princess of Nebraska on Youtube. This led to hundreds of thousands of viewers which is more eyeballs than the average art house release. The film is no longer on the site. The combo have played in theaters around the globe.

“The most interesting thing is that did very well in Europe. It was a huge hit in Spain,” Wang said. “In France they distributed both films together. Some times back to back and sometimes in multiplexes in theaters next to each other. The poster was ‘Two Women. Two Chinas. Two Films.'”

This is reminiscent of how Steven Soderbergh released his two films about Che as a double feature. There is a parallel between the careers of Wang and Soderbergh since both directors rose from the indie ranks to become studio directors. Neither director has given up making small films. Soderbergh’s recent digital film The Girlfriend Experience parallels’ Wang’s The Center of the World which was also a digital video film about the relationship between a hooker and a rich client. Soderbergh cleaned up porn star Sasha Grey for The Girlfriend Experience to get an R-rating. Wang got in major hot water with the MPAA, theater owners and prudish reporters for having Alisha Klass perform her lollipop trick on screen.

“The press was completely on my case. I pushed the envelope a little bit,” he admitted.

One of the big surprises of The Center of the World is an appearance by the legendary Pat Morita (Happy Days). How did he get the star of Karate Kid to appear?

“That was a great tribute to him. I heard he was living in Vegas at the time. Most of the film was shot in Vegas. I said, ‘We gotta get Pat Morita and do a cameo.’ He loved it. He played the taxi driver. I’m such a huge fan of Pat Morita,” Wang said.

While both A Thousand Years and Princess were shot on High-Def video, the two movies have completely different looks. A Thousand Years sticks with the 16:9 aspect ratio. Princess is a 2.35:1 scope image.

“I went for scope aspect ratio on a much more smaller consumer type of camera. The DP (Richard Wong) was very young and very brave. We really experimented,” Wang said. “It was kinda crazy to do that because you lose shooting space. The cameras were so sensitive that they looked pretty nice. I loved that scope format. We also blew it up to film. It was great to see it really big.”

By going digital, Wang also shrunk the size of crew needed for the productions.

“A Thousand Years wasn’t really tight. There were about 20 people most of the time. The second one (Princess) was really small. Probably less than people. Sometimes there were five or six people. I really enjoyed working that way. There was whole sequence shot inside a mall. That was all done on the fly with the cameraman, the soundman and myself hiding some where. It’s a really interesting way to work,” Wang said. “You can get things done that way if you pick the right location with the right lighting. You don’t have to do a whole lot. You do a Hollywood movie, every extra is a SAG member. The whole place has to be lit. It’s a whole different game.”

The question arises how he manages to balance his desires with the marketplace.

“That’s the tough one. What’s sad about the marketplace is that basically these $150 million special effect event films exist,” Wang said. “There are these smaller budget films, but they have to be special, authentic and commercial to survive. I’m more interested in those more personal smaller films, but it’s getting harder and harder.”

Plenty of directors talk about how they immediately envision the actress while reading the story. How far into A Thousand Years did Wang imagine Faye Yu in the lead?

“It took me a while,” he said. “I was trying to cast somebody from here and I was having a little trouble. It wasn’t until my assistant director on this one, who was also my assistant director on Joy Luck Club, she said, ‘Do you remember Faye?’ Faye after the Joy Luck Club spent time in L.A., learned English and moved back to China. I said, ‘Let’s call her and see how her English is.’ I wanted the daughter to have pretty good English since she’s been here for ten years. I called Faye on the phone. Her English was just fine. I immediately decided on her.”

However Faye had bigger plans since she was in pre-production of her directorial debut.

“I had to convince her to take a break from that and do the film. Which she did. I’m glad she did,” he said.

How did it feel knowing that he’d brought Yu to Spokane, Washington for a small film while she was preparing to direct a large budget special effects film in China?

“It was a little strange,” Wang said. “She never really talked about her film. She just came and worked as an actress.”

The big question is what made him choose Spokane, Washington for the location of A Thousand Years?

“I found out that there was company there that does a lot of genre films and can work really cheaply,” he said. “They were very competent. I felt Spokane was a classic midwestern American city. It’s a little bit nondescript which I like. The story could happen anywhere in America. I also found these massive village-like apartment housing complexes. All those things played into it.”

The conversation turned to how the director on a major motion picture is like a magician. He merely as to ask for something and a crew member makes it appears. This isn’t true on an extremely small crew shoot.

“I feel a little spoiled. On something like Maid in Manhattan, if I wanted a pink elephant to walk through, it would appear in ten minutes. I wouldn’t know the politics and the rigamarole that people went through to get it. On something like Princess of Nebraska, I knew every little problem.” He learned fast when Ling Li changed into her costume in the mall bathroom. The undercover security cops pounced on the crew thinking they were part of a shoplifting ring.

At no point while making The Joy Luck Club did he have to deal with mall security. What has been the impact of the film on his career?

“I’m really happy that it’s the only Chinese-American film that crossed over to a very broad audience. It’s accessible on DVD and TV, a lot have people have seen. Because of that, I’ve been able to work in Hollywood a little bit. It has helped me make some money and studio movies. I also got caught up in that world a bit. I now appreciate the independent side again. Everything is two sided,” he said.

“If I do a studio film, I’ll do a studio film. I want to entertain. If I do an independent film, I want to make sure that I’m really independent. I’ll make choices that are personal and specific rather than saying, ‘I got to make this more accessible.’ If you look at these two films, I made difficult choices. I thought they were right and more authentic for the film. I didn’t call up a producer or studio person to ask, ‘Can I do this?’

What are the odds that he could have ever received backing by a major studio to make The Princess of Nebraska?

“There is no way. The way it is shot, the lead character, what she goes through…all of that would be something very difficult to go through.”

While he was shooting Princess, Juno was catching box office fever. How did he think the Oscar winning film treated same subject matter?

“I thought Juno was too easy of a film. Too easy to like. It is a well made film and easy to like. Princess doesn’t give you anything. It gets inside this woman to see what she’s going through, what decisions she’s has to make and what troubles she got herself. Those are the issues that pregnancy and abortion really bring up,” he said.

His early films are coming out on DVD, but he’s tweaking them on his home computer.

“I’m bad. On the films that I own myself, I’ve pretty much gone into all of them and recut them. Chan is Missing and Dim Sum were recently recut and redigitized high def in Europe. The ones that I own and have access to the original material, I’ve been able to do that. I’m bad. At two o’clock in the morning I’m recutting these movies. But it’s fun.”

ACTRESS SPEAKS

Faye Yu (who also goes by Feihong Yu) was introduced to American audiences in The Joy Luck Club. Nearly fifteen years later, she reunited with director Wayne Wang for the larger role of Yilan in A Thousand Years of Good Prayers.

“When he tapped me for The Joy Luck Club, I was only a film student at the Beijing Film Academy. I met him out of the blue. It wasn’t really casting. I was doing my summer vacation in Shanghai. He was location scouting. I just ran into him. He thought I would be good for the role of Ying Ying, the younger mother back in the ’40s.”

There was a minor complication in her casting. While her scenes took place in China, they were being filmed in San Francisco. She had to leave her country.

“I was 19 years old. I’d never been out of the country. At that time it was very hard for me to get a visa. It took them three months.” The studio had to use plenty of political connections to make bring her to America. “By the time I got to San Francisco, they had been shooting for a month. They whole production was waiting for me.”

Wang was devoted in getting her to play the role. He could have gone with a second choice, but he stuck it out for her arrival.

“I really appreciated it,” she said. “Prior to that, I only met him once. In the Chinese way, we think it is a fate that brought us together. Interestingly I didn’t speak English at the time. I had an assistant to take care of me and translate for me.”

She didn’t immediately go Hollywood after her first major role.

“After The Joy Luck Club, I went back to Beijing to finish my school. I graduated and did two projects. I came to Los Angeles and tried to learn English. Then I went back (to China) again.

She taught at the Beijing Film Academy while continuing her acting career.

“By the time he called me up for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, I was preparing my directorial debut. Out of the blue he called me up and thought I’d be proper for the role in A Thousand Years. My pre-production was busy. He said, ‘I only need four weeks. Can you take that time?’ At the time we were doing the artwork and design. I kind of managed to leave for four weeks to do the movie. That turned out to be a blast,” she said. “I have grown up in both in a personal way and professional way. He saw the changes in me and he really liked it.”

The small nature of the film allowed the actors a chance to really feel the material and the characters.

“We had a reading and we did everything in the script. On set he changed everything,” she said. “He had new ideas come out. We would leave the script and do things spontaneously. We had everything planned, but do something that we feel on set.

Henry O plays her father who is staying in her apartment in Spokane. O is best known for being one of the Buddhist monks on The Sopranos. He also has appeared in Rush Hour 3, Shanghai Noon and The Last Emperor. How did Yu react to her co-star?

“I immediately felt a bond with him as soon as I got on set. He’s very nice, lovely guy. He’s a very typical Chinese father type. He’s humble and polite. He doesn’t talk that much. He holds all his feelings to himself.

“Chinese parents express themselves much verbally. Within my family my father and mother never say, “I love you, baby.” We don’t say love the word that easily. But you can feel it in every way. The way they treat you shows how much they love you. I live in Beijing and my parents live in Hangzhou which is near Shanghai. Whenever I go visit them, my mother cooks and cooks as much as she can. She just wants to feed me. That’s just the way she shows her love. They feel like there’s nothing they can do more since you’ve grown up. We don’t much like hugging or saying ‘Love you so much.” You see it in their gesture. I can relate to this movie. The father and daughter have conflicts, but the love is mutual. No matter how far you go, no matter how many conflicts you have or conflict differences, you are always their baby.”

O has the supreme look of concern when his daughter doesn’t return as scheduled.

“In the film, the father has to know where she goes, who she sees and why she comes back late. The Americans wouldn’t understand it. In the Chinese way, the parents always think you’re a baby. You can grow up to 60 years old and you’re still a baby to them.”

Her time spent in Los Angeles learning English allowed her tap into the character who is living between two mindsets.

“All that experience helped a lot for me to play that character,” Yu said. “I can understand both cultures and understand the differences. That helped me to play a character caught in the middle of this conflict.”

Yu finds a deep truth in Yilan’s character when it comes to speaking English for what can’t get said in Chinese.

“She never learned to express her feelings in her own language because of the culture. Unlike the character, I’m very close to my parents. But we don’t express much of our personal feelings to each other,” she said. “I don’t talk to my parents about being in love with this one or broke up with this one. It doesn’t mean we don’t love each other. So the character in the movie said that she learned feeling to express in English. I do feel that a little bit.”

She also found that there’s other things she can express only in English.
“I never curse in Chinese,” she said. “When I curse in English, I don’t feel like it’s a curse. I say it with more feeling, even dirty words. If I say the f-word in Chinese, it wouldn’t be proper for me. But when I say the f-word in English, I don’t feel that strange.”

What did the actress feel about her month in Spokane? “Spokane is different from L.A. It makes you think back to the early days of America.” Was there a Chinese community in the city? “We were able to find a couple Chinese restaurants, but we didn’t see a large Chinese population there.

Yu returned to China in time to start production of her film.

“I just finished the post-production and it’s going to be released in August in China. It’s called Eternal Beloved. That’s the English title, but it’ll be different in Chinese. It’s an epic love story about two young people, reincarnation, loves in previous lives and after life.

Her time with Wayne Wang has proven to be helpful in giving her tools to work on a set.

“His input influenced me a lot,” Yu said. “I’m really glad that I had a time to come out and do that film with him prior to my directing job. His concentration, his way of directing and communicating with actors and film crews was sort of a pre-education thing for me. He’s almost a mentor to me. When I came back to China to do the film, I remembered how he did that work.”

One of the curious elements of the film is how short the names above the title are with O and Yu as the stars. “We have easy last names,” she said.

She’s not related to Ronnie Yu, the director of Bride with White Hair and Bride of Chucky. Do people in China wonder about them being related?

“It’s pronounced the same, but we have different characters. My Yu is quite rare,” she declared.

A Thousand Years of Good Prayer and The Princess of Nebraska are currently available as double DVD set from Magnolia Home Entertainment.

THAT’S HILARIOUS

Augie snuck into a preview screening of Judd Apatow’s Funny People. He’s still in complete shock from the ending. “Forget the James Brooks B.S.,” Augie declared. “This is Judd Apatow’s version of celebrity Straw Dogs.” According to Augie, Adam Sandler steals Eric Bana’s wife and whisks her away to his Malibu mansion. Bana goes completely nuts at her dumping him and the kids to be the rich comic actor’s newest conquest. He breaks out his hunting rifles and takes a moonlight drive up the coast. While Styx’s “Mr. Roboto” plays, Bana rams his car into the double door of Sandler’s mansion and ventilates Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill while they’re playing wii tennis. Then he goes into the bedroom and takes out Sandler and his wife while they’re having sex. Sandler’s brains splash across a portrait of Paul Lynde dressed as an angel. Finally Bana puts the shotgun under his chin, says, “Domo arigato misuta Robotto” and pulls the trigger. Cut to black. Augie said the audience went nuts.

I’m jacked up at seeing this showbiz carnage.

BLU-RAY HEAVEN

Revolutionary Road Blu-ray reunites the Titanic lovers of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. For those who pondered what would happen if Jack hadn’t frozen to death in the Atlantic; the answer is he’d be frozen to death in suburbia. In the ’50s, the couple seem to be madly in love with each other in New York City. They decide they want to start a family so they buy the house within commuting distance. The new life with the lawn and kids destroys their relationship. They plot an escape to Paris. But can they really pull it off? The film takes us to the era of Mad Men. You almost expect to see Don Draper on Leo’s train. Kate taps deep into the frustrated housewife. The 1080p transfer is spectacular. The little details of the time shimmer on the screen with the extra details including the richness of the wood grain in the kitchen cabinets. The bonus features include a commentary track from director Sam Mendes. There’s a swinger strange about a husband talking while his wife is groping Leo. “Lives of Quiet Desperation” covers the behind the scenes action. “The Wages of Truth” gives the background of novelist Richard Yates. There’s almost half an hour of deleted scenes. Revolutionary Road is one of those classy films that will gain in importance over the decade.

DVD SHELF

Cannon Season Two, Volume One brings back my favorite TV private eye in the heavyweight class. Frank Cannon (William Conrad) is an ex-cop who likes the good life. He’s not a snob. He merely has a complete bar with beer taps in his living room. This second season has him once again putting his life on the line for clients. Fans of Battlestar Galactica will get a kick out of seeing an extremely young Richard Hatch on “Sky Above, Death Below.” “Bitter Legion” has Lloyd Bochner plotting the robbery of the L.A. Coliseum with a group of unemployed Vietnam war vets. In a really bad casting move, Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees plays one of the vets. He keeps doing his James Cagney impersonation. It’s understandable why he found a career in doing voices for animation. Jessica Walters (Arrested Development) stars in “That Was No Lady.” She’s a high profile lawyer who needs to lay low after she’s marked for death for representing hoodlums who robbed a charity. “The Predators” features Robert Pine as a deputy sheriff in the middle of human trafficking. Robert Pine is now known as the daddy of Captain Kirk. “The Rip Off” opens with Cannon’s entire apartment being swiped by George Mahris (Route 66). It’s a fun dozen cases for Cannon whose hunches are almost as big as his gut.

Perry Mason: Season 4, Volume 1 keeps up the quality court cases for America’s most successful lawyer. Mason (Raymond Burr) doesn’t sweat in court. He knows more than his clients about the truth that will set them free. “The Case of the Treacherous Toupee” makes a suspect out of Robert Redford. The case itself has Perry looking for a second toupee to nail the killer. Good thing William Shatner wasn’t around. “The Case of the Clumsy Clown” involves bigamy and big cat attacks beneath the Big Top. Perry is brought in to defend a clown who is accused of killing a co-owner of the circus by shooting him during the show. This might be the reason why kids are frightened of clowns. “The Case of the Provocative Protege” sticks us with a concert pianist with a destroyed hand. His empire is falling apart. He can’t allow his talented student to become a casino act. It’s too much and his car goes over a cliff. Everyone declares it a suicide. But a shifty character swears it was murder. Perry has to get to the truth. “The Case of the Envious Editor” could be torn from today’s headlines. A publishing company is going down the tubes so the new CEO wants to change the style of the rags. The old editors go nuts. Somebody goes completely nuts and kills to new CEO. Remember to watch from the start since the new CEO is James Coburn (In Like Flint). The 4 DVD set gives us 16 cases that keep up the top notch whodunit action.

The Cleaner is A&E’s dramatic extension into the world of their hit Intervention reality series. This has nothing to do with the movie starring Cedric the Entertainer. Benjamin Bratt dishes out intense rehab. He’s on a mission from God to help clean up the souls of the fallen. He doesn’t do it by himself. He has a team that helps him bring messed up folks to rehab including Grace Park. Finally you can see Boomer from Battlestar Galactica without wondering which cylon is she. He also has to balance his devotion to curing with raising a family. His daughter is played by Lilana Mumy who looks so much like her dad, Lost In Space‘s Billy Mumy. Bratt is perfectly cast in the role since he seems like a guy who would coerce you into refusing a free drink. Although if I need a case of extreme interventionism to bust my Suduko habit, let it be Grace Parks that tempts me with the light of clarity. There’s 13 episodes on 4 DVDs. The bonus features include deleted scenes and a gag reel. Although there’s no gag reel footage of people gagging while detoxing.

GIVEAWAYS

We’ve got two contests this week. Do you feel luck? Well do you?

CBS DVD has given us 5 copies of Cannon Season Two, Volume One to give to very special Party Favors readers. In order to win, answer this question: How tall was William Conrad when he played Frank Cannon? Send your answer, name and address to mokaha@aol.com. Put “Cannon” in the subject.

CBS DVD has also given us 5 copies of Perry Mason: Season 4, Volume 1 to give to very special Party Favors readers. In order to win, answer this question: How tall was Raymond Burr when he was Perry Mason? Send your answer, name and address to mokaha@aol.com. Put “Perry Mason” in the subject.

Family, friends, people who flunked the bar are not eligible to win.

Comments (0)

June 3, 2009

Cabin Fever #67: Miley Cyrus Is What’s Wrong With The World Today

Filed under: Cabin Fever — Tags: aaron poole, brian fitzpatrick, Cabin Fever, comedy, irish, Podcast — UncaScroogeMcD @ 10:06 pm

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

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

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

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

Hugs and Kisses,
Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy

CABIN FEVER #67: Miley Cyrus Is What’s Wrong With The World Today – The boys start this week off in a slow, thoughtful manner but things go rude as they get worked up by bad parents, tweens, and the fact that they had water dumped on their heads by an old lady in the street. Music is provided by Scott Matthews and Red Queen Hypothesis.

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

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #67 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_67.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES

Comments (3)

Contest Round-Up: 2009-06-03

Filed under: Articles — Tags: bbc, bruce almighty, children of men, cinderella man, Contests, dvd, family guy, field of dreams, fletch, giveaway, mistresses, mst3k, nerf, rifftrax, seabiscuit, Seth MacFarlane, spy game, win — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:28 am

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 Legend Films & RiffTrax (www.rifftrax.com), we’re giving away two (2) sets of the new RIFFTRAX DVD releases.

In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of FAMILY GUY: VOLUME 7 on DVD.

In conjunction with Universal Home Video, we’re giving away five (5) sets of Blu-Ray titles in celebration of Father’s Day.

In conjunction with BBC Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of both the standard and Blu-Ray editions of NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS on DVD.

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

In conjunction with BBC Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of MISTRESSES: VOLUME ONE on DVD.

In conjunction with Nerf, we’re giving away a NERF N-FORCE SHADOW & THUNDER FURY SWORD SET.

Comments (0)

Win a NERF N-FORCE SHADOW & THUNDER FURY SWORD SET!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: contest, giveaway, n-force, nerf, sword, win — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:24 am

In conjunction with Nerf, we’re giving away a NERF N-FORCE SHADOW & THUNDER FURY SWORD SET.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June, 25th.

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 June, 25th.

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

Comments (8)

Win MISTRESSES: VOLUME ONE on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: bbc, contest, dvd, giveaway, mistresses, win — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:13 am

In conjunction with BBC Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of MISTRESSES: VOLUME ONE on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June, 25th.

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 June, 25th.

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

Comments (1)

Win HOME on Blu-Ray!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: blu-ray, contest, giveaway, home, win — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:06 am

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

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June, 25th.

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 June, 25th.

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

Comments (7)

Win NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS on DVD & Blu-Ray!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: bbc, blu-ray, contest, dvd, giveaway, nature, win — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:00 am

In conjunction with BBC Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of both the standard and Blu-Ray editions of NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June, 25th.

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 June, 25th.

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

Comments (4)

Win FATHER’S DAY Blu-Ray titles from UNIVERSAL!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: blu-ray, bruce almighty, children of men, cinderella man, contest, dvd, field of dreams, fletch, giveaway, seabiscuit, spy game, win — UncaScroogeMcD @ 1:40 am

In conjunction with Universal Home Video, we’re giving away five (5) sets of Blu-Ray titles in celebration of Father’s Day. Each set includes Cinderella Man, Fletch, Field Of Dreams, Bruce Almighty, Seabiscuit, Inside Man, Children Of Men, & Spy Game.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June, 25th.

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 June, 25th.

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

Comments (15)

June 2, 2009

Win FAMILY GUY: VOLUME 7 on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: contest, dvd, family guy, giveaway, Seth MacFarlane, win — UncaScroogeMcD @ 6:02 pm

In conjunction with Fox Home Video, we’re giving away three (3) copies of FAMILY GUY: VOLUME 7 on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June, 25th.

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 June, 25th.

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

Comments (4)

Win RIFFTRAX on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — Tags: contest, dvd, giveaway, mst3k, rifftrax, win — UncaScroogeMcD @ 5:53 pm

In conjunction with Legend Films & RiffTrax (www.rifftrax.com), we’re giving away two (2) sets of the new RIFFTRAX DVD releases. The sets include Missile To The Moon, House On Haunted Hill, Swing Parade, Little Shop Of Horrors, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Reefer Madness, Night Of the Living Dead, Carnival Of Souls, Best Of RiffTrax Shorts: Volume One, & Best Of RiffTrax Shorts: Volume Two.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, June, 25th.

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 June, 25th.

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

Comments (6)

Toy Box: Han Solo in Carbonite from Sideshow Collectibles

Filed under: Toy Box — Tags: carbonite, George Lucas, han solo, sideshow, star wars — admin @ 12:40 am

In any great film franchise, there are iconic moments, scenes that will remain fresh in a young movie goers mind for the rest of his life. For me and Star Wars, one of those key moments was when Han is lowered into the Carbonite Freezing Chamber, and Leia tells him she loves him. His response was perfect – “I know”. Talk about cool.

The whole concept of freezing him in such a way was perfect for the character, and not just because it gave Lucas a way to easily resurrect him. George was smart enough not to put a blaster shot in the head of his cash cow. More importantly though, having him frozen in a big black block allowed Jabba to not just beat him, but to put him on display as a trophy. Han Solo was such a galactic bad ass that Jabba didn’t just want him dead, he wanted him mounted on the wall. And yes, I know, Jabba didn’t specifically ask for him in the carbonite, but once he had him that way, he clearly thought it was a pretty damn good idea.

Over the years, we’ve been treated to Han in his carbonite prison in various collectibles, from small action figures to full size replicas. Sideshow has already produced a terrific sixth scale Jabba with throne, along with several figures to go with it. Now they’ve released their version of Han in Carbonite as a diorama addition to the Jabba Throne.

If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at mwc@mwctoys.com, or check out lots more reviews just like this one at Michael’s Review of the Week – Captain Toy. Now let’s see how Han looks…

Han Solo in Carbonite – Sixth Scale Diorama

As I said, this guy is really designed to go along with Jabba’s Throne, although it does work as a stand alone piece. It runs about $200, depending on the retailer, and as always, I have some suggestions at the end of the review. Han is limited to 2000 pieces worldwide.

Packaging – ***
The box is quite large, considering Han and his block are only in sixth scale (12″). Ah, but he comes with a hefty chunk of the wall and floor too, making the box quite a bit bigger than you’d first anticipate.

It does its job of course, keeping everything safe and sound. Han is packed on the side of the large Styrofoam insert, so if you put him back in the box later, remember that…pulling him out a second time with the tape already cut could result in a nasty fall to the floor if you were to forget his precarious location.

Sideshow doesn’t do Certificate of Authenticities, so there’s no surprise that there isn’t one this time.

Sculpting – ***1/2
This diorama has a similar level of quality and detail in the sculpt to the Jabba’s Throne. If you already have that, then this one is going to fit right in.

The block itself is seems a little small at first, and I had a hard time seeing a full sized sixth scale figure fitting inside there. I compared it against other sixth scale figures though, and yes, it is about the right size. The block itself meaures 13 inches tall by 5 1/2 inches wide by 2 inches deep. The detailing on the surface is good, with an excellent Han likeness coming through, but if you do an extremely close comparison to actual stills of the prop you will notice a few minor issues. I’m good with it, but the purists might take exception.

The small details on the block, like the side control panels, look good, at least in terms of the sculpt. It’s possible for the block to stand on its own on one end too, although I’d be very nervous if I displayed it that way.

The bigger issue for most folks will be the overall size of the display diorama, but for me it’s also fine. Sideshow took some liberties with the size of the wall that the block was attached to in the film, reducing it in size both in height and width. If you’re looking for it to be exactly screen accurate, this is going to be a problem for you, but it appears that Sideshow did this to allow it to fit in better with Jabba’s throne. It’s about the same width, side to side, as the throne is deep, giving you some excellent diorama potential. Had they gone with a screen accurate size, it would have dwarfed the throne. As it is, it stands 18 1/2″ tall, 10″ deep, and 10″ wide.

Important sculpting details are here, such as the control box to the right and several air grates. As I said, the sculpting of the lighter stone matches the work on the earlier throne, so that these two work extremely well together.

Paint – ***
The majority of the smaller details are on the control panels. Unfortunately, these are a tad sloppier than I expected, especially at this price point. They put the details on with a heavy hand, and much of the paint is thin and inconsistent. They went with a rough appearance, which I can whole heartedly agree with, but I think the detail work on the panels should have been a bit sharper, even in a pit like Jabba’s place.

The shading and shadowing done on the diorama are the highlight for this category, and it adds to the realistic stone appearance and fits in perfectly with the throne.

In photos, it might appear that the block is too dark of a gray, but in person it seems about right. How dark it looks will also depend on the amount of light and the other colors around it – throw some very bright light at it in a white room, and you’ll get a much lighter gray look.

Design/Quality – ***
There are a number of nice design features, and the overall quality is apparent in the construction.

The back of both the diorama and the block is covered in a soft velvet material, to avoid damaging other pieces or your display.

To simulate the ‘floating’ appearance of the block against the indented wall, the diorama has a long metal post at the top that is inserted into the back of the block. This is a very tight fit, but it does hold the block extremely secure. It appears that there’s a magnet here as well, adding in one more level of assurance. On mine, the block hangs unevenly though, and I think it’s the fault of the magnet. I ended up shoving a folded piece of paper in back to force the block to hang even. At this price point, that’s something I don’t think I should have to do.

You will want to be careful putting the block on and taking it off however. The metal post shouldn’t be forced against the softer polyresin of the block or the base, and applying force at any sort of angle is highly discouraged.

What’s missing here is a light up feature. You’ll have to supply your own moody LED light when you display this guy, and considering the price point, that’s probably going to be a deal breaker for some folks.

Value – **
Even at $180, this is a pretty expensive display item. The Jabba’s Throne set was about this same price range, with more size, sculpt detail and paint ops. Yea, things haven’t gotten cheaper in the last two years, but this piece still seems like it should be no more than $150, considering the current market. Now, if they had included the light up feature everyone was hoping for, the extra cost would have been easily justified.

Things to Watch Out For –
Putting the block on and taking it off of the display base is a tricky business and I really recommend that you don’t do it too many times. Get it the way you want it, and leave it be…wise advice with just about everything in life.

Overall – ***
One of the best things about sixth scale collectibles is how great they look together, preferably set up in dioramas on the shelf. Sideshow has given us an excellent reproduction of a key scene from the film that fits in nicely with a number of other figures AND another diorama piece. If you don’t own the earlier Jabba’s Throne Environment, I can see where this rather expensive statue is a pretty easy pass. But if you’ve got the rest of the environment, this bad boy does a nice job of expanding on it.

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

Where to Buy –
You have a couple of options for picking this guy up –

– Sideshow originally had it, but have since sold out at $200.

– Alter Ego Comics has it at $180, and it’s in stock.

– Corner Store Comics has it listed at $180, but they appear sold out already.

– or you can always search the old ‘bay.

Related Links –
As I mentioned, I reviewed both Jabba and his Throne back when they were released a couple years ago. To add to the display, you can include Bib Fortuna, or Jedi Luke.

Comments (1)

Masters Of Song Fu #4: Round 2 Challenge Revealed!

Filed under: Masters Of Song Fu — Tags: beatles, bonzos, Masters Of Song Fu, monty python, music, neil innes, paul-and-storm, rock band, rutles, songwriting — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:12 am

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

To that end, we launched a unique form of creative combat here at the Stop.

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

Oh, and what do we call this competition?

MASTERS OF SONG FU

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.

You’ll find the Round 1 songs from each of our Challengers below, as well as the results of the Round 1 voting. More importantly, though, you’ll also discover what the Round 2 Challenge is!

THE CHALLENGERS

MOLLY LEWIS

When she’s not bluffing her way through college courses or looking passably attractive from a distance, Molly Lewis enjoys playing ukulele, microwaving marshmallow Peeps, talking to cats, and Twittering. Early last year, she wrote two original songs, “MyHope” and “Road Trip”. “MyHope” is about the inevitable day when our children will learn how to navigate the interweb and how they will LOL at our old internet presences, namely MySpace; of “Road Trip”, Molly says it’s about “that astronaut lady who went crazy and wore the diapers, you remember that?” She has not written any songs since. Hopefully this competition will remedy that. When Molly was in middle school, she took up the guitar. That sank into the swamp. So she took up the mandolin. That sank into the swamp. So she took up the banjo. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the ukulele has stayed. And that’s what you’re going to get, Quick Stop Entertainment: the strongest ukulele in all of Tacoma, Washington. Molly defeated Masters Paul & Storm in Masters of Song Fu #3.

Official Website: www.sweetafton23.com/primer/
Twitter: twitter.com/Molly23
ROUND 1 SONG: Unfortunately, Molly was cornered by retaliatory dingoes sent by Paul & Storm, and was unable to compete in this Challenge.

EDRIC HALEEN

Edric 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 1 SONG: “All For This Moment“

“BUCKETHAT” BOBBY MATHESON

I’m “BucketHat” Bobby Matheson. I used to make cartoons for the internet, and sometimes still do, but mostly focus on my music right now. Lately, I’ve been getting more into recording other singer/songwriters in my little, make-shift studio than I have been recording myself. I want Masters Of Song Fu to change that. I don’t really know what genre my music would fall under. Influences range from Klezmer to folk, to punk and back, which ends up sounding more like Zydeco than anything else (who’d have guessed?). I’ve been thinking of dropping the “BucketHat” from my stagename, but fear change.

Official Website: www.buckethatbobby.randomsociety.com
Twitter: twitter.com/BucketHatBobby
ROUND 1 SONG: “Noose“

MIKE LOMBARDO

Mike Lombardo is a piano-playing pop-rock singer-songwriter who likes to use hyphens when describing his occupation. A recent graduate of Berklee College of Music, he spends most of his time banging on pianos, teaching children how to bang on pianos, or playing shows with his band, the Mike Lombardo Trio. Feel free to go to his website and send him lots of money. Or cookies.

Official Website: www.mikelombardomusic.com
Twitter: twitter.com/mikelombardo
ROUND 1 SONG: “Rock Song“

GÃ¶DZ PÃ¶Ã¶DLZ

Legendz foretell of a mighty duo, born in the frozen North. Two neighborz and friendz will unite to form “GÃ¶dz PÃ¶Ã¶dlz” and battle the Mazterz or Song Fu for glory and bragging rightz! GÃ¶dz PÃ¶Ã¶dlz are RÃ¼ss RÃ¶gers and RÃ¶d DÃ¼rre. RÃ¼ss RÃ¶gers was once a member of “Kit and Kaboodle” (still available on iTunes) and currently performs in “Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree!” RÃ¶d DÃ¼rre wrote and performed with the Goth Rock Godz “Sear”, and last year RÃ¶d 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 1 SONG: “Bad Penny“

STEVE CHATTERTON

Hi, 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 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 1 SONG: “Natalie Portman’s Doormat“

JARRETT HEATHER

Although he has no formal training, Jarrett is an accomplished pianist who has been composing music for nearly twenty years. A relative newcomer to the world of online amateur competitive songwriting, he burst onto the scene earlier this year when he filled out an entry form just before the deadline. While earning his living as a graphic artist and website developer, Jarrett secretly dreams of leaving behind the glamor and prestige of internet publishing so he can focus on composing music for songwriting contests full-time. With no fanbase, loyal followers, obedient minions or friends, Jarrett will rely on his music-crafting skills alone to win over converts and earn votes.

Official Website: www.spaceparanoids.net
Twitter: twitter.com/SpaceParanoids
ROUND 1 SONG: “Trapped Inside Your Sofa“

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 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 JalapeÃ±o HabaÃ±eros 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 JalapeÃ±o HabaÃ±eros has begun. Be prepared.

Official Website: None
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 1 SONG: “Snuggie Like Me“

GORBZILLA

Gorbzilla 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 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 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 1 SONG: “The Green Potato Chip Song“

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 1 SONG: “O’Riely’s Underpants“

JEREMY PIERSON

Jeremy’s turn-ons include big eyes, belly laughter, and long walks on the beach. Turn-offs include bad breath, knobby knees, and fungal growth. Huh? This isn’t my post for eHarmony.com? Oh. It’s for what? “Song Fu”? What’s that? I voluntarily submitted to participate? I’ve participated before? Oh. That. I didn’t get any votes last time? Oh, only a few? How many is “a few”? Eight? Why am I participating again? The challenge of it all and the friendly competition? Just to be considered, however briefly, a peer of Jonathan Coulton? Sweet.

Official Website: www.jeremypierson.com
ROUND 1 SONG: “Your Welcome Mat“

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 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 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 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 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 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 1 SONG: “Someplace 2 Land: Bush’s Flight Suit’s Lament“

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 1 SONG: “How Man Years Bad Luck If You Break A Mirror’s Heart“

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 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 1 SONG: “Throw Me Away“

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 1 SONG: “A Record Of Your Life“

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 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 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 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 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 1 SONG: “One Of The Team“

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

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.

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 8th, 2009.

Voting on Round 2 submissions will commence on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009.

If you want some inspiration, here’s a march from Harry Nilsson…
[display_podcast]

ROUND 1 VOTING RESULTS – THE CHALLENGERS

[poll id=”18″]

View Results

Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

[ad#contestbox]

Comments (71)

Bagged & Boarded 27: Everyone’s gonna be a bad guy!

Filed under: Bagged & Boarded — Tags: Bagged & Boarded, comedy, jesse rivers, matt cohen, Podcast — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:04 am

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”.

BAGGED & BOARDED #27: Everyone’s gonna be a bad guy! Â – In which Matt and Jesse are reunited after a scary week apart, discuss regional fast food differences, decide how they will live in the DC Universe, and create a movie where Jesse can’t remove his pants. Up, up and away, yo!

[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 #27 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/baggedboarded/bagged_boarded-27.mp3]

SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE BAGGED & BOARDED ARCHIVES

Comments (12)

June 1, 2009

TV Or Not TV: 6/1 – 6/7

Filed under: TV Or Not TV — Tags: big brother, burn notice, mad men, the closer, true blood, tv listings — admin @ 3:17 pm

Welcome to TV or Not TV where I’m actually not lametning the beginning of summer.

As an avid TV watcher I’ve never been overly pleased with the oncoming of the warm season. There are many people that enjoy the heat, the sun, the extra hours of sun, and the extra hours of heat that come with this time of year. Because of people’s abnormal fascination with this time of year (give me an air conditioned room and a television any day) the television networks have traditionally reserved the summer season for their re-runs of things that we’ve already seen because they think we just aren’t watching. Thankfully that thinking has been replaced.

The pay-cable crowd I’m sure is getting geared up for the return of True Blood on HBO. I have to admit that this show had me leary after the first episode but I was completely sucked in after that (pun intended). Those of us just in cable land are probably looking forward to the summer return of Burn Notice on USA along with Psych. You’ve also got Mad Men returning to AMC and The Closer on TNT. So many interesting choices.

Every year, however, I look forward to the return of Big Brother on CBS. For some reason I just can’t get enough of the social dynamic that arises when you stick a bunch of people in a house, give them no contact with the outside world, and make them compete in stupid contest for things like food. The paranoia that sets in when these people get locked into the soundstage house is ever compelling and the producers purposely put in people that they know at almost a genetic level are in no way meant to get along. Grante the show is nothing like it was during the wonder that were seasons two and three, but it’s still the one thing I look forward to.

Enough about this summer show drivel, let’s get on to the picks for the week.

MONDAY

NBC – 8:00 PM: After it failed on ABC the Peacock has decided to give I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! a second lease on US airwaves life. Â Reality show staple Stephen Baldwin joins Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Torrie Wilson, John Salley, Sanjaya Malakar, Lou Diamond Phillips, semi-crazy Janice Dickinson and the wife of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. I really hope they come through with the bees being released on Sanjaya.

ABC FAMILY – 9:00 PM: The simplicity and wonder of The Princess Bridge never ceases to entertain me. Besides, I had to break up what looks like an NBC love fest as we move on to…

NBC – 10:oo PM: It’s the series finale (on NBC) for Medium. See you next year on CBS Ms. Dubois.

NBC – 11:35 PM: Tonight is the premiere of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. I’ll definitely DVR it.

TUESDAY

NBC – 8:00 PM: Night two of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

CW – 8:00 PM: Two hours of Hitched or Ditched is such a sad epitath to the now gone Reaper (which fights for survival through syndication).

ABC – 8:30 PM: It’s the series finale for According to Jim. Don’t let the door hit you…

G4 – 10:00 PM: One of the movies that just screams “I was made during the 80’s!” is the teen angst to the extreme film that is The Lost Boys.

WEDNESDAY

NBC – 8:00 PM:Â Night three ofÂ I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! If they are both still on I’m sure Janice Dickenson has eaten Sanjaya by now out of desperation.

G4 – 9:00 PM: Fans of Joss Whedon may want to take in Alien Resurrection as it was written by him. After the pain of Alien 3 this was a very nice return of some pride to the franchise.

NBC – 9:00 PM:Â Brian Williams brings us anÂ NBC News SpecialÂ titledÂ Inside the Obama White House. With how much Obama has been in the public eye is this really needed?

HIST – 10:00 PM: A new season of Ice Road Truckers comes at us to cover 400 miles of some of the scariest road you’ll ever see someone drive.

THURSDAY

G4 – 9:00 PM: I’m starting to think that I might be programming the night time movies for G4 in my sleep. Tonight is another 80’s classic, Revenge of the Nerds. I’ll never forget when my brother took a 13 year old me to see this classic. Please don’t judge him.

NBC – 9:00 PM: If you actually stuck through another episode of I’m a Celebrity blah blah blah there’s two hours of the Canadian import show The Listener. Faster than you can say Matt Parkman we meet Toby Logan, a paramedic who discovers he can also read minds. Whackiness ensues.

TVLAND – 9:00 PM: Another classic from the 80’s features the late great Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School.

FRIDAY

FOX – 8:00 PM: Get ready for the man from downunder as former Men At Work frontman Colin Hay drops in to help out on Don’t Forget the Lyrics.

FOOD – 8:00 PM: Break out the antacid and take inÂ Ultimate Burger Bash With Food Network All-Stars.

SATURDAY

ABC – 8:00 PM: If you missed Wednesday’s edition of Wipeout than you can take it in tonight instead. I never tire of seeing these people get the snot smacked out of ’em!

GSN – 8:00 PM: Just when you thought they couldn’t come up with any more award shows the Game Show Network whips out The Game Show Awards. Howie Mandel hosts and I can’t wait for the red carpet coverage.

ABC – 10:00 PM: Here it is, the next to last episode of Pushing Daisies.

SUNDAY

CBS – 8:00 PM: OK, I konw you may have thought you were watching The Tony Awards back in March, but no, those were The Academy Awards. I’ve got five words for you to actually watch the Tony‘s this year: NEIL PATRICK MOTHER TRUCKIN’ HARRIS!

NBC – 9:00 PM: Um, the second part ofÂ The Last Templar is on again tonight. With Angels & Demons coming out I can’t blame them for dragging this out again after just having aired it in January.

A&E – 9:00 PM: Once again I have to snicker to myself as I say that we can once again enjoy Gene Simmons Family Jewels.

FOOD – 9:00 PM: 10 hopefuls once again vie to be The Next Food Network Star. Considering how nervous I get just making a turkey for Thanksgiving I can’t imagine having to make a meal for Alton, Giada, Duff and Morimoto.

– Will Wilkins was taped in front of a live studio audience.

Comments (1)

May 31, 2009

SModcast 87

Filed under: SModcast — Tags: clerks, comedy, kevin smith, Podcast, scott mosier, SModcast, view askew — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:00 pm

SModcast 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.

SModcast 87: Tapoo –

In which a simple concept slips from our heroes’ grasps.

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

DOWNLOAD:

SModcast 87 (MP3 format)

[display_podcast]

SUBSCRIBE

Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

Subscribe to this Podcast via FeedBurner

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE SMODCAST ARCHIVES

Comments (94)

May 29, 2009

Masters Of Song Fu #4: Challenge 1 Listening Party!

Filed under: Masters Of Song Fu — Tags: beatles, bonzos, Masters Of Song Fu, monty python, music, neil innes, paul-and-storm, rock band, rutles, songwriting — UncaScroogeMcD @ 4:20 pm

This evening – Friday, May 29th – we’ll be holding a special live, streaming listening party. We’ll be playing all 30 Challenge 1 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.

Comments (0)

Trailer Park: DRAG ME TO HELL

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: Alison Lohman, Christopher Young, Ivan Raimi, justin long, Lorna Raver, Sam Raimi — admin @ 2:59 am

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

land_of_the_lostposter

LAND OF THE LOST – SCREENING

Who here is from Arizona?

Who has some time next Tuesday to see a screening of LAND OF THE LOST, starring Will Ferrell and Danny McBride? I have passes galore for some lucky Quick Stop Entertainment readers so if you’re going to be around please shoot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@Yahoo.com and I’ll make sure you get in.

For those of you who are still in the dark about the film, here’s a breakdown:

Space-time vortexes suck.

Will Ferrell stars as has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, sucked into one and spat back through time. Way back. Now, Marshall has no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures from beyond our world – a place of spectacular sights and super-scaled comedy known as the Land of the Lost.

Sucked alongside him for the adventure are crack-smart research assistant Holly (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride) named Will. Chased by T. rex and stalked by painfully slow reptiles known as Sleestaks, Marshall, Will and Holly must rely on their only ally – a primate called Chaka (Jorma Taccone) – to navigate out of the hybrid dimension. Escape from this routine expedition gone awry and they’re heroes. Get stuck, and they’ll be permanent refugees in the Land of the Lost.

Based on the classic television series created by Sid & Marty Krofft, Land of the Lost is directed by Brad Silberling and produced by Jimmy Miller and Sid & Marty Krofft.

Doctor Who S4 - The Next Doctor DR. WHO?

People love their Dr. Who.

While I could never get into it in the way a lot of you do I just received this in my in-box and thought I would share with the fellow geek community if you didn’t already know.

I remember being in 8th grade and having a friend who was REALLY into it. Even then I could see it was a really important series to some people so I figure this is my way of helping out a contingent of people who have a deep reverence for this program. I am equally a fan of BBC America and think that the programming on that channel whips the tar out of 90% of our own domestic network offerings (Check out Skins, people…Seriously…) so I like to help when I can. Without any ado here is the release…

U.S. PREMIERE OF DOCTOR WHO SPECIALS ON BBC AMERICA

– BBC AMERICA premieres five specials from TV’s longest running sci-fi series –

New York, NY ““ May 28, 2009 ““ BBC AMERICA today announced the acquisition of five new specials from Doctor Who, television’s longest running science fiction series and a global phenomenon. The deal gives the cable channel the exclusive first window to the Doctor Who 2009 Specials (4 x 60), the final four adventures of the tenth Time Lord played by David Tennant. As part of the same deal, BBC AMERICA acquired the 2008 Christmas Special, The Next Doctor featuring David Morrissey and Dervla Kirwan. It will air Saturday, June 27, 2009.

The first of the 2009 specials, Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead, premieres in July. As a London red bus takes a detour to an alien world it forces the Doctor (Tennant) to work with the extraordinary Lady Christina (Michelle Ryan, Bionic Woman). But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets hidden in the sand and time is running out as the deadly Swarm gets closer.

“The outstanding quality of the Doctor Who scripts from Russell T Davies and the on-screen dynamic that David Tennant brings to the role are a magic combination for our viewers. Russell’s spin-off series Torchwood is already our highest rated show on the channel and I know the fans will follow these new specials with equal passion and support. We’re thrilled to bring this iconic show to BBC AMERICA, home of the best British sci-fi programming on television,” says President, BBC Worldwide America Garth Ancier.

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars is the second special and along with the two additional untitled specials will premiere later in 2009 and early 2010.

Building off the successful Supernatural Saturdays programming block, Doctor Who will be leveraged across multiple platforms including Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead, the first Doctor Who DVD to be released on Blu-ray, shortly after the U.S. broadcast premiere.

The writers are Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts (The Sarah Jane Adventures) with Executive Producers Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner (Torchwood, Life on Mars). It is a BBC production and distributed by BBC Worldwide.

drag-me-to-hell-poster DRAG ME TO HELL – REVIEW

David: Have you seen the movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Anna-Maria: No. It is good?

David: Oh, I’ve got to tell you, I love this film. It had passion and a plucky spirit. And, the characters had integrity, like when Leatherface went on that strict diet of human flesh, he had to cut out chicken and fish completely.

Francis “Chainsaw” Grimp: Dave, I agree with you. I’ll go a step further, sure Leatherface, he wore a mask made out of human skin, and he hung people on meat-hooks, but hey, we’ve all got quirks, I got ’em, you’ve got ’em Dave, that’s what makes this character so, so compelling. Thumbs up for me.

David: Same here.

Francis “Chainsaw” Grimp: To sum it up, I’m Chainsaw . . .

David: I’m Dave.
Francis “Chainsaw” Grimp and David: Will see you . . . At the Movies.

– SUMMER SCHOOL, 1987

It was a tenuous peace at first but, Lord, did I almost have to look away by the end.

When first we meet Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), a beautiful heroine if ever there was one, not strikingly gorgeous nor feeble and weak as so many other films would have made her, she’s introduced as a bland loan officer who works for a one-dimensional boss by the name of Mr. Jacks (played pitch perfectly by David Paymer). Christine and her weasel of a co-worker are vying for a promotion within the small bank where they work.

The seemingly bland and head-scratchingly inane set-up had me wondering momentarily whether I had walked into a movie that would be just yet another entry into the horror genre this year (think MY BLOODY VALENTINE, FRIDAY THE 13TH, et al.) where spectacle is being used as a replacement for genuine thrills and chills. DRAG ME TO HELL separates itself from its predecessors precisely at the moment when we meet Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver). Decrepit, frail and overtly disgusting she is everything that Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees as of late are not and that is unnerving. Raver is perhaps the one linchpin in making this film far more original than clichÃ©; I have no qualms at admitting that merely reflecting on her role in its entirety still raises little bumps of flesh on the back of my neck. She is played with the right amount of camp and eerie sensibility.

The movie has such a basic and forced beginning, you almost start wondering what the hype is all about, that when things start getting fantastical it thrusts the film’s hum-drum reality into a sphere . Much of believing in this character’s universe, obviously, goes to director/writer Sam Raimi and his brother Ivan Raimi for establishing such a compelling premise. What’s more is that the two of them seem to be operating at a level that is not meant to be demeaning or insulting and, point of fact, are playing around in a sandbox of fundamentals. Fundamentals with regard to getting at what makes a good scare, to not having one jump out of your skin moment but to pummel you continuously with them at any one time, creating one-note characters (read here: Justin Long’s parents, Lohman’s boss, co-worker) who only help to serve the spooky vibe of the film and not take away from it, wrapping absurdist comedy up within moments that shouldn’t have it and, finally, how to keep you locked in and keyed up to what’s happening.

All of these elements come in to play continuously throughout the film but when Lohman is thrust into the cursed world of the Lamia through a quite disconcerting battle between her and Mrs. Ganush there couldn’t be a more precise distillation of all these elements into one prickly scene that, if you are fully on-board with the movie, properly punches your ticket into one of the best reasons to be in the theater this summer. From the fight to the eventual curse that is put upon her this is beats out any battle you’ll get in the month of May from any other blockbuster playing at the multiplex.

As the film progresses you can’t help but feel a strong connection to the story. Sam and Ivan deserve the kind of credit that you would give to an author like Stephen King but the ruse is that they’re not like Stephen, and this isn’t meant as a slap, they’re more on par with Richard Matheson or authors like him. The story feels small, intimate, powerful. Some of the best horror fiction, for me anyway, always centers on the personal and individual circumstance. There is no room for sprawling narratives in these stories and this movie should be applauded for keeping things tight. As it weaves its reality, Lohman employing the help of soothsayer and psychic Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) to deconstruct what she needs to do in order to unsaddle herself from the eventual demise that is coming for her. Rao is given a bit part, for sure, but his presence in this film is quite entertaining as he provides the push needed for the events to unravel as they do.

Justin Long, for his part, plays his role better than anyone in his position has a right to as it is just a role that you see in countless other horror films where you have to have the sensitive significant other who has to sympathize, but not necessarily do anything about, the present condition of the protagonist. It’s a throwaway role, almost, but Long is delightful as the concerned boyfriend who can’t do anything about his lady’s impending doom and, almost like Rao, only serves the plot when needed. In terms of leanness and scales of economy, taking a page from writers who are good at not adding anything that doesn’t serve the plot, there isn’t a wasted character or needless inclusion of a hot best friend, a little kid or any number of other insignificant elements that drag some horror films, and their pacing along with it, down.

It’s about here where talking any more about the film’s cracks, crags and nuances would only serve to spoil what should be experienced as cold as possible. The thrill of this film is not knowing too much about what is to follow, expecting and knowing where a scare is coming from only defeats the great triumph of the Raimis. Sam has managed, SPIDER-MAN 3 be damned, to actually go back to what made him such an endearing element to independent horror fans. I will however make note of the scene where Lohman needs to visit a graveyard where she expects to rid herself of the foul curse that saddles her soul.

Lohman’s moments in the comedically stereotype that is a Raimi graveyard is played with the kind of ferocity, brutality, excitement and sexiness (the delicately brushed away mud splash on her porcelain white skin was a nice touch) that I came to love and fear in a similar moment in POLTERGEIST during a pool scene many here should know all too well. The gross-out factor is compounded by a few things but, again, the moment is tinged with both abject horror and farcical humor in a blend that deserves not to be spoiled by anyone much less me.

And, it should be mentioned, you may not notice the work Sam does with sound and music throughout but he deserves kudos here as well. He pays attention to the way sounds move within the speaker field and Christopher Young’s excellent and chilling score only helps to accentuate the action on the screen.

DRAG ME TO HELL is a wondrous film going experience that not only reminds you why horror can be so much more than just updating it to satisfy the torture porn sensibilities of young moviegoers who demand their horror to be brutal. The Raimis give the kind of scares that are worth so much more than the quick cuts, slick production values and ostentatiousness of films in its genre. The movie reads like a delicious short story that you want to read again just so you can see if it hits the same high points.

If ever there was a reason to get out and enjoy a movie with dozens of others, if only to hear the squeals and screams of others in attendence, DRAG ME TO HELL is it.

Comments (2)

Weekend Shopping Guide 5/29/09: Yes, Jeeves

Filed under: Shopping Guides — Tags: Charles Dickens, Charlie Chan, harlan ellison, Hugh Laurie, Kyle Baker, Kyra Sedgewick, Michael Douglas, Roland Emmerich, Stephen Fry — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:41 am

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

The books are classics of English humor, and the television adaptations starring Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie serve the material exceptionally well, as you can discover in P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves & Wooster: The Complete Collection (A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP), which contains all four seasons.

When I’m out running errands, I never seem to have a pen with me when I need it most. You know, like when you want to write something down, or make a deposit, or defend yourself against a mountain lion. Well, the Inka Pen Travel Pen ($14.99) is perfect, because not only does it store itself at half size and come on a keychain, but it also features a PDA stylus to boot. Perfect.

Director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost In The Shell returns with a beautiful feature about a group of eternally young fighter pilots engaging in incredible dogfights against an implacable enemy, and the one pilot that wants to discover his missing past. Sky Crawlers (Sony, Rated PG-13, DVD-$27.96 SRP) features both the English and original Japanese versions of the film, plus a pair of featurettes. A Blu-Ray edition ($34.95 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus features.

I’ve praised the fine folks at Twomorrows Publishing many, many times in the past, and that praise it deserved. In fact, I’m going to do so again, by recommending the latest volume in their magnificent Modern Masters artist spotlight series, which has just featured Kyle Baker (Twomorrows, $14.95). Equal parts in-depth interview and sketchbook, it’s a must-have.

As if murderers weren’t enough of a pain, Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) now has a snooping reporter to make things awkward in the complete fourth season of The Closer (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The 4-disc box set contains all 15 episodes, plus unaired scenes, featurettes, and a gag reel.

A long time coming, Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth (Docurama, Not Rated, DVD-$26.95 SRP) is an unblinking, affectionate, warts-and-all portrait of a writer whose creativity is matched only by his curmudgeonly, combative nature. Read the man’s work and then pick this up for a look at the man behind it. The DVD features additional readings, a featurette from the film’s premiere, and pizza with Harlan and Neil Gaiman.

While all of the attention went to the flashier Matrix, I always enjoyed the quieter, more cerebral sci-fi of producer Roland Emmerich’s The Thirteenth Floor (Sony, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$28.95 SRP), which is now making its debut in high definition. It’s part virtual reality, part noir, part detective whodunit, and more. If you’ve never given it a spin, try it out. The disc features an audio commentary and a music video.

All these years later, there’s something comically over-the-top about Falling Down (Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$19.98 SRP), which starred Michael Douglas as a laid off defense worker whose had enough and is not willing to take it anymore. Controversial at the time, it’s more a caricature now. The new special edition adds a commentary track with Douglas and director Joel Schumacher, an interview with Douglas, and the theatrical trailer. A Blu-Ray edition ($34.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus features.

Kids today have no idea what seemingly-endless cartoon fun Saturday mornings used to be before the rise of cable and home video. For just a taste of what it was like, Warners has put together both Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Volume 1 & Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Volume 1 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP each), 2-disc set featuring over 5 hours of Hanna-Barbera and Warners cartoons that evoke memories of that bygone era. The sets also contain documentaries on Quick Draw McGraw, The Herculoids, Frankenstein, Jr., Charlie Chan, and The Funky Phantom.

The Beeb has brought together a quintet of their recent Dickens adaptations into the Charles Dickens Masterworks Collection (BBC, Not Rated , DVD-$119.98 SRP). The set collects the previously released discs of Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, and Great Expectations, with the exact same bonus features as those original versions.

However, the Beeb hasn’t brought out any of their classic comedy in high definition yet, but we are getting a pair of their recent prestige productions on Blu-Ray. The first is their multi-art adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Bleak House (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$49.99 SRP), starring Gillian Anderson and containing bonus commentaries, interviews, and a photo gallery. Also available is Cranford (BBC, Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$39.98 SRP), their adaptation of the works of Elizabeth Gaskell. The sole bonus feature is a making-of featurette.

I’m not entirely a fan of the split-season approach to releasing classic DVD series, but if it’s the only economically viable way to get them out, I guess we’ll all just have to be patient. The latest installments are Gunsmoke: The Third Season Volume 2 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$36.98 SRP) and The Mod Squad: Season 2 Volume 2 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$36.98 SRP).

Get a complete, compelling look at the prehistory of Planet Earth through the arrival of mankind with the History Channel’s Prehistoric Collection (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP), which collects four previous documentaries in one set – Jurassic Fight Club, Prehistoric Megastorms, Journey To 10,000 BC, and Clash Of The Cavemen. Bonus materials include additional footage and the Mega Disasters episode “Asteroid Apocalypse”.

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

Comments (0)

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »