FRED Entertainment

October 28, 2008

Masters Of Song Fu #2: The Winner Revealed!

Filed under: Masters Of Song Fu — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:09 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 brand new form of creative combat here at the Stop. You’ll find the very first of these competitions here.

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

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

A week back, we sent out the call for challengers. Hundreds of you heard the call and fought for a chance to be in the initial group. 20 were selected. Of those 20, only 13 responded in time (Them’s the breaks).

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

At the very end, there stood but one Challenger – who faced off against one Master of Song Fu.

The Master was The RiffTones, and the Challenger was Jason Morris. Both met the Final Challenge head on, and then left their creations to be judged by you, the public. At the end of the day – with a vote count of 222 to 135 – the winner is THE RIFFTONES.

As the winner, The RiffTones claim the remarkable (and potentially off-putting) bragging rights and a clutch of fantastic mystery prizes, as well as becoming the proud owner of the magnificent, one-of-a-kind MASTER OF SONG FU TROPHY, designed and handcrafted by [adult swim] superstar Dana Snyder.

Ah, but there’s also something for Jason Morris. While it’s not an “I Fought A MASTER OF SONG FU And Did Pretty Damn Well” t-shirt, he also gets a clutch of fantastic mystery prizes for making it this far. Hopefully, he’s also gained the confidence and support of you, the public, and will continue making music with the knowledge that there a whole bunch of new listeners eager to hear what the future holds.

And, since many of you have written in wondering…

SIGN-UP FOR A VERY SPECIAL ONE-OFF HOLIDAY EDITION OF MASTERS OF SONG FU WILL BEGIN ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24th, 2008.

Below, you’ll find the history of the 2nd MASTERS OF SONG FU competition…

ROUND 1 CHALLENGE

This is going to seem to be a rather straightforward challenge to kick off our second Song Fu competition. In actuality, it’s a pretty darn interesting way to give people a sense of just what your songwriting personality and style is. We’re taking a cue from a fellow named Paul Simon…

Your first challenge is to WRITE A SONG ABOUT THE MOON.

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

After one week of intense campaigning and voting, we eliminated the bottom vote-getters – leaving only 6 competitors (5th place was a tie) to move on to… ROUND 2. The remaining Challengers and our Masters were then presented with their Round 2 Challenge…

ROUND 2 CHALLENGE

Your challenge is to choose a famous inventor and craft a song proposing a “dance craze” based on either the inventor or one of his/her most well known inventions. For an idea of what we’re looking for, here’s a song proposing the ill-fated “Lurch”…

Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

Your votes were tallied, and the top two Challengers from Round 2 moved on to battle head-to-head in ROUND 3…

ROUND 3 CHALLENGE

For this Challenge, not only are we going to provide you with a theme and style, but we’re also going to give you the title. Your task is to write a song that utilizes all of the provided elements.

For this Round, we’re paying homage to the country balladeer greats ““ people like Jerry Reed, Waylon Jennings, and Roger Miller. Your task is to write a country ballad – using a backstory of your own creation ““ called “The Ballad of Rufus Amos Adams”.

Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

Well, you voted on the Round 3 Challenge HERE. You chose one Master and one Challenger to battle head-to-head in the final challenge…

FINAL CHALLENGE

THE SONG FROM (aka 70’s Cinema Pop): For this final duel between Master and Challenger, you must envision a world in which composer John Williams was never hired to write the now-iconic scores for the Lucas and Spielberg films of the 1970’s (JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, 1941, and STAR WARS). Imagine instead that the filmmakers decided to go with that other staple of the 70’s – a tailor-made pop tune. Think THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE’s “The Morning After (The Song From THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE)”, which you’ll find below. You must choose one of those 1970’s Williams-scored Spielberg/Lucas flicks and write “The Song From…” that the film never had, in the style of a 1970’s pop tune (particularly in your instrumentation).

The song must be at least 1min 45sec, and must be an original creation.

[flashvideo filename=”http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/02song4/maureen_mcgovern-the_morning_after.mp3″ width=”460″ height=”20″ /]

And that brought us to the Final Challenge songs from both the RiffTones and Jason…

MASTERS OF SONG FU

For this edition of Song Fu, we’re bringing in two (well, 5, if you’re being technical) very special Masters who you’ll be going up against. Think of them as the iron chefs of Song Fu, and your ultimate challengers, as you’ll square off against one of them mano-a-mano in the Final Round:

THE RIFFTONES

You know ’em as the RiffTrax trio, but here at Song Fu they are the mighty RiffTones…

MICHAEL J. NELSON – Michael J. Nelson is the creator of Rifftrax.com, and is the former host and head writer of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000. Since that time, he has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned a regular column for TV Guide, and authored best-selling books for both HarperCollins and Abrams.

His first book, Mike Nelson’s Movie Megacheese, thrilled critics, including Richard Schickel of Time Magazine, who said of Mike, “He’s more fun than a barrel of Val Kilmers… Smarter than a roomful of Patrick Swayzes… and almost as hilarious as Keanu Reeves.” Mike’s laugh-out-loud follow-up, Mind Over Matters, prompted Kirkus Reviews to enthuse, “From someplace called Minnesota comes a Nelson funnier than Ozzie, Ricky, Lord or Half,” and even dared to compare him to another legendary writer, saying of his Serious Speech to Business People, “[It] could easily precede [Robert] Benchley’s immortal Treasurer’s Report.” And Kirkus Reviews loved his novel, Death Rat!, saying, “Fast-paced, outrageous and funny, first-novelist Nelson’s mockery of media mendacity is as biting as La Dolce Vita or Network – only funnier!”

Mike speaks all over the country, is a frequent guest on radio and television, and along with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy sells out theaters with his RiffTrax Live events.

KEVIN MURPHY – “I’m probably best known for portraying that ol’ squat loveable bubble-headed robot Tom Servo on Mystery Science Theater 3000. In fact I’m the only member of the cast and crew to have worked on every single episode of the series, probably because I tend to like everybody. I also got to sing at the drop of a hat and collaborated with the lovely, leggy Mike Nelson on many of the show’s songs.

Right now I’m back with Mike and Bill for www.rifftrax.com , where once again we sit in close proximity to each other and make fun of movies; unfortunately we don’t write a lot of songs… yet. To exercise my musical jollies I occasionally write and record solo and with family members, under the name The Revolutionary Communist Mountain Boys. Oh, and I’m also writing my first comic book series, symptomatic of my terminal case of Adult-onset Geekdom.

BILL CORBETT – Beloved by literally billions of people, Bill Corbett is a former writer for Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the Sci-Fi Channel, and previously on Comedy Central. He was also a performer on the show, providing the second incarnation of the robot Crow and embarrassing himself in grand fashion as other strange characters – including the all-powerful but clueless alien The Observer, a.k.a. “Brain Guy.” Bill has always been an amateur musician (cough cough HACK cough cough), performing with garage-less garage bands, and writing / performing songs for MST3K – including the beloved-by-literally-trillions CANADA SONG. He now works with former MST3K colleagues Michael J. Nelson and Kevin Murphy at Rifftrax.com.

Corbett is also a screenwriter and playwright. His plays have been produced at numerous theaters across the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and (seriously) Japan. He wasn’t able to attend the latter, but assumes it was a live-manga concept.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Corbett currently spends a lot of time in Los Angeles partying into the wee hours with stars like Skeet Ulrich, Harry Hamlin, and the late Red Buttons. But he actually lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife Virginia, their two young children, and a small Jack Russell Terrier who really runs the house.

He hopes someday to raise alpacas.

Official Website: www.rifftrax.com

FINAL CHALLENGE SONG: “Love Theme from JAWS (When a Man Loves a Shark)”
ROUND 3 SONG: “(The Ballad Of) Rufus Amos Adams”
ROUND 2 SONG: “Do The Ballpoint!”
ROUND 1 SONG: “Moon Shine“

THE CHALLENGERS

JASON MORRIS

I suppose I am what you could call a “Multi-Instrumentalist”. That is a nice way of saying “Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none”. I began playing drums as a teenager and spent a great deal of energy during my 20’s trying to “make it” in the music biz. As a drummer, I have had the opportunity to play with some pretty incredible musicians, garnering literally DOZENS of fans over the years. In 2004 I joined the band Celestial Static, and spent several years melting some face with good friends Jeremy and Julie Elzerman. Once that ran its course, I decided to spend more time locked away in my studio, writing my own songs and learning to play guitar, bass and sing. It doesn’t pay the bills, but I have a good time doing it.

Official Website: www.jason-morris.com

FINAL CHALLENGE SONG: “Take Me Home (The Song from CLOSE ENCOUNTERS)”
ROUND 3 SONG: “The Ballad Of Rufus Amos Adams”
ROUND 2 SONG: “The O’Sullivan Stomp”
ROUND 1 SONG: “The Universe Outsourced The Moon“

FINAL CHALLENGE RESULTS

[poll id=”11″]

The Fu Shall Return.

Comments (9)

October 27, 2008

Toy Box: Kotobukiya R2-D2 and C-3PO

Filed under: Toy Box — admin @ 10:48 pm

Peanut butter and jelly. Bacon and eggs. Oprah and Steadman. Some combinations are just meant to be. And that’s the way it is for those two lovable droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO. As a pair they are far better than by themselves, so it makes perfect sense that when Kotobukiya set out to do one of their 1/7th scale vinyl ‘kits’ based on the characters, that they’d put them together.

For those that haven’t picked up the Kotobukiya kits before, a little background. The statues (or Nerd Hummels, as I am so often want to call them) come to your door step in pieces. You pop the arms, legs, etc together, doing your own assembly work. This process takes all of about 5 seconds tops, at least when it comes to these vinyl kits. Hot Toys makes some ‘kits’ that are far more complex, but Kotobukiya tends to stick with simple assembly designs.

I’ve wanted to add this twoferone statue to my collection for quite some time, but with a usual asking price of $90 – $120, it was always above what I was willing to pay. This week though, Things From Another World is running a terrific 50% off retail price sale on a bunch of Kotobukiya Star Wars statues, including this one. That means you can take it home for about $75, and I’ll make a special note of this when I get to my Value section in the review.

Kotobukiya R2-D2 and C-3PO

If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at mwc@mwctoys.com. If you’d like to see more reviews, including reviews of other Koto Star Wars statues (I just reviewed Commander Bly today!), head over to my website at Michael’s Review of the Week – Captain Toy. Now let’s see if these are the droids you’re looking for!

Packaging – ***
The boxes are designed to show off the dismembered figures as best as possible, and they do what they can. They certainly protect the pieces well enough, and they arrange them in the tray so you get a rough idea of what it might look like once they are popped together. The photos on the box show the final kit.

Sculpting – ***
The box always says 1/7th scale, but the Star Wars Kotos tend to be a lot closer to 1/6th scale than you might think. However, and most unfortunately, that’s not the case this time. These really are smaller than usual, and as you can see by the photo later in the review with the Commander Bly statue, these are really too small to use with other sixth scale figures. This is particularly true for C-3PO, but somewhat an issue for R2 as well.

Of course, they aren’t advertised to work with other sixth scale figures, but they don’t really work with the other Kotos either. And that’s pretty annoying to me, since I’d prefer if these fit in better as an overall display.

Ignoring the scale issues, the sculpts are quite good. There’s plenty of detail on both droids, and the small detail work on the various antenna, wiring and pistons on C-3PO is quite impressive. If you’re just looking for a stand alone statue of your favorite characters, you won’t be disappointed with the work here.

Another difference with these two and the usual Kotobukiya’s is that these are not solid vinyl, but hollow plastic. I’m not sure why, except perhaps that the electroplating of C-3PO’s finish doesn’t work with vinyl like it does with this kind of plastic. Still, why do it to R2? While these look good from a distance, as soon as you pick them up you get that nasty cheap feel from them, something that always bothers me.

Paint – ***1/2
While there were a few issues around the sculpt that disappointed me, the paint helped make up for some of that. The gold and silver plating on C-3PO looks terrific, with a very even, consisten, and clean appearance. There’s no seams, no sprues, nothing to break the clean surface.

The work on R2 isn’t quite as complex, but it’s also extremely high quality. I searched for slop, and found none. And I’m pretty good at finding it.

Articulation – *
At first, you might think such a low score in any category would seriously hurt the Overall score of the product. However, you have to keep in mind that this is intended to be basically a statue. And this category is ‘articulation’, something that normal statues do not have. Therefore, ANY score above a Bupkis is actually a positive thing, and will effect the Overall score in a positive way.

Now, it’s only one star, because the only articulation is the dome on R2. It can turn, allowing you to position his ‘face’ in different positions. Sure, it’s not a big thing, but it’s something.

Design – ***
Neither R2 or C-3PO are exactly dynamic characters. That left Kotobukiya with a struggle – how to make them look interesting?

They’ve done a reasonable job here, and putting C-3PO’s hand on R2’s dome (that does NOT sound right) was a good move, implying the deep friendship between the two. But otherwise, they’re just standing there. I don’t have any brilliant suggestions for how to improve on that, but that’s not my job. My job is to merely whine about it.

Value – usually **; with TFAW’s sale **1/2
Normally, you’ll spend $90 – $120 on this set, with a SRP of $150. At $100, I’d rate the pair a below average value, particularly with the hollow plastic bodies. However, if you pick up the set at the $75 TFAW price, you can bump this score up, as that is a much more reasonable value and appropriate sticker price.

Things to Watch Out For –
Take some care with C-3PO, as the smaller pieces of his body can be broken off, particularly around the neck. As you’re pushing the parts together, take care what you’re squeezing or pushing back on. Other than that, there really isn’t anything to take extra care with.

Overall – ***
This set isn’t quite as good as I’d originally hoped, being a bit small and feeling a bit cheaper than the normal Koto SW statue. It still looks fairly good on the shelf though, and I have to say that they did a wonderful job with the electro-plating on C-3PO. The R2 is also pretty well scaled to fit with the Medicom and even Sideshow Star Wars figures if you squint just right, although you can also just go with the old Hasbro version. If I were spending the $100 on it, the Overall score would have dropped another half star, but at the TFAW sale price, it’s a solid B.

Where to Buy –
There are plenty of options, but Things from Another World is having a huge 50% off retail sale right now, including this kit. Go to THIS LINK and you’ll be on the landing page showing which Kotobukiya Star Wars statues are on sale, and the coupon code will automatically be added to your cart!

Related Links –
I’ve covered a fair number of Kotobukiya statues:

– today, I have my review of the Commader Bly going up at my other site.

– there’s also the TIE Fighter Pilot, the Snowtrooper, and the Boba Fett in the Star Wars line.

– in their Indiana Jones line, there is Indy
and his pops.

Comments (1)

Bagged & Boarded 7: Halloweenus

Filed under: Bagged & Boarded — UncaScroogeMcD @ 9:43 pm

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 #7: Halloweenus – In which Matt and Jesse discuss the frightening subject of the Horror Genre (and they are frightened by it), Haunted Houses, and Matt has X-Tourrettes… Check it out Mon Cher.

[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 #07 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/baggedboarded/bagged_boarded-07.mp3]

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE BAGGED & BOARDED ARCHIVES

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Win SARAH VOWELL’s THE WORDY SHIPMATES!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 9:30 pm

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Riverhead Books, five (5) copies of SARAH VOWELL’s THE WORDY SHIPMATES.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, November 4th.

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 Tuesday, November 4th.

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

Comments (0)

Win SHREK THE HALLS on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 9:21 pm

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Dreamworks Home Video, five (5) copies of SHREK THE HALLS on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, November 4th.

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 Tuesday, November 4th.

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

Comments (3)

Win WATERWORLD on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 9:15 pm

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Universal Home Video, five (5) copies of WATERWORLD on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, November 4th.

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 Tuesday, November 4th.

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

Comments (0)

October 26, 2008

SModcast 67

Filed under: SModcast — UncaScroogeMcD @ 11:34 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 67: The New Centurions –

In which our heroes confront the civic perils of making a porno, debate the innocence of youth, discuss the responsibilities of parenthood, witness the genesis of a northern superhero team, and try to unravel the mystery of one boy’s vestigal gills.

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

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
SModcast 67 (MP3 format) – 78.78 MB

[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 (517)

Win POPEYE THE SAILOR: VOLUME THREE on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:34 am

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, two (2) copies of POPEYE THE SAILOR: VOLUME THREE on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, November 3rd.

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 Monday, November 3rd.

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

Comments (0)

Win THE WILD WILD WEST: THE COMPLETE SERIES on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:26 am

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of THE WILD WILD WEST: THE COMPLETE SERIES on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, November 3rd.

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 Monday, November 3rd.

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

Comments (2)

Win JAG: SEASON 7 on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:18 am

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of JAG: SEASON 7 on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, November 3rd.

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 Monday, November 3rd.

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

Comments (0)

Win HOLIDAY INN on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:09 am

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Universal Home Video, five (5) copies of HOLIDAY INN on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, November 3rd.

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 Monday, November 3rd.

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

Comments (0)

October 24, 2008

Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #66: Make Life A Jamboree

Filed under: Ken P.D. Snydecast — UncaScroogeMcD @ 4:01 am

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 #66: Make Life A Jamboree – Ken & Dana return with an unexpected round of congratulations before featuring a very special celebrity guest, take a journey through language, go on a magical trip to an extraterrestrial mushroom acid trip, get all Muppety, and end on a jamboree. Ducks in buckets!

[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 #66 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-66.mp3]

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

Comments (11)

Trailer Park: Mike Leigh

Filed under: Interviews,Trailer Park — admin @ 2:11 am

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

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

I was waiting patiently to speak to Mike Leigh.

It was an unexpectedly cool outside of the Hotel Valley Ho, the higher end resort-style lodgings actually looking more like a motel with all the rooms on the outside, and I was going over the questions I had after seeing the film days before.

I’m naturally more apt to not go the “What was it like working…” route with any performer or person involved with the production of a film during an interview but I was prepped that Mike Leigh is a tougher interview to some people just because you really do have to dig a little deeper than the morning show retardedness that plagues so many programs that get the opportunity to talk to great people and then squander it on things like, “Did you enjoy making the movie?”

As I reflected on what I was going to ask, the door opened and Colin Boyd walked out. He said that Mike was excellent, a great interview. However, he paused for a moment and whispered that Mike corrected him on some questions. “Be careful,” he said. It wasn’t ominous or something that caused me to rethink my questions but it did rattle me a bit. I’ve never been in the position to have someone be actively picking apart my questions in their head, make it known out loud, so I tried desperately to speak in specifics as best I could and avoid anything that could be constructed as lazy. And, as I saw the diminutive man with a thick beard, suspenders and an amiable greeting as he welcomed me into the room where we were to conduct the interview, all alone which was a different experience, he closed the door and went after it.

Yes, it gets a little awkward at times, and I left those unadulterated moments in there, but Mike seems like the kind of guy who doesn’t mind telling you how it is…and how it’s going to be. You’ve got to respect that kind of assertiveness.

CS: I think the film spoke to a few different levels, the most superficial being the positiveness of life. When you were fleshing this out, over the months of figuring out what you wanted to say, was it always the same story or during those months did you find something you weren’t expecting?

LEIGH: Well, it’s all about finding things you’re not expecting. For me, the journey of making this film is the journey of discovery as to what it is. I started with a very strong feeling, a sense of the spirit of the thing, but the journey ““ the months I spent, which is what I think you’re talking about, preparing the thing are merely arriving at the premise of the film, but it’s shooting of the film that I make it up and define it as I go along.

It’s a constant, endless harvest of feast of surprises, of discoveries, of revelations. That is what creating a piece of art is all about. So, if the question, which sort of is I suspect, has something to do with starting with a fixed notion and how much it grows or deviates from that, that really not appropriate because all you have is something nebulous and fluid and you move toward coming into existence and that, the act in itself, is where all the surprises are and decisions are made and you decide what it is ““ abstract, really is what I’m talking about.

There you have it in a nutshell. I couldn’t elaborate. Picasso once said that if you know what you’re going to do before you do it, what’s the point of doing it?

So, let’s move on.

CS: Yes, absolutely.

LEIGH: Let’s get more specific.

(Laughs)

CS: Let’s talk about Sally Hawkins.

LEIGH: You can’t get more specific than that.

CS: No, I cannot. I thought she was wonderfully effervescent on the screen. I want to speak more about her character itself, about Poppy. When you looked at it and as you were developing her… By the end, which I wasn’t expecting, I was completely amazed.

LEIGH: I’m glad you were, but of course you were. You couldn’t know. But then you know it shouldn’t be possible to talk about any movie where you expect anything. Unfortunately with all too many movies you get what you expect.

CS: Exactly. But there are some movies where you know exactly where things are going and sometimes rewards you for being that predictable.

LEIGH: That’s true.

CS: Can a woman like Poppy exist in our culture?

LEIGH: Absolutely. Absolutely. Plenty of them around, and men too, of course. It’s about, I mean, you have to mean this is a cynical world and of course it is. Look, apart from anything else Poppy is a teacher and a good teacher and you know there are millions of good teachers out there and teaching kids in that positive kind of way is an act of optimism. You are nourishing the future. Those kids are the grandparents of the 22nd century. See what I mean?

CS: Absolutely, I do.

LEIGH: So, it’s a gloomy, cynical world and we are destroying it, etc. etc. etc. but there are people out there getting on with it while we may be gloomy. And Poppy is such… That is what the film is about. So, yeah.

The truth of the matter is, apart from anything else, if I didn’t think, if I genuinely didn’t think that people like that weren’t feasible, then I wouldn’t make the film, because I made a film about life as we live it, life as it is and life with it’s real potential.

CS: And this is a move about teachers and I think Karina Fernandez deserves a lot of credit. She’s a nice punctuation to what the film is saying.

LEIGH: She’s wonderful. She’s someone I didn’t know. I got her in just to see what would happen. She’s never done flamenco at all.

CS: You’re kidding.

LEIGH: She’s not Spanish. She’s English but her father is Spanish. Sally and I were talking ““ I bring people in gradually ““ I contract them to join us but then not sure what I’m going to do with them and I said to Sally one day, we were talking about Poppy, working on Poppy, and I said maybe she needs to have another leisure. And she said I was thinking about salsa or tango. And because I like Flamenco I said “How about Flamenco?” and she said, “Yeah.”

So I sent Karina off to Flamenco lessons every day for weeks. She’s an actress not a hoofer. So we created this character and sent her off to Seville for a few days. But all the characters…we create all these characters in 3 dimensional complete with their whole back stories and life histories and all that. That’s what motivates and makes it all live. Sometimes it’s great to be able to tap into a fascinating…Wanting to channel that emotion about the man who has cheated on her.

(Laughs)

So I said, “Let’s pull it out.” Whereas in other cases, like the wonderful performance by Stanley Towsend who is the homeless guy, there’s a whole life there and you just get maybe a sense of it, what he’s doing is too discombobulated you get a sense there is a man and a woman he’s talking about there. So, she is wonderful isn’t she, Karina?

CS: Oh yes, I would never have known”¦

LEIGH: Of course you wouldn’t and I expect you haven’t seen the last of her.

CS: The homeless man scene ““ I’m glad you brought that up. I think this movie has a lot to do ““ you have multiple characters and they all are in their own orbits and we see what happens when you bring these orbits together. Could you talk about”¦

LEIGH: What that scene is about?

CS: Yes, please.

LEIGH: Of course. It’s about Poppy. It’s about openness and the ability to connect, complete ability not to be judgmental, and not to act on preconceptions, and her bravery ““ she didn’t think about being in danger. Some people say it’s naivete. No, it’s not naivete. She not concerned with that. She’s inquiring ““ “What is this?” It happens at a moment when she’s feeling more reflective perhaps. And she really connects with this guy, whoever he is, she doesn’t know. And the next scene when she goes back to the apartment when Zoe says, “Where have you been?” She doesn’t say because some things are private. It’s about something she shared with this guy. She’ll never see him again but perhaps would betray. When we were planning that scene I said to the production designer and the cinematographer, “It needs to be somewhere.”

We don’t know where we really are, and subliminally the audience needs to be pulled out of their comfort zone.

CS: I was a little frightened for her.

LEIGH: It’s about Poppy dealing with stuff. Being open. Warm. All that stuff.

CS: The whole film, she doesn’t allow anyone to alter the trajectory that she’s on.

LEIGH: I don’t know whether that’s”¦.I know what you mean you say that.

She certainly doesn’t allow anyone to get her down but I think to suggest anyone to alter her trajectory would suggest a kind of inflexibility. You can see for example the final and traumatic thing that happened with Scott again being caring and sympathetic but also firm and tough and also dealing with a kid. which she is very inexperienced in doing. I very seldom in my films have actions where someone just walks about ““ that’s not what I do, but there, toward the end when Scott drives off, you see him walking around just reflective for a while. And you know what that is. And she’s affected by it.

You can see it in the next scene but it’s only in the end, in the grander scheme of her life, the time she took a free driver’s lesson from this nutcase will pale in significance, of course it will but still, she’s affected by him in the sense that she’s obsessed because she cares. I think any sensitive person must feel someone else’s pain basically. And when Zoe says “Don’t you think we should call the police?” and she says “No, that’s not going to help him” that’s a caring, un-judgmental position she takes.

CS: She does and I see that when she sees the boys go after one another. She’s concerned and takes the steps to”¦.

LEIGH: I think it’s an important detail that they are not going after one another ““ one is attacking and the rest are victims.

CS: Yes. And she does what needs to happen in order to take care of that. I want to be sure we stay on point. The overarching theme ““ there is a lot of teachers in this film, there’s a lot about learning, those who are in charge of teaching others to do some thing. In your estimation, what is the value of teaching in general?

LEIGH: That’s too vague a question. It’s important, isn’t it?

CS: Well, Scott doesn’t care.

LEIGH: No, no, no. You said what is the value of teaching in general, and the answer is it’s important. If you want to talk specifically about Scott, that’s a different thing. What is your question actually?

CS: In relation to Scott as it pertains to Poppy.

LEIGH: What’s the question?

CS: What’s the value? Are there two different ideologies of how to teach someone?

LEIGH: Oh, I see what you mean. Obviously Scott subscribes to an old fashioned ideology that you learn by rote. But the bottom line is that Poppy is a natural, very good teacher. The flamenco teacher and hasn’t learned the number one rule of keeping your personal shit outside the classroom. Scott has no teaching ability whatsoever. He talks about it but he’s a very nervous, neurotic, isolated, frustrated and bitter individual basically.

CS: And Poppy, with her relationships with her sisters who all obviously have some issue with one another, she doesn’t ever criticize her sisters for whatever faults they have. Scott and the other sister makes mention that Poppy lives in her own world.

LEIGH: But, that is their perception. I’m not going to accuse you of saying this but one of the most stupid things against the film is because they say that then ipso facto is the case. But it is not the case. She is plainly all the things that Helen from her own insecurities is plainly isn’t and the same thing with Scott. I mean Scott says to her, “You want to be loved.” Actually, he says to her, “You had no intention to learn how to drive, you set out to reel me in.” Both her sister and Scott are talking from positions of their own insecurities and their own isolation and not seeing her for what she really is which is an open, generous, understanding, fulfilled person. So, any notion that Poppy is compensating for anything is rubbish basically.

CS: She’s gotten along just fine without any…

LEIGH: Because she’s intelligent and open and focused and you know, motivated, and committed, and serious, and caring and all those things and has a great sense of humor and has a great sense of fun.

CS: What do people see in her, you just mentioned insecurities. She’s almost a mirror to some other people to show them how they are to themselves. And I’m speaking here of Scott and I’m going to use Scott and the social worker who eventually comes together with Poppy and that relationship seems genuinely healthy and he loves her.

LEIGH: Because he is as centered and comfortable with who he is open to the world as she is and they are quite a good match I would say.

CS: Absolutely.

LEIGH: You would get the impression that they are good in the sack as well.

(Laughs)

CS: In your own estimation, the characters of, and again I’m going back to Scott because he seems so diametrically opposed to Poppy, what happens in life that Poppy retains that sense of wonder and hope and optimism that we all have as children and somehow”¦

LEIGH: This guy has never been loved. You can tell he’s had a terrible family life. There are clues. But with all due respect he’s not as bright as Poppy, he’s not as sharp and he’s isolated. People have said you know he’s like the homeless guy. No, he’s not. The homeless guy has obviously had emotional experiences. When, this homeless guy breaks out into a piece of Sinatra, he’s got romance in his soul. You can see. He’s just damaged. But this guy Scott, he’s impotent, arid, paranoid, fascist, a sad case. Nobody has ever given him a coddle. He’s desperate for it. If a woman came along, we dealt with it in the back story, he just doesn’t know how to deal with it. So, classically, he’s the kind of guy who is in the teacher kind of role from his insecurity because dominating people is the only way he can be in power. He’s the classic case. Because you get reports of the other guy giving him a hard time.

CS: Right. It wasn’t so much the student as the teacher. Now, I only have time for just one more question and want to ask about when you created this movie and went through the process of making it and putting it out there, how are you finding people responding to it? Not so much a like it or love it but, again, this is a piece of art because you put it out there and whether or not people like it or not is irrelevant, what are you getting back from people from what they are getting from the film after they have seen it?

LEIGH: A multiplicity of things. The good news is ““ OK, there are critics and there are people. Today, for example, we got a lot of rave reviews. But actually I’ve been going to a lot of screenings doing Q&A’s. To enumerate what is too much of a chore except to say there is a wide range of reactions within an overall positive reaction. Occasionally there are people say they wanted to throttle, they say they couldn’t stand her”¦

(Laughs)

I don’t get that.

CS: I don’t get that either.

LEIGH: If you don’t fall in love with her then I don’t know what you do, basically. It’s just a character ““ somebody said to me, to be stuck on a desert island with her would be great ““ yes, please. Let me know when. I’m looking forward to it.

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Win JOHN HODGMAN’s MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU REQUIRE!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 12:07 am

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Dutton Books, five (5) copies of JOHN HODGMAN’s MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU REQUIRE.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Friday, October 31st.

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 Friday, October 31st.

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

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October 23, 2008

Trailer Park: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED and SALO

Filed under: Trailer Park — admin @ 11:49 pm

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

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

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

I think if I explain everything I just could not, in good conscious, recommend about this little film that’s completely overrated, overexposed and represents everything wretched about art films that try and be too clever without giving the audience anything for their patience in sitting through this dreadful slop I might just be able to tell you why the good money should be on HAPPY-GO-LUCKY.

When we meet Anne Hathaway, starring as Kym, in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED she is on the rebound. Rebounding from the dark floor of drug addiction she is trying to right her own personal plane from completely decimating any little humanity she might have left as it careens towards an ultimate crash course. She is saved, however, by a 12-step program. She seems committed to her recovery and to making amends for past abuses that we aren’t really let in on as an audience until it’s theatrically appropriate. You see, the whole film is supposed to be, as the title says, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED. Rachel. Instead, what we get is the impish and selfish behaviors of Kym as she desperately seeks attention, any attention, from those who have no doubt been through an emotional corkscrew as we learn even more about her past transgressions against her family. This is one of the problems that suffers at the hands of Jonathan Demme’s overwrought, overacted, melodramatic, bombastic piece of stillborn cinema.

The reason why no one seems to be pointing out that this emperor has no clothes is that the movie seems steeped in a artful sheen that, itself, is screaming to be loved. The entire movie almost all takes place at Kym’s childhood home and the bizarre events that transpire there for their wedding weekend should be enough reason for you to steer clear of this film. Case in point, never mind that the movie’s best man to the dreadfully acted husband-to-be, Tunde Adebimpe, who looks like Kanye West but without the swagger, charisma or anything else endearing, fucks Kym in the basement of her house just hours before the rehearsal dinner moments, just moments, after formally introducing themselves to one another, both attending the same weekly 12 step meeting. We don’t know for sure whether he’s romantically linked to the bridesmaid who was, moments before Kym decides to have a meltdown about it, supposed to be the maid of honor but the casualness of this intimacy which isn’t is exactly what’s wrong with this picture.

We’re supposed to somehow care for these characters, I think that’s the point of a good story, connect with one of them at least, and be happy for the couple getting married, but it is one strange person after the next that we’re introduced to in this movie. We have a live band, friends of the bride and groom, that keeps playing all weekend in anticipation of their big day, at the house. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be a running joke but they are the most grating, annoying musical group put to celluloid this year. Their playing borders on unbelievable, unbelievable that any normal person would oppress everyone else in the home, seemingly throughout the whole film, with their practicing. You have a rehearsal dinner, the likes of which I have never even remotely come close to experiencing, that literally takes its time getting through to the end.

I don’t know if Demme forgot to pay his editor, thus feeling like he didn’t cut an ounce of material from this scene, but since brevity wasn’t a chief concern of his and decided to treat this dinner as if it were one long tracking shot it is tough to sit through. As well, almost a companion piece to this, we get an obnoxiously designed and executed wedding reception that is so pretentious and unbelievable in its scope and size that I am loathe to even praise it for trying to be different. There’s a difference between different and interesting and these moments, filled with all sorts of hipsters, people much too cool for anyone’s school (especially one of the groom’s buddies who gives his toast rocking a pair of sunglasses) but, frankly, it is hard to get past the forced bohemianisms many of these players exude.

Specifically, one of the more surprising disappointments is Bill Irwin. He’s so adept, and could run circles around some of the youthful screen actors who wouldn’t know how to carry themselves appropriately on a real stage like Bill has over the years, but yet he turns in a performance that is overwrought and melodramatic at moments that you wonder if we’re supposed to laugh or be horrified by what he considers to be dramatic acting during some key moments in this film. If this serves as any indication of his strengths on film maybe he should just stick to playing Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street. As well, Debra Winger is the real disaster of this film. Playing the part of a disassociated mother who wants us to believe that her wayward daughter Kym is less deserving of the affection she gives her “successful” daughter Rachel doesn’t work. By the end of the film she’s merely a skid mark on a disaster of what should have been a movie about how one family turns tragedy into something new, something worth making a film about. But, instead, the film grates and limps towards its final minutes, oppressing the audience through a long, drawn out wedding reception that, if anyone is being honest, no one ever wants to see unless you’re the bride and groom. The reasons for including such a long sequence are not valid if the point is to illustrate something more than letting the audience sit through a fake reception, with fake people, with no real point but to be lengthy and self-indulgent.

Anne Hathaway, though, deserves some credit for turning in a performance that is genuinely a highlight to the other roles she’s ever had to play on film and, setting aside some of the more awkward moments (read here: her many outbursts), she does shine. She does. The film is not a complete waste and, if it were not for Anne’s dedication to making this character seem more real than the stiffs she’s surrounded with, is better for her being in it.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

There is something to be said about the power of a positive attitude.

We could talk endlessly about whether people who seem perpetually happy are really delusional or are deluding themselves. In this film, written and directed by Mike Leigh, the real genuineness about Poppy (played deftly and tenderly by Sally Hawkins) when we first meet her is that she has not just a great attitude about life and its cruelties that seem to pepper our daily existence but that she simply has the closest thing to Leibnizian optimism that hasn’t been seen since Voltaire’s novel Candide. Amazingly enough her joie de vivre doesn’t become annoying and isn’t obnoxious. Poppy knows how to navigate through any situation and instead of letting water find its lowest point she elevates everyone else around her. For the most part.

Now, she doesn’t suffer fools gladly, Leigh is smart and sharp enough to make Poppy a strong independent woman who doesn’t need anyone in her life to determine how she should feel, and she is equipped with the kind of humor that could be taken a few different ways. In one way, she is a bastion of delight to her friends who love her; she’s the kind of friend who would pick you up anywhere at any time. The other way her soulfully bright outlook on such mundane activities as learning how to drive a car is taken, judging by the reaction of her driving instructor, Scott (played with wicked precision by Eddie Marsan), Poppy acts like a life mirror for those she comes in contact and interacts with. To wit, her humor about things is genuinely meant to soothe, to trigger some sense of ease, but her very being reminds others who find themselves at rotten opposites to Poppy’s positivity that they are not good people. Again, it’s so simplistic to make the observation but for lack of a better metaphor she is like a walking piece of art; people have reactions to it, for good or bad, depending on how they interpret her.

Hawkins’ performance, as I heard one person explain, could be likened to the supposition of what it would be like if the jovial best friend in all the films that have come out in years past were given her own film. In a way that’s a perfectly apt comparison and one I would agree with up to the point where she stops, however brief, being the unstoppably positive person and comes to the aid of a young schoolboy who is getting beaten in the schoolyard. As a teacher she is unmistakably compassionate and the subsequent moments where we meet a social worker, Tim (Samuel Roukin), who comes in to talk to the child, I half expectedly waiting to have this movie turn into usual Hollywood territory where we learn there is something sinister afoot and this social worker guy and Poppy team up to get to the damn bottom of things, things end with Tim finding out the core of what’s wrong and then works off-camera to resolve the issue. It’s in the moment where Poppy shows her sensitivity as a human being, the dedication to the children who have been placed in her care, and Hawkins’ range as a sophisticated actress that understands her role and embraces all its facets. The way that Tim and Poppy come together, and how Tim responds quite favorably to Poppy’s embrace of life, seems perfectly believable in that Leigh earns the moment these two people share with one another.

Conversely, the same dedication and jovialness she displays in her classroom with the young kids she teaches during the week acts like an oppressive force as Scott sees Poppy in a complete and different way. Poppy’s humor and genialness is interpreted quite terrifyingly by Scott who has obvious emotional issues that at first don’t seem like they have anything to do with her. Poppy thinks the things that happen with Scott, for instance when he chats about the miserable students that he has to endure, are simply random. Scott makes his own misery and this is another aspect of Leigh’s movie that is so powerful; it’s not enough to just say “Be happy” but, Leigh seems to be saying, if I could be so bold as to make the assertion, your misery is your own making.

Life is hard and scraggly, yes, and there is a moment that Poppy has with a homeless man that is at the same time tense, scary and completely disarming, but there is just something uplifting about the moment when Poppy enters the homeless person’s world willingly to try and understand, to help. Again, she doesn’t suffer any fools gladly but the response she has to the events that happen to her is what makes this film so different than anything you’ll see this year. You want her to react in ways we’ve been condition to react to tense emotional situations but she gladly disappoints you every single time in taking not just the higher road but the road less taken by many people in the world. She is not the Pangloss from Candide of her day but, rather, Candide himself who eventually looks at the hardships that have happened in life and confesses he must, “cultivate her garden”; it’s the recognition that, yes, these things will happen, and very unpleasant things will continue to happen but let your good soul be the better person.

For sure, and as well, you have to credit the performances of Karina Fernandez who chews up screen time with an absolutely gripping scene as Poppy decides to take a flamenco dancing class and gets an introduction that no one has probably ever received and Stanley Townsend as a tramp who manages to shift the whole tone of the film for a few gripping moments.
###

Not Worth Revisiting: SALO by Raymond Schillaci

Some Movies You Don’t Have to See

Christopher played a cruel joke on me. He went to Borders and purchased the Criterion Collection of Salo, The 120 Days of Sodom, and dared me as a film lover to view it before him. He herald it with praise ““ of course, this is only hearsay ““ he was like a little lemming ready to jump off the cliff. Well, I saved his ass and suffered through 145 minutes of literal torture involving sodomizing, fecal obsession, rape, old men and women getting their rocks off with disgusting stories that could just about turn anyone’s stomach and that is just at a glimpse of this dispassionate piece of psuedo-art.

Why did I see this movie? Not to be unfair to Mel, but I felt the same way when I walked away from The Passion. Two hours of torture. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand the religious implications to “The Passion”. So to some (or many ““ the box office numbers prove that) there was a deep sincerity to it all that really needed no average story-telling techniques. But to those of us not of the religious persuasion it was an exercise in nausea. That is the only comparison that I will draw with those two movies. Many will see the redeeming value in “The Passion” while “Salo” is void of it.

Some movies should just not be made. You feel dirty afterwards and it ruins 2 hours of your life, if not more, for what it has done to your psyche. As well done as some of them may be, they manage to cross the taboo line that makes you feel how unnecessary these people are to the film community. Their talents wasted on something so vile, one wishes to burn the film and ask the artists to go back and create something more palatable. Now don’t get me wrong. I think you may know from some of my reviews that I appreciate deep and avant garde films. I have sung the praises of Jodorowsky, Scorsese and Lynch. But for the life of me I can’t understand anybody putting themselves through the likes of “Old Boy” “Pink Flamingos” or “Salo”. As far as who wins out most disturbing and voted closest to want to burn in hell ““ Salo takes the number 1 spot and so does Christopher and Criterion for aiding and abetting anyone to try an view this disturbing onslaught on the senses. This is not a movie for one to own, let alone rent.

I’m not in the minority on this one folks. Many have damned this film. Check out the reviews on Amazon.com. A few sickos out there have praised it as a masterpiece for its imagery and daring. I say, “Get a life!” We have seen similar imagery in films from past masters done much better. Any amateur film historian could recognize the influences of Kubrick, Fellini and perhaps Bergman. Yes, the decision to leave nothing to the imagination may be considered daring, but so was getting Divine to eat poodle shit in one disgusting take in “Pink Flamingos”. Is it art? I don’t think so.

This is a story from the Marque de Sade and has all the earmarks of his disgusting fetishes. This is a tale reveling in the history of four powerful fascists men in Northern Italy, during WWII, who kidnap eighteen young people (men & women) and put them through physical and emotional torture. The lucky ones commit suicide early while the others endure stomach-churning stories from perverted old men and women, brutal rape, eating and bathing in human excrement over and over again, detailed visceral torture and eventually death, only to have two young fascist men waltz to the sounds of agony.

There is no redeeming value to this film. It’s four lead characters start off repulsive and go downhill from there. This film makes “Eyes Wide Shut” & “Clockwork Orange” look like a piker for perversion. But those films actually had far more appeal. Yes, the film captures the decadence of the period, but who really wants to relive that. Some may argue the point that such films like “Platoon” or “Schindler’s List” have been labeled as masterpieces exposing atrocities set upon the human spirit. That is correct, but they also had a redeeming value that rose above the events themselves. Pasolini’s “Salo” has no desire to take what it may consider as the easy route. Instead it shoves your face into it, makes you feel like an outsider, forced to subject one’s self to the humility all the actors have put themselves through.

What a nightmare this movie is and I curse Criterion, Christopher and myself for the viewing displeasure. I urge all not to even rent this. And, if you are offered to see it for free, beat the hell out of the person who offers it to you. I have urged Christopher to shred this DVD and rid it from our lives. By the way, it took me 3 sittings to get through this atrocity. I now have to bath myself in lime and get a good spraying of Lysol. Maybe then I will feel half way human again.

God, I hope my family forgives me.

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EXCLUSIVE: Quick Stop Entertainment Screening of Changeling

Filed under: Contests — admin @ 11:47 pm

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

For those of you caught in the lonely desert wasteland that is the Southwest and wonder why those on east and west coast get all the early screenings I am here to say that you now have an advantage to be living in Bumwad, America.

I have passes galore for Angelina Jolie’s CHANGELING and it’s playing at 7:00 p.m. in Tucson (where my personal favorites CAN’T FIND ME LOVE and REVENGE OF THE NERDS was filmed), Albequerque (where one this year’s best comedies, HAMLET 2, was put to celluloid) and Phoenix (RAISING ARIZONA, anyone?).

So, come one, come all and if you want a pass just shoot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com. It’s as easy as that.

Here’s the synopsis for those who don’t know:

Clint Eastwood directs Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich in a provocative thriller based on actual events: Changeling. In the film, Christine Collins’ (Jolie) prayers are met when her kidnapped son is returned. But amidst the frenzy of the photo-op reunion, she realizes this child is not hers. Facing corrupt police and a skeptical public, she desperately hunts for answers, only to be confronted by a truth that will change her forever.

Los Angeles, 1928: On a Saturday morning in a working-class suburb, Christine said goodbye to her son, Walter, and left for work. When she came home, she discovered he had vanished. A fruitless search ensues, and months later, a boy claiming to be the nine-year-old is returned. Dazed by the swirl of cops, reporters and her conflicted emotions, Christine allows him to stay overnight. But in her heart, she knows he is not Walter.

As she pushes authorities to keep looking, she learns that in Prohibition-era L.A., women don’t challenge the system and live to tell their story. Slandered as delusional and unfit, Christine finds an ally in activist Reverend Briegleb (Malkovich), who helps her fight the city to look for her missing boy. Based on the actual incident that rocked California’s legal system, Changeling tells the shocking tale of a mother’s quest to find her son, and those who won’t stop until they silence her.

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Weekend Shopping Guide 10/24/08: World Knowledge!

Filed under: Shopping Guides — UncaScroogeMcD @ 11:24 pm

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…

As dense as a diamond and just as exquisite, the second volume of world knowledge written by the world’s FOREMOST EXPERT on ALL THAT IS KNOWABLE (if not factual) and the possessor of soft hands and a baby’s face (the former per our handshake, the latter per Ricky Gervais), John Hodgman, is now available for purchase from your favorite book emporium. More Information Than You Require (Dutton, $25.00 SRP) picks up where The Areas Of My Expertise left off – literally – and presents the reader (us) with learned knowings rare, surreal, useful, and useless, as well as 700 Mole Men (one of which bears a familiar name) and CHARTS! Lots and lots of CHARTS! How can you not want this book? THERE ARE CHARTS!

It may have an unfortunate name, but I can’t stop playing around with my Ball of Whacks ($29.99). It’s not really a puzzle, it’s not really a game – it’s just a fun, thought-provoking, creative diversion in the form of a geodesic ball comprised of 30 pyramidal pieces (with 180 internal rare earth magnets) that you can rearrange however you’d like. It’s fun.

How time flies. It was announced that the 6th volume of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$64.98 SRP) would be the last before the Looney Tunes collections morph into a new form, and they’ve certainly gone out with a bang. Literally, as it turns out, since most of the cartoons are those produced during World War II, many of which are rarely – if ever – seen on TV nowadays due to issues with ethnic stereotyping. The cartoons are presented here in their historical context, and the set is a must-have for animation aficionados. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, a spotlight on vocal legend Mel Blanc, 2 Looney tunes TV specials, rarities from the vaults, and more. As usual, for those just wanting to show cartoons to the kids without the bonus goodies, there’s the stripped down Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 6 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). And no, none of the controversial shorts are on the kid-friendly set.

There are some flaws here and there, but I was incredibly impressed with The Incredible Hulk (Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$34.98 SRP). Whoda thunk that, oh, just being faithful to the character and its history would be the right way to go? WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT SUCH A BIZARRE NOTION WOULD BE TRUE? You know, besides intelligent people who aren’t Avi Arad or Tom Rothman. This flick erases the abysmal Ang Lee Hulk from memory, and sets a redo template I can only hope will soon be applied to Fox’s bastardized Fantastic Four and X-Men. The 3-disc special edition features an audio commentary, deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, and more.

As of fan of Kevin Smith’s live performances (captured in the two previous Evening With… sets), I find it quite a feat that his latest – Sold Out: A Threevening With Kevin Smith (Genius, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) – accomplishes the not-so-small feat of being even more enjoyable than what’s come before. Recorded on his birthday in his hometown of Red Bank, NJ, the Q&A/performance turned into a marathon session that’s been condensed down to a solid almost 4 hour cut. If that weren’t enough, the 2-disc set is loaded with over an hour of deleted scenes.

It was only a matter of time before the classic James Bond flicks made their high definition debut, and we’ve got a clutch of 6 to ring in the holiday season. You can whet your Blu-Ray Bond appetite with the fully restored Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Thunderball, For Your Eyes Only, Live & Let Die, and Die Another Day (MGM, Rated PG, Blu-Ray-$34.98 SRP each). While all of the bonus features are basically those found on the previous standard DVD special edition sets, many of the documentaries have been remastered in high definition. By all means – fire up the player, pull over the ottoman, and have yourself a mini-marathon.

As the classic films are hitting Blu-Ray and Quantum Of Solace is about to hit theaters, Daniel Craig’s first turn as James Bond gets a radically updated spin with a 3-disc Collector’s Edition of Casino Royale (Sony, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.95 SRP). The new bonus features include a pair of commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, storyboard sequences, and more – in addition to the original releases special features. A Blu-Ray edition ($38.96 SRP) is also available, with the same bonus materials – you know, just so your Bond Blu-Ray shelf won’t be incomplete.

Ah, but that’s not the only version of Casino Royale in existence – the swinging 60’s version of Casino Royale (MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) gets a 40th anniversary edition with a new audio commentary, a making-of documentary, the original theatrical trailer, and a photo gallery.

Round out your big Bond weekend with the musical journey The Best Of Bond… James Bond (Capitol, $24.98 SRP) – the latest in a long line of compilations featuring the pop title tunes from the Bond series. This one ups the game by adding a previously unreleased version of the “James Bond Theme” by John Arnold, plus a bonus DVD featuring 6 music videos and a documentary on the Music of Bond.

Following up their circumnavigatory trip in Long Way Round, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman take to their bikes again for a more vertical trip in Long Way Down (EMI, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), which finds them traveling from Britain to Cape Town. Naturally, they encounter just as many obstacles as before – and many fascinating people and places. The 3-disc set features all 10 episodes, plus additional footage, a photo gallery, route maps, and a documentary about their first trip to Africa.

Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd was originally supposed to make it to high-definition earlier this year – but it was slotted for the now-deceased HD-DVD format. You can now get it in spiffy Blu-Ray (Paramount, Rated R, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP), containing all the same bonus features as the standard release, but in HD.

It’s time to mark another TV show off the list, as the fifth and final season of The Incredible Hulk (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) makes its way to DVD. The 2-disc set features all seven episodes, plus a retrospective featurette with the creator Kenneth Johnson, and a gag reel.

It’s low budget and quirky, and that’s probably why I enjoyed Birds Of America (First Look, Rated R, DVD-$28.98 SRP), which focuses on a quirky family (Matthew Perry, Ginnifer Goodwin, & Ben Foster) and the stresses of sibling relations. Think of it as a more accessible Royal Tenenbaums. Give it a spin.

I have a good friend who has been eagerly anticipating the release of U2’s legendary live performance at the famous Red Rocks amphitheater… And he’s been waiting for years, and years, and years, as the release was bogged down in a seemingly unfixable legal kerfuffle. Well, something must have happened, because U2: Under A Blood Red Sky (Universal, $34.98 SRP) is finally available, featuring a DVD of the Red Rocks concert, as well as the live album. My friend can finally rest easy.

Though you would expect Neil Young’s film about the Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young “Freedom Of Speech Tour”, DÃ©jÃ Vu (Lionsgate, Rated R, DVD-$14.98 SRP), to be a nostalgia piece, it’s actually a poignant portrait of a band in search of relevance, and also confronting their age and dwindling vocal skills. The latter part of that assessment isn’t really addressed in the film, but it’s all I could think about while watching it. Thankfully, though, they aren’t as bad as CSN was during their recent Colbert Report appearance. Bonus features include music videos and the film’s trailer.

The Disney Channel can keep their creepy Jonas troika, as Nickelodeon sports the much wilder, crazier, and younger Naked Brothers Band (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP), whose complete second season is now available. The 2-disc set features all 10 episodes, plus featurettes, music videos, and more.

New faces! More cat fights! More greed! The 80’s are still alive in the second volume of Dynasty: Season 3 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$35.98 SRP). The 3-disc set features all 12 episodes, and more than enough hair-pulling and snarkniness to fill your cup.

If Two And A Half Men is TV comfort food, then According To Jim (Lionsgate, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) must be the box of Pizza Rolls you secretly microwave in the dead of night, and whose box you hide in the trash. And, like all secret shames, it persists to this day. You can, however, now own the complete first season on DVD. The 4-disc set features all 22 episodes, plus audio commentaries, interviews, featurettes, and a gag reel.

Well, when you’ve got a title like My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP), you pretty much know what to expect… Ponies. And Christmas. And minty-ness. And there’s also a My Little Pony holiday figurine. The perfect gift for my little cousin.

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

-Ken Plume

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Win ANIMAL HOUSE on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 3:39 am

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Universal Home Video, five (5) copies of ANIMAL HOUSE: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, October 30th.

CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

Official Rules

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

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, October 30th.

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

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Cabin Fever #45: Scotch Mist

Filed under: Cabin Fever — UncaScroogeMcD @ 3:07 am

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

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

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

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

Hugs and Kisses,
Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy

CABIN FEVER #45: Scotch Mist – Our dynamic duo are once again joined by everyone’s favourite Irish lass, and together they tackle and taste test some traditional Scottish treats. Ireland’s recent political turmoil also gets a mention, plus there’s some musical goodies from the cabin crew themselves. Additional music is provided by 1,000 Hours.

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

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Episode #45 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_45.mp3]

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES

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October 21, 2008

Masters Of Song Fu #2: Final Challenge Voting Begins!

Filed under: Masters Of Song Fu — UncaScroogeMcD @ 11:52 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 brand new form of creative combat here at the Stop. You’ll find the very first of these competitions here.

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

ROUND 1 CHALLENGE

This is going to seem to be a rather straightforward challenge to kick off our second Song Fu competition. In actuality, it’s a pretty darn interesting way to give people a sense of just what your songwriting personality and style is. We’re taking a cue from a fellow named Paul Simon…

Your first challenge is to WRITE A SONG ABOUT THE MOON.

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

ROUND 2 CHALLENGE

Your challenge is to choose a famous inventor and craft a song proposing a “dance craze” based on either the inventor or one of his/her most well known inventions. For an idea of what we’re looking for, here’s a song proposing the ill-fated “Lurch”…

Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

Your votes were tallied, and the top two Challengers from Round 2 moved on to battle head-to-head in ROUND 3…

ROUND 3 CHALLENGE

For this Challenge, not only are we going to provide you with a theme and style, but we’re also going to give you the title. Your task is to write a song that utilizes all of the provided elements.

For this Round, we’re paying homage to the country balladeer greats ““ people like Jerry Reed, Waylon Jennings, and Roger Miller. Your task is to write a country ballad – using a backstory of your own creation ““ called “The Ballad of Rufus Amos Adams”.

Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.

Well, you voted on the Round 3 Challenge HERE. You chose one Master and one Challenger to battle head-to-head in the final challenge…

FINAL CHALLENGE

THE SONG FROM (aka 70’s Cinema Pop): For this final duel between Master and Challenger, you must envision a world in which composer John Williams was never hired to write the now-iconic scores for the Lucas and Spielberg films of the 1970’s (JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, 1941, and STAR WARS). Imagine instead that the filmmakers decided to go with that other staple of the 70’s – a tailor-made pop tune. Think THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE’s “The Morning After (The Song From THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE)”, which you’ll find below. You must choose one of those 1970’s Williams-scored Spielberg/Lucas flicks and write “The Song From…” that the film never had, in the style of a 1970’s pop tune (particularly in your instrumentation).

The song must be at least 1min 45sec, and must be an original creation.

[flashvideo filename=”http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/02song4/maureen_mcgovern-the_morning_after.mp3″ width=”460″ height=”20″ /]

And now, their fate will be determined by you, as you vote for the winner of our 2nd MASTERS OF SONG FU. You’ll find the Final Songs below, followed by the voting form…

MASTERS OF SONG FU

THE RIFFTONES

You know ’em as the RiffTrax trio, but here at Song Fu they are the mighty RiffTones…

MICHAEL J. NELSON – Michael J. Nelson is the creator of Rifftrax.com, and is the former host and head writer of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000. Since that time, he has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned a regular column for TV Guide, and authored best-selling books for both HarperCollins and Abrams.

His first book, Mike Nelson’s Movie Megacheese, thrilled critics, including Richard Schickel of Time Magazine, who said of Mike, “He’s more fun than a barrel of Val Kilmers… Smarter than a roomful of Patrick Swayzes… and almost as hilarious as Keanu Reeves.” Mike’s laugh-out-loud follow-up, Mind Over Matters, prompted Kirkus Reviews to enthuse, “From someplace called Minnesota comes a Nelson funnier than Ozzie, Ricky, Lord or Half,” and even dared to compare him to another legendary writer, saying of his Serious Speech to Business People, “[It] could easily precede [Robert] Benchley’s immortal Treasurer’s Report.” And Kirkus Reviews loved his novel, Death Rat!, saying, “Fast-paced, outrageous and funny, first-novelist Nelson’s mockery of media mendacity is as biting as La Dolce Vita or Network – only funnier!”

Mike speaks all over the country, is a frequent guest on radio and television, and along with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy sells out theaters with his RiffTrax Live events.

KEVIN MURPHY – “I’m probably best known for portraying that ol’ squat loveable bubble-headed robot Tom Servo on Mystery Science Theater 3000. In fact I’m the only member of the cast and crew to have worked on every single episode of the series, probably because I tend to like everybody. I also got to sing at the drop of a hat and collaborated with the lovely, leggy Mike Nelson on many of the show’s songs.

Right now I’m back with Mike and Bill for www.rifftrax.com , where once again we sit in close proximity to each other and make fun of movies; unfortunately we don’t write a lot of songs… yet. To exercise my musical jollies I occasionally write and record solo and with family members, under the name The Revolutionary Communist Mountain Boys. Oh, and I’m also writing my first comic book series, symptomatic of my terminal case of Adult-onset Geekdom.

BILL CORBETT – Beloved by literally billions of people, Bill Corbett is a former writer for Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the Sci-Fi Channel, and previously on Comedy Central. He was also a performer on the show, providing the second incarnation of the robot Crow and embarrassing himself in grand fashion as other strange characters – including the all-powerful but clueless alien The Observer, a.k.a. “Brain Guy.” Bill has always been an amateur musician (cough cough HACK cough cough), performing with garage-less garage bands, and writing / performing songs for MST3K – including the beloved-by-literally-trillions CANADA SONG. He now works with former MST3K colleagues Michael J. Nelson and Kevin Murphy at Rifftrax.com.

Corbett is also a screenwriter and playwright. His plays have been produced at numerous theaters across the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and (seriously) Japan. He wasn’t able to attend the latter, but assumes it was a live-manga concept.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Corbett currently spends a lot of time in Los Angeles partying into the wee hours with stars like Skeet Ulrich, Harry Hamlin, and the late Red Buttons. But he actually lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife Virginia, their two young children, and a small Jack Russell Terrier who really runs the house.

He hopes someday to raise alpacas.

Official Website: www.rifftrax.com

FINAL CHALLENGE SONG: “Love Theme from JAWS (When a Man Loves a Shark)”
ROUND 3 SONG: “(The Ballad Of) Rufus Amos Adams”
ROUND 2 SONG: “Do The Ballpoint!”
ROUND 1 SONG: “Moon Shine“

THE CHALLENGERS

JASON MORRIS

I suppose I am what you could call a “Multi-Instrumentalist”. That is a nice way of saying “Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none”. I began playing drums as a teenager and spent a great deal of energy during my 20’s trying to “make it” in the music biz. As a drummer, I have had the opportunity to play with some pretty incredible musicians, garnering literally DOZENS of fans over the years. In 2004 I joined the band Celestial Static, and spent several years melting some face with good friends Jeremy and Julie Elzerman. Once that ran its course, I decided to spend more time locked away in my studio, writing my own songs and learning to play guitar, bass and sing. It doesn’t pay the bills, but I have a good time doing it.

Official Website: www.jason-morris.com

FINAL CHALLENGE SONG: “Take Me Home (The Song from CLOSE ENCOUNTERS)”
ROUND 3 SONG: “The Ballad Of Rufus Amos Adams”
ROUND 2 SONG: “The O’Sullivan Stomp”
ROUND 1 SONG: “The Universe Outsourced The Moon“

[display_podcast]

FINAL CHALLENGE VOTING

And now, it’s time for that all important voting, where you’ll decide who has shown the most Fu in the final challenge. This person will not only win the remarkable (and potentially off-putting) bragging rights and a clutch of fantastic mystery prizes, but also become the proud owner of the magnificent, one-of-a-kind MASTER OF SONG FU TROPHY, designed and handcrafted by [adult swim] superstar Dana Snyder. Please remember, you can only vote FOR ONE song – so choose very carefully. You may only vote once, so make it count. VOTING CLOSES AT 11:59pm EST on MONDAY, OCTOBER 27th.

[poll id=”11″]

Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

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Win THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM: SEASON 2 VOLUME 1 on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 10:46 pm

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Cartoon Network Home Video, five (5) copies of THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM: SEASON 2 VOLUME 1 on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, October 29th.

CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

Official Rules

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

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, October 29th.

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

Comments (1)

Win BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE – SEASON 1 VOLUME 1 on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 10:36 pm

We’re giving away, in conjunction with Cartoon Network Home Video, five (5) copies of BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE – SEASON 1 VOLUME 1 on DVD.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, October 29th.

CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!

Official Rules

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

No Purchase necessary to win.

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

One entry per day, per person.

All submitted entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, October 29th.

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

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Bagged & Boarded 6: Short Term Memory Loss Lane

Filed under: Bagged & Boarded — UncaScroogeMcD @ 3:19 am

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 #6: Short Term Memory Loss Lane – In which Matt and Jesse wax nostalgic (in a very nostalgic way) about childhood sitcoms, favorite cartoons, and the 1980’s in general. Jump in the wayback, kids…

[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 #06 (MP3 format)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/baggedboarded/bagged_boarded-06.mp3]

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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

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Win THE MICHAEL PALIN COLLECTION on DVD!

Filed under: Contests — UncaScroogeMcD @ 3:08 am

We’re giving away, in conjunction with BBC Home Video, one (1) MICHAEL PALIN COLLECTION BOX SET on DVD – featuring the documentaries HEMINGWAY ADVENTURE/GREAT RAILWAY JOURNEYS, FULL CIRCLE, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, POLE TO POLE, SAHARA, HIMALAYA, and NEW EUROPE. We’re also giving away 5 sets of the new-to-DVD Palin documentaries HEMINGWAY ADVENTURE/GREAT RAILWAY JOURNEYS and FULL CIRCLE.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, October 28th.

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 Tuesday, October 28th.

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

Comments (7)

Toy Box: Professor McGonagall – Gentle Giant Mini-Bust

Filed under: Toy Box — admin @ 1:48 am

Harry Potter fans were severely disappointed this year when the 6th movie in the series, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, was delayed until the summer of 2009. The writer’s strike created a large gap for many of the studios in the spring/summer period of ’09, and several studios have pushed ’08 films out to help fill the void.

But I doubt the delay well quell the anticipation, and the previews show a much darker film, following the much darker feel of the books. And once again, Professor Minerva McGonagall will play a key role. We haven’t been treated to a while lot of McGongagall collectibles, although you can pick up her wand through the Noble Collections.

Gentle Giant might not be producing a lot more of their Harry Potter mini-busts (rumors abound of possible cancellations), but they’ve managed to release their version of Professor McGonagall. It’s a fairly limited edition, even by Potter bust standards, with just 1400 produced. You can pick her up for around $40 – $50, depending on the retailer.

Professor McGonagall – Gentle Giant mini-bust

It is only right that we finally have a bust of McGonagall, as she’s really the third most critical professor in Harry’s life, after Dumbledore and Snape. Gentle Giant has had some trouble turning in good Harry Potter female likenesses though, so it was with some trepidation that I opened the box…

Packaging – ***1/2
Gentle Giant has done a good job with the rather basic color scheme allowed them by the licensor. They also have the window here, allowing you to see the bust before purchasing, at least if you’re lucky enough to find it in an actual store. The boxes are easy to store, keep the bust very well protected, and include the edition number on the bottom. And of course, there’s the usual baseball card style Certificate of Authenticity.

Sculpting – ***1/2
One of the nice things about the McGonagall character is that Maggie Smith is allowed to play a woman that looks her age, rather than a woman that looks like she’s desperately trying to be 20 again. There aren’t a lot of roles in Hollywood that allow older women to actually BE older, but Mcgonagall is one of them.

Gentle Giant captured the look of the dear Professor quite well, and there’s certainly no mistaking her. The fine detail in the wisdom of her face is present, and the scale and proportions of the hat, body, head and limbs is quite good. I’m particularly happy that they included the robe pattern, sculpted and not just painted. That sort of texture lends a lot to the look of these mini-busts, and too often it’s missing.

All that being said, I did have one issue with the sculpt. They gave her a downward gaze…a VERY downward gaze. In fact, you’ll need to display this bust on a shelf well above eye level if you want her to be looking at you when you’re looking at her. Otherwise, she’ll be checking you out south of the border, if you know what I mean. Had they simply tilted her head back a bit, or brought the gaze up a little, or both, the sculpt would have been just about perfect for me.

Paint – ***
From early photos of this piece, my biggest concerns were around the paint. Bad paint could ruin the sculpt, and Gentle Giant, like many companies right now, has had their issues with paint lately. Early photos tended to use flash though, washing out her already pale appearance, and once I had her in hand I found that it wasn’t nearly as bad of an issue as I’d feared.

That’s not to say that the paint work is outstanding, though. It still is a little paler and flatter than I’d like, giving the sculpt less life than it should have. There’s a little slop here and there, and the eyes have that lifeless doll quality that can so hurt a great sculpt. She’s decent, but she’s no Bellatrix Lestrange.

Design – ***
We’ve never seen Minerva too active in any of the films…yet. And so this slightly reserved, contemplative look works fine for her character. It’s not as dynamic as some of their previous busts, but that works just fine in context.

I’m knocking off a bit here though too because of the downward stare. It really is the major issue in an otherwise solid effort.

Value – ***
While other collectibles have been skyrocketing, Gentle Giant has managed to keep the busts down around $45 – $50 at most retailers. That’s where I’m grading this one, and at an edition size of just 1400, she’s a better than average deal.

Things to Watch Out For –
Not much. Clearly you won’t want to go banging her against the wall. And if you do want to, then you’re one sick little puppy.

Overall – ***
While the paint is a bit too pale, and the downward gaze a tad annoying, the bust is an overall good addition to the line up. She doesn’t have any of the serious issues of some past releases, and will end up in the middle of the pack for most folks.

While there are three more announced busts to come in early ’09, they are more variants of the three kids. If it does turn out that McGonagall is the last of the non-Harry/Hermione/Ron busts, at least we’ve managed to get a nice collection of the majority if key characters in the movies. Oh, there’s a few more I’d really like to have, but that will always be true.

Where to Buy –
There’s some great online options if your LCS doesn’t carry her:

– Urban Collectors has her for $45.

– Andrew’s Toyz has her listed at $49.

– Things from Another World has her in stock at $49.50.

– Past Generation Toys has her at $50.

– Entertainment Earth has her at $55.

Related Links –
I believe I’ve reviewed the entire Gentle Giant Harry Potter line so far…with maybe one or two early exceptions:

– the last one was of the regular and transforming Lupin.

– another set of ‘twins’ was the Weasleys.

– I’ve covered others including light up Harry, Cho Chang, Luna Lovegood, Draco Malfoy, Merperson mini-bust, Voldemort, Hagrid and Mad Eye Moody, Ron and Hermione, Snape and Dumbledore, Dobby and Dementor, and a guest review of Harry and Sirius.

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