Author: UncaScroogeMcD

  • Win CHUCK: SEASON 1 on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, three (3) copies of CHUCK: SEASON 1 on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, September 24th.

    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, September 24th.

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

  • Bagged & Boarded 1: Race Relations

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

    Are they heroes?

    No.

    Are they geniuses?

    Far from it.

    Are they the future of this planet?

    I sure hope not.

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

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    BAGGED & BOARDED #1: Race Relations – In which Matt and Jesse introduce themselves to the world, discuss the sensitive subject of race (very sensitively), and chat about Ghostbusters 3, the Academy Awards, childhood fears, and Native Americans. Oh, it’s about to get real…

    [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 #01 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/baggedboarded/bagged_boarded-01.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE BAGGED & BOARDED ARCHIVES

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  • Win WEIRD SCIENCE, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, and SIXTEEN CANDLES on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Universal Home Video, five (5) copies each of the new High School Flashback editions of WEIRD SCIENCE, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, and SIXTEEN CANDLES on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, September 22nd.

    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, September 22nd.

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

  • Win AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: THE PRESIDENTS Box Set on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: THE PRESIDENTS Box Set on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, September 22nd.

    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, September 22nd.

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

  • QUICK STOP EXCLUSIVE: Teaser Trailer From Terry Gilliam’s THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS!

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    Terry Gilliam

    How would you like a bit of a teaser glimpse of the wonders Terry Gilliam has planned for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus?

    Below, you’ll find a very special message from Terry, as well as a look at some of the production designs and artwork for the film. Currently in post-production, Parnassus should be arriving at a theater near you sometime in 2009. Until then, though, we share this little peek behind the scenes.

    You can visit the official Doctor Parnassus website at www.doctorparnassus.com, where you can sign up to receive news about the film.

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

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

    To that end, we launched a 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. Here’s the Round 1 Challenge…

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    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.

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    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…

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    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.

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    You’ll find the Round 2 Masters and Challengers songs below, followed by the voting form for you to choose your favorite Challenger and Master for this round.

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    MASTERS OF SONG FU

    For this edition of Song Fu, we’re bringing in three (well, 6, 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:

    JONATHAN COULTON

    songfu-01.jpgJonathan Coulton on Jonathan Coulton: “In 2005 I left my day job writing software to pursue music full time. To keep myself busy I released a new song on this website every week for a year in a project called Thing a Week. A few of those songs became big internet hits (my folky cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”, a funny video called “Flickr”, a song called “Code Monkey”), and I am now fortunate enough to make my living as a musician.

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

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

    UNFORTUNATELY, JONATHAN HAD TO DROP OUT OF THIS ROUND OF SONG FU DUE TO THE IMPENDING ARRIVAL OF A NEW FAMILY MEMBER. CONGRATS!

    Official Website: www.jonathancoulton.com

    ROUND 1 SONG:Always The Moon

    PAUL & STORM

    songfu-02.jpgPaul and Storm are a comedy music duo, and they have been performing as a duo since 2004. Before that, they were one half of a cappella band Da Vinci’s Notebook for about 12 years. A Paul and Storm show is part music concert and part standup/improv comedy”β€œjust enough of both to fit neatly in neither category. They like to engage the audience, and are known to award snack cakes and/or other prizes for good (and sometimes bad) behavior. Their show would be PERFECT as a cable special, and would make lots of money for whichever brave channel decides to air them first.

    Official Website: www.paulandstorm.com

    ROUND 2 SONG:Me Make Fire
    ROUND 1 SONG:Cruel, Cruel Moon

    THE RIFFTONES

    songfu-rifftones.jpgYou 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

    ROUND 2 SONG:Do The Ballpoint!
    ROUND 1 SONG:Moon Shine

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    THE CHALLENGERS

    JEFF MacDOUGALL

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

    UNFORTUNATELY, JEFF HAD TO ALSO DROP OUT OF THIS ROUND OF SONG FU DUE TO THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW FAMILY MEMBER. CONGRATS, AS WELL!

    Official Website: www.jeffmacdougall.com

    ROUND 1 SONG:At The Moon

    RUN AT THE DOG

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

    Official Website: myspace.com/runatthedog

    ROUND 2 SONG:Do The APGAR Score
    ROUND 1 SONG:Noon Moon

    JASON MORRIS

    songfu-jasonmorris.jpgI 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

    ROUND 2 SONG:The O’Sullivan Stomp
    ROUND 1 SONG:The Universe Outsourced The Moon

    “BUCKETHAT” BOBBY MATHESON

    songfu-buckethatbobby.jpg“BucketHat” Bobby Matheson is an awkward teenage accordionist and multi-instrumentalist who specializes in superhero-themed and “Comedy” music, and who works for minimum wage in the fast food industry. With his style varying from polka to folk, punk to pop, and then again from rock to bluegrass, we’re left unsure what to expect. One thing for certain is that Bobby doesn’t like talking about himself in the third person, and therefore will stop this silliness right now.

    Official Website: www.myspace.com/buckethatbobby

    ROUND 2 SONG:Do The Marconi
    ROUND 1 SONG:I Hate The Moon

    STEVE CHATTERTON

    songfu-stevechatterton.jpgSteve Chatterton is an independent musician living in the suburbs of Toronto. Known primarily for his jingle work on local television and his electronic project 11t1, he’s now putting all of his musical efforts into the ever-elusive self-titled singer-songwriter recording project he’s been wanting to get around to since he was 10-years-old and had just discovered The Beatles. Steve is an honors graduate of the jazz guitar program at Mohawk College, and has since performed in a wide array of bands that nobody has ever heard of. After retiring from performing to concentrate on raising his kids, he’s recently put together his own basement studio and has set a personal goal of producing at least one song a month.

    Official Website: music.stevechatterton.com

    ROUND 2 SONG:Do The Reichelt
    ROUND 1 SONG:Someday (You’ll See)

    NATE SHIVERS

    songfu-nateshivers.jpgFun, Zesty, Acoustic, Energetic, Crunchy. Some of these words describe the Baritone-Ukulele-wielding N8 Shivers (the others describe Taco Bell’s newest food-like invention). He began writing songs at the age of two, and taught himself to play the uke a mere 17 years later. N8’s Family members claim he’s the best uke-playing song writer they’re related to. He enjoys Stand-up Comedy, Coen Brothers movies, Chilly sandwiches, and Canadian sitcoms. His Turn-offs include Banana Flavored Things, Republicans, and Mountain Dew. N8 is currently employed as a Wizard in southern Ohio.

    Official Website: www.myspace.com/ncomma8

    ROUND 2 SONG:Doomsday Shuffle
    ROUND 1 SONG:Hide

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    ROUND 2 VOTING

    And now, it’s time for that all important voting, where you’ll decide which 2 Challengers get to move on to Round 3 – the winner of which will move on to face the Master who has accumulated the most votes in All 3 Challenges. Please remember, you can only vote FOR ONE song – so choose very carefully. Also, be sure to vote for your favorite song from our reigning Masters of Song Fu – Paul & Storm or The RiffTones. You may only vote once, so make it count. VOTING CLOSES AT 11:59pm EST on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th.

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    ROUND 2 VOTING – THE CHALLENGERS

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    ROUND 2 VOTING – THE MASTERS

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

    Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

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  • Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #60: A-Ramblin’

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

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

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

    VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

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    KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #60: A-Ramblin’ – Ken & Dana return with a far-ranging treatise on this and that, including catching up on just where their travels have taken them, a journey into the recent past, a smidge of banter, and more…

    [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 #60 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-60.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

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  • Weekend Shopping Guide 9/12/08: The Cool Hand Man

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

    Sporting a brand new digital transfer with a full restoration, Paul Newman’s legendary performance as Cool Hand Luke (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) gets a brand new special edition featuring an audio commentary from historian/Newman biographer Eric Lax, a brand-new documentary, and the theatrical trailer. If this film is not yet in your library, rectify that.

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    I admit – when I first saw The Big Lebowski (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), it left me cold. Real cold. Then, a few years later, I watched it again – and it grew on me. For some, though, it’s become a cult flick of mass proportions, and that’s probably why we have a new 2-disc special edition with an introduction, a making-of, featurettes, a retrospective, Jeff Bridges’ photo book, and more.

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    Every once in a while, a truly spectacular, must-have catalogue release makes its way to DVD. Add to that exclusive list the Ultimate Collector’s edition of the Cinerama epic How The West Was Won (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). Meticulously restored and remastered, the 3-disc special edition features a new commentary, a documentary on the film’s Cinerama experience, the theatrical trailer, a reproduction of the original souvenir book, photo cards, and a reproduction of the original pressbook. Truly stunning, and a requirement for any film library.

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    It may not have much of an edge, but I couldn’t help but enjoy Baby Mama (Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Maybe it’s because it stars the crushable Tina Fey as a too-busy executive whose ringing biological clock and inability to get pregnant prompt her to get a surrogate (Amy Poehler) who may not exactly be on the up and up. It also features John Hodgman as a doctor. So worth it. Bonus features include a making-of, an alternate ending, an SNL featurette, deleted scenes, and more.

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    Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles return Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and Richard Devere in To The Manor Born: Silver Anniversary Special (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP). It’s 25 years later, and the couple find their relationship strained when Richard reveals a long-held secret. Best of all, unlike most of these kind of revisitation specials, this actually has the spirit and fun of the original run. The disc contains a making-of featurette.

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    The penultimate 7th season of Wings (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) pretty much maintains the affable level of comedy that the show featured right from the start, with a great little ensemble that pretty much carries the day. The 4-disc set features all 26 episodes, but not a single bonus feature in sight.

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    I had complete forgotten that Smallville (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP) was still running. Seriously. We’re already to season 7? And Supergirl has arrived? Well, I’ll be. The 6-disc set features all 20 episodes, plus a pair of audio commentaries, unaired scenes, featurettes, a gallery, and more.

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    The new animated series The Spectacular Spider-Man gets a direct-to-DVD feature of it’s own, Attack Of The Lizard (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$19.94 SRP), pitting the web-slinger against not only the Lizard, but also Electro, the Vulture, and The Enforcers. The DVD also sports a music video.

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    Not only is Horatio Caine (David Caruso) dealing with more mysteries on the job in season six of CSI Miami (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$79.99 SRP), but his home life takes the stage as well, including having to do battle with the mother of his son and a woman from out of the past. The 6-disc box set features all 21 episodes, plus a pair of commentaries and a quartet of featurettes.

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    In the 4th season of Grey’s Anatomy (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP), the cracks began to show, as the soapy aspects became – well, boring. How do I know this became a serious problem? Even my sister – a die-hard fan – lost interest. The 5-disc box set features all 17 extended episodes, plus audio commentaries, featurettes, unaired scenes, outtakes, and more.

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    If you’ve got kids, you’ve probably seen too much of Dora the Explorer. With the newly released Dora The Explorer: Party Favorites CD (Nickelodeon/Sony BMG, $11.98 SRP), you can now hear just as much, with 16 peppy tunes that will probably be on endless repeat in the family minivan.

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    What could have been a cringe-worthy disaster was actually a fun, funny little show that I was more than happy to show my nephew. I speak of the first season of The Sylvester And Tweety Mysteries (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP), which finds Granny, Hector, and the cat/bird duo travelling the world and solving mysteries. Really. The 2-disc set features all 13 first season episodes.

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    The sophomore outing of Ugly Betty (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) stumbled a bit, as the focus of the show began to drift from Betty to the supporting cast – which, granted, is not altogether a bad thing. The 5-disc box set features all 18 episodes, plus deleted scenes and a clutch of featurettes.

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

    -Ken Plume

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  • Cabin Fever #39: Allskate

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

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

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

    Enjoy! And we hope our cross Atlantic friends can understand the Irish accent πŸ˜‰

    Hugs and Kisses,
    Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy

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    CABIN FEVER #39: Allskate – pHitzy has returned to Jay Edwards’s loft in an attempt to rescue his friend Aaron Poole from the clutches of the vile gangster Dana the Snyde. Joining in on the proceedings are friends of the show Jeff Defalque, Ashley Zelzter, and – of course – Mr. Jay Wade Edwards…

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

    DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
    Episode #39 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_39.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES

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  • Interview: Randy Newman

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    -by Tim Williams

    If you only know songwriter Randy Newman as the man who does gleeful tunes for Pixar flicks, or from parodies of him on the Family Guy and Mad TV, you’d do yourself well to pick up the new CD, Harps and Angels. The current collection of Newman’s personal work (his first in nine years) proves he’s lost none of the acerbic wit that made him a wicked response to the sunny bellbottomed singer songwriters of the ’70s. With albums like 12 Songs, Sail Away, and Rednecks, Newman crafted perfect three-minute character studies that delved into the twisted lives of bigots, barflies, and blowhards, while later works like Little Criminals and Trouble in Paradise produced one huge hit, “Short People,” and a maddeningly catchy piece of anthem rock, “I Love L.A” (an early MTV favorite).

    Today Newman earns the big bucks for memorable soundtracks like The Natural, Toy Story, and Leatherheads, but it’s the release of Angels that has longtime fans buzzing and Newman talking,

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    KP: The new album is great. I’ve often wondered if you put things aside when you’re working on movie soundtracks, that you want to keep for a personal project like Harps and Angels, or if you actually sit down and write a set of songs for an album…

    NEWMAN: B – I go in there and say “I’m going to give ten weeks to writing songs for a record,” or whatever it ends up taking.

    KP: Do you ever have song fragments that hang around?

    NEWMAN: Yeah, sometimes. I’ve got a few things now that maybe I’ll finish, but usually when I don’t continue with a song I had some kind of reason, like because it wasn’t going anywhere.

    KP: You think you’ll put out a new album quicker this time?

    NEWMAN: I swear I will – I have to. There are people who like me a lot, and I know they have other things going on in their lives, but I haven’t done enough. I mean, it’s not like I’m working on Brahms’ First Symphony here – I don’t need 40 years to write 45 seconds.

    KP: Do you have fun doing the soundtracks?

    NEWMAN: Writing is work, unless it’s really going well. But it’s getting to be more of a chore, because all of the tools that are now allowed directors and editors, they have a temp track in their movie that they become wedded to. Directors are so used to being in charge, and telling everyone what to do, that they become the same way about the music. They want the music they want, and I want to give them that, but they don’t know as much about it as my uncle Al did, or Alex North, or John Williams. If anyone makes a movie and has John Williams doing it, they’d be better off leaving it alone and not saying anything, and I think the same is true with me. But you don’t want to do anything that’s completely what the director doesn’t want.

    KP: Do ever get frustrated or have you ever walked out on a project?

    NEWMAN: Toward the end of Seabiscuit, I couldn’t take it anymore. I redid things, but just couldn’t stand seeing my music hurting the picture, and I could see it happening. All you want to do is help it, no matter what it takes. You don’t want it to stick out – everything is subordinate to the picture. The director was slowing stuff down to the point where I couldn’t stand it…and it was costing a lot of money! It’s the only movie I could say was a bad score and I’m not proud of it. It’s got some music in it that I like, but he got someone else in there to re-record and it was mainly slowing stuff down. It was a pretty bad experience.

    KP: Well, let’s go to the other end of things – what’s the best experience you’ve had on a film?

    NEWMAN: Well, Barry Levinson is a good guy, and Jay Roach is really a good guy, and he’s shockingly modest and unassuming for a director, but I’m not sure if what I did made much difference on the two films of his that I did – Meet the Parents and Meet the Fokers. John Lasseter and the Pixar stuff has been a good experience and they have, to a great extent, left me alone, and when they’ve had problems with things I can see what they mean and I’m willing to change it – but I’d change it even if I didn’t understand what they were talking about.

    KP: How was working with George Clooney on Leatherheads?

    NEWMAN: He’s a good guy, but he’d never done a movie with a score before, and subjectively I disagreed with what he wanted to do and about not being true to the fact that it was in 1925 or ’27, because he wanted to use things from the ’40s. He’s really a nice guy, and I like a lot of the stuff I did – I love those rags from that period, but he told me half way through he didn’t like jazz… How else are you going to do 1925? (laughs)

    KP: What pop songwriters do you think are top of the line?

    NEWMAN: Hmmm… pop songwriters….well, Neil Young, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Dylan’s early stuff is about as good as lyrics ever got.

    KP: Were Dylan and The Beatles big influences on you?

    NEWMAN: Not really, not consciously, I couldn’t tell you what came next on Freewheeling Bob Dylan – I didn’t buy it or have it at home. I did have Sgt. Pepper, because that was the time when all of us in LA where waiting to hear what the Beatles would do next, and The Beatles were waiting to see what Brian [Wilson] would do next. Lennon told me that The Beatles had my demos and that McCartney carried around my first record. That really pleased me.

    KP: Did you see Brian Wilson much during those days in Los Angeles?

    NEWMAN: Very seldom. I’d see Van Dyke Parks, Ry Cooder, Don Henley – but I had a family and wasn’t really part of the scene, or the Troubadour thing.

    KP: Where you close with Harry Nilsson?

    NEWMAN: We were close, but then all of a sudden I didn’t see him much anymore, mostly my fault. When I started going through his stuff to pick something to do for his memorial album, I was amazed – I always knew he was good, but he was much better than I thought, and way better than he thought. I have a lot of self confidence – he had none. He was really hard on himself. He would always tell me how good I was, and he almost ruined his career doing an album of just my songs.

    KP: What’s the worst cover of a Randy Newman song?

    NEWMAN: Uh, let’s see… Leonard Nimoy did one of my songs, and all I’ll say is that it seemed well intentioned. Bobby Darin could sing, but he did “Sail Away” and, well… I don’t think he understood it. He did it like it was a happy song about coming to America.

    KP: He didn’t get the slave trading elements…

    NEWMAN: Uh, no…I don’t think so.

    KP: Would you write a song for Justin Timberlake or some other pop artist of today?

    NEWMAN: Yeah, I’d do that, but my stuff is so strange that people don’t want to cover it. People like straight love songs. “Feels Like Home”, from the new album, has been covered more than anything. That’s nice, but it doesn’t interest me as much as the character stuff I do.

    KP: Is there anyone you’d like to work with?

    NEWMAN: There are a lot of people that I admire, but I can’t think of anyone off hand I want to work with. Let’s see…you’ve got to remember you have to be in the same room with that person and they’d have to be in the same room with me…

    KP: Which might be the harder part…

    NEWMAN: You’re right! (laughs)

    KP: Do you think you’re a happy person?

    NEWMAN: No. I wish I were. I can’t figure out how to do it. I’m a workaholic that doesn’t make himself work enough.

    KP: But you’ve done a lot of movie scores.

    NEWMAN: Not like James Newton Howard or Hans Zimmer. My uncle Alfred did 200 films…I don’t know how many I’ve done. I have more free time than a person with a normal job, but I can never just sit back and enjoy something like the Olympics, I don’t get piece of mind like that. I’d like piece of mind, you know, where I’ve got everything done and the kids are all fine and I’m getting along with everybody…yeah, I’d like that sometime.

    ##

  • Party Favors: Brothers Jonas and The Puffy Shirt

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    BOISE – My old buddy Dan calls me up to tell me that he’s taking his daughter to see the Jonas Brothers at our local commercially sponsored concert shed. How sweet. Then he tells me that he’s buying two tickets off Stubhub for over $100 each. Huh? When did kiddie rockbands cost a fortune? I saw Cheap Trick a few years back for $5. For that price I could have taken Damone and the entire cast of Fast Times with me to rock out to “Dream Police” instead of seeing the Mouse approved trio.

    He paid over $200 cause he wanted his kid to be up close for the show. I thought little kids had better eye sight?

    What exactly have these Jonas Brother done to demand more cash than a two day pass for Disney World? I can’t hum any of their songs. I can’t remember ever saying, “I hate this Jonas Brothers song.” I remember hating on the Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block and the Wiggles. If “Name This Jonas Brothers Hit” was on Jeopardy, I’d put down my buzzer and weep. This is probably a good thing that today’s kiddie pop culture is so narrowcasted to the little ones. There’s barely any real blowback when the bubblegum goes pop.

    But $200? I can’t think of any concert as an elementary schooler that would have cost my dad that much – even if you factor in inflation. If Led Zeppelin had toured America in 1980, a good seat was only $15. Dad swears he was going to surprise me with good seats for that show. He also had lined up tickets for an Elvis concert on August 25, 1977. If my dad wants to take me to see you in concert, you’re as good as dead. Be prepared for the grim reaper, Barry Manilow! But I know that if any concert had cost $100 a ticket, dad would immediately respond with an “are you out of your mind? Not no, but Hell no!”

    Dan couldn’t say no to his daughter’s plea to see the latest pack of teen idols. The sad thought is that as soon as Dan’s daughter becomes nearly a teenager, she’s going to hate him. Everything he does now to seem like a cool dad will be completely forgotten. The only time this concert will be mentioned is during the “things I’ve done for you ungrateful kids” blast.

    News has just arrived that Jessica Simpson wants $70 to see her cornfed countrified act. I’m willing to go $100 if the encore includes an audience participation Cleveland Steamer.

    GET ON THE BUS

    Seinfeld College Tour bus dropped by my neighborhood a few weeks back. Imagine the joy of seeing various props from the series in a Best Buy parking lot. It was a dream come true to touch the plexiglass that protected Jerry’s Puffy Shirt. Plus I got a free Rhino flavored Snickers bar.

    While the Soup Nazi will appear at various stops, there was no Soup Nazi for us. The biggest star of the day was the frozen yogurt machine.

    For those who are curious about the 60 foot bus, I made a little video showing off every inch of it.

    CAGE FOR CHRISTMAS

    Is Nicolas Cage’s Bangkok Dangerous really a movie? It looks like a fake trailer made for Grindhouse 2: Burning Money Pit. He must have Michael Caine’s old agent from the Jaws: The Revenge era. Does Cage ever turn down a high dollar contract?

    I’m willing to offer Nicholas Cage $20 if he’ll appear in my family’s Christmas video. He’ll be playing me which might be the most challenging role of the last decade for the guy. Can Cage handle going one on one with my old man when it comes time to figure out where’s the remote control? There will be panic and action as the Ghost Rider gets out of my mom’s way while she’s making the turkey. The Oscar winner better be on his game for faking surprise when opening up a box to reveal the third sweater in a row.

    Corey Christmas could easily be the project that lets the critics once more believe that Nicolas Cage is the most important actor of his generation. Far as distribution goes, it will go mega-wide via Youtube.

    So if you’re out there, Nicolas Cage, I’ve got that crisp $20 waiting for you. Offer expires when mom takes the tree down. That was Feb. 24 last year.

    THE DVD SHELF

    Duckman: Seasons One & Two is my pick of the month. Duckman (Seinfeld‘s Jason Alexander) is a Private Dick/Family Man who can’t quite uncover a paying case in a twisted animated universe. His wife died and her aerobics addicted twin sister has taken over raising his dopey son (Dweezil Zappa) and his other sons that share a body. There’s something innately funny about a perverted and lazy duck who can’t find a clue without it stabbing him in the back. The first 22 episodes are on 3 DVDs along with an extensive documentary with plenty of the cast and crew remembering their time on USA network. Another feature has creator Everett Peck demonstrate how to draw this fowl so foul. Why hasn’t this adult animated cartoon ended up on Adult Swim or Comedy Central? Duckman goes perfectly with Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Although the Duck has more active animation than Master Shake. Also listen for the various Frank Zappa snippets snuck into the soundtrack.

    Charlie Chan Collection Volume 5 wraps up the final 7 mystery titles produced by Fox. Sidney Toler plays the famous Honolulu police detective who always gets his man despite what his Number 2 son does. Charlie Chan Goes to Panama is a reworked Mr. Moto script that puts Chan into an undercover position. He’s got to crack a spy ring before they sabotage the Panama Canal. Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum has him being lured into a building filled with recreations of famous killers. Except one of them isn’t made of wax. “Dead Men Tell” features a pirate ghost protecting his booty. It’s a relief that Fox was able to finish releasing all the Charlie Chan titles that still exist (a few were lost in a vault fire). Some may want to guilt you from watching this boxset with Sidney Toler playing an Asian-American. But they’re also making you ignore the action-comedy delivered by Sen Yung as his Number 2 son. Don’t dismiss Yung’s cinematic legacy.

    Fox Horror Classics, Volume 2 brings together a trio films that aren’t classic horror like the Universal monsters, but they deliver the creeps. Chandu the Magician gives a major budget to serial action. Chandu (Edmund Lowe) is a white guy who has mastered the tricks of the Indian yogis. He has to rescue a relative that’s been kidnapped by Bela Lugosi. The relative has created a death ray, but won’t tell Bela how to work it. Bela has to torture his family to crack him. Chandu comes to the rescue before the major cities of the world are zapped. The exploration of an Egyptian tomb is exhilarating with amazing sets and miniature effects. Dr. Renault’s Secret was Fox’s first attempt to make a Universal Horror. A professor wants to prove that apes became man by doing it in the lab. However his experiment goes terribly wrong. The bonus documentary lays out how this film is respected by classic horror fans. Dragonwyck is a gothic horror tale about a poor cousin (Gene Tierney) getting invited to be a nanny in the estate of a rich relative (Vincent Price). She’s blown away by the opulence of Dragonwyck manor. Things get uncomfortable and scary as Price goes nuts with his tenant farmers. This is a spooky trio for fans of black and white frights getting pumped for Halloween.

    Fox Film Noir series returns with another three titles. Roadhouse is not the Patrick Swayze flick. This early version of the title has Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde and Richard Widmark get down and dirty at a classy country nightclub. There’s a bowling alley next to the bar. Wilde and Widmark run the joint. Things get nasty when Lupino arrives to sing in the bar. She’s pure feisty while working the room. Things go bad when Widmark melts down. Moontide has Lupino return without being so hard-boiled. She’s a suicidal hooker who gets saved by Jean Garbin. They open up a bait shop, but there’s dark secrets around Garbin and his drinking buddy. There’s also a drunken night and a dead body without a proper killer. There’s plenty of torrid action for fans of Noir. The long delayed Boomerang finally escapes onto the shelf. Dana Andrews is the State Attorney assigned to find the killer of a priest. He doesn’t trust the top cop’s suspect. But everyone wants to shut down the case. Jane Wyatt (Father Knows Best) and Karl Malden (Streets of San Francisco) have supporting roles. These Film Noir titles get the Raymond J. Regis Memorial seal of approval.

    The Love Guru (Blu-ray) was this summer’s box office disaster. Mike Myers plays a mystic who has learned life’s great secrets from Indian gurus (kinda like Chandu). He’s hired to bring stability to a Toronto Maple Leaf star (Weeds‘s Romany Malco). It’s the Peter Sellers film that Myers has been swearing he wants to make. Justin Timberlake goes over the top as a French-Canadian player who has stolen Romany’s wife. This is a film that plays better on Blu-ray since you can turn it into a drinking game. Why not throw down a shot of Yukon Jack every time Verne Troyer gets abused? The Love Guru is so bad that it must be endured in inebriated company. The bonus feature of “Hockey Training for Actors” cracked me up since these guys really can’t take Gordie Howe action. The Blu-ray is necessary to get all 1080p working on Jessica Alba. There’s no need to worship her in standard digital. They also throw in a digital copy so you can watch it on your video iPod.

    The Life Before Her Eyes (Magnolia Films) seems to have everything going for it. Uma Thurman (Kill Bill) and Evan Rachel Wood (Running With Scissors) play the older and younger versions of Diana. Evan’s a hell school hellion who transforms into a sensible mom (Uma) through a traumatic experience. It’s a Columbine situation which ends with her and her best friend (Eva Amurri) trapped in the bathroom with the AK-47 wielding classmate. For 90% of this film, I’m glued to the screen as this high tension story is revealed by switching between the two times. Instead of an intense finale we’re given one really messed up “huh?” moment. I don’t want to ruin the ending, but the ending ruins the film. While director Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog) remains true to the novel, he’s cheating the viewing audience. Even the DVD’s alternate ending doesn’t alternate enough to make it work. Even with the seductive joys of Uma and Evan on screen, it’s Eva Amurri (Saved) that makes this The Life worth watching. She brings charm to the best friend role. When the gunman wants the girls to choose who he’ll shoot, you don’t see Eva’s character as a cypher. You don’t want either to her to be sacrificed.

    Quid Pro Quo (Magnolia Films) is movie that seems to tap into the J.G. Ballard vibe. A wheel-chair bound radio reporter (Carnivale‘s Nick Stahl) uncovers a subculture of walking people who want to be paraplegics. He wants to know what makes these people want to be paralyzed. His entry into their mindset is Vera Farmiga (The Departed). She wants to be on wheels so bad. Her ’70s hairdos are more disturbing than her legless desires. The major twist is that his time with her makes him want to rise and walk. The surprise ending on this film completely works. Quid Pro Quo is a film that appeals to fans of the freakish that don’t want to squirm too hard.

    Star Trek: Alternate Realities Collective brings together 20 episode from the various Star Trek series that deal with mirror universes. My favorite of the batch is the classic “Mirror, Mirror” where Kirk meets the evil Mr. Spock. He’s the Spock with the goatee action. They really should have done more episodes with the vicious Enterprise crew. They were much more fun. This boxset is good for the casual fan to the shows that can’t afford to get the nearly two dozen season sets. There’s a coupon for ordering a special Geordi figure.

    BEFORE THE NEW SEASON

    For those who were out of town for all of last year’s season, there’s plenty of boxsets that will help you catch up.

    CSI Miami: The Sixth Season shocks me that David Caruso has stuck around this long in the role of Horatio Caine. I got so used to seeing him as Glen Wesley of the Carolina Hurricanes. But now that’s retired from the NHL, he’s got plenty of time to solve crime in southern Florida and come up with various ways to dramatically take off his sunglasses. This season has him discover an unknown son and a brand new enemy. Augie watches the show was impressed by the 21 episodes. He’s eager for the premiere of season seven, but he won’t say why cause he’d hate to spoil it for people who need to see this boxset with unimpeded eyeballs. Calleigh Ducaine gets kidnapped in “Ambush” and “All In.”

    Criminal Minds: Season 3 features a changing of the guard as Mandy Patinkin (The Princess Bride) gets replaced by Joe Mantegna (The Godfather Part III). Joe doesn’t give the show the Valerie Harper – Sandy Duncan uneasy transition. It does seem natural for an FBI unit would have turnover. Thomas Gibson and Joe have a great rhythm between them. My favorite episode of the season was “In Heat.” You can’t go wrong with a serial kill with conflicted sexual identity.

    Ghost Whisperer: The Third Season scares me with Jennifer Love Hewitt’s outfits. She can communicate with the dead which makes me jealous since my cellphone can’t even text message. Perhaps she can talk to the deceased hopes of Yankee fans who had secured World Series tickets for this season? The 18 episodes remind us that the dead can be a bigger pain than the living. Jennifer’s character learns the horrible truth about her real father in “Pater Familias.”

    Medium: The Fourth Season follows a psychic (Patricia Arquette) that cracks cases for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney’s office. How did Hamilton Burger not hook up with a psychic when he was battling Perry Mason? The fourth season kicks off with her secret talent being exposed to the public. This means everybody wants to tap into her sixth sense. This causes a bit of havoc for the DA’s office since the public doesn’t like knowing its main investigative unit is a dreaming woman. “Do You Hear What I Hear” has a great twist when she’s on the case of a missing deaf girl and loses her hearing while making the connection.

    Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season – Expanded has Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens and Alex Karev finally become residents at the hospital. That means they’ll now get to pick on the interns. The two-parter “Crash Into Me” guest stars Seth Green (Robot Chicken). He’s got an extremely gross moment as his insides end up on the outside. It’s not a good episode to watch while eating dinner. The tawdry bed hopping does remain even as the gang move up the doctor ladder. The episodes are longer than their network run. That means you’ll see more of Seth.

    Ugly Betty: The Complete Second Season reminds us that a goofy character working amongst plastic people will always be more entertaining. Betty (America Ferrera ) remains cute with the massive braces and frightening sweaters even through her office has changed a bit. While watching the show, I can’t help but keep saying Rebecca Romijn Stamos even though she’s now married to Jerry O’Connell. Why did she marry the star of Tomcats and Kangaroo Jack?

    Dirty Sexy Money: The Complete First Season fictionalizes those disturbingly rich families that are in the business to annoy. Peter Krause Six Feet Under is the attorney who has to keep the Darling family out of jail and the bad gossip columns. Donald Sutherland and Jill Clayburgh class up the shoes. The lavish and jaded life gets pushed to the extremes that can be explored on broadcast TV. The writer’s strike reduced these season to only 10 episodes.

    Private Practice: The Complete First Season – Extended Edition has only 9 episodes that made it on the air before the writer’s strike. Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) splits Grey’s Anatomy for the Oceanside Wellness Group in Los Angeles. “In Which We Meet Addison, a Nice Girl From Somewhere Else” has Moon Unit Zappa as a woman who counts tiles after something snaps inside her. There’s also a mess dealing with a dead guy’s wife and mistress battling over his last loads of baby batter. These ladies should visit Ernest Borgnine. Kate Walsh is captivating enough to carry the show, but the ladies enjoy seeing Taye Diggs wash up.

    SMOKIN’ NAKED

    Congratulations goes out to Cathouse stars and the first couple of Carson City’s Bunny Ranch Dennis Hof and Brooke Taylor. They landed the covers of Smoke and Hustler. They are the first couple to achieve this tandem action since Ernest Borgnine and Ethel Merman. Who knew Ethel was such a tobacco aficionado? Everybody knows that Ernest introduced the Brazilian wax to America in his issue. With any luck, there will be a Party Favors special video from the Bunny Ranch in late October. Does this disqualify me from entering the “Win a date with covergirl Brooke Taylor” contest in the magazine?

    SPANKING WITH THE STARS

    The most disturbing fact to come out of the Christie Brinkley – David Cook divorce is that the couple had to watch porn videos to get into the mood for sex. What? This is beyond messed up. How many guys close their eyes and imagine they’re boffing Christie instead of the wife? How many guys ruined their old man’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues that featured Christie? For all those who dreamed of boning Christie Brinkley, the man who was living the dream couldn’t get wood without watching Gianna Michaels taking a dome shot. How messed up of a world has America become? The terrorists have won.

    If David Duchovny has to go to sex rehab clinic for internet porn, what hope is there for the rest of us? This guy got a facefull of Madeline Zima’s bosom in Californication and he’s surfing the web like the regular schlubs. At least he wasn’t busted for stalking Garry Shandling. Now I’m wondering if we went to the same sites. Did David and I pull a cyber threesome with Sunny Lane? Did both of us downloading from the same rapidshare link at the same time? Did we cross bytes? I want to believe.

    CABLE COOKIN’

    If the Food Network is really serious about creating Late Night programming to go along with Ace of Cakes, they need to introduce the alternative Martha Stewart to the channel. Why haven’t they had Amy Sedaris create a show out of her I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence? Put her in a retro kitchen, pick out the strangest looking of recipes and back away as she does her magic. She could have Mario Batali drop by to help roll her cheeseballs.

    Now that Scrubs is on TVLand, the series is officially on more cable channels than it had viewers for its final NBC season. I enjoy the show, but currently it’s fighting Billy Mays for TV over exposure. Why didn’t John C. McGinley run for president so Scrubs could dominate on CNN, FoxNews and MSNBC?

    How do college football coaches get so fat? Don’t they feel embarrassed standing on the sidelines with a stomach that’s longer than the 10 yard chain? How do they bark at players sweating and working out for hours and look like the Superdome with feet? How about a few of these coaches dropping to the turf and doing a couple squat thrusts? Should a guy getting paid $5 million by the athletic department look athletic and not like a heart attack waiting to happen?

  • Win THE LOVE GURU on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of THE LOVE GURU on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, September 18th.

    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, September 18th.

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

  • Win TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED: SEASON 1 on DVD!

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

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, September 18th.

    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, September 18th.

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

  • Win BABY MAMA on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Universal Home Video, three (3) copies of BABY MAMA on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, September 17th.

    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, September 17th.

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

  • Win LEATHERHEADS on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Universal Home Video, three (3) copies of LEATHERHEADS on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, September 23rd.

    Enter the contest!
    Email:
    First name:
    Last name:
    Street Address:
    Address Line 2 (if needed):
    City:
    State/Province/Whatever:
    Zip Code/Postal Code:
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    Birth Month:
    Birth Day:
    Birth Year:

    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, September 23rd.

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

  • Win QI: SERIES C on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Warner Music Entertainment, three (3) copies of QI: SERIES C on DVD.

    Having been given the stamp of approval by Ricky Gervais, who stated it’s the show that he’d be really good on”β€œ the award winning QI is back for a further blast of brilliant banter. The QI team returns with a bunch of Britain’s best comic broadcasts with The ‘C’ Series, the complete third series of award-winning comedy panel quiz with a difference, which arrives on DVD courtesy of Warner Music Entertainment.

    The new DVD features all twelve 30-minute episodes along with a raft of exclusive DVD extras, including bonus banter, bloopers and buzzers, as once again Ringmaster Stephen Fry towers over the happy chaos as some of the world’s funniest brains including Bill Bailey, Jimmy Carr, Jo Brand, Phill Jupitus, Clive Anderson and Sean Lock answer a bonanza of ingenious and witty questions concerning all things Quite Interesting.

    In its quest to conquer the alphabet, QI carries on its wordy adventure into all things C related with host Stephen Fry trying to fiendishly outwit some of Britain’s brilliant brains. Permanently installed guest Alan Davies develops the intellectual counterpoint and as Stephen puts it, “rushes headlong like a puppy into a wall of ignorance.”

    As one of the wittiest shows on the box, Quite Interesting or ‘QI’ to its friends, showcases some of the best comedians, writers and broadcasters in the business and with the inimitable and fiendish quiz master Stephen Fry at the helm, who questions the team about all things starting with the letter ‘C’, this two disc DVD promises to be utterly compelling and entertaining viewing.

    For more on QI – plus an interview with Stephen Fry – check out our Holiday Havoc spotlight HERE.

    ***Please Note that this is a REGION 2 DVD set, and requires either a Region 2 or All-Region DVD player***

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, September 16th.

    Enter the contest!
    Email:
    First name:
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    Street Address:
    Address Line 2 (if needed):
    City:
    State/Province/Whatever:
    Zip Code/Postal Code:
    Country:
    Birth Month:
    Birth Day:
    Birth Year:

    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, September 16th.

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

  • Win WAYSIDE SCHOOL: SEASON ONE on DVD!

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

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, September 16th.

    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, September 16th.

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

  • Weekend Shopping Guide 9/5/08: It’s Pumpkin Mifflin, Charlie Brown

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

    Here we are at the fourth season of The Office (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP), and I’m beginning to feel cracks appearing at the seams. Right from the start, the American iteration was always slightly more absurdist than the Brit original, but in this season, the writers began to lose their grip on the reality of the characters, instead opting for the easy joke. Here’s hoping there’s a course correction for the folks at Dunder Mifflin in season 5. The 4-disc set features all 14 episodes, plus audio commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, “Rabies: The More You Know”, a summer vacation promo, Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin ad, and a blooper reel.

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    If you attended the quiz show that we did at DragonCon, you saw the raucous fun our contestants – including Doc Hammer, Dana Snyder, Paul & Storm, and Robert Llewellyn – had while racing the Atlas Mini 3-Channel R/C Helicopter ($49.99). They’re ridiculously easy to fly, and are more hoot than you can possibly imagine. Get one. Get two. Have a blast.

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    It seems like it’s taken forever to bring it to a close – and we’re not quite there yet – but at least we now have the penultimate 10th season of Cheers (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The 4-disc set features all 25 episodes – including the classic guest-starring turn from Johnny Carson – but there still no bonus features. I guess they’re saving them for the eventual full series set, the bastards.

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    Fully remastered and ready to be viewed numerous times in the next month, the new edition of It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) is definitely worth a re-buy. It comes with the bonus special It’s Magic, Charlie Brown, as well as a new featurette.

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    Although a comprehensive box set has long been available, the new Keeping Up Appearances: The Full Bouquet Special Edition (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$90.99 SRP) features a bucket-ful of new bonus materials, including the new PBS special “Life Lessons From Onslow”, plus “Comedy Connections: Keeping Up Appearances”, outtakes, “Funny Women” profile of Patricia Routledge, The Kitty Monologues, interviews, and more.

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    Regardless of the fact that we’ve featured their production blog, I’d still recommend Brian LaBelle and Tom Whelan’s stunningly beautiful tale of a young man’s journey through South America’s deadly Darien Gap (and his romantic hook-up), The Art Of Travel (First Look Studios, Rated R, DVD-$24.98 SRP). Check it out.

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    It truly is a golden age for Doctor Who on home video, as the classic releases are coming fast and furious – now with the Tom Baker adventures The Invisible Enemy and The Invasion Of Time (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP each). Both releases are absolutely loaded with bonus features (as we’ve come to expect) with Enemy including the original Sarah Jane Smith pilot, K-9 And Company.

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    Elvis fans – and music fans, for that matter – will want to snap out the comprehensive Elvis: The Complete ’68 Comeback Special (Sony Legacy, $49.98 SRP). The 4-disc set features completely remastered and restored discs containing the original album, both the first and second “sit down” and “stand up” shows, and both rehearsals. It’s a wealth of musical history, and a must-have document of the King’s return to relevance.

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    It took a little while (while that whole high-def war was sorted out), but fans can now snag the 2-disc Blu-Ray edition of Michael Bay’s Transformers (Paramount, Rated PG-13, Blu-Ray-$39.99 SRP). Personally, I think the film is a giant, unintelligible piece of crap – and high definition doesn’t change my opinion – but I know there are plenty of fans who will snap this up. It’s 2 discs and full of the same basic bonus materials as the standard release, so have at it.

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    Recorded live at the KCET Studios in Los Angeles in 1971, A Classic Concert: Cat Stevens – Tea For The Tillerman Live (MVD, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP) is a nice – albeit brief, at only 8 songs – document of Stevens at the height of his songwriting powers, and is well worth a spin.

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    Harry Potter‘s own Hermione Granger, Emma Watson, makes her first major post-Potter movie with the adaptation of Noel Streatfield’s Ballet Shoes (Koch, Rated PG, DVD-$24.98 SRP), starring as one of a trio of orphans raised as sisters who seek to find their places in the world. It’s a nice little flick. Bonus materials include deleted scenes, an interview with Emma, and a excerpt from the audiobook.

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    I’d like to dedicate the release of Drake & Josh: The Best Of Seasons 1-2 (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$35.98 SRP) to the ultimate Josh Peck fan (and one half of Quick Stop’s own Cabin Fever podcast), Brian Fitzpatrick. He’s sure to delight in the 15 episodes going all the way back to when Peck was fat, before he became a thin, poor-speaking ass who perhaps partakes of too much “down time”. Sadly, there are no bonus features, Brian. Maybe next time.

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    Just when I was ready to count it out, Desperate Housewives (ABC Studios, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP) corrected course with a real corker of a 4th season, which also brought the great Dana Delaney into the Wisteria fold. The 5-disc set features all 17 episodes, plus commentary, deleted scenes, bloopers, and a look at how an episode is put together.

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    It still plays like a poor man’s Whedon, but who’da thunk that Supernatural (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP) would have made it to a 3rd season? The 5-disc box-set features all 16 episodes, plus behind-the-scenes featurettes and outtakes.

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    Speaking of box sets from classic Nickelodeon shows, how about the complete first season of Hey Arnold! (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP)? The 4-disc set features all 38 episodes, but not a single bonus feature.

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    My mother adores Ghost Whisperer (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$63.98 SRP). Never misses it. Personally, I find it to be touchy-feely pap, only alleviated somewhat by the introduction of Jay Mohr into the mix – but even he’s had his edges sanded down by the show. Still, my mother loves it. The complete third season set features all 18 episodes, plus audio commentaries, webisodes, featurettes, an animated short, and more.

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    At the very least, The Big Bang Theory (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) should be applauded for giving Johnny Galecki a job. He deserves a steady gig – even if it is on a relatively amiable sitcom about a pair of nerdy physicists (Galecki and Bill Prady) whose cloistered world is rocked when a woman(!) moves in to the apartment across the hall. Yes… A woman! The 3-disc complete first season features all 17 episodes, plus a behind-the-scenes featurette.

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    Fast-forward four years as the students from Tree Hill High return to their North Carolina hometown in the fifth season of One Tree Hill (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP), as we find out who accomplished their goals, who didn’t, and what the future may hold. The 5-disc set features all 18 episodes, plus a pair of audio commentaries, unaired scenes, featurettes, a gag reel, and more.

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

    -Ken Plume

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  • Win SMALLVILLE: SEASON 7 on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Video, two (2) copies of SMALLVILLE: SEASON 7 on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, September 15th.

    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, September 15th.

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

  • Win LIFE: SEASON 1 on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Universal Home Video, five (5) copies of LIFE: SEASON 1 on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, September 15th.

    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, September 15th.

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

  • Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #59: Episode IV – A New Outfit

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

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

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

    VISIT THE SNYDECAST EXPERIENCE

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    KEN P.D. SNYDECAST #59: Episode IV – A New Outfit – It is a period of civil war. The Duck and The Reverend go road trippin’ through the slums of Atlanta to find clothes and some Christian chicken. Along the way they play iPod roulette and make fun of the many places of worship that they pass…

    [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 #59 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/snydecast/ken_p_d_snyde_cast-59.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

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  • Cabin Fever #38: Episode V – The Snyder Strikes Back

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

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

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

    Enjoy! And we hope our cross Atlantic friends can understand the Irish accent πŸ˜‰

    Hugs and Kisses,
    Aaron P. + Rev. Fitzy

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    CABIN FEVER #38: Episode V – The Snyder Strikes Back – It is a dark time for Cabin Fever. Although Ken and pHitzy have recorded a perfectly good show, the two rejects Dana and Aaron, in an attempt to stay relevant, spew rubbish for an hour. Many subjects are raised in an effort to hide their sense of rejection, but ultimately they fail…

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

    DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
    Episode #38 (MP3 format)

    [audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/cabinfever/cabin_fever_38.mp3]

    SUBSCRIBE
    Subscribe to this Podcast via iTunes

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

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    CLICK HERE FOR THE CABIN FEVER ARCHIVES

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  • Masters Of Song Fu #2: Round 2 Challengers and Challenge Revealed

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

    To that end, we launched a 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. Here’s the Round 1 Challenge…

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    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.

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    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 the Round 2 Challenge – can be found below.

    So, what do we call this competition?

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    MASTERS OF SONG FU

    For this edition of Song Fu, we’re bringing in three (well, 6, 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:

    JONATHAN COULTON

    songfu-01.jpgJonathan Coulton on Jonathan Coulton: “In 2005 I left my day job writing software to pursue music full time. To keep myself busy I released a new song on this website every week for a year in a project called Thing a Week. A few of those songs became big internet hits (my folky cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”, a funny video called “Flickr”, a song called “Code Monkey”), and I am now fortunate enough to make my living as a musician.

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

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

    Official Website: www.jonathancoulton.com

    ROUND 1 SONG:Always The Moon

    PAUL & STORM

    songfu-02.jpgPaul and Storm are a comedy music duo, and they have been performing as a duo since 2004. Before that, they were one half of a cappella band Da Vinci’s Notebook for about 12 years. A Paul and Storm show is part music concert and part standup/improv comedy”β€œjust enough of both to fit neatly in neither category. They like to engage the audience, and are known to award snack cakes and/or other prizes for good (and sometimes bad) behavior. Their show would be PERFECT as a cable special, and would make lots of money for whichever brave channel decides to air them first.

    Official Website: www.paulandstorm.com

    ROUND 1 SONG:Cruel, Cruel Moon

    THE RIFFTONES

    songfu-rifftones.jpgYou 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

    ROUND 1 SONG:Moon Shine

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    In a moment, you’ll discover the details of the second challenge. First, though, here is the list of challengers that have made it to Round 2:

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    THE CHALLENGERS

    JEFF MacDOUGALL

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

    Official Website: www.jeffmacdougall.com

    ROUND 1 SONG:At The Moon

    RUN AT THE DOG

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

    Official Website: myspace.com/runatthedog

    ROUND 1 SONG:Noon Moon

    JASON MORRIS

    songfu-jasonmorris.jpgI 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

    ROUND 1 SONG:The Universe Outsourced The Moon

    “BUCKETHAT” BOBBY MATHESON

    songfu-buckethatbobby.jpg“BucketHat” Bobby Matheson is an awkward teenage accordionist and multi-instrumentalist who specializes in superhero-themed and “Comedy” music, and who works for minimum wage in the fast food industry. With his style varying from polka to folk, punk to pop, and then again from rock to bluegrass, we’re left unsure what to expect. One thing for certain is that Bobby doesn’t like talking about himself in the third person, and therefore will stop this silliness right now.

    Official Website: www.myspace.com/buckethatbobby

    ROUND 1 SONG:I Hate The Moon

    STEVE CHATTERTON

    songfu-stevechatterton.jpgSteve Chatterton is an independent musician living in the suburbs of Toronto. Known primarily for his jingle work on local television and his electronic project 11t1, he’s now putting all of his musical efforts into the ever-elusive self-titled singer-songwriter recording project he’s been wanting to get around to since he was 10-years-old and had just discovered The Beatles. Steve is an honors graduate of the jazz guitar program at Mohawk College, and has since performed in a wide array of bands that nobody has ever heard of. After retiring from performing to concentrate on raising his kids, he’s recently put together his own basement studio and has set a personal goal of producing at least one song a month.

    Official Website: music.stevechatterton.com

    ROUND 1 SONG:Someday (You’ll See)

    NATE SHIVERS

    songfu-nateshivers.jpgFun, Zesty, Acoustic, Energetic, Crunchy. Some of these words describe the Baritone-Ukulele-wielding N8 Shivers (the others describe Taco Bell’s newest food-like invention). He began writing songs at the age of two, and taught himself to play the uke a mere 17 years later. N8’s Family members claim he’s the best uke-playing song writer they’re related to. He enjoys Stand-up Comedy, Coen Brothers movies, Chilly sandwiches, and Canadian sitcoms. His Turn-offs include Banana Flavored Things, Republicans, and Mountain Dew. N8 is currently employed as a Wizard in southern Ohio.

    Official Website: www.myspace.com/ncomma8

    ROUND 1 SONG:Hide

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    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 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 Friday, September 12th, 2008.

    Voting on Round 2 submissions will commence on Saturday, September 13th, 2008.

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

    Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

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  • Win SON OF RAMBOW on DVD!

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Paramount Home Video, five (5) copies of SON OF RAMBOW on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 12th.

    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, September 12th.

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

  • Win THE BIG BANG THEORY: SEASON 1 on DVD

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    We’re giving away, in conjunction with Warner Home Video, two (2) copies of THE BIG BANG THEORY: SEASON 1 on DVD.

    Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Friday, September 12th.

    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, September 12th.

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