Author: UncaScroogeMcD

Ken P. D. Snyde-Cast #29: Just To Get A Rise

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 #29: Just To Get A Rise – [adult swim]’s Dana Snyder and Ken Plume’s weekly chat podcast returns, as Dana & Ken attempt to entertain their one fan, discuss Ken’s robot purchase, talk Big Apple college years, make Wikipedia pleas, and much 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 #29 (MP3 format)

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE SNYDECAST ARCHIVES

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July 13, 2007
Weekend Shopping Guide 7/13/07: Film Crew Cometh

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…

If you’ve been missing Mystery Science Theater 3000 and need more of MST3K-alums Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett, then you’re going to be giddy about their latest venture – The Film Crew. As three working schlubs tasked with providing audio commentaries for every obscure, not-terribly-good flick, you’ve essentially got, for all intents and purposes (and due to various issues), the closest thing to new MST that you’ll be able to lay your grubby little mitts on (heck, there are even host segments!… bust sadly, no ‘bots). The first film getting the Film Crew treatment is Hollywood After Dark (Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP), a horrid, stagnant little gem from 1968 that features – I kid you not – a stripping Rue McClanahan. The only thing that makes it all tolerable is the on-target riffing from Mike, Kevin & Bill, who are still in the groove after all these years. Three more Film Crew discs are on track for release this year, and if you haven’t checked out Mike’s *other* venture, RiffTrax, you should head over there now.

It wasn’t until about halfway through the first season that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s sophomore effort, Extras (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP), finally clicked for me. Since then, I’ve enjoyed his look at working actor Andy Millman and his best friend and fellow “extra”, Maggie (Ashley Jensen) – not to mention his loveably useless agent, Darren Lamb (Merchant). The second season kicks things up a notch by making Andy a commercial success as the creator and star of a hit BBC series… But one that he completely sells his creative soul for, in a Bizarro-version of the events and process that gave the world The Office. The 2-disc set features all 6 episodes, plus a behind-the-scenes documentary, a featurette on Gervais’s abuse of his poor editor, a look at “corpsing”, deleted scenes, and outtakes.

While I definitely less than enthused by what’s currently passing as comic book storytelling today, we are in a wonderful period of wonderful, overdue releases of classic material in high-quality form. The first of four hardcover volumes of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus (DC Comics, $49.99 SRP) – collecting, in chronological order, The King’s classic world-building in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen, Mister Miracle, New Gods, and Forever People – certainly fits the bill, and it’s definitely a must-have addition to any comics fan’s library.

One of the delights of the Harry Potter series, as we usher in the latest installment, has been to see the troupe of young actors find their sea legs as thespians, and branch out into non-wizarding projects. I’ve long predicted that Rupert Grint would be the Potter actor most likely to develop into a long-term, and interesting, career, and Driving Lessons (Sony, Rated PG-13, DVD-$24.96 SRP) is certainly a step in that direction. Grint stars as 17-year-old Ben, a shy teenager chafing under an oppressively conservative home life personified by his high-strung mother (Laura Linney). When he’s employed by a former actress naked Evie (Julie Walters), the family gets its Harold & Maude on (sans the whole love angle) as the eccentric and invigorating Evie shows Ben that there is a brighter, happier, more interesting future in store if he becomes his own man. Bonus features include a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, and outtakes.

It is without a trace of hyberbole that I praise the beauty – in both visuals and storytelling – that is Jeff Smith’s comic book epic Bone. Massive in scale but intimate in character, the adventures of the Bone cousins – Fone, Phoney, and Smiley – in a mysterious valley soon under the sway of war, besieged by Rat Creatures and the machinations of an ancient evil, The Lord Of The Locusts. Originally self-published by in black & white by Smith’s own company, Cartoon Books, Scholastic has been re-releasing the 9-volume saga with beautiful coloring by Steve Hamaker. The latest release is Volume 6, Old Man’s Cave (Graphix, Hardcover-$19.99 SRP, Softcover-$9.99 SRP), and the action is hot and heavy as we barrel towards the final chapters. If you’ve never read Bone, snap these up as soon as possible. If you’re an old fan, these additions are well worth picking up.

For all the fun of the fifth season of Bewitched (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP), it’s also a bittersweet batch of episodes, as it marks the final season featuring Dick York as Samantha’s put-upon husband Darrin. The 30 episodes also features guests like Jonathan Harris, Henry Gibson, Danny Bonaduce, and Isabel Sanford.

Second only to endless documentaries about the Nazis and WWII, one of the most addictive shows to hit the History Channel has been the how-to/how-does explorations of Modern Marvels. Criminally absent from DVD shelves for years, that oversight has been rectified with another 8-disc Modern Marvels: Architectural Wonders box set (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP). The set features all you could ever want to know about the pyramids, the Hoover Dam, the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Great Wall of China, Mount Rushmore, and the St. Louis Arch.

The Astronaut Farmer (Warner Bros., Rated PG, DVD-$27.95 SRP) is one of those quirky little flicks that come down the pike every so often, that are just charming enough to skirt by and avoid any real harsh criticism. Such is the case here, about a man (Billy Bob Thornton) who decides to build himself a rocket into space – in his back yard. Think of it as the astronaut version of Field of Dreams, and you’ve pretty much got the idea. Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurette, a conversation with NASA astronaut David Scott, and bloopers.

HBO’s late night revelations returns to its roots in Taxicab Confessions: New York, New York (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP), taking to the streets of the Big Apple for more awkward moments than you can shake a stick at.

It whipped John McClane’s ass last week, and now you can own the soundtrack to Die Hard killer – and latest Pixar flick – Ratatouille (Walt Disney Records, $18.98 SRP), by composer Michael Giacchino. It’s bright, it’s peppy, and it’s a fun spin.

Say goodbye to Crockett & Tubbs with the fifth and final season of Miami Vice (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP), a show nobody thought would ever get released with all the original music intact, but dammit if they didn’t find a way to do it. Pay your last respects with these last 21 episodes, featuring guest stars John Leguizamo, Pam Grier, Michael Chiklis, and Rita Moreno (of course, only Moreno and Grier had any real career at the time).

For far too long, we’ve been taunted by the glaring lack of complete seasons of The Powerpuff Girls. No more! Now, you too can hold tightly your very own copy of The Powerpuff Girls: Season 1 (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP), featuring all 13 episodes, plus animatics, promos, Craig McCracken’s original student film, and more! Get this! Now!

Add Joan Collins to the list of stars with their own themed sets, as the 5-film Joan Collins Collection (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP) hits shelves with a career-spanning gathering of the catty siren’s big screen outings. Included in the set are The Girl In The Red Velvet Swing, Rally ‘Round The Flag, Boys!, Sea Wife, Seven Thieves, and Stopover Tokyo. Bonus features include audio commentaries, galleries, trailers, restoration featurettes, vintage pressbooks, and more.

Filmation’s ersatz (and original) Ghostbusters returns with a second volume (BCI, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP) featuring the final 33 episodes of the ‘busters battle against the ghoulish Prime Evil, plus interviews, an audio commentary, rare footage, image galleries, and more.

Wrap up the final episodes of the Black Sheep Squadron’s first season with the second volume of Baa Baa Black Sheep (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), starring Robert Conrad as ace pilot Major Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, leader of the misfit squad of pilots tasked with some of the most difficult aerial combat missions of WWII.

As insultingly awful as the second Fantastic Four film was, one of the only bright spots of Rise of the Silver Surfer was John Ottman’s score (Sony Classical, $18.98 SRP). It certainly deserved to be attached to a better movie.

It may not be Disney’s tale as old as time, but the small screen love affair of Vincent and Catherine is a much more beloved cult version of Beauty and the Beast (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$50.99 SRP). The 6-disc second season features all 22 episodes, plus video introductions on select episodes by Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman.

And finally, we wrap this week with one of those gloriously geeky collectibles that come down the pike just to appeal to the geekiest of the geeks. This time, that barometer of geekdom is Gentle Giant’s limited edition statue of the mechanical owl Bubo from Ray Harryhausen’s Clash of the Titans ($60.00 SRP). With a metallic finish, beautiful sculpting, and standing approx. 5″ tall perched on a branch affixed to a wooden base, it’s a must have delight for fans of Harryhausen’s stop-motion swan song. With an edition size of only 500 pieces, you’d better act fast!

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

##

July 13, 2007
QSE News: 7/13/2007
Here are today’s top entertainment headlines:
- A theater in New York is offering free tickets to the new off-Broadway show “My First Time” to virgins.Â In order to prove whether or not the people are really virgins, the producers have hired Sebastian Black, a mind reader and hypnotist who bills himself as “The Human Lie Detector.”Â In related news, the staff at QSE News will be out next week, seeing a new show in New York.
- The fifth movie in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, earned the biggest Wednesday opening ever after it took in nearly $45 million.Â The movie, which continues to follow the young wizard and his classmates, beat the previous record holder, Spider-Man 2, by over 4 million.Â While it has been successful in the first few days, insiders are counting on a sharp drop in profits this weekend as NBC rolls out new episodes of “To Catch a Predator.”
- Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston have been cast in the movie Choke, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk.Â The movie centers around a sex addict who pretends to choke then sponges off of the people who save him.Â While the movie hasn’t even started filming yet, the marketing department is already hard at work trying to convince people that the movie is not a film biography of legendary porn star Ron Jeremy.
That’s all for today’s news, stay tuned to this channel for all the news that matters least but you still care about.

(Compiled by J. Allen)

##
July 13, 2007
Quick Stop Thingamabobs: 7/13/2007
The web. It’s a big place, full of plenty of distractions ““ some funny, some informative, some ludicrous, some disturbing, some inane, some profound. Each and every weekday, we present links to a few of our favorite finds”¦

————————————————
- The Jolly Green Giant will kill you in your sleep… (Thingamabob)
- So visit with the mellow, good time Colonel instead… (Thingamabob)
- Because you deserve a break today… (Thingamabob)
- But avoid the hamburger happy clown… (Thingamabob)
- Unless the clown looks like this… (Thingamabob)
Have a THINGAMABOB? Send it in!

##
July 13, 2007
Party Favors: Frank Vincent

JERSEY CITY, NJ – After watching A Tale of Two Pizzas, I picked up the phone. In less than thirty minutes, star Frank Vincent delivered an interview to the “Party Favors”. The movie features Frank Vincent and Vincent Pastore as rival pizza parlor owners. Normally a film featuring two Sopranos veterans should climax with their enemies being turned into special sausage toppings. But amazingly enough, this is a date movie. No limbs are hacked off. There’s barely a beatdown.

Frank Vincent laughed when asked if this is one of those rare movies in his filmography that a woman can enjoy without having to hide her eyes to avoid the bloodshed.

“It’s a nice little escape from some of the insanity that they put in the movies these days,” Frank said. “The most violent thing was the fight with the paddles.” If your date can handle Frank and Pastore swatting each other with pizza paddles, you won’t have to worry about her squirming under the seat.

Frank has found himself becoming a bit of a sex symbol thanks to his role on The Sopranos. “Let me tell you something, Joe,” Frank said. “Phil Leotardo has got more women fans than anybody. I don’t understand it, but the women love Phil. Phil is a bad guy. But every woman I met says they love him. I say, ‘Why?’ They say, ‘Cause he’s bad and sexy.’”

But ladies, don’t think you can call up Frank Vincent and sweep him away for a romantic evening in Manhattan at Scott Sartiano’s Butter. He already has a date. “I go out with my wife,” the bad boy confessed.

You might spot Frank Vincent dining out with his wonderful wife. Feel free to give him a polite wave, but don’t be a pest. He’s not going to put up with it.

“If I go out socially with my wife someplace and I’m with people for dinner. somebody will come and say, ‘Can I take a picture with you?’ If I’m out socially, I don’t want to take a picture. Everyone in that room has a camera in their pocket (especially with most cellphones also being cameras). If I take a picture with you and somebody else asks me, and I deny them, then I’m not doing myself a service. If I take one. I got to take them all. If I’m out socially, I’d rather refuse than say yes and stand there for an hour and a half taking pictures. That’s not what I came out to do. I’m not working. If I go to a place that I’m there to sign autographs or whatever, then we take pictures. People don’t realize, but that’s what happens.”

He sounded pretty happy that he isn’t being hounded by the camera hordes that follow fellow sexy actor Brad Pitt. “I don’t have to worry about that level yet. I don’t know if I ever will get to that level. But I don’t particularly care to get to that level.”

For decades, Frank Vincent has been to crime movies what Strother Martin was to the western. Fans of the genre would spot him on the screen like a Where’s Waldo moment. He made his first major splash as a mobster in Raging Bull. He nabbed a quotable role in Goodfellas when, as Billy Bats, he said, “Hey, Tommy, if I was gonna break your balls, I’d tell you to go home and get your shine box.” He became part of Joe Pesci’s crew that terrorized Las Vegas in Casino. But when he assumed the role of hardcore mob boss Phil Leotardo on The Sopranos, Frank became a guest in America’s living room.

“It elevated my visibility a lot. I had some visibility with Raging Bull, Casino, Goodfellas and Spike Lee movies. But you can’t compare film visibility with television visibility,” Frank said. “Fifteen million would watch one episode. A movie couldn’t do that in 10 years.”

In a few weeks, Frank Vincent went from a cult star to a cultural icon. “People know my name now. Wherever I go. They know it’s Phil. They know it’s Frank Vincent. It’s raised my level of visibility a lot.”

The benefits of this visibility can be immediately seen in A Tale of Two Pizzas finally getting a DVD release after playing festivals a few years ago. For the longest time Frank Vincent made a living as a drummer, but has he ever worked in the world of slices and parmesan?

“No. I have not ever worked in pizza place,” Frank declared. “I was in the pizza place for two weeks making this movie.”

In the film, Frank’s character is trying to come up with a crust that matches his great sauce. He didn’t actually have to learn how to make pizzas to perfect the role of Frank Bianco, the pizzeria proprietor. “We weren’t making them from scratch. The pizza parlor owner was there. He would kneed the dough, lay it out and put it in the oven. During the shot, I had to take it out. I wasn’t actually making pizza dough.”

Did Director Vincent Sassone have him try to toss the pizza dough in the air and catch it like a scene from I Love Lucy?

“No. None of that stuff,” Frank said. “It would mess up my hair.”

A Tale of Two Pizzas has Pastore’s daughter (Robin Paul) and Frank’s son (Conor Dubin) having a Romeo and Juliet relationship. The fathers don’t completely disapprove since they expect their offspring to steal the trade secrets of their rival. While the movie now features two Sopranos legends, at the time of the shooting, only Pastore had the show on his rÃ©sumÃ©.

“He was in and out already,” Frank said. “I hadn’t gone in yet.”

Did Frank ever accidentally call Pastore by his old Sopranos name? Are there outtakes of him saying Big Pussy?

“No.” Frank said. “You call them by their real names sometimes when we’re shooting. If I’m doing a scene with Tony and I call him by his name, I might say, “Jim.” And they say, ‘Cut. It’s Tony; not Jim.’ When you’re friendly with people, occasionally that’s what happens.”

I proposed the idea that Tony Danza only plays characters named Tony so that his fellow actors don’t have that confusion on the set. Frank laughed. “Tony Danza is a good man,” he said.

While most of the people Frank Vincent went to High School with are pondering how to enjoy retirement, he’s going into career overdrive. “I’m busy. I’m busy. I have a couple of films that I’m waiting to hear about. I have my own cigars that just came out: The Frank Vincent Signature Series. They’re from the Dominican Republic. I sell my t-shirts on my website: Frankvincent.com. I sell Billy Bats “Go Home and Get Your Shinebox” t-shirts. We sell mugs, Phil Leotardo t-shirts and mousepads. We sell them all over the world. They buy them in Australia and Scotland. I’m a spokesman for a bank in Dublin, Ireland.”

Turns out the bank in Ireland uses him to promote their electronic services. Many characters played by Frank Vincent know how painful it can be when you’re late on a payment.

There had been a rumor that on the set of Nothing to Lose, Frank would occasionally juice newbie director Eric Bross by whispering, “That’s exactly what Marty would do” after a take. When confronted with this story, Frank Vincent admitted to doing this. “I would tease him,” Frank said.

Vincent still has a scene with a pre-Oscar Adrien Brody on his reel. But he rarely sends that tape out to casting agents. “I’m offer only. If you want to hire me, call my manager. Tell him what you want. Send the script. If we like the script, then make an offer,” Frank said.

Frank has a done voice work on the successful Grand Theft Auto video games. I asked if he’s ever done any voice over gigs in his pajamas.

“No. Why would I do that?” Frank asked. During every interview with a major star doing an animation voice, they talk about how they like the gig cause they could show up in their pajamas. “No. I do not wear pajamas in public like Vincent Gigante,” Frank said. Gigante was the mob boss who faked being nuts by wandering around Manhattan in his PJs.

Speaking of mobsters in pajamas, Frank almost had to wear pajamas for work.

“I was up for the pilot of The Sopranos. I didn’t get it because David didn’t want me in the show at that point because Billy Bats was too popular.” He almost became Tony’s uncle.

“We all read for the Uncle Junior role. I read it, Tony Sirico read it. And Dominic (Chianese) read it. Chase created the Paulie Walnuts role (for Tony) after it. A lot of times when you read, you don’t read for the role they want you for. You read a generic role. Directors just want to meet you and see what kind of style you have. David created Phil after the third or fourth season. He brought me in and said, ‘I want to find something for you.’ I said, ‘Whenever you’re ready, I’m ready.’ He called me in for season five for a recurring role. They bought me for three episodes. They just kept buying me and buying me. We did 12. The next season I was a regular. He had it planned all the while.”

The subject turns to how Phil proved to be Tony’s toughest rival on the series.

“You had Johnny Sack there before. Vincent Curatola did a nice role. He was respectable and believable in his character. Phil had a little more of an edge than Johnny,” Frank said. The other mobsters went weepy as they showed their human side. Phil might have backed down, but he never broke down. “I never went soft,” Frank said.

Phil kinda went soft when he met his fate in the final episode. Unlike many supporting actors who were taken out to dinner by David Chase prior to discovering their sad demise, Frank didn’t get a dinner with his funeral.

“That was the usual way,” Frank said. But instead he had to discover he’d be a human speed bump without an entree during the table read. “We sat down and read the script,” Frank said. Judging from the body count in the final episodes, they would have had to extend the shoot to squeeze in all the dinners.

Because he was wrapped long before the big finale, there was no need to ask Frank if he was part of any of the “other” final scenes or if the family eating at the restaurant was meant to end that way.

“You tell me what really what went on?” Frank asked. My theory is that the family sits around the table. AJ can’t get the ketchup out of the bottle. Tony grabs it and gives it couple hard slams. We see the onion rings covered in ketchup, blood and brains.

“Why do you think that?” Frank queried. My theory comes from the scene earlier in the episode with Tony forcing ketchup out of the bottle. It seemed like a moment to be replayed with gruesome results.

“You have a very vivid imagination, son,” Frank said. “Now your imagination of that and ten other people will have ten other endings. David (Chase) achieved what he wanted to achieve. He made everyone think what they wanted to think.”

In the past, Frank has acted on several Law and Order episodes. Will he be guesting on one of the CSI series in the near future? “No,” Frank said. “At this point, those shows might be out of reach for me because of the Phil character.”

Frank is in discussions about being part of a reality show. “It’s a question of what the reality show is. How the story is constructed.” He won’t allow a camera crew to live inside his house. “I don’t want none of that nonsense,” Frank said. He’s more up for the competitive reality show rather than challenge Gene Simmons and Hulk Hogan.

Bringing the conversation back to A Tale of Two Pizzas, I asked Frank what he thought of seeing himself turned into an animated character in parts of the film.

“I thought all the animation was great. I thought the music was great. They did a nice job for a little independent movie.”

July 12, 2007
QSE News: 7/12/2007
Here are today’s top entertainment headlines:
- Nintendo Co. Ltd. Has issued a warning to future Wii consumers ““ get it now or don’t get it at all. Nintendo issued a statement saying that come this holiday season, the Wii will be harder to find than normal due to expected increase in demand and a launch of one hundred new games. We at QSE News are going to file this in the “No Shit” department.
- A small town in Vermont has won the honor of hosting the preimer of The Simpsons Movie. Springfield, VT, competed with 13 other Springfields across the country to host the event. Producers of The Simpsons said Vermont was chosen because “Seriously… we have to give those people something to live for. What else do they have?”
- Daredevil Evel Knieval and rapper Kanye West are going to a mediator to settle a pending lawsuit.Â In December Knieval brought suit against the hip hop star, claiming West used his trademarks in the video for the song “Touch the Sky.”Â According to those close to the case, West is willing to settle even though “(West) ain’s saying (Knieval)’s a gold digga, but he ain’t messing with no broke (Rapper).”
That’s all for today’s news, stay tuned to this channel for all the news that matters least but you still care about.

(Compiled by J. Allen)

##
July 12, 2007
Quick Stop Thingamabobs: 7/12/2007
The web. It’s a big place, full of plenty of distractions ““ some funny, some informative, some ludicrous, some disturbing, some inane, some profound. Each and every weekday, we present links to a few of our favorite finds”¦

————————————————
- Wolf Blitzed… (Thingamabob)
- Allan Sherman sings “Crazy Downtown”… (Thingamabob)
- A virtual tour of the sets from Ratatouille… (Thingamabob)
- And you can also give Popeye a spin… (Thingamabob)
- Agent J… (Thingamabob)
Have a THINGAMABOB? Send it in!

##
July 12, 2007
QSE News: 7/11/2007
Here are today’s top entertainment headlines:
- Cable Network TNT has purchased the broadcast rights for the movie 300 for $17 million.Â The move gives TNT the rights to broadcast the movie beginning in September of 2009.Â TNT is excited about the move as they have been looking to fill the homo-erotic void that was left when the station lost professional wrestling.
- It has been announced that Kevin Spacey will be reprising his role as Lex Luthor in the upcoming sequel to Superman Returns.Â While plot details have not been released, it is expected that in the film Luthor will almost kill Superman only to have the Man of Steel come back at the last minute for a victory.
- The goth gods The Cure will be releasing a new, double album, this October. The album will be the band’s thirteenth studio release. The band will continue to release the album despite being faced with the fact that the world stopped listening after Mood Swings.
That’s all for today’s news, stay tuned to this channel for all the news that matters least but you still care about.

(Compiled by J. Allen)

##
July 11, 2007
SModcast 19

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 19: We Owe It All to Nook-Nook –

In which our heroes broadcast from a talking house, get their Trek on, briefly interrupt the proceedings to do some work, suss out why they never abused the casting couch, debate an indecent proposal, brag about oral proficiencies gone to waste, marvel over the frigid, define love, and hail the first cro-magnon sexual astronaut.

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

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
SModcast 19 (MP3 format) – 36.10 MB

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE SMODCAST ARCHIVES

##

July 10, 2007
Party Favors: 100 Years – 100 Beers… Beer Run For The Missing 12 Pack

As the buzz of making “100 Years – 100 Beers” died down, our eyes adjusted to the light and we realized that a few titles were on various lists that became stuffed between the sofa cushions. We’re not going to be a bunch of AFI wusses and claim that these lost nominees and votes will get factored in a decade from now. We’re not going to sneak in and rewrite the list and have Tony Snow claim that you misread the list. We’re going to do what every good party requires – A Beer Run for one more 12 Pack of Cinematic Joy.

Don’t ask where these titles rank with the 100 list. I’m not willing to bounce 12 titles from the first list. When you’re wasted and lying in bed during an orgy, you don’t get kick out that extra potential lover. Unless they’re whiney and keep pointing and going “that’s not good.” But none of these 112 titles are prudes. Here’s a 12 pack that rivals a dozen chilled bottles of Yuengling:

12. Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916) – Douglas Fairbanks plays Coke Ennyday, a detective who can’t solve a crime until he gets wasted on dope. This sounds like the basis of a Showtime series.

11. Fifth Element (1997) – Anytime you’re trashed and you turn on the TV set, TBS has this in marathon mode. Milla Jovovich with orange hair still makes me drool although that might just be from being on the verge of passing out. Am I wrong in thinking that if I had Bruce Willis’ cellphone number and called him at 3 a.m. and said, “Bruce!” He’d say, “Do you need more booze? I’m coming over to party!”

10. Akira (1988) if I could figure out this Japanese anime flick, I would have been able to pass organic chemistry.

9. Half Baked (1998) – Have you ever looked at the back of the DVD box? Jon Stewart is in the bushes. Look at it!

8. The Care Bears Movie (1985) – It’s not good to fall asleep with so much booze in your body. By watching five minutes of the Care Bears, you’re guaranteed to puke up all the demon booze in your belly. The best hangover cure is to not have one.

7. The Jerk (1979) – If you watch this on TV, you’ll never know Steve Martin’s dog’s name. We were wasted one night and it struck us that since Steve merely sold his invention to the company, he should have been able to not be sued since the company was liable for the safety of the product.

6. The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953) – Dr. Seuss shows us the evils of piano lessons. If you get the DVD, there’s the uncut Horton Hatches An Egg cartoon complete with Peter Lorre fish blowing his brains out.

5. Reefer Madness (2005) – Until White Trash Wins Lotto comes out at the cineplex, this is the best damn musical. You might also want to watch the original anti-drug flick.

4. Evil Dead 2 (1987) – This is the one where Bruce Campbell has the chainsaw arm? Or is the knights? Or the tree sexually attacks the woman? I can’t remember. Best to just play all three flicks. We call Army of Darkness, Evil Dead at my house cause were too lazy to remember the rebranding.

3. The Warriors (1979) – See it now before the lame remake ruins your memory.

2. Porky’s (1982) has the greatest movie trailer ever made. Remember kids that putting your dork through a hole in a girl’s shower can be hazardous to your health.

1. Cheech and Chong’s Up In Smoke (1978) is the gold standard of wasted cinema. Do not attempt to match the on screen intake. The DVD has amazing deleted scenes including how a guard played by Harry Dean Stanton doped up the boys before they went before the judge.

July 10, 2007
QSE News: 7/10/2007
Here are today’s top entertainment headlines:
- It appears the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows may not be author J.K. Rowling’s last novel about the little wizard that could. Rowling’s responded to the question of future Potter books by saying “never say never.” The author continued saying that in a couple years she’d like to revisit the popular series and add extra Dewbacks and scenes with Jabba the Hutt.
- Actress Toni Collette, famous for her role as the mother in The Sixth Sense, is expecting“¦ a baby! The child will be Collette’s first with husband slash rocker Dave Galafassi. It’s unclear if the child will be able to see dead Bruce Willis.
- And finally in video game news, gamers will have the opportunity to play as and against Slash in the upcoming Guitar Hero III. Slash will be a boss character that players will have to defeat in the course of the game. Sony said that every Guitar Hero III will come with a syringe and a bottle of Whiskey to “heighten the experience.”
That’s all for today’s news, stay tuned to this channel for all the news that matters least but you still care about.

(Compiled by J. Allen)

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July 10, 2007
Quick Stop Thingamabobs: 7/10/2007
The web. It’s a big place, full of plenty of distractions ““ some funny, some informative, some ludicrous, some disturbing, some inane, some profound. Each and every weekday, we present links to a few of our favorite finds”¦

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- Today we’ve got a special birthday theme, which will kick off with a song about how you celebrate the other 364 days a year – The Unbirthday… (Thingamabob)
- Macca sings about your birthday (it’s my birthday too, yeah)… (Thingamabob)
- Jack Black with an alternative birthday song… (Thingamabob)
- Posh Nosh on Birthday Parties… (Thingamabob)
- And finally, the Queen calls on the teen wizards of Hogwarts for a birthday request… (Thingamabob)
Have a THINGAMABOB? Send it in!

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July 10, 2007
Monkey Talk with Paul Dini: Stuffed Animal Stand-Up with Rashy #3

-By Paul Dini & Rashy

Paul Dini’s “Monkey Talk” (co-hosted by his irrepressible sock monkey son, Rashy) returns with Rashy’s continued attempts to break into the dog-eat-dog world of Stuffed Animal Stand-Up. Be sure to check out Rashy’s official site at LittleRashy.com…

DOWNLOAD:
Large (560 x 420 – QuickTime – 12.86 MB)
Small (320 x 240 – QuickTime – 5.62 MB)

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July 9, 2007
Nocturnal Admissions: DVD Review – Ace in the Hole

Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole is one of the greatest films ever made, and for a simple reason: it contains multitudes. The film constitutes one of the first critiques of modern mass media; it’s cynicism (or realism) runs counter to most Hollywood films of its time; it’s a forum for some great performances; biographically, it represented Wilder’s final break with his partner Charles Brackett, with whom he had written numerous earlier films; and, not least of all, it is one of the earliest examples of film soleil.

Probably one of the top 10 films people have been waiting to own on DVD since the commercial appearance of the format in 1997, the Criterion Collection’s new two-disc DVD (spine No. 396) of the film, which finally marks its first appearance on home video, doesn’t really go into all these matters within its supplements, but then, that’s what DVD reviewers are for. It’s a terrific set anyway, and a must-have for both admirers of Wilder and collectors of top notch American cinema.

The story is simple enough and familiar in its broad strokes to Wilderians. Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) arrives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the outs. He’s a journalist without portfolio, having been kicked off 16 other newspapers from New York to Chicago. After talking his way into a job, Tatum soon finds himself missing the ethnic delights of Manhattan, its food, lights, action, noise. All he needs is a story, that one big story that will make the New York editions come crawling to him. He stumbles upon that story while on a routinely dull assignment. At a lone trading post, he finds that its operator, Leo Minosa (Richard Benedict) has become trapped in a cave looking for Indian artifacts. Over the course of a week, Tatum manages to turn Minosa’s entrapment into a circus, his coverage luring journalists, ghoulish sightseers, and an actual circus to Minosa’s humble outpost. But at the height of his clever scheme’s success, Tatum finds that he has sickened himself. Paradoxically, no one wants to publish the real story of how he exploited Minosa’s plight.

Minosa isn’t the only one trapped. Entrapment is the key visual metaphor of the movie, from Minosa’s dwarfed head poking out of dusk covered boulders to the rattlesnake that the corrupt Sheriff Kretzer (Ray Teal) keeps in a box. But the main prisoners are Mimosa’s wife Lorraine (Jan Stirling) and Tatum himself, who is metaphorically buried alive in the dull sand of the New Mexico desert. Tatum is mirrored by Lorraine, who feels she was luring falsely into a marriage. She’s about to abandon Minosa to the mine but Tatum manages to maker he see the profit in staying (and though there are no visual clues to this, one assumes that Tatum also cuckolds his new “friend” Minosa with her). Tatum is himself the ace reporter in the hole, trapped by his own excesses in a drink-water town, his least favorite beverage. As others have pointed out, Tatum refashions himself in a version of Cecil B. DeMille, Wilder’s fellow Paramount director and cameo actor in Sunset Boulevard.

Kirk Douglas is amazingly adept, in his only outing in a Wilder film. All juts and points and arrows, he’s like a cubist painting of himself. Like Lancaster, George C. Scott and a few other actors the big screen isn’t big enough to contain his literally raging ego and his self-regard, and Douglas treads a fine line between chewing the scenery or merely sampling it to see if it’s worth the effort. Though William Holden seems to have been Wilder’s actor of choice for this kind of role, Douglas proves perfect at embodying The Wilder Character. This is the central personage in most Wilder films. A hustler, often a writer or newspaperman, he’s a guy with a knack for seeing the main chance. He has little hesitation in stepping over others to promote himself. Sunset Boulevard and Stalag 17 are the main texts of the Wilder Man philosophy but the character pops up in virtually every Wilder film. The director’s enthusiasm for the character is no doubt in part based on the fact that it’s based on Wilder himself. As a journalist himself in Germany before becoming a filmmaker Wilder must have seen, and occasionally been, the kind of hustler he is so adept at painting. The main knock against Wilder has always been that he doesn’t have the courage of his cynicism, always finding an “out” for him to show reform. But as Ace shows, the reform is inscribed in the very texture of the tale, this movies are really unimaginable with the character’s change of heart. It’s not the movie code that made Wilder make way for their reformation but his own desire to play that variation on the character in order to create a better story. Sterling, who has something of an older Sue Lyon quality to her features.

Because of its cynicism, its bleak outlook on life, its echoes of Postman Always Rings Twice and other films and mystery novels, Ace is widely categorized as a film noir. But in fact it is one of the earliest examples of a subtle shift in noir that was to reach its apotheosis in the 1990s. In her essay attached to the disc, Molly Haskell attempts to chart this shift, apparently unaware that someone else has already done so as she struggles to label it. Hey, lady, it’s already got a name, film soleil and the genre has been thoroughly gone over in the critical study of the same title. As Haskell reiterates redundantly, film soleil movies are otherwise noir-like takes of crime, greed, and seduction sat instead under the bright heat of the sun, usually in desert settings. But it’s not just a visual shift; it’s a moral change as well. From Chinatown to Confidence, film soleil examines crime with a more sympathetic eye, likely to make heroes of what would normally be villains and let them get away with their deeds, an option unimaginable in the days of the Production Code.

The lead off supplement on the first disc is a helpful audio commentary track by Neil Sinyard, author of Journey Down Sunset Boulevard: The Films of Wilder, a very good 1979 book on the director that gives equal attention to the films he wrote but didn’t direct. I sometimes get the feeling that Criterion prefers the dulcet tones of British film critics to the harsh, argumentative rasp of Americans. In this they resemble the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which so often passes out its coveted Oscars to prestige-emitting Brits. Sinyard’s yak track is in the spirit of Peter Cowie, Ian Christie, and Laura Mulvey, among other British commentators: poised, spoken rather than read, and seamlessly keyed to the events on the screen. With all due apologies to Mr. Sinyard, he is arguably the least known of Wilder’s celebrators. The disc could easily have carried instead of or in addition to him tracks by Wilder biographer Ed Sikov, collegial idolater Cameron Crowe, or early pioneering critic Leland Pogue. But in the end, Mr. Sinyard’s is fine, and a good introduction to Wilder’s concerns in this film. Disc one also has the theatrical trailer.

Disc two kicks off with “Portrait of a ‘60% Perfect Man’: Billy Wilder, is a 1980 documentary profile of Wilder that mostly follows his career arc, with added interviews featuring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, and I. A. L. Diamond (00:58:26). It gives you a view of the inside of his art-filled apartment and his fabled office. Next are some excerpts from a 1986 appearance by Wilder at the American Film Institute (00:23:37), which touches on similar ground. This is followed by a 1984 interview with Kirk Douglas, conducted by Michael Thomas (00:14:14), in which he touches on Ace, and gives some acting tips. Next is an audio only chat with one of Ace‘s co-writers, ex-radio writer Walter Newman, talking to Rui Nogueira in 1970 (00:10:07). Lastly, there is a video after word by Spike Lee (00:05:37), who claims a special interest in the film (he borrowed its last shot for one of his movies), but in which nothing new is said, and in which there appears to be no connection between film and its extoller, the segment also padded out with clips from the movie. Finally there are about 24 black and white on set shots and pics from the premiere of the film.

Also included in the set is a cute four-page insert in the shape of a tabloid sized newspaper, with cast and crew, chapter titles, transfer specs, and essays by film critic Molly Haskell, discussed above, and by filmmaker Guy Maddin, who brings his usual collection of delirium and exclamation points to a consideration of Douglas as screen icon, in the course of which he reveals that a major character in his film Saddest Music in the World was based on Tatum.

The Criterion Collection’s DVD of Ace in the Hole hits the streets Tuesday, July 17th, and retails for $39.95.

July 9, 2007
QSE News: 7/9/2007
Here are today’s top entertainment headlines:
- A Nebraskan micro-brewery is naming a beer in honor of Larry the Cable Guy. The beer will be named Git-R-Done. According to the micro-brew’s owner, the beer will taste like racism and stupidity.
- The little movie that could, Transformers, was number one at the box office again this past week. According to Paramount, Transformers has scored the biggest nonsequel-opening of all time, beating out Spider-Man and The Passion of the Christ. Well… we guess that solves that age-old question: Optimus Prime totally kicks Jesus’s ass.
- For the two of you in the world that actually care, actress Eva Longoria and basketball star Tony Parker were finally married over the weekend.Â We at QSE News would like to congratulate the happy couple but would also like to warn Mr. Parker to watch out for Longoria sticking her [EXPLETIVE DELETED] into his [EXPLETIVE DELETED].
- It is being reported that singer and former American Idol contestant Clay Aiken was involved in an altercation on airplane over the weekend.Â According to reports, “a shoving match occurred between an unnamed woman and an unnamed man who was a former American Idol contestant.”Â Publicists for Aiken neither confirmed nor denied the singer’s role in the fight, but insisted that if Aiken were involved, it certainly wasn’t a “lover’s spat.”Â Yeah… about that. we’re pretty sure no one is going to think that it’s a lover’s spat because that dude is totally ga… This just in! Britney offers an apology!
That’s all for today’s news, stay tuned to this channel for all the news that matters least but you still care about.

(Compiled by J. Allen)

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July 9, 2007
Quick Stop Thingamabobs: 7/9/2007
The web. It’s a big place, full of plenty of distractions ““ some funny, some informative, some ludicrous, some disturbing, some inane, some profound. Each and every weekday, we present links to a few of our favorite finds”¦

————————————————
- Bert Lahr, the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, shills for Lay’s Potato Chips… (Thingamabob)
- More Lahr for Lay’s… (Thingamabob)
- “It’s the Super Mario Bros. Sup-ah Show!”… (Thingamabob)
- Do the Mario!… (Thingamabob)
- Dylan Moran on Smurfs… (Thingamabob)
Have a THINGAMABOB? Send it in!

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July 9, 2007
Keneteph’s Corner: An Interview With Cree Summer

The Beauty Right in Front of Us

It has been told to me many times that “the jewels you are looking for are always right in front of your face, you just have to know where to look.” For instance, if one looks closely, they will see an arrow in the Fed Ex symbol. Actress Cree Summer is one of those jewels who have always been in the entertainment business, with viewers bearing witness to this beauty’s talent and not even knowing it. She’s a triple threat, displaying her talents as an actress, singer/songwriter, and most of her entertainment career as a voice actress. In a recent interview I realized her mind and spirit are as free as the characters she’s portrayed.

She got her start into voice acting at the age of 11 as the voice of Penny on the popular show Inspector Gadget, and continued to do cartoon voiceovers even during her stay on the show A Different World as the character Freddie Brooks. As a matter of fact, she brought the voices of Elmyra from Tiny Toons and Susie Carmicheal from Rugrats to life during the last few years A Different World was on the air. In her early career, she was a part of such cartoon classics such as The Real Ghostbusters, The Care Bears Movie, Strawberry Shortcake, and The Ewok Adventures. For a more complete list of her works, just check out her IMDB page, and see that this is one hard working woman!

In comparison to live acting, she said voiceover work has its benefits, but she still enjoys all aspects of the acting craft. “I love doing both voiceovers and on camera acting, but I really like the freedom I get in voice acting,” she explained. “I really get into a character, and use its traits, age, and even jaw and teeth type to determine how I should do its voice.” Another positive aspect of voiceovers, she told me, was the closeness of everyone in the whole community. “It’s like being a part of a unique club, where everyone respects one another. It’s not like the music business, or live acting, where certain people will see others as competition. I am blown away and humbled when I walk in the studio and see a woman who can do eight character voices and none of them sound the same! Another reason there’s no uptight attitude about competition is because all of us are silly people and love our job.”

Despite the competitive attitude in the music business, this doesn’t stop her from writing poems and songs, and creating musically. Since her 1999 album Street Faerie – produced by friend Lenny Kravitz – was released, she’s continued to stay inspired. “I get inspired to write songs from many things – fantasy or poetry books I’ve read, or even live performances where there is dancing and other visual art involved.” Musically she has very diverse, colorful taste, as she grew up on a reservation listening to Native American music. In her own collection one will find music from Frank Zappa, Diana Washington, or even music from independent hip hop crews like Freestyle Fellowship. Her own style has changed since her last album as she says she’s not as “angry” as she used to be. “I was such a zealot back then and was raging against the world. I now realize that there is a much softer way to transform the world for the better. I also realized that the more I know, the more I know I don’t know anything!”

Even with the diverse amount of roles she’s played, Summer still has things she would like to see and accomplish in the business. “One character I’d like to voice that I haven’t played yet is a fairy, and I’d really love to do that. As far as African-American roles, we’ve come a long way, but I’d still like to see more diverse roles for African Americans and other ethnicities being created in the cartoon world. I’m really excited about the remake of The Swan Prince that Disney is making, in which about half of the cast is black.”

With all the work she does, she is so talented that she can do her job quickly and effectively. A session may only last a couple of hours. Staying humble with her gift, she said that she feels very blessed to be able to do what she does and still have time to herself and her own personal creations.

If you want to know a little more about Cree, check out our recorded interview in the podcast edition of “Keneteph’s Korner”, with some questions asked by people from a Cree Summer myspace fan group…

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
Keneteph’s Corner: An Interview With Cree Summer (MP3 format) ““ 11.24 MB

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–Copyright 2007 Keneteph Entertainment

July 6, 2007
QSE News: 7/6/2007
Here are today’s top entertainment headlines:
- A Nebraskan micro-brewery is naming a beer in honor of Larry the Cable Guy. The beer will be named Git-R-Done. According to the micro-brew’s owner, the beer will taste like racism and stupidity.
- In preparation for the release of its new album, the Smashing Pumpkins have announced plans for a fall tour.Â Kicking off in Montreal on September 8th, the tour will run through November and hit many major US cities.Â The tour has been affectionately called the “[EXPLETIVE DELETED] James and D’arcy World Tour.”
- The film Transformers recorded the biggest Tuesday opening in history, raking in more than $27 million. The film, based on a popular line of toys, was directed by Michael Bay. Producers are pleased with the success of the film and are now looking forward to a sequel, saying, “maybe next time we’ll have money for a plot.”
That’s all for today’s news, stay tuned to this channel for all the news that matters least but you still care about.

(Compiled by J. Allen)

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July 6, 2007
Quick Stop Thingamabobs: 7/6/2007
The web. It’s a big place, full of plenty of distractions ““ some funny, some informative, some ludicrous, some disturbing, some inane, some profound. Each and every weekday, we present links to a few of our favorite finds”¦

————————————————
- Peabody’s Improbable History… (Thingamabob)
- Fractured Fairy Tales – “Tom Thumb”… (Thingamabob)
- Thurl Ravenscroft, and his well-known voice… (Thingamabob)
- Rocky & Bullwinkle, Cocoa Puffs whores… (Thingamabob)
- Octosquid!… (Thingamabob)
Have a THINGAMABOB? Send it in!

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July 6, 2007
Quick Stop Thingamabobs: 7/3/2007
The web. It’s a big place, full of plenty of distractions ““ some funny, some informative, some ludicrous, some disturbing, some inane, some profound. Each and every weekday, we present links to a few of our favorite finds”¦

————————————————
- We all like bloopers, don’t we? And Don Rickles, too? Let’s see the first part of some bloopers from Rickles’s short-lived Fox sitcom Daddy Dearest… (Thingamabob)
- Part 2… (Thingamabob)
- Part 3… (Thingamabob)
- Part 4… (Thingamabob)
- Part 5… (Thingamabob)
Have a THINGAMABOB? Send it in!

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July 3, 2007
SModcast 18

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 18: White Flight –

In which our heroes get out of the office, debate purchasing a helper monkey, live free and “Die Hard”, get cut off in one-mile-an-hour traffic, investigate three generations of road rage, delve into the casual racism of old-timers, go “prison” with ice hooks and baseball bats, reveal mob ties, identify functioning alcoholics, reveal their hill-people secret origins, drink in the parking lot, learn the difference between “blue collar” and “white trash”, and get an iPhone.

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

DOWNLOAD: (right click to save)
SModcast 18 (MP3 format) – 35.96 MB

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE SMODCAST ARCHIVES

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July 2, 2007
QSE News: 7/2/2007
Here are today’s top entertainment headlines:
- Movie critic Joel Siegel passed away on Friday at the age of 63. Siegel died from complications due to Cancer. We here at QSE News offer our condolences to the Siegel family, but we also feel that Siegel’s death was a little contrived with major plot holes and poor character development.
- Pixar’s domination continues as the new film from the company, Ratatouille, was number one at the box office. The film, about a rat aspiring to be a chef, beat out Die Hard: Live Free or Die Hard for the top spot. To capitalize on the success of the film, New York City will allow rats to cook and serve food in all city restaurants.
That’s all for today’s news, stay tuned to this channel for all the news that matters least but you still care about.

(Compiled by J. Allen)

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July 2, 2007
Monkey Talk with Paul Dini: Lunch Time

-By Paul Dini & Rashy

Paul Dini’s “Monkey Talk” (co-hosted by his irrepressible sock monkey son, Rashy) returns as Rashy and Super Rica learn a valuable lesson about pestering their mother, magician Misty Lee, to make them some lunch. Be sure to check out Rashy’s official site at LittleRashy.com…

DOWNLOAD:
Large (560 x 420 – QuickTime – 6.16 MB)
Small (320 x 240 – QuickTime – 2.71 MB)

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July 2, 2007
Party Favors: 100 Years – 100 Beers… The 100 Greatest Films to Watch While Wasted!

After reading way too many 100 Greatest movie lists from AFI, it’s time to come up with a list that truly reflects how a majority of people enjoy their cinema: Drunk on the sofa. But would those whores at AFI ask their blue ribbon panel to reveal their favorite films to watch with a six pack and a pizza? Screw ’em. Forget screwin’ those leatherskinned Lalaland puffy shirt wearing fools. We at the “Party Favors” have put together our own Pabst Blue Ribbon panel to vote and debate the greatest films to watch while wasted. Don’t argue too much about the ranking since we were drunk and our math skills went to hell. We’re still working on a TV special on Spike with Tom Sizemore hosting. Keep your fingers crossed that we can get him.

100. Borat (2006) – This would have scored higher, but a group of dorks decided to recite every line during breakfast.

99. Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) – Vincent Price makes an army of hot robot women in bikinis that are out to rule the world. Our only hope is Frankie Avalon. We’re doomed.

98. Night of the Living Dead (1968) – Anybody want some sausage?

97. The Black Cat (1934) – Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and a Satanic cult adds up to twisted times at a remote castle.

96. Zardoz (1974) – Sean Connery can’t be seen sober in his freaky wardrobe.

95. Damnation Alley (1977) – A bitchin’ van cruising around a post-apocalyptic world. We’re doomed, so get me another drink!

94. Fritz the Cat (1972) – R. Crumb’s little cat begging to be cool in the ’60s is brought to X-rated animation.

93. Viva Las Vegas (1964) – Ann-Margret shaking her thang at Elvis in scope is cinema!

92. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) – Vincent Price is a monster without a face getting revenge on the Doctors that couldn’t save his wife. Wonder if Phibes is mentioned in Sicko?

91. Our Man Flint (1966) – James Coburn is going to save the world one lady at a time.

90. Cafe Flesh (1982) – After a nuclear war, most Americans have lost their sex libidos so they go to clubs to watch other screw. The M.C. played by Andy Nichols is a stunner.

89. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985) – This film is much better than The Bicycle Thief and it’s in English.

88. Blow (2001) – Johnny Depp hooks America on cocaine. But he doesn’t snort any lines off Penelope Cruz’s ass.

87. Cannonball Run (1981) – How come Hollywood doesn’t make great movies anymore? Damn you, Judd Apatow!

86. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) – The last time Chevy Chase was funny.

85. Big Lebowski (1998) – You better have all the makings for a White Russian before pressing play.

84. Freaked (1993) – The power of transformation at its peak.

83. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) – Your TV volume needs to go to 11.

82. Bachelor Party (1984) – Adrian Zmed rules the universe.

81. Airplane (1980) – Mrs. Cleaver knows how to talk jive.

80. The Godfather I & II (1972) – Do not watch III. No Fredo, no movie.

79. Orgazmo (1997) – The South Park boys mix crime fighting, Mormonism and porn into a tribute to The Sexorcist.

78. Goodfellas (1990) – Try matching your shots with Henry Hill’s shots.

77. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) – The town falls down around Buster Keaton.

76. Dolemite (1975) – Has there ever been a badder pimp than Rudy Ray Moore? This film goes up a star with every beer.

75. Horse Feathers (1932) – Marx Brothers destroy a college.

74. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) – Dude, we’re time traveling!

73. Sid and Nancy (1986) – So damn punk rock. You’ll never stop mocking Rod Stewart and limos after seeing this.

72. Clerks (1994) – Ron Jeremy used to be able to pleasure himself without snapping his neck.

71. Transformers (1984) – Orson Welles will destroy us all!

70. Breakfast Club (1985) – Ally Sheedy was hot before Molly Ringwald slathered her in whore paint.
69. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) – Now she’s Buffy, the Husband with a Pregnant Wife Stealer.

68. Withnail & I (1987) – Do not attempt to match drinks with Danny.

67. Team America: World Police (2004) – Puppets having German style sex is all the rage.

66. Heavy Metal (1981) – The future of animation is rather raunchy.

65. Starship Troopers (1997) – Doogie Howser saves the Earth!

64. Raising Arizona (1987) – Randall “Tex” Cobb is coming for you, too.

63. 2001: a Space Odyssey (1968) – See you next Wednesday.

62. El Topo (1970) – This western is not to be viewed with a sober mind.

61. Blue Velvet (1986) – Frank Booth will rock your world.

60. The Party (1968) – Peter Sellers plays an Indian actor (from the country) that after destroying a movie, accidentally gets invited to a Hollywood big shot’s party. He turns this social event into a disaster zone. There’s even an elephant.

59. The Wedding Singer (1998) – The last time I thought Drew Barrymore was tempting. And I do want to hurt that Dead or Alive clone.

58. Spice World (1997) – The return and death of kitsch cinema. Did any English actor turn down a cameo gig?

57. Fight Club (1999) – You know who I want to fight? Arnold the Pig.

56. Last Tango in Paris (1972) – You’ll want to see this film with someone you love and plenty of butter.

55. Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – The birth of the cheesy Bond. Roger Moore is all quips and we get him fighting Jaws. Plus there’s sharks. Bonus comes with Caroline Munro.

54. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) – Remember when Liz Hurley was hot in that Emma Peel leather jumpsuit?

53. Shaft (1971) – Don’t watch that weak remake. This is the real deal with John Shaft keeping the mob out of Harlem.

52. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) – Roger Ebert and Russ Meyer give us the true story of Josie and the Pussycats. The soundtrack is still groovy.

51. The Wild Bunch (1969) – Sam Peckinpah’s masterpiece about a crew of robbers that get tangled up in a Mexican arms deal. Forget Marty, this is Ernest Borgnine’s greatest screen role.

50. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966) – Clint Eastwood’s final Spaghetti Western is an epic on all levels. We might know his name, but he’s so badass, you won’t want to get his attention.

49. Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter (1974) – Enough of the blood sucking, bring on more Caroline Munro.

48. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) – Shame the video isn’t out on 3-D. Would be nice to be buzzed and having Julia Adams swim into my lap.

47. Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) – David Bowie is a space alien who….I’m not sure what the hell is going on. But after a little refreshment, the plot just flows over me.

46. Aguirre Wrath of God (1972) – Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski go into the rain forest to show us pure insanity.

45. Taxi Driver (1976) – A lot of guys bring dates to see this movie.

44. Muppet Movie (1979) – You know the secret to the “Rainbow Connection?”

43. The Birds (1963) – Hitchcock reminds you why its important to eat chicken.

42. Slap Shot (1977) – The ultimate sports film. Paul Newman thinks he can save his minor league hockey team by bringing a brutal edge to their play. He trades for the Hanson brothers. While trio looks like helpless geeks, they put the “oon” in goon.

41. Hard-Boiled (1992) – Remember when you were pumped up to see a new John Woo film? Rumor has it that after making this film, John choked to death on a shell casing and his brother Ron Woo flew to America to make gems like Broken Arrow.

40. Super Fly (1972) – Big pimpin’ as the Priest makes the deal of his life.

39. Boogie Nights (1977) – Burt Reynolds is a porn filmmaker who likes to keep his work at home. What happened to Heather Graham? Get the bonus DVD to see her extra topless scene.

38. Barbarella (1968) – Jane Fonda stripping down in zero gravity. Stephen Colbert stole my DVD. Sci-Fi hasn’t looked any sexier. Bring on the future.

37. Blues Brothers (1980) – Make sure you only watch the extended cut with more John Lee Hooker.

36. Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) – Whenever anyone wonders what makes America so great; show them the clip of Phoebe Cates getting out of the pool.

35. Bad News Bears (1976) – Try to match Coach Buttermaker. And if you’re a tenderfoot, just equal Kelly Leak.

34. Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1975) – An epic of sex and violence. They’re going to
remake it with Jessica Simpson.

33. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989) – Don’t order the special.

32. A Clockwork Orange (1971) – Caution: You will start speaking like Alex after one screening, my little droogies.

31. Friday the 13th (any of them) – Another reason to avoid working at summer camps.

30. Hellraiser (1987) after a couple shots, you might attempt the Pinhead look. Remember to take a pic and put it on your profile page.

29. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) – All the monsters at one low price.

28. Commando (1985) Remember, Arnie, when I promised to pick you last? I lied.

27. Pink Flamingos (1972) – A great test for seeing who has the queasiest stomach.

26. Enter the Dragon (1973) – Bruce Lee’s defining film. He goes undercover to spy at a tournament of death. He’s saving the world with only his fists and feet. And a couple cool martial arts weapons that we used to buy at flea markets.

25. True Romance (1993) – Brad Pitt stole the film by smoking weed out of a honey bear.

24. Animal House (1978) – After the first round of refreshments, put on your best bed sheets.
Don’t follow these instructions while watching Birth of A Nation cause that might lead to trouble.

23. Cobra (1986) – The greatest opening 20 minutes in cinematic history. As Sly says, “You’re the disease, and I’m the cure.” Cure to sobriety!

22. Invasion U.S.A. (1985) – Chuck Norris saves us from the terrorists. How come Chuck isn’t in charge of Homeland Security?

21. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – If there was one thing I learned from Raymond J. Regis, it was that this Bond adventure is criminally underplayed during Bond marathons. George Lazenby was the best Bond for this flick.

20. Orca (1977) – Best moment is when the Killer Whale nibbles off Bo Derek’s leg. “Like a pretzel,” my dad said in the theater.

19. The Silencers (1966) – Dean Martin is superspy Matt Helm. This might be the last film to glamorize drinking and driving. Dean has a wet bar in his car. This is where Austin Powers swiped the mojo.

18. Death Drug (1978) – An epic in the career of Philip Michael Thomas. This was supposed to be a short anti-drug film, but after Miami Vice, the producers padded the movie with every frame of film shot and new video footage in front of a curtain. PMT is a musician who gets his big break with the Gap band on the same night he gets hooked on PCP.

17. All Monsters Attack (1969) – Godzilla and the other monsters get mind controlled by aliens and rampage around the globe. Does Nationwide cover your car getting crushed by Rodan?

16. Scarface (1983) – You can’t get on MTV Cribs without this DVD in the collection.

15. Idiocracy (2006) – Mike Judge gives us a realistic view of America where we’ve evolved into one Springer Nation. I want a handjob when I go to Starbucks.

14. Any Three Stooges Short with Curly – Don’t settle for Joe Besser.

13. Death Race 2000 (1975) – A cross country race where drivers get bonus points for running over people. Paris Hilton will be in the remake as a pedestrian.

12. King of New York (1990) – Christopher Walken is a singin’ and dancin’ drug lord.

11. Better Off Dead (1985) – Curtis Armstrong is the greatest actor of his generation to never get called the greatest actor of his generation by Roger Ebert.

10. Eraserhead (1977) – Remember that Hostess Snowballs can be used as a beauty aid.

9. Harold and Kumar Go to the White Castle (Unrated) (2004) – Doogie Howser sniffing cocaine off a stripper’s ass while speeding down the highway. How are we supposed to believe Neil Patrick Harris is gay?

8. Friday (1995) – Another great performance from Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr.

7. Saturday Night Fever (1977) – The irony of this film is that its anti-disco. You doubt me? What happens at the end of the film? Travolta discovers the disco lifestyle is false. He realizes that his dancing can go before

6. Disco Godfather (1980) – Put your weight on it! Rudy Ray Moore is the greatest disco DJ. But he has to stop the angel dust invasion when it ruins Bucky, a basketball superstar. Attack the Whack. Whack the Attack. Or Attack Whack.

5. Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill! (1965) – A trio of strippers terrorize the desert in their sports cars.

4. Drunken Master (1978) – Jackie Chan learns how to fight by getting boozed up. That’s the best way to kick ass, kids. The sequel is also worth watching if you’re still buzzed from the first round of fights.

3. Can’t Stop the Music (1980) – All bow down before the power of the Guttenchest!

2. Strange Brew (1983) – SCTV favorites Bob and Doug McKenzie arrive on the big screen. They go to work at the Elsinore Brewery and discover its dark secret.

1. Smokey and the Bandit (1977) – The greatest movie ever about a beer run. All must worship the treasure that’s Jerry Reed!

July 2, 2007
Keneteph’s Corner: My Favorite Things “Cali” – Hunnypot Radio

Broadcasting out of LA comes the sweet sounds of Hunnypot radio. This is a show that is all about the many genres of music, and the different emotions that it pulls out of life lovers. They play indie, underground, and mainstream artists and groups alike, so a diverse audience of listeners will find something that appeals to their tastes. Industry music supervisors DJ Hot Tub Johnnie, PJ Bloom, and Shok host the radio show. It is one light, live party, where the listener will be able to tell the DJs are having fun.

The great thing about this show is that although they are music industry professionals, they are truly about the music. It’s all about breaking new artists, playing great music, and not what some corporate guy in a suit wants them to play! DJ Hot Tub recently took some time out to tell me more about the radio show, and his experience as a music supervisor at Windswept Pacific.

THAAHUM: How long have you been DJ-ing, and what do you do at Windswept?

DJ HOT TUB: All my life. At 15 I would DJ at different high school parties. I’ve been in the entertainment industry for 18 years, and now run the film & TV department at Windswept Pacific, which allows me to truly pursue my love of music & find new artists. At Windswept, I’m the Senior VP of TV and music – a lifestyle choice. Basically, I get to absorb the music scene. I enjoy finding opportunities for artists and know how to interact with people. The movie industry is helping out a lot of artists because they see great music as an opportunity to market films.

THAAHUM: How did you get your start in the industry?

DJ HOT TUB: Coming out to LA & developing business relationships by interning my way into music and film industry.

THAAHUM: How did Hunnypot Radio come about?

DJ HOT TUB: Hunnypot Radio was started as a way to find the best artists. It was a collaborative effort between me and other individuals in the film, TV, and music community.

THAAHUM: What has been the response since its debut?

DJ HOT TUB: Tremendous! Most of the response has been “inner industry,” from others involved in film and TV. We are a close community and close to our listeners. People like that we play what we play. We aren’t getting any money out of this, so it allows us to play a diverse amount of music, without having to go thorough any red tape.

THAAHUM: What is your opinion of the state of music right now?

DJ HOT TUB: As an art, its essence will never die. Humans connecting with what moves them will always be there. Music may be like water one day – abundant, with all different types easily accessed by all.

Hunnypot radio airs every Monday from 7-10 pacific time and rebroadcasts throughout the week. Go to www.myspace.com/hunnypotradio to check them out, and www.hunnypotunlimited.com to check out their show.

-Copyright 2007 Keneteph Entertainment

July 2, 2007