RIP: Bill Cosby's Sanity

ZACH THAT:

Well...just watch:

Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women

All things considered, last night's episode of SNL (hosted by Mad Men's John Hamm) was pretty good, even without an appearance by Tina Fey or any other decreasingly surprising political stunt casting. The best bit of the night went to Hamm, who's perfect delivery carried the otherwise fairly obvious "Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women" (including such gems as "blow people away every time you say anything").

Remember These Guys?

RY:

In 2000, the "Wassssssuuuuuuuup?!?!" Super Bowl commercial quickly became one of the most successful (and overplayed - "Wa-sabi!") advertising campaigns in television history.

Eight years later, they're back. And this time, they're going political.



I gotta say...pretty clever.

Lost Season 5 Trailer

ZACH:

I've never once typed OMG. But...OMG!:

After some careful research of this trailer...there is a quick flash of light with the words The Dharma Initiative on it...here is the screencap.  No idea what it means...but it will save you 20 mins if you caught the weird cut like I did.

FRINGE/madlibs

Pierce Hammerstein

Ahem, Fringe? Your Formula is showing....

The Best Show You Don't Watch

ZACH:

All I'm going to say is please watch The Life & Times of Tim on HBO...it's genius. Here's a taste:

HBO Sunday's 11PM

Dexter...5 Years Old?

ZACH:

Showtime has announced today that Dexter will get an order of two more seasons. I'm not sure how they can keep the show from becoming repetitive...cough (looking at you third season).

Thoughts on what they can do for the next two seasons?

Wahlberg/Palin Revenge! (sort of)

PIERCE HOWEVER.



After several go-rounds with Tina Fey's now famous Palin impression, she finally stepped aside and let Palin have her turn in the cameo she was announced to appear in Saturday. But MORE interestingly they allowed the skit allowed the oppurtunity to continue the Mark E mark warpath saga by having him inexplicably show-up mid-skit, ready and raring for a Sanberg beat-down. Everyone does a pretty good job lampooning themselves including Baldwin, playing up his own psychopathic political tendancies.

We Found A Real Ewok

ZACH THAT:

Ladies and gentleman, Lucas is not imaginative...he just loves dogs:

Even does the head movement.

Mark Wahlberg Strikes Back (again)

RY RITCHIE:

I've gotta give Mr. Wahlberg credit - he's milking this whole pissed-off-at-Andy Samberg thing for all it's worth. Here he is last night on Jimmy Kimmel:



Anyone else think this whole feud is just a bogus way to promote both SNL and Max Payne? I'm calling it now - Andy Samberg will run another Mark Wahlberg sketch this weekend on SNL, which will be interrupted by Mark Wahlberg himself, who will beat the shit out of Samberg before telling him to say hi to his mother for him.

David Duchovny Separates from Tea Leoni, Joins Motley Crue Cover Band

RY RITCHIE:

Yes, that meth-addled rock star looking fella is really Californication's David Duchovny, freshly separated from wife Tea Leoni (although she claims that they've actually been separated for months).

Screw the sex addiction therapy - do something about that crazy vagina neck!

THIS JUST IN: MICHAEL MOORE IS A HOBO

ANDY:

I know Michael Moore has never really cared about his physical appearance, but COME ON...



I am imagining a bottle of Popov behind that plant.

Has anyone downloaded and watched Slacker Uprising?

Religulous Review

Let me say this before I start. I like Bill Maher. And, I have a vested (academic) interest in documentaries of this nature which deal with how and what people believe. That out of the way, you should know that I was really excited for the film to come out. Maher's dealings with religion are brutally honest, sometimes smug, sometimes genuine, but always entertaining. Unlike other religious critics like Richard Dawkins, Maher's criticism manages to make sense on a common sense level rather than Dawkin's snobbish put down of religion and religious people. Maher may be smug, but he at least attempts a dialogue. And of course, we all remember that last movie Larry Charles did where someone went into places and attempted to talk to people...

Sitting in the theater, my inital fear was that this was going to be a drawn out "Real Time with Bill Maher." Thankfully, the film manages to escape that through clever editing, interspursing costume-drama religious films throughout the movie. Besides providing a ready respite to a movie that is essentially about Maher talking to people, these montages have the effect of correlating religious beliefs with some sort of Hollywood hocus-pocus. It's classic Maher comedy, pointing out the utter ridiculousness in what we think by turning common sense on its head. A tactic that most religious folks take offense to. And there's a lot of that in this movie.

Charles, having attacked the ridiculousness of rabid American nationalism in Borat, turns his directorial eye to the ridiculousness of fundamentalist faiths. Only, this time there's not a character to hide Maher behind and on more than one occasion, Maher is recognized and cast out for his prior deeds and anti-religious stances. And, whereas Borat had Cohen's search for Pam Anderson, Maher's search in Religulous is rather, well, aimless. He travels from the halls of the Senate to the site of Armegeddon to Holland to a Trucker's Chapel and everywhere inbetween.

Each of these interviews is punctuated with Maher's sarcastic comments filmed while travelling. What Maher is trying to bring to believers is doubt and he manages to set folks on their heels, without ever convincing them of everything. It's a rather insumountable problem that translates over to the audience as well. Walking out of this film, you can't help but feel that like most of the other folks there, you agree (at least moderately) with what Maher says, but those who don't believe what he says probably aren't going to see it.

Oddly, some of the best parts of this movie are rather overlooked like Maher's conversations with his mother and sister about his own religious upbringing or Maher's flirtations with religion throughout his life. These poignant and rather probing moments of one of the worlds strongest advocates of doubt are practically overlooked for a larger political stance that, when Maher makes it at the end of the film, seems overblown, overdramatic, and non-personal. Sure, religion is a destructive force and represents a serious threat to our lifestyle, esp. when extremitsts like Bin Laden advocate getting a nuke to back up their faith. But, when we get to this dramatic end, it seems full of itself and detached from the actual believers. Maher's attack is the religious beliefs, but you can't help but wonder if he's forgotten about the people who believe what they do.

7.0

The Worst Trailer of the Year

ZACH:

I'm not sure how this film found its way onto Apple's Trailers page, but it did...and it is awful. Starring Daddy Yankee, yeah, you read right, the trailer embraces every cliche possible...booty dancing, drag racing, slow motion shots of people holding guns...will they shoot or not!?!?!, etc. The best part is that a single critic compared it to City of God. Ok. Moving on.

Listen, it looks like the story of a man who wants to be a famous musician but can't because he lives in a life of crime. Guess what, it's been done before, and really really well done. The film is called "The Harder They Come" with Jimmy Cliff. Do yourself a favour and rent it instead of seeing this mess.

Talento Del Barrio


The Harder They Come

Mark Wahlberg vs SNL

ZACH:

A week ago, fellow We Watch For You blogger Ryan posted a video of Andy Samberg playing Wahlberg and talking to animals. Now, the star of Shooter speaks out:

"Someone showed it to me on YouTube. It wasn't like Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin, that's for sure. And "Saturday Night Live" hasn't been funny for a long time. They've asked me to do the show a ton of times. I used to watch it when Eddie Murphy was there and Joe Piscopo and Bill Murray. I don't even know who's on the show now"

I have to agree with Wahlberg, SNL, even with the Palin stuff, really just misses the mark when it comes to comedy. I never thought I would say this, but I feel SNL has become MAD TV...you know that bad sketch show with a skit once a year worth watching. I'll catch it on youtube.

Pure Genius - Toy Story 2 vs The Dark Knight

ZACH:

There have been a million trailer mashups and I would say 1% of them actually work. This mashup is too perfect for words...so I guess it's good there is a video to do all the speaking for me:

Welcome Back, Andy Samberg

RY RITCHIE:

All Sarah Palin impersonations aside, this spot-on send-up of Mark Wahlberg is my pick for the funniest bit on SNL this week, and the end to a brutal cold streak for Mr. Samberg. Watch for yourself below:

She's Baaaaacccckkkk!

Tina Fey's role as Sarah Palin on SNL recently has, easily, been one of the funniest things on TV. And since the rise of the Daily Show and The Colbert Report, as reinstalled SNL as a America's premiere place for political mockery. If you were out last night and missed it, take a gander on us.

"THE DARK BAILOUT"

PIERCE HAMMERSTEIN

MUST SEE VIMEO HD VIDEOS

ZACH:

Glen Marshall - "Metamorphosis"


Metamorphosis from Glenn Marshall on Vimeo.

Phillip Scott Johnson - Women in Film


Women In Film from Philip Scott Johnson on Vimeo.

Sean Pecknold - "White Winter Hymnal" (Fleet Foxes)


White Winter Hymnal from Grandchildren on Vimeo.

The New TOP CHEF Cast...

RY RITCHIE:

Though a premiere date hasn't been scheduled yet, Bravo has announced the cast for its fifth season of Top Chef, set in New York. No word yet on who the token douchebag will be, but my money's on this guy. ---->

You can check the newest "cheftestants" out for yourself here.