ZOOLANDER 2 was lame. It was the dumbest fucking movie. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are old and they suck. That shit wasn’t funny. Pathetic film. So many idiotic cameos. Why this movie be having everyone in it? That’s just dumb. Stupid and gross. That plot too, what was that thing? They got some monkey’s up in there writing this stuff?
Could Penélope Cruz be more ugly too? Those big nasty breasts, that horribly perfect butt?
Then wrapping everything up? What movie does that? Garbage movies only!
My new favorite movie y’all. Six out of Five Stars! Watch that thing on repeat!
-Don Atari’s review of Zoolander 2
I have noticed that there are people who have completely hated on ZOOLANDER 2, which means my using the sarcastic laden style of Don Atari might fall on ears/eyes the wrong way. I absolutely LOVED the film. There wasn’t a thing I didn’t like. Every character, every nuance, every cameo, the structure of the script. It was solid and I recommend it.
At 9:30 PM Eastern Standard Time on May 22nd, 2016 the 100th episode of “BOB’S BURGERS” will air nationally in the U.S.
Before that at its regular time slot of 8:30 PM EST the 99th episode shall air titled “Secret Admiral-irer”.
Now you would think 100 episodes means pull out ALL the stops and go crazy and maybe even overboard. I can assure you that Loren Bouchard and the staff did not do this.
Instead the 100th episode titled “Glued, Where’s My Bob?” is actually one of the tamest, clear cut episodes ever. It’s funny and set up in a way that it could’ve easily been the pilot episode. I say this in a good way. It doesn’t waste time reintroducing the characters or anything, but the episode is centered on the restaurant and the foibles of a basically traditional yet weird family who work together to run a simple burger shack. All the staples are there, the Burger of the Day, some conflict, wife and kids being super crazy and weird to Bob’s perfect deadpan in the chaos and even a fun musical number. This time an awesome duet between H. Jon Benjamin and Kristen Schaal that could come out of Bob’s Burgers: The Broadway Musical (if there ever was to be something as ridiculous and ludicrous as to ever happen).
On that I’d settle for a 3 disc The Music of Bob’s Burgers: The Best of Seasons 1-6. Will we ever get that? Maybe. There’s been Simpsons CDs and Family Guy CDs and the music of Bob’s Burgers is just as good if not better.
Getting back to the 100th episode and the show even reaching this point. The show has for me its highs and it has definitely had its lows and when I say lows I mean lows, but when I say highs I mean making ME laugh (and I DO NOT LAUGH). Throughout it all though one always had to love the characters, the designs, the personalities and the voices. Literally one of the best casts ever. It’s proven that a super talented cast doesn’t always mean super success or always brilliant production but I’d like to take a little time to admire and gush about some of the cast of Bob’s Burgers because they are some of my favorite actors period be it voice, stand up, comedy or just acting.
I first discovered H. Jon Benjamin though Dr. Katz and followed him through Home Movies to eventually Archer and of course Bob’s. Bob might be the closest animated character to the real Jon there ever was which is both hilarious and wonderful because you can’t really imagine any of the roles he’s done before to be voiced by anyone else despite him looking nothing like those folks. It should be noted that Bob’s Burgers creator Loren Bouchard and H. Jon go back as far as Dr. Katz if not sooner and have stayed together through various cartoons since.
Eugene Mirman has been a NYC stand up standout since the early 90s and I’m pretty sure as a I’m a guy who since High School has had random nights in this city has seen him at least once or maybe up to five times. At least that’s how I remember things. I know he did stand up in the 2000s and I saw that too. Also, he was on Home Movies, and on that other show Loren and H. Jon did together, “Lucy, Daughter of the Devil” and he did stuff on “Flight of the Concords”. He’s a funny guy.
Speaking of “Flight of the Concords” that is probably where I first really noticed Kristen Schaal and have been smitten since. She’s had experience working with H. Jon before as well on “Freak Show”. It was definitely her work on “The Heart, She Holler” that I became completely enamored. Throw in “Gravity Falls” and of course Bob’s and she’s just a joy to hear, see… whatever it is. Louise Belcher is just the best.
Taking nothing away from Bob, Gene, Linda or Tina. Especially cause John Roberts and Dan Mintz’ deliveries add so much to the show that without them it wouldn’t be the hilarity that it is.
So tune into the hilarity this Sunday and then of course in the already confirmed 7th and 8th seasons on the ride that is the Belcher family. If you’ve never watched, well get started, if you used to and stopped, get back to it. If you already watch? Well, you probably stopped reading, because you’re already sold.
The Burger of the Day is: Drop It Like It’s Hot A burger with a fried egg and jalapeno sauce. (I made this up).
THE LIBRARIANS returns November 1st, 2015 on TNT at 8 PM with a 2 hour season premiere.
In the second season the major plot will be that the magic getting unleashed in season 1 will lead to literary characters coming to life, from Shakespeare’s Prospero to the monster from Frankenstein.
At NYCC there was both an amazing panel and incredible press session. The panel was super fun and revealed plots and stories from season 1 and upcoming season 2, while during press I was able to speak with various stars of the show to expand the thoughts from the panel and add ones not even addressed.
At NYCC 2015 I got the privilege to interview Nick Robinson as part of a roundtable in conjuction with the then coming JURASSIC WORLD blu-ray (out now in stores online and offline everywhere).
He’s an excellent young man and I’d gained appreciation for him during his time on MELISSSA & JOEY and look forward to his work in the indie based on a true story BEING CHARLIE and the major blockbuster based on the best selling Rick Yancey YA series THE 5TH WAVE.
At NYCC they transported the gates to Jurassic World to the Javits Center as well as full true to life raptor (you can call it an animatronic all you want… it was real! REAL I say!).
At New York Comic Con 2015 I had the pleasure and privilege to speak with Sam Marin, William Salyers, JG Quintel, Sean Szeles and Paula Spence, the cast and crew.
Regular Show-The Movie is out now on DVD (October 13, 2015). It is a truly epic adventure of space, time, action, drama, flashbacks, reveals, secrets end of the world/save the world antics worthy of the movie treatment. The DVD has amazing special features including a full commentary with Quintel and Szeles, animatics of deleted/unused scenes, the original board pitches and concept art.
WHAT: A LIVE televised event hosted by Howie Mandel. Come watch the Impractical Jokers’ EPIC LIVE FIVE STORY HIGH-WIRE WALK. In celebration of truTV’s Impractical Jokers groundbreaking 100th episode, the Jokers (Joe, Sal, Q, and Murr) will take on their most challenging dare yet – an epic high-wire walk five stories in the air above New York City during the show’s first ever live punishment extravaganza. Fans and the public are encouraged to come watch, offer support and enjoy the onsite activities.
The live punishment will have a charitable element as each Joker’s favorite charity: Doctors Without Borders (Sal), Daniel’s Music Foundation (Joe), Make-A-Wish (Murr), and Stephen Siller Foundation (Q) receives a charitable contribution, determined by how far of a distance each Joker walks.
Leading up to the live event, truTV will engage fans via social media by encouraging followers to tweet using #LivePunishment. Fans can tweet their vote for which Joker they think will “walk the farthest,” using #TeamMurr, #TeamJoe, #TeamQ, or #TeamSal. A poll will be featured on-air during the live broadcast, tabulating Twitter votes in real-time, stopping just short of the Impractical Jokers’ high-wire attempts. Follow @truTVJokers for updates.
DJ G Money will provide music on the main stage from 7-11pm leading up to the live broadcast, as well as during commercial breaks. Garrett from Z100’s Elvis Duran and the Morning Show will be hosting on the main stage from 7-9pm, and the Z100 and Power 105 Party Patrol will be passing out swag on-site from the Z100 tent.
WHERE: 19 Fulton Street | South Street Seaport, New York City
WHEN: Thursday, September 3rd
Activities for fans begin at 10:00am ET, including The Impractical Jokers Museum of Impractical History (a specially curated exhibition featuring fan-generated artwork and show artifacts); High-wire attempt will be live at 10:00pm ET.
Between March 30th and April 7th, 2015 the world saw three major character actors of pop-culture and also cult fame leave their mortal coil. As a child of the 80’s and 90’s these men left an impression of my mind.
Robert Z’dar, he of the huge chin because of his birth defect aka cherubism was part of some of my favorite films, and played a cop, gangster, and more over the years. Z’dar actually had a pivotal role in my second favorite film TANGO & CASH in which his appearance was very important to the character and made him even more menacing. Tom Towles, a man who also played killers, cops and more, got his name out to the world in HENRY: Portrait of a Serial Killer, but made the most impact on me in the sci-fi horror THE BORROWER. Towles also became known better in later years as the cop in Rob Zombie’s horror films. Finally, James Best who became best known as Roscoe P. Coltrane, one of two antagonists on THE DUKES OF HAZZARD. Throughout the 50’s and 60s, Best was a regular guest star on many a western and crime drama ranging from The Lone Ranger to Perry Mason.
After Towles passing I envisioned he and Z’Dar meeting up in whatever afterlife may or may not exist for a comedy horror about two bungling cops who shoot first and never ask questions. I couldn’t get myself to draw it though. Then Best died and I felt he’d easily work in the fictional film/show and I knew I had to do something as a tribute. PCS does LOTS of art (most of it wrestling inspired) but rarely posts it here. I feel in honor of these three men I must share this tribute which is incomplete, but says everything I want it to say.
Many big sites have looked at the 2015 Amazon Pilot season, but they will either focus on one set of genres, or review ONE particular program OR if they did an article on all the offering they were written from different voices instead of a singular eye so that you get a real judge of the series because you can tell what the writer liked or didn’t like instead of individuals snippets from varying viewpoints. Which can be good in some cases, but in something where Amazon is asking or at sort of asking what people think, I’d like to hear the opinion of each person on EACH show.
So here is that exactly. I sat through every offering (including the stuff for the toddler set, but I have nothing to say on those) from the Amazon pilots of 2015 (even the ones for the kiddies, not that I lasted long) and came up with a concise overview of each program, even delving a little further if the show I felt had merit for that
Mad Dogs: Definitely a keeper . Although it seems that it’s actually a remake of a UK series, I have to assume Shawn Ryan has some intriguing twists for it to make its own thing. Also Steve Zahn, Michael Imperiloli and Romany Malco bounding off each other with Ben Chapin in the more straightman role could be awesome stuff. The last 15 minutes set up what could be a really amped up show and very different that the original UK version from what I can recall.
COCKED: Another Brilliant production. It’s got that HBO/Showtime Dramedy feel to it and Jason Lee delivers but Sam Trammel really shines here. This is definitely without even seeing the other pilots a top contender. Co-created by Sam Shaw (creator of Manhattan) and Samuel Baum (creator of Lie To Me), with direction by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer). I hope these Amazon pilots have a first look pass thing cause if this one doesn’t get picked up for a run I think HBO, Showtime or Netflix would want it.
NIKO and the Sword of Light: OMG! This is amazing. Based off an app available for iPad, Android Tablets, etc (I always wanted it but I only have an iPhone). It was adapted by the original team and some major animation players as well as Titmouse, Stellar, Legendary well known voice cast too with Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh), Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad’s Klaus), Steve Blum, Kevin Michael Richardson, Corey Burton and Tom Kenny.
Table 58: This one is definitely for the younger set, but it’s premise seems like it’d fit great on Nick or DisneyXD, but on Amazon maybe they can go special places with it. The adult actors really help as there’s a Groundling, a former cast member of MadTV and two character actors who you’ve seen in something in J.P. Manoux and Sean O’Ryan. It’s over the top humor and the six outcasts kids are great. It was also directed by Gil Under, best known for 10 Things I hate About You and written by May Chan, a staff writer on Phineas & Ferb.
The NEW YORKER Presents: Worth seeing for intriguing segments. Most especially Jonathan Demme bring this article to life and the sketch with Alan Cumming written by Simon Rich (Humorist, former SNL writer, Screenwriter) . It basically really is like the magazine come to life. So if a series, probably hit or miss. I always thought like this is cool though. VICE has a series like it. McSweeney’s curated WHOLPIN was much like it. Worth a view.
Salem Rogers, Model of the Yeat 1998: This show is no good, but at the 25 minute mark you get a bare assed Leslie Bibb in color and in motion and for that? YAY. Rachel Dratch is fun too, but not enough to make this a keeper.
Just Add Magic: I’m not familiar with the book this was based on but after looking the book up they basically only used the premise to come up with what sounds like an “Eastwick” for the tween set. The highlight for the adult viewer is Amy Hill ( a face and voice almost anyone would recognize if not her name) as what appears would be the series “villain”. If it’s between this and Table 58, Table 58 is the front runner though.
The Man in the High Castle: I’m on the fence on my feelings about this. It’s quite a Loose adaptation of the novel indeed, basically using the characters, concept and some of the plotlines but then throwing away pretty much everything else to create its own series which would now be unpredictable as it adds elements never in the original book. Development hell on this too since Scott has been trying to get it made through first BBC, then SyFy before this. Against COCKED and MAD DOGS I’d choose either of them over this, but as long as Amazon (and people) doesn’t approve that horrendous Point of Honor, that was utter drek.
I was granted the opportunity to “speak” (via email) with the men behind the music of the very popular and highly praised (visual proof later) viral comedy sketch TOO MANY COOKS, Shawn Coleman and Michael Kohler. Shawn provided the majority of the information, but Kohler provided one tidbit. I came up with the best questions I could and Shawn took them and went flying providing some awesome tidbits and further insight into what and how this monumental project came together.
THE INTERVIEW
What was the composing process? Did Casper have a full sketch for you to work off of in creating the song or was it a collaborative process where you’d come up with musical cues that fit and then got added? How many versions of the song exist?
Shawn Coleman: Casper gave me the first 4 minutes or so and I did 2 or 3 demos for the main sitcom theme. I think Michael did the same. Michael’s ended up working best, so I took that and re-recorded it and started arranging it against picture.
Then we just kind of inched along with all of the genre shifts, I’d go from main theme into cop show, is this good? OK, little change here, change there… cop show into GI Joe, how’s this? We lurched along like that for a while, then we took a break so he could go off and shoot Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell and when we got back together he and Paul Painter had completely re-edited the whole thing and changed the timings, length of sections, everything. Usually when you write music to picture, the picture is “locked” and doesn’t change. I wrote them a long email about how much I liked it better before, but I learned I was beholden to the music and not to the overall quality of the thing as a whole. Once I ditched that mentality (and much of the stuff I’d already done) I was a lot happier.
Some sections actually worked perfect the first time, like the Snarf crawl.
Michael Kohler: When Chris (ed note: Chris is Casper’s real name) first approached me about doing this track, he said he wanted an 80s sitcom style piece, and his reference was the theme from the show Facts Of Life. He gave me a basic description of what the visuals were going to be, part of a rough edit he and Paul Painter started to put together, and some lyrics that he wanted to incorporate. I think the first time I read the line ‘Too Many Cooks”, I sang it the way it is now. It was just one of those things that happens once in a blue moon, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. The verse melody ideas literally, and I’m not kidding about this, popped in my head while in the shower, and I sang them into my iPhone so I would’t forget them. They are still in there.
After we played with that initial demo, Shawn morphed it into the different versions you hear throughout the short.
Is it ONE full composition or various bits edited together?
It is absolutely various bits edited together. I think it was 9 different Pro Tools sessions for the different sections that I bounced down to assemble in a master session. Keeping organized was a pretty major element.
How far in advance did you know you’d be credited via a G.I. Joe sequence?
SC: I found out about a week before it aired! I was initially the Cobra guy but Paul Painter wanted to be bad and he’s in charge of pictures, so he’s bad and I’m good.
How much research was involved and how much did you know off the top of your head how to recreate the feel of a sound? The Falcon’s Crest, Law & Order and Wonder Woman cues were just perfect so I’d love more about working those up were like.
SC: When I do parody stuff I try to work off of my memory of things without going back to the source and copping exact elements of it. That way I’m already sort of one generation removed from the real thing. I can also sort of mash two memories together– you liked Bell Biv Devoe “Poison” and you liked “Baby Got Back”, what if I stole a feeling from both of those? Puts you right back in Zubaz pants.
Praise for Too Many Cooks from top comedians, actors and artists
This goes into the development process above but I know the lyrics were written by Casper but did he actually state how many times to repeat Too Many Cooks and when the transitions needed to take place or was that a lot of back and forth to get the timing just right? He said in the reddit he worked intuitively, but was that process for the entire thing?
SC: It was pretty intuitive. He had the main verses in mind, and he knew we wanted to go for that repetitive-annoying transitioning to repetitive-funny thing. Initially he pitched it to me as the same song repeating throughout the whole thing, but we decided that couldn’t keep the viewer engaged– plus some of the genres just didn’t jibe with the original sitcom theme.
A ton of the actors happen to actually be really good singers as well, was there ever a thought of using them on the track (maybe they are, I have no clue who the girl voices are) or or are working with any of them in your studio now since most are locals?
SC: I got a great composer/singer named Cheryl Rogers to sing the female part. She used to have an office at Doppler Studios where I work. I sang the male part, not because I’m this awesome singer but because it’s a lot easier to revise and experiment when all I have to do is stand up and sing a new line. I played all the instruments (except the sax during the Roseanne round-the-table bit). Michael Magno and Patty Mack are credited on there too; they sang on Kohler’s original demo, which is what you hear over the closing credits.
We recorded a few other crazy ideas that didn’t make it in– one was to have the singers sound scared, like the killer was in the vocal booth with them! Unfortunately it didn’t quite read.
I also had Cheryl sing the main “Too Many Cooks” line, flipped it backwards, had her learn to sing it backwards, then flipped it back forwards. You can hear one of those buried in the “mixed-up” section before the characters and their chyrons* swap.
Did you work the sound effects as well in terms of the footsteps and sword strikes?
SC: Yep, I did all that stuff. I do all of the sound design for [Adult Swim]’s Squidbillies and I’ve done a good amount of advert work so that world is pretty familiar to me. This was made on a shoestring budget between actual “paying” jobs. I actually got an advertising producer I was in session with to hop in the booth and breath/run along to the Katie Adkins escape scene while we were waiting for approval on our TV spot.
*Chyron – Any predominantly text-based video graphic as used mainly by television news broadcasts
Shawn Coleman operates out of Doppler Studios and is the main sound and music guy on Squidbillies as well as much more.
Michael Kohler runs his work out of Bluetube and has done music and sound for Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell, Archer and many more.
This is a tribute I made to the excellent music, choosing another concept of Too Many Cooks.
Too Many Cooks blew up all over the internet. If you missed it… well…just relax your brain and sit back for 11 minutes.
I literally became obsessed after. The brainchild of Casper Kelly, co-creator of “Your Pretty Face is Going To Hell!” as well as other great stuff it’s just a creation of insanity. Taking information from their reddit today after this thing literally was “selling like flapjacks”, it was a “shower idea” which only became something when the joke reached Mike Lazzo who even said that not even Andy Kaufman would try to turn this into an 11 minute sketch. The work by editor Paul Painter is just as impressive… taking all that footage and turning it into a cohesive piece of such expert humor which everytime you think my lag or feel too long finds just that right beat to make you stick along for the whole bit is amazing.
The awesome music was by Shawn Coleman and Michael Kohler, and seriously how they were able to create an earworm that just won’t go away is mindblowing. It was meant to be a parody and instead in their spare time they designed something that is UNDENIABLE. I’ve listened to this as much as I’ve watched it… maybe even more and that’s saying something. (It’s saying I’m crazy).
My addiction went much further though. I wanted to know more about the actors. I’m not going to reference all of them, just a select few who had a cool internet presence.
Katie Adkins’ webseries DORMS (she was creator and director)
Katelyn Nacon plays ukele and sings and acts. I’d keep an eye on her. Also if the show becomes a series, she’d be the breakout maybe. I felt she was the breakout in the skit even.
One of the office workers, Marc Farley does his fair share of acting, but this bit from STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW is hilarious.
The female office worker, Karen Cassady is a great stand up and improv and she also like various others in Too many Cooks appeared in Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell.
The girl who doesn’t mind being topless, Victoria Sun has a model mayhem, unsurprisingly. Actually shocked she doesn’t have more of a portfolio, she’s beautiful.
The “nerd” who spies on her and is also a superhero, Will Dove, has a VIMEO channel with some great stuff.
Jennifer Giles, the gun slinging lone female star of C.O.O.K.S., also has her own Youtube with an acting reel and really nice singing clips.
The “cool kid”, Gwydion Lashlee-Walton, has a Youtube as well with various different kinds of videos full of quality comedy/
Interesting enough, the serial killer played by William Tokarsky (who also was in Your Pretty Face) and the cop, Ali Froid (who has a demo reel on IMDB) both appeared in Swamp Murders, but albeit different episodes.
Also, two of the young girls, Morgan Burch and Jayla James appear in the currently in post production, Santa’s Boot Camp, as elves.
There’s SO much more I found in my addiction of discovering who the amazing people who were involved in this project are, but at some point, one must stop because they are getting murdered. I’ll just press this button here though.
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