300 Parody Trailer (PG Version)

After seeing 300 last week, half of my brain wanted to like it because it was incredible visually and had some of the most impressive set designs and fight sequences ever filmed. The other half of my brain wanted to laugh so hard at the terribly forced overacting, the ridiculous plot devices (I'm glad they waited 'till the last minute to reveal the giant hole that Persian messenger was about to be kicked into. If they had shown it in an earlier scene, people might've started saying "I wonder what that's for?"), and the totally unneccessary heavy metal soundtrack. Seriously, it felt like I was watching some YouTube "fan trailer" for the film when that crappy guitar riff started up.

Anyway, I'm thankful someone heard my cries for justice and created this hilarious "PG version" of the 300 trailer. I'll be shouting "This...is CAKE TOWN!" for many months to come, I can guarantee you.

Zodiac: Awesome?

I've seen it twice already, and I'm about ready to state that David Fincher's Zodiac will probably become one of the best films of 2007. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Devin, it's far to early to be saying stuff like that" And who knows? Maybe Wes Anderson will finally put out a new movie this year. Maybe P.T. Anderson (the other white Anderson) will finally get his "Daniel Day-Lewis as an oil tycoon" picture off the ground. Maybe Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez' new project Grindhouse will be f*ckin' awesome (it will be).

But for now, Zodiac reigns. Everything about the film is stellar. Excellent performances by Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. Gripping script with really innovative dialogue and sequencing. Awesome music. And such an amazing attention to detail. Every setpiece is precise, every time period is accurately represented. Fincher even throws in an old school 70's "Paramount Pictures" logo at the start of the film.

In addition to the look of the film, Fincher obsesses over the information that is shown on the screen. Countless title cards flash throughout the film, giving us the exact date and place (and often the exact time) of the events that unfold. 911 calls are repeated verbatim from the original police transcripts. Evidence, newspaper clippings, television news segments. Every aspect of this bizarre case is pored over and, like Gyllenhaal's character (who is the author of the Zodiac books on which this film is based), the audience becomes obsessed with finding the truth.

But the truth is quite hard to obtain, and unfortunately, the police (and Graysmith) never seem to reach any concrete conclusions. The film seems to reflect this, as the nameless, faceless Zodiac killer is portrayed throughout the film by no less than three different actors, each picked because they were the actors who closely matched the description by eyewitnesses and survivors of each of the murders.

Now, please don't think I'm giving anything away by revealing this innovative choice of casting. It only adds to the ominous nature of the killer, and of the film itself. Trust me; no other movie in theaters is worth your time (all two-and-a-half hours of it) and your money to go see. And that's a fact.

Decemberists' Announce "O Valencia!" Video Winner

It seems like forever since the Decemberists' had started their contest in which fans were asked to make a video for their song "O Valencia!" using the green screen footage the band provided. In fact, the contest slowly faded into obscurity after pseudo-pundit Stephen Colbert accused the group of stealing his "Green Screen Challenge" idea and challenged them to a guitar-off.

Still, a winner has to be announced, and here it is! I must say I was very impressed with the outcome. The director, Kurt Nishimura, didn't do the standard "stick the people in front of a weird background" move. Instead, he created an entirely new storyline with new characters, and simply made the Decemberists' footage part of the TV screens that occupy the video. It's a bold move that ultimately paid off, as the video is suprisingly original and entertaining, almost like the Decemberists made this video themselves.

Robot Chicken vs. Calvin and Hobbes

I don't know what to think about this recent segment from Robot Chicken that parodies the ever-popular "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip. Parts of it are pretty clever, but it strays so far away from the original concept of the strip that most of the cartoon comes off as more disturbing than funny. I'm sure if Bill Watterson knew about this, he'd be making a few calls to Turner Broadcasting. And I bet Bill is a lot harder to pay off than the city of Boston.

UPDATE: The YouTube link is dead, so I switched it to the link to Adult Swim's website.

New Pes - "Game Over"

How does Pes do it? Check out his latest piece of eye-candy, "Game Over":



A better quality QuickTime version can be found at his site, along with a ton of other awesome videos. I highly recommend Ka-Boom!, Roof Sex (not what you think), and his commercials. You've probably already seen his Bicardi and Coinstar spots. His "Making Of" featuretts are really interesting, too.

Bee Movie Teaser

Even if the resulting film is total crap, the trailers are some of the funniest, most original ever made. And they don't even have anything to do with the movie.

Here's the second (and newest) teaser, featuring Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, and Steven Spielberg:


For you late-comers, here's the first trailer, featuring Seinfeld and Chris Rock.

Get Off Your [as]

Bored out of your mind? You must be; you're reading this blog. But now that [adult swim] has finally made their streaming video service The Adult Swim Fix Mac-compatible, it's time for me to tell you what you ought to be looking at on a website that is not my own. Let's have a looksee:

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law: "Sebben and Sebben Employee Orientation"

One of the newest episodes of Birdman, this episode plays out like an old 16mm film showcasing the benefits of employment at the law firm of Phil Ken Sebben (voiced by Stephen Colbert). Listen for special guest Lewis Black as an irate office supplies manager.

The Brak Show: "Brak Street"

The famous "rap episode" of the short-lived Brak Show, featuring Cee-Lo, the singing half of Gnarls Barkley, as Prime Cut. Also, keep an eye out for a certain glob of meat on a scooter.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job: "Cats"

Despite the show's somewhat disappointing pilot episode, Tim and Eric might have finally found their footing in this insane, yet witty and provocative third episode, featuring special guest appearances by Michael Cera ("George Michael" from Arrested Development), comedian Zach Galifianakis, and Paul "Pee-Wee" Reubens. While the individual bits are pretty good, the running gag involving Tim transforming into a cat are brilliant.

The Venture Bros.: "The Trial of the Monarch"

Finally, what block of [as] content wouldn't be complete without a priceless episode of Venture Bros? This one, from the end of the first season, chronicles the Monarch's fall from grace as he is arrested for disturbing the peace in front of Dr. Girlfriend's house...I mean, Dr. EX-Girlfriend! Worth watching almost entirely because of the opening sequence. MECHA-SHIVA!

Your Daily Monster

I wish I had found this website sooner. Yewknee pointed me in the direction of Daily Monster, a really cool site run by artist Stefan G. Bucher. The deal is he draws a different monster every day for 100 days, and asks readers to post a story about the monster. Most of the creatures exhibit similar features, but it is still fun to see him draw a new one each day. Unfortunately, I've got some catching up to do. He's already at Monster No. 94 (featured above).

New OK Go Video - "Do What You Want"

Thanks, Stereogum, for the heads up. While it's no treadmill video, OK Go's new video for "Do What You Want," the second time they've made a video for this song, is pretty cool-looking. Somewhat unoriginal idea, but good execution. The backflip on the pogo stick is a definite highlight. See it at MTV.com (don't worry, it works for Macs now).

New Chris Rock Trailer

Chris Rock will be making his return to the big screen with his new film I Think I Love My Wife, directed by himself and featuring a script he collaborated on with comedian extraordinaire Louis C.K., loosely based on the French film Chloe in the Afternoon. If the trailer is any indication, it looks very promising, if not a tad reminiscent of the films of Spike Lee.

Live Action on [adult swim]?

The verdict on Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job is...unimpressive. While I did enjoy the seemingly off-the-cuff nature of the show, there didn't seem to be much in the way of content. The episodes best segments, "Hacky Sack Extreme" and "B'Owl," had already been played ad nauseum on adultswim.com, and the "B'Owl" bit didn't even feature Tim or Eric. Which leads me to my next problem with the show. While Bob Odenkirk did make a funny guest appearance, having John C. Reilly, a truly wonderful actor, appear but not do anything funny seemed like a waste of time and talent. It did seem like he would be making more appearances on the show, so hopefully, next time around, they'll give him more to do.

Surprisingly, I found much more to like on the second all-live-action [adult swim] show, Saul of the Mole Men. A witty premise, intentionally bad special effects, imaginative costumes, and an awesome theme song helped propel the show above its seemingly unoriginal concept. Sid and Marty Krofft parodies have been done many times, the best being "Drugachusetts", by the aforementioned Bob Odenkirk and David Cross.

Still, neither show has yet to reach the level of humor and innovation of previous AS hits, like The Venture Bros., Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, and the show recently voted Most Likely to Cause a Bomb Scare in Boston, Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Does live action have a place on [adult swim] or should it be cartoons only?

"Heck No! (I'll Never Listen to Techno)"

Regardless of whether or not the robots win, I'll still be listening to techno. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this impressive Lite Brite animation by Ryan Divine for the band Maldroid:



For another example of Lite Brite goodness, check out Rilo Kiley's video for "It's a Hit"

Andrew Bird...for Kids!

Yesterday, Stereogum showed me just about the best thing ever. It's seems one Andrew Bird, the violin-playing virtuoso, made a recent appearance on a little-known (at least to me) children's television program called Jack's Big Music Show, another one of those "interactive" shows a la Blue's Clues, but with a slant towards music-making and suprise musical guests. Previous episodes have included musical performances by The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, blues guitarist Buddy Guy, and Steve Burns & Steven Drozd, the former host of the aforementioned Blue's Clues and the guitarist for The Flaming Lips, respectively. (If you watch the clip, you'll also catch a certain "fake news anchor" making a cameo appearance.)

Anyway, the Bird dropped by as the character "Dr. Stringz," and all I can say is I wish the TV shows I watched when I was a kid were as cool as this...

Super Bowl Recap: Ads, Halftime, and....oh yeah, the game

When my beloved Carolina Panthers lost to the Seahawks back in 2005, I did something I had never done before. I skipped watching the Super Bowl. Turns out, it wasn't such a bad idea. The game was pretty uneventful, the ads were uninspiring, and the Rolling Stones are...well, old.

This year, things were a bit different. I was rooting for the Bears, and even though they delivered a particularly thrilling first quarter, the Colts ultimately pulled ahead and remained the scoring leader for the rest of the game.

Also, who else thought Prince rocked at halftime? I don't particularly care for these stupid "medleys" of past hits, but I thought he did a damn good job. Maybe I was just hypnotized by the neon lights, fireworks, and breakneck guitar solos. It's been known to happen.

So, on to the ads. This year, there were some pretty clever ads nestled amongst the "been there, done that"s and the standard talking animals, stuntwork, and inspirational messages. Coke decided that instead of us wasting our budget on new commercials, let's just re-air the ads we've been playing in movie theaters across the country for the past six months. Toyota aired a pair of visually impressive, but ultimately dull, ads showing the strength of their new pickup truck. Finally, comedians Jim Gaffigan and Michael Ian Black returned for a new slew of Sierra Mist ads, none of which topped the cleverness and humor of past spots like "Wand" and "Lost and Found", which also feature Kathy Griffin and Tracy Morgan, respectively.

So, who's left? Bud Light may deliver a crappy-tasting beer, but their commercials always go down smooth. This year, they produced two of their best ads to date, the slasher-inspired "Axe" and the utterly hilarious "Fist Bump". Additional spots featured a wedding auctioneer, a particularly brutal game of rock, paper, scissors, and Carlos Mencia.

Despite my outright hatred for Kevin Federline and all that he stands for, his controversial Nationwide ad had me in stitches. Just something about that bald guy who plays his boss hollering "Federline! Fries!" Other effective uses of celebrities came in the form of Robert Goulet's stealth-like reflexes for Emerald Nuts, and a surprise voice-over cameo by Ricardo Montalbahn for Taco Bell.

But, my two favorite ads in this year's Super Bowl were the especially heartfelt assembly line robot ad by GM, and the brilliantly campy Godzilla/Ultraman tribute ad by Garmin GPS Systems. Both ads had a great sense of visual style and humor, and unlike most Super Bowl ads, the concepts for the spots actually supported the message regarding their products, namely GM's concern over quality, and Garmin's desire to eliminate the need for maps.

Of course, thanks to YouTube, it is now possible to rewatch every single Super Bowl ad that aired, and in some cases, much more. The Snickers ad featuring two men almost first-basing invites you to choose one of four alternate endings. The aforementioned Garmin ad also includes interviews with the cast and musicians. Doritos even went as far as to hold a contest in which people submitted their own homemade ads.

Will next year's Super Bowl be made up entirely of amateur commercials made by YouTubers? Or will Bud Light simply buy up all the ad space and air never-ending "Wazzup?" spots? Only time will tell.

Perhaps you'd like to take it up with Mr. Laser?

It's so nice to know that, in this day and age, something as innocent-looking as a Mooninite from Aqua Teen Hunger Force flicking off unsuspecting passersby can cause people to collectively freak out so chaotically. Of course, now that the city of Boston has been considerably embarrassed by endorsing and encouraging mass hysteria, they're looking desperately for a scapegoat, which they have found in the form of their two "fugitives from justice," Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28.

Seriously? Are we so jumpy that a couple of strategically-placed "lite brites" can incite a citywide panic? If that's the case, then we don't stand a chance in our so-called "war on terror."

Coincidentally, this is going to give Aqua Teen Hunger Force tons of free publicity, all thanks to Assistant Attorney General John Grossman. Congratulations, sir. You've managed to single-handedly make yourself look like the elderly grandparent in the room, constantly berating at the youth of America for listening to that "dang-blasted rock 'n roll."

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters Trailer!

I'm gonna go ahead and predict that Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters will either be the best film of 2007, or make all film projectors that try to run it start bleeding. Or both.

Trailer time:


Flaming chicken!!

New Listening Station

So, I officially got tired of embedding Amazon.com links in my music sidebar, so I decided to mix things up a little bit. Now, when you click on any one of the albums in the new "Listening Station," you'll either get a link to a free MP3 from the album, a music video, or a link to where you can stream the entire album! So far, the Of Montreal link is the only one that provides a full stream, but if there are any other links I should know about, send me an e-mail and I'll add it to the list.

The Life and Times of Independent Cinema

A fascinating new article from the New York Times has appeared, discussing the place of independent cinema in America these days, with specific attention on the new distribution methods many of the independent studios (real ones, not big name studios with the word "Independent" thrown in at the end of the title) are trying out. One such method is IFC airing new films simultaneously with their theatrical release, including some of my favorites from last year, including Steven Soderbergh's Bubble and Kirby Dick's documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated.

Also worth mentioning is the amount of space the Times uses talking about Old Joy, one of my favorite films of 2006. It's looking like it will garner no Oscar buzz, but then again, it doesn't need to. I prefer it much more as an overlooked gem that will hopefully find its place in cinema history as time goes on. And if it doesn't, well, at least I enjoyed it.

An interesting sidenote: On page 2 of the article, the reporter refers to the Matthew Barney/Björk experimental film Drawing Restraint 9 as a documentary. Not only is this an error, it couldn't be a more incorrect description of the film. Did Jayson Blair get rehired by the Arts department?

On Oscars and Globes

This is getting ridiculous. Every year, it seems, there's another musical biopic (only in the case of Dreamgirls, it's based on ficticious characters), and now, we have Babel, which while I have been told is a good movie, it looks like Crash, just in many different places instead of just L.A. Why can't these awards people pick genuinely original and daring motion pictures for once? It seems like those two films, along with other releases like Bobby are the "safe" films, movies that seem to have been made in order to be nominated for awards.

I think this needs to be the year that the Oscars pull some crazy sh*t. Like when Marissa Tomei won an Oscar for My Cousin Vinny. Or when Annie Hall took Best Picture. We need another crazy year like those. I would freak out if Little Miss Sunshine took home a slew of statues, or if Children of Men would at least sweep the technical awards (it deserves Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction, for starters).

Well, we'll have to see if any of these things will come true when they announce the nominees next Monday. To all the filmmakers out there, I wish each and every one of you the best of luck.

My Oscar Nomination Predictions

Best Picture
Babel
Children of Men
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
The Departed

Best Actor
Clive Owen, Children of Men
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Peter O’Toole, Venus
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat

Best Actress
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Supporting Actor
Brad Pitt, Babel
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Kevin Kline, A Prairie Home Companion
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Steve Carell, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Supporting Actress
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Claire-Hope Ashitey, Children of Men
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
Jonathan Dayton & Valarie Faris, Little Miss Sunshine
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Robert Altman, A Prairie Home Companion

Best Original Screenplay
A Prairie Home Companion
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
The Fountain
The Queen

Best Adapted Screenplay
A Scanner Darkly
Children of Men
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
The Prestige

Best Documentary
An Inconvenient Truth
Deliver Us from Evil
Jesus Camp
My Country, My Country
The Trials of Darryl Hunt

Best Animated Feature
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

Best Foreign Language Film
Apocalypto
Letters from Iwo Jima
Pan’s Labryinth
The Science of Sleep
Volver

More explaining, as well as my rants and ravings on the banality of the Golden Globes, later...

UPDATE: I was recently informed by Mark from OscarCentral.com that, unlike the Golden Globes, Apocalypto and Letters from Iwo Jima are ineligible for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar because they are American-produced. It's nice to see the Academy still has some common sense in this regard.