Cool Shit 1/31

If you're a Nic Cage fan, you're going to want to check out this site.

An excerpt of Vanity Fair's oral history of Pulp Fiction.

This may be the worst/greatest trailer I've ever seen for anything, anywhere. Empire of the Apes!



We won't have 30 Rock anymore, but we will always have the Jack Donaghy insult generator (until its hosting runs out I guess).

An article about Dustin Hoffman, Robert Duvall and Gene Hackman struggling to make it as actors in New York City during the 1960s.

Powerpoint - it's not just for business presentations. Use it to proclaim your undying love!

The Following: Week 2

It's not that I set out not liking shows. Honestly, I want to like a show like the Following. There's a concept in there that could be taken and shaped into a compelling drama. Heck, it could even use some of the old tropes that many serial killer shows before it had and still be an entertaining series.

Unfortunately, the show has decided to take a different route; a route where a cheap, non sensical twist is a frequent rest stop for this show, eschewing a tight plot and sensible story structure.

This week we saw the introduction of a new character, Annie Parisse, an expert on cults, brought in to lead the investigation. And boy oh boy is she going to bump heads with Bacon's Hardy! Because they have different investigating styles! And are attractive! And will undoubtedly hook up at some point this season...because that's what evil Tom Carroll will have puppeteered.

The crux of this episode is to learn more about the 3 people that kidnapped Joey, the offspring of of Joe Carroll. Already thin on believability for at least a thousand reasons, we are to believe that Carroll, from prison concocted and brainwashed 3 college-aged students to wait 5 or 6 years to pull off this heist. (Quick aside: why did he wait so long to put this plan in motion?)

So anyway, the three (the nanny and "gay" couple) are now simply living in a house in some remote area, keeping an eye on Joey, playing house and raising and lowering the internal suspicions within the group like a stereo equalizer. Because apparently the nanny (Emma) was one of the "gay" guy's girlfriend - set up by Joe. While he was in prison. Oh and she killed her mom in front of him.

It hurt to type that last paragraph out.

Meanwhile Hardy is saving the day by figuring out another one of Carroll's disciples was set on murdering Carroll's former wife.

There's a whole bunch of other stuff that happens too - including a man in a really awful papier mache Edgar Allen Poe mask beating up Hardy and then later setting a man on fire in broad daylight. Oh, and we're led to believe that FBI Agent Parisse could be in cahoots with Carroll. Of course, with the premise of the show that Carroll is some sort of modern day Jim Jones, don't we have to suspect everyone? In fact, because of the blatant suspicion they threw on her, I'm going to put her in the "she's not working with Carroll" column. In facter, she might be the only one who isn't at this point.

The point is, it's ok to add a twist or two on a show...but when you build you entire plot around twists, they quickly lose their spontaneity and effectiveness. I predict that will happen very shortly with The Following. And since the show really has nothing else going for it (aside from A game Kevin Bacon, who I really feel bad for) it leaves us pretty much with nothing.

Theories!

The young FBI kid is working with Carroll.
Kevin Bacon has a lot more secrets...including working with Carroll at one point.
The one "gay" guy is really gay even though he says he was only faking it.

What are your theories?

Cool Shit 1/30

This is brilliant. A game of Tag that knows no geographic boundaries, and is played forever.

A look at some upcoming television series that might make it to the airwaves in 2013.

A famous author (Michael Chabon), tackles an infamous book (Finnegan's Wake) written by another famous author (James Joyce).

The Boneyard is where retired planes go to die. Here's a video that shows how beautiful that wreckage can be.



A deep look into the world that is Christopher Walken.

Cool Shit 1/29

Cool list of things you (probably) didn't know about from famous movies.

If you're a Whose Line Is It Anyway fan, you'll want to see who actually won the show. Of course, I don't think this takes the British show into account at all, as Tony Slattery is the obvious true winner. (Paul Merton was my favorite though.) Here's an episode with both Slattery and Merton:



An interview with director Steven Soderbergh.

Original endings to movies. Pretty sure they all made the right decision.

Giving you the best breakdown on sports wagers, read this before you bet the over/under on the National Anthem during the Super Bowl.

Cool Shit 1/28

A list of the top 30 beer can designs.

There are such beautiful, deadly extremes when firefighters battle a fire in sub zero temperatures.

Porn has changed so much in the last 20 years. So very much.

There is going to be a lot of talk about JJ Abrams and Star Wars in the next few years. Here are 14 things we might be able to expect about the pairing.

Sundance 2013 comes to a close, so here's a good roundup of what is worth seeing from it, and what isn't.

The Popcorn Side Trick Chat: Podcast #2, or “How else is Cline stupid?”

…And we’re back. Back scrambling. Back in black. Black in the back.

…And I’ll stop that before I get too racial.

We recorded another, dare I say, hilarious podcast. This time we’re joined by an unnamed, mostly silent 5th member. While adorable, he or she, is a bit timid on the mike. And for that, we are grateful.

In the place of telethon skits, we now have intimate behind-the-scenes glimpses into our camaraderie. Mostly, we make fun of each other. Original, huh? Truly, we are trailblazers of humorous gentlemen.

And we recorded it on an iPad.

Check out the “OUR PODCAST” section on the right for details about getting the podcast via iTunes. Or you can download it directly.

Feedback? We love it. Let us know what you think at thepopcorntrick@gmail.com

After the jump, I’ve added some supplementary videos to help you fully understand and appreciate our art. Enjoy.

---

Thank goodness we never had a chance to deliver any of our bad pickup  lines to Black Girl Superhero. She would have just thrashed us.

Though if she let her guard down a bit, I think one or two of them might have melted her cold, cold heart.

As a random comeback, it’s fine. But as a superhero catchphrase, “Mmmm-hmmm…” needs some work.

 

This is, by far, the worst place I’d ever want to do sign language. This guy has issues…

 

I’m calling bullshit. If these guys are deaf, how are they lip-synching so sexily. I mean, accurately.

These guys have SWAG!

 

This does raise the very valid question of how studio audiences reacted to Very Special Episodes. Though it’s criminal that there’s no Gordon Jump reactions. Maybe one of them is his grandson. Probably the one on the left.

I included this solely to piss off 2 of our podcasters. I mean…

1. It’s totally understandable that 2 of the 4 “competitors” had their nugget count more than doubled by the 2 others.
2. Also, there’s no way that said podcasters could outdo these guys.
3. And finally, it’s totally acceptable that 2 nuggets were left in the tray.

Also, this could have been sped up more. Also, the normal speed audio was somehow disconcerting.

 

That’s all for this episode. Come back next time, won’t you?

Cool Shit 1/25

I think it's pretty obvious I need one of these, so I can digitize my entire life.

Trailer for Inside Llewyn Davis, the new movie from The Coen Brothers. Warning, you will be depressed for the rest of the day after watching this.



By now, if you're a Star Wars fan, you know that JJ Abrams will be directing the next movie. Should we be excited or terrified?

Sure snow and ice can be considered a nuisance when you have to drive in it, but you can also use it to make crazy art.

Thinking about living off the grid? Maybe you could buy one of these houses.

Even science fiction movies can be too out there. Here are 10 examples.

Jam of the Day

Prince has a new single! Screwdriver:

Cool Shit 1/24

And you thought the Lord of the Rings trilogy was already long - what if they make movies about all 7 ring bearers?

Here's you completely ridiculous movie trailer for the day. Olympus Has Fallen. And you can bet I'm excited for it, even though it repeats just about every action cliche of the past 50 years.



Take a look at what director John Carpenter thinks are the 10 best westerns.

And here's your time lapse of the day - the galaxy as seen at night in Death Valley National Park:



Conspiracy theories from the music industry.

Thoughts About FOX's New Show: The Following

So, FOX has created a new show about a serial killer and hyped the fact that it you won't believe it isn't on cable.

It's called The Following.

It stars Kevin Bacon. And that might be the only reason you wouldn't believe that it's not on cable; the fact that Kevin Bacon is in this.

Because seriously, after the first episode, the number of suspensions of disbelief this show asks the viewer to make hover in the triple digits.

Let's get a brief summary of the show out of the way. Pretty much the set up is that of Michael Mann's Manhunter. An FBI agent hunts and captures a serial killer, but it takes a lot out of him - including his heart! (you see he has a pacemaker now keeping him alive. Also he drinks a lot. Unless the shot of him pouring vodka into a water bottle was to fake drink around people really was set up as pouring water from a vodka bottle into a water bottle for the audience. Because that's how this show works.)

Anyway...

The serial killer escapes. And escapes gorily. So the FBI calls in the former agent (that's Kevin Bacon if you haven't figured it out) to "consult." on catching him again. Which is fine, except for the fact that the "consulting" he does (meaning figuring out stuff the FBI and police can't) is really bare bones and kind of academic to police investigation 101. (Seriously, he was the one to figure out this guy was on the internet when he was allowed to go to the library to "research his case?")

So now that we know Bacon is a badass with a pacemaker, we are slowly immersed in the serial killer's new plan for infamy: teaching people how to be serial killers. As in, he finds (or found) people online during his prison stay, saw some psychopathy in them, and trained them to kill.

If you can get past that hurdle, it gets better, in that he also has them devise an incredibly intricate plan, that took years in the execution, to not only kill the one surviving witness that helped put him away, but also to kidnap his son. All in an effort to embarrass the FBI agent that caught him.

I think.

Look, Kevin Bacon is decent in this (he's not given a whole bunch to work with) and the guy who may or may not have been in The Faculty (I'm too lazy and ashamed to look him up) is eager to be decent in this. The rest of the actors though are cliched and boring. And the plot - I mean, at first, when I found out he was training serial killers I figured that's how they would keep this show going, by making it a "catch the killer" of the week. But watching the previews for the show, it seems it is not going in that direction at all, instead becoming a singular story about finding the missing child, which...

Look I'll suspend my disbelief for a show if I think it's going at least in a decent direction. But in the first hour of The Following, 3 characters "flipped" from being sympathetic to evil simply to shock the audience and make it extremely easy for the serial killer to pull off his dastardly plan. There was no set up, which meant the payoff was hackneyed and tacked on. Because now, we can't trust any character on the show. None of them. It has been established that apparently anyone can turn into a serial killer at any point when the show needs them to, including the MAIN CHARACTER (I'll get to that point in a moment). I guess that can work in this first hour, but now that it's been established so early on, I refuse to trust anyone on the show. And that's not fun for any viewer.

It also seems that FOX thinks that gore is the key to success, as many of the killings were staged with as much blood as possible. It seems in fact, that that is what FOX believes is the key to cable programming: gore. You know, since Mad Men has all that blood.

These of course aren't the only issues I had with the show, just the major ones. I'm sure they have set up some scenes to play off of and "twist" in later episodes. I'm also not sure if the pace will slow down as we move forward, or attempt to match the runaway train speed of the pilot. I'm hoping for the former; I'm betting we get the latter. I just wish the standard serial killer tropes were so abundant. It's as if the creators figured by stuffing more in, the viewer would be excited.

And then there's the Kevin Bacon role. As of right now, he's playing every cliche of a former, now disgraced FBI investigator. We're subjected to a few flashbacks from his initial investigation to show us how he got this way, (obviously he got TOO CLOSE to the case!) and what this entanglement will mean going forward. I will say this - and this is what I alluded to earlier...

I was mildly intrigued by the events of the night Hardy (Bacon's investigator) caught Carroll (the serial killer). It had been established early on that Hardy had started following Carroll, recognizing him as the main suspect. And since Carroll was a professor, Hardy was on the college campus a lot (it wasn't made clear whether he was posing as a student or what, but he alluded to hearing Carroll lecture, so I don't know other than I'm reading way too much into a show that doesn't deserve or hold up to this scrutiny). So, we see in flashback Hardy walking down a path and bump into 2 girls who are on their way to a house which, you guessed it - Carroll is waiting for them in. Hardy lets them go, then follows them back to the house, hears a scream and blammo goes in and gets stabbed but shoots Carroll and blah blah blah.

What I want to know is, it seemed as though when Hardy bumped into the girls, he was walking away from the house. It seems ridiculous as a coincidence, which would then suggest he knew Carroll was there. But if he did, he didn't act as though he did once he heard the scream.

It's all very confusing and obviously could be chalked up to an incredible coincidence...but if they introduce some sort of hypnotism plot line, I'm going to be very disappointed.

Even more disappointed than I am currently with this show. And that's saying something.

Cool Shit 1/23

Hey ladies, care to nuzzle into my armpit?

I can't guarantee these are all legit (Specifically, I'm having a hard time believing the baseball player saving the interviewer) but some have to be, and are pretty cool:



The Japanese are cooler than us, especially when it comes to sports shows.

Trailer for The Iceman - a movie based on Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer for the mob who killed over 100 people. Honestly though, as crazy as this movie looks, it can't hold a candle to the original documentary HBO did on this guy. 



Here, you can be the judge:



In 2008, 11 climbers died on the face of K2, the second highest mountain on Earth. And now there's a documentary about what happened. Morbid thought: Is Jon Kraukauer relieved or disappointed he wasn't there?

Cool Shit 1/22

Are these the best songs from Quentin Tarantino films?

Last night FOX premiered The Following, a Kevin Bacon starred show about a serial killer and other stuff. I should have my thoughts on it soon - but first read the A.V. Club's take on it.

That movie that was all shot at Disneyland sans permission? Here's a trailer for it. Probably the most footage we'll ever see of it before Disney lawyers get their claws into it.



The pain that is on display in the NFL. It is my theory that we're currently at the peak of the NFL's popularity and is slowly on the decline. Articles like this one are chinks in the armor.

A documentary (maybe) on what an ACE Hardware employee would do when suddenly faced with the zombie apocalypse.

Awesome Burning Man video

I'm not sure what your thoughts are on Burning Man. I'm not even sure if you know what Burning Man is. I'm also not sure this video will help truly explain it. But what I think it does is at least help explain the essence behind Burning Man.

I know it's long, but it is cool. And of course it's a time lapse and tilt shifted, because what internet video isn't these days?

Cool Shit 1/21

I realize I'm in the minority, but I think the concept of a "snow tsunami" is cool.

Struggling filmmaker does what any struggling filmmaker would do - goes and shoots a guerilla film at Disneyland.

The irony of bidding so much money on a piece of money that was worth so little at the time is not lost on me.

Want to know a lot about Budweiser? Including the author's love for Bud Light Lime? At least I think he's saying he likes Bud Light Lime. In this era of ironic writings, one can never be too sure.

There used to be places in malls where people would go and play video games. And it was awesome.

Actors talking about their awful (and sometimes most iconic) film roles.

Cool Shit 1/18

A simple story of a man who records an album about U.F.O.s and then disappears just like he said he would. (From @thecline)

In case you hate reading, here's a video that sums up the story:



Have an Apple phone but are bored by the lack of true conversation you can have with Siri? Now you can do something about it - become Siri's language specialist!

Sundance is coming up, so let's take a look at what we should be excited about. And here are 10 more to be excited about.

What? Another gorgeous time lapse video that might take the sting off the day for just a little bit? Ok.



Take a look at what death row inmates chose for their last meal.


Jam of the Day

Jim Sullivan - U.F.O.

Cool Shit 1/17

Oh nothing much, just a German love song dedicated to ALF.

Make a youtube short video, get to Hollywood.

New Walking Dead trailer for the rest of Season 3:



My theory: Meryl and Darryl will escape their death fight, go back to the prison, get taken in by Rick and crew, where Meryl will then turncoat and it will be revealed that was the Governor's plan the whole time.

Like music? These apps will help you find more.

Want to make sure your Superbowl party has something to eat for everyone? Check out this site.

Cool Shit 1/16

The last sketch of the night on a typical Saturday Night Live show is usually one of experimentation, and certainly doesn't play to the masses. Here's a list of the top 10 of them.

I know it's only January 16th, but I'm not sure I will see a cooler video all year. Not just for how it was shot, but for showing some of the lengths the people had to go to get the shots.

Brief summary - the video is about kayaking. But kayaking in the way you haven't seen before.

Going to a fancy garden party and afraid you don't know enough about wine? Here are a few tips so you might not sound like such an uneducated ass.

So yeah, about the canceling of The Killing...it so didn't take.

Today's weird trailer: Upstream Color, from the creator of Primer.



Jam of the Day

Robert and the Roboters - I Follow the Sun

Cool Shit 1/15

The CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is a huge Vegas spectacle with lots of technology shown off. Here's a list of ten things that were there that seem pretty cool.

Thinking about cheating in Vegas? Then this is a must read article (so you can learn how they're going to stop you).

Take a look at what your fellow humans tried to take on planes in 2012.

Uh oh - another showrunner has fallen from The Walking Dead.

Every now and then I'll wake up wondering what Gary Busey is up to. Today, I found out. Now you will too...



And finally, you're weird movie trailer of the week: The Power of Few. My head keeps oscillating back and forth between, "this looks pretty cool," to "this looks pretty amateurish."

Daily Links 1/14

Time to fill up the tank and enter some of the most dangerous road races in the world!

A few Nintendo games really stretched the boundaries. And look - a Noid reference!

Just when you thought bacon had jumped the shark, someone goes out there and creates an underground bacon. Most likely illegal, and only in Chicago, it still has a devoted following and many customers.



A detailed account of what it's like to have Lindsay Lohan on set.

And then here's the trailer for the movie:



Everyone likes a conspiracy theory, right? Including ones from the fictional world.

Jam of the Day

Anders Osborne - Standing with Angels

Daily Links 1/11

It's like E.T. for tightrope walkers. Will he make it to the moon? WILL HE MAKE IT TO THE MOON?



If you're an Andy Kaufman fan, you'll want to check out these relics from his life.

If you have Netflix, you will be able to see new episodes of Arrested Development in May.

Nick Kroll will have a sketch comedy show out soon. Here's one of the skits:



Have a drug problem, but not cash on you? Head to your laundry room!

Jam of the Day

Led Zeppelin/The Beatles - Whole Lotta Love/Helter Skelter Mashup

Los Angeles Cline Comedy Crawl Preview

I love the Philly area. I really do. Sure it could be warmer, and not have the Phillies. But other than that, it’s gay-with-3-a’s faaabulous.

But there are times when I get jealous of other cities.

Usually, it’s a simple pining for to say I’m from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico or even Beer Bottle Crossing, Idaho.

But sometimes, not always, I wish I lived in NY or LA. If you listen to comedy podcasts, and that’s a thing that I do, you hear hosts and guests alike plugging their shows. They’re cheap, stacked to the rafters with name-brand comedians, and pretty much every night of the week. The depth and breadth of shows is mind-knuckling.

So when the girlfriend and I were discussing where to go for a post-Holidays mini-holiday as a Xmas present to each other, LA jumped to mind. So two $300 Virgin America tickets later, we were knee-deep in comedic possibilities. You know, like that time you stood up in the hot tub at the family reunion.

Like a funny Bonnaroo, tough decisions will need to be made. Or we’ll just see half of every show. After the jump, it’s a recap of all the shows I’ve found about so far, along with clips and referential humor.

Splitsider and The Comedy Bureau have been vital for my research, so props to them. Now on to the list before I find any more potential shows I have to write about.

Saturday 1/12

8 - Thrilling Adventure Hour (Largo @ The Coronet - $27)

This is one of my favorite podcasts, and the thought of seeing it live embiggens my soul. It’s the only must-see show on this page.

The conceit is that these are original radio plays performed by a troupe of talented comedic actors. Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, Busy Phillips, Nathan Fillion, Patton Oswalt, John Hodgman, Colin Hanks, Joshua Malina, Alison Brie, and I can’t continue any list after mentioning Miss Brie. She’s a list-stopper.

The writing is whip-smart, hilarious, and often more touching than it has any right to be.

There are several recurring “shows” within the Thrilling Adventure hour, but the 2 main ones are “Beyond Belief” and “Sparks Nevada, Marshall on Mars”. Underrated is “Captain Laserbeam”, especially since they added a gravelly-voiced Dark Knighty character (Phillip Fathom).

Beyond Belief stars my comedic hero Paul F. Tompkins and Paget Brewster as a Frank & Sadie Doyle, a pair of happily married and joyfully alcoholic NY socialites who see ghosts and solve supernatural mysteries. They are ridiculously good at delivering the silliest of lines. I could listen to Paget recite names of African animals all day. Also they talk about and drink booze a lot.  It’s episodic, but the depth comes from the love & devotion the characters have for each other. Here’s an older snippet:

Winnie Cooper getting all femme fatale

The other “headliner” is Sparks Nevada. It’s the story of a Earthling (Marc Evan Jackson) who becomes a sheriff on the Wild West-like planet of Mars. He takes himself a little too seriously, is not emotionally available, and is easily grossed out. Also, he has robot fists. He has a Martian sidekick Croach (Mark Gagliardi) who is a stickler for the pronunciation of his home planet and for the varying levels of “onus” that tie him to Sparks. There’s an on-again, off-again love affair with The Red Plains Rider (Busy Phillips), and countless other opportunities to make puns that mix the old west with outer space (e.g. there’s a showdown with a robot called “Techs”).

This has longer story arcs, character development, and genuine pathos. You actually come to care about these characters, which is the basic litmus test for good fiction.

This is not the best clip, but trust me, it’s good. This MP3 is a better example.

I’m totally from Earth too! We have so much in common…

Midnight - Tomorrow! with Ron Lynch ($8)

Given that we’ll be leaving Philly at 7:30AM on Saturday, I doubt we’ll be up for this midnight show. But if we are, it sounds interesting.

Here’s a 6-year old “best-of” reel.

There are lots of Community bit players in this video.

Plus, it has Brendon Small, who made Home Movies.

McGuirk = Proto-Archer.

Sunday 1/13

7:30 – Asssscat (UCB-FREE)

Free improv with Matt Besser, Ian Walsh, Andrew Daly, & Ian Roberts? Yes, please.

This looks like a pilot for a Comedy Central show. I would have watched the hell out of this. And not just because it mentions Al Albert’s Showcase!

I probably won’t see Amy Poehler AND Tina Fey, but I better see one of them, goddamit.

Then there’s this one, which is like an unaired Comedy Central pilot for Date Rape Cops.

“Yeah, but I’m the guy who showed up…”

8 – Rob Delaney & Friends (Largo – $25)

He might be the funniest guy on Twitter. 

He likes his women like woman think women should be liked.

9 - Power Violence (Complex Hollywood – $?)

This show starts off with moshing and seems to devolve into a ramshackle mix of standup, sketch, and not sure what else. Zach Galifianakis made an appearance this year, so that’s something.

Yep.

9:30 – Hot Sauce (UCB – $5)

This show is sold out, and why wouldn’t it be? You’ve got Jean-Ralphio from Parks & Rec and the one decent male character on Happy Endings. And a squirrelly third guy I don’t know.

There is a stand-by line, so we may try to get into that and then just yell at the third guy to name something he’s been in.

Jean-Ralphio’s hair was very Jean, not very Ralphio at this point in their career.

Not since Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa has there been such a Oreo Double Stuffy romance.

I love the almost Dennis Farina reference.

 

Monday, 1/14

7 – Hot Tub with Kurt & Kristen (Virgil – $6)

This was a weekly show in Brooklyn  that I always meant to see, but never got the chance. Now I do. We’ll need to decide between this and What’s Up Tiger Lily?, but this week’s lineup which features Paul Scheer, Jonah Ray, Jon Daly, & Jane Borden probably trumps WUTL?’s lineup of Marc Maron & some other guys and gals.

Love Kristen Schaal, and the spirit exhibited in this non-embeddable video seems fresh and fun and then fresh again.

7:30 – Eddie Izzard (Largo - $25)

You may think I’m crazy, but this “Works in Progress” show will probably lose out to one of the other shows with multiple comedians. Oh well, we’ll always have Mystery Men.

Someone took the time to take this clip and post it to YouTube. It’s over, man.

8 – What’s Up Tiger Lily? (Hollywood Studio Bar – FREE)

Maria Bamford and another blond host this show, which has had some killer lineups in recent weeks. Based on name recognition alone, however, this week, as mentioned above, is a bit underwhelming. Marc Maron would be interesting, but I’m not familiar with the other comedians. Feel free to correct me about how wrong I am, man.

This is the only clip I could find, so it is what it is.

Secretly filmed behind a menu.

11 – Stage Four (Anthony Jeselnik – $5)

Saw AJ at the Troc last year and it was just OK. He crafted great jokes, but every joke was pretty much the same Roast format that has jump-started his career. It got repetitive. As the clip below, shows, he’s capable of different things, so may be 11 PM on a Monday will bring a little more variety.

But if we go to this, we might be able to see Amy Schumer bend over and pick stuff up.

This is damn good.

 

Tuesday, January 15th

7 – Doug Loves Movies (UCB – Free)

Another of my favorite podcasts. Host Doug Benson has a loose format that involves guests discussing movies they’ve seen recently, then playing movie-centric games. Games you’d play on long car rides to pass the time.

The best game is The Leonard Maltin Game, in which the contestants try to guess a movie based on unhelpful clues from Leonard’s review of said movie. Oh, and they can bid Name That Tune-style on how many actors (from bottom-billed upward) they get as extra clues.

It’s very much dependent on the guests. sometimes the games provide fodder for comedy (i.e. people don’t understand the game) and sometimes no one cares about the games.

The best eps I remember are (1) Paul F. Tompkins impersonating 3 different celebrities (Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Garry Marshall, & Ice T) and (2) TJ Miller, Jeff Garlin, and Pete Holmes, who’ve all hijacked individual episodes, combined to take the podcast to Cuba. I think it was 10 minutes in before Doug got a word in edgewise. And they talked so long, not a single game was played or fuck given.

If Paul and Allison Brie made a baby, I would imprint the shit out it.

 

Are we done yet?

8 – Put Your Hands Together (UCB – $5)

This is taking over Comedy Bang Bang’s long-running Tuesday night  slot, so there’s a lot of breathy anticipation about it. They haven’t listed the comedians yet, but its debut show had a great lineup and good word.

May have to decide between this and Holy Fuck.

One benefit is that people who go to the DLM show can stay for this one.

A Flock of Seagulls called and want their royalties because they signed a shitty licensing deal.

9 – Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction

This probably gets squeezed out, but it’s a great concept, and it has Dan Telfer who makes the best dinosaur humor.

The best dinosaur is the one in your heart.

9 – Holy Fuck! (Downtown Independent Theater – FREE)

They’re recording an album over 4 different shows with some pretty cool comedians:

TJ Miller
Eric Andre
Sean Patton
Andy Peters
Hampton Yount
Raj Desai
Lizzy Cooperman
Sean Green
Jake Weisman
Matt Ingebretson
Jeff Wattenhofer
Dave Ross

It’s getting ironically romantic all up in here!

9:30 – Flyover Comedy (Hollywood Improv – $14)

Koechner!

Kasher!

Sklar!

Sklar!

I do miss Cheap Seats.

Daily Links 1/10

Want to know what Christopher Nolan is tackling after the Batman movies?

If you're a fan of Marc Maron's WTF podcast, check out what he thinks are the best episodes.

The 10 most hated companies in America.

You think that PSA you just saw was bad? Check these out.

Maybe you've seen the movie Rubber, a movie about a homicidal tire (and if it were only about that it would be weird, but it's got so much other stuff going on). Well, here's the director's follow up, and if you thought a movie about a homicidal tire was weird...



Jam of the Day

Of Monsters and Men - King and Lionheart

Hardcore Hall & Oates

Nothing would please me more than if Hall & Oates took their delicious brand of Philly soul, added a touch of gangster rap and released an album. NOTHING!

Daily Links 1/9

The Son Doong Cave - the largest cave system in the world. Here are some pictures to prove it. Well, maybe not prove it, but to make it look cool at least.

Apparently the only thing we've learned from Grizzly Man is that when we try to commune with bears in the nature, we should do it in plexiglass cubes:



In our quest to get you totally cinematically prepared for 2013, here's another list of upcoming movies for the new year. Couple of quick thoughts

• it seems Ryan Gosling is trying to prove his stuntman fetish
• Not sure why The Great Gatsby needs 3-D
• I'm intrigued by the movie Bravity, but this trailer has to be the most pretentious trailer in the existence of trailers, no?

For all you Captain Beefheart fans - a look at his album Bluejeans and Moonbeams.

A look at some music videos and the famous directors behind them.

Hmmm, seems the M Night Shyamalan likes Twin Peaks so much he's going to make his own version.

Jam of the Day

The Divine Fits - Like Ice Cream

Daily Links 1/8

The great syrup heist. I'm going to be honest. I'm a little sad I wasn't involved. Because it sure sounds sweet!

The 2012 National Geographic Photo contest winners!

The closest you're probably ever going to get to Chernobyl. Not sure why the photographer had to HDR all his images though. Seems like a cheap, subliminal stunt to suggest the radiation of the place. Or, there wasn't enough light. Though I'd assume he would bring a good lens when photographing an abandoned hospital in a radioactive zone.

New York could have been so much cooler.

Cool stunt reel of a stunt man:



Jam of the Day

Bobby Charles - Street People

Daily Links 1/7

A list of what some actors did to get into character. Though I think what's crazier is that Tom Cruise felt the need to put so much work into Collateral.

Want to see just how busy the skies are? Check this out.

Sodium. The silent killer. Or I guess one of the silent killers at this point. Listen, if you don't know that eating fast food regularly is bad, then I don't know what to tell you.

I can't definitively say these are the best spoof movies ever, but the list does include Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid.

This is the way life should be lived. Not giving a fuck:



Oh that silly Craigslist. Craziest posts from 2012.

Jam of the Day

Johnny Adams - Georgia Morning Dew

Daily Links 1/4

Yesterday we anticipated a movies coming out in 2013. Here's another list that is specific for sic-fi/fantasy movies coming out in 2013.

Profile of Snoop Lion, the artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg. Because, of course.

Even if you don't like sports, you'll appreciate these 100 awesome sports photos.

I don't know how "shocking" this list about food is (it seems to consider itself that to drive readers into a rage) but it's interesting to read some stuff and nod along in agreement.

An interesting (and long) account of a German family who visited Death Valley, and never came out.

Jam of the Day

The Haptics - Boss Cat

Links of Interest 1/3

If you ever thought about becoming a pickpocket, this article is probably a good place to start.

It's time to admit to myself that I'm probably not going to get to Myanmar (Burma) anytime soon. So this video taken from a hot air balloon will have to do.



An interesting article on beer - not craft beers, but the big boys, and how stock market expectations are most likely changing flavors.

An oral history of the making of Deathrow Records.

Some movies to look forward to in 2013.

Links of Interest 1/2

Taking you into your New Year...

The greatest shots in tournament ping pong from the past year. One quick comment - when are they going to get some hi-def camera to cover this?



Do you like parkour? This might be interesting to you:



I don't put too much stock in Best of lists, but one of my exceptions is for Roger Ebert. Here's his best of 2012.

A magnificent, frightening story With a really cool interface for the reader) about a particular avalanche.

I obviously missed this story (and the event) when it popped up around Halloween in New York. That doesn't mean it's not a great read though.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to watch more giraffe fights. So far, so good!



Jam of the Day

The Mountain Goats, Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1