Cool Shit 12/23

While the FBI (and the rest of the US government I guess) have backed the theory that North Korea was behind the Sony hack, others aren't so sure. And their evidence is pretty convincing. When I think about it, I can't think of a motive for North Korea to attack the United States via hacking a privately owned entity. I'm just hoping the FBI did get this right. Because if not...

Get an early idea of what is cool technology is coming out in 2015. 

No matter what the conditions, you'll find humans living there.

You know what would make sipping coffee that much better? Sipping coffee while petting some rabbits. At least that's what the Japanese think...



Slingshotting your Christmas tree into oblivion. Well, to be fair you have to modify the tree a bit apparently, but you'll still see a giant slingshot.



Baldwin interviewing McEnroe? Someone does read my wishes!

Get on the Darknet save some money and make your friends feel really special this Christmas!

Cool Shit 4/10

We're becoming the "all things Alec Baldwin" blog! Today's news: NBC might be considering him for late night television.

Aside from the effects, I thought District 9 was overrated. It's smash you in the face racism analogies didn't leave any room for nuances, and the second half of it played more like a bad Rambo sequel. So I don't have too much hope for Neil Blomkamp's new one, Elysium. But I'm sure there are people out there who are...



A look at what made Cheers arguably the greatest sit com of all time, and 10 episodes that prove it.

I bet a guy with a horrible personality but a big penis funded this study.

Listen, we all have our sexual quirks. Some people like physically toned women. Some like masturbating to women while driving at 90 miles an hour with their penis out the window. Who am I to judge?

Cool Shit 4/9

If you're a Ron Swanson fan, these 18 quotes will make you chuckle. And if you don't know who he is...for shame.

It comes up at least twice a day for me...how difficult is it to dissolve a human body?

If you have enough money, you can make your dreams come true and spend an evening with Alec Baldwin. I assume that's everyone's dream, right?

The Bounty was a tall ship that found itself in the middle of Hurricane Sandy. How did that happen?

Are The Walking Dead and Toy Story essentially the same thing?

A look at the "20 year plan" of the Wu Tang Clan. They're smarter than you.

Cool Shit 4/4

Has the Gate to Hell been found? Hope so, I can finally write a beginning to my movie script!

For Lord of the Rings fans and other curious folk...a translation of a Russian novel that tells the story of the ring from the perspective of Sauron. You can download it for free here.

Awesome photos taken at exactly the right time.

It was Mr. Alec Baldwin's birthday yesterday. Enjoy:



So it seems like May 26 is going to be an all nighter for Arrested Development fans.

Hannibal premieres tonight at 10 - the "prequel" of sorts to Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs. It's kind of difficult to set expectations. The novels Red Dragon and The Silence... by Thomas Harris were fantastic, as were the original movies (I'm talking about the Chris Elliot Red Dragon movie and not the Edward Norton one). But then the Harris got a little loopy, writing sequels and prequels and whatnot, and then movies based on those were uneven and well now, here we are - probably at some of the most intriguing source material (potentially how Lechter was caught), and we've got to watch it unfold as a television series on NBC. Such a strange trip we've taken, no? Anyway, here's a trailer for the show:



(2 asides - one: How unlucky is Will Graham to be sent to a serial killer psychiatrist for a psych exam while he's investigating serial killers? and two: Anyone else appreciate the "meta-ness" of having a Hannibal ad run before the Hannibal trailer on Youtube? Dear NBC: perhaps running an ad for ANOTHER show would be slightly more beneficial.)

I make no excuses for being a Huey Lewis fan; back in the 80s and today. Guy knows what he's doing and puts on a great show. And now, we get to see another side of him and recognize he has a good sense of humor about himself. Though, if you've never seen American Psycho, this might not really resonate for you...

American Psycho with Huey Lewis and Weird Al from Huey Lewis      

Top Gun Outtakes

In case you missed Saturday Night Live premiere the other night, here's what may have been the funniest sketch. Reminiscent of the Back to the Future outtakes (or a facsimile), here's a look at the "auditions" for Top Gun...

Baldwin hits his Pacino stride during the Afghanistan rant; but the Tom Hanks is terrible. Really, he was doing a Kevin Meany, and while that might have been a little too obscure for the audience, it would have worked better.

A Few Quick Thoughts on The Marriage Ref

If you watched NBC at any point in the last month for at least 6 seconds then you know about their new show, "The Marriage Ref."

I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

For the few of you that hate the Olympics or don't own a television, the show is about a married couple split on a certain issue that is loosely affecting their relationship. A panel of 3 celebrities make quips about the situation before the "ref" steps in and makes his ruling. If that sounds needlessly complicated, it is. As well as stupid. Basically, the show allows celebrities to make fun of people.

I went into the show with low expectations (actually, I probably wouldn't have even saw the show if NBC hadn't inexplicably interrupt the closing ceremonies to run this half hour show). And while those expectations were certainly met, I'm not ready to completely give up on the show. I'm sure that moment will come sometime in the first five minutes of the second show, but for now, I can sense a slight rise of excitement somewhere in my cold, black heart (yes, it's mostly because of the fact that the promos showed Ricky Gervais will make an appearance, but still). Much like it's next to impossible to look away from a horrific accident, no matter how much your brain tells you its wrong to want to peek, The Wedding Ref has is has a strange attraction.

The format of the show is a little confusing as well. Apparently the celebrities crack wise for a couple minutes, and then offer an opinion on the marital strife, which is then taken into consideration by the "ref" (a guy who kinda keeps things moving on the show), who passes final judgement.

Yeah, the concept of the show maybe has one or two wrinkles to get ironed out.

Obviously, the decision the "ref" makes at the end of each scenario is inconsequential; the show is designed for celebrities to laugh at all us little people and make the viewer laugh along with them and feel high and mighty for 3-4 minutes. Whether that will catch on with America remains to be seen.

The first show boasted celebrity judges Alec Baldwin, Kelly Ripa and Jerry Seinfeld (who I believe is also an executive producer, so it makes sense for him to show up).

I will never hide my love for all things Alec Baldwin, so obviously I'm going to be biased when it comes to his performance on the show. So take the next few sentences with a grain of salt if you wish. But I believe Baldwin had the best lines, the best timing and was the loosest judge on the panel. In fact, of the three, I thought Seinfeld came off the worst. Never known for his acting, he still seemed stiff and uncomfortable in front of a studio audience. I was surprised actually that he came off so poorly, though I can see the strategy behind it. If he wants more A-list celebrities to commit to the show, he certainly can't overshadow them or make them look bad. Whether or not this was his plan, I have no idea.

Oh and let's not forget the appearance of Natalie Morales, sitting in as, uh...someone who sits in front of a computer and calls out stats. That NBC feels the need to belittle her news career in an attempt to legitimize this stupid show I'll never understand, but hey - who am I?

The "disputes" with the couples? Both felt extremely scripted and borderline absurd. The first dealt with a guy who stuffed his dead dog and wanted to display it in the home. His wife felt that was creepy. Never mind the fact she off handedly suggested the day the dog died was the "happiest day of her life." That was set up as a punchline and everyone laughed.

Ha ha my husband's dog died!

Everyone agreed a taxidermied dog in the house was crazy and so the wife "won." We were never told if she went on to become a serial killer.



In the second "dispute," the husband wanted to install a stripper pole in the house. The wife wanted nothing to do with it. Both Kelly and Baldwin agreed with the wife, Seinfeld, probably realizing total agreement makes lousy television, shoehorned a contrarian opinion in and sided with the husband. I guess his argument wasn't convincing enough for the ref, because he sided with the wife. So no stripper pole.



And that leads me into what is probably the biggest problem I see with The Wedding Ref. It wants to have its cake and eat it too by creating both hilarious situations for the celebrities to riff on, and hilarious quips for the celebrities to riff. And that won't work, because, seriously - who's going to side with a guy who wants his stuffed, dead dog in the living room, and a guy seriously arguing for a stripper pole to be installed in his bedroom? Sure, some guys probably have a secret, burning desire to have a stripper pole in their home, but also understand the wife might have an issue with it, and won't be surprised when it gets a negative reaction.

Making the problems the couples have a little greyer will create more disagreement with the judges, which will give them more of a chance to play off each other. And then give the ref's decision a little more drama and weight. Whether celebrity judges will want that (as it can certainly make the judges more vulnerable in certain instances) remains to be seen.

So, while I'll most likely watch at least the Ricky Gervais one, if they don't clean it up, I don't see it lasting. Even if it survives a few episodes, I have a feeling A-list celebrities will stop doing favors for Seinfeld, leading to the likes of Gilbert Godfried and David Spade doing celebrity duty. And while I would love it, I'm not sure that's what America wants to watch.

Links of Interest 2/25

Alec Baldwin isn't just an award-winning actor. Apparently he's also an expert on nuclear power.

The new Karate Kid movie sounds interesting.

Athletes are people too. People who screw up.

When you're ready to grow up, start ordering some of these at your local watering hole.

A cool concept in my eyes, though the trailer really doesn't do much for it, it my eyes.

If you're hungry why not mosie over to A Holy Sandwich, and see what people enjoy in their way of a sandwich.

Seriously, what the fuck is up with Claire?

I'm all for the "batshit insane" strategy when it comes to sports, war, heck even life. So were these guys. And look how it worked for them.

So, what does it take to be a border police officer in Afghanistan?

The Chuck Klosterman tribute to the band Pavement.

Links of Interest 12/16

The worst films of 2009.

The hottest “women” of Christmas movies. For some reason, the list seems a little lackluster.

While I’m no huge fan of Christmas movies, I have to assume there’s a more comprehensive list someone can put together, no?

And you thought I was lying yesterday about The Kids in the Hall being back!

It’s a question that’s plagued us for almost 30 years – how long could Luke survive stuffed inside a dead Tauntaun carcass?

I think I would live in all these. Except for the shoes. They seem lame.

Read all about the public access show the Beastie Boys debuted on – and see rare footage! So old it has Kate Schellenbach on drums, who would later leave and go onto help form Luscious Jackson. She also probably had the most talent of the 4 on the stage here.

Oh good, the super volcano underneath Yellowstone is bigger than first believed.

Part 2 of The Big Picture’s 2009 photo retrospective.

Awful holiday movies.

Alec Baldwin is not like other actors.

Links of Interest 12/3

New Yorker picks the top movies of the decade.

Guy spends 100 days in Glacier National Park taking a photo a day in celebration of the 100 years it’s been around. I sit in my cubicle and weep. (I suggest you start at the bottom)

I’m not saying this list of Baldwin moments was lifted directly from mine that I did like a year ago. I’m saying perhaps “inspired” is a better word?

Prison inmates have nothing better to do, so why not set up frivolous lawsuits?

Not even prostitutes can hide from Google View.

Ok Go – the band that made that crazy treadmill video, is back with a new crazy video.

Chairman Mao’s underground city.

Who doesn’t like 80s video games?

Helping terrify your children. One person at a time.

Top 10 discoveries of 2009.

Links of Interest 11/4

what you probably didn’t know about google.

Willie Aames – wood worker. Oh, and there’s a really depressing middle part to this story as well.

Hall & Oates: The Interview.

The Hoover Dam is getting a bridge…near it. You won’t have to traverse the dam anymore if you don’t want.

These things kinda take the camping out of camping. Which I guess is the point.

I’ve probably linked to this before, but I’ll do it again because it’s cool. Surfing the Amazon.

Snitches get…riches? That can’t be right.

Got an iphone? Then you’re probably going to want these apps. As long as you’re rich and have plenty of money to waste.

A look at Obama’s first year as president, and how the public can seemingly be manipulated.

A Baldwin and a Martin set to host the Oscars.

Links of Interest 6/26

Probably only cool for designers and whatnot; what people call company logos behind closed doors.

Alec Baldwin offering sage advice about the Mark Sandford scandal.

Maybe the Barney song gets to me, but the other ones? Turn it up!

Worst vice president ever?

The history of levitation.

Gossip is obviously what rules our roost. But have you ever taken a close look at what the magazines report on a weekly basis? How can it all be true? Is there accountability?

Is the tennis grunt that bad?

The government conducted tests. Now the subjects want to know about what they found.

The secret of the over supply of lobster.

And it didn’t even take Indiana Jones this time. I still have my doubts.

Links of Interest 6/17

Baldwin says a lot of things in the heat of the moment, so I’m not 100% sure he’s going to retire once his contract is up.

We’re getting closer to figuring out the origins of life.

Love the irreverent humor of Jeff Foxworthy on “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader” and want to experience it live? Want to get up close and personal to Drew Carey on “The Price Is Right?” This site can help.

Oh good. So “nuking the fridge” will have a cousin. I’ll be over here weeping.

So what’s Rush Limbaugh up to these days?

Catholicism is such an easy target when it’s rife with conspiracy theories.

Speaking of conspiracy theories, this is kinda why so many people believe in them.

When did you favorite sci-fi movie supposedly take place? Find out with this cool graph!

So much is owned by so few. But do you know just how much, and by just how few?

Cool video of the top 10 tornadoes, at least according to some guy. Of course, that guy also has devoted his life to tornadoes, so I’m not going to argue.

Links of Interest 9/24

No real big surprise that we're constantly being brainwashed by the imagery around us, but at least now we can be aware of it. Though I doubt everyone wants to be aware of it. Complacency is the government's biggest weapon.

It's easy to say you hate Weird Al Yankovic. But it's not easy to actually hate the man. Read the article.

Jack Handey is an actual person. It's hard to believe but it's true. And occasionally he writes for the New York Times.

The Darien Gap seems like a place you might not want to be stuck. Personally, I think it sounds awesome. But I bet this National Geographic guy doesn't share my same thoughts.

What would you ask Alec Baldwin if given the chance to ask him 10 questions? My first one would be, "Alec, how'd you get to be so handsome?" and I'd go from there.

Alec Baldwin - Be Happy!

It's no mystery that we here at the Popcorn Trick love Alec Baldwin. Though we obviously don't know him personally, he appears to be a regular person. He has a passion that sometimes may go too far, an intelligence that probably gets him into more trouble than it's worth, and a propensity to speak his mind, which definitely has caused him heartache.

Here's the thing...what normal, sane person doesn't act the same way? His weaknesses give him more humanity, and therefore make him more human, which lead him to some of his better performances. Performances that while he may not think are great, still demand the attention of us all. Because whether or not he believes he is gifted as an actor, or that his performances have been uneven, he has brought joy and entertainment to countless audiences.

The reason for this Baldwin outburst is this article in The New Yorker, in which Mr. Baldwin comes across more human than ever. Midlife crisis? I have no idea, but I certainly felt as though I could have one after reading it. So instead of allowing such a sour, dour taste to linger until the new season of 30 Rock starts (end of October I believe), I say we should rinse our mouths with happy Baldwin and celebrate the genius performer with a few clips of him performing. Perhaps not the funniest ones (I purposely excluded Schweddy Ball and Canteen Boy) or his finest performances (nothing from the Oscar nominated The Cooler) but I believe that this collection is a nice cross section of who Alec Baldwin really is...

Glengarry Glen Ross



Sure it may be a cliche to put this on the list, but c'mon. Talk about a performance that jolts the movie. Baldwin is on screen for roughly 7 minutes, and in those seven minutes, he delivers lines that are probably used to this day in any sales office. He spits Mamet's dialog out all over the other actors, (none lightweights themselves) and takes what could have been a flashy, over-the-top character and delivers the malice so that it's real. I'll even add the SNL parody that Baldwin did of it...



The Departed



It's funny - though the dialog is roughly similar, with a few different nuances, Baldwin goes from playing a winner in Glengarry Glen Ross, to playing more of a buffoonish loser here in The Departed. This is included simply for the last line and the way he delivers it so matter of factly and all at once. It makes an otherwise overrated movie somewhat enjoyable.

30 Rock - Therapy

How easy do you think it is to steal a scene from Tracy Morgan? How easy do you think it is to out crazy Tracy Morgan? Bladwin does both while playing 5 characters, interchanging each at the drop of a dime. He even does a spot on Tracy Morgan, with a hint of Jimmie Walker AT THE SAME TIME!

Malice



For the longest time, this is how I thought Alec acted in real life. Hey, I was young and naive.
Anyone else rooting for Baldwin in this one? I mean c'mon, that Paxon fella was kinda generic, no?

Boxing Gary Shandling

Part 1:



Part 2:



Alec's Andy Kaufman moment, compliments of Gary Shandling. Don't ask me what's going on here, all I know is that it's an extra on a Larry Sanders DVD, so I can't be sure how much is real and staged. Baldwin certainly looks like he knows what he's doing though in the ring.

Saturday Night Live - Bossa Nova



Such a throwaway skit that more than likely aired around 12:50, yet Baldwin is great in it. I'm just surprised so many people turned down Ric Corman.

Saturday Night Live - Inside the Actors' Studio



Alec Baldwin playing Charles Nelson Reilly? It's like I died and went to heaven. I imagine with CNR's overly dramatic gesticulation, it would be easy to mimic him, still I applaud Baldwin for going all the way with it.

30 Rock - 29



Rapid fire sexual tension between two skilled liars trying to dupe the other. Brilliant delivery of the last line.

30 Rock - Showdown



Impersonator isn't one of the skills you think Baldwin has, but he's dead on here. And if you don't know who he's doing, you suck.

Saturday Night Live - The Tony Bennett Show



It can't be easy playing the master next to the master.

30 Rock - Garkel



Included simply for the last line.

Primetime Glick




Straight man to wild man Short.

And finally, while I can't embed it, it's worth the click. I won't give anything away, except that I doubt you've seen it.

Maybe he doesn't have the resume of Jack Nicholson, but that's not the point. Baldwin has nothing to be ashamed of in this life, and very much to be proud of. I hope one day he sees that, and accepts it. I know that I'll still keep watching him.

Podcast 9.01 Recap

Our last single-digit podcast was memorable for several reasons. Not the least of which was my rapid-fire catch phrase shoe-horning whenever Goose's defenses were lowered. Other actual content-related content:

• We discover that apparently Girl Drinks (Chocolate Choo Choo, Blue Crush) are like catnip to women. They even help me throw some game.
  
• I talk about the house concert I hosted recently. This segues into an update on the film we made recently.
• In Musical Interlude, we put on our A&R pants as we discuss songs dear to our hearts that should have been supper-massive mega hits.
• And finally we re-visit 8.00's ground-breaking The Naughty & The Nottie segment as I throw a couple at Goose he may or may not approve of.

Music from and inspired by Musical Interlude (I couldn't find the Moe or Huffamoose songs, so I include YouTube selections from each):


SeeqPod - Playable Search

Links/Images:

1. Some pictures from my house concert.
2. "Be Careful What You Wish For...", our award-winning short film, will be posted shortly, possibly in its own blog post.
   
3. Girl Drink Recipes:
1. What I dubbed the Blue Crush.
2. Goose's Chocolate Choo-Choo was mostly improvised, but there was definitely Godiva Liqueur, Sambuca, and random combinations of marshmallows & graham crackers. And maybe a splash of Spanish Fly.
   
3. General purpose drink recipe site: iDrink.com.
4. Lienert/Pickleman Podcast
5. Goose's Naughty Notties:
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 

Videos:

1. Moe - "Not Coming Down", one of Goose's Music Interlude choices
1. 
   
2. Huffamoose Documentary Trailer (could not find "Him in a Magazine")
1. 
   
3. ellipsis - Our friend Vale Jokisch's band who did my house concert, performing on NBC-10.
1. 
   
4. Another house concert I went to recently and recorded several songs by the incredible Felice Brothers.
1. 
   
5. The classic Kids in the Hall "Girl Drink Drunk" sketch. Watch for the little things like the waitress' choo-choo noises, and Kevin McDonald's slight sigh when Dave Foley starts reading off the Squashed Strawberry Alley Cat ingredients.
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6. Trailer for the Illeana Douglas movie loosely based on the life of Carole King whose name I couldn't remember and whose existence Goose couldn't remember. I'm a big fan of the bad accents and awesome beards/hairdos sported by Turturro, Stoltz, & Dillon. This movie was also notable for having some pretty cool music (e.g. Elvis Costello/Burt Bacharach) written in the style of the times portrayed by the movie.
1. More Wikipedia info.
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7. Cheri Oteri turning me on
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8. Leinert's doppelganger in sound + vision
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9. A snippet of Baldwin & Wilder, apparently on a date. Not that I'm jealous.
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