Cool Shit 4/9

Did you like the Serial podcast? Well, here's a new one called Undisclosed, which will tackle Adnan's case from a legal perspective.

What does it take to be comedian Hannibal Burress?

Navigating the murky depths of the Tokyo sex industry.

25 beers you should try. It seems a little random but hey, if you enjoy beer...

Seems like it's going to be about ten more years before we have an Independence Day-type situation.

Nora Dunn's experience with Saturday Night Live.

The things you should be nervous about when you fly.

A look at the best books of the decade.

Cool Shit 5/15

This is a lot of thought put into the time travel conceit of Back to the Future.

While probably not a definitive list of the top 10 funniest Arrested Development recurring jokes, it's still fun watching them all.

Well I didn't think I was going to read a personal account of getting swallowed by a hippo today.

Sadly, Bill Hader won't be returning to Saturday Night Live next year. Fortunately, we have all his gameshow hosts he left behind.

The fact that Dan Brown has a new book out crept up on me. Not that I'm going to read it, but I will enjoy some of the reviews its getting.

If you like car chases, you'll enjoy this mashup of them...Suspiciously absent? the mind blowing car chase from the cult favorite System to Get Down.

Cool Shit 3/11

A lot of people today will probably be talking about how great Saturday Night Live was this week, with guest host Justin Timberlake. While the show had its moments, I don't believe it deserves the hype I've been seeing it get on the Internet. Too many of the jokes relied on nostalgia and not actual humor, (the 5 Timers Club just rolled out cameos, and other than Martin Short, no one seemed like they wanted to be there; the "Veganville" sketch is a rehash of the same sketch Timberlake always does when he's on and is getting old, also Bobby Moynahan was not a great foil) while the original sketches did not seemed to be fleshed out whatsoever.

I understand that anticipation establishes excitement which leads to people maybe wanting to have enjoyed something more than actually enjoying it. I think that's what happened with this SNL episode. I think Timberlake is a very talented host and I enjoyed him on his earlier episodes. I just wish instead of falling back on the characters he's successfully done in the past, he (and the rest of the SNL crew) pushed to find new and interesting sketches/characters.

Have you really dived into the sordid mess that used to be NBC's sitcom Up All Night?

Things you never knew about Pink Floyd's classic album Dark Side of the Moon. Or, if you're a crazy fan of that album, maybe you do know these things.

A deeper look into Disney's acquisition of LucasFilm.

The latest update with what's going on with Arrested Development.

If you're a woman, and use a computer, I would probably skip this story about hackers.

SXSW is currently happening. And that means music. Lots and lots of music. Download it all here.

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

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.

Saturday Night Live: What's Up With That?

I'm a fan of Saturday Night Live's What's Up With That sketch, and I won't apologize. Yes, it's a one note joke, that is beaten over the audience's head again and again. Yes, it hasn't given us anything interesting in awhile (save Ernest Bornine). And yes, I know I'm in the minority. But whatever - if you don't laugh when Jason Sudeikis jumps into frame every time and starts dancing uncontrollably in a red track suit, then I don't know what to tell you.

All that said, that's not the reason I'm sharing the most recent version of the sketch. I just wanted to point out that I'm 67% sure Paul Simon is transforming into a beagle.

If he's not used in a reimagining of The Shaggy D.A., then Disney is being run by morons. Well, bigger morons than everyone thinks is running it now.

Jon Lovitz: Get to Know Him

The AV Club’s Random Roles feature can be hit-or-miss, depending on how open the subject is to an examination of their cinematic C.V.

But they hit one out of the park with their Jon Lovitz feature.

Some comments:

• If you ever did a movie with Jon Lovitz, he considers you a close personal friend.
• He had a choice between SNL and filming “Mom & Dad Save the World”. Let that one sink in.
• Him and Dana Carvey were the original stars of “Bad Boys”.  If you’ve recovered from the last bullet point, let *that* one sink in.
• The interview comes to a screeching halt when NewsRadio is brought up. He really doesn’t like Andy Dick.
• Pretty sure that if Woody Allen asked him to blow him, he would.
• If it were up to him, Eddie Murphy would have won multiple Oscars.  Not for Dreamgirls or even Coming to America.  Nope, for The Nutty Professor franchise.

Enjoy.

Creating Television Show Credits

It’s not often one can boast that a video shoot went 100% perfect. But that’s exactly what happened when we set off to create our very own faux Saturday Night Live opening credits montage…

Over the years, we’ve leaned a lot on our friends and family to help us make our video productions that much better. Through acting, writing, catering and more, we certainly would never have had the success we enjoy without them. So when we finally hit the big time and won some video contests (and more importantly money), we decided one thing we had to do was throw an “appreciation party” for everyone who ever had anything to do with any of our shoots over the years.

We knew we wanted to shoot something new for the party, as we were pretty sure our friends were sick of watching the same old films we always trotted out whenever they were around. The problem was – what to shoot? Our requirements were vague but necessary – it needed to be clever but quick; cool looking but easy to shoot.

Not exactly the easiest thing to pull off.

But then, in a stroke of fate and possibly a lot of beers, we happened to catch a recent Tim & Eric show where they spoofed the opening of Saturday Night Live. We figured if they could do it, we could too.

First, here’s a look at the Saturday Night Live opening:

And now, here’s a look at our finished product:

So…how did we do it?

We struck out on a Tuesday night onto the streets of Philadelphia with a Canon 7d, one lens (the Canon EFS 18-135 MM) a few costume changes (consisting of different hats), and some hazy ideas of some locales where we wanted to shoot. You might notice that nowhere in that list does it mention lighting or even a tripod. That’s mostly because we’re lazy/stupid/insert your own adjective.

Obviously aware we had only the artificial light of the city, we decided to stay close to streetlights and other broadly lit areas. Of course, as you can see in the video, that plan was soon discarded and we veered off course into dimly lit alleyways and poorly lit bars. Shooting at an ISO of 3200 let us get away with doing stuff like that. We’re happy to report the 7D not only met all the challenges we gave it, it captured the exact look and feel of what we were going for.

What the Canon 7d also allowed us to do was travel light and move quickly through various locations in the city. We felt we needed a variety of locations to capture the essence of the opening credits, and the 7d made it all possible. What probably would have taken a couple days to shoot with more equipment, took us a little over three hours. And that includes dinner in a Chinese restaurant/drug den.

Post production was all done in Final Cut, and the graphics really add to the authenticity of the original credits. I can’t say enough about how the 7d performed.

Post Script…

In a stroke of bizarre fate, we found ourselves at the NAB Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, picking up an award for one of our films (and getting to meet Jason Reitman). However, that wasn’t the biggest thrill of the weekend for us, as we also got to meet (name of guy), the director of the Saturday Night Live credits and digital shorts. I can’t even begin to imagine the odds of that happening. Anyway, not only did we get to pick his brain about techie stuff, we also got to show him the actual credits, which I honestly believe he got a kick out of.

The Saturday Night Live Movie that Never Was

I'm a Saturday Night Live apologist. No, I'm not going to tell you that they never make a mistake, or a bad show, but I will say I find it funnier than the majority. I think it's an easy target these days (it all goes in cycles of course - I'm guessing we're on the cusp of reporters and blogs declaring it funny again). Comedy is an insanely subjective thing, which makes it obviously one of the more difficult things to make successful with a broad audience. That SNL has done it for so long (mostly) is a major feat.

So when the AV Club sent me over to this unproduced SNL sketch movie script, I was certainly intrigued. And the pedigree of writers who worked on it certainly lent credibility to the whole thing.

I'll stop spewing now. Here's a recap of what could have been. I laughed a number of times just reading it. Too bad it shall never see the light of day.

Links of Interest 8/17

Visiting El Bulli. Arguably the best restaurant in the world.

When a true artist follows up commercial success.

Say you’re stuck in Antarctica. Why not make a film in 48 hours?

Real life Breaking Bad! Sorta.

You know me – I’m fascinated with disappearing completely.

A list of comic books that would probably be successful as television shows.

This seems very meta. An American Indian writing about his experiences with different American Indian casinos.

Audition tapes from some of your favorites for Saturday Night Live.

Antony and the Johnsons covering Beyonce’s Crazy in Love. On the one hand, I get it because of the ernestness and seriousness he portrays when singing. On the other, ho hum, another stripped down version of a bootylicious pop song.

Wanna get high? Snort a $20.

Links of Interest 6/30

Throwing it all away to raise goats.

And that’s why I always lick my toilet, and never lick my money.

An interview with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy.

The Sony Walkman is 30.

See how sports mascots break down throughout sports.

Driving through the Six Flags Great Adventure Safari may have been one of the top five funniest moments of my life.

Sam Waterston tried to warn us before, but we didn’t listen. We will only have ourselves to blame.

Are we becoming a nation of cyborgs?

Taste testing stuff you might see in the supermarket, but aren’t ready to buy.

Dillinger was a smart robber. These guys are not.

Top SNL commercial parodies

Though the quality of Saturday Night Live is slightly more erratic than a cocaine binge weekend, one thing that can usually be counted on are their commercial parodies. Short and to the point, the canvas they give the "not ready for prime time performers" is structured and finite, taking away the challenge of how to end them (an achilles heel for many of the skits).

So I decided to take a closer look at them, and rank the top 13 commercial parodies from over the years Some you'll recognize, others you might scratch your head at...



13. Whopper virgins



I enjoy the slight "Gods Must Be Crazy" vibe this ad strikes. Perhaps a touch overacted, it still presents the introduction of a whopper into a cultural who has never seen it better than Burger King ever could.

12. Pony Express



This is one of those "10 of 1" clips that polarize an audience. I happen to think it's brilliant.

11. Black Eyed Peas



I'm pretty sure this is probably not just a parody, but a glimpse into the future of the Black Eyed Peas.

10. Bassomatic



The Bassomatic isn't funny because it's clever or anything; the Bassomatic is funny because Dan Akroyd puts a fish in a blender.

9. Uncle Jemima's Mash Liquor



I never thought SNL truly captured the essence of what made Tracy Morgan Tracy Morgan. This commercial for mash liquor comes close though. Parodying both Aunt Jemima AND Uncle Remus, the ad definitely plays to Morgan's strengths.

8. First Citywide - Change



Part 2:



Subtle in its delivery, First Citywide nails the bank commercials of the early 90s. I mean seriously, how could anyone think making change was funny? It's all about the execution on this one.

7. Valtrex



Sure it's an old joke, but when you can get a master thespian of Baldwin's caliber delivering perfectly-timed responses, it's bliss.

6. Colon Blow



You know it's coming, you just don't know when it's coming.

5. Dissing your Dog



I know it's chic to hate Will Ferrell, but I just can't do it. Mostly for videos like this one. Who hasn't ever been passive aggressive with their dog? Oh. Um, me neither.

4. Wade Blasingame Dog Attorney



It's tough to make something funnier than Chris Parnell squatting in a yard wearing nothing but (possibly) spandexed underwear.

3. Little Chocolate Donuts



Quite possibly the one that started them all (for me at least), in that it was filmed and definitively spoofed an actual product.

2. Happy Fun Ball



DO NOT TAUNT HAPPY FUN BALL!

1. Bad Idea Jeans



Still in my lexicon, still in many people's lexicon. The only thing bad about this is the fact that the jeans are just horrible looking. No one in their right mind would wear something like that. I mean seriously, what a bad idea...wait a minute...


So, I'm sure I've missed your favorites, so why not tell me about it in the comments?

Links of Interest 3/27

More information about that demon seed coffee.

What it’s like to be an intern on Saturday Night Live.

Here are the top 10 most viewed SNL commercials from Hulu. Hmmm, I smell a blog post coming up about it.

Now this is a small Pac Man game. I scored 73 before going blind.

Here’s a list of the best television series’ finales.

So you might have heard the word krautrock, but do you know what it actually is?

Extreme weather! It’s like weather – but extreme!

I’m a sucker for good photography. Here are 50 awesome long exposure shots.

Another take on the current financial mess that is kind of depressing. And by “kind of” I mean "completely."

I’ve never heard of this cult movie, but I’m intrigued.

Man lives in house for 40 years and writes about it. It’s more interesting than you’d think.

Links of Interest 1/5

Check out what the lovely new ladies at Saturday Night Live had and have to do to get some face time.

One of my New Year's resolutions was to post more awesome links to photography. Here's one that shows the effects of an ice storm.

Unfortunately for me, it seems the best place to unearth cool treasures is Europe. Still, it's cool to see treasures are still being unearthed in 2008.

It's strange...I really haven't gotten into the film piracy scene, but I bet I could in about 6 seconds. This guy however, he's the man in the film piracy business.

Who doesn't love pinball? Now you can relive it all here.

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.