Spoofageddon

I haven't done a post in a while (read: forever), so I thought I'd just pop back to feature my two most recent projects over on DudeMeisterFilms. Whilst I'm not the greatest fan of commercials, they do provide a great basis for parody, lampoon and satire that rightfully engages my high brow wit (read: dick jokes). So, naturally, both the fragrance and drug industries get the full force of my astonishingly intellectual mocking in this double threat of mick-taking homages. Whether it's half naked guys or pill popping nerds that take your fancy, I've got you covered in a couple of minutes like no other.

First up, Revisitall, an interesting foray into cheesy performances and painful choices of music:



And then for those of a saucier disposition, we have the blisteringly steamy Words: The Fragrance For Men, which benefits from having this particular Brad Pitt ad in mind before viewing.



Thanks go out to my stars Charlie Burton and Austen Salisbury, the latter of whom co-wrote and co-directed Words, and provided the excellent product manipulations. Unfortunately I cannot offer you either of these products in real life, but perhaps by re-watching, liking, sharing, favouriting and subscribing you'll increase your chances of becoming smarter/hotter/fragranter.

ATR

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Trailer Tuesday: Ted

From Family Guy creator and American comedian, Seth MacFarlane, comes his first feature film in the shape of Ted. Naturally, with Seth writing/directing/starring/producing, there will be a very FG-esque feel to it, which thankfully looks to be refreshing and funny in the shape of a cinematic production. Let's get to synopsisising:

Mark Wahlberg plays John, a perfectly normal Boston native whose childhood wish for his teddy bear to come to life comes true. The bear (Ted) — voiced by MacFarlane himself — remains his best friend well into his adult years. Conflict emerges when Ted's irresponsible and vulgar slacker lifestyle comes in the way of John's attempt to embrace his adulthood and the woman of his dreams, Lori (Mila Kunis). - Wikipedia.

And now for the trailer, which briefly boasts Universal's brand new logo update! Ah, it's the little things. Anyway, there be plenty o' cussin' in this trailer, just so y'know:

Fun Facts/Observations:

• Stars Mila Kunis, who also voices Meg in Family Guy: yep, kinda a different in real life, huh? 
• Total Seth set-up going on, with a random character who shouldn't be talking doing just that and no-one giving a hoot, a la Brian the dog, or Roger the alien. And of course, lots of inappropriate profanity, drug use and obnoxiousness. But this time, in live-action form!
• Sounds a lot like You, Me and Dupree crossed with Pegg 'n' Frost's Paul, which seems like a good combo on paper, and plays out fairly well here. 
• Community's Joel McHale will be making an appearance at some point in the movie as a guy called Rex. Here's hoping for some doucheness from his performance.
• First time directing on a feature for Seth, so it'll be interesting to see how his award-winning Family Guy formula will transition from animated 2D TV, to a fully realised live action movie. 
• Release date is 13th July in the States, with an apparent 3rd August launch in the UK.  

ATR

 

More F*$%£#g Trailers!? 

Trailer Tuesday: Movie:The Movie

Technically not an actual movie, but a fun little jab at Hollywood's most popular genres, Movie:The Movie is a must see 9 Minute short featuring many, many familiar faces. Check it out:

Yup, that's that.

Stay tuned as I've caught wind that a new Avengers trailer is launching tomorrow, which is just begging for a breakdown...

More ACTUAL Trailers

ATR

RE:View: Garfunkel and Oates - Slippery When Moist

The ukulele/guitar sporting comedy duo are back, with their third studio album, featuring all the wacky, crude and awesome things we've come to expect from the girls' music. This time releasing a full 13 tracks - some old, some new, some really new - Garfunkel and Oates aren't just talking about sex and relationships this time, bringing a whole slew of lyric bases and genre mick-takes.

1. Wow - In this exciting, fast paced ditty (lasting only 35 seconds), the two present a song that is oddly ambiguous in meaning. At first, it seems like a straightforward introduction to the new album and their upbeat, quirky style, sounding not far from a 90s cartoon theme tune. But listen properly to the lyrics and you'll notice it has a nice feel-good factor, telling you "You're really cool" in a sweet pick-you-up notion. In some ways, it seems just like a Thank-You from them for shelling out £7.99 for this digital-only download. All in all, a fresh, fun start.

2. Go Kart Racing - While this one may be based on true events, don't expect some deep, soulful Adele style song. No, because this is Garfunkel and Oates, so naturally the line after "Go kart racing" is "accidently masturbating", and the rest of the 2:04 song is spent describing this awkwardly pleasurable situation... Not one for the Grandma, but plenty of knee-slapping one-liners and an insanely catchy hook will have you repeating this at all the wrong moments. The key-change at the end is something to look forward to, and just the mere fact that this is classic chord strumming simplicity keeps it from getting too outrageous.

3. I Don't Know Who You Are -  Riki and Kate's ability to nail real world, day to day awkward situations in their lyrics really shines through in this one, because I'm sure we've all had someone come say "Hello" and not have an effing clue who they are. Again, simple chords rule the rhythm (with the addition of some chimes at times), and the pair's vocals sound really gentle, tidy and right on throughout. Ironic, considering the C-bomb gets dropped early on...

4. Handjob, Blandjob, I Don't Understand Job - The rudest, funniest and richest song on the album, as G'n'O tackle that tedious problem of how to jerk a guy off. It really is as explicit as it sounds, making no apologies for likening a penis end to a "Darth Vader Pez Despenser" and the 'nads for The Muppets' Statler and Waldorf. There's a ton of celebrity references, some of which are a little vague, while others are absolute genius ("More singled out than CHRIS HARDWICK!"). The synth-dance beats busting out in the back lend it another flavour too. A gem, but just be careful of repeating it out in public...

5. Save The Rich - Like "Sex With Ducks" from their previous album, "Save The Rich" takes a satirical poke at political issues, this time with the whole Economic Inequality deal that swept over America this last year. Based on keyboard, and with a patriotic vibe going on, the song really takes off with the blatant tongue-in-cheek lines like "Children to exploit" and "Without their 7th home, how will they make it through?". The proper recording is also a vast improvement on the ropey YouTube version they'd uploaded a while back, allowing full appreciation of the song's entirety.

6. Hey Girl in The Moonlight - A good ol' classic that first appeared on their debut album, Music Songs, this one is undeniably Garfunkel and Oates, with their awkward-moment lyrics, sweet chordal structure and in a delightfully quick fix of 1:21. Quite a defining song for the duo, which works really great if you're craving a lil' comedic motivation.

7. The Ex-Boyfriend Song - Sensational. Truly, this is just a complete comic masterpiece. 6 seconds long, but just so god damn funny. You have to hear it to believe it. Moments like this is what reminds us that Garfunkel and Oates are still entirely original.

8. Silver Lining - Another one from Music Songs, but one that definitely needs more exposure due to its brilliance. It's obvious the gals can do comedy, but with Silver Lining things sound a bit more serious and surprisingly it works rather wonderfully. Sure there are some humourous beats in there, but ultimately this is about picking yourself back up after a break-up or similar incident and feeling good about yourself. Actually quite touching, this song stands out as a cute, self-esteem boosting tune that plays beautifully on the ears.

9. I Would Never (Have Sex With You) - What I love about this track is its familiarity. Taking on a bouncy, joyful and classically 40s sound, I Would Never gives some of the cleanest (but nonetheless fun) lyrics and has an honestly jolly warmth to it.  If you were looking for an upbeat, bob-along song, then this is it.

10. Google - Kicking in to ballad mode now, with the contrast between daftly apt lyrics of Googling a potential date, and the strong flow of the very power-ballad chorus. Of course, there's a few iddy-widdy bridges that serve as nice breaks (and sound oddly like nursery rhymes) and the last line's a killer.

11.  I Would Never (Dissect a Ewe) - In a meta-esque throwback to No. 9, the girls prove their comedic ability, literally riffing off their own material in side-cracking, gut busting self-mockery. Yep, taking all the same parts from the previous tune we're now rewarded a piece about science class and dissection of animals (hell, you may even learn a thing or two). I presume this started out as a joke and then blossomed into a fully realised, awesomely laugh-tacular song, which is something no other artist could probably get away with. Enjoy, but just watch out for that "Sheep Ghost"...

12. My Apartment's Very Clean Without You - We go melodic with this piano/vocal track, which gives out the pretence of being some sort of meaningful sad song, and then makes it all ironic with the whole "I'm glad I dumped you, because you messed my place up" theme. More variation like this is always welcome, and does a decent job of rounding out the album before the final track, in a calm, sophisticated and truthfully funny way.

13. Go - Coming full circle with an identical set up to No. 1's Wow, Go does pretty much the same thing, except in an even more grander fashion. That Feel-Good factor is now amplified and set to a more Motivational pace, urging - daring - you to "Go Live Your Dreams" and is amazingly inspirational if you really listen to it. A very sugary high note to end the album, making anything that you didn't like (somehow) become forgettable in place of this diamond. Le fin.

A great album for any comedy loving fan, with a musical heart that you'll be hard pressed to find elsewhere. The only downside: could've done with a couple more songs, maybe a special "Featuring Guest Star..." one. But the comedy within its own self, even outside of the music, is a sure selling point that makes it clear that Garfunkel and Oates have a vivid staying power, and a bright, jolly future ahead.

4/5 Stars

Buy It Now On iTunes!   
              

Check Out My RE:Commendation of G'n'O

See What They Could Do On Husbands

ATR

RE:View: Community: Season 1

After 2 whole years of the US hogging hilarious comedy series, Community, the show's first season has finally been released in the UK. The saddest thing about it, however, is how little attention has been paid to the series, which takes place in fictional community college, Greendale. You see, across the pond here, the 25 episodes were only ever aired on VIVA, a channel located in the 'Music' section of most digital providers. Hence: no one has seen it.

The Show

  Boasting a large array of unique characters, which dynamic from one another drastically (from race to age), Community brings us Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), an ex-lawyer who now has to redo a degree in order to get his lawyering license back. He's brash, narcissistic and pretty much a douche-bag. Some of that changes, however, when he meets his new study group, who he's going to have to learn to love to get through the hell that is Greendale Community College. Thus, Community is born.

Enter Abed, Britta, Troy, Annie, Shirley and of course, the obnoxious Pierce (Chevy Chase). Together with Jeff, they form 7 very different characters and personalities, which cultivate into the ultimate clash of culture. The outcome: pure win. Every single one of them melds so well with each other, whether it be the dumb Jock, Troy, pop-cult messiah, Abed, religious Mom, Shirley, or even the cutesy "We Must Not Sexualise Her" Annie.

And it's through this group that we experience the eccentricities of Community, providing us with a completely unpredictable episode every time, whereby one time the gang could be holding a protest and the next could just be a parody of multiple movies. Quirky, quick and quippy comes the humour, in all manor of form. Donald Glover (who plays Troy) proves to be a great physical comedian, improvising lines and doing the goofiest of expressions, while the idiosyncratic Abed gives the show this meta-flair, full of self-referential jokes and pop-cult intricacies that stands it aside from other, more self contained shows, planting Community firmly in the post-modern world with these tongue-in-cheek sensibilities.

While we do occasionally fall into soap-like love tangles, they usually resolve themselves, aided by the fact that the script literally acknowledges its own misguidances in the aforementioned meta-humour way. Character development works much the same way, with a general unease about Jeff's likeability vs douchability, and the saga that is his love interest, Britta, and how her character goes through so many motions. But of course, this was just the first season, so the finding of feet is expected, even if it is a bit bumpy.

What's not bumpy though, is the supporting cast outside of the main group. The Hangover's Ken Jeong plays the zany (as you would expect) Spanish teacher for the study group, Senior Chang, and brings his trademark hilarity (through ad lib and physicality) in spades. And then there's the flamboyant Dean Pelton, ravishingly portrayed by Jim Rash, who has this obscene amount of campness which gives the show yet another layer of laugh-out-loud-ness. Heck, Jack Black even drops by for one episode, and makes one of the funniest TV scenes I've ever witnessed.

Racial sensitivity is forgotten and thrown away in favour of this metro-humouristic way of comedy - aka; no one cares about it. Which really stands to another point of Community's genius, by letting go of society's discrepancies and serving itself as a point of moral code. It's not like this to a point of offence, because the voices are of the light-hearted characters (mostly old-man Pierce), not the writers themselves, so the lee-way is given and allows the viewer to just enjoy the diverse cast and comedy on offer.

There are plenty of giggle-till-it-hurts moments, WTF moments (the greatest of which are usually the Troy and Abed shorts at the end of each episode), "Awhhh" moments, "Aha, I get the reference" moments and I guarantee that 90% of the time, you'll have a huge grin on your face while watching. It may take a few episodes to properly get in to it, but once you do, you'll love these characters and won't want to stop watching.

4.5/5 Stars

The Extras


As if the price of the box set wan't worth it for the episodes alone, there's also tons of add ons to compliment the ultimate Community experience. Not least of these is the fact that there is a commentary for each and every episode, providing those with the initiative to listen a charming little insight. While not particularly anything of substantial depth, they're fun enough to at least sit through a couple, with the majority featuring series creator Dan Harmon and at least a couple members of the lead cast.

  Then there is the gut-achingly funny out-takes on each disk (of 4) for their respective episodes, which often show the improv that goes on, especially with Donald, Joel, Chevy and Ken. Jammed in between all this is also some mini-episodes (3 ninety second shorts), a highlight reel (best bits), a rather dry "Cast Evaluations" segment, and the strangely humourous "Creative Compromises" featurette. All in all, it just adds longevity to an already great package.

4/5 Stars


So with all this awesome from Community, it really is a wonder why no major UK network has picked it up. The way I see it, it sits in the same slot as Scrubs did (quirky humour), and so surely E4 should have given it a look. Anyway, despite Television's neglect of it, you can still thoroughly enjoy this gem of a box set, and just hope that it gets the much deserved main stream British TV service soon.

Show: 4.5 Stars
Extras: 4 Stars

Stand-Out Episodes: "Spanish 101", "Introduction to Statistics", "Comparative Religion", "Investigative Journalism", "Contempary American Poultry" (literally a love letter to Goodfellas and The Godfather) and "Modern Warfare" (one of the best twenty-one minutes of television - EVER).

And this:

ATR

RE:Commend: Husbands

Husbands is the brand new and hilarious web-series from acclaimed TV Writer, Jane Espenson (Torchwood, Firefly), focusing on the age old "Did we just accidentally get married in Vegas?"-RomCom setup with a notable difference; it's a same sex marriage. Camp TV star, Cheeks, and Basesball hero, Brady, find themselves hitched after a wild night in the city of sin, and now must deal with the oncoming media onslaught and whether or not to actually make the relationship work.

    It's great to see a series all about equality really take off, and although I'm sure the gay angle may turn a lot of people away, I urge you to open your minds and stay the course, because what you'll find is a refreshingly fun and hilarity strewn series. Espenson has taken a tired formula and revitalised it with a new-world energy, teeming with spirit and charm, plus a healthy dose of camp to keep the laughs fresh.

 The way I see it, this is future at work: a bold new series focusing on a community previously unspoken for exclusively in this kind of media. Embracing the risk of an untapped source material in gay newly-weds, and sticking it on the web, network-free, proves how television is evolving to meet the open-eyed way of thinking the world has come to.

  And what with guest stars already turning up (Nathan Fillion, anyone?), it looks like these 2 minute episodes might just be shaping up to be some of the internet's finest serial content. So roll on Husbands, because it looks like you're in it for the long haul.

Watch Husbands Now!




ATR


Read My Twitter Q&A With Jane Espenson!

The Sunday Supdate: 18/09/11

So... this happened:

Yep. That's me. Dancing. Ridiculously. With my Sister.
Her dance presentation evening. Roughly 50 people. Fun Pairs Competition.
Got my groove on. 4th place. Trophy.
That's just how I roll.


Back In The Saddle
Earlier today I posted my review of 30 Minutes or Less, and contrary to popular belief, I was kind of dreading it before hand. I hadn't written a review in almost 2 months, and so such anxiousness was expected. Could I write it well enough, could I be bothered, was it worth it etcetera, etcetera. In the end I did it. Just sat down, pulled my finger(s) out and got on with it. And I enjoyed it. I had a blast typing through it and weaving my words together into a sensible pattern of reading. I'm pretty happy with the finished result and hopefully you are too.

Seriously, That's All You Have To Say?
Pretty much. Come on, surely the video's worth a bunch? Just loop it or something, to kill some time. Oh and help me out by voting on the poll. Thanks. Catch ya later.
ATR

RE:View: 30 Minutes or Less

Coming from the mind behind Zombieland, we all knew 30 Minutes or Less wasn't going to be a failure. We were, perhaps, a little cautious of it though, with the trailers not dealing out a load of laughs and the plot being somewhat daft and pointless. However, these worries are thrown out straight out of the window once the film itself gets going, and while not reaching quite the high that Zombieland achieved, it's still a solid comedy worthy of your money.

    The story is - on the surface - simple; Pizza Delivery Boy, Nick (The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg) gets kidnapped by two dim-witted, melon shooting drop-outs (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) who, in a "brilliant" get-rich-quick plan, strap a bomb to Nick and tell him to rob a bank. He can't remove the bomb, he can't go near a police station and he's got 10 hours. Nick's got no choice but to get the money with the aid of his buddy Chet (Aziz Ansari) and escape the cops.

Intimidating, eh?

    But things get complicated with the various twists and turns, involving a Hispanic hitman, flamethrowers and a few madcap car chases and shoot-outs. The robbery itself is actually a fairly short scene, but provides some of the biggest laughs of the movie, with Eisenberg and Ansari playing the apologetic "armed" thieves down to a tee. Their chemistry works well together, and some tightly scripted dialogue ("what's your hispanic criminal name?") between the two are sweetly executed.


   On the flip-side, there's Swardson and McBride lending their stoner-type comedy to the moronic Travis and Dwayne. Thankfully, McBride hasn't been as free with the ad-libbing he's become known for (something that in my opinion dragged Your Highness down), so the consistency of humour is more fluent around their scenes, but there's still plenty of dick jokes flying around (maybe a few too many). Through their "genius" escapades of tracking the innocent bank-robbing duo, their ideas to open a brothel-cum-tanning salon is revealed, and things just refuse to go according to plan.

See, a flamethrower!

Overall, the real comedy, as I found it, came more from Ansari and Swardson's characters; the sidekicks. Ansari fires out hilarious lines left, right and centre as the confused, reluctant and warming Chet, using his ethnicity as an Indian to great effect. While Swardson is the slow, innocent follower of Dwayne, who gets caught up in this without ever properly understanding it, conveyed through his off-comments and facial expressions at his bat-crap crazy friend.


For its short running time of merely 83 minutes, 30 Minutes or Less hardly lets up on the pace, thundering this sense of urgency all the way through, making the third act a triumphant culmination of craziness and comedy. The abruptness of the ending, though slightly unexpected, comes just at the right time and finishes with the same sort of tone that the past hour and a quarter has laid down.

Director Ruben Fleischer may not have matched his Zombie fuelled debut in terms of style or physical comedy, but makes up for it in way of a more propelled plot and neater dialogue funnies. His well assembled cast pull together with each of their respective characters to make them what they are, Eisenberg in particular excelling at turning an unlikable loser into an unlikely hero audiences can root for (as is his way...). The plot's silly and unbelievable (although shockingly partly true), and doesn't always realistically add up, but makes for good popcorn viewing and some unpredictable laughs.  The theme of making something of your life and not sitting round like a loser until you've get ten hours to live, isn't at the forefront of the movie's objectives, but can linger in your mind in retrospect, which is a clever touch to an otherwise refreshingly bouncy film with a pinch of a dark undertone.

4/5 Stars.
   
ATR

And keep your ears sharp for the possible Social Network reference!

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What The Fridge?!: Week Five

Okay, so I found this while reading some stuff about The Amazing Spider-Man movie, including details on the villain, Lizard. One quick witted reader got on the comments right away with this belter of an image:

Funnily enough, the image was pretty much bang on to what the reporter was describing. Read for yourself over at io9.com, it's some pretty sweet tid-bits on the film.

Thanks to io9 commenter, JimmyDTU, who used to look like this, but thanks to a little luck and a lot of moisturiser, he's now gleaming!

ATR

What The Fridge?!: Week Four

After a brief spell of absence, WTF returns with a multitude of pictures found on Funny Junk. Be warned; there are birds and there are arms.

Hit this link for a ton more at iywib.com, including some pop-culture references!

Thanks to Austen, who once wrestled with a bird who had 17 arms, and still came out unpenetrated!