From the NY Observer:
In the new film The Mystery of Claywoman, about a 500-million-year-old woman/prophet everyone seems to be looking for, Amy Poehler appears in a series of sketches for the film with Debbie Harry as her French lesbian lover who writes a book about Claywoman. The film, which was written and performed by Michael Cavadias and directed by Rob Roth, screened Sunday evening at the Wild Project in the East Village to a crowd that included singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and actress and model Amanda Lapore.
"Here's my quote," Ms. Poehler said. The night before she had bid farewell to Saturday Night Live during her Weekend Update segment. "It's a feel good story--it's the feel good existential one man show of the year."
We spoke about Smart Girls, her Web show with Amy Miles that celebrates "girls who are changing the world by being themselves."
"Amy's in that too!" Ms. Poehler said, swinging to the side introduce Ms. Miles, who had one arm in a sling. She waved at us with the other.
"We're so thrilled it's out there and people are watching it," Ms. Miles said, smiling. "We're excited that we put something out there that is like something I would have wanted to see at that age. And we're representing girls that we kind of were because you don't really ever see that."
"Just normal girls, just regular girls," Ms. Poehler said, shaking her head.
We asked if she wanted to tell us anything about SNL.
"No, no..." she said, laughing. "No, I'm just psyched to be here and this is a really cool trippy show and Michael is a good friend of mine, and is a transformative preformer and so I was happy to be even included. Look, if anybody asks you to do something with Debbie Harry, say yes. My 14-year-old version of myself can't believe that I got to meet Debbie Harry."
Who is Amanda Lapore?
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Seth Meyers-NY Post
http://www.nypost.com/pagesixmag/issues/20081214/SNLs+Seth+Meyers+Power+Fun?page=1
It's a goody!
Also, may I say how much I want to be journalists from the NY Post who get to interview some of the funniest people in America?
Article rundown:
It's a goody!
Also, may I say how much I want to be journalists from the NY Post who get to interview some of the funniest people in America?
Article rundown:
- Seth Meyers is not single.
- Seth Meyers is responsible for Jon Hamm's John Ham..(might want to rethink funniest people in America title)
- He has a Blackberry.
The rest is the usual, but it's worth a look!
Controversial Again, Naturally
As '08 draws to a close, SNL has ended on a somewhat controversial note. The David Paterson sketch has caused tremors in the blogosphere, with some critics saying the sketch was inappropriate and the governor describing it as "third-grade humour".
A spokesperson for Governor Paterson, Errol Cockfield (what an unfortunate surname) said, "The governor engages in humor all the time, and he can certainly take a joke. However, this particular Saturday' Night Live' skit unfortunately chose to ridicule people with physical disabilities and imply that disabled people are incapable of having jobs with serious responsibilities. The governor is sure that Saturday' Night Live,' with all of its talent, can find a way to be funny without being offensive. Knowing the governor, he might even have some suggestions himself.”
Now, there is one thing I'd question here. I don't think that anywhere in the sketch implied that because Gov. Paterson was blind, this rendered him incapable of having a job. I think that more than anything, the sketch was highlighting the fact that a man who has admitted to using drugs, and having extramarital affairs (including one with a state employee) could be elected governor. Not to cast judgement on Paterson's personal life, as he has said he has not touched illegal substances since his early 20's and his wife apparently also had affairs, but considering there were calls to impeach Clinton when his affair with Monica Lewinsky came out, it does seem odd that everyone would overlook Paterson's past.
What did you think of the sketch? Did Armisen's depiction cross the line?
A spokesperson for Governor Paterson, Errol Cockfield (what an unfortunate surname) said, "The governor engages in humor all the time, and he can certainly take a joke. However, this particular Saturday' Night Live' skit unfortunately chose to ridicule people with physical disabilities and imply that disabled people are incapable of having jobs with serious responsibilities. The governor is sure that Saturday' Night Live,' with all of its talent, can find a way to be funny without being offensive. Knowing the governor, he might even have some suggestions himself.”
Now, there is one thing I'd question here. I don't think that anywhere in the sketch implied that because Gov. Paterson was blind, this rendered him incapable of having a job. I think that more than anything, the sketch was highlighting the fact that a man who has admitted to using drugs, and having extramarital affairs (including one with a state employee) could be elected governor. Not to cast judgement on Paterson's personal life, as he has said he has not touched illegal substances since his early 20's and his wife apparently also had affairs, but considering there were calls to impeach Clinton when his affair with Monica Lewinsky came out, it does seem odd that everyone would overlook Paterson's past.
What did you think of the sketch? Did Armisen's depiction cross the line?
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Hugh Laurie/Kanye West Review
Blagojevich Testimony - I have to say I really enjoyed this sketch. The scale of Blagojevich's stupidity and corruption truly knew no bounds, and I'm glad that SNL didn't let up on him. I loved Sudeikis' impression and Casey's Elizabeth Dole.
8
Monologue - I can hardly remember anything from the monologue. There was a Christmas medley, which wasn't great. Laurie made a joke about Oliver that nobody in the audience seemed to get. Forgettable.
5
Bronx Beat - I was so happy to see this return for Amy's final farewell. It was just perfect, and I loved when they were asking Laurie's character about what type of "meat" he preferred. "Breast, you like the breast? What about thigh? Inner thigh? Inner thigh? Breast?" And my favourite line; "I wish we had accents."
8
Sarcastic Christmas Dinner - This seemed to run on a such a flat premise, it had me a little confused. One line that sticks out for me is "Mother's milk", which made me holler like a hyena. Other than that though, this sketch was pretty weak.
6
Culhane Wedding Toasts - I rather enjoyed this sketch. The wedding toast idea never seems to get old. My favourite part of the sketch was Will Forte's white supremacist casting doom on America because of Obama's election. I also liked Laurie's friend of a father character.
8
Magical Lamps- Another sketch that hung on a weak premise. It's becoming increasingly obvious that Michaela Watkins' forte lies in playing elderly women. The only part I really enjoyed was "Coming soon to Broadway, but not the one you're thinking of!"
5
Cat Christmas Letter- One of my favourites of the night. I have a confession : I love puns. And this sketch was riddled with them, and I licked it up. "Miaowy Christmas." Oh, puns!
And, I LOVED Kristen Wiig's cat voice.
9
Cookie Crimes" (Digital Short) - Digital Shorts are just getting increasingly sillier and nonsensical as the season progresses. Perhaps I am holding them on a high pedestal, but the shorts never used to be this stupid. I mean, who conceived this? A man eating cookies, that turn out to be laxatives. I cannot think of a single redeeming feature of this sketch. I didn't smile, I didn't laugh.
(I'm not going to mark this, as it will be too harsh.)
Weekend Update: Oh god. I love Fred's David Paterson so much. It reminded me of Paterson's own shady past. It was too good. And perhaps a little politically incorrect, but I don't care. I loved it. The WU jokes weren't too great, but Amy's little speech was so sweet. And, I loved how Fred blocked the camera just as she was tearing up, only to make her laugh. Such a lovely way to go. I'll miss you Amy.
8/10
I dislike Hugh Laurie. I didn't have high expectations for this show. And sure enough, they met my low expectations. Other bloggers have said that the SNL crew didn't give Laurie a lot to work with. That may be true, but I think that perhaps Laurie didn't give SNL a lot to work with. His background is in comedy, but as we've seen in House, his forte is in snarky drama. This show, along with Anna Faris' has to be one of the weakest of the season. And where was Bill Hader? I'm getting peeved at their underuse of one of their most talented players. What is it? Don't they know how to write for him? It's just ridiculous to me.
Overall : 6/10
8
Monologue - I can hardly remember anything from the monologue. There was a Christmas medley, which wasn't great. Laurie made a joke about Oliver that nobody in the audience seemed to get. Forgettable.
5
Bronx Beat - I was so happy to see this return for Amy's final farewell. It was just perfect, and I loved when they were asking Laurie's character about what type of "meat" he preferred. "Breast, you like the breast? What about thigh? Inner thigh? Inner thigh? Breast?" And my favourite line; "I wish we had accents."
8
Sarcastic Christmas Dinner - This seemed to run on a such a flat premise, it had me a little confused. One line that sticks out for me is "Mother's milk", which made me holler like a hyena. Other than that though, this sketch was pretty weak.
6
Culhane Wedding Toasts - I rather enjoyed this sketch. The wedding toast idea never seems to get old. My favourite part of the sketch was Will Forte's white supremacist casting doom on America because of Obama's election. I also liked Laurie's friend of a father character.
8
Magical Lamps- Another sketch that hung on a weak premise. It's becoming increasingly obvious that Michaela Watkins' forte lies in playing elderly women. The only part I really enjoyed was "Coming soon to Broadway, but not the one you're thinking of!"
5
Cat Christmas Letter- One of my favourites of the night. I have a confession : I love puns. And this sketch was riddled with them, and I licked it up. "Miaowy Christmas." Oh, puns!
And, I LOVED Kristen Wiig's cat voice.
9
Cookie Crimes" (Digital Short) - Digital Shorts are just getting increasingly sillier and nonsensical as the season progresses. Perhaps I am holding them on a high pedestal, but the shorts never used to be this stupid. I mean, who conceived this? A man eating cookies, that turn out to be laxatives. I cannot think of a single redeeming feature of this sketch. I didn't smile, I didn't laugh.
(I'm not going to mark this, as it will be too harsh.)
Weekend Update: Oh god. I love Fred's David Paterson so much. It reminded me of Paterson's own shady past. It was too good. And perhaps a little politically incorrect, but I don't care. I loved it. The WU jokes weren't too great, but Amy's little speech was so sweet. And, I loved how Fred blocked the camera just as she was tearing up, only to make her laugh. Such a lovely way to go. I'll miss you Amy.
8/10
I dislike Hugh Laurie. I didn't have high expectations for this show. And sure enough, they met my low expectations. Other bloggers have said that the SNL crew didn't give Laurie a lot to work with. That may be true, but I think that perhaps Laurie didn't give SNL a lot to work with. His background is in comedy, but as we've seen in House, his forte is in snarky drama. This show, along with Anna Faris' has to be one of the weakest of the season. And where was Bill Hader? I'm getting peeved at their underuse of one of their most talented players. What is it? Don't they know how to write for him? It's just ridiculous to me.
Overall : 6/10
End of the Poehlercoaster
It was a fun ride while it lasted, but all good things must come to an end.
I'll miss you Amy Poehler. Your presence on screen never failed to make me smile. The energy and light you brought every week without fail was incomparable. Saturday nights surely won't be the same.
I'll miss you Amy Poehler. Your presence on screen never failed to make me smile. The energy and light you brought every week without fail was incomparable. Saturday nights surely won't be the same.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Fred Armisen with Jimmy Fallon
As some of you may know, Jimmy Fallon started his video blogs (vlogs) this week, in preparation of his takeover as host of Late Night, and December 10th featured none other than Fred Armisen. Take a look:
http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2008/12/december-10-video-blog/
http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2008/12/december-10-video-blog/
Mystery Team
Mystery Team is a comedy written by 30 Rock writer Donald Glover, and stars some SNL folks, including Bobby Moynihan, Kay Cannon (wife of Jason Sudeikis), and John Lutz.
Here's the trailer, where we see Bobby Moynihan for about three seconds?
The movie just got accepted into Sundance 2009, so it's got to be pretty good!
Enjoy!
Here's the trailer, where we see Bobby Moynihan for about three seconds?
The movie just got accepted into Sundance 2009, so it's got to be pretty good!
Enjoy!
Bill Hader - Conan
Bill Hader was on Conan last night. Anyone see it?
I didn't, as CNBC Europe has decided to replace Conan on weeknights, with some pseudo-business programme called The Difference-Makers or something silly and entrepeneurial like that. Who even watches those shows?
I didn't, as CNBC Europe has decided to replace Conan on weeknights, with some pseudo-business programme called The Difference-Makers or something silly and entrepeneurial like that. Who even watches those shows?
Lonely Island Album
Okay, so here is all I know about the upcoming Lonely Island comedy album.
- It will be called Incredibad.
- It will hit stores February 10th.
- It will feature Lonely Island classics, Dick in A Box and Lazy Sunday.
- Rumour has it that they got a little help from Jack Black, Norah Jones & Albert Hammond, Jr.
- Jizz in My Pants is the first single, allegedly.
And there you have it.
SNL Needs More Black People - Sherri Shepherd
The internet is rife with the news that Sherri Shepherd from The View has said that SNL is in need of more diversity in the cast. This is exactly what she said:
"I think Maya Rudolph would be amazing," Sherri tells AOL TV of who she'd like to see portray her. "She is so awesome! Couldn't they have gotten her to play me? They need more black people in their cast!"
This was in response to the fact that there was nobody to play Sherri in the recent View parody, as the sole black cast member, Kenan, was playing Whoopi Goldberg.
"I think Maya Rudolph would be amazing," Sherri tells AOL TV of who she'd like to see portray her. "She is so awesome! Couldn't they have gotten her to play me? They need more black people in their cast!"
This was in response to the fact that there was nobody to play Sherri in the recent View parody, as the sole black cast member, Kenan, was playing Whoopi Goldberg.
Not a very interesting story, but oh well.
Lampoon Writers Ready For Primetime
Here is a neat little article from the Harvard Crimson no less, that talks about the steady stream of Harvard Lampoon writers who go on to write for SNL. Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, James Downey and Simon Rich are among those mentioned and interviewed.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=525890
Enjoy!
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=525890
Enjoy!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Nominations time!
Okay, SNL Alum Tina Fey was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy for 30 Rock, and also nominated for Best Writing - Episodic Comedy by the WGA.
Saturday Night Live scooped a WGA nomination also for COMEDY / VARIETY – (INCLUDING TALK) SERIES.
It faces some stiff competition from Late Night With Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Real Time with Bill Maher.
Something tells me that one of the Comedy Central shows will come out on top, but good luck SNL!
Saturday Night Live scooped a WGA nomination also for COMEDY / VARIETY – (INCLUDING TALK) SERIES.
It faces some stiff competition from Late Night With Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Real Time with Bill Maher.
Something tells me that one of the Comedy Central shows will come out on top, but good luck SNL!
John Malkovich/T.I Review
This has been a longtime coming, but I only watched the show on Tuesday. And sure enough, it was worth waiting for!
Secretary Clinton" - Amy Poehler back! Okay, aside from the return of the Poehler, I thought this cold open was little weak. I did enjoy when Bill showed up though, and made a quip about voting for change and getting the Clintons.
7/10
Monologue - Best monologue of the season? Yes! Malkovich read out 'Twas The Night Before Christmas to a group of children while dispensing the cold, hard truths of life. My favourite moment came when Malkovich said, "Itchy, itchy!" while removing a Santa hat.
9/10
"Gas Right" - A little silly, but I can forgive it because I really liked how Fred played Bruce. Premise was a little dumb though.
7/10
Sexy Shannon - This had me both howling with laughter, and cringing at the same time. Kristen Wiig played the sexy lady in the office whose disgusting mannerisms fail to live up to the guys' fantasies. That is, all the guys except John Malkovich. My favourite part was when she sang Happy Birthday. Fantastic.
9/10
Obama Keeps It Cool (film) - I enjoyed this, but I was expecting it to be a commercial for Obama cologne. Not the best, but good for a filler.
7.5/10
La Rivista Della Televisione - One of the best. I missed Vinny Vedecci! Highlight was most definitely when Bill Hader did his Malkovich impression, flawlessly! Bobby Moynihan also did a good job of playing Vinny's son, who was pacified with a cigarette.
9/10
"Virginia Horsen's Pony Express" - Virginia Horsen who you may remember from advertising Hot Air Balloon Rides returns to try convince you to let her deliver your mail-by horse. Amusing, and I loved the killer graphics! :)
"Calculators" - This was fun, in that it made me feel Christmassy and nostalgic. But I think it was a sort of a weak concept to sustain a whole sketch. Though, I have to say Fred and John are very convincing children.
Weekend Update: Hit-and-miss per usual with a lot of cruder-than-usual humour, but the guest commentators were good, particularly Boy George and David Rasmussen. Fred Armisen could hardly keep a straight face while playing Boy George, and his impression was spot-on, I'm surprised it hasn't gotten more coverage or recognition. Rasmussen (AS) was a 9-year-old who wrote a book on how to pick up girls. Of course his advice was filled with pick-up tips unsuitable for children. Very funny.
8/10
The Lost Works of Judy Blume - Loved, loved, loved it! It was weird enough for John Malkovich to take control of it, and run wild with the character Gertie, a girl in the throes of puberty who worries about playing truth-or-dare at a sleepover. My favourite part?
"The first 9 days were painful, but by the third month I hardly noticed it." - Gertie on what her period is like.
Also, Abby Elliott got a few lines in this one!
10/10
Jizz In My Pants - The Lonely Island boys are back on top, and in the headlines with their latest creation which featured cameos by Molly Simms, Justin Timberlake and Jamie Lynn Sigler. Jorma was heavily featured, and Akiva made a brief appearance. This song was obviously called Jizz in my Pants, and I don't think I need to explain it or the meaning. It has been hailed as Dick in A Box 2.0, but to be honest, despite it being ridiculously catchy, I didn't think it was great. I liked the pseudo-English accents, but I preferred earlier sketches with John Malkovich.
7/10
J'Accuzzi - Last of the night, and you know what that means, dud! The concept of the sketch was, Dangerous Liaisons performed in a hot-tub with poor actors. Malkovich's running commentary was funny enough, but the rest hardly illicited a giggle from me. It seemed like a lot of work, with no result.
5/10
Overall comment: Malkovich was a great host. Wonderfully weird and whimsical, he was reminiscent of Christopher Walken, but of course not as good, because who is? I thought he was daring in the sketch choices, particularly with Gertie, and did a great job!
The sketches were a little hit-and-miss, but when they were good, they were hilarious.
8/10
Thoughts:
Secretary Clinton" - Amy Poehler back! Okay, aside from the return of the Poehler, I thought this cold open was little weak. I did enjoy when Bill showed up though, and made a quip about voting for change and getting the Clintons.
7/10
Monologue - Best monologue of the season? Yes! Malkovich read out 'Twas The Night Before Christmas to a group of children while dispensing the cold, hard truths of life. My favourite moment came when Malkovich said, "Itchy, itchy!" while removing a Santa hat.
9/10
"Gas Right" - A little silly, but I can forgive it because I really liked how Fred played Bruce. Premise was a little dumb though.
7/10
Sexy Shannon - This had me both howling with laughter, and cringing at the same time. Kristen Wiig played the sexy lady in the office whose disgusting mannerisms fail to live up to the guys' fantasies. That is, all the guys except John Malkovich. My favourite part was when she sang Happy Birthday. Fantastic.
9/10
Obama Keeps It Cool (film) - I enjoyed this, but I was expecting it to be a commercial for Obama cologne. Not the best, but good for a filler.
7.5/10
La Rivista Della Televisione - One of the best. I missed Vinny Vedecci! Highlight was most definitely when Bill Hader did his Malkovich impression, flawlessly! Bobby Moynihan also did a good job of playing Vinny's son, who was pacified with a cigarette.
9/10
"Virginia Horsen's Pony Express" - Virginia Horsen who you may remember from advertising Hot Air Balloon Rides returns to try convince you to let her deliver your mail-by horse. Amusing, and I loved the killer graphics! :)
"Calculators" - This was fun, in that it made me feel Christmassy and nostalgic. But I think it was a sort of a weak concept to sustain a whole sketch. Though, I have to say Fred and John are very convincing children.
Weekend Update: Hit-and-miss per usual with a lot of cruder-than-usual humour, but the guest commentators were good, particularly Boy George and David Rasmussen. Fred Armisen could hardly keep a straight face while playing Boy George, and his impression was spot-on, I'm surprised it hasn't gotten more coverage or recognition. Rasmussen (AS) was a 9-year-old who wrote a book on how to pick up girls. Of course his advice was filled with pick-up tips unsuitable for children. Very funny.
8/10
The Lost Works of Judy Blume - Loved, loved, loved it! It was weird enough for John Malkovich to take control of it, and run wild with the character Gertie, a girl in the throes of puberty who worries about playing truth-or-dare at a sleepover. My favourite part?
"The first 9 days were painful, but by the third month I hardly noticed it." - Gertie on what her period is like.
Also, Abby Elliott got a few lines in this one!
10/10
Jizz In My Pants - The Lonely Island boys are back on top, and in the headlines with their latest creation which featured cameos by Molly Simms, Justin Timberlake and Jamie Lynn Sigler. Jorma was heavily featured, and Akiva made a brief appearance. This song was obviously called Jizz in my Pants, and I don't think I need to explain it or the meaning. It has been hailed as Dick in A Box 2.0, but to be honest, despite it being ridiculously catchy, I didn't think it was great. I liked the pseudo-English accents, but I preferred earlier sketches with John Malkovich.
7/10
J'Accuzzi - Last of the night, and you know what that means, dud! The concept of the sketch was, Dangerous Liaisons performed in a hot-tub with poor actors. Malkovich's running commentary was funny enough, but the rest hardly illicited a giggle from me. It seemed like a lot of work, with no result.
5/10
Overall comment: Malkovich was a great host. Wonderfully weird and whimsical, he was reminiscent of Christopher Walken, but of course not as good, because who is? I thought he was daring in the sketch choices, particularly with Gertie, and did a great job!
The sketches were a little hit-and-miss, but when they were good, they were hilarious.
8/10
Thoughts:
- I wonder where Jason Sudeikis was?
- I wish Amy Poehler would have come out on stage for a bigger cheer. She was unusually bashful.
- Why does John Malkovich pronounce the word "Saint" like "Saant"?
- What is with all the rappers on SNL lately? It's time for a band!
- Abby Elliott gets a line, yes! Now we just need a Joan Cusack-focused sketch and she can really showcase her talents.
Next week: Hugh Laurie/Kanye West
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Children's Hospital
A new web series entitled Children's Hospital will debut on Monday on thewb.com
It's the brainchild of Rob Corddry, who stars in it, with a little help from Megan Mullally, Errin Hayes, and SNL's Jason Sudeikis.
So, check it.
It's the brainchild of Rob Corddry, who stars in it, with a little help from Megan Mullally, Errin Hayes, and SNL's Jason Sudeikis.
So, check it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
