The Kids Are Back In Town!!

Hallelujah! Praise the comedy gods! For the Kids are back!! Yes, the Kids in the Hall, hot off their live North American tour, are going to be making their television come back! They are penning a new miniseries that will air on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) and be called "Death Came To Town." Why that sounds like comic gold! What could be unfunny about death?

The project is still in the developmental stage but it sounds like it going to be a go! At least it better be or I am going up there! The word is that it's going to have a narrative arch through all the episodes but will still try to retain a sketch like format. Sounds funny! Hopes raising!

Oh, I can not wait. And I will try my hardest not to be saddened at the fact that they actually age, which means they are real human beings and not, as I praise earlier, comic gods. At least not ones that get granted eternal youth, only Carol Channing got that. 

Oh how I miss them so... It's going to be a long wait. I may need your support. There will be nights of waking up twitching like the Chicken Lady, muttering "No! The beard stays! You go.," and of course the intense craving for saaaaauuuusssaages. 

Alice In Wonderland News: Johnny Depp As The Mad Hatter!

Oh boy! Finally there's a peek into the world of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland remake. This is the first photo released of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. He looks like the ghost of Mad Hatter's past. Looks like it had the potential to be as spooky and crazy as I want it to be! 

Skip It: The Changeling

It's true I went into this film skeptical. I already knew how the true story it was based on ended, and wasn't too interesting in investing over two hours into it. 

I must say though, that the period elements of this film, such as costumes and sets were lovely and on the mark. Sadly, setting is not everything. While John Malkovich, as a radio preacher helping Christine(Jolie), is solid in his supporting role, I found most of the acting over the top, especially from Angelina Jolie. She spends most of the movie crying hysterically, screaming, or being severely stoic to pinpoint the absence of hysterical crying. I found none of these emotions particularly effective, and more bluntly, pretty damn irritating.  

She wasn't the only actor who fell flat though. Michael Kelly, as one of the film's de facto bad guys, plays the worst Irish cop stereotype I have witnessed since childhood Bugs Bunny cartoons. We are also never given a peek behind his cruelty to find out what his motive are for the endless tortures he inflicts on Jolie's Christine.  

While there were redeeming elements to the film that I wish they had focused on more, such as the politics behind this case and the systemic corruption of the LA police force, I guess that would have been another movie all together. A more interesting, less sentimental, and less emotionally manipulative movie. "I WANT MY SON BACK!" Yes, I know, we get it.

Colbert In The Fast Lane

Today I was browsing through the Urban Outfitters website and found a clear case of, well let's call a spade a spade, identity theft. There on there website, disguised as "Carpool Kenny," is a clear likeness of Stephen Colbert. 

Dun dun DUN!!!

Look at the stern masculine jaw! The perfectly groomed head of hair! All it needs is asymmetrical ears and it would be a dead ringer. Not that I wouldn't rather stupidly try to break the law with an inflatable Colbert as opposed to some random guy named Kenny, but they should clearly be giving him a cut. And he should talk.

Let There Be... Priate Ship and Penis and Bombs!

Have over three thousand euros burning a hole in your pocket and a love of luxury and of penis? Then look no farther! Netherlands artist Hans van Bentem has created the perfect sculptural art piece for you. The Daily Candy is showcasing the beautifully phallic chandelier and led me to the page where I found that it's also available in gun, pirate ship, skull and crossbones, and more! Check these out! Ok I am definitely going to be needing one of these as soon as I filthy rich.

Jon Hamm on 30 Rock?!

Sources confirm today that Jon Hamm, of Mad Men and now SNL fame, will appear on a multi-episode story arch on 30 Rock!! I know, I don't think I will be able to handle the sheer awesomeness. 

Apparently he is going to be playing Tina Fey's love interest and neighbor on the show. She must have been impressed with his comedic chops on last week's Saturday Night Live. He was like a shining glimmer of perfect handsomness and talent in the murk of the poorly written SNL swamp that was last week's show.

Now the 30 Rock last night? (Thursday 9:30) That was comedy! Hope everyone is watching!

 

Just for fun and for hot imagination purposes I am icluding amazingly smokin' pictures of both actors.

The Funniest Sketch SNL Had To Offer

Okay, this may be in bad taste, but I find in insanely hilarious. Jon Hamm's John Ham, the ham you eat on the john. The rest of the show was abysmal on Saturday but this is a must watch if you missed it. The "Mmmm, that's good ham" line reminded me of Dan Ackroyd's Bass'o'matic chimerical from the good old days. Classic.

The Death Pumpkin

That's no moon! That's a space pumpkin!!

Okay, I have posted before on the amazing Barack O'Lanterns that people have been making this Halloween. Thank you to Shana for this picture of what may be one of the most amazing carving jobs I have ever seen.

Ok, just one more Star Wars Halloween pun I swear this is it!

I find your lack of fun-sized Snickers disturbing.

Heroes: Heading Heroically Down Hill

Man I used to love Heroes. I would get all excited on Monday nights. We even used to get pizza from our favorite place and sit around the TV basking in warming glow of overly-attractive faux-heroes Heroes. They are a bunch of pretty-pretty princesses aren't they? 

This season however, into it's fourth episode, has been severely disappointing. Where there used to be a feeling of a hectic ride through a live action comic book, it now feels like a hectic ride through a live action blender. Almost all the characters have done some form of 180, (or they might do it in the future! OOooOoo! Spooky!) and just when you think you've got a grasp on the new spin of your favorite hero, they change again. Wait they're dead! No they're not dead, it was just a illusion! Wait! That illusion is being created by a new villain! Wait, they've know about this villain forever but never told you! Quick get rid of some character people like to force someone new into the story line!

Honestly I couldn't even tell you what's actually going on in the show right now, other than that they are looking for some formula. A formula that I could care less about because they've stopped giving you a chance to care about anything. Just watch the pretty-prettys do pretty things people! Don't pay anything attention to the non existent man behind the curtain. Right now it seems like no one is steering the Heroes ship. They had better change course soon though, cause I was so not quite ready to head back shore. A whole season like this though, and I start swimming. (Sharks being jumped be-damned!)

No 30 Rock Till The 30th

We have to wait till October 30th for new episodes of 30 Rock, but it looks like we're in store for a star-bedazzled third season! Oprah doesn't just guest star for anyone you know.

I couldn't get the preview I saw to actually post, so instead I added one of the funniest moments from the show ever, for people who haven't seen it, or for those of us who want to relive the hilarity. Jack takes Tracy to therapy, and the rest is gold, pure gold.

Baby Pee In Your Face!

I think we've ventured too far into the world of realistic babies in children's toys. I've seen the ones that swim, the ones that cry,  the ones that wiggle like real babies, and the ones that yes, pee. A peeing doll sadly is not news. It's true they've been around for quite sometime.  This new doll from the UK though, takes the whole thing to another, much more disturbing level.

Nintendo Releases New DSi

Yes ladies and gentlemen, one week after I got my brand new DS for my birthday, Nintendo announced the release of the new DSi. It's slightly thinner, with a large screen. (A gallery can be found here.) The best new feature that I will surely be jealous of is the built in wifi and internet browser, this is useful in any device.

It also boast two cameras, the one on the front being three megapixles, and the one facing the player having slightly less resolution. It will also have a music player and of course photo viewer.

The feature I am having trouble with is the new SD card slot that replaces the GBA cartridge slot in the back. Are all games going to have to be downloaded onto your SD card? Sounds kind of cool, but doesn't this mean no cheap used games and no sharing games with friends? I'm all for scaling things down and making as much data digital as possibly, but not when it detracts any usefulness.  Not worth it.

Yes, I think I will be holding on to my regular DS. An attachment can be bought to add wifi and browser capabilities.  Sure this jacks the price up past the $180.00 asking price for the new DSi, but at least I don't have to wait until 2009 to play it.

Stephen Colbert in Spider Man!

Stephen Colbert has already been graced with one of Marvel Comics highest honors. If you look closely at his set, you will see Captain America's shield proudly hung  front and center, on Stephen's wall o' treasures. It seems like Captain America isn't Stephen's only friend in the Marvel Universe though. Coming Oct. 15th, Stephen will be sharing New York air space with non other than Spidey himself.

Nerds rejoice! Your heroes are all friends, just like you imagine! They just might not actually want to come over and hang out in your mom's basement though. I already asked Stephen, he's busy that day.

Kanye + Comedy Central = Puppets?

Kanye West and Comedy Central are teaming up to create a show they are describing as "hip-hop meets the Muppets." Ok, weird, but sounds interesting. The production company involved is Jackhole productions, the same guys (Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Corolla) who brought you The Man Show, and Crank Yankers. While I love hip-hop, and the Muppets, I hated both of those shows. They were aimed at twelve year old boys, and not in a good way like South Park.

The thing that has me excited about this project is that not only is Kanye West going to be involved in the music, but also Rhymefest, a fellow Chicago rapper, who I have been listening to a lot lately. Check out my other blog for a link to download his amazing tribute album to Michael Jackson, for free!

Emmy Fashion!

There's wasn't too many dresses that left me drooling this year, but it's always fun to check out what everyone was wearing. The New York Times has the best slide show, breaking people up into the colors they wore. Just like rich people's closets!

My pick for best dressed: America Ferrera who looked like a fifties pin-up with a few more clothes on. Love the shoes the most! (Here is how to copy her wavy retro hair if you're interested.) Also Laura Dern  embodied casual elegance with no-fuss hair in a beautiful jewel colored purple satin. Ok, maybe I just like the color and that the dress had pockets. How cool is it to have a ball gown with pockets?! Can I just say also that Mary-Louise Parker always looks smokin' hot.

My pick for worst dressed: I hate to say it cause I generally like her, but Cynthia Nixon maybe didn't realize how lopsided this dress made her boobs look. 

Good Television Prevails!

Sunday night was a great night for some of my favorite shows. The Emmys themselves were generally boring, though made better by deserving wins, a few good laughs, and some good political digs. Heather Havrilesky has a more in depth and much more sufficiently snarky take on the awards here.

I'm most excited about the wins for 30 Rock, the funniest show on television that no one watches. Hopefully, again, this win will help boost their ratings so they're not worried about cancellation after multiple Emmy wins.  I was so happy to see Tina Fey up there, all pretty and de-glassesafied, humbly accepting her reward for being so brilliant. I can't wait for the season premiere, too bad it's not on til October 30th! Blerg.

I was also glad to see The Colbert Report win for writing, and I can't wait to see Stephen's take on his win on Tuesday night. He did lose Best Variety Show to Don Rickles, which wasn't a big surprised. He has lost in that category to Barry Manilow, Tony Bennet, and now Rickles. I'm sure he'll have something to say about that too.

Best Drama winner was Mad Men! I love this show, and I was surprised to see the academy, which usually picks a boat load of crap with a sprinkling of goodness, actually notice this show at all. I guess the buzz has been pretty big about it since it started, and deservedly so. Mad Men is like a trip back in time wearing Milena colored glasses, everything is accurate but distorted by your own modern sensibilities. My hope is that this win ushers in a new wave of intelligent, richly designed shows. Hey, a girl can dream can't she?

Don't Panic

I find this story baffling and don't really know how I feel about it yet. I am a huge fan of Douglas Adams and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy books. I would even go so far as to call Douglas Adams my favorite Author. He's witty and logical in a way that I have never seen duplicated. That's why I couldn't believe it when I read that children's author Eoin Colfer will be penning a new Hitchhikers Guide book. When Douglas Adams died a the early age of 49, I was sure that was the end of not just that series, but the many creative endeavors that he was so well known for. 

Although I am not entirely sure of my feelings about this project, I can tell you that I don't think that pleased is one of the feeling I am currently having. Maybe that has something to with the only quote by this new author included in the article. "For years I have been finishing this incredible story in my head and now I have the opportunity to do it in the real world," he said in a statement. "It is a gift from the gods. So, thank you Thor and Odin."  While this is mildly amusing, it would be the sort of line that Douglas Adams would just toss off on the way to a much more entertaining and original thought. I have a feeling this guy thought about that statement for a bit and decided it was clever. Eh.

I will give Colfer chance, but Douglas Adams resides in a place so close to my heart that this guy's got his work cut out for him if he wants to make a fan.

Welcome Back My Friends To The Blogs That Never End

Yes, another blog! This one is for my take on all things random. Television, movies, books, entertainment news, and more! Music is going to be all on Contrary To Popular Noise, politics and world events over at Contrary To Popular Belief, and eventually I will have Contrary To Popular Design, a blog for creative endeavors.