MIKE LUCIANO

Billy On The Street Will Save Fuse

2011-12-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

Billy On The Street is one of those TV shows that stands out because it feels like it shouldn't be on TV at all. A zippy, 22 minute version of the popular Funny Or Die web series, the show is one long man-on-the-street segment comprised of bursts of pop culture trivia questions posed to strangers. On paper, it's nothing new, but the exciting twist in this incarnation comes in the way host Billy Eichner manages to make screaming & cursing into the faces of strangers read as oddly endearing.

Mostly, Eichner's approach is running up to New York City pedestrians and asking one off questions with a determined enthusiasm that they have no choice but to match. He screams and berates his contestants all the way through, but always with an excited anticipation of wanting to see them answer correctly. The result is warm, addictive, and more times than not, very, very funny.

Billy On The Street - watch more funny videos

Despite (or perhaps because of) his brash approach and casual racial/ethnic/sexuality-insensitivity, you'd be hard pressed to find a contestant who isn't having a great time. Even on-lookers appear to be witnessing something special - not just another guy in front of a camera with a microphone in New York City.

While the gun-to-head responses of strangers can be hilarious, much of what makes the show great is how immediate and on his toes Eichner can be in the moment. Some of the funnier clips will catch him abruptly breezing past a contestant for giving an answer he doesn't like (not knowing who Laura Linney is) or for trying to promote their website he doesn't care about. This unpredictability makes it feel as though you're planted right along side Eichner's brain while it fires neurons a mile a minute, deciding what's worthy of attention and what's shit.

Wisely, Billy On The Street separates itself from the tamer & less entertaining Cash Cab by making the game more about opinion than fact. It's way more fun to hear people have to answer if Celine Dion is 65% bird or to name three movies that don't exist than to watch them wrestle with a Jeopardy daily double. Segment titles like 'Are You Smarter Than A Gay 5th Grader?', 'Rebecca Black or Black Person?', 'Is This A Real Tyler The Creator Lyric?', and 'Quizzed On The Face' speak to the frivolous-on-purpose tone of the show.

Billy On The Street: Exclusive Preview - watch more funny videos

Fortunately, Fuse seems to be putting marketing muscle behind it, which is good since letting Billy On The Street slip by unnoticed after a season would be a mistake. Judging by how easy it is to turn people on to the show by simply showing it to them, Fuse would need to majorly fuck up to blow what could be a game changer for their struggling network.

One look at any of Fuse's programming outside Billy On The Street and it's easy to see why they're currently engulfed in a Time Warner/MSG packaging scuffle (in which no cable provider wants to pay for the 3rd rate MTV-alternative programming that Fuse currently banks on). With Billy On The Street, Fuse has a chance to diverge from the fleeting 'music channel' ideal and become a unique network with bite, the basic channel equivalent of 20-something comedy aficionado-oriented IFC with some music flavor mixed in for good measure. Luckily, it's a refreshing enough show that it may be strong enough to help steer the network into new (and far better) territory. Wooo!!!

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - 'Heart In Your Heartbreak'

2011-06-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

Directed this video for The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart a few months ago!
Here's the Pitchfork Director's Cut interview I did for it:
http://pitchfork.com/news/42132-directors-cut-the-pains-of-being-pure-at-heart/

CHURCH

2011-03-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

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Twin Sister "All Around And Away We Go" Video Shoot

2010-11-18T12:59:00.000-08:00

Here's the video I directed for Twin Sister's "All Around and Away We Go." Thanks to Ian Perlman, Dan Devine, Seamus McGuire and Herb Hernandez for all their hard work. Andrea drew the animations!

All Around and Away We Go from Twin Sister on Vimeo.

Some pics:

Pretty Cool Professor

2010-06-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

Check out the new City On Film "Pretty Cool Professor" below. Our film won Best Picture at the Northeastern University Campus Movie Fest, was a finalist at the CMF Northern Regional Finale as part of the TriBecCa FF, and was selected by Virgin America to screen on their impressive aircrafts as an In-Flight short film. Also super exciting is Ali being nominated for Best Actress at the CMF International Grand Finale. Pretty Cool!

Gordon Everyday

2010-03-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

Think you could make a video every day for an entire year? Quite the task, but on January 1st, 2010, Mr. Gordon Kenny began an attempt to do just that. Since, his "Gordon Everyday" YouTube channel has accumulated thousands of subscribers. This passed week, G. D'Amico & I helped Gordon make three of his videos:

"Day 64: The New & Improved Gordon Everyday"
Gordon recruits FAC$Elift Entertainment to help spruce up his video blogs.

"Day 62: 'Everyday Bape' Tattoo"
Gordon promised to get a tattoo of his catch phrase if he reached 1,000 subscribers, so semi-professional tatt-artist Taylor is here to do the honors.

"Day 61: Cleaning Out My Closet!"

Gordon discovers a secret dimension while cleaning out his closet.

Every Yin Yang, Bape.

SUNDANCE 2010 FAVORITES: Hilarious, Life 2.0, Daddy Longlegs, Cyrus, I'm Here, Enter The Void

2010-01-30T15:26:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to spend the past 6 days in Park City, Utah while attending the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Long story short, it was unforgettable. Hopping around snowy Park City from theater to theater, waiting in lines for extended periods of time, and managing to function on 3-4 hours of sleep daily might not sound like a blast, but I couldn't have had more fun. I can't imagine another environment in America where film is appreciated and talked about with such collective enthusiasm & excitement. Everyone, including the filmmakers, actors and writers whose work the festival consists of, is on the same page; everyone is cramming into the same buses and everyone is waiting in the same long lines. I would recommend the festival to any fan of film in a heartbeat - there's nothing like it. (Check out my iPhone YouTube page for some videos taken during the fest!)

Of the bajillion films showcased at Sundance, I caught 10 features, 2 documentaries, and 13 shorts. If it weren't for non-guaranteed wait-list ticket lines draining valuable time out of each day, I might have managed to double my film intake. Regardless, I saw some fantastic films. Here are my thoughts on those worth mentioning:

Louis C.K.: Hilarious
It would be wonderful if this stand-up "concert" film could arrive in theaters, if only to simulate the live audience experience when this screened at its premier. Prior to this film, my perception of Louis C.K. was as a smart comic mind (as stated in my Eric Rohmer post, he's written and collaborated with Chris Rock for a number of years) who was a better writer than he was a performer. His HBO show Lucky Louie was canceled in its infancy, and outside his small but solid role in NBC's Parks & Recreation, I didn't know him from much else. He didn't seem like the type of stand up that would knock me out. Well, I was wrong and Louis C.K. is now one of my favorite comedians. Prior to the film, his problem seemed to be that he looked and sounded too normal. What was his angle? Where was his Romano / Seinfeld / Rock / Lopez-esque ethnic background that seemed to brand each successful stand up comedian? He was just an average, slightly overweight white guy - arguably the hardest position in American comedy to define. What this doc highlights is that THIS is EXACTLY what defines him: the anger and self-loathing that come with being white, comfortable, and jaded in America today. Brilliant & hysterical, his show had the theater crying.

Life 2.0
Do you know Second Life? That internationally popular online computer game that kinda looks like The Sims? Turns out it's not a game, but a sort of advanced social network that has grown so intricate and nuanced that people are giving up their real lives to live vicariously through avatars in the simulated world of Second Life. Life 2.0 presents four subjects whose cases are absolutely fascinating: a couple who's romance has blossomed beautifully within the game, and are now meeting in person for the first time to attempt a real life relationship; a woman who spends months designing digital houses, clothes & jewlery and makes an actual living (as in American dollars) by selling such items within Second Life; and a grown man who spends the majority of each day embodying the avatar of an 11 year old girl. For these people, the false reality they've created in Second Life is more fulfilling than their real lives, and their stuggle to balance the two is incredibly interesting - and many times, sad - to watch. But the film can also be very funny, and at its best poses fascinating philosophical questions about the role & future of online life in our increasingly plugged-in real lives.

Daddy Longlegs
Daddy Longlegs is one of those films that are hard to pinpoint just what it is that makes you keep chewing on it days after you see it. It's a small film shot on grainy 16mm film which tells the story of a divorced father who isn't exactly the shining example of parenthood. In one sequence, neither he nor his girlfriend can be up in time to watch the kids, so he breaks up a sleeping pill & feeds it to them in an attempt to add hours of sleep to their morning. The kids don't wake up. They freak out, call a doctor, and when informed that they have to wait out the children's coma-like sleep, he continues on his day. While this main character is seemingly unlikable, conniving, and a despicable parent, what makes judging his character challenging is that he clearly loves his kids despite his questionable actions. The young filmmakers Josh & Benny Safdie described their film as a jumble of memories of their father, who while not perfect, was a man of compassion. At the screening they passed out posters that they themselves designed, along with postcard-sized reprints of an actual photo taken during a wind tornado of sheets of paper - a sequence from their lives recreated in the film. D.I.Y. filmmaking at its best & most inspiring.

Cyrus

You may not yet know of the directing duo the Duplass Brothers, but you will. Their previous two films, The Puffy Chair and Baghead, are two of the coolest & most unique examples of how digital filmmaking is changing the way stories are told in movies. The two loosely map out their films within a genre - The Puffy Chair is a road movie, Baghead works within the most obvious of horror conventions, and Cyrus is, on the surface, a romantic comedy - but by allowing their actors the freedom to improvise heavily, capturing the action in documentary-like handheld (racking up hours and hours of digital tape in the process), they create some of the most realistic, genre bending and uniquely unfolding stories that are being told today. Cyrus is their first studio film (Fox Searchlight), and with it comes bigger talent - John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei. It's fascinating to see these three in such a realistic, low-budget-feeling story, and they all thrive wonderfully. Reilly is a recently divorced fuck-up until he meets Marisa Tomei. Everything is well and grand until he encounters her needy, live-at-home son, Jonah Hill, who shares a strangely close bond with his mother. What's more is that Hill's character appears disarmingly mature. Reilly now has to juggle entering their lives while dealing with Hill's increasingly hostile and clever attempts to thwart the relationship and keep his mom all to himself. Not only is the film fucking hilarious, it's one of the most realistic and truest movies you will ever see any of these actors in. Cyrus was one of my favorite films at the fest. (View the trailer for Cyrus here.)

I'm Here

Spike Jonze is one of my favorite filmmakers and this 25 minute short film about robots falling in love is, I think, my favorite thing he's done. In a way, I'm Here feels like the culmination of everything Jonze does well - inventive, playful visual storytelling with a big ol' sad heart behind it. Have you seen Wall-E? My favorite part of that movie was watching the process of machines falling in love because it's love in it's barest, most elemental form. I'm Here is like Wall-E with characters that appear in their early 20's and actually live on present day earth with humans. The robots don't look stupid or hokey as I was afraid they might, but instead have disernable personalities. Due to the film's seemless interjection of CGI (very similar to the process used in Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are), the robot characters are in a way better actors than any human filling the role could have ever been. I'm Here is Jonze making a simple, melancholy love story that essentially could have been told without robots. But, that's what makes the short fun and fascinating to watch.

Enter The Void
CAUTION! ONLY DIE HARD FILM VIEWERS WILLING TO SUBJECT THEMSELVES TO CINEMATIC ABUSE PROCEED! SERIOUSLY, NO JOKE. Have you seen Irreversible? It's a film by bald-headed french filmmaker Gaspar Noe that is incredible but not for the faint of heart. It is a tough, brutal art film that separates itself from many european 'art films' by not using the slow, static shots for dramatic effect that have become their staple. In contrast, Noe's camera is almost always moving, winding, twisting and breathing; colors are dense and plentiful. He also embraces CGI in some of the most inventive ways of any modern filmmaker. Sounds great! Here's the hard part: Noe is a master of making you feel absolutely horrible. I want to clarify: his films are nothing like the Hostel or Saw torture porn films we in America think of as pushing the bar on what audiences are willing to subject themselves to. You won't see his films playing at the local AMC. On 1/22/10 at 8:30 AM, I saw a screening of Enter The Void and it was without a doubt the most intense & visceral film experience I've ever had. I know, I know, when "visceral" gets thrown around to describe a movie, the intended meaning is vague. I'll put it this way: you know how jarring, surreal, disturbing & metaphysical your most powerful & disorienting dreams can feel? The kinds of dreams where emotion and atmosphere are heightened to your subconcious imagination's max? This is like that. Sound plays a major factor in this effect, creating a paranoid, stomach-turning soundtrack, and, in a few key moments, nerve-stinging jolts of sound to coincide with the more physically-jarring sequences in the film. First-person camera is used through much of the film and the beginning 20 minutes or so are especially clever in placing us inside the head of its drug-influenced main character. The film's opening title sequence is one of the coolest, most electrically-charged mix of music & text that I've ever seen. But its not just craziness; the film is at times profoundly sad, and Noe has no problem sucking you into a strong emotion as a way of muddying the waters of what your feeling. It's an infuriating, exhaustive experience, but its a testament to just how good a filmmaker Gaspar Noe is. Enter The Void is almost impossible to convey, and even harder to recommend, so I'm not even going to try. I will just say that if you think you are up for it, take a chance and check out what I will definitively dub The Most Fucked Up Movie I Have Ever Seen.

Quick Note: infamous graffiti artist Banksy had a documentary at the fest called Exit The Gift Shop which I didn't see but was supposed to be great. As myself & a small group walked down main street at 7am for the Enter The Void screening, few others were walking the street. But the ones that were were talking about the couple of marks that Banksy had left on the city over night. This, an image calling to mind the idea that artists kill what they find beautiful by making it art, was one of them:

RIP Eric Rohmer: Extremely Worth Remembering

2010-01-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

Claire's Knee (1970)

Despite his significance as a founding member of the mega-influential French New Wave of the 1960's & 70's and a skilled writer/director, you'd be forgiven if the name Eric Rohmer didn't ring any bells.

When word broke two days ago that Rohmer had passed at age 89, even slashfilm.com, one of the more prominent & knowing film blogs on the web, failed to mention the loss of this influential figure.

Exciting & reassuring, then it was to Rohmer's admirers, to watch as the term "Eric Rohmer" climbed into the top ten trending topics on the ultra-modern culture current that is Twitter.

Gene Hackman's character in 1975's Night Moves famously stated, "I saw a Rohmer film once. It was like watching paint dry." Those words, especially coming from Hackman's mouth, are sign of just how hilariously French Rohmer's movies can appear to an American viewer. No, they are not ultra-arty exercises in experimental pretension. The films do not, for instance, look like this:

Instead, you'll find Rohmer's films to be deceptively simple stories of men lusting after women, without much extraneous plot. The ingredient that makes these films engrossing is their acute, masterful attention to thought process. Rohmer uses extensive voice over, a common device used in French films from that time, suggesting the fascination New Wavers had with tying moving images to literature. But Rohmer takes this further than others, and his Six Moral Tales, a collection of six films which remain his most notable work, deal with the step-by-step psychology behind what goes through a human mind as we become attracted to another person.

La Collectionneuse (1967)

The Moral Tales are comprised of stories about men falling for women they are fascinated by. But in each, we are exposed to the specific psychological motivations which guide the characters through whatever relationship progresses. As a result, what seems on the surface to be a simple story of lust becomes an intricate social dance of twists & turns that is remarkably entertaining and cool to watch.

At each film's end, an incredible and surprising sense of satisfaction takes over. It's the same feeling as closing the back cover on a great book you've just finished. It's literature as film, and that's exactly Rohmer's intent; all six of the Moral Tales were written in book form and then adapted into scripts.

If you feel easily compelled to punch European people acting all European and what not in the face, Rohmer might take a minute to warm up to. Full disclosure: there are a fair amount of turtlenecks featured in his work. Rest assured, there are also naked ladies. Which is exactly what lead Chris Rock to remake Rohmer's Chloe In The Afternoon into his own 2007 film, I Think I Love My Wife:

Rock explains:

"I was in Tower [Records] and I was just in the mood for foreign movies...Chloe had a naked girl on the cover. So, out of all the foreign movies I bought that day, I was like, 'I'm gonna watch this film first.' And I really liked it, it was really good."

Louis C.K., Rock's co-screenwriter on the remake, said this about Rohmer's original:

"It's French. And it's from the 60's, or 70's. And it's just got this tone to it. This dude just stands around smoking cigarettes in a suit. And people barely say anything. It's just very slow paced and subtle. And because of that deliberateness of the slow pace, it's like a horror movie. You're like, 'oh my god, he's gonna fuck this woman.' But it's French people, so you think, 'oh, they all fuck each other, so nobody cares.' But then it starts sneaking up on you that it matters to this guy what happens... So, the ending has this huge impact. It really was very powerful."

I really hope that in the wake of Rohmer's death, more fans, students, and admirers of film & screenwriting will be compelled to seek out his work. Much of it is too good and too inspiring to miss.

Trailers for Rohmer films are hard to come by on the Intertubes. My four most recommendable Netflix rentals are: Chloe In the Afternoon (also known as Love In The Afternoon), My Night At Maud's, Claire's Knee, and La Collectionneuse. To give a brief, Chris Rock-ian taste of Rohmer, here is the "prologue" to La Collectionneuse:

Ahh, sweet, French objectification. The 60's for ya.

Eric Rohmer

1920-2010

(For an in depth NY Times obituary on Rohmer, go here. For an appraisal piece written by NY Times chief critic A.O. Scott, head here. To download an mp3 of the Creative Screenwriting interview with Chris Rock and Louis C.K. on their Rohmer remake, go here.)

Jersey Shore: The Reason To Watch MTV Again

2010-01-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

If Twitter and Facebook updates are any indication, MTV has hit a massive cultural nerve with Jersey Shore. Only four episodes in (each an hour long), and the show's cast members have appeared on Leno, Conan, Kimmel, and Saturday Night Live (if you count Bobby Monihan's Snooki impression and Bill Hader's back-abbed The Situation). Last time I can think of an MTV show making these kind of waves was Jackass, and that was a while back. So what does this show do differently that makes it stand out from the bajillion other reality shows on the tube?

Jersey Shore or The Jerz, as I call it (nope), plays off the club hopping, macho dude Italian stereotype that I think first showed signs of a societal giggle in this 2007 Youtube video (that I unfortunately hate):

The idea is that the show allows you to laugh at its subjects while giving you enough Real World-style drama to carry one through an hour long episode. But JS doesn't take itself as the super serial, generational-snapshot bullshit that Real World gets caught up in. Instead, it feels much looser and fun. The editors have no problem guiding viewers toward the more unflattering moments of the show's cast and emphasizing their strange, idiosyncratic language and cocksure attitude. But the show also gives the sense that the cast mostly gets why what they say or do is funny. It's easy to imagine them viewing these episodes and cracking up at their own behavior like someone watching back an embarrassing video from the night before.

And that's it: in contrast to the the stone-faced, emotionless asshole depicted in the aforementioned Youtube video, everyone on the show has an almost bubbling inclination to laugh. Instead of resenting them, we begin to enjoy their company and treat their "guido-ness" as a funny quirk, and the show quickly becomes very easy to like.

Thank god MTV knew to avoid the goofy, sound-effect ridden editing of VH1 celebrity reality shows to emphasize the show's tongue-in-cheek quality. Instead, the editing feels more like a social document rather than reality TV, capturing this strange, foreign world of protein supplements and extra long bathing suit shorts for us Westerners to delight in.

It's also an interesting sign of MTV catching up with the infamously fast-evolving tastes of its young audience -- it wasn't too long ago that anyone of the muscle head, partypartyparty cast members of Jersey Shore could have been found on The Real World, minus the lens of humor.

Pauly D, Snooki, and Mike "The Situation" have emerged as the three faces of the show. I wonder what if any future they might have in entertainment. Probably nothing, as things go in Reality TV. But I am interested to see how an inevitable second season is going to work. Will the show keep the same cast or enlist a new set of "guidos"? Or, will MTV pick another ethnic group to lampoon? Blackies in Miami Beach? Chinamen in San Fran? The possibilities are endless!

Here are those three participating in a mildly brilliant Funny Or Die vid that further proves the cast's ability to be in on the joke. Essential viewing for fans of the show:

The REAL Situation (Feat. MTV Jersey Shore's The Situation, Snooki, and Pauly D) - watch more funny videos

Also, I saw someone mention that Mike "The Situation" kind of looks like Pauly Shore. Thought that was funny.

Cornelius Perform On Nick Jr.'s Yo Gabba Gabba!

2009-12-21T22:33:00.000-08:00

No longer the die-hard Nickelodeon-Head that I absolutely once was, I've missed out on some serious next-generation kids show scoping. However, you, like me, may have collected word over the past couple of years that Nick Jr. show Yo Gabba Gabba! was laying claim to some pretty killer format experimentation, most notably of which consists of sing-alongs lead by a handful of impressively top name indie bands.

There was mention of The Shins & Mates of State taking part in the action, first peaking my interest. Both those bands create music one can imagine children digesting comfortably & singing along to in joyful, melodious wonder. But last week, it was reported that Cornelius had taped a performance for the show. As in the awesome, shredding, Japanese math rock band, Cornelius?! This Cornelius?!?!?:

Clearly, Yo Gabba Gabba! is the greatest children's show of all time.

Unfortunately, there is no way to embed video of the performance, but you can and should take a look over at Jezebel, or watch full screen on Yo Gabba's own site (how cool is their site? Adult Swim for kids).

Cornelius is one of my favorite artists whose rockin', strange time signature music practically begs to be used cinematically. Ranging anywhere from acoustic, Zen-like calm to thrashy, noise-art rock, their kinetic & frenzied sound marries wonderfully to visuals, and some of Japan's top visual artists agree. In addition to some fantastically surreal & beautiful music videos, the band performs live in front of a large screen displaying video pieces created by various such artists that are specifically synchronized to their playing. Here's what the beginning of a show looked like during their recent Sensuous Synchronized tour:

I think it's safe to say that Cornelius is breaking some new ground in redefining what's possible at a live show. Videos like that prove you don't have to be U2 or Radiohead to utilize the wonders of synched visuals. Here are some more of the group's amazing background videos, sans the band:

As mentioned before, the band has some great traditional music videos as well. Take a peak:

I myself used many songs off the band's 2001 album Point throughout SEAN. (a feature film I made in 2005) and the band's "I Hate Hate" was the theme song to a television public access show I co-created called I'm On Public Access!:

Cornelius' last release was Sensuous in 2006, and assumedly, a follow up is in the works. Until then, may I suggest feasting the eyes & ears on their Grammy-winning CD/DVD Sensurround + B Sides ("Best Surround Sound Album" Woooo!).

*UPDATE*: Just learned that Cornelius has apparently written new music for Shawn Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright's new film, Scott Pilgram Vs. The World. Hopefully, this signals a new venture for Cornelius in scoring film.

Go Forth: Levi's Dreamy New Ads Are The Bomb

2009-12-12T22:14:00.000-08:00

Obama '08!

By now, most of us are familiar with Levi's newest series of ads: a jumble of wistfully filmed footage evoking the nostalgic sense of old-school patriotism apparently running rampant in today's Obama-era youth. One thing is for sure - they are some of the more visually & creatively striking ads in recent memory. But do they successfully redefine the Levi's brand? Are they too much all at once?

Here is Levi's first, extended 'Go Forth' ad which first caught my eye online a couple of months ago:

When that appeared during the opening previews to a film I saw in theaters (before trimmed versions of this began airing all over TV), the audience of young 20-somethings - the ad's intended demographic - burst into laughter at the abrupt Levi's logo tailing the piece.

One obvious problem was the lack of straightforward product display in the pitch - the same criticism so commonly leveled at...abstract jean ads that don't show any jeans. But, the scoff itself was also a sign that people were invested & proof of the advertisement's powerful ability to move. The interjection of the brand's logo during the haunting sound of a violently waving flag after an ear-shattering gunshot may not have been the smoothest exercise in subtlety, but it certainly lets us know who's running the show.

Aesthetically, the ads have a uniquely cinematic dream quality that is immediately gripping (we have the ads creators, Wieden & Kennedy, to thank for that, who, funny enough, also created the great Maria Bamford Target Ads I wrote about last week). Ethereal and atmospheric, the spots present a new, inventive idea - great editing undercut by scratchy phonograph recordings of poets reading their own words, balanced with strange & moody background music.

But again, are they effective? As a consumer, do I now have a different, more positive image in my head of what Levi's jeans & clothing represent? Actually, yes. Yes I do. In fact I can't even recall the last incarnation of Levi's identity. Up until this much needed facelift, they had succumbed to being just...jeans. Another company. Now, at the very least, they stand out as something.

The rest of the campaign, unfortunately - and perhaps inevitably - slips into gimmick. One look at their Go Forth website, with it's attempts to act as a gathering place for those with "indomitable american spirit" and "revolutionary thinking", is enough to make you throw up all those beers you drank while listening to Obama's inauguration speech last January. We saw the ad, we don't need another social network. Please just, just show me where to buy the jeans.

And let's not forget, in theory, the intention of these ads is no different from that of the horrendous, hilariously condescending Miracle Whip ads that have aired in the past year:

Clearly, it is the execution that determines whether or not we figuratively & literally buy it.

So, as a result of all this, do I want to Go Forth (get it) and purchase a pair of Levi's jeans? No, I'm OK. I have a couple of pairs of jeans lying around that still fit and look fine. Not to mention there are few experiences I look forward to less than trying on pants in a store. But I've made a mental note for when my "This Country Was Not Built By Men In Suits" look needs some creative retooling.

(For anyone looking to read more on the subject, Bob Garfield, a writer for AdAge, has an interesting review of the Go Forth ads I ran across while "researching." It discusses further the paradoxical nature of the campaign: "it's no good because it's too good by half." Worth checking out.)

Last Call With Carson Daly: Suddenly...Awesome?

2009-12-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

Then:

Now:

When NBC made their big late night transition, moving Leno to 10, Conan to 11:35 and Fallon to 12:30, it seemed an existential crisis was in order for Carson Daly and crew. Last Call With Carson Daly, Daly's attempt at a studio talk show, was in poor shape. Having appeared in the 1:30 spot after Conan since 2002, the half-hour show never failed to emit the feel of an awkwardly painful, 3rd rate talk show. The problem wasn't just that Daly wasn't a comedian and had trouble managing a studio audience; the bigger issue seemed to be that the show didn't offer any unique reason to tune in.

So, in the midst of this line up shake-up, Carson & gang decided to take a week, hit the road and film some travel segments outside the studio while on a cross country extravaganza through various American cities. Though this period sometimes took on the look and feel of a Coke commercial targeting young 20 somethings enhanced by the annoyingly reflective narration of Daly, it was evident that this new format might signal an interesting evolutionary step in the right direction for the show. Could this be the key to harnessing Daly's inexplicable and hard to pin down calm charisma that made watching late 90's pop music videos somehow easy to digest?

Smartly, they quickly realized that their old format would not hold water in this new, jazzed up era of NBC late night. Instead, they decided to embrace their inability to draw substantial talent by introducing newer, "undiscovered" acts to a television audience that wouldn't normally have the chance at this stage in their career, if at all.

And, since shedding the need for a studio audience, the show has become mobile, allowing for intimate--and many times, insightful--interviews. Carson may not be the best interviewer in the game, but he is an excellent converser, and can bring the interviewees down to a level of open casualness that isn't possible in front of a live audience. In this sense, Daly's lack of knowing, comic wit, which propels shows like Conan's, is his greatest advantage. He gives the sense that him & the guest are hanging at a bar, talking over a beer, which many times, they are.

The show also features a strong focus on music, which is where Carson is in his element. Not only is the show able to film bands as they perform for their own fans in venues around LA, but the edited segments feature some of the best, coolest music that can be heard on TV (a whole lot cooler than MTV). I've found that one of the draws of considering Carson Daly's musical taste is that it isn't grounded in whether or not the music is hip, but whether or not the music is actually any good.

But, perhaps the coolest aspect of the new and improved Last Call with Carson Daly, is that it's become the first late night show I can think of where the audience can learn about things they wouldn't have otherwise discovered, rather than being presented with a continual stream of guests merely pedaling their media product du jour (French for, "of the day"). The guests on Last Call feel more like subjects the show has chosen to cover rather than talent ordered by the network to have on, which, assumedly, is the freedom that comes with having an undesirable 1:30am slot. "Check this out" is something Daly often says before cutting to a segment, and that's exactly how it feels: a small group of people making a show composed of things they think are cool or interesting, and they are excited to show it to you and hear what you think. It's a strangely humbling goal in this day and age of television.

The show can still suffer from editing overkill, looking like a film school student's interpretation of an MTV show. But hey, it's on NBC, not MTV. And again, at 1:30 in the morning. It's all part of the aforementioned humble-factor. I'll put it this way: it could be a whole lot worse. Let them experiment. I'm all for it. Good job, Carson & crew, it's working.

Target Courts Maria Bamford

2009-12-07T14:21:00.001-08:00

Black Friday Post-Thanksgiving Shop/Consume/America/Buy Buy Buy Day was a week and a half ago, but I didn't want to miss posting these amazingly weird Target ads staring the underrated Maria Bamford:

That aired on national TV multiple times. Isn't that...cool? While it's nothing super crazy, its nice to know that we're at a point where more alternative, weirdo comedy can comfortably enter the mainstream commercial lexicon.

Also, its important to note this isn't a Skittles or Snickers commercial, where the target (ha) audience is composed of 15 year old Venture Bros. fans. This commercial is intended for the very demographic -- shop-conscious middle aged moms -- it's more or less spoofing as, well, crazy. So, props to Target for having the balls to take a chance with these.

If you, like me, have been a fan of Bamford's since her emergence on Comedy Central stand-up specials way back, you'll recognize the character in the ads as sort of an exaggerated incarnation of her "deep voice" character. Bamford, in reality, has more of a shy, mousy voice and the contrast produces hilarity. This little bit (from her 1st Comedy Central special, the one I remember first seeing her in) is interesting considering her so far strange, winding career. Who is Maria Bamford?:
Comedy Central Special (#1) Clip

Maria Bamford! MySpace Video

Bamford found a place in the alternative comedy scene when she went on tour with these dudes:

She then began collaborating with Tim & Eric, perhaps further developing the spotty character that would emerge in the Target ads:

Unsuprisingly, she has done a fair amount of voice work, appearing in audio form in Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz's Sit Down Shut Up, American Dad!, Home Movies and a bunch of kid's cartoon shows. I really hope her work in these Target ads springboard her career toward more live action roles; Bamford deserves to be in front of the cam in bigger mainstream projects.

Maybe as the evil sister of (unusually similar looking) Rachel McAdams?

Here are two more of the Black Friday Target ads that aired on TV staring Bamford:

Get this woman a show!

Ken Jeong: A New York Times Profile In The Making

2009-12-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

Few comic actors manage to suddenly appear in every funny project spanning multiple mediums in a matter of three short years. When someone does, it's a good sign that there is a wellspring of untapped potential genius waiting to burst into leading man territory.

If one were to ask a typical TV or movie watcher whether the name Ken Jeong rang a bell, it likely would not. But, granted they are not an Amish recluse, they know and have seen him before. Between 2004 and 2009, Jeong has the following (among many other) credits to his name:

Grounded For Life

MAD TV

Two and a Half Men

Mind of Mencia

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The Office

Entourage

The Shield

Knocked Up

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Boston Legal

Step Brothers

Pineapple Express

Role Models

American Dad

Party Down

The Hangover

The Goods

Community

Couples Retreat

So let's see: Apatow loves him. Will Ferrell & Adam McKay love him. Larry David loves him. Seth MacFarlane loves him. Greg Daniels & Ricky Gervais love him. David Wain loves him. Jon Favreau & Vince Vaughn love him. Todd Phillips (Hangover & Old School director) loves him. For Christ's sake, Charlie Sheen & gang love him. (Unfortunately, Carlos Mencia, too, adores Jeong). It appears pretty clear that we should start paying close attention to Mr. Jeong and his work.

As of right now, his IMDB page doesn't list a starring vehicle in the near future. I believe, however, we will see one within the next few years. I wonder what type of film he could helm? I'd like to see him in a role that utilizes and explores his darker acting talent (the doctor in Knocked Up, quick role in The Office episode, teacher in Community), rather than his goofier, over the top "I'm an Asian guy" bit (The Hangover, Role Models, The Goods). More than likely, it'll probably be a hybrid of the two, which may be the best route anyway.

Long story short, he deserves better than this:

Todd Solondz, Todd Solondz, Todd Solondz.

2009-12-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

After re-watching Palindromes last night for the first time in a long while, I was reminded just how masterfully skilled of a writer/director/artist the film's creator really is. If you're not familiar with Todd Solondz's work, he has made a total of 5 films, each a darkly comic look at the strange, the outcast, the things in society we fear examining too closely out of the discomfort they evoke. Pedophilia, rape, underage pregnancy, severe mental and physical handicap are all common themes that take precedence in his films.

Here's the thing: his films are fucking hilarious. "You sick bastard" is the response I'm sensing. In less talented hands, yes, this would likely be the case. But the genius of Todd Solondz's work lies in getting his (staggeringly talented) actors to portray such funny, overly-flawed characters as if there is nothing funny or comical about them. The resulting effect can be disturbing, sad, profound, and hilarious all at the same time. It's unlike anything else, and the strangeness and incongruity of it all immediately sucks you into its world. And how it is able to do this, is all because of Solondz's shrewdness as a fantastic filmmaker.

Before I get to Palindromes, here is one of my favorite scenes from Solondz's 2001 film Storytelling, which will hopefully give the uninitiated a taste of the rhythm and balance of tragedy and humor in the writer-director's work:

Here's a scene from his 1998 film Happiness that, considering the wholesome, sit-com lesson-learning string music that rides in, leans more toward the overtly funny. What makes it funny, is that this music is paired with an absolutely cringe-worthy scene involving a father talking to his son far too candidly about masturbation. (*Only watch until scene ends at 2:30 to avoid spoilers.)

In my eyes, Palindromes, his fourth major feature film, takes things to an entirely new level creatively, artistically and philosophically. It is the journey of a single soul embodied by 8 actresses who couldn't be more different on the outside, yet in each we see the same quiet, sweet speaking pattern and soft, hurt eyes. There are so many tragic, flawed, and sad, sad characters in this film, and one question the film asks is: Is there such thing as hope?

When I first saw Palindromes a couple of years ago, I considered it one of Solondz's lesser films. An intriguing experiment that was not 100 percent successful. After last nights viewing, I'm convinced Palindromes is Solondz's masterpiece. Unfortunately, there aren't ideal clips of the film online, so I'll instead post one of the film's trailers:

Solondz's newest film, Life During Wartime, is due to hit theaters soonish, but no trailer has been released as of yet. Needless to say, I'm super psyched.

The Coolest Music Video of 2009

2009-12-04T11:08:00.000-08:00

Justice, the French two-man DJ group, it could be said, share certain similarities with fellow French two-man DJ group, Daft Punk. Not only do both artists transform obscure sample hooks into rockin', pulsating electronic dance jams rather brilliantly, but each also produce some of the more inventive, visually (and creatively) daring music videos in the music video game.

Case in point: Here is the video for Justice's remix of the Lenny Kravtiz song "Let Love Rule", and my vote for Coolest Music Video of 2009. (Directed by Keith Schofield) [Credit to G. D'Amico for sending me this].

Lenny Kravitz (Justice Remix) - Let Love Rule
by elnino

Pretty darn neat, huh? I wanna see a movie end like this. We need more creative emphasis on ending credits in film.

Justice seem to take a liking toward videos that play around with this concept of interacting with super-imposed text. Here's one for their song "D.A.N.C.E.", which was nominated for Best Music Video at the 2007 MTV Music Video Awards. (Directed by Jonas & François (75 prod), Graphic Design by So-Me)

JUSTICE - D.A.N.C.E.
by edbangerrecords

And finally, a third text/font based video from the duo, a barrage of logo-inspired typeface displaying phrases and lyrics from the song. Here's the video for "DVNO". (Directed by So-Me, Yorgo Tloupas and Machine Molle)

Justice - DVNO (Official Music Video)

Jus† Daf† | MySpace Video

Any suggestions for other cool/interesting/inventive music videos produced in 2009? Let me know!

The Something Something Something Something of This Person

2009-12-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

First off, we all know AMERICA IS THE BEST AT CREATING ANYTHING EVER. So, it's slightly jarring to learn the news that David Cross created a television show staring him, Will Arnett and Spike Jonze (you heard right) specifically for a UK television network. The title of the show is The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret which unfortunately, I hate. This kind of title is becoming a trend for shows that are horrible (there's one with Julia Louis Dreyfus I think, and something else. A baseless generalization, haven't seen any of the shows that have similar titles. Can't even name them. Fact is I don't like 'em, and that's that.) Good news, however, is that this one looks promising. And Todd Margaret is a hilarious name for an insecure, "pussy" protagonist. Here's a clip of the show's pilot:

Liiiittle heavy on the dick boss saying 'fuck' humor, but the combo of these three is something to behold.

Jackie Chan Really Made This Movie

2009-12-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

I posted this on the ol FB a couple weeks back, but I thought I'd repost here just to emphasize how wild it is that this is an actual movie and not a brilliant, multi-thousand dollar spoof trailer.

Jackie Chan haphazardly baking a cake. Jackie Chan on ground covered in spaghetti & wearing crooked glasses. All set to 'Why Can't We Be Friends'. The planets, it seems, have aligned.

Awesome End of the World, F. Scott, and Breaking Down the Meaning of Jim Carrey

2008-12-27T22:36:00.000-08:00

Check out this real cool clip of what it might look like if a comet plowed into Earth set to Pink Floyd. I'd love to see a disaster movie with a sequence as awesome and engaging as this:

In leu of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button heading to theaters (which is loosely based on a short F. Scott Fitzgerald short story), Slate.com has a really cool article up investigating why F. Scott might be spinning in his Ivy League grave for the movie's screenwriter's choice to leave out where Benjamin Button went to college. Fitzgerald was known to specifically assign his stories' characters a college history at either Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, and this cool article talks about his reasons for each (Hint: Harvard students are pussies).

Finally, the NY Times has a wonderful article up examining the career trends and choices made by Jim Carrey and the meaning of his popularity relative to the landscape of American movies and popular culture.

Adventureland

2008-11-20T22:20:00.000-08:00

So I just saw Kristen Stewart, star of the new Twilight movie out tomorrow, on Letterman, and she was not was I was expecting. She's kinda reserved, cool and weird. She had this look like the nerves in her brain were directly connected to the expressions of thought on her face. This, reminded me of when I saw the kid who played the older brother in the awesome, awesome Noah Baumbach movie The Squid & The Whale go on Conan a few years back. It made me think that those two would be an interesting pair to see play opposite each other in a movie.

Fast forward a half hour. I'm digging around online, reading about movies and such, and I find a little post about Kristen Stewart being in a movie due out next year directed by this guy Greg Mottola who directed Superbad. Sure enough, her co-star is Jesse Eisenberg, the dude from Squid & The Whale. But check this out:

The movie is also written by Mottola and is based on his experience working at Adventureland. No, not any Adventureland. Fucking Adventureland Adventureland...Farmingdale, Long Island Adventureland. As in the origin of zillions of P.A.L. camp trip memories and the setting of multiple dreams I've had over the years. And to make things slightly more interesting, the movie is set in 1987. And it stars SNL's Bill Hader. And SNL's Kristen Wiig. And is supposed to be really cool.

Here's some info from slashfilm.com:

Set in 1987, the film follows James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight recent college grad forced to take a minimum wage job at an amusement park when he realizes he can’t afford his dream tour of Europe. Writer/director Greg Mottola – best known as the director of the hit comedy Superbad – channeled his own experiences as a low-paid amusement park employee while making the film.

Co-starring Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig and Martin Star. I hear it’s more of a damedy than a laugh-out-loud comedy (ie more Garden State than Superbad), and has the potential to be next year’s sleeper hit ala Little Miss Sunshine/Juno. The first trailer will be attached to Twilight on Friday, and will also hit MySpace the same day. So check back tomorrow. But for now, you can find the first two production photos above and below.

Here are those cool, summery, late 1980's-y photos from the film that have already made me fall in love with it:

Also, some guy who saw a test screening apparently dug it:

“I thought it was excellent.” …”The acting and screenplay were great, but also thought the direction was fabulous. There was a slight ethereal quality to it that added a lot of atmosphere. The 80s aspect was also not overdone as I feared, it complimented everything just right. As it started I didnt know where it was going to go, it felt like it might be a directionless screwball comedy, but it turned out to be what I thought was a beautiful movie. Great character, acting, a tinge of weirdness. Unique stuff, well done!”

In case you're wondering, the movie is aptly titled Adventureland.

Gnarley gnarley gnarley

Two things

2008-10-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

Interesting article on directors Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy) and David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, The Ten) dealing with writing/directing/casting foul-mouthed comedy movies in the wake of the Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Superbad) output:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/movies/26itzk.html

And check out this excruciatingly tense, awkward and completely laugh-less conversation between Tom Selleck and Rosie O'Donnell about the NRA when he comes on her show as a guest back in '99 post-Columbine. Amazing television:

Ridiculous

2008-10-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

I don't dislike or disagree with Bill O'Reilly 100% of the time, but this is an example of the aspects of his show/conduct that I just can't stand:

Fox news video embedded links don't work on this blog, so click the link below to view the video.

http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3129030&referralPlaylistId=playlist

Movie Trailer Reviews - 8/20/08

2008-08-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

--- Here are three upcoming movies that I am very excited for: ---

W.
Directed By Oliver Stone

Oliver Stone, director of JFK, Platoon, Any Given Sunday, Natural Born Killers, Born On The Forth Of July loves his history. He's made numerous movies about real life war stories, he's chronicled two previous presidents during their time in office, and he came out with the 2nd big budget studio-backed 9/11 movie World Trade Center. Each had it's fair share of controversy, given the ongoing accusation that Stone sometimes bends the facts of history for dramatic effect a little too casually. However, what lends W. an added dimension of intrigue is that the president and administration in which it is so intimately depicting (whether it be positively or negatively) is currently still in office. Imagine a movie with this much money behind it being made anywhere else in the world. Nope. Not happening. I can't think of anything more indicative of the cementing of the Bush Administration's legacy than this movie having been made. This also has a stellar cast. Let's hope it's up there with Stone's best. (Take note of "What A Wonderful World" ending the trailer).

FULL BATTLE RATTLE
Directed by Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss

Ugh, Iraq documentary. I knooow we're in a war and it's bad, but how many of these things can we be expected to watch? Check out the trailer for Full Battle Rattle and prepare for it blow your expectations to pieces. Documenting an American army training camp in the middle of California's Mojave Desert, the movie follows soldiers in training, the people training them, and the iraqi actors and actresses who are all working together to form and operate in a simulated Iraq. Not only does the movie's premise sound insanely interesting, the film itself appears to be one of the coolest and sharply funny movies coming out this year. Can't wait for this one.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Directed by David Fincher

David Fincher is the guy who directed se7en, Fight Club, and Zodiac. All his movies are becoming tied together by that golden caramel colored cinematography that strikes the perfect balance of looking interesting and crisp without being too in your face visually. This movie is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald of the same name, and this trailer (the music + editing + shots) somehow work to form a cinematic mood & feeling that I've always associated with Fitzgerald's writing. Something I can't quite put my finger on. Let's cross our fingers the movie itself accomplishes the same thing. I have high hopes.

--- Here are three movies I already hate: ---

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Directed by Peter Sollett

Hey I liked Juno, I'll love this! Look at that cool hand drawn white font! Look at that alternative girl who likes cool music! Look at Michael Cera! Although judging a movie solely by it's trailer and how it's marketed can be dangerous, this one is so blatantly pandering to the Juno audience that it makes tearing it apart somewhat superficially completely OK and fair. Listen to that freakin narrator...not since the summer of '90 have I watched a movie trailer with such goofy, obvious narrating. What makes matters worse is that this guy Peter Sollett directed a somewhat OK indie film years back called Raising Victor Vargas that I remember having a soft spot for. Lame.

College
Directed by Deb Hagan

Ok, so one talky, loud mouthed fat kid, one sensitive, reserved quiet kid we can all identify with, and one skinny nerdy kid with glasses. Box office gold. Those Apatow boys just made this work, let's scrounge up as much money as we can get from excess moviegoers who we can fool into thinking this will be anywhere near as funny/good of a movie experience as Superbad. The dude playing the nerd kid with glasses was a finalist on last years American Idol. He literally got to the final stages of the contest by way of American's feeling sorry for him and his sweet but tragically un-hip vocals, William Hung style. Kid's got the personality of a freaking smiling turtle. But anyway, College is crazy!!

Body of Lies
Directed by Ridley Scott

Ok, this one is a little bit different. I don't have too much of a problem with this movie itself-- Ridley Scott can for the most part hold his own with exciting if not predictable action flicks (American Gangster, Gladiator) -- what makes me mad is freakin' Leonardo DiCaprio's choice of movie roles. The dude is so serious. We get it. It's like he has some complex where he's trying to make up for doing Titanic. It's just annoying how all these apparently "interesting" and "worldly" movie roles he keeps unrolling have become completely predictable and boring. Oh well, at least he has some cool roles coming up in the next few years (including two Scorcese pictures [one in which he plays Theodore Roosevelt], a movie directed by the guy who did American Beauty, and perhaps his most bizarre role to date: a live action adaptation of the 1988 anime film, "Akira", in which the leader of a biker gang tries to save his kidnapped friend from a powerful supernatural experiment) so maybe things are about to be shaken up in the ol' DiCaprio output.

Inglorious Bastards

2008-08-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

Quentin Tarantino has been working for years on a war film based in Nazi Germany called Inglorious Bastards. He's dubbed the script far and away the best thing he has ever written. I'm excited.

The movie has been in the works for a long time, but within the past couple of months things have started to move. Perhaps the most bizarre developments to emerge every couple of weeks have been the names of actors who've become attached to the project. If you've seen your share of QT flicks, you'll know that he is someone who places much importance on the actor that is being cast - their acting ability as well as their celebrity. So, with this in mind, the list of actors so far said to be attached to Inglorius Bastards is especially interesting. Check out how random (and potentially brilliant) some of these choices are:

BJ Novak of The Office

Mike Myers of 54 and So I Married An Axe Murderer

Brad Pitt of Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas

Apparently Simon Pegg was set to be attached (who is apparently Hollywood's new British Steve Carrell...look at this friggin picture):

But because of scheduling stuff, QT has apparently recruited the annoyingly quippy Samm Levine who was one of the younger nerds in Freaks & Geeks and something in Not Another Teen Movie.

cringe

Pineapple Express

2008-08-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

I saw Pineapple Express a few nights ago and as predicted, we can all chalk up another tally in the solid flick column for Apatow, Rogen & co. It's hilarious and I'd totally recommend seeing it to anyone looking for a good laugh. Yet, the more films I see by this gang, the more I realize how unique their movies are compared to most mainstream comedy flicks these days. I believe Pineapple Express breaks some serious ground in this department, so I wanted to share some aspects of the film that hit me as especially interesting. I want to avoid "reviewing" the movie, so it might be best to read this post after viewing the movie. Here are some thoughts:

- Bluntness of violence depicted paired with comedy. The film as a whole is light hearted, funny and warm, but there is an added dimension of graphic violence that is new not only for mainstream comedies, but for mainstream American films in general. The first instance of this comes as a character unexpectedly gets shot twice in the stomach. Rather than simply cutting away to a reaction shot or a different scene all together (like we're used to seeing), the camera stays planted while a man's stomach absorb two bullets, followed by a frighteningly realistic flow of dark-red blood. The effect is pretty paralyzing-- are we supposed to laugh? Somehow the film creates an atmosphere where the audience is allowed room to warm to the fresh idea that the extreme and at times shocking violence is part of the fun. Eventually, people we've gotten to know throughout the film are killed so graphically and realistically, we burst out laughing when we see their bloodied carcas looking as realistically beaten in as the man in the insane french Gaspar Noe film Irreversible who gets his face smashed in with a fire extinguisher or the man in Pan's Labyrinth who gets beaten so badly with the butt of a gun we witness his face cave in with each hit. It's a hybrid of those moments and this:

- The last five-ten minutes of the film being the Apatow/Rogen brand of comedy filmmaking genius in a nutshell. After a massive, epic fight to escape the bad guys and get out alive for the entire movie, we end with the boys scarred and bruised from head to toe, sitting over eggs and bacon at a diner the morning after. They begin talking and laughing about everything that has happened to them; we hear our favorite moments from the past two hours referenced again and laughed at, but instead of it being with our friends as we walk out of the doors into the cinema lobby, it's reviewed by the characters themselves. This creates an audience-character bond that has made the apatow films hugely popular, which roots itself in being as realistic as possible. We are Dale and Saul-- we'd be in a dinner the next morning too, laughing our asses off at the unlikely adventure that just exploded (literally) into our laps.

- The engine that makes seeing the Pineapple Express an enjoyable experience is constructed by our identification with how the average, everyday characters of Dale & Saul (ie. Us) react to the insane stream of events that occur throughout the first 2/3rd's of the movie. Because the main characters are so much like us, the ordinary movie going public (despite one's individual appreciation or aversion to marijuana use and/or slackerism), we hang on their every choice and action and laugh hysterically when they are put into extraordinary circumstances (like viciously trying to fight off an angry middleman drug dealer in his own home). Yet, the third act of the film strays from this solid formula in a way that seems sloppy and lazy rather than exciting and over the top. When the boys wind up kidnapped inside the main drug dealer's warehouse in the middle of no where, the film morphs into the lame, cheech & chong style two pot heads doing crazy things type of stoner flick it previously did such a great job of critiquing and reinventing. The strong connection the audience held between itself and Dale & Saul is somehow muddied by the ridiculousness of the situation and the ease at which they use automatic weapons to kill bad guys left and right. It devolves into a boring middle state, neither spoofing the late 80's-mid 90's action flicks it takes an obviously tounge-in-cheek influence from acutely enough, nor taking the situations seriously enough to keep our attention in it's palm.

However, Pineapple Express manages to do just what the other Apatow-produced comedy films have done, and that is to set a new standard for mainstream comedy by way of breaking new ground. The breakthroughs are subtle but powerful and will certainly be influential in the construction of future comedy films. These guys know how to write films, and it can be easy to mistake their casualness for simplicity. Pineapple Express is a well crafted story with well-written characters you care about; what makes Rogen, Apatow & gang brilliant is being able to combine these story telling skills with a knack for forming a realistic connection to an audience who recognizes the voice of someone from their generation telling them a funny story.