Random entertainment posts [Archive] - Discussion World Forum

partofme

Apr 5th 2009, 02:05 PM

I thought this would be for random things in the world of entertainment that don't belong in a existing thread or need their own thread.

What is going on with this Seth Rogan guy. It seems like every couple months another movie comes out with this guy in it. I don't think they are bad in that they are something to watch when bored but none of them are worth remembering or thinking about beyond viewing them. But this guy is everywhere. Currently his voice is used in Monsters Vs. Aliens and he has ads all over television for another movie he is in coming out soon in theatures. I happed to be watching The Daily Show with him as a guest a couple nights ago and then last night he was hosting SNL. I just don't see why this guy is suddenly everywhere and such a huge success. Thoughts?

wphelan

Apr 5th 2009, 02:36 PM

He really is all over the place now. I think he's pretty funny though. I've been a fan of his and all the other Judd Apatow people since Freaks and Geeks. They had another really good show on TV called Undeclared, but it was even shorter-lived than Freaks and Geeks.

I think part of the reason Rogen and some of the other guys are so successful because they're not just good comedic actors, but they write a lot of their material too. Being multi-talented doesn't hurt. Rogen co-wrote Superbad, Jason Segal wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Paul Rudd wrote Role Models, and I'm sure there are some other examples I'm not mentioning.

partofme

Apr 5th 2009, 03:03 PM

I watched Pineapple Express recently and while it was amusing at the time it wasn't really memorable. It's the sort of thing I would watch if I had nothing else to do but would never go out of my way to see.

The Sister

Apr 7th 2009, 08:21 PM

I think part of the reason Rogen and some of the other guys are so successful because they're not just good comedic actors, but they write a lot of their material too. Being multi-talented doesn't hurt. Rogen co-wrote Superbad, Jason Segal wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Paul Rudd wrote Role Models, and I'm sure there are some other examples I'm not mentioning.

What I think is so interesting about this crowd is that they are all American! For ages a lot of the best comics in America were Canadian - Myers, Carey, Akroyd, Short etc. and the grand daddy of SNL Lorne Michaels.

partofme

Apr 7th 2009, 08:23 PM

What I think is so interesting about this crowd is that they are all American! For ages a lot of the best comics in America were Canadian - Myers, Carey, Akroyd, Short etc. and the grand daddy of SNL Lorne Michaels.

I think America produces some fine comedians so long as they are either black, Jewish, or George Carlin. Why that is I have no idea.

Michael

May 25th 2009, 07:47 PM

I just saw that Susan Boyle (Britain's Got Talent) sing "Memories" from Cats on the 6 o'clock news today.

This is even more impressive than the original clip! I've been looking for a clip to post, but can't find one yet.

Michael

May 25th 2009, 07:49 PM

I think America produces some fine comedians so long as they are either black, Jewish, or George Carlin. Why that is I have no idea.

It is a long established 'factoid' that the best comedians come from 'outside' groups in society. I'm sure Jews are the best comedians everywhere but in Israel.

That partially explains why Canadian comedians are so common in the USA as well.

Evangeline

May 26th 2009, 03:07 AM

Did anyone see the movie Super High Me? It's about a guy who smokes pot for 30 days.

The guy didn't even inhale. Not once did I see him inhale. So lame.

Americano

May 26th 2009, 10:16 AM

Michael

May 27th 2009, 09:57 AM

Here ya go:

http://www.susan-boyle.com/

Thanks... I found that site before but I didn't find the "Memory" clip there till now. Amazing voice on this woman!

Speaking of which, anyone hearing about the rumors swirling around American Idol and their sponsor AT&T?

Americano

May 27th 2009, 12:05 PM

Michael

May 27th 2009, 01:23 PM

The free phones?
Yes - with a gadget to send 10 text messages similtaneously - given out at American Idol parties in Arkansas by AT&T in the week preceding the final voting.

Sounds rather scandalous. Do you think it will get much media play given that there are two media heavyweights here that won't want the story covered?

Americano

May 27th 2009, 02:15 PM

It didn't seem to get all that much press. I'd think the viewing audience could care less about fraud, they're after 'idols' and much like Christianity the dogma overcomes any rational reasoning.

Greendruid

May 28th 2009, 01:27 PM

Thanks... I found that site before but I didn't find the "Memory" clip there till now. Amazing voice on this woman!

Speaking of which, anyone hearing about the rumors swirling around American Idol and their sponsor AT&T?

Honestly, I found this rendition of Memory less moving than her first performance. She had a rocky first 30 seconds finding her pitch with the music and the rate of the lyrics. I even found her diction a little lacking in this one. This song is partially to blame - it isn't a good fit with her voice, range and abilities. She nails the last verse because she's a fantastic "belter" - she can really belt out the forte sections of a song but lacks the control necessary to execute the piano (softer) parts. Nonetheless, I'm a much better critic than a performer myself - still a job well done :clap:

Evangeline

May 31st 2009, 12:31 AM

Who gives a shit about John and Kate plus 8?

partofme

Jun 1st 2009, 05:53 PM

Who gives a shit about John and Kate plus 8?

It does do well in the ratings so I guess millions do.

Michael

Jun 1st 2009, 05:58 PM

Honestly, I found this rendition of Memory less moving than her first performance. She had a rocky first 30 seconds finding her pitch with the music and the rate of the lyrics. I even found her diction a little lacking in this one. This song is partially to blame - it isn't a good fit with her voice, range and abilities. She nails the last verse because she's a fantastic "belter" - she can really belt out the forte sections of a song but lacks the control necessary to execute the piano (softer) parts. Nonetheless, I'm a much better critic than a performer myself - still a job well done :clap:
FWIW, she didn't win the contest, though, like the American phenomenum, I'm sure 2nd place is the better place to finish here as they are the ones who tend to have the private contracts thrown at them while the world tends to forget about the winner and they soon fall into the obscurity they deserve.

I wouldn't be surprised if Andrew Lloyd Webber signs Susan Boyle to a contract to sing in musicals.

Greendruid

Jun 2nd 2009, 12:08 AM

FWIW, she didn't win the contest, though, like the American phenomenum, I'm sure 2nd place is the better place to finish here as they are the ones who tend to have the private contracts thrown at them while the world tends to forget about the winner and they soon fall into the obscurity they deserve.

I wouldn't be surprised if Andrew Lloyd Webber signs Susan Boyle to a contract to sing in musicals.

I thought I had heard something about him retiring so I'm not so sure about that. I also saw that she had checked into some mental health clinic in London. Both of these stories could be equally true in my mind :shrug:

The Drunk Girl

Jun 2nd 2009, 12:56 AM

Did anyone see the movie Super High Me? It's about a guy who smokes pot for 30 days.

The guy didn't even inhale. Not once did I see him inhale. So lame.

I decided to watch Super High Me after watching Super Size Me on Netflix. The guy in Super High Me got on my damn nerves. The one thing that I did get from (and pissed me off concerning state's rights) was the DEA coming in and shutting down the establishments where people, with licenses, were selling marijuana.

wphelan

Jun 2nd 2009, 02:28 AM

I decided to watch Super High Me after watching Super Size Me on Netflix. The guy in Super High Me got on my damn nerves. The one thing that I did get from (and pissed me off concerning state's rights) was the DEA coming in and shutting down the establishments where people, with licenses, were selling marijuana.

Fortunately, those raids are no longer happening. It's one of the few things I think this administration has gotten right so far. It was grossly wrong for the DEA to be raiding state licensed shops.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/us/19holder.html?_r=1

The Drunk Girl

Jun 2nd 2009, 12:08 PM

Thanks for the link. :D

Although, I'm not a smoker in that sense it did piss me off watching that. I was rip-roaring, ready to go. I watched the movie about the same time we were discussing the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions in History class, so that didn't help much either. :lol:

partofme

Jun 2nd 2009, 12:13 PM

Americano

Jun 2nd 2009, 01:08 PM

Fortunately, those raids are no longer happening. It's one of the few things I think this administration has gotten right so far. It was grossly wrong for the DEA to be raiding state licensed shops.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/us/19holder.html?_r=1

That has to make Ashcroft grind his teeth.

wphelan

Jun 2nd 2009, 01:25 PM

Did anybody watch Conan last night? Old people are bitching about him being childish but I think he is much funnier than Leno who was frankly lame as hell. I'm glad Conan didn't try to adapt to Leno's style to make them happy. I just hope it stays that way.

I can't believe I didn't watch Conan last night. I told myself about 100 times this weekend to set the DVR, but I completely forgot. I'm going to have to find it online somewhere. I'm going to set it for tonight right now.

And yeah, Conan is infinitely funnier than Jay Leno. Leno's sense of humor has always seemed pretty bland to me. He's not a bad joke teller, and it's not that he's terrible. It's just that, for me, he doesn't bring anything special to the table. I actually went to a taping of Conan O'Brien when I was in New York back in 2003. It was awesome. It was really amazing how small the studio was though. One of the things I've read about Conan's move to L.A. is that they have to adjust to the size of the studio audience. In New York, they said it was like performing for a small theatre audience, but in L.A. it's much bigger.

wphelan

Jun 2nd 2009, 01:26 PM

That has to make Ashcroft grind his teeth.

I sure hope so.

partofme

Jun 2nd 2009, 01:26 PM

I can't believe I didn't watch Conan last night. I told myself about 100 times this weekend to set the DVR, but I completely forgot. I'm going to have to find it online somewhere. I'm going to set it for tonight right now.

And yeah, Conan is infinitely funnier than Jay Leno. Leno's sense of humor has always seemed pretty bland to me. He's not a bad joke teller, and it's not that he's terrible. It's just that, for me, he doesn't bring anything special to the table. I actually went to a taping of Conan O'Brien when I was in New York back in 2003. It was awesome. It was really amazing how small the studio was though. One of the things I've read about Conan's move to L.A. is that they have to adjust to the size of the studio audience. In New York, they said it was like performing for a small theatre audience, but in L.A. it's much bigger.

It's on Hulu already.

wphelan

Jun 2nd 2009, 01:29 PM

It's on Hulu already.

Hulu, of course! Thanks. :)

partofme

Jun 2nd 2009, 01:31 PM

Hulu, of course! Thanks. :)

No problem. Hulu is great. ABC bought into it and is supposed to have many of it's shows on it soon. The only network not on it will be CBS which is fine since it's nothing but cop shows anyway.

Michael

Jun 4th 2009, 04:34 PM

Who gives a shit about John and Kate plus 8?

People Magazine apparently. Their cover story announces the possibility of divorce. :D

(my company subscribes to People Magazine and leaves a copy in the customer reception area for those of you curious about my knowledge of People magazine! We also subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine for the same purpose - sometimes customers get stuck here for several hours waiting to do a series of press approvals so we have a nice selection of magazines)

The Drunk Girl

Jun 4th 2009, 05:41 PM

Did anybody watch Conan last night? Old people are bitching about him being childish but I think he is much funnier than Leno who was frankly lame as hell. I'm glad Conan didn't try to adapt to Leno's style to make them happy. I just hope it stays that way.

Did you watch last night? He pulled out the year 2000 skit, but made it the year 3000. His last joke was something to the effect of YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook all merge into one dominant site called "YouTwitFace." :lol:

(Yeah, I'm horrible at re-telling jokes):(

partofme

Jun 4th 2009, 06:04 PM

Did you watch last night? He pulled out the year 2000 skit, but made it the year 3000. His last joke was something to the effect of YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook all merge into one dominant site called "YouTwitFace." :lol:

(Yeah, I'm horrible at re-telling jokes):(

I missed it. The thing is I never record shows like that and just watch them when they happen to be on. I'm glad it's earlier which means I can catch it more often but The Colbert Report is on at the same time which makes for a tough decision.