Category Archives: Hilarity

Flight of the Conchords returns for charity

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Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement–the duo that makes up parody folk band Flight of the Conchords–reunited this summer for Red Nose Day 2012 to support Cure Kids, a New Zealand charity whose proceeds fund medical research into life-threatening childhood illnesses. The 14-minute clip starts off like a typical Flight of the Conchords episode that would air on HBO. Band manager Murray Hewitt (Rhys Darby) plays the “present” game with the guys and informs them that they’ve got a new gig to play. After some nostalgic back and forth between the three of them, the bulk of the clip features Bret and Jemaine interviewing schoolchildren from Auckland and Wellington about a range of topics including what it means to be sick and how to raise money. The video concludes with a brand new Conchords track featuring other NZ celebrity voices; the lyrics are born out of the entertaining answers provided by the kids. Bret and Jemaine are known for their comedic timing and keeping a straight face, so when they break out in fits of laughter during the interviews it makes it all the more fun.

Revisiting the band meeting and watching Bret and Jemaine back in full form is such a treat, but let’s not forget why they did it. After watching the video embedded above, purchase the song “Feel Inside (and stuff like that)” at iTunes and .91 cents from the sale of the track will go to the Cure Kids organization. Continue reading Flight of the Conchords returns for charity →

‘The Avengers’ GAG REEL! [Update: it’s pulled]

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Well this is certainly the best thing you’ll see all day. It’s The Avengers GAG REEL! These guys looked mighty and impressive on the big screen, but when they’re goofing around on set in their super hero costumes they just look downright silly. This is the kind of thing that only lasts so long on the Internet, so watch it while you can. Once it’s gone, you’ll be forced to shell out some money for the upcoming Blu-ray release.

AVENGERS ASSEM… oh f**k what is the line?

Update: I warned you! The movie studios have been on the prowl for all leaked versions of the Avengers gag reel from the Blu-ray release, and the two versions I previously embedded above were quickly pulled from the Internet. Now you’re left with that magnificent still from the bonus material as you count the days leading to September 25.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ 13-minute featurette

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In just over a week the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy hits theatres. To catch up on Bruce Wayne’s story thus far and get a glimpse into where the upcoming movie will take the character, watch this 13-minute featurette featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film and plot and character insight from the stars, producers, and special department heads. You’ll hear from director Chris Nolan, stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Michael Cane, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, producers, Emma Thomas, Jordan Goldberg, Kevin De La Noy, screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, production designer Nathan Crowley, special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, director of photography Wally Pfister, stunt coordinator Tom Struthers, and visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin.

“What we’re constructing here is a very, very elemental conflict between good and evil,” Nolan says of his final venture into the world of Gotham City. “Every great story deserves a great ending, and we’re really trying to be true to that.”

All in all this flashy clip doesn’t include any major spoilers, so it’s safe to watch before seeing the movie. Unless of course you want to go into this thing having watched none of the previously released trailers and casting scoops.

Other things you can do to help carry the time: the official movie website has been updated with a new synopsis and additional cast and crew information; and you can stream the entire 15-track soundtrack from trilogy composer Hans Zimmer at Empire. Also, after the break you’ll find a brief recorded interview with Nolan courtesy of Nightline and a very funny parody clip from Above Average featuring Batman, Bane, and 60’s Robin.

The Dark Knight Rises hits theatres July 20. Continue reading ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ 13-minute featurette →

‘Prometheus’ parody with Joel McHale is spot-on

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Now that Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is out in theatres, why not take a break from whatever you’re doing and watch this brief, spot-on parody of one of the movie’s viral videos starring Joel McHale of The Soup and Community fame. Remember that bizarre viral video that introduced Prometheus character David the robot played by Michael Fassbender? Watch that first then this and you tell me how good a job McHale and his team at The Soup did with this one.

Happy Birthday Joel.

Kristen Wiig parts ways with ‘SNL’ (also, Samberg’s “Lazy Sunday 2” video inside!)

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Last night Kristin Wiig made it official with a curtain call at the end of the season 37 finale. After spending seven wonderful years as a member of the Saturday Night Live cast, Wiig has decided to move on to shift her focus on other projects including film ventures. In her final episode Wiig played some of her most memorable characters including the bizarre small hands freakshow in the “Lawrence Welk” cold opening (with Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm!) and the theatrical Mindy in “The Secret Word” game show sketch. Also brought back was the instant classic “The Californians” for a second round before her departure. (I probably could have done with one more Kathy Lee Gifford impression, Gilly (with Will Forte!), the Target lady, and movie reviewer Aunt Linda); but we’ll always have the archives.) At the very end of the show she “graduated” and received hugs from all her castmates and SNL head honcho Lorne Michaels in a very emotional send off. In case you missed it, you can watch the goodbye after the break.

It was rumored that Andy Samberg and Jason Sudekis would also be leaving this season because their contracts are up, too. In the past two weeks Samberg and his Lonely Island crew celebrated 100 Digital Shorts and brought back SNL alum Chris Parnell for a sequel to their breakout viral rap “Lazy Sunday.” You can watch both of these hysterical clips after the break. For Samberg this feels like a nice send off; Sudekis, however, was featured in only a handful of sketches as of late. Though nothing has been confirmed by NBC yet, don’t be surprised if these two aren’t included in next season’s opening credits. We can hope that Samberg will return every now and then for a Digital Short, and Sudekis should reprise his role as Republican Mitt Romney (especially if he becomes the next POTUS).

For now, farewell Kristen Wiig. The show will go on, but it will never be the same without you. Continue reading Kristen Wiig parts ways with ‘SNL’ (also, Samberg’s “Lazy Sunday 2” video inside!) →

BBC America hires the cutest kids to narrate “Planet Earth”

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BBC America has whipped up a promo for their series “Planet Earth” starring the cutest 4 to 7 year old kids auditioning for the role of narrator. Who needs regular series narrator David Attenborough when you’ve got this! I can’t figure out what’s more hysterical: the kids trying to pronounce Attenborough’s name or that 6 year old girl trying her darndest to apply headphones to her ears.

Sunday YouTube picks: “Don’t Be That Guy” & random prankster

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Happy Sunday! Here are a couple YouTube channels that caught my eye recently that are worth checking out. First up is “Don’t Be That Guy,” a comedy troupe that makes fun of the way certain people out there act in all kinds of situations. My favorite is the one embedded above called “Don’t Be That Guy at The Gym.” In it the guys nail nearly every kind of person that you might spot at the gym with scary accuracy. Head over to their YouTube channel for more vids like this one.

Jump after the break for more on the random prankster. Continue reading Sunday YouTube picks: “Don’t Be That Guy” & random prankster →

FOX renews ‘Glee’, ‘New Girl’ & ‘Raising Hope’

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Great news comes your way today from our friends at FOX. Tuesday night comedies Glee, New Girl, and Raising Hope have been renewed for a fourth, second, and third season, respectively.

Fox president Kevin Reilly: “Over the past season, New Girl has become the hottest new appointment series for young adults; Raising Hope has established itself as one of the smartest and most unique offbeat comedies on television; and Glee has continued its success as a genre-defying, global cultural phenomenon. All three of these comedies add a fresh and distinctive flavor to our Tuesday nights, and I’m really happy to bring them back to our air next season.”

Bringing back Glee is a no-brainer, New Girl started off hot continues to buzz, and Raising Hope has found its groove. These shows join the previously renewed Bones and will find a spot on FOX’s schedule next season. Still no news on whether or not the network plans to bring back the funny but ratings-downer Breaking In.

Celebrate the good news with Fat Schmidt & Rihanna after the break!! Continue reading FOX renews ‘Glee’, ‘New Girl’ & ‘Raising Hope’ →

April Fools 2012: ThinkGeek markets Khaleesi-infused fragrance and more

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It’s become a yearly tradition over at ThinkGeek where they come up with bizarre and sometimes authentic products on April Fools Day. In 2010 they invented the Dharma Initiative Alarm Clock and ever since then LOST fans around the world have been yearning for it to exist. But alas, these products are introduced into the online marketplace on a particular pranky day and cannot be added to the cart.

This time around ThinkGeek is “selling” the Technomancer Digital Wizard Hoodie which promises to transform you into a powerful mage; a Star Wars Admiral Ackbar Singing Bass that plays the Cantina Song and says, “It’s a trap!”; Minecraft Marshmallow Creeps for Easter; the Barbie Digital Fashion Styling Head for iPad accessory that takes advantage of the Barbie CloudCastle Network; and then there’s the Game of Thrones Fire and Blood Perfume, “a scent based on Daenerys Targaryn…[an] alluring fragrance will make any woman feel like a Khaleesi.” Another fun one is Electronic Hungry Hungry Hippos for iPad; the classic game returns by clipping on capacitive-padded hippo heads and your iPad is the board!

Head over to ThinkGeek to see all of these April Fools gags in impressively great detail.