Tag Archives: Video

Sketch22 – Funny Or Die – Gay Divorce Sketch

About two weeks ago, Sketch22’s “producer with the Orange Juicer”, Jay-Ro (or Ro-J) [hey, I’m trying to make this post topical with a weak OJ Simpson vibe to it] was contacted by THE guy who runs (or A guy who works for) the website Funny Or Die (that’s the website that was co-founded by Will Farrell, or something, where people can upload videos and then viewers vote whether the videos are “Funny” or if they “Die”) [and THE Guy who contacted us is, like Will’s best friend or something] {so really, it’s like Sketch22 is now a good friend of Will Farrell – tell your friends!} (this sentence, by the way, will be nominated to the “Most Parentheticals In A Single Sentence” category at the upcoming Grammarian Awards [held this year in Nunavut,NWT].

The guy said he saw some of our online video stuff and really liked it (aw shucks and blush!) and said we should enter a video into a new contest coming up.  Apparently, they’re launching a Canadian .ca version of the site and to kick that off, they’re having a contest.  Some of this info may be incorrect.

The challenge of the contest is this:  Videos are to be 2 minutes or shorter, and each video must contain, in some way, the phrase “Pierre Trudeau said there’d be days like this”.  Anyway, we submitted a video, even though we only had about a week to
come up with an idea, shoot and edit it (there, that’s our excuse if
you end up not liking the video).

You can see our submission here:  Sketch22’s Funny Or Die “Gay Divorce Sketch”

We’d love it if you watched it and voted it “Funny”.  If you happen to not care for our video, and if your morals allow you to do so, we’d love it if you still voted it “Funny”.  The very future of Sketch22 depends on your voting that video “Funny”.  Nay, the very future of humanity hinges on you – yes, you, sitting there at your office computer, or at home, or in some coffee shop, living your boring, dull life – voting this video as “Funny”.

Sketch22 Wins Some Kind Of Award (Kind Of)

Details are fuzzy on my part, mostly because I wasn’t involved in the whole project.  But here’s what I believe the story is (anyone feel free to correct any errors of fact):
Last summer (like, last last summer, not the summer just previous) LoJo asked some of the gang from Sketch22 if they’d be willing to help out in making a video to help (this is where it gets fuzzy for me) promote the local Chamber of Commerce.  Some of the gang did it.  Not sure why I wasn’t involved.  I probably declined outright, as I am wont to do when people ask me to be involved in endeavours (I am trying to alleviate myself of this tendency on my part.  So if you have a project you want me to be involved in, now is the time to ask.  I promise I won’t decline outright), but some of the group (the rest of the group?) did something.  I haven’t seen it, but I understand it was hella good and the local Chamber liked it.  Am I right in that?
Anyway, the local Chamber sent it off to the Chamber’s Grand Wizard Conference (fuzzy on details) in BigTown, Canada, where it was to be contested against other communities Chamber promotions videos.  Well, turns out it won the People’s Choice award, and the “official” judges gave it 3rd place – Bronze Medal, baby.  And get this:  They paid us two-hundred thousand dollars! (fuzzy)  And get this:  That’s exactly how much money we need to get the farm and the fishin’ outta hock!

And while I am depressed that I wasn’t involved, and depressed that I usually say “no” outright to such projects, and can’t really take any of the credit, I can still begrudgingly toss out some mad props to the rest of the people involved.

So, good work, Sketchers et al.

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OK Go – Here It Goes Again

OK Go is a band I like OK. They have a number of catchy, upbeat pop songs. However, they’ve begun to compile a number of pretty interesting videos that incorporate some great choreography. I’m a sucker for people dancing who look like dancing isn’t their forte. This is an amazing one-take bit of effort. Wonder how many takes they had to do? Wonder how long they rehearsed?

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Pay Me My Money Down

Every time he plays, it’s like his first time, what with the enthusiasm and enjoyment.
Here’s The Boss on a recent Conan O’Brien show, singing a Pete Seeger tune (from Bruce’s latest album, covers of Seeger tunes):

I’ll Say It… I’m In Love With Prince

So, there’s about 15 minutes of air-time to kill yet, before the last-minute announcement of who is the next American Idol.  It’s been an hour and 45 minutes of some really awful medley songs from “the idols” and some slightly better songs from some special guest stars.
We come back from a commercial break and Ryan’s at the podium.  He tells us that that’s it for the guest stars, no more surprises.  So, immediately I know there’s gonna be another surprise.  Especially with 15 minutes left.  He continues talking and I’m wondering if it’s gonna be some lame-duck music icon from decades past, or some lame-duck pseudo-icon from present day.  All of a sudden, Ryan gets interrupted by some horn blasts, and the lights go all funky.
It’s a little jarring, and takes me about two seconds to realise that *this* is the surprise.  Okay, so who’s it gonna be?  Cut to the stage and these two sexy women are dancing.  At the back of the stage, the doors open and somebody is silhouetted.  Somebody small.  He does some Michael Jackson dance moves (or should I say James Brown?).  Surely it’s not Michael, I think to myself.  And then, even before that thought finishes, I understand.  I understand but cannot possibly comprehend.  Because, right there, on the TV, during American Idol… right there, is Prince.
Prince.  On American Idol. 
The thought that it’s some Prince impersonator shoots through my mind, but I don’t believe it.  Yet I cannot believe what I’m seeing.
Prince. On American Idol.
And I gotta say:  He frigging owned that stage.  He sings a coy version of Lolita (from his latest, great album 3121), and he looks like he’s having lots of fun. 
Song ends and I’m very happy.  What a fantastic surprise!  And what a way to end the season.  Prince.  On American Idol.
Then he sings a second frigging song!  (Satisfied, also from 3121).
After that, I think Taylor Hicks won the competition.  I don’t care about that, though.  Friggin’ Prince was on American Idol.

Here’s the YouTube video.  It may not be available for long, so watch it early:

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Mission Impossible III – Trailer Review

This is the start of what may become a new semi-irregular feature here at The Annekenstein Monster – Theatrical Trailer Reviews.  It’s not very often that I go to the movies.  While I don’t find the admission price to be too much of a deterrent, the allure of the acutely-expensive popcorn/pop/etc, and the generally poor theatre etiquette of others are more than enough to keep me away.
But I like talking about movies, and since the trailers pretty much give away the whole plot anyway, I figure a smart (ass) review of the trailer should suffice.

So, here’s my review of the theatrical trailer for Mission:Impossible III, which opens tomorrow, world-wide:
As we open on a crisp, blue night-timey cityscape, it’s apparent right away that there’s gonna be some cold-blooded killing going on.  Close in on Tom Cruise, standing on top of a building.  A crisp, blue, glass-encased building, so you know it’s just begging to be broken into.  Or, jumped off of.  Tom looks angry – “Tibbets Is Tough” Angry.  But we don’t know why.  Perhaps he’s just been interviewed about Scientology again?  Maybe the placenta tasted ‘off’?  Zoom in, ever in, to perform a retinal scan of his eye.  Turns out it’s the man they call Ethan Hunt, the Mission Impossiblist, and, judging by the thing that’s burning (either it’s a fuse, or his penis) he’s angry because a) there’s not much time left until something blows or b) Katie just gave him an STD.  Maybe the plot involves trying to get an STD antidote?
Immediatley after the credits, as soon as he puts on the welding glasses, the action starts and you get the feeling it won’t let up again for the whole 2 or 3 minutes of the trailer.  BAM: get out a gun BAM: meet Truman Capote (maybe the plot does involve STD’s?) BAM: meet the girl BAM: meet Larry Fishburne, the guy they got when they couldn’t get Sam Jackson BAM: meet the explosives.  BAM: slow down for some expositional character acting, where the plot gets revealed. Something about Capote looking for some In Cold Blood Redux.  Great acting at this moment, from Cruise particularly, as he looks at the girl, looking all intense and not even moving, hardly.  Can you say “People’s Choice”?  Then, right after the sell-line “This summer, the mission, begins” (excellent work by the way, PR guys.  Top notch line-selling), out of nowhere, comes the weld-spectacled Cruise and it’s all “Explosives, meet BAM!”  And, literally, (SPOILER ALERT!!!) everything starts blowing up and things fly and fall everwhere as we see, I’m pretty sure, scenes from previous Mission Impossible movies (perhaps to catch us up?).  Helicopters zoom, boats zim, rubberized dummy heads shimmer, motorcycles motor, and people everywhere look so sexy and hot with all kinds of implements and devices in their hands.  I’ll say this for Cruise, nobody runs with more intensity than Tom Cruise.  Except, maybe, Forrest Gump.  But for Ethan Hunt, Life is Like A Box of Explosives (you can have that one, PR guys), and to avoid it all, he runs and jumps and kisses and punches, and rides and drives and jumps some more.  Wow!  I’m exhausted!  And there’s still 25 seconds to go!
Finally, we come to the climax of the trailer, and what a climax it is.  Check out this dialogue:
Cruise:  You’ll never get what you want!!!
Truman Capote:  You don’t think I’ll do it!!!!! (and it is NOT a question!  Because you KNOW he damn well will!)
Then, in a marvellous super-agent moment, Cruise is running down a bridge, and a car explodes directly behind him.  Miraculously, instead of forward, the impact waves cause him to be blown sideways (don’t think he hasn’t asked Katie for that, either) into a car.
And that’s the end.
All in all, an action packed trailer.  But, really, if you’ve seen one Mission:Impossible III trailer, you’ve pretty much seen them all.  Only check it out if you’ve got a huge Cruise Missile in your pants for Tom (you can have that one, E!DailyTonight guys)

Trailer for Mission:Impossible III

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Christmas Driving Lights

Here’s a video that was part of the Sketch22 Christmas show last year. I’m quite fond of it.
If you prefer to visit the YouTube page where it’s located, here’s the link to Christmas Driving Lights.

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