My day job is painting houses in San Francisco. I work for Rob Finn Fine Painting & Design. These are pictures I took at job sites. (Clicking on any photo will give you a bigger version)
500 Precita – primed…
and painted
My eye is drawn to architecture in process of construction/destruction. These are other shots of buildings.
This is my finger I hurt while on scaffolding. It took over a month for the new fingernail to grow back.
I listen to a lot of podcasts. Over the last couple of years they have become my main media of choice. I commute to work via bus or streetcar so I have time to kill every day. Owning first an iPod, then an iPhone, enables me to listen to sound files (mp3's) during my travels. It used to be music, but now it's mainly comedy or film-related podcasts.
My very first was an episode of Battleship Pretension(#128 w/ guest Frank Conniff, an alum of MST3K) in August of 2009 which I was pointed to by the MST fan site Satellite News. What I found was an informal chat between Frank and the hosts Tyler and David on the subject of so-called "bad movies" and how some people love them, or at least find them fascinating. I liked the hosts enough to check out other episodes, and I still regularly listen to their show.
One of their earliest guests was Matt Belknap who runs the AST (A Special Thing) website and record label. His stories about attending comedy shows in L.A. and posting reviews online inspired me to check out that site and some of the podcasts he produces, namely Jimmy Pardo and Doug Benson (and lately, Greg Proops).
Podcasting is an ideal medium for stand-up comedians as they are inexpensive to record and distribute, allow for free-flowing conversation, and can be released uncensored. Most appear with new episodes on a weekly basis, free of charge, though some have figured out how to monetize their product with paid subscriptions (Pardo's Never Not Funny) or "Bonus" episodes (Benson's Doug Loves Movies & The Benson Interruption - for sale via AST or iTunes).
Marc Maron's WTF has gotten a lot of well-deserved mainstream press recognition as he is funny, insightful, and a great interviewer.
Another early podcast I listened to a bunch was filmmaker Kevin Smith's SModcast.
In May of this year he launched the SIR Network which is maybe a dozen programs with him and his buddies bullshitting about various topics. I was a regular for awhile but I burnt-out on it and haven't listened in months.
What I did stick with was the Stitcher app Smith used to stream his product. One can regularly listen to hundreds of shows with this tool (as long as you have a WiFi or 3G connection to the web). Not every podcast out there is a available but a lot of them are. It's a good way to casually check out a show without actually downloading it.
Earwolf is a network that I DO regularly listen to as it features at least half a dozen great shows. Founded by Scott Aukerman (Mr. Show vet, host of Comedy Death-Ray - now Comedy Bang Bang) and Jeff Ullrich. Earlier in 2011 they ran The Earwolf Challenge which was the first (and to date, only) reality-show podcast competition. It was a blast to listen to (3 new episodes a week!) as 10 shows entered, and 1 show walked away with a year-long distribution deal. What was so great about it was that podcasting was looked at as a craft in and of itself, while judges and participants struggled to define what makes an effective show. Earwolf also has an excellent iPhone/Android app that enables you to stream content directly to your device.
I would be remiss in not pointing the curious towards Christine E. Taylor's blog Podcasting Changes Everything. She has interviews and features about comedy podcasts and has turned me on to few new ones. It's a fledgling medium and she is one of it's most fervent supporters.
I listen to a lot of podcasts, and I have only mentioned a handful above. No doubt I will return to this subject in the future…
I started watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 in 2002, a couple years after it was cancelled but when Comedy Central was still airing repeats. Since then I bought all the box sets, downloaded the entire series, and began posting at fan sites devoted to the show. These were the first internet forums and message boards I'd ever contributed to. As a grown man in his forties, I was seriously "late to the party" – both to the show and to the art of online discussions.
When I started this blog I figured I'd be posting a lot about MST and it's offshoots, but I stopped putting up posts here linking to the episode guide series going on at Satellite News because I got burnt out on the show (and that site). Analyzing the series for the meaning of every joke over the last couple of years finally took its toll on me. What I used to enjoy had become a chore, and no matter how much I immersed myself in the show's history, I would never be as much of a fanatic as some other commenters there. As I got into listening to more current comedians and podcasts, I grew weary of those folks, often getting into arguments over what we find funny or not, which is always a useless conversation.
But thankfully the veterans of MST have been active online and onstage, keeping movie-riffing alive and fresh for new audiences.
Cinematic Titanic
Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World / Rattlers @ The Castro - 5/6/11
Now I've seen five live shows from these folks and they just keep getting better. The intros bits by the cast and Gruber were all new from last time I saw them (thankfully Frank retired "Convoluted Man") and each presented different material between the 7 & 9:30 performances, keeping it fresh for us return customers. It seems the crew have embraced both their standup comedy pasts and their MST3K legacy as they constantly referred to it (for example, Josh introduced himself as the "Tom Servo no one likes"). Another difference from a year ago is they are dropping a lot more F & S bombs, making it more a PG-13 affair. They seem to enjoy being more crude with their language and I loved every expletive-laced moment of it.
Samson is very high energy and loud, and is likely the best CT effort yet, highly reminiscent of the Hercules flicks, but with even stronger (and bluer) riffing than MST. As happened the last time I saw them at the Castro Theater, some lines got lost in the large room (especially Mary Jo's), but I still giggled like an idiot throughout.
Rattlers is more of a sleeper, and filled with sequences so silly the crew hardly say a thing, knowing the crowd will find the funny in the film itself. It's a bit like Alien Factor in its low-budget ineptitude. Another winner, with more conversational and character-based humor. Frank calling the heroine "Buffy Sainte-Marie, Vampire Slayer" got a loud laugh from me.
No mention of any upcoming DVD's, but I can't fault them as long as I get to see them live on a regular basis. They clearly enjoy touring and for that I am grateful.
…
Rifftrax
Highlander
Crater Lake Monster
The Devil's Hand
X-Men 3: Last Stand
Rifftrax Live: Jack the Giant Killer (Fathom event) - 8/17
Rifftrax Presents - Night of the Shorts II: Electric Riffaloo - 8/20 (my review from the previous post)
Galaxy Invader
Abraxas
Setting Up A Room (short)
The Wicker Man
Karate Kid 3
Thor
…
MST3K
Just to prove how over the show I am right now, I have not even removed the shrink-wrap from the last two Shout Factory box sets XX (released in March) & XXI (Vs. Gamera - August, which came with this cool set of postcards from the original movies, shown below). Not that they don't contain great episodes, but I've seen them all multiple times before and am more concerned these days with catching up (and staying current) with other things.
…by which I (mostly) mean live stand-up comedy shows. I wrote recaps for a couple over at AST (which I'm re-posting below), but the first couple I didn't, so I've linked to reviews I found elsewhere.
Brian Posehn @ Cobb's (w/Chris Garcia & Ngaio Bealum) - April
Jay Pharaoh @ Cobb's (w/ Reggie Steele & Kris Tinkle) - July
Just got back from the Thursday night show and Louis was awesome. Hour and a half long set of new material. Working stuff out, some pauses and dead ends but he's such a pro it all comes out funny. I'm sure when it's tightened up he'll have a great set to record and show on TV and stuff, but it was cool just to see him be loose and goofy in front of a small crowd.
…
Jimmy Pardo - Never Not Funny / Running Your Trap @ The Purple Onion - 8/19
Just returned from NNF/RYT Live shows at the "legendary" Purple Onion in San Fran. My first time in this room and while it is quaint and charming it's also kind of a dump with numerous interruptions by a noisy bartender and staff, which of course Jimmy remarked upon several times. First show sold out, second a bit more "intimate" (i.e. two-thirds full).
The NNF show was recorded and I imagine will be offered up as a Bonus Episode soon. Guestless (which surprised me because I know Chris Hardwick was in town last night), the guys had some good stories involving Ann-Margret, preparing an apartment for Jimmy's mother, baby bottoms, cocaine (lots of cocaine… and cock), and another great, ultra-cruel, eBay letter from Pat.
RYT was fun with one female contestant being way too weird for Jimmy who offered her many opportunities to step off the stage and a guy named Jeremy who was more co-operative, and ultimately won the game ($31 and a truly bizarre Harry Caray Cubs t-shirt). The panelists were Cole Stratton (his first time – and MVP IMHO), Janet Varney, and "Pat Francisco." Not recorded, so suck it, the rest of you.
Special thanks to fellow podcast aficionado Derek and the great Christine Taylor who were cool enough to talk with me and give me the courage to meet Pat, Matt, and Jimmy after the show(s). They were all as nice and appreciative as you could imagine. Thanks for the great night.
…
Rifftrax Presents - Night of the Shorts II: Electric Riffaloo @ The Castro Theater - 8/20
with Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett and guest riffers Chris Hardwick, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, Adam Savage, Cole Stratton and Janet Varney
As per usual for these shows I arrived to a long line of ticket holders that extended around the block. The show started 15 minutes late and by the time everyone was seated, the 1400 person capacity theater looked pretty full to me. After showing the Rifftrax 5 year anniversary highlight reel, Kevin & Bill took the stage … and the crowd went wild - (yay).
First they showed a brief video message from Mike Nelson explaining why he wasn't there (he didn't come in January either - what's he got against SF?). Apparently while trying to sell RT titles door-to-door he was killed by an irate customer who didn't want to buy their take on "300." Then they outlined what we'd be seeing (they did this last time back in January which I am grateful for since it gave me a chance to jot down notes without missing any of the riffing).
1. County Fair - K&B, lots of singing
2. Act Your Age - w/ Chris Hardwick
3. Paper and I - w/ Bob Odenkirk
4. The Calendar: How to Use It - w/ Cole Stratton and Janet Varney
5. Flying Stewardess - just K&B
6. At Your Fingertips: Boxes - w/ Adam Savage
7. Tooth Truth with Harv and Marv - w/ Andy Richter
So two repeats from previous Fathom live shows (which I didn't mind) and five "new" ones, adding up to two-hours and overall an even better show than last time. They picked great guests and some truly surreal shorts. I don't know the studio versions of all these so I'm not certain how much of the riffing was new or tweaked by the guest riffers but it all felt fresh to my ears (there was a joke about actor Gerard Depardieu pissing himself that was ripped from today's headlines). They even threw in a few f-bombs and other expletives which delighted the crowd. Seriously, if you have a problem with CT & RT folks swearing at live shows you are a moron.
…
Andy Kindler @ The Punch Line 9/13
Just got back from Andy Kindler. As great as I'd hoped, he prowled the stage like an elderly Dane Cook after a hip replacement (Andy's joke, not mine). The audience seemed to really enjoy him, so don't let him tell you otherwise. Openers Miles K. and Jacob Sirof were really good too. I was the idiot who said that I was there alone because, "I didn't want to have to explain to my friends who Andy Kindler was," which confused Jacob (who was doing some fun crowd-work). After awkwardly trying to explain myself, he finally said, "Your friends are assholes."
Having been a Netflix subscriber for years now (since April 2006), I am loathe to consider canceling either the DVD by mail or the streaming "Instant Watch" option which I've come to enjoy. But the simple truth is that I don't use either very much. But this is what I caught this summer…
Smith & Carlin on the set of Dogma
• Kevin Smith:his entire filmography plus his live Q&A's like the latest Too Fat for 40. While his films range from poor to nearly-great, they are all enhanced by the commentary tracks by Smith and his crew. Funny and informative.
Clerks (including his first film, the documentary short "Mae Day")
Mallrats
Dogma
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Jersey Girl
Clerks 2
Cop Out
The ones I skipped were Chasing Amy (actually rented this last summer), Zack & Miri Make A Porno (saw in theaters when it came out in 2008), and his latest film Red State (caught it a few weeks ago w/ live streaming Q&A).
• Super High Me (Doug Benson's pot doc)
• Comedians of Comedy: Live @ the El Rey (Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, etc.)
• Battlestar Galactica - Marathon viewing of all four seasons of Ronald D. Moore's reboot. Probably the best long-form sci-fi I've ever seen, even if it fizzled out during the last season.
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Seasons 1 & 2
By this category, I mean stuff I caught on cable, a mix of some serious classics and corny comedies. Seeing as how my DVR is almost always full (HD programs take up more space than standard-def), I am seriously considering canceling Netflix.
• IFC completed the runs of 90's series Mr. Show, Undeclared, & The Larry Sanders Show (which I'm going to call my favorite sitcom ever, matched only by Seinfeld. And I think I'd rank Mr.Show alongside sketch classics like SCTV & Kids In the Hall)
• The Rocky Show (original version of Rocky & Bullwinkle, occasionally aired on KOFY-13)
• Louie Season 2 (on FX)
• The Sarah Silverman Program (now cancelled, was on Comedy Central)
• Breaking Bad Season 4 (AMC)
• NTSF:SD:SUV & Childrens Hospital (Adult Swim)
• The Emmys (host Jane Lynch was good)
• CC Roast of Charlie Sheen (comedians Anthony Jeselnik & Amy Schumer were stand-outs)
• Michael Ian Black: Very Famous (CC hour special)
• “Weird Al” Yankovic Live! – The Alpocalypse Tour (CC)
• Doctor Who Series 6 (2011) - starring Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor. My first time with "NuWho" - I liked it so much I went back to watch Series 5 On Demand
• Prohibition (latest documentary from Ken Burns, approx. 6 hours on PBS)
…
Fall '11 Premieres
I don't really watch much network TV. No cops, lawyers, soaps, late night or reality shows for me. And the few comedies I do like I haven't followed all that closely. But after watching the Emmy Awards I became acutely aware that the Fall season was starting and I might as well try to get on board with Modern Family, and after two episodes can say it's not really up my alley but I can see why it's popular.
New comedy series that I gave a shot but probably won't be watching despite liking some of the talent involved:
Up All NIght / New Girl / 2 Broke Girls / Whitney.
Free Agents I'm going to give another shot after some good words on The Paul Goebel Show
Going to give The League (FX) a look too.
So for now I'm sticking with my favorites, all of which started off strong this season:
