The Audacity of Dope

Bill Murray x Wes Anderson = #winning

Forgetting Sarah Marshall was on last night and since it’s one of my all-time favorite movies, of course I had to watch it.  I remember when it first came out, I stumbled across the bloopers on YouTube, which then linked over to these 2 audition videos for Russell Brand and Kristen Bell.  I believe this was Brand’s first big American role and he couldn’t have picked one better.  He essentially was Aldous Snow.  You can see how his natural improv above is almost identical to the character in the film, and you can also see how hilarious and quick witted he is.  There are so many lines that he fires out under his breath that crack me up.

Kristen Bell’s audition isn’t nearly as funny, although Jason Segel drops plenty of great lines, but it’s still pretty interesting to see how these improvisational tryouts are conducted.  Overall, both clips provide some cool insight into one of the better comedies of the last decade.

And just for good measure, cause no matter how stupid they are, I can’t help but laugh at gag reels:

Editor’s note: I must be getting old, since I forgot that I already posted Russell’s video last year but hell, enjoy the other two clips…

As a kid who grew up on Sesame Street (well, didn’t we all?), this looks awesome.  Starts in Seattle on November 4th, other dates here.

I could write an essay on Kanye’s Runaway film, and the ensuing debates it sparked, but what’s the point?  There will be a million analytical pieces by Monday, and none of them will be any more “right” than the others.  It’s art…and I’m really not looking forward to hearing other people tell me how to consume it.

Personally, I’m satisfied with an interesting concept, some beautiful shots & colors, and some really dope music.  The intro scene with “Dark Fantasy” and the “Devil In A New Dress” segment were flawless, though part of me wishes this was the first time I ever heard any of these songs.  That’s always been one of my least favorite aspects of the internet age and I may have to revert back to avoiding music from my favorite artists until it’s officially presented.  Even with all the live performances, interviews, and song/artwork leaks spoiling much of Runaway, I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

Regardless of how you felt about it, you have to agree: no mainstream MC puts more effort and care into his music than Kanye.  Sure, it can come off pretentious at times (ok, much of the time), but he’s really trying to express something in his art and take it to new places.  He doesn’t always hit the mark, but musically, he’s never disappointed me.

A toast to Yeezy.

…but this is my kind of indie rock.  Lost In Translation is so damn classic.

So legendary.

Honestly, this video is a little bit of a hot mess.  Hype’s shots just seem so boring these days, the performances aren’t anything special, and the clips from LeBron’s movie just make it all look odd.  Definitely would have been better served to not appear on the soundtrack and perhaps have a little more creativity with the scenes.  With my day job involving music videos, I see 10 cooler clips than this a day…which is pretty sad when you think about all the major players that were involved with this project.

That said:

“she insists she got more class…WE KNOW“

is one of the hardest lines of the year.  Drizzy!

I reeeeeeeally hope this gets done right and if the trailer is any indication, I think it’s in good hands.  Fun fact: Big L is my favorite MC of all-time…