"Computers? We don't need no stinkin' computers!"

Start your Sunday with some Church Chat:

Last night Dana Carvey hosted SNL, and we were given one of the most consistently hilarious episodes in a long time. Even the last half hour, where sketches tend to become flimsy or just plain weird, remained strong. Really, the only thing wrong was that musical guest Linkin Park was absolutely awful. But even they weren't enough to ruin strong sketch after strong sketch. But nothing was better than the nearly 9 minute "Church Lady" sketch, which featured great parodies of the Kardashian sisters ("I'm Khloe, and I'm third!") and Snooki. Even the gratuitous Justin Bieber appearance couldn't ruin the sketch or the episode as a whole:

Spread the word (and the video)

Back in November I was lucky enough to participate in my school's Lip Dub (even got my name in the credits!/First under "Grip and Electric"), which we hope to make the most viewed on Youtube (the current champion has around 6 million views). We put a lot of hours into this and it looks great. So, at the risk of sounding like I'm begging, watch the video, like it, and forward it to everyone you know, even if they don't even know what Emerson College is.

A musical breakthrough: How to make Justin Bieber sound good [Fake, but still cool]

J. BIEBZ - U SMILE 800% SLOWER by Shamantis

To see who [faked] it and how (and hear the song in normal speed), click HERE. Photon Wave Orchestra, by implication of course, is making epic tracks like these all on their own. You can all resume your typical Bieber-hatred and go about your day now.

Thank you for making that worth the wait

After a week of missed chances and failed DVR-ing, I was finally able to catch up with the season premiere of AMC's Mad Men, and it only reinforced my opinion that this is the best drama on TV. In short, what made the season 4 premiere so strong were the elements that make up the best of Mad Men's episodes: strong, more dialogue-heavy writing, more energetic pacing that still allows for drama, and plenty of sharp, funny exchanges between characters. As many of the critics have said, the changes that have occurred story-wise, which I won't spoil for non-viewers, have given the show a new vitality, after season 3 had a few too many slow-burning episodes that were far too slow. As usual, the fantastic production values were as good as they've ever been (and enhanced by the show's continued decision to shoot on 35mm film. I know these haven't exactly been deep, insightful thoughts, but I just wanted to write a brief little post about how glad I am that the show is back, and off to a great start. Here's hoping that the remaining 12 episodes of season 4 continue in the footsteps of the season opener.

Who says that commercials can't be art?

The fact that its purpose it to advertise a pair of jeans feels silly, but if you disregard that, it's really a beautiful little short. FYI, the director is John Hillcoat (of The Proposition and The Road).

"District 9" sequel footage unveiled

Spoofs
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Good God...the horror.

A Perfect Little Dose of Mean

Tripping the Life Sarcastic

I understand that there's more than a little irony in getting nostalgic about sarcasm, but if ever there was a film or TV series that deserved some love, it's "Daria". In honor of the release of the complete series on DVD last month, here's a look back at one of the best cartoons from the past 20 years.

Sarcasm has a very special place in the world of American comedy, specifically television, and few recent shows aimed at teens put it to better use than this one. For those who don't recall, "Daria" ran on MTV from 1997-2001, lasting five seasons (13 episodes each) and two hour-long TV movies. The show centered on laid-back, pessimistic, realistic, detached Daria Morgendorfer, as she navigated high school, portrayed as a world of vapid classmates and condescending adults. If anything could sum up the series' protagonist, it was its tagline: Talks Slow, Thinks Fast. But while the show's protagonist could be contained in those four words, Daria Morgendorfer and the show around her was really so much more. Not only does it remain one of the best things to ever come out of MTV (which now spends its time making masterpieces like "Jersey Shore"), but it's a stand-out among animated series. It didn't play dumb, it didn't talk down to its audience, and it didn't go out of its way with gags involving stupidity or gross-out moments. And despite having a smaller following than "Beavis and Butthead" (of which it was a spin-off), it has an appeal that stretches from high school students to adults (I'll cite my parents as examples).

It's easy enough to see what made "Daria" such a treat for its fan base. At a time when pop-culture excess was really starting to blow-up among the high school set, "Daria" offered a refreshingly dry, witty, and often hilarious commentary on the dumbing-down of teenage life. And I mean hilarious. Though Daria delivers her lines in a monotone, she has the majority of the show's smartest, most cutting jokes, referencing everything from Dostoevsky to the Hanoi Hilton. And while the characters of Lawndale may be exaggerations (the thick-headed jock, the dumb blonde cheerleader, etc...), the shows use of the characters and their relation to Daria was never taken too far. Consider Brittany, the aforementioned dumb cheerleader. While she's dumb as rock and occasionally says things indicating her support of the stereotypical "caste system" of highschool, she is never cruel to Daria for being a "brain". Brittany is even given her own shining moment. After saying stupid, vapid things throughout the first season, Brittany suddenly shines as a skilled military tactician when the school goes on a field trip to play paint ball. Then there’s Quinn, Daria's fashion-obsessed younger sister who tells her friends that Daria is a distant cousin. Like Brittany, she’s mostly distant or at odds with Daria, yet she shows some growth in the fifth season when Daria briefly takes over her English class. Another notable character is Jodi Landon, who lacked Daria's sarcasm but made up for it in being both smart AND active in the school community (student council president, president of French Club, etc...). An episode where the two girls talk about the pros and cons of their respective personalities is easily one of the most insightful, humbling moments in the entire show. And yet even the characters who remained the same, like the elitist, hilariously-voiced Fashion Club never grew stale, because the show's writers new exactly how each member of the Daria-verse fit in to the puzzle.

But like many teen-oriented shows, "Daria" also took on issues, and once again it surpassed the competition. As was often the case in the 90s and even early 2000s, when teen shows wanted to address an issue, you could see it coming from a mile away. I can't keep track of the number of shows that ran ads like, "this week on a very special episode of _____". So while many shows presented ham-fisted scenarios to address topics, "Daria" did it seamlessly, even if it was presented in exaggeration (Principal Li selling out the school to a soda company for funding). In fact, "Daria" almost never felt like it was making a huge deal out of issues, even when Daria herself had a chance to monologue, because it was simply THERE. The writers were smart enough to know that the show's audience didn't need to be beat over the head with a message.

But perhaps the greatest single strength of "Daria," amid all of the laughs, was that it never canonized its protagonist. Though the first season never put Daria in the wrong, as the show progressed it wasn't afraid to occasionally make Daria do something that required her to make amends. This culminated late in season four wherein Daria more or less lures away her best friend's boyfriend. This brings us Jane Lane. Though I've already talked about the characters, I've saved Jane for last because she is one of the show's greatest strengths, and possibly even a better character than Daria herself. The fact that she actually has aspirations and is often shown working on pieces of art only add dimension to her, and keeps her from being Daria-lite. And while not as book smart as Daria, Jane is a more accessible, though often equally sarcastic, foil; she is the heart to Daria's brain.

So how does "Daria" hold up 13 years after it first premiered? Well, after plowing through all five seasons on DVD, pretty damn well, even if 99% of the soundtrack is missing due to licensing issues. In an age when pop-culture seems to be increasingly headed in the direction of an Idiocracy (I'm looking at you, Ke$ha), "Daria" serves as a reminder that to discerning audiences, being a "brain" can still be cool.

Grade: A

Tina Fey hits the big 4-0

Today one of the funniest women in Hollywood, and one of my favorite people on the planet (that I'll never ever meet), celebrates her 40th birthday. As the former head writer of "Saturday Night Live," and the star of the brilliant "30Rock," Tina Fey has built something of a mini comedic empire for herself. She's not a brand, per se, but she has become something of a icon for funny women everywhere. Let's celebrate with some of her finest moments in recent memory...

Remember when I mentioned how awesome Betty White is? Yeah...this...

Betty White: Still awesome after all of these years

NBC? CBS? ABC? No, you need...

James Cameron's Oscar acceptance

God bless you, Vanity Fair. Click the picture to enlarge.

In honor of Valentine's Day

I never saw Love, Actually, but damn that music is beautiful...

Words cannot describe...

How intense...

How touching...

How terrifying...

and how heartbreaking...

that was to watch. Bravo, "Dexter: Season 4," bravo...

Stunning trailer for "Cup of Tears"

The Cup of Tears film trailer. Dir. Gary Shore from Gary Shore on Vimeo.

I know that it's shallow to judge a movie on looks alone, but I'm a sucker for films that are visually snazzy...at least until I see the finished product. This looks like a delightfully deranged combination of "Sin City"/"300" and an actual anime cartoon...and that's before you even get to the weird robot machines...

The music of "The Road"

by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, the brilliant duo behind the score for "The Assassination of Jesse James". Now, I was all for having a score-less adaptation of "The Road" considering how well it worked for "No Country..." which has a similar sense of emptiness, but this is so hauntingly beautiful is almost hurts.