The Clips & Quips Blog

Odds and Bends

2007-07-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

Backstage Live is launching very soon, and you'll hear about it first, (or second), right here! We're currently working on getting a theme song and opening sequence for the new show. If you have any ideas, let me know.

And stay tuned for another blog very soon on the Platform Animation Festival that happened right here in Portland!

And now, a very special clip from Sesame Street:

We're back!

2007-06-20T10:35:00.000-04:00

There's big news in Clips & Quips country. Just when you thought the end was near, Clips & Quips is moving cross country, getting a new name, a new look, and a new lease on life. At the end of August, we'll be joining forces with Groupee, (an awesome Seattle company), to launch Backstage Live. But you don't have to take my word for it. You can read Groupee CEO Ted O'Neill's blog about it here. So, to clarify- New coast, same host, new name.

Animators love Oregon

2007-06-14T16:41:00.000-04:00

Portland, OR isn't only a beautiful and livable city, (as though that weren't enough), it's also home to the new Platform International Animation Festival. The festival starts up in a few weeks and will be playing host to filmmakers and animators from across the globe. Head honchoes from Pixar, Aardman, Disney, Cartoon Network, and other studios will all be converging in the city of roses to talk shop and show off their newest work. Plus, there will be all sorts of funky installations popping up around town. So are you coming? Can't make it to Portland on such short notice? Well, don't worry. I'll be checking it all out, and I'll make sure to keep you posted...

For now, you can check out the festival's website.

2007-06-13T23:07:00.000-04:00

Minor league baseball

One more time...

2007-06-07T10:40:00.000-04:00

Last night I saw Knocked Up for the second time. It's still awesome, and I'm already getting pumped for the DVD, (which probably won't come out for a very long time...). Judd Apatow films lots of versions of each scene, so I'm sure a lot of of this will end up in DVD extras. Even if you watch the trailer, you'll notice different versions of scenes that aren't even in the movie.

To continue yesterdays list, here are a few more resons why celebrities are nothing like us:

• Biologically speaking, celebrities technically fall under the category of marsupials. This is because celebrity babies are born premature and continue developing outside the womb, (often in a furry pouch). Dakota Fanning has mentioned this a few times in interviews.

• Celebrities consist on a diet rich in gasoline. Their bodies burn the fuel and convert it into fame.

• Famous people see colors differently than the rest of us. Red looks sort of greenish, gold looks violet, and blue has sort of a pinkish hue. So an Academy Award actually looks purple to them!

Stars- they're nothing like us

2007-06-06T10:38:00.000-04:00

You always read in magazines how celebrities are just like us- they go shopping, they pump gas, they drink coffee, they have hands. Well, I am sick and tired of it, because it couldn't be farther from the truth. Famous people are not like us at all, and to combat those other lists, I've compiled my own list of examples to prove it.

• Famous people don't need to use the bathroom. It's unclear when this kicks in, but I've got it on good word that Jennifer Aniston hasn't visited a restroom since the second season of Friends.

• Famous people travel primarily through underground lairs in the earth's core. I guess it works sort of like those underground hallways they use at Disneyland so that two Mickeys will never run into each other. So does that mean there are two Lindsay Lohans?

• Famous people don't sweat, (or they may sweat gem stones- this is still being disputed). Meryl Streep stopped sweating partially when she won her Oscar for Kramer Vs. Kramer in 1980. Her sweat glands stopped production totally in 1983 when she won her second Oscar for Sophie's Choice. Tim Allen stopped sweating while recording the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story, though he resumed sweating halfway through production of The Santa Clause 3.

• Famous people live their lives in five dimensions. What's in these other dimensions? None of our kind knows, but it might have something to do with how Jude Law was in six movies in 2004.

• Some celebrities are also shape-shifters. Some of them may even have various personas. Have you ever seen Denzel Washington and Helen Hunt in the same movie? Perhaps that's because they're just two of the many personas of John Stamos.

And that's just to whet your appetite. There will be even more convincing and shocking examples tomorrow...

New countdown...

2007-06-05T13:45:00.000-04:00

So Knocked Up is out and it's already recouped it's budget in the first weekend. That means Judd Apatow has more money to hire me! Right? So I figured it's time for a new countdown on the Official Clips & Quips Countdown Widget. So let's count down till Willowbrook, (the daycamp I work at), starts. Nineteen days to go...

2007-06-04T12:09:00.000-04:00

Back on the train again- this time to seattle

Today's the day...

2007-06-01T11:39:00.000-04:00

If you check out that widget on the lower right side of the page, you'll notice that the countdown is over. That's right- Knocked Up is now in theatres! So what are you waiting for? To get you excited, here's the trailer:

2007-05-31T20:28:00.000-04:00

Home sweet home

2007-05-31T12:50:00.000-04:00

2007-05-31T12:24:00.001-04:00

Columbia river

2007-05-30T23:07:00.000-04:00

Whitefish montana

2007-05-30T18:19:00.000-04:00

Wide open spaces

2007-05-30T09:36:00.001-04:00

Morning in minot

2007-05-30T08:36:00.001-04:00

Welcome to north dakota

2007-05-29T17:37:00.001-04:00

2007-05-29T12:41:00.001-04:00

Millenium park in chicago

2007-05-29T11:04:00.001-04:00

2007-05-29T06:26:00.000-04:00

Toledo

2007-05-28T20:15:00.000-04:00

Somewhere upstate

2007-05-28T15:48:00.000-04:00

So long penn station...

Cleaning up...

2007-05-27T09:40:00.000-04:00

Odds and ends I found as I was cleaning up the Clips & Quips offices.

Farewell Clips & Quips...

2007-05-25T17:37:00.000-04:00

It's odd and strange and a little sad and a little exciting that Clips & Quips is coming to an end. I had a lot of fun with the show; met a lot of interesting people and got access to a lot of places and opportunities that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to experience. And when I say interesting people, I don't necessarily mean the "celebrities" I've interviewed, (in fact, some of them were pretty boring). From the always accommodating publicists at International House of Press and Falco, to the contact people at JetBlue, Ramada, and Thrifty, (who made our Sundance trip possible), to our pals at Furilla, Pass the Pigs, and Kazoobie Kazoos, (who made sure we always had plenty of fun toys to give people). Clips & Quips was only a success thanks to these and other people who believed in our show and helped us out in many ways.

Clips & Quips started as an answer to the frustration that Evan and I had over the lack of student programming on college tv stations across the country. We had worked together on On the Cusp, a weekly late-night talk show that aired on NYU TV for three seasons, and during that time created a show that not only occasionally entertained, but also started a dialogue between NYU students and created a little community of viewers on the often isolated NYU "campus." We wanted to take what we learned from that experience and go national with a show that incorporated student ideas and content, provided entertaining segments, and brought college students across the country together... or something like that. The show launched in January 2005 at a dozen or so schools with an episode chock-full of student filmmakers and musicians and interviews with Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Tara Reid, and others. By the beginning of the second season the next fall, we were airing at over forty schools and scoring awesome interviews with the likes of George Clooney, Keira Knightely, Pierce Brosnan, and others. People were really starting to hear about us and we were developing a serious web presence with upwards of 100,000 hits per month. We covered the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT, and interviewed a slew of fascinating filmmakers, writers, and actors. It seemed like good things were happening, but we still had a big problem- we weren't making a profit. I like to think of myself as a creative person, but I'm the first to admit that I'm not quite as effective when it comes to making things profitable. I sent out tons of proposals and made many phone calls, but I couldn't find someone to provide the show with a budget. Working on the show was so much fun though, that I figured as long as we kept on creating a fun product that money would follow.

As we started the third season, we toned down the affiliate front, (because self-distributing a national show was taking a lot of time and getting expensive), and concentrated on the weekly web show. I contacted many new potential sponsors, and although there were some promising leads, in the end nothing solidified. It soon became clear that unless some funds suddenly appeared this would be the last season of the show. We wanted to go out with a bang though, and we covered some more LA junkets, (thanks to Evan's persistence), and covered another action-packed Sundance Film Festival. We even had some reunions when I interviewed Rainn Wilson and Ryan Gosling for the second time and Paul Rudd for the third and fourth time.

Clips & Quips changed quite a bit from the initial idea that Evan and I came up with, but I think we stayed true to the spirit of our mission. And what is that spirit exactly? I'm not exactly sure. But I always tried to treat my interviews as conversations, and interact with the interviewees as I would with any other person. I think if you watch the interviews we get at junkets versus what the "other shows" get, you'll find that our interviews are more honest, less "canned," more casual, sometimes more awkward, but always more genuine. I never really knew if viewers noticed this, but thanks to youtube comments and emails it's clear that people do notice the difference. Sometimes they don't like it, like jlisashaw on youtube who commented:
"you have no control of the subject or the interview," but then there are others like ummxduhh, who commented on a Rupert Grint interview: "Rupert seems so much more comfortable in this then he does in other interviews." And Chopin65 posted: "Its amazing how stars come off as just regular folk when you talk to them in the way you do." Then a few hours ago, I got another email from Deniz, a viewer in Germany, who wrote, "This kind of interview is really needed and unique. Keep doing it like that!" So at least some people get it- right?

But I think the end of Clips & Quips comes at exactly the right time. If I had to attend another NY press junket, I think I might throw-up in the impeccably clean Regency Hotel bathroom. Yes, junkets are a great way to gain access to actors whom I otherwise would not have the opportunity to interview, but they're also a great way to make you feel like cattle. You're stuck in a room, (where there's often not even enough room for everyone to sit), waiting at least an hour for a four minute slot, (five minutes if you're really lucky), with a person who often feels as trapped as you do. It's the worst possible situation for an interview, yet that's where most of them are happening. I don't know if I have a solution or any helpful suggestion to fix the junket situation, but I'm just glad I'm getting out before they cut the interview time down to three minutes.

It's weird to think that I've interviewed literally hundreds of authors, actors, musicians, comedians, filmmakers, chocolatiers, toy inventors, and other interesting individuals. And although most of them probably wouldn't remember me, I think I remember most of them. Clips & Quips has been an incredible learning experience, and I have a feeling that the groundwork and friends we've made through the show will keep playing a role in my life.

So what happens to the blog now? I'm not really sure... I'll be pretty busy this summer, so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to post and I'm not sure what I'd post about. Any ideas? Write in and let me know.

The End is Near

2007-05-22T11:55:00.000-04:00

A few more days to go before the Clips & Quips blog closes up shop... So in honor of the occasion, here's my top list for my favorite Clips & Quips moments-

• Covering the Sundance Film Festival for the first time in 2006. I saw over a dozen movies, interviewed dozens of filmmakers and actors, crashed a party, got lots of free drinks and snacks, got a free razor for biting into a fuzz-covered kiwi, and got hugged by Steve Carell, (which was then reported on incorrectly by New York Magazine). Click here for a clip of some of the action.

• Going behind the scenes of Family Guy, and hanging out with Mila Kunis for an hour (while doing dramatic readings of her fan mail). Click here for the clip.

• Wearing footsie pajamas to the premiere of Night at the Museum, and getting a lot of attention from Ricky Gervais because of the outfit. Click here for the clip.

• When Judd Apatow wrote into the Clips & Quips blog.

• Teaching Peter Sarsgaard, Sam Mendes, and others to play kazoo. Click here for the clip.

• Interviewing Ira Glass for a whole twenty minutes and then hanging out with him at a Showtime party at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

• Sharing puns with anyone who will listen.

• Getting stranded on Liberty Island during the doomed-from-the-start premiere of Fantastic Four, (complete with pouring rain, lightening, giant flying bugs, and panicked crowds).

• When after finishing up a fun interview with Sam Rockwell, he genuinely commented "That really made my day. Thanks." Yes, this sort of stuff has happened more than once, but for whatever reason this one is particularly clear in my head.

In non Clips & Quips news, here's an awesome band that does covers of TV theme songs. Maybe they want to do a cover of our song?

Phone Conference Phun

2007-05-18T00:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I listened in on the FOX phone press conference where they announced the upcoming Fall season. It was sort of exciting to hear from Peter Liguori, (pictured at left), head of Fox, as he went through the lineup. Then journalists could ask questions, (by simply pressing *1, the conference call coordinator explained). It was sort of reminiscent of some of my NYU classes. There were the persistent reporters who kept asking the same questions again and again trying to get the answer they want, (Are you worried that American Idol has hit it's peak? Are you a little concerned about the ratings of American Idol? How do you respond to the drastic drop in American Idol's ratings in Buffalo, NY?), then there were the reporters who tried to make issues out of nothing, (Are you worried that by putting Family Guy one half hour earlier you'll corrupt more children?), and then there were the ones who asked questions that they knew they wouldn't get answers to, (So what are the drastic and surprising changes they've hinted at in the coming season of 24?). Listening to the conversations, it's clear that the heads of the networks are sort of freaked out. Their market shares are shrinking by the day and they're trying anything to get people watching. Luckily, that might also mean better and more interesting programming for us.

In Clips & Quips news, next week we'll be throwing a big C&Q blowout right here on the blog. We'll be hearing from people who've worked on the show as well as fans and maybe even some past interviewees. So make sure to come by and if you want to participate in the festivities and write your own tribute you can send me an email at boaz(at)clipsquips(dot)com. Also, if Ken Marino is out there, maybe he can finally tell us how he broke his rib. Ken- are you there?

P.S. The question about the American Idol ratings drop in Buffalo, NY was a real question.

Hillary's sorta funny!

2007-05-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

Until recently, Hillary Clinton has always come across as sort of distant to me, but not anymore. Yesterday, she posted this video on youtube, looking for advice:

She really does seem sort sort of likable now. They have a list of 9 possible campaign songs on her website, but they also let you write in a suggestion. I think she should commission the O'Funnigan Brothers to write a campaign song for her. They could even go on the road with her and be the opening act. Haven't you heard of the O'Funnigan Brothers? If not, then click here. And then go to Hillary's website and write them in.

Kids say the darndest things... when they have to start a new society

2007-05-16T19:08:00.000-04:00

I'm a little obsessed with this new reality show that CBS announced yesterday. It's called Kid Nation, and it's basically a Lord-of-the-Flies-style show in which 40 kids are dropped off in a New Mexico ghost town to fend for themselves. Well, I guess they do get some supplies, but it's up to the kids, (ages 8-15), to cook, clean, and form a functioning society complete with government, businesses, and a justice system. Doesn't it sound exciting? I'm enthralled and terrified at the same time. And you can watch a very melodramatic preview here. My favorite quote from the preview is delivered by a do-rag wearing youngster at a dramatic town meeting: "What I'm really missing is my brother because he's in a wheelchair." And at every meeting someone wins a gold star, and I'm not talking about the "lick and stick" kind. Stay tuned for Kid Nation airing at 8PM Wednesdays on CBS in the Fall.

And then there's Lost. It was a dramatic episode, though it was mostly set-up for next week's season finale. There wasn't a lot of new information, but maybe I missed something. I'll have to check in with Jeff Jensen's recap when he posts it on EW.com. They kept advertising a two-hour finale next week, but I wonder whether it's really a two hour episode, or whether it's an hour of recap and one hour of new stuff. They've played that trick before...

And look what's on sale at Key Food this week:

Cameos, Cars, and Cavemen

2007-05-16T10:40:00.000-04:00

So last night at 8PM, I sat down in front of the TV for the last Gilmore Girls episode ever. I was a fan in the earlier years, and last night was just another reminder of why I stopped watching. Everything happened sort of predictably and there were a few too many moments of forced nostalgia or wistfulness. When they were filming this one they weren't sure whether it would be a series or season finale, but they definitely covered their bases. And they threw in the most random cameo ever when Christiane Amanpour happens to be staying at Lorelai's in, and after a very brief and generic chat with Rory she decides to give her a business card and offer to help her, (even though Christiane prefaces it with, "I usually never do this, but..."). And now it's all over- Lorelai finally got together with Luke and Rory's on the campaign trail with Barack Obama.

Today in Park Slope they're filming Baby Mama, a movie starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. According to imdb:

A single professional woman (Fey) opts to hire a surrogate mother (Poehler) so she can have a baby and keep her career on track.

I didn't spot Tina or Amy, but I did see these trailers:

Maybe they're inside one of them?

It's an exciting week in TV as all the networks are announcing their fall lineups. ABC even put up a site where you can watch previews of all the upcoming shows. I'm surprised, (and slightly embarrassed), to say that the preview of Cavemen, (based on the popular Geico ads), is actually pretty funny. On the ABC website, they call the show a "thought-provoking social commentary on race relations in today's America." You can decide for yourself here.

Steve & Peter & Snowy

2007-05-15T10:47:00.000-04:00

Word on the street is that Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson are teaming up to produce and direct three Tin Tin movies based on the classic Belgian comics. Peter's Kiwi friends at WETA Digital, (who did the effects for Lord of The Rings and the Narnia movies), will do the animation for the movie using "performance capture technology," (that's how Andy Sirkis performed King Kong in Jackson's recent remake). It won't look cartoony though- Jackson said they're going for a "photo-realistic" look. Steve and Peter will each direct at least one of the movies, and apparently things should get started as soon as Steve wraps the fourth Indiana Jones movie and Jackson finishes his adaptation of Alice Sebold's Lovely Bones.

I wonder if the new Tin Tin movie will look anything like this:

Or maybe more like this:

I'm down with Knocked Up

2007-05-14T22:37:00.000-04:00

I went into Knocked Up with very high expectations. I tried not too, but I just love everything these guys do. With Judd Apatow at the helm and Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan on board, how can you go wrong? You can't. Knocked Up rose to the occasion and kept me laughing for two hours. Like 40 Year Old Virgin, Judd mixes the hilarity with a strong story and satisfies on every front. The funny scenes are incredibly dense- every line makes you laugh- and though the story deals with potentially sappy material, the scenes always seemed fresh and genuine. Judd's wife, (Leslie Mann), and kids, (Maude & Iris Apatow), are in the movie too, (playing Paul Rudd's wife and kids), and they're hilarious. Judd really does have the cutest kids. Everyone in the audience seemed to be enjoying themselves, from the frat boys to the old guy from Buffalo seated near me. I really can't recommend it enough, although you'll probably be hearing that from a lot of people... Here's the trailer:

In other news, the series finale of Gilmore Girls airs tonight on The CW. I used to be a fan of the show during the first few seasons, but I stopped watching when the show started sucking, (Rory's later years at Yale). I think I'll give it one more go tonight for old time's sake though. And you can bet I'll be watching Man Vs. Wild after that.

Freaks & Geeks & Canada

2007-05-13T22:19:00.000-04:00

I've been watching the DVDs of Freaks & Geeks, (Paul Feig and Judd Apatow's short lived NBC show about the freaks and geeks at a Michigan high school), over the past few weeks. Everyone told me the show was great, but it still took me a few years to get around to watching them. It's amazing- every episode is really like a little movie- it's hilarious and heartfelt and oftentimes eerily reminiscent of my high school experience. I only have one episode of Freaks & Geeks left to watch, but I think I'll save it for another day because I don't want to be done quite yet...

We finally got some Canadian visitors! Check out the map of our past 100 visitors:

We had someone from Vancouver and someone from Toronto, and a few people from Asia to boot.

And stay tuned for my reaction to Knocked Up tomorrow...

Boaz is no more... (cinematically speaking)

2007-05-10T22:57:00.000-04:00

So I got word from Judd Apatow that Adam Sandler & Co did indeed change the name from Boaz to Zohan, (see yesterday's post), though he was not told why. And things are definitely moving forward with You Don't Mess With Zohan- Judd adds that the movie, "is in fact happening."

And while on the subject of Judd, I'm getting pumped to see a preview of Knocked Up next week. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I have a feeling I won't be dissapointed...

Also, they launched a new website for Knocked Up. One of the many things you can do on the site is play your own version of Conan's If They Mated, or something like that. You simply upload a picture of each of the parents, (or you can select from a gallery of the cast), and it will show you what the baby would look like. For example, if Katherine Heigl and I had a baby, this is what the precious babe would look like:

Wow. This is sort of creepy. I sort of regret sharing that already. I fused our two last names, (Frankel + Heigl), to get the baby's name- Fragl.

So to switch subjects quickly, here's a weird news article:

Dead fawn, dressed like baby, left outside Tacoma theater

By The Associated Press

TACOMA — The police log entry said it all: "Deceased fawn was dressed up like an infant and abandoned at the Pantages Theater."

Why would anyone dress up a dead newborn deer, lay it in a basket and leave it outside an ornate downtown landmark?

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Tom Sayre, a spokesman of The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County.

The outfit included an infant sleeper and a bib that read, "You think I'm cute? You should see my aunt," Sayre added.

An officer found the fawn Tuesday night, said police spokesman Mark Fulghum.

It was unclear how the animal died but the odor indicated it had been dead for awhile, he said.

A Humane Society vet thought it might have been stillborn.

"It's just bizarre," Fulghum said.

I'm not sure what else to say.

Does Boaz = Zohan?

2007-05-10T18:17:00.000-04:00

When I interviewed Allen Covert a few years back for Grandma's Boy, he mentioned that Adam Sandler and Robert Smigel had been working on a screenplay called Boaz. I never heard anything more about it until I stumbled onto this entry on hollywood.com:

Boaz The Great
Synopsis:
A comedy following the exploits of an agent for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.

I couldn't find much more info on the movie, but then I remembered hearing about another movie that Adam Sandler and Robert Smigel were working on. That one's called You Don't Mess with Zohan, and it's synopsis reads:

A Mossad agent fakes his own death so he can move to New York and become a hair stylist.

Sounds eerily familliar, doesn't it? Judd Apatow and Jack Giarraputo are also listed as producers on both films, and they're both supposedly being released by Sony. So did they change the main character's name from Boaz to Zohan? It certainly seems that way, but why? Did they want to avoid any association with me? I think I'll have to check in with Judd Apatow on this one...

Not so Lost anymore...

2007-05-10T08:21:00.000-04:00

Lost is getting really intense, and they're really starting to give some answers. The most exciting news from yesterday's episode is that Ben wasn't born on the island, he was born right outside Portland, OR! Take a look at this screen shot from the show:

Keeping track of everything that's happening on the island hasn't been easy, so I always like to refresh my memory and find out all the things I didn't notice by reading Jeff Jensen's recaps on ew.com. Although, some mornings, (like this one), he seems to take a little too long to post his recap...

Public Radio Idol?

2007-05-09T07:26:00.000-04:00

NPR is looking for new hosts, and apparently they're so desperate that they're even asking "normal people" to try out. Or something like that. The Corporation for Public Radio Broadcast decided it was time to find some fresh blood, so they gave grants to two organizations to produce three new radio pilots each. One of those grants is going to Launch, who's going to produce pilots with already established names in the world of entertainment or media or business. PRX got the other grant, and they're taking their quest to the masses. They launched the Public Radio Talent Quest, where, (in American Idol style), anyone can audition with a two minute recorded entry to prove their "hostiness." The ten winners, selected by judges and the voting public, will move on to further rounds and challenges. The three winners will get a few thousand dollars and their own show produced. So last night I finally got around to recording my entry. You can listen to it, (and give it an "excellent" rating), by clicking here. Do you like it? Hate it? Thoughts?

Here's Mo Rocca talking about the project:

In other news, here's a nice piece by Roger Ebert that sort of makes you love him...

Odds and Ends and Kazoos

2007-05-08T13:07:00.000-04:00

Still no word from Ken Marino on the rib injury, but maybe today? Or maybe someone else knows?

There was a great article on Kazoobie Kazoos, (the official kazoo sponsor of Clips & Quips), in the Sarasota Florida Herald-Tribune, although they seem to have forgotten to mention Clips & Quips. You can read the article here.

And in Portland news, it seems that Monica Lewinsky has moved to town. Apparently, she's being spotted a lot around town, and a friend of a friend of a friend says she moved into his building. Also, the LA Times followed the NY Times and wrote a Portland story of their own.

Ken's Ribs, Widgets, and More

2007-05-07T08:09:00.000-04:00

This weekend I realized that we still never got an answer to the question that's been plaguing us for days. What happened to Ken Marino's broken rib? In the interview with Ken and Paul Rudd, (for the movie Diggers), they mentioned the accident and Ken said he'd tell us later. Well, it's later and we still don't know. Ken Marino- are you out there? Does anyone know? Maybe Judd Apatow knows? If anyone knows, please don't hesitate to email boaz(at)clipsquips(dot)com.

Also, in honor of new friend-of-the-blog, Judd Apatow, I put up a Knocked Up countdown on the side of the blog. As I post, Knocked Up will be premiering in 23 days, 15 hours, 44 minutes, and 31 seconds. After the movie comes out, we can start counting down to other exciting things like Boxing Day or my nephews' birthdays or the Portland Rose Festival or the next time Matt Lauer goes to Bhutan. Or maybe you have an idea?

Also, you probably noticed the the new clips displayed on the side of the blog, (I went a little widget-crazy this weekend). Simply click on one of the boxes and a clip will start playing in this very blog. Are you impressed yet?

Who's visiting the blog?

2007-05-06T11:56:00.000-04:00

The above map shows where the last 100 visitors to the blog logged on from. 82% of readers are checking us out from the US, though we're having a hard time tapping into the central US except for that lone reader from Denver. Maybe he/she could tell some of his/her friends so we could get a slightly more even spread. Then there's the lone Hawaiian reader who was looking for info on Forgetting Sarah Marshall. And although we've had some in the past, there have been no recent Alaskan visitors. Anyone have friends in Nome or Sitka?

Outside the US, we've had a few Australians logging on, (all searching for more info on Where in the World is Matt Lauer), and a handful from Europe, (Spain, Ireland, UK, Belgium, Turkey, & Denmark). Then, probably the most exciting visitor, recently logged on from Thimpu, Bhutan.

Here's a challenge for next week: Let's try to completely change the vistor spread and get readers from Asia, Africa, Iceland, or Canada. Maybe I should start posting facts about foreign countries everyday to see if it will lure some natives. Well, I might as well start now...

According to wikipedia:

Reykjavík is believed to be the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland, which Ingólfur Arnarson is said to have established around the year 870. Until the 18th century, there was no urban development in the city location. The city was founded in 1786 as an official trading town and grew steadily over the next decades, as it transformed into a regional and later national center of commerce, population and governmental activities.

Today, Reykjavík is the centre of the Greater Reykjavík Area which, with a population of more than 190,000, is by far the largest metropolitan area of Iceland. As a highly modernised capital of one of the most developed countries in the world, its inhabitants enjoy a first-class welfare system and city infrastructure. Its location, only slighty south of the Arctic Circle, receives only four hours of daylight per day in the depth of winter; during the summer the nights are almost as bright as the days. It has continued to see population growth in past years as well as growth in areas of commerce and industry.

Welcome to all our Icelandic friends...

The Three-quel

2007-05-04T11:06:00.000-04:00

So apparently Spiderman 3 sucks. I'm a little surprised by all the mediocre reviews, but thinking back I can't recall any three-quel that was good. Well, except for Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter, but I don't know if those really count. There are a number of other series going for the three-quel this summer, (Shrek, Pirates), so we'll see how that pans out...

On a brighter note, here's something that doesn't suck. In fact, it's just downright appealing for inexplicable reasons.

Meredith, Ann, Al, and I were right!

2007-05-04T10:16:00.000-04:00

This morning, Matt Lauer was on the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Finally, I was right for once. All the Today show co-hosts guessed correctly as well. And as I write Matt's probably already on his way back to the US. It was a fun week. I hope they do this again soon, and I hope I can come along next time...

Everyone was wrong...

2007-05-03T09:05:00.000-04:00

So we were a little off yesterday with Where in the World is Matt Lauer. The clue talked about "hosting the world," which some viewers and I mistook for some Olympic or America's Cup reference. Turns out Matt was in Dubai this morning. "Hosting the world" was a reference to a series of man-made islands they're building in the shape of the world. Oh well... The United Arab Emirates looked pretty impressive though, and Matt seemed to be enjoying himself on the beach. Natalie Morales got to go skiing in a mall, and then they almost forgot to air a clip when they went to Matt and you could hear a producer yelling "Go to tape! Go to tape!" They've come a long way from Everett, WA, and there's only one day left.

The clue for day 5, (the last day), is:

To the West it is 10 degrees colder
To the East there is warmth in the air
To the North there's a spot at the table
To the South there's a formal affair

Ann Curry thought the "formal affair" might be a refernce to penguins. I'm not really sure what to think... Maybe somewhere in South America?

UPDATE: Okay, after doing some more research I think Matt's going to be in Cape Town, South Africa. The cold and warm refer to the differing temperatures of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. The "table" refers to Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town, and there are even some penguins on Robben Island off the southern coast of South Africa. I hope I'm right this time...

Matt & Bear

2007-05-02T11:53:00.000-04:00

Well, I was right- sorta. Matt Lauer was in Asia this morning- in Bhutan to be exact. I wasn't exactly sure where Bhutan was until I pulled out my atlas. So here's a map to orient yourself:

The flight into Bhutan is so tricky due to the surrounding mountains that the pilots had to take a special course in London the day before to learn how to make the descent. They even brought a Bhutanese pilot aboard to advise the pilots on their course. And Matt got Al a yak hair hat! It looked pretty cool, although I wonder if he'll have any trouble getting that through customs. So where in the world is Matt Lauer headed next? Tomorrow's clue: Although we can't top the Himalayas, we will sail to new heights in a place that will soon host the world. The last part makes me think it has something to do with the Olympics, and the next cities hosting the games are Beijing, Vancouver BC, and London. Of those three, Vancouver's the only one on the ocean, so if sailing's involved... Although if he was just in the Pacific Northwest at the Boeing plant, would he really go back? Any thoughts?

Also, Man Vs. Wild was pretty awesome last night. The host, Bear Grylls, jumped right into the Pacific Ocean without a parachute! It was pretty impressive. Now I'm looking forward to a hopefully enlightening episode of Lost tonight.

I love Frank Oz, but...

2007-05-01T10:22:00.000-04:00

I really wanted to like this movie. Especially after how dissapointing his remake of The Stepford Wives was, I was hoping Frank would go back to the glory days of The Muppets Take Manhattan. His new film, Death at a Funeral is sort of like a cross between Gosford Park and Austin Powers. It stars a lot of vaguely recognizable British actors and Peter Dinklage, (from The Station Agent, Elf, The Baxter). The film follows Daniel and his family as they attempt to get through his father's funeral. Naturally, hilarity ensues as complication after complication keeps arising. It's all very slapsticky and relies, (suprisingly), on a lot of gross-out humor including favorites such as the "poop joke," filthy-mouthed old people, and running around naked. There were a few too many characters to keep track of, and I didn't particularly care about any of them that much. The audience around me was laughing quite a bit though, so maybe you can blame the bad review on my allergies acting up too much. I would have liked to see less acid trips, (yes, there's more than one), and more Muppets...

Where in the world is Matt Lauer? Today, Matt was in Ireland. This was definitely more exciting than Everett, Washingon, and they even did a piece on fairies and leprechauns. Apparently, when recently building a new highway in Ireland they had to make a little detour to avoid cutting down a "fairy tree." Where will Matt be tomorrow? The clue from the show: As the son also rises, power is money here, with billions on the horizon. Somewhere in Asia? And that "Where in the world" theme song is getting annoying. You can listen to an abridged version here.

Where in the world...

2007-04-30T12:16:00.000-04:00

Where in the World is Matt Lauer is back on the Today show, and where was Matt this morning? Everett, Washington... Well, it's not the international locale I was expecting, but at least he's in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe he'll go to Portland tomorrow?

Also, I've had this idea for a while, so a few months back Jon Gabrus and I got together and finally produced an episode of The Portable Talk Show. Take a look:

Special thanks to Peter McKay for filming and Justin Tyler for creative consulting and some incredible voice-over work. Want to see a second episode? Where do you think we should go? Should Judd Apatow be the next guest? Let me know...

The C&Q Attic

2007-04-26T08:51:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe the third season of Clips & Quips is soon coming to an end, and at this point it looks like this might also be the last season of C&Q. I'm heading off to Los Angeles in the fall to explore some other opportunities, and ABC Daytime and I couldn't come to an agreement to keep the show going. It will be a fun last few months though, and hopefully there will be new exciting projects coming soon. In honor of the occasion, let's take a look at a clip from the very first episode of Clips & Quips, when Tara Reid and I explored the possibilities of the satellite interview.

Also, Lost was pretty good last night, and the last minute of the show sort of blew my mind. I can't wait till next week...

Diggers: The Interview

2007-04-25T10:54:00.000-04:00

So here it is, the interview with Paul Rudd and Ken Marino. Ken wrote the screenplay, produced it, acted in it, and recruited his buddy Paul to star in it. To refresh your memory, (and to quote wikipedia):

Diggers is a coming-of-age story directed by Katherine Dieckmann about four working-class friends growing up in Long Island, New York, as clam diggers. Their fathers were clam diggers as well as their grandfathers before them.

And here's the segment:

And we never did get back to how Ken Marino broke a rib. Ken, are you still reading the blog? Can you tell us what happened?

Diggers: The Junket Report

2007-04-24T10:37:00.000-04:00

This was one of the most efficient junkets I've ever been to. I barely had time to finish my fruit plate when I was whisked away to talk to Ken Marino and Paul Rudd. Ken and Paul remembered me from previous interviews, and we chatted a little about Judd Apatow and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Paul's heading to Hawaii for one day this week to film his part in the film. The camera guy gave me the cue to really start the interview, and I shifted to Diggers. Ken based the screenplay on his hometown and memories he had from when his own father was a clam digger. Paul had to get a serious clam-digging lesson, although he's still not a fan of the mollusks. He likened eating one to having a loogie(sp?) in his mouth. The interview should be up today or tomorrow.

Still no word on whether we'll be covering the Knocked Up junket, but I'll keep you posted...

Diggers: The Early Junket Report

2007-04-23T12:53:00.000-04:00

Just got out of the Diggers junket. Paul Rudd and Ken Marino were paired for the interviews, which was a lot of fun. And Paul confirmed that the email from Judd is legit. Sorry for doubting you Judd... Ken Marino admitted to reading the Clips & Quips blog too, and apparently he know what's up. One of the first things he said to me when I walked in the room was, "I bet you're going to ask something about Judd Apatow."

I'll post a longer junket report later from the office, but I just wanted to keep you up to date...

Is the Judd-a-thon over?

2007-04-23T08:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I think it happened... For about a week, I've been mentioning Judd Apatow in the blog everyday in hopes that he stumble upon it, and now I think he has. I got an email yesterday afternoon from Judd, and he he said that our little scheme here made him laugh. He's in Hawaii now, preparing to start production on Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Judd's producing the movie that was written by Jason Segel, (of Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared), and is being directed by Nicholas Stoller, (a former writer on Undeclared). It stars Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, and Jason Segel, (he writes and acts!).

To be honest, I'm still a little skeptical, but the email seemed pretty legit, so I guess Judd really did find us. I'll try to confirm with Paul Rudd at the junket today. And to think that our little blog has been graced by Judd Apatow's presence...

Diggers: Pre-Junket Report

2007-04-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow morning I'll be sitting down with Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, and Katherine Dieckmann to chat about their new film, Diggers. Marino wrote the script, and David Wain was initially supposed to direct, but then he got too busy with Stella on Comedy Central. So Dieckmann, (who's directed a lot of REM music videos), took over. Rudd's the star, playing Hunt, a clam-digger who's father just passed away. Marino's in it too, playing a loving/angry father/husband. I interviewed Paul Rudd and Ken Marino at Sundance in January, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again. And this will be my fifth time interviewing Paul, so I'm hoping he invites me to dinner with Judd Apatow. Have any questions for Paul, Ken, or Katherine? Let me know...

And if you're wondering what's with the seemingly random Judd Apatow reference, then take a look at the past few days. For five days now, I've been mentioning Judd Apatow in the blog in hopes that he stumbles upon it while googling himself, (according to some interviews, Judd is an occasional self-googler). So Judd, if you're there feel free to shoot me an email at boaz(at)clipsquips(dot)com.

Girls, take out your notepads...

2007-04-21T21:25:00.000-04:00

It's sort of depressing that this constitutes entertainment or maybe even "entertainment news." Are these People magazine's hard-hitting questions? I'm just glad I'm not the person who had to ask them...

I wonder what Judd Apatow would think about this?

Fracture: The Ryan Gosling Interview

2007-04-20T11:33:00.000-04:00

Here it is- the interview with Ryan Gosling. To recap, Fracture, (according to IMDB), is about:

An assistant DA (Gosling) who is caught up in a game of cat-and-mouse with a man (Hopkins) who tried to murder his wife, but is set free on a series of technicalities.

Any thoughts? Or any thoughts on Judd Apatow? Are you there yet Judd?

National HIgh Five Day!

2007-04-19T11:16:00.000-04:00

I almost forgot- today is National High Five Day! You can check it out here. So I guess you should go out and do some high-fiving. Or maybe you can read articles and watch clips of one specific world record high-fiver? I wonder who Judd Apatow is high-fiving today...

Internationally yours...

2007-04-19T09:11:00.000-04:00

I'm still trying to set up interviews with the cast of Knocked Up, but at this point it looks like all the press events are happening in Los Angeles. I'll see if I can get out there for the junket though. I've been reading up on Judd Apatow recently, and a number of interviews with him said that he often googles himself. Well, maybe it's true and maybe it's not, but from now on I'm going to mention Judd everyday in hopes that he comes on the blog. Maybe we can finally get together to write and produce the first television series about homeless people. It would be just like Cheers, but instead of the bar they'll always meet at a big dumpster and Hobo Jim and Transient Sally will have a Sam Malone/Rebecca Howe thing going on. Judd- are you there? If so, feel free to email me at boaz(at)clipsquips(dot)com.

I recently signed up for Sitemeter, (thanks to Evan). Now I have more stats than I ever needed about the people reading this blog. In the past two days, this blog's been visited by readers from New Zealand, Jamaica, Beijing, France, the UK, and the US. One guy (or girl?), found this site by searching for 'graduation quips' on google. I wonder if he found what he (she?) was looking for...

Fracture: The Junket Report

2007-04-18T11:52:00.001-04:00

Just got back from the Fracture junket. There was no Anthony Hopkins as they warned me yesterday, but I did get this large red T-shirt. Any takers? Two people from New Line had called me yesterday to remind me to be at the junket early, but I still had about an hour wait before my time was up. During that hour I did a crossword, ate fruit, and watched the trailers for Martian Child, (it's about John Cusack taking care of a kid in a box), Hairspray, (John Travolta- in a dress!), and Fracture, (well, that's why I was there...), again and again and again.

Finally, right after Emily Frances, Neil Rosen, and this nice young guy I've never met before, it was my turn. I walked into the room, and Ryan Gosling stood up to greet me, (which is surprisingly rare- only Clooney, Bettany, and Brosnan have done that before). I introduced myself, and he actually remembered me from way back when I had interviewed him for a small indie film- The United States of Leland. So I already liked him. We chatted about the film, working with Anthony Hopkins, (he really called him Tony), and his next film, Lars and the Real Girl, in which his character in love with a blow-up doll. He's a big fan of 'Tony,' and went off on how multi-talented Sir Hopkins really is- he draws, writes, paints, composes, and does a darn good dog bark. Ryan was very nice and genuine, though it was clear he's been talking about this film a lot lately. And before I knew it, my four minutes were up, (yes, thats right- four minutes). Five minutes used to be the standard, and it wasn't unheard of to get six or seven occasionally. It's not easy to have a meaningful conversation in the same amount of time it takes me to brush and floss, (ok, fine- I don't really floss very often). Maybe eventually they'll have you submit your one question beforehand so they can ask it as you come in the room, saving valuable time.

Next up, the press day for Diggers with Ken Marino and Paul Rudd. Although I don't know how many more junkets I have left in me. Maybe I can ask Paul Rudd to hook me up with Judd Apatow and then the three of us can make a tv show together- a tragicomedy about press junkets...

Denied...

2007-04-17T14:55:00.000-04:00

I just got the call- no Anthony Hopkins tomorrow. It's not just me though, apparently he's not coming to New York at all for press. It's sort of a downer, but at least I still have Ryan Gosling, who I've interviewed before, and isn't an Oscar winner, and isn't a classically trained British actor who's worked with Laurence Olivier, but I guess you can't win 'em all...

Fracture: The Screening

2007-04-17T08:02:00.000-04:00

I guess Fracture is a thriller, (though not exactly an 'on the edge of your seat' thriller). Anthony Hopkins plays a married engineer who learns that his wife is cheating on him. He shoots her, is arrested, but for various circumstantial reasons he can't be convicted. Ryan Gosling plays the hot-shot assistant DA who's trying to get him behind bars, (when he's not being distracted by a tempting new job in corporate law). Hopkins' part is reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter in the I'm-a-killer-but-I'm-creepily-pleasant-and-mild-mannnered way. He's great at playing that type of character though, and this is no exception. It's amazing how even though we know he's a killer, the whole audience still loves him. There's a surprising amount of humor considering how dark a lot of this movie is, though I saw this with a rather rumbunctious crowd of people and they laughed at a lot of things. Ryan Gosling is great too, as is the supporting cast of Billy Burke, Rosamund Pike, and Embeth Davidtz. I did enjoy most of this movie, although I felt it dragged a bit towards the end and some of the late realizations seemed a little cheezy. I guess it's a bad sign when I solve the crime a good fifteen minutes before the main character does...

In the press notes for this film, the director refers to Hopkins' as 'Tony' in all his quotes about the actor. Isn't that weird? Would you ever suspect that Anthony Hopkins goes by 'Tony?' Or maybe the director doesn't like him and this is his way of getting back at him. I'll look into it tomorrow when I interview both Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. Anyone have any questions you want to ask them?

TV is My Teacher

2007-04-16T07:48:00.000-04:00

I think I watched too much TV yeterday, but it was all so worth it. I laughed, I yelled, I learned- it was truly a roller coaster of entertainment.

First I caught up on two episodes of Ricky Gervais' Extras. I really enjoyed them, and in my opinion it doesn't get any better than Andy Millman wearing that wig and glasses in When the Whistle Blows. And then there's this:

I'd been hearing about Discovery Channel's Planet Earth for a while, but this is the first time I watched it. Wow. It's so incredible to watch all this awesome and intimate footage of things I never even knew existed. The only catch is the commercials that seem to cut in every three or four minutes. But who knew there were swimming and diving monkeys in Indonesia or that there was a place in India where crocodiles and otters live in the same river, (and groups of otters can even intimidate 12 ft. crocs), and then there's this six-foot-long salamander in Japan:

I was ready to turn the TV off after Planet Earth ended, but then Man Vs. Wild came on and I was hooked. I'd never even heard of this show before, but I'm now a hardcore fan. It's hosted by Bear Grylls an adventurer/survivalist who served on some secret special forces unit in the British Army. In each show, Bear parachutes into a new harsh environment and must find his way out with help only from a few supplies, (in the episode I watched: a cup, a bottle, and piece of flint). Last night he trekked through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, impressing me the whole way. Bear climbed down a cliff without any equipment, built a makeshift raft out of driftwood and grapevines, rafted down a river in said raft, caught a snake and ate it, made tea out of pine needles, built a wooden hut, killed a rabbit with a well-thrown stick, cooked said rabbit over a spit, and tried to tame a wild horse. It was incredible. It all seems so impossible and then Bear just goes ahead and does it. Are you skeptical? Then watch this:

I think I'll hold off on TV today. I'm on a strict diet of NPR and print media...

Even the NY Times knows it...

2007-04-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

First up, I'm really pumped for Knocked Up, Judd Apatow's new film coming out this summer. You probably remember him some of the previous projects he's directed or produced including Feaks & Geeks, 40 Year Old Virgin, and Anchorman. A lot of people have already written in, asking for some segments on the movie so I've been trying to book something with the cast. Hopefully we'll be able to set something up...

And now- the quote of the day:

Its vibrant downtown overflows with urban pleasures like chic restaurants, funky nightclubs and spritely neighborhoods crackling with youthful energy, but nobody's boasting. That's another nice thing about Portland.

Hopefully you've already seen this, but if not- check out this article. It's a great travel piece from the NY Times about, (do you really not know?), Portland, Oregon.

Back in NY

2007-04-12T11:55:00.000-04:00

I just got back a few hours ago, greeted by fog and rain showers. Let me bask in the warmth of some left over pictures from my cell phone- I promise I'll be back on topic tomorrow...

Another beautiful day...

2007-04-06T11:30:00.000-04:00

Portland just doesn't get any better than this...

I've been keeping busy hunting for treasure in Camas, Washington, but more on that later...

Portland...

2007-04-05T10:43:00.000-04:00

I'm still in Portland, but I'm making some plans for when I get back. Stay tuned for interviews with Ryan Gosling, Anthony Hopkins, Lauren Ambrose, Maura Tierny, and others. And it looks like they'll be yet another interview with Paul Rudd, (which makes #5?). Any burning questions you want to ask them? Let me know.

And here are some camera phone pictures from my time in Oregon so far:

Portland in mere hours...

2007-03-29T15:54:00.000-04:00

I'm all packed, but I have the feeling that I forgot something. I think I always have that feeling, and usually it's true. I hope it's not something too important...

No high-five news yet, though I'm still trying to get some more people excited about it. It looks like we might have a Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins interview coming up next month for Fracture. I'll keep you posted. And the most exciting news in my world- the new Harry Potter covers were released yesterday:

And now, off to Portland!

Portland in one day...

2007-03-28T08:44:00.000-04:00

It's not only my hometown, it's also one of the best cities in the nation (and world?). But you don't have to take my word for it- magazines continually rank it in their "top tens" too. Some of the lists that Portland has graced include:

• Best Arts Cities (#10)
• Best Places to Live (#1)
• Best Walking Towns (#1)
• Best Cycling Cities (#1)
• Cities for Independent Moviemakers (#3)
• Cleanest Cities (#1)
• Sustainable Cities (#2)
• Best Big Cities (#2)

For more info on visiting Portland, click here.

In high-five news, there's no word on a sponsor yet though more people have expressed some interest. I've been seeing all those Dunkin Donuts commercials recently with the new slogan- Amerca Runs on Dunkin. It got me thinking- why can't America high-five on Dunkin too? Maybe I'll write to them today. Or maybe I should just get a whole slew of sponsors, and then I can get one of those jackets like those Nascar drivers. That guy to the left is sporting at least ten different brands on his jacket. Who knew Sharpie sponsored drivers?

It's now time for another entry from the Prospect Park camera phone photography files:

Portland in two days...

2007-03-27T07:47:00.000-04:00

It's true- I'm off to Portland in a mere two days, and I'm pretty pumped. In fact, according to my wikipedia entry:

"I definitely see myself moving back to Portland in a few years...it's just so wonderful here, the best place on earth" said Frankel when asked about future plans.

I'm not sure if I really remember saying this, but it's in my wikipedia entry, so it's got to be true...

I saw The Lookout last week, and I really enjoyed it. I think the less you know about this movie, the better, so I won't say too much. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, and Isla Fisher, and is basically a sort of crime thriller with unique circumstances. The whole cast is awesome, and it had me on the edge of my seat for most of the film, (which doesn't really say much for me- I sort of can't take any suspense).

Also, here's a brief photo essay I compiled from two pictures I took on my camera phone in Prospect Park. I call it The Life and Death of Waterfowl:

The Last Mimzy: The Segment

2007-03-23T10:48:00.000-04:00

I got a chance to sit down with the stars, (Rainn Wilson, Timothy Hutton, & Joely Richardson), of The Last Mimzy earlier this week, and here's what they had to say about the filming, working with kids, and my sweater:

There are a few more fun parts that didn't make the final segment, but look for those next week...

And now, a tribute...

2007-03-21T10:38:00.000-04:00

Today is Public Service Announcement Mascot Day, (or PSAMD for short), so in honor of the occasion. I present the following three classic PSAs-

McGruff: (notice the size of those walkie talkes)

Woodsy Owl:

Smokey the Bear:

And yes, I did just make up PSA mascot day, but do we really need an excuse to watch these?

Great news!

2007-03-20T17:02:00.000-04:00

Are you searching for a way to make your next graduation, retirement party, or special event even more memorable? Well, look no further. Now you can have Jaleel White as the featured speaker at your next event. Jaleel played Steve Urkel on the classic sitcom Family Matters, and according his bio he also "wrote and supplied story ideas for several episodes."

Each week he amazed audiences with his versatility and unforgettable characters including Myrtle Urkel, Steve's southern belle cousin, and Stefan Urquelle, Steve's suave alter ego. Urkel's popularity sent Family Matters into the television history books, making it one of few shows to reach 200 episodes. Family Matters also became a hit in Spain, France and other countries.

Now, White brings his experience on Family Matters to the podium, sharing unique anecdotes about making the show and writing for television. Also recounting his own story of trying to make it in the real world upon graduating college, White offers a down-to-earth perspective and advice on ways to find one's own voice in life and standing out in the crowd.

Jaleel can speak on a wide varity of subjects, though his suggested topics are "Steal the Show," and "An Evening with Jaleel White." I wonder if the latter includes a performance of the Urkel dance? You can click here for Jaleel's booking information.

If Jaleel's busy, I'm also available to speak on topics such as "High-Five Your Way to Success," "Portland: An Embarrassment of Riches," and "Behind the Scenes of Studio 7."

Look!

2007-03-20T07:41:00.000-04:00

Mimzy loves Clips & Quips!

The Last Mimzy: The Junket Report

2007-03-19T14:56:00.000-04:00

Just got back from the junket for The Last Mimzy, and I think this might be the most swag-filled junket ever. You can see all the goodies in the picture to the left. I got a T-shirt, (XL as usual...), a yoyo, a kaleidoscope, a launching spinny top, rock candy, the soundtrack CD, and my own "mimzy" toy bunny. They also had samples of the new Mimzy themed ice cream in the hospitality suite. Now to the interviews:

Rainn Wilson: So did he remember me? I was torn whether I should bring up our first interview, but I guess I didn't need to worry. The first thing he said to me was, "Hey, I remember you." So he definitely remembered the interview, which was one of the first interviews that he did to promote The Office along with John, Jenna, and BJ. We chatted about the film mostly; the appealing nature of the script, working with the child stars, and being directed by the head of New Line. I was able to fit in one Office question, but I didn't get a real answer. You'll see what I mean when I get the clip up. As I was getting ready to leave the room-

Rainn: So, a lot of people have seen that interview.
Boaz: Yeah, it's one of our most popular clips.
Rainn: We were pretty crazy that day.
Boaz: Well, we were stuck in that small conference room for about an hour with that strange foreign make-up guy.
Rainn: Yeah, I remember that. I think it's still up on youtube.

I told him to send my best to his castmates and my slot was up...

Bob Shaye: He's not only the director of this film, he's also the head of New Line. This film's been in the works for over ten years because he's been a little preoccupied running New Line. He was very friendly though. I told him how The Last Mimzy reminded me of Donnie Darko, and he said some other people had mentioned it as well, though he's never even seen all of Donnie Darko. He's clearly talked about this film a lot, and some of his responses seemed a bit cannned, but he did light up when I asked him about Brian Greene, (string theorist and author of The Elegant Universe and other books), who served as a consultant on the film and even played a bit part. It was important to Bob that even though it's a sci-fi movie, that it be based on some truth of physics and the universe. Bob said he even had dinner with Brian Greene a few nights ago...

Joely Richardson and Tim Hutton: Super friendly and definitely game for some joking around. We didn't even get to a movie question for two or three minutes into the interview. The woman giving me time cues seemed a little annoyed, but Tim and Joely were the ones doing the distracting. First, they were interested in the origin of my name and we spent some time talking about possible nicknames: Bo, Bozeman, Boflex, Boaxena Warrior Princess, (that one really confused Joely- apparently she's not familiar with that show). Then as I got ready to ask my first movie question, Tim interrupted me and and wanted to know about the little embroidered insignia on my sweater. "It's a lacrosse player," Joely explained. It's one my favorite sweaters from J. Crew, although to be honest, I didn't even know it was a lacrosse player until a few weeks ago. We discussed that for a bit before we eventually got on topic. They especially liked my question about trying to come up with authentic reactions when they were filming the CGI sci-fi scenes. They tell a funny story about Rainn and Michael Clarke Duncan, but I'll make you wait for that one till the clip's up.

So I think that's it. Any questions? Want any of my swag? Let me know...

Friday Fun-Bag

2007-03-16T07:21:00.000-04:00

A few quick things- someone alerted me to this incredible article in the NY Times. I can't recommend it more highly. Also, I've seen this a number of times over the years, but I just can't get enough of Twiggy, the water-skiing squirrel. Apparently, they're on the fifth Twiggy now.

Coming up next week: A screening of The Lookout and an interview with the cast of The Last Mimzy.

I've been feeling a little mimzy...

2007-03-15T07:32:00.000-04:00

I've been hearing about The Last Mimzy for a while. They had a special screening at Sundance, and a lot of people have been talking about it since it was directed by Bob Shaye, the founder and co-chairman of New Line. So yesterday I finally got a chance to see it. The Last Mimzy tells the story of siblings Noah and Emma, (who live in Seattle, a mere three hours from Portland!!!), who find a box of strange, magical toys that might actually be more than playthings. Their parents are played by Joely Richardson and Timothy Hutton, and Rainn Wilson, (The Office's Dwight Schrute), plays Noah's science teacher who gets caught up in the mystery.

The first thing that struck me about the film was that it's basically Donnie Darko for kids, (complete with a mysterious rabbit, though this bunny's a lot cuter). It deals with similar issues of time warps and the universe, and it's fun to try to put the pieces together. String theorist Brian Greene, served as a consultant on the film and even plays a bit part. The whole cast is great, especially the two kids who pretty much carry the whole film. The effects were pretty impressive, and really blended in seamlessly. The Last Mimzy seems a litte less thought out than Donnie Darko, though. There are a number of loose ends that just don't seem to come together by the end, (which might have something to do with the fact that the screenplay went through five different writers and nineteen drafts). There are also a number of product placements and brand mentions which really stick out like sore thumbs in the semi-fantasy world of the movie. All in all, I did enjoy it. And I can't help but wonder what the kids in the audience were thinking. Did they understand all the science stuff? Was it too scary? Either way, that girl and her bunny are so darn cute...

I love Paul Rudd, but...

2007-03-14T08:09:00.000-04:00

I saw the movie Diggers, earlier this week. Haven't heard of it? Neither had I. It stars Paul Rudd, Maura Tierny, Lauren Ambrose, Sarah Paulson, and Ken Marino, (of Wet Hot American Summer fame, who also wrote this film), and imdb describes it as:

A coming-of-age story about four working-class friends growing up in Long Island, New York, as clam diggers. Their fathers were clam diggers as well as their grandfathers before them.

Sounds a little boring? Well, it is. There are definitely funny parts, but the ragtag clam-digging buddies, (the druggy, the ladies man, the angry husband/father, and the quiet artistic, depressed one), seem a little stereotypical and one-note. Plus, Paul Rudd's character talks to himself too much. There are a few fun and memorable scenes, but those are too few and far between. There's also a background story of the "big business" clam conglomerate taking business from the "little guy" clam digger, which comes across as a little tired and rehashed.

Apparently, David Wain was supposed to direct Diggers, but then Stella got picked up on Comedy Central and he had to back out. I wonder how it would have been different if he had been in the helm...

Also, I saw a great TV show on Food Network last night- Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels. I wouldn't regularly watch this stuff, but this was a very special episode from Portland, OR. They had some beautiful city shots, showcased a few great spots, and even featured a restaurant that's down the street from my house. I even recognized a friend of mine sitting in the background of a shot.

The quest for a high-five sponsor continues. The folks at Saturn are passing the idea around... I guess that's better than a "no."

Croonchy Stars: The Return?

2007-03-11T22:27:00.000-04:00

In the late 1980s, Jim Henson and Post teamed up to create a new cereal inspired by the Swedish Chef. To jog your memory:

So they came up with this cereal called Croonchy Stars, which were basically these little cinammony, slightly-sweetened, stars. The cereal itself was great and I remember the box being especially awesome with lots of games and jokes. But within a year or so the cereal was gone from the shelves, never to be eaten again... or was it?

Recently I came upon this Dora the Explorer Cereal in the supermarket and noted the similarities in size and shape. Both cereals had small yellowish stars, (although the Dora cereal has a hole through the center of the star). So I bought a box, and sure enough, it was also slightly-sweetened with a cinnamon flavor. Generals Mills makes this cereal though, so it doesn't seem possible that it's the same recipe, but it is definitely very similar.

Any one else want to conduct a taste-test of their own?

Misc...

2007-03-09T17:01:00.000-05:00

Why is it that when there's re-runs of everything else, there's still a new episode of Scrubs. I guess it's one of those mysteries that no one ever really understands... Or maybe they just have a weird production schedule.

Lots of people have been calling to have us cover The Last Mimzy. I don't know much about, (because I don't want to spoil it before I see it), but I do know that Rainn Wilson's in it. It looks like I'll see it sometime next week, and then I'll probably be interviewing Rainn. I wonder if he'll remember me from our interview two years ago? I think I may have been the first journalist to interview the cast of The Office. It was a few months before the show even launched. We were also so young and naive back then...

In high-five news, I'm still on the quest for someone to sponsor a high-five tour of the US. Any takers? I sent a proposal to Saturn yesterday, (the cars, not the planet), though I haven't heard back yet.

Current loves us again...

2007-03-08T14:35:00.000-05:00

Well, I hope they do. It looks like they want to air our Ira Glass interview from Sundance. There's a rough cut of the abridged interview up on their site now. You should go over there, (by clicking here), and give us a "greenlight" to show your support. We'll add some nice transitions and pretty b-roll before it actually gets on the air, but you can get an idea...

I was pretty happy with last night's Lost episode. There wasn't that much new information but they did introduce some cool twists and I actually like the light-hearted stories they've been doing with Hurley and Sawyer. Thoughts?

Just When You Thought Things Couldn't Get Any More Official...

2007-03-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

Wow. That was sort of a long blog title. To be honest, I thought of a few ways I might shorten it, but I thought it would lose a lot of the panache that way. After being separated from my certificate for a few weeks, we've been reunited and it's now hanging up in the living room. Now, any and all visitors to the apartment will immediately know that they're in the living space of a Guinness World Record Holder. I'm still on the look out for a high-five tour sponsor. So far I haven't heard a anything from Hershey's and Take 5. I also tried to contact Burt's Bees, because I thought it might be a cool tie-in for their hand salve. I was reluctant to believe it at first, but after an hour of intensive high-fiving my hand got quite raw and sore. Enter their hand salve and in a few minutes my hand's as good as new. But no word from Burt... Some other people have suggested Hi-C, Toyota, Best Western and other travel-related companies for sponsors. Anyone have an uncle/aunt/cousin/neighbor at one of their ad agencies? And for those of who are wondering when I'll get tired of this- I won't. When it comes to high fives, I'm truly indefatigable.

In other news, Rob Cordry's new sitcom, The Winner, premiered on Sunday. I felt sort of mixed on the first two episodes that aired. While there were some funny moments, the incessant laugh track was so irritating that it only made everything a little less funny. There were some original ideas and characters, but it there were also a lot of sitcomy jokes that fell flat. It's almost as though they took a unique idea and then awkwardly shoved it into the mold of a sitcom. If that's the case, then these TV execs really have to start being less pervicacious. Rob Cordry was always one of the nice ones when I was interning at The Daily Show, so I'll give it a few more tries. Did you watch it? Any thoughts? I mean, I don't want to start a donnybrook, but tell me what you thought.

There's a lot of stuff in the works now- both C&Q related and otherwise. Nothing definite to report yet, but you just wait...

Flossin' Friday

2007-03-02T16:07:00.000-05:00

I'm all about the "blast from the past" these days, so here's another clip from the C&Q archives. Watch as a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Boaz chats and flosses with Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy.

Did you notice how Eugene wasn't interested in flossing, while Sam Jackson went for it? Anyone have any thoughtful conclusions?

Did Tucker give up?

2007-03-01T13:45:00.000-05:00

This is already sort of old news, but a while ago Tucker Carlson got rid of his bowtie. We intervied Tucker over a year ago, and back then he had a very different attitude about the fashion accessory. He essentially implied that by not wearing the bowtie anymore, he would be giving up. So did he give up? You can be the judge...

Thoughts? Comments?

Warning: Very High Cute Factor

2007-02-27T14:08:00.000-05:00

This might just be the cutest thing you've seen in a long time. And I'm not talking puppy and kitten cute, I'm talking seriously cute.

It's been a sticky ride...

2007-02-25T19:19:00.000-05:00

On October 3rd 2006, I bought a four pound jar of peanut butter, and today I finally finished it. I kept track of every time I opened that jar, and wrote down a tally in marker on the side of the jar. In the approximately four-and-a-half months it took me to finish it, I used that peanut butter for twenty-three sandwiches as well as thirty-six straight spoonfuls. That adds up to fifty-nine servings from one jar, narrowly beating the recommended 57 servings listed on the label. In honor of the occasion, here's someone else's tribute to one of my favorite food items:

High Five Tour?

2007-02-24T20:04:00.000-05:00

Call me crazy, but I've got dreams of becoming a professional high-fiver. I think I'm well on my way with the Guinness World Record and all, but now I want to go on a high-five tour of the US. The only problem is funding, so I've been trying to appeal to some companies who could sponsor the tour. One of my first thoughts was Take 5, the Hershey's candy bar. Not only is it a delicious snack, but there's nothing like sitting down with that salty/sweet treat after a long day of high-fiving. Plus, the whole 5 thing- High 5, Take 5- you get it. I've sent them a proposal, but no word yet. Anyone work at Hershey's? Or for an ad agency? Or does anyone know of another company who would be interested in sponsoring a high-five tour? Let me know...

I Think I ________ This Movie

2007-02-22T17:15:00.000-05:00

I saw Chris Rocks's new film yesterday, I Think I Love My Wife. First off, I always wonder why actors feel the need to direct and star in their own movie- can't they share the riches? Do they really think no one could do the job as well?

Either way, the movie wasn't that great. Rock plays Richard Cooper, who's been married for eight years, (and has two cute kids), and now finds his eyes wandering to other woman... a lot. He strikes up a "friendship" with Nikki, (an old acquaintance), which at some points seems just like a friendship and other times seems like a little more. It's irritating for me to watch a character doing something wrong when they, in fact, know its wrong and are asking the same questions I am. Or maybe Chris Rock just couldn't pull it off... He was pretty funny at points, although his frequent narration was definitely not necessary and just took me out of the story. There were fun and interesting parts though, and Steve Buscemi plays a great supporting character...

Two mediocre movies in two days is a bit much. I think I'm ready for a break now. Pretty good episode of Lost last night, and I'm looking forward to The Office tonight. Even though The Office cast member Rashida Jones rejected our invitation to be a guest on Clips & Quips. Her loss...

The newest movie you've seen ten times before...

2007-02-21T08:58:00.000-05:00

Last night I saw Lion's Gate new film, Pride, starring Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, and Tom Arnold. It tells the all-too-classic story of a group of poor African American kids growing up in a rough neighborhood of Philadelphia in the 1970s. Their future's aren't looking too bright until Jim Ellis, (played by Howard), gets a job at their soon-to-be-condemned rec center and starts teaching them to swim. And then everything starts looking up for this rag-tag group of youngsters which, (of course), includes the shrimpy stuttering kid who's always the butt of the joke, the cocky know-it-all, and the tough guy who barely knows how to read, (spoiler: in a stirring moment near the end of the film he picks up a novel and starts reading). After many gruelling swim practices, (where we question whether Coach Ellis is being too tough- was that 100 laps really necessary?), some encounters with racism that make them look adversity in the face, (Tom Arnold plays the jerky coach of a competing team), and even finding their own repeatable mantra, ("This is our house!"), they somehow save the doomed rec center and find their way to the big regional swim tournament. And then when everything seems to be going well, the screenwriters, (or at least one of them- there are four listed in the credits), suddenly remember that they still need to get another fifteen minutes out of the movie, so they throw in a sudden out-of-character brawl, (which includes a brief but neat underwater fight), that takes a few minutes to resolve. Every once in a while, they also remembered to sneak in bits and pieces of a love story between Coach Ellis and one of his swimmer's older sister. It all seems to be going well as they share a piece of cake, but then she gets uncharacteristically mad, but then seemingly forgets about it in the following scene. I guess that's just how love works sometime... It's also tough to miss the often overwrought score which goes out of its way to hi-light the hopeful, triumphant, and tear-jerker moments to ensure you don't miss them.

So would I recommend this one? Well, maybe if you haven't see Coach Carter, Lean on Me, Stand & Deliver, Dangerous Minds, Take the Lead, or one of the other countless inspirational coach/teacher movies then this will be new and exciting fare for you, otherwise...

And this movie is also "inspired by trues events," although I have a hard time believing that anything in the real world is truly this cliche. I might get to interview the cast and the real Jim Ellis next week- I'll figure out what the real story is and keep you posted.

A trip down memory lane...

2007-02-20T17:20:00.000-05:00

So I thought it was time to take a look back at the premiere episode of the epic series, The Adventures of Mr. Kazoo. It turned out not to be so epic after all, since there were only six episodes. But you never know, there might be more Mr. Kazoo yet.

Some behind the scenes commentary:

• At one point Mr. Kazoo had pipe cleaner arms, but I ripped them off before filming this episode. You can still see the remnants of hot glue on his back.

• All of Mr. Kazoo's dialogue was dubbed in afterwards.

• If you look closely, you'll see a colonial picture of Boaz and his roomates on the wall as Evan sticks his head out of the kitchen.

Anyone have ideas for a future episode?

My Biggest Visitor

2007-02-15T16:06:00.000-05:00

Today my trio of bird feeders welcomed their largest visitor yet. Okay- to be totally honest the bird didn't actually eat from the feeders, but it eyed them for a while and then came back again for another visit a few minutes later.

Toy Fair Revisited

2007-02-14T14:21:00.000-05:00

So I was in the area yesterday, and I had some time on my hands, and I realized I may have been a little harsh on my first assessment... so I decided to return to the Toy Fair and give it another go. I think I was a little more patient this time, and without the weight of camera/audio equipment I was feeling unemcumbered and ready to play.

As a fan of bouncy balls, I'm always on the lookout for advancements in the field. There are sooo many "high bounce" balls on the market, but if you give some of these balls a test bounce you'll realize that it's far from the truth. Then I met Santron, who works for Rocket USA, and he introduced me to their Spikee Brand Bouncy Balls.
Not only does the spike texture give it a pleasurable hold, but with a good strong bounce this ball will easily go over six feet. It's not the highest bouncer I've seen, but paired with the additional textured feature and glow in the dark abilities, I'd rank this one pretty high.

I think the coolest collection of products this year was at the Fred & Friends booth. These guys used to be strictly in the toy business, (making some of the best stretchy lizards, snakes, and body parts around), but a few years ago they expanded into the adult market making home products and other fun things. Everything they make is beautifull designed, from their manhole cover mats to the high heel door stop to colorful animal oven mitts, and that's just the beginning. They don't sell to consumer's directly, but you can find most of their stuff at perpetualkids.com or you can use their store locator to find a location near you.

The most secretive thing I saw at the Toy Fair was probably at the Basic Fun booth. They're coming out with a line of Transformers products to coincide with the premiere of the new movie this summer. They keep all the prototypes for the Transformers toys in a back room because the movie people don't want pictures of the characters to get out. I got a special tour though, and now I know what they look like. So what do they look like? Transformery, I guess... Basic Fun also makes Pontiki, these cool little geometric pieces that you can put together to make all sorts of creatures. It's sort of like Mr. Potato Head for older people, (nothing against the potato). I've always sort of wanted to get one, but they're pretty expensive. The woman I spoke to at Basic Fun said they sell them to retailers for $3.00, so it must be the retailers marking the price up.

There are always a lot of people with board games at the Toy Fair, but most of them usually seem pretty lame. But one board game stands out like a beacon in a sea of lameness. That game is Controversy, developed by the nice guys at NY Game Factory. It's an action-packed game full of discussion, persuasion, and fun. So maybe I'm a little biased since I participated in an early test trial of the game, but it's awesome- trust me.

And I'll end with the most impressive product of the day. This truly blew my mind, and still impresses me everytime I see it in action. They're called ZeeBeez:
It looks sort of like those little rubber half spheres that you flip inside-out and set on the counter until they pop up when you least expect them- but it's sooo much more. Zeebeez start the same way, you flip it inside out, but then you hold onto this little yellow peg and give it a slight spin as you drop it. It hits the floor with a loud pop, and then shoots up astonishingly quickly to a height of at least six feet. I can't even explain it, but it's amazing. I'm not sure where they're available yet, but if you're in the NY area you should stop by my apartment so you can try it for yourself. If that wasn't cool enough, it was invented by Oregonian Steve Walterscheid, who after licensing his ideas to other companies for years is starting off on his own with Zing Toys.

So there you go, a slightly less jaded report from the Toy Fair. Questions? Comments? Want to schedule as appointment to test Zeebeez?

Toy Fair '07

2007-02-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

So here it is, the clip from this year's Toy Fair. Watch out for electrocution, a life size buffalo, and a special cameo appearance that even we didn't see coming...

So Howie Mandel just randomly came over during our Rubik's Cube challenge. I've never watched Deal Or No Deal for more than a minute or so, but I didn't tell him that.

Questions? Comments?

In case you've wondered...

2007-02-12T21:37:00.000-05:00

A lot of people ask me what I would like if I were a candy-coated chocolate, and for the longest time I didn't know what to tell them. But now I finally have an answer. After some lengthy research and thanks to recent scientific progress, I am able to present the following to you:

And what would Evan look like?

Any other questions?

Toy Fair sounds a lot more fun than it is...

2007-02-12T12:28:00.000-05:00

Every year Toy Fair ends up being a dissapointment, and this year wasn't much of an exception. Not only is everybody suspicious of everyone stealing their ideas, but you'd be hard-pressed to find many new or exciting things. Typically, these toy manufacturers take something that was already popular and then they add lights or a beeping noise and call it "new and improved." This year they added lights and noise to the Rubik's Cube and called it Rubik's Revolution. I didn't actually play with it, so perhaps it really is revolutionary and cool.

I was happy to see our buddies from Pass the Pigs, (which is one of my top five favorite games in the world). They distribute the classic Rubik's Cube too, and to demonstrate it thay had a guy who could solve it in mere minutes while blindfolded. That was pretty impressive. They also had "the real" Mr. Moneybags from Monopoly at their booth. If you look at the picture above, you'll see a polaroid of the two of us. I also played a new fun game by the makers of Apples to Apples, but that one won't be out until summer. The Toy Fair clip should be up soon, though it's been tough to get work done here with all the construction going on in the apartment upstairs. The noise is deafening and has been pretty consistent for the past few hours. I think I'm going crazy.

One more Sundance thought... about brownies

2007-02-09T10:50:00.000-05:00

We didn't check out much swag at Sundance this year, but of the few things we did look at, many of them were food related. I sampled my way through caviar and Kazakh vodka, but the one thing that really stood out were Mary Louise Butters Brownies. Yes, that's a real name, and I met the real Mary Louise Butters. She's a friendly Texan, and she makes some of the best brownies I've ever tasted. She got twelve different flavors of brownies, plus she uses the edges and other odd pieces to put together bags of "Brownie Butts." Of all the ones I tasted, I think the Zen brownie is my favorite- it has little bits of crystalized ginger in it. She even makes a line of brownie related apparel. So check her out, and tell her that Boaz sent you. Then maybe she'll send me more brownies...

Toy Fair '07

2007-02-08T08:26:00.000-05:00

It's Toy Fair time again, when almost two thousand toy manufacturers move into the Javitz Center for a week to show off their wares. Then toy store owners, packagers, distributors, and other toy industry folk make their way from booth to booth trying to make deals. It sounds exciting, just the prospect of putting these words- "toy" and "fair"- together in one exhibit hall, sounds like an instant party. But that's where you're wrong. Toy Fair is not nearly as fun as it sounds. It is first and foremost a business event. They don't even allow anyone under 18 in the exhibit halls. Also, every single toy manufacturer is nervous and constantly paranoid that another toy manufacturer will steal their idea. So it's a huge building full of toys you can't play with, and people who are wary to talk to you. A lot of toys are still in the prototype phase, which means that they're behind glass and not in your hands. Still, there is some fun to be had. This will be my fourth year, (I think), and we always manage to find some fun, (and often crazy), people, as well as some cool new toys. And if we're on our best behavior, we even get some free stuff. Evan and I will be hitting the Toy Fair on Sunday, but first let's take a trip down memory lane to Toy Fair '06 when a bright eyed and unbearded Boaz checked out the latest toys:

In Wikipedia news today, my article is not only still there, but it's been wikified!

Wikified

2007-02-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

It's official. I now have an entry on Wikipedia. I almost feel like a new man, like I'm finally a "somebody." Nothing can stop me now- unless Wikipedia deletes the entry. Apparently, that can happen if they deem it unworthy. And the article still needs to be wikified, whatever that means. The author of the article is still anonymous, or at least they haven't come forward to claim their kazoo gift basket. If/when they do decide to disclose themselves, they will be welcomed and recognized like royalty on this blog.

Wikipedia & Birds

2007-02-07T09:18:00.001-05:00

So, I'm still wiki-less, in case anyone was wondering. But, whatever- it's not like I care or anything. On the bright side, a few birds have finally started coming to my feeder.

This morning I counted three dark eyed juncos. The feeders, (yes, plural- i have three of them), have been up since the first week in October, but it took over three and a half months for the first bird to show. Even the squirrels were ignoring my feeders. Suddenly, working from home is a lot less lonely.

On the C&Q horizon, it looks like we're finally getting an interview with The Shins, (not only a great band, but they live in Portland, OR too). That's scheduled for March when they come east for their tour, but I'm already looking forward to it.

Also, you may have forgotten, so I'll repeat it again- I, Boaz Frankel, still do not have a wikipedia entry. Anyway, I'm sure you all have busy days so I'll let you go...

Feeling wikidenied...

2007-02-06T09:57:00.000-05:00

I'm just going to come out and say it. I really want a wikipedia entry. If you look to your left, you'll see that I am included in the List of Famous Portlanders, (which is nice and all), but you'll see that my name is in red which means that there is no corresponding entry. I'm not one of those people who's going to register just so I can write my own entry, but I will bring the issue up in this public forum. Now I'm not recommending anything here, but if someone were inspired to write an entry on me then I might just be inspired to send them a gift basket of kazoos and board games. That's all I'm saying... And there are lots of fun things that could be included in said entry. Some wikipedia-worthy accomplishments of mine:

• Broke the Guinness World Record for "most high-fives in an hour"
• Co-created and hosted Mega-Sucessful-Web-Show, Clips & Quips
• Revolutionized the world of kazooing by having the first kazoo-sponsored TV show
• Taught Peter Sarsgaard to play kazoo and Sarah Silverman to play dreidel
• Appeared on the very short-lived WB reality show, Studio 7

Well, those are the only things that come to mind, but with a little flowery writing and some well-placed quotes I think that could make a nice paragraph. I guess that's all I've got for now. So what are you up to? What's that? You have some time on your hands and you're not sure what to do with it? Hmmm...

Reno 911

2007-02-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

I haven't really watched Reno 911 on Comedy Central, except for a few minutes here and there. It takes a lot for a tv show to hook me, and I guess those few minutes of the show didn't do it. Last week I went to a screening of the new feature film, Reno 911!: Miami. I didn't know what to expect, but within a few minutes I was laughing out loud. It was hilarious, featured lots of explosions, and there were some awesome cameos. It seems like everybody from The State is in it for at least a scene too. Our buddies from The Ten, David Wain and Ken Marino appear briefly, and Paul Rudd plays a supporting character. The film was totally ridiculous, and although it may not be at an Anchorman level, it's not that far away. I'd definitely recommend this, and hopefully we'll get some interviews with some of the cast too. I'll keep you posted.

Our Sundance Buddies

2007-02-02T12:01:00.001-05:00

I tried to post this before through my cell phone, but I don't think it worked. So better late than ever. Here are some Sundance staff members with their new Furilla friends. These guys helped us get tickets to all the films. Without them, well, we wouldn't have seen a lot of movies...

This American Clip (& Quip): The Ira Glass Interview

2007-02-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite parts of Sundance was sitting down with Ira Glass to talk about the upcoming This American Life television series on Showtime. It was a little jarring at first, sitting next to a voice that I've been hearing for so long on the radio, but he was so easy and fun to talk to. We ended up chatting for about twenty minutes, and due to viewer suggestions, I've decided to keep it mostly unedited. So here it is - in two acts - my interview with Ira Glass.

Act I:

Act II:

Questions? Comments? Let me know. The lines are open...

The Ten: A Tangential Adventure

2007-01-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

I'm not even sure if calling this an "interview" is an appropriate thing to do. David Wain, Ken Marino, Paul Rudd, and I cover a lot of topics though the movie isn't really one of them. But we did play a little Zobmondo, which is an awesome game I discovered a few summers ago. It's perfect for interviews because the game is based around "would you rather" questions. You can check out the game and get your own copy at zobmondo.com. Interviewing them was fun though, and The Ten did find a distributor during Sundance. It will be out in theatres this summer. First, a little about the film:

The Ten Commandments have been a cornerstone of our society for nearly one hundred years. Whether it's taking a Sunday off or not murdering someone, many of us follow the Ten Commandments every day, without even knowing it.

THE TEN is David Wain's (WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER) hilarious, irreverent, and borderline offensive take on the tales that shape our lives...

- A guy (ADAM BRODY) who becomes an accidental hero after falling out of a plane
- A librarian (GRETCHEN MOL) who has a sexual awakening in Mexico with a swarthy local (JUSTIN THEROUX)
- A doctor (KEN MARINO) who kills his patients "as a goof"
- A police detective (LIEV SCHREIBER) who covets his neighbor's Cat Scan machine
- A mother (KERRI KENNEY-SILVER) who enlists an Arnold Schwarzenneger impersonator (OLIVER PLATT) to be a father figure to her children
- A prisoner (ROB CORDDRY) who covets his fellow inmate's "wife"
- A woman (WINONA RYDER) who falls in love with, and then steals a ventriloquist's puppet
- A Rhinoceros who learns the pitfalls of gossip
- A husband (A. D. MILES) who skips church with his family to get naked with his friends and listen to Roberta Flack

Jeff Reigert (PAUL RUDD) presents all of these stories to the audience, while struggling with his own moral dilemma: having to choose between his beautiful wife (FAMKE JANSSEN) and his also beautiful but somewhat younger mistress (JESSICA ALBA).

And now, the clip: