Irish People Watch Game Grumps For The First Time

Game Grumps - Ice Hockey Rematch

Merry Christmas, everyone.

I hope this becomes a Christmas tradition.



All I want for Christmas this year is goalie lessons for Arin. Perhaps even a goalie camp is called for.

K-Mart Christmas Soundtrack

A few months ago I made a post about the K-Mart in-store PA archive. I particularly noted fondness for the tapes from Christmastime.

Well here's a reminder that you can let K-Mart supply your holiday background soundtrack. May I suggest December 1990? I mean, 1991 is also available but that's a little too modern for my taste, that's basically the devil's music.

JonTron - Soulja Boy's New Video Game Console

JonTron reviews the new video game console that Soulja Boy has invented.

As for me, I don't know what to think. I'm reserving judgement until we hear what Ja thinks.

Comedy is an Endangered Species

This video is depressing. I thought a long time for a better disclaimer but couldn't do better than to say this video is depressing.

You've been warned.

Best of the Worst - Plinketto #7

The Best of the Worst crew allows their terrible movie selection to be determined by a random game of chance. Plus a very special guest. One of the movies they stumble on at random is Home Alone 4. And they watch Home Alone 4 with a very special guest.... Home Alone 4..... very special guest...

How the Rankin/Bass Rudolph Special Has Changed

There's no comedy here or anything educational. It is simply, what it is.

I never knew that the Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special changed over the years. This video explains how.

Ads and Online Tracking

The big topic of conversation at this year's Thanksgiving was online tracking

The long and short of it was that everyone agreed that they were being tracked but everyone differed in their level of discomfort with it.

If this is something you're interested in, here's a really interesting article about how online tracking works and how Duck Duck Go is a new search engine that doesn't do it.

Jontron - Flex Tape II

The first third of this video is very reminiscent of the (Canadian) Newsroom three part episode "The Meltdown". "The Meltdown" was a brilliant homage to Fellini's "8 1/2". The idea for Fellini's "8 1/2" came from getting ready to make a film and forgetting what it was supposed to be about. Likewise, I forget where I was going with this.

Rich Evans on Ellen

Rich Evans is so famous that other celebrities have to talk about him in interviews.


For the origins of Dick the Birthday Boy (the modern origins), check out Best of the Worst: "Night Beast, Trick or Treat, and Skull Forest".

But how did this happen?

Rich was raised by his grandmother and she's the one that designed the shirt. No one really questioned it in sort of a "what grandma wants, grandma gets" kind of way. After Rich's grandmother died, Rich asked his friend, minor internet celebrity Mike Stoklasa, to help him go through the house to sort out her belongings and throw things away. Mike found the photo, put it in his pocket and didn't tell Rich about its existence until he sprung it on him for Best of the Worst. Rich had no memory of the shirt, the photo or the way in which it fell into Mike's hands, so his reaction is genuine.

Conan in Japan

Conan and Jordan Schlansky visit Japan.

Mystery Diners?

This video posits that "Mystery Diners" is the worst show on tv. Is it? Well first I want to know what even is a Mystery Diner?

This video starts out a bit rough but stick with it, it's redeemed by great bad reality show acting and great bad reality show twists.... and some great editing.



"Let's lower the drone so we can get some better audio" - Charles Stiles, Mystery Diners.

How to Solve Who Shot Mr. Burns

A pretty well done video re-examining the case of Who Shot Mr. Burns and giving some of the clues that were hidden throughout the episode.



I've never talked to enough people about it to know whether my answer was obvious or perhaps "too obvious" but I always thought it was "obvious" that it was the dog, Santa's Little Helper.

First, the dog was left in the car with the gun. Mr. Burns speaks to someone who doesn't speak back and he doesn't react as if that's a strange thing. And he says "I think you better drop it. I said drop it!" which is clearly a dog phrase. Plus, it being a non-human no one would go to jail and they could carry on the show as if nothing happened.

Even if you were going to go down the route that Mr. Burns points to W and S on the sundial to somehow give a clue as to who did it - I've never bought that idea for a second - but even if you were doing that he pointed to "S" and "M" for Simpson's Mutt.

So I've always thought that that's the answer and I was so convinced, so sure that I was right that I've never accepted the "real" answer. It wasn't Maggie, it was the dog! Like I said, maybe my answer is so obvious that it would be too obvious and was intended to throw people off. I don't know, I'd need to talk to more people to see. But the even greater mystery is: how could there be a massive nationwide contest and not one person actually guessed the right answer? That may be proof that the real answer really was objectively very stupid.

North Koreans try American Thanksgiving

Late Show - Lyle the Intern

This compilation is an 1 hour and 6 minutes long. I can't recommend watching a full hour of Lyle the Intern. No one has had such a long exposure to Lyle and in such a high concentration so the effects are completely unknown. I'm not here to disrespect what you got goin' on here, Biggie Smalls. You read me, Potsy?

But let me hit you with some knowledge... During this era of Late Show comedy pieces, this was the highlight - perhaps the ONLY highlight. If you're pickin' up what I'm puttin' down, make like a communist and hit that red square.



The collection ends with a rehearsal segment for a skit that never aired. So don't be too confused.

Lawyer Reacts To...

The youtube channel LegalEagle was started as an informative channel to help guide students through law school but wasn't until they started "reacting to" court scenes in television and movies, it really took off.

This is the video that really attracted my attention. Here a real lawyer reacts to movies like "My Cousin Vinny" and "The Insider".



"The Insider", by the way, is a very very underrated and under-seen movie. If you haven't seen "The Insider", check it out.

Between the extremes of education and useless entertainment, the video above represents the sweet spot between the two where both can go hand-in-hand most harmoniously. After this, the reaction videos devolve into all the court scenes of all the various stupid video games, episodes of "Law and Order", "Ally McBeal" etc.

But I also provide the video below where a real lawyer breaks down the "Cereal Defense" episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". Here, we're so far down the path of stupidity that it starts being fun again.



Hopefully a "World Series Defense" episode is upcoming.

MST3K - Season 12 Trailer

The trailer for Mystery Science Theater 3000 Season 12 is out and it reveals all the movies that will be watched.


Mac and Me. So awesome.

re:View - Hackers

Jack Packard and Macaulay Culkin have an in-depth discussion of "Hackers". That's right: Jack Pack and Mac discuss Hack...ers.

Get out your keyboards, bios your motherboards and head for the garbage file - it's Hackers!


That bit towards the end had me laughing.

Game Grumps - The Grump Variations

The whole nature and structure of this is so reminiscent of classic Looney Tunes. It's so well done.



The song is the song from the first stage of 3D World Runner, by the way.

Norm Macdonald - The Real Heroes

The audio here is a bit primitive. Use headphones if you can.



"My belt holds my pants up, but the belt loops hold my belt up. I don't really know what's happening down there. Who is the real hero?" - Mitch Hedberg

Happy Halloween 2018

Now that it's the 31, it's dark, the apple cider is poured and I'm waiting for trick-or-treaters, it's time for the creepiest, scariest Halloween clip of them all! Dare you proceed? WAH-HA-HA-HAAA!

Spooky Halloween, everyone!

GMM - Worst Halloween Candy Tournament

The 16 worst candies are set up bracket-style. One by one, the best of the worst are eliminated until the worst of the worst is revealed.







When I think to my days trick-or-treating, I think the candy I dreaded most was Mary Janes. I don't remember what they tasted like so maybe it was just the packaging. But Mary Jane isn't even included here. Maybe it's a regional food? Good & Plenty was quite bad too. With Good & Plenty, I always thought I'd like them because they looked good but then I'd rediscover the reality.

Game Grumps - Ice Hockey (2)

If my childhood boiled down to one thing, it would be video games. And if I had to distill the era of video games down to one system, it would be Nintendo. And if I had to distill all Nintendo games down to a single game of my childhood, it might be Ice Hockey. The look of the cartoon sprites, the excitement of the music, the simple gameplay... it's such a special memory.







Dude, guys, this is my favorite Game Grump series...

The reason for the "2" in the title is they played Ice Hockey once before. Part 1, Part 2.

Ernest Roulette - Scared Stupid

Hey Vern, did you know that there's a show where people spin a wheel of Ernest movies and then watch the movie it lands on? This is the idea behind Ernest Roulette, the only Ernest-based podcast with a wheel.

In this episode - just in time for Halloween - they discuss "Ernest Scared Stupid". And this episode features special guest-star Jack Packard who you might remember from a completely different internet show where they watch and discuss wheel-suggested bad movies! How about the way it happens?!



The way I experienced it, "Ernest Goes to Camp" was the greatest Ernest movie. I used to watch the Ernest tv show and really enjoyed it but when my sister and I rented "EgtC" from the pharmacy,  it blew our friggin' minds. I saw "Scared Stupid" and "Saves Christmas" in the theater and they were fun but not nearly as magical as "Camp".

But that's the childhood experience, perhaps if I revisited them today the rankings would shift.

Best of the Worst - Halloween '18

The annual Best of the Worst Halloween tradition goes horribly awry and Jay killed cats when he was a kid.

Koreans Try American BBQ

A couple videos in the "Some people try American ______" genre.

(South) Korean girls try American BBQ:



And North Koreans try American style wings with an American. Watch for captions such as "Laughs in American".



You must be able to to take the royalty-free version of "La Grange" for a while but I think it's great to see cultures share some good food.

Call me a dreamer but I really think we'll see North and South reunite in our lifetime.

St. Crispin's Day

It's that time of year again. Today is the day when we all hold our manhood's cheap.



Every day is St. Crispin's Day for me.

P&S - Soviet Jokes

We think of the Soviet Union as a place devoid of lightheartedness, but no! A new story reveals that during the Cold War the CIA compiled a list of Soviet jokes for.... some reason.

Conan is No More

On Thursday, that last episode of Conan as we know it aired.

For the rest of the year, Conan will be on the road. In November, Conan's new podcast premieres. Starting in January, Conan will air in a half hour format and will have more remotes and travel pieces.

I don't have much to say about this news because there aren't a lot of details and I don't care all that much. I think more remotes is good news, but that's about it. I hope Andy has a significant role doing something; no word on how he fits into all this.

I thought for sure that Conan was going to surpass Dave's record for years on late night. Letterman hosted for 33 years, Conan is currently at 25 but still fairly young. When Johnny Carson was in his 25th year, he was an old man ready to retire at any moment.

“If you saw a sketch from our old ‘Late Night’ show while eating ramen in your dorm room in 1995, a sketch that either delighted or enraged you, now you can relive that moment anytime you want.” I've been thinking a lot lately of the flashback to Conan's first day of college where he introduces himself with the line "Hey fellas, ready for all the good times?" When that gets posted I will be sure to share it here.

GMM - The Best Burrito?

Rhett and Link determine the best widely available burrito.



The fact that Moe's isn't included means this episode is a contest for second place.

I also think there's a flaw in the testing methodology. When taking large bites from a burrito, you're bound to get a pocket of only one or two ingredients. What they should have done is many bites across a cross-section to get a complete sense of the burrito profile.

My own rankings from the tests that I've conducted:

1. Moe's
2. Qdoba
3. Chipotle
4. Baja Fresh

GMM - Paul Scheer

Rhett, Link and Paul Scheer attempt to match ventriloquists to their ventriloquist dummies:



And in honor of How Did This Get Made, they view foreign movie posters and try to guess which movie they're for.

MST3K Returns Thanksgiving Day

I made the title "MST3K Returns Thanksgiving Day" but if I had left it at "Thanksgiving" would people be confused? "Is it Thanksgiving Eve?" "I thought it was the Second Night of Thanksgiving!"

The new season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 will be released to Netflix on Thanksgiving and will consist of 6 episodes. You can read about it here.

Conan - Ninja Sex Party

Ninja Sex Party perform their song "Danny Don't You Know" on Conan.



I'm sure that being the musical guest on Conan isn't what it used to be but it still feels like a big deal.

Late Show - Pat and Kenny Read Oprah Transcripts

The full collection of Pat and Kenny Read Oprah Transcripts. Almost two hours of Oprah transcripts...


I tried to research how authentic the transcripts are. They are certainly using real quotes from the show although there is definitely selective editing and some embellishment, from what I can tell.

A tidbit from the video description: "The brainchild of Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, Late Show writers and later the creators of "How I Met Your Mother.""

Back when this was on I wrote down the address to write to and kept it on a text document on my computer. I always wanted to find out what happens when you write in for a transcript of Pat and Kenny Read Oprah Transcripts. I never followed through with it, but I do still have the text document on my computer.

Conan Announces Late Night Archive

This is something I've been harping on for years - big networks will block fans from uploading clips on copyright grounds but then won't upload the clips themselves... and the end result is that no one wins.

I applaud Conan for offering a solution. Even though the idea that he'll be uploading "just about everything I've ever done in late night" sounds too good to be true, it's still pretty exciting.

The First Late Night with Conan O'Brien

It was 25 years ago today that the first episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. To commemorate the event, Team Coco has uploaded the full show to their youtube channel.


The official upload is much better video quality than any of the existing versions. However, some of the episode has been cut out. The other full episode versions are still around and I'm sure they'll be around forever but just for fun, here are what's cut out...

9:30 - The Max Weinberg 7 play Conan over to the desk.

14:30 - The Max Weinberg 7 play to commercial, a clip of Conan cleaning crackers for Tom Brokaw is played. Back from commercial, the Max Weinberg 7 are still playing. Conan dances at his desk and kisses his microphone. Andy: You love that microphone! Conan: I do, it's why I'm here.

18:54 - The Max Weinberg 7 play to commercial. Conan shakes John Goodman's hand. Late Night with Conan O'Brien trivia: Q. What were the names of the two youngest members of the Partridge Family? Back from commercial, the Max Weinberg 7 are still playing. Late Night Trivia: A. We don't know. Conan is dancing at his desk. Conan: Yeeooww! Drew Barrymore is coming out in a bit and...

24:24 - The Max Weinberg 7 play to commercial while John Goodman and George Wendt continue to leg wrestle. Back from commercial, the Max Weinberg 7 are still playing and a graphic of Conan sumo wrestling is shown. Conan: Alright... thank you...

25:29 - The Max Weinberg 7 play to commercial. Back from commercial, the Max Weinberg 7 are still playing. Conan: Coming up tomorrow night: Mary Tyler Moore, Chris O'Donnell and musical guest Radiohead...So tune in. My next guest comes from a legendary showbiz family, co-starred with an extra terrestrial and recently portrayed Amy Fisher. Please welcome Drew Barrymore. The Max Weinberg play Drew on with a jazzy version of the Star Trek theme.

30:50 - The Max Weinberg 7 play to commercial. A graphic of Conan as a panda bear. Back from commercial, the Max Weinberg 7 are still playing. Conan: My next guest has been on more than a thousand talk shows and since I'm new at this, we figured someone should know what the hell he's doing up here. Please welcome Tony Randall. The Max Weinberg 7 play Tony on. Conan begins to sit down before Tony does. Conan: Oh, sorry! How rude of me. You first and then me, of course. Tony: That's one thing you've done right. Conan: Ouch! Tony: No, I didn't mean that.

34:24 - The Max Weinberg 7 play to and back from commercial. A graphic of Conan as Elvis shaking hands with Richard Nixon is shown.

Norm Macdonald Has a (New) Show

Norm Macdonald's talk show is coming to Netflix, titled "Norm Macdonald Has a Show". The trailer is out now.


All episodes will be available 9/14.

I have two conflicting feelings about this. I'm pessimistic that Netflix has tried to make the show "slicker" and more produced. But I'm hopeful that Norm is fiercely independent enough to resist interference. Hopefully it goes well.

Watching The Princess Bride for the First Time

When youtube suggested a video from Funny or Die, I was extremely skeptical (as we all should be). But this brand of unbridled femininity is as magical as the movie that inspires it.

Dave and Conan

It could be the greatest compilation of all-time. It's Conan on Dave's show and Dave on Conan's show.

My new favorite thing is Dave and Conan talking about Bob Crane (Col. Hogan on Hogan's Heroes).



The innocence of Part 1 gives way to turbulence and controversy as Part 2 mostly consists of Letterman commenting on the Tonight Show situation in 2010. It's still kind of fun though. Don't miss the last Conan interview from 2012.

K-Mart Music Archive Online

There is an online archive where you can listen to the tapes played over the K-Mart PA from 1989 to 1993.

It's available here. Can I recommend July 1990? What a fine vintage.

And I should say don't listen to the Christmas tapes yet because you'll sink into a nostalgic depression.

Here's a mystery... Periodically, someone will say, in between songs, "Security, please report to aisle 3" or something to that effect. So why is that recorded on the tape (which is played on a loop)? I can only surmise that K-Mart didn't have security but wanted people to think that they did. That's a good idea, as far as it goes, but when you have the guy with the radio voice doing the announcement (and not the woman who actually works there speaking into a drive-thru quality mic) anyone can figure out that it's a ruse.

Chris Gethard Show - What's In the Dumpster?

This is excellent.

I'm not familiar with the Chris Gethard Show but had to watch this episode where Paul Scheer and Jason Mantzoukas guest and try to determine "what's in the dumpster".

Game Grumps - A Week of Garfield

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the birth of Garfield, the Game Grumps play "A Week of Garfield" which came out for Nintendo but only game out in Japan.

Don't. Just don't, ok?

Tonight Show - Will It Hummus?

An Examination of Weird Sports Rules

The SB Nation series "Weird Rules" explains the stories behind the most obscure and weirdest rules in sports.

As sports organizations don't add rules to the rule book for their own amusement, the most interesting thing is often not the rule, but the story behind the rule - what were players doing that was so blatant that it needed to be outlawed in writing.

This is the case in this episode, "One guy mercilessly trolled the NHL into creating a better rule book":


But another reason this topic can be interesting is how the rules themselves can be gamed to gain specific advantages in specific situations. For instance, why would someone intentionally try to block a free throw?

What Makes This Song Great? - Roundabout

Lately I've been enjoying this guy (Rick Beato's) videos. In this "What Makes This Song Great?" series he listens to the original song tracks to hear the various elements in isolation. In this episode, he looks at the Yes single "Roundabout"


If you like this format, check out the episode for Toto's "Rosanna".

Conan - Sona Shops for a New Car

Game Grumps - Sonic Comics

Dan and Arin start some game but then get distracted by the Sonic Comic Book cover art.

How Did This Get Made? - Rad

The title of the podcast is "How Did This Get Made?" The idea is to review bad movies and ask the titular question. Now I know that you can't change the title of the podcast for an episode but honestly this episode should be called "How Did The Art Of Film Take Almost 100 Years To Make This?".

Because of course, the movie that this episode is about is Rad, the most radical film ever made.

Hareraiser... The Worst Game Ever?

The list of Worst Video Games of All-Time is never-ending. It all comes down to what you consider to be a game, what you consider to be "worst" - basically it's all down to opinion.

But the case that Hareraiser is the worst game of all-time leads to an interesting tale of an elaborate real-world treasure hunt, a "get rich quick" scheme and ultimately a scam.

The Doomed Cleveland Balloonfest of '86

"The Doomed Cleveland Balloonfest of '86" is, to me, one of the greatest clickbaity titles for a video that I can imagine.

And although it doesn't quite live up to the mystery of the title, as 6 minute documentaries go, it's still pretty interesting.

Bob Ross with a Normal Haircut

Late Night - Classic Norm

It's been one of the most famous Late Night with Conan O'Brien clips for years but I've never seen the full interview available anywhere.

I watched this show when it aired and this is probably the first time I've seen it since that time. Classic Norm.

Late Night - Richard Dominick

"This paper has facts. 'Pregnant Man Gives Birth' - that's a fact!"

Back in the old days, grocery store checkout lines would have the papers with the really great headlines. I'm pretty sure all of those papers went out of business though perhaps they've simply moved to the internet.

Regardless, I've never once heard anything from anyone who was involved in producing them. But here's "Sun reporter" Richard Dominick interviewed on Late Night. His ability to keep a straight face is astonishing. I can't believe it.


Later Dominick went on to produce "The Jerry Springer Show", then "The Steve Wilkos Show" and then later "Hardcore Pawn".

Game Grumps - PUBG Mobile

Game Grumps play PUBG mobile as part of a brand deal and it's special.

TGIF

I saw two independent videos referencing the TGIF lineup of the early nineties..

First, it's the Game Grumps 10 Minute Power Hour where they play the Urkel board game. Remember Urkel?! Well, he's back.... in board game form...



And then secondly, it's the Star Trek: The Next Generation opening credits cut to be like the Full House opening credits.

Conan - Jordan Schlansky Outtakes

Late Night - My Sidekick Dresses Too Sexy

Late Night - Biff Henderson's Realm of Mystery

Recently I've been going through all the episodes of the original The Twilight Zone series. So it's quite a coincidence that Don Giller recently uploaded this collection of the perhaps superior "Biff Henderson's Realm of Mystery".

Watch it all... if you dare...

Tonight Show - Do Not Play List

Now, it's obvious that the true gem of the list is "Here Kitty, Kitty!". Objectively speaking, that's absolutely true. But I need a Wawa hoagie.

Game Grumps - Rhett and Link

A while back, the Game Grumps guested on GMM and another time they even guest-hosted. And now it's time for the reverse (of one of those) - Rhett and Link on GuestGrumps.

It's also time for the Super Blow.

Tonight Show - David Blaine

David Blaine appears on the Tonight Show to do...uh(?)....magic(?).... magic tricks(?) Is this magic?

All I know for sure is that my impersonation of him and my impersonation of the host of "Cheaters" are pretty much the same person.

Guy Fieri - Hurt

Guy Fieri eating to Johnny Cash's "Hurt"....

Basset Getting Ready For Work

Conan - Driving in Italy

Conan goes on the road in Italy with Jordan Schlansky... and also turns into a morning radio DJ.

Spinal Tap - Indonesian Folk Music

GG - Legos

Arin and Danny of GameGrumps, enter into a competition of assembling legos... or something.


Did you know that "legos" isn't the plural of lego? Yeah, I don't care either.

Conan - Due Buffoni

Molto bene!

Conan - Horse with Magic Johnson

I think if the advertising was a little more bald-faced and jarring, it could almost be comedic in itself. We're living in strange times.

Conan - Jordan Schlansky and Italy

Conan plans a trip to Italy with his "friend" Jordan Schlansky...

Bitcoin Explained

Pinch Me, I'm Dreaming

I woke up one day recently to find that something amazing had happened. Something had happened to me that was so amazing, I'd have to describe it as "miraculous".

In shock, I found myself trying to figure out what to do with myself, trying to decide what to do. Should I dance? Should I call someone? Can I just send out a mass email? On the one hand, when a miracle happens, this is not the time for emails. On the other hand, I really would prefer email...

But then the celebration was tinged by a creeping doubt: what if I was dreaming?

I've had this kind of thing happen to me before and every time it has, it turned out to be a dream. What a let down it'd be for that to happen again. I looked around and everything seemed real, I looked inside my thoughts, I was fully conscious and awake. How can one tell whether you're asleep or awake?

I remembered that in TV and movies whenever anyone wants to do this test they pinch themselves. Sadly, I regret to report that I couldn't think of any better idea than what I had seen in TV and movies.

But what is this test, really? Is it that a pinch that's painful will wake you up if you're dreaming? Or is it that a pinch that isn't painful means you must be asleep? I'm now a few levels down the rabbit hole in the confusion department but lacking anything else, I decided to try. I pinched myself and I felt an uncomfortable sensation but I definitely wouldn't go so far as to describe it as pain. Hmm.

Some time later I woke up. It had all been a dream and I had been fooled into a false hope once again. Even in my not-fully-awake state I knew it was time for a control test. I pinched myself and found a somewhat uncomfortable sensation but certainly not painful. This is due to the "I couldn't find a name for it on the internet effect" where hand muscles are weak immediately upon waking up.

So the Pinch Test, which I still don't really understand, is useless anyway because it yields the same results in both situations... unless I'm asleep now... And my life hasn't drastically changed for the better recently either.

Sumo Wrestling with Conan and Kevin Hart

Best of the Worst - Black Spine Edition

In this episode, the folks at Best of the Worst step up their usual randomness to have even MORE randomness...

They watch tapes with no cases or side labels and uncover video information that has lain dormant for decades...



I want Don Beveridge's job. I want to be the next Don Beveridge.

Conan - Kevin Hart and the Trophy

The Greatest Scene in Television History

I like to think I resist clickbait better than the average guy but I decided to click on the youtube suggestion "The Greatest Scene in Television History". I was not disappointed.



Take that, Oscars!

Oscars 2018

It doesn't feel like it, but it's that time of year again. If you're like me, you spend 364 days a year wondering what Hollywood's political opinions are and now, on Sunday we'll finally find out. It's so exciting. Where would we be without their leadership?

I thought the movies this year were generally better than last year but it still feels like another "down" year. I have to wonder though, with so many "down" years in a row, maybe it's just me. In the words of Mike Stoklasa, "movies make me want to be dead."

ON WITH THE SHOW!

Best Actress

Nominees:

• Sally Hawkins in “The Shape of Water”
• Frances McDormand in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
• Margot Robbie in “I, Tonya”
• Saoirse Ronan in “Lady Bird”
• Meryl Streep in “The Post”

This is the only category this year where I have a real clear winner.

First off, I'm a sucker for Meryl Streep. I know people complain about how she always wins awards but I'm one of the people that finds her great in everything. I think the difference this year is that her part in "The Post" doesn't really require any particularly extraordinary talent. It's a very pedestrian role in a very pedestrian movie.

A special note on "I, Tonya" - it's the worst movie of any nominated this year. It's a movie that portrays its characters as idiotic, psychotic, stereotypical morons and then has the audacity to expect you to care about what happens to them. What garbage.

Saoirse Ronan is great in her role as is Frances McDormand.

My Pick: Sally Hawkins in "The Shape of Water". So much of acting (most of acting) is in the voice and so it's so interesting that someone playing a mute woman could be so effective. Such is Sally Hawkins. I'm a fan of Frances McDormand so I won't be too disappointed if she wins but Sally Hawkins was by far the most moving.

Best Actor

Nominees:

• Timothée Chalamet in “Call Me by Your Name”
• Daniel Day-Lewis in “Phantom Thread”
• Daniel Kaluuya in “Get Out”
• Gary Oldman in “Darkest Hour”
• Denzel Washington in “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Lots of parity here. Aside from Chalamet, it's all great acting and fine performances from everyone. It's a coin flip race... I've arrived at a winner but perhaps through bias...

My Pick: Denzel Washington in "Roman J. Israel, Esq." I mentioned how I'm a sucker for Meryl Streep, well I'm a sucker for Denzel Washington too. I can't say I've seen all of his movies but I'm always impressed by his performance. This movie is no exception. 

My pick, among all the performances, may even come down to a single scene - it may be that close. I won't spoil it but there is a scene where Denzel's character is interviewing for a job and during a dry monologue about his experience he breaks down. The speech is delivered so naturally, so subtly but so powerfully that I feel I can't pick anyone else. Make no mistake, the movie itself is very mediocre... but Washington shines anyway.

Best Picture

Nominees:

• “Lady Bird”
• “Dunkirk”
• “The Shape of Water”
• “Get Out”
• “Darkest Hour”
• “Phantom Thread”
• “The Post”
• “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
• “Call Me by Your Name”

This category is a tough one. All I needed was one movie to rise slightly above the rest but it didn't happen. That's not to say they're bad, it's more that there are a handful that are pretty equally good.

First, a note about "Call Me by Your Name". In the year of #MeToo, in the year of sexual scandals in Hollywood, that same Hollywood has seen fit to nominate a movie for Best Picture which involves a sexual relationship between a 30-something man and a 17 year old boy. This is brilliant. Aside from the fact that it's not a great movie, I almost hope it wins for the amazing irony. I'm told that within the logic of the story, the older man is supposed to be 24 but the actor portraying him is in his thirties for sure.

So with that out of the way, "The Shape of Water" is a beautifully made movie but I was not on board with the premise. "Get Out" is an extremely well made movie but it's a horror movie and I've never seen the point of horror movies. "The Post" is unremarkable. I'm a huge fan of Paul Thomas Anderson but "Phantom Thread" is ultimately pointless. "Three Billboards..." has all the makings of a Best Picture but it goes out of its way to make sure that every character is unlikable. I can get into a movie where all the characters are flawed but you can't make them so flawed that I hate them all and the only difference between them is the reason to hate them.

My Pick:

This year it was between "Lady Bird" and "Dunkirk" and I basically couldn't decide.

"Dunkirk" is a movie that does only one thing but does it extremely well. It builds incredible tension and maintains that tension for 100 minutes. It's an absolutely astounding action movie that literally does nothing other than that.

"Lady Bird" is a very simple slice-of-life story about a young girl going through high school and preparing for college. She fights with her mom a lot, she aspires to be great but hates school, she has trouble with boys. It's extremely narrow in its scope but it has good heart and there is a certain universality to it - everyone remembers that age, etc.

And so the problem is deciding which one is better. On the one hand, I'd want my Best Picture to have more light and shade than "Dunkirk", on the other hand, I'd want my Best Picture to be about something more than "Lady Bird". One is too big, one is too small. One has only action and no characters and the other has only characters and almost no action. It's so close and I've flip-flopped a few times but my pick, since I have to pick, is "Lady Bird".

Game Grumps - Madden '94

The Game Grumps play perhaps the worst game of football of all time on Madden '94.

This game has everything: low-to-nonexistant scoring, inept play, "oversides", man zones, audiobooks, 4th and 22, a full field of snow that melts at half-time, an alien wasteland and a sudden field of snow that appears from nowhere.




Here's a similar episode where they play Tecmo Bowl.

Tonight Show - King of Wishful Thinking

Jimmy Fallon and Paul Rudd recreate the music video for Go West's "King of Wishful Thinking".



Compare:

Continue - Super Bowl Special

This was meant to be watched BEFORE the game but I wasn't able to get to it. The guys from Continue make a special Superb Owl episode.


I do INDEED remember when Paul Hogan soothed an animal with a weird hand gesture thing. It made a big impression on me. I tried to do it to my dog.

Super Bowl Trivia

A few facts about the game today...

• Quarterbacks who lead the league in passing yardage during the regular season are now 0-6 in the Super Bowl.
• This is a game where the losing team did not punt.
• Coming into the game, Tom Brady's record in the playoffs when playing teams he did not play in the regular season was 15-0. The Eagles and Patriots did not meet in the regular season.
• The Patriots won their first Super Bowl as underdogs in Bill Belichik's second year with a backup quarterback. Doug Pederson has won his first Super Bowl as an underdog in his second year with a backup quarterback.
• The Eagles won more playoff games this season than the Dallas Cowboys have in the past 21 years.
• The Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl the day after Brian Dawkins and Terrell Owens were selected for Hall of Fame induction.
• The Eagles did not give up a rushing touchdown at home this season.
• Nick Foles has been MVP of the Pro-Bowl and Super Bowl MVP and is currently a back up quarterback.
• The Eagles are the first #1 Seed to be underdogs in all 3 playoff games.
• The Eagles are the only team to defeat Vince Lombardi and Bill Belichik in championship games.
• Nick Foles is the first player to throw and catch a touchdown in the same Super Bowl.
• Foles is the only quarterback in history to earn a 100+ quarterback rating in each of his first 4 career playoff games.
• The last time the Eagles reached the Super Bowl, they played the Vikings, Falcons and Patriots. This time, they played the same teams.
• Doug Pederson is only the 5th coach in history to win the Super Bowl in his second year.
• There was only one sack in the game by either team. The one sack was the Brady forced fumble.
• The NFL Draft this year happens to take place in Dallas. That means that some variant of the phrase "With the 32nd pick, the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles select..." will be said in Dallas stadium.
• The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl on February 4th - Jerome Brown's birthday.

Hype

SNL - The Sensitive Drill Sergeant

This is one of those classic SNL skits that I've always remembered but would have trouble tracking down.

Would it be impossible for Will Ferrell to re-join Saturday Night Live?

Conan - Conan Replaces Himself

Sona is watching "Cheers" right now. I did the same thing not too long ago and watched every episode. I don't really have a point here.

Also, a while back Conan hired a professional organizer to clean up Jordan's office but it looks like it didn't take.

Late Night - Amateur Census

Tonight Show - Want It, Win It, Won It

Stand Scares

A few jump scare scenes with the loud "scare" sound effects removed.

Letterman Teaser Trailer

Netflix has released a teaser trailer for David Letterman's new talk show "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction".


Episodes will be released on Netflix and will come out 1 per month. The first episode "airs" January 12 with guest Barack Obama.

On a personal note, I find myself disinterested. I was never watching the Late Show for the interviews. I really respect and appreciate Letterman's interview style and so I imagine, as interview shows go, this will be among the best. But I've also come to the point of celebrity culture saturation where I don't want to know more about Jay-Z, I don't want to know more about George Clooney, I don't care. I couldn't care less. And so I don't know what I'll do about this particular show.