Reminder!

Everybody's working for the weekend. Even Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze.

Night off.

Hello, friend of friends. How are you? How's your wife and kids?

Anyway, I don't feel that well, so I'm taking the night off. Nothing was on last night except for a pretty up-and-down episode of Raw anyway, so no great loss there. The blog should be back tomorrow morning, afternoon or night with my thoughts on the latest episode of Glee, or something equally fun.

A groovy time with the Aqua Teen gang

Sunday marked the hundredth episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, which was appropriately named... "100." In contrast to the gay ghost episode I wrote about two weeks ago, this was pretty sharp, self-referential humor, similar to the Larry Miller episode last week.

Keeping with the theme of the title, Frylock keeps noting the number 100 popping up in every aspect of his life, and like that crazy Jim Carey movie that nobody saw, he scribbles 100 all over the house. By the middle of the episode, every single thing anyone says, included a cop played by George "Space Ghost" Lowe and Tom Savini.

I particularly enjoyed the sequences with Dana Snyder playing himself in a Master Shake costume, trying to get a syndication deal out in L.A. When he hears 100, he thinks of something entirely different - the standard mark needed to be syndicated. But as the network guys point out, Aqua Teen Hunger Force needs to do another 100 episodes to get syndicated, since each episode is only about 11 minutes long. Then again, it's hard to imagine anyone but Comedy Central or FX paying for ATHF, excluding TBS, which is a Turner property like Cartoon Network anyway.

Anyway, Shake returns back to Jersey, at which point a monster 100 (as in a numeral that runs around) attacks them. The monster is voiced by Robert Smigel, a.k.a. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, which seems pretty appropriate. To get away from the monster, Shake invents a new show for them to inhibit, which is a spoof of Scooby Doo. This turns out to just be another pitch to the network executives though, sadly, because it looked pretty god damn sweet. Sigh. I guess I'll have to wait for the Aqua Teens to actually solve crimes like Scooby and the gang...

Grade: A+

TV Review: Holy crap, it's Larry Miller! On Aqua Teen Hunger Force!

I'm a big fan of Adam Carolla, and for a while, one of the most frequent guests on his podcast and morning radio show was Larry Miller. The first time he guested, he was pimping a book, Spoiled Rotten America, that I subsequently requested a copy of and reviewed for my college newspaper. (Sadly, I can't find the review on their website to share with all of you; I'm sure it was glorious.)

However, whenever I try to explain who Larry Miller is to people, I have to go through his various movie roles. You know, he was the dad in Ten Things I Hate About You, and he looks kind of like Mr. Belding from Saved By The Bell, but he isn't him. Normally, after a few comparisons, something stokes the memory of the person I'm talking to, or they just tell me they know who I'm talking about so I'll shut the eff up about it.

Imagine my surprise to see Miller pop up on this week's episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force then, spoofing his own status as a "that guy in that movie" Hall of Fame member in the show's opening minutes. Carl has no clue who he is, and quite comically, Miller is trying to sell him his patented hair growth system. (Miller and Carl are both bald, very bald.)

Anyway, Miller darts out to Atlantic City eventually because of his crippling addiction to gambling. And in his van, there is a sort of glimpse of an alternate universe available, as Carl debates it out with a clean-cut, clean-living version of himself. Oh, and also, the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past of Christmas Future makes an appearance at the end, and he remains my favorite non-Aqua Teen character on the show, slightly edging out the Mooninites. Strangely, the Aqua Teens are barely in this episode, but it's still quite entertaining anyway, similar to the Bart Oates episode in a past season.

Grade: A+

TV Review: Gay ghost fab-u-luss on otherwise iffy Aqua Teen

This week's Aqua Teen Hunger Force was quite disappointing, except for the presence of a fun monster of the week - A gay ghost that explodes when he is exposed to cell phone dial tones. mwhahaha.

Outside of that though, this whole episode feels recycled. (I suppose you could argue that the gay ghost idea was already kind of used in the Dirtfoot episode, but he was a MONSTER, not a ghost, duh.) Frylock and Master Shake are fighting over a cell phone game for most of the episode, which causes Meatwad to do silly things to himself and with the ghost's help to try and get their attention. None of these really work, until Meatwad and the ghost blow up the house, and the phone in the process.

Once the phone is out of the picture, which takes about half the episode, we can get into the wacky fun that Aqua Teen is more known for. You know, like the fact that the ghost is the result of radiation at Smiley Junction, New Jersey, a former utopia a la Epcot. And that Carl's sister, who he hasn't talked to in two years, once gave a handy to Meatloaf. And that the ghost explodes when he is exposed to cell phones.

But like I said, outside of the ghost, this episode isn't anything special. It's definitely skipable if you didn't manage to catch it Sunday.

Grade: C+

TV Review: Pair of ATHF episodes delight

The Insane Clown Posse and George Lowe combine to make ATHF awesome.

Catching up on an episode I didn't write about last week, I continue to enjoy Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Last week's episode revolved around Meatwad and (mostly) Shake throwing crap off a highway overpass. The hilarity ensues, Aqua Teen style, when Shake throws a chunk of pavement off the overpass, killing a dude driving his car. You know, the typical family-friendly fare of Aqua Teen.

From there, the episode picks up speed as the ghost of the dude haunts Shake for the rest of the episode, forcing him to do good deeds for Carl and others. Shake finally has enough though, and trying to find a demon to help him, he instead comes across an Insane Clown Posse disciple. Of course, this kid is about 15-years-old, and only succeeds in having Shake give him rides before Shake commits suicide with a shotgun, in an attempt to avoid getting banished to Hell.

The best segment of the episode though are the two minutes at the end. Frylock and Meatwad sue the Insane Clown Posse for causing Shake's death. (It isn't really made clear why, since they don't really like him, but maybe they want the cash from it.) And fabulously, George Lowe makes another appearance on the show this season, serving as the bumbling lawyer for Frylock and Meatwad. Even ICP are decent in their brief cameo.

This week's episode is similarly strong, but it has been floating around on the Internet for a while, so I won't go as in-depth on it. Just realize that it is a take on Fantasia, with Meatwad in the role of the multiplying brooms. Good times, good times!

Grade on the two episodes: A-

Sorry for these kind of short entries. Yeah, I'm not doing so much flood coverage at work, but unfortunately, I've been getting chills and headaches during the mornings and nights. As I type this on Sunday night, I have a 99.8 degree fever, despite some Tylenol and Motrin throughout the day. So, until I'm back to complete health, the entries will probably remain short. Sorry folks!

TV Review: 12 Oz. Mouse, 12 Oz. Mouse!!!

I'm always sad when shows I enjoy get canceled, even if there are so bizarre and "out there" that I barely realize what is going on. Oh, why hello, 12 Oz. Mouse. If you like LOST and Aqua Teen Hunger Force, then you might like 12 Oz. Mouse. As odd and different as those shows are, Mouse is essentially a combination.

It starts by following the drunken exploits of Mouse Fitzgerald, a crudely drawn green mouse. He is hired by a shark - old Kentucky shark from Space Ghost Coast to Coast, oddly enough - to rob a bank, and while he does this, things quickly spiral out of control as other characters are introduced.

The show is nearly impossible to explain, yet by the end of its two-season, 20-episode run on Adult Swim, it all kind of made sense. Throughout the show, more sinister background details involving mind control and memory loss and alternate realities are revealed.

Seriously, this show isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it only cost like $5 to make, so I was surprised and disappointed when Adult Swim did decide to cancel it. They did continue it with a web-isode, which was supposed to be the first of seven or eight, but nothing ever continued past the first episode. That's kind of a shame, although the web episode isn't nearly as good as the rest of the series.

Grade: B+

For a great interview with the show's creator, click here.

At The Commercials: Old Spice, Old Spice, Old Spice, Old Spice, Old Spice...

One thing I have always loved about Aqua Teen Hunger Force is its willingness to be utterly shameless when it comes to advertising. The best example of this would be the episode devoted to Boost Mobile – Master Shake sells out the crew, and for an episode, a big talking cell phone follows him around, talking about the need for them to stay fresh with young kids and to visit “heezys.” The blatant, uncontrollable commercialism is funny to me.

Likewise, Carl has his own Old Spice commercial now, which is pretty awesome. Sure, more than 15 seconds of it is just him repeating Old Spice, but that only makes it better in my eyes. Plus, how can you not like a guy in black-and-blue leopard(?) print pants. I mean, unless you're actually meeting someone like that in person, in which case, yeah he's gross.

This continues a long string of successful commercials for Old Spice, since their re-branding a couple years ago. At that time, they were shifting from a cheesy deodorant aimed at kids back to their roots, as something for rugged, classy men. The best and first commercial featured Bruce Campbell talking about experience.

TV Review: Monsters, stickers and Shake on ATHF

This past week's episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, "Monster", was pretty good. Not so much for the episode itself, because it was good, but ho-hum. Master Shake did have some great lines, true, but more importantly, there were some great images from the show, such as the one above, featuring Shake trying to sell Meatwad on a monster prevention pack.

And, to the right, Meatwad apparently likes to get stickers when he behaves well. He keeps complaining of a monster in his closet, in the sand, and tries to sneak into Frylock's bed for a "booty call" at the beginning of the episode as a result. Hilarity ensues from there! Good times, good times.

Grade: A-

TV Review: More Aqua Teen Hunger Force MADNESS

"If the Family Guy can have a pinball game, so can I!"

Dear Master Shake, I love you so much. You are my favorite animated character by far, with your bombastic, egotistical sayings. And thankfully, you were on full display, in your element, with the latest Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode "Eggball" on Sunday night.

The premise: Shake somehow creates a pinball game based on himself, complete with sound drops from the Mooninites, Frylock and others. (To be honest, the game itself seemed like a great product for an actual arcade, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was based on an actual design for a table or video game proposal, excluding the fact that it had about 17 flippers.) The quote below the picture of Shake is something he said in the episode, which only adds to my love of him.

Anyway, the first five minutes or so of the episode were incredible, as Shake breaks the machine and then attempts to get it fixed. The repairman turns out to be George Lowe, his second appearance on the show in a row, although as another generic character. Lowe hasn't really done much since Space Ghost Coast to Coast ended, so if they can squeeze him in as a semi-regular character, my love for ATHF will only grow.

Predictably, Shake freaks out that he can't find a proper replacement pinball, and the episode drags a bit as they go to Death Island to find a replacement ball. However, it's still funny, and there is some Meatwad humor in the second part of the episode involving jetskis.


Touching on the previous week's episode, "Rubberman," I found it enjoyable, even though it was a return to the "gross out" humor of ATHF that I have criticized in the past. From the picture and the title and my short description, you can probably guess what the episode was about, but just in case you need some more elaboration - Frylock creates a duck made out of used condoms and syringes that he calls Rubberman, and Meatwad brings it to life by placing a magic hat on top of its head.

... You know, really wholesome, family stuff! As gross as the episode starts out, it does get better as it goes along. While it is not an instant classic like "Eggball," "Rubberman" was still entertaining enough for an 11-minute show.

Grade for Eggball: A
Grade for Rubberman: B-

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is back with a vengeance, and a rabbot, kind of.

One of my favorite shows is Aqua Teen Hunger Force, despite the fact that I don't smoke pot. (I've learned that this can be a rarity among viewers.) A few weeks ago, the seventh season started with "A PE Christmas," in which Master Shake stole the identity of Flavor Flav and Terminator X, so he could record a Public Enemy Christmas album. It was pretty funny, more in line with the humor of the first couple seasons, as opposed to the super sickening humor of the last couple seasons.

However, the frustrating part about ATHF lately has been the release schedule for episodes. Before the Christmas episode, season six ended on May 31 with the neat concept episode of "Last Last One Forever and Ever," the only live-action ATHF episode. (The actual quality was somewhat disappointing, though.) Between seasons five and six, there was more than a year lapse. Like South Park, ATHF also has a short season, only about eight to 10 episodes. And after the Christmas episode, this week's episode came out almost a month later.

But speaking of this week's episode, the point of this post... I thought that "Rabbot Redux" was another good step in the direction of the past early success of the show. As anyone familiar with the show will realize from the episode title, there are referencing the earlier episodes now. This seemingly doesn't make any sense, since all of the characters have died multiple times and been resurrected without any acknowledgment. But hey, if that's the case, then you might as well up the insanity by adding in references that don't really make sense.

Anyway. The start of the episode has a bit of a swerve, as Master Shake and Carl are saying goodbye, since the gang is moving away! Don't worry though - They're just moving to the house on the other side of Carl, much to his dismay. Standout scenes in the episode include the beginning portion with Carl, and Master Shake and Meatwad's discovery of what a bathroom is.

Again, the whole episode feels like a bit of a throwback, to the origins of the series. If you checked out for a bit while they were doing episodes on mucus men and nosebleeds, then the show's tone might be better for now, similar to my own experience.

iTunes Running Diary – Sunday, August 16

Just doing a normal edition this week. I will probably do a theme next week; feel free to offer some suggestions, if you'd like.

- “Spirit of Radio” by Rush. I have hyped them up a bit in past running diaries, but hey, it's not like they got any less awesome. If you like this weird, 1970s to 1980s sort of progressive slash electric rock, then Rush is at the top of the heap musically. They actually have multiple hits with some different sounds - “Closer to the Heart” and “Tom Sawyer” and “The Trees” - as opposed to a band like Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

More importantly, I know that Geddy Lee is in Rush, but only because of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. In one episode, “Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary,” Shake pays Geddy and heavy metal guitarist Zakk Wylde to do a brand new version of the birthday song. Not surprisingly, since Shake is the producer, they create a horrible spectacle.

While Wylde clearly plays himself in the episode, I'm not sure if Geddy Lee's lyrics are real. His presence is mostly alluded to, as opposed to guaranteed. However, if you're ever arguing with friends that ATHF is solely stoner comedy, then bring up this episode as a rebuttal. As far as Aqua Teen episodes go, this one is pretty linear while still being hilarious.

- “Crush” by Noise Ratchet. I know little of Noise Ratchet, except that this is a great punk cover song. I know little of “Crush”, except that Noise Ratchet does a great punk cover of it. Ah, what a glorious catch-22!

I only know that the song is a cover because of the album it is on, Punk Goes Pop. It was apparently released in 2002, and17 pretty nifty tracks. Most of the songs covered are 1980s, 1990s and 2000s pop, so I'm not sure how they got away with it. The best covers are, not surprisingly, by bands that went on to make a name for themselves - “Everywhere” by Yellowcard, “I'm Real” by the Starting Line, “Send Me An Angel” by Thrice. I am a bit of a cover connoisseur, and from top to bottom, the album is one of the better cover albums floating out there.

- “Wutang Remix” by some unknown artist. Back in the days of Napster, file names and ID tags were... highly optional. I found this track by randomly typing in “wutang remix” back in the day, and true to the search, this is what popped out.

The rapping itself is pretty good, but it is only a “remix” in the sense that “Wutang Clan Ain't Nothin' To Fuck With” is looped under the rapping from time to time. Outside of the lyrics, there is no identifying feature of the song. Curiously, Eminem uses some of them in the final rap battle in Eight Mile, but I get the feeling that passage is a fairly common homage in rap music.

- “Band on the Run” by Paul McCartney and Wings. The other week, I was talking about how I'd rather be David Bowie than Paul McCartney, but in reflection, it is by the slimmest of margins. And, if I had to pick between McCartney and Lennon, I'm definitely going with McCartney.

I really don't know much of the history of the band, and I haven't listened to every Beatles album ever. But from my casual observation, it seems like McCartney was a lot more easygoing and more interested in making hit records, which is probably how I would act too if I was in the Beatles. It would be hard for me to not roll my eyes as John was talking about getting into weird spiritualism with his freaky-deaky girlfriend.

Also, McCartney comes off as a decent guy from his post-Beatles career. He was great on “The Chris Farley Show” sketch on Saturday Night Live, and Dana Carvey also tells a great story about hanging out with him and Lorne Michaels. Wings heavily featured Paul AND Linda McCartney, and given the history of other husband-wife musical projects, I think it has to be ranked as the absolute best.

- “Level” and “Steady As She Goes” by The Raconteurs. This is a band that I've always wanted to get a lot more into, but outside of these two tracks, I simply haven't heard most of Broken Boy Soldiers, or any of their follow-up album.

It is an odd but common problem. A lot of times, I love a song or two from a band so much that the rest of their work pales in comparison. It can even vary from single-to-single: I love “Level,” but when it pops on to my iTunes as it just did now, it reminds me that “Steady As She Goes” is a superior song on nearly every level, so I scroll down a few tracks and play it instead.

I think both songs are also helped by sporadic radio play, one of the rare instances where I don't think an indie band is effed out on WBRU. Once the Racounters and other bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol and (two months from now) Ida Maria drop from the charts a bit, WBRU doesn't bother to recycle their tracks as much as they would with a popular, effed out band. (I'm looking in your general direction here, Red Hot Chili Peppers.)