Thursday, August 21, 2003

Fair and Balanced

Here's a brief excerpt from Al Franken's new book which the Fox people have helped to put on the Best Seller list.

• Posted at 9:46 PM · LINK

Comic-Con Remembered

Over at Animation World Network, they've posted an article in which various attendees of this year's Comic-Con International discuss the event. I am among them. Go there by clicking here.

• Posted at 3:38 PM · LINK

ME on the Radio

My deathless appearance this A.M. on The Paul Harris Radio Show can now be listened-to online at Paul's website. It's a little under 17 minutes, which is about how long I can stand me. Anyway, you'll need RealPlayer installed to listen to me, which on its own is not a good enough reason to install RealPlayer. So while you're there, listen to some of Paul's other fine interviews.

• Posted at 3:09 PM · LINK

Free the Pre-Fab Four

Want to help get Eric Idle's new movie released? As noted, the folks at Warner Brothers presently have no plan to release Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch. Perhaps they'll come up with one if enough of us write letters to...

Mr. Eric Frankel
Warner Brothers Television
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522

When you write such letters, the important things are to (a) be polite, (b) not sound like a form letter and (c) suggest that you will purchase or patronize the item and that you believe your friends will, as well. What I usually write is something like...

You are probably buried in letters from people who are eager to spend money on Eric Idle's new film. If you aren't, it's probably because most Eric Idle fans don't know where to write, because there certainly are a lot of us. Anyway, here's another one for the pile.

Will it work? Maybe. Some day they'll wise up and put it out and when they do, you'll be able to tell yourself that your letter was the one that brought Time-Warner to its knees.

• Posted at 3:02 PM · LINK

Only in Vegas

As I mentioned here some time ago, the Imperial Palace hotel in Las Vegas is trying something new. In one section of the casino at specified hours, they have Blackjack dealers who are also celebrity impersonators. You can have your money taken from you by Elvis, Madonna or even a Blues Brother. They call them "dealertainers."

Here's an article about this. The thing I think is especially funny is that one of the dealers is playing Ray Charles. It's humiliating enough to be wiped out at the tables. But to be beaten by a blind guy--?

Many hotels also offer a line of slot machines that feature the real Ray Charles and his voice. As I mentioned in that piece, you kinda hope that when it takes your last coin, the machine doesn't start singing, "Hit the road, Jack."

• Posted at 2:05 PM · LINK

Idle Gossip

Last Saturday, a local film festival held the world premiere of Eric Idle's The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch. The infamous Monekyspit gives us a brief I-was-there account.

When I saw the film two years ago, it was close to 75 minutes. The current cut is around 55, which is the preferred length for a possible BBC telecast. What I viewed was very funny with a few weak spots which I presume are now relegated to what filmmakers used to call "the cutting room floor." Now the preferred term is, "We'll include it on the DVD." Either way, I can't imagine the 55-minute version not being a joy.

But most of us will have to imagine or not for a while longer. Apparently, the lovely folks at Warner Brothers still have no plans to release Mr. Idle's film anywhere at any time. Petitions like this one are springing up to convince them that there's a market out here for this funny film. (I don't think online petitions do a huge amount of good. On the other hand, they don't do any harm, either, nor do they require great effort to sign. There's always the chance that if the folks making the decision are really and truly on the fence, something like this could nudge things over to the proper side. Nudge, nudge.)

In the meantime, the illustrious Idle is about to kick off another tour, singing his silly songs all across this great land of ours. This one is called The Greedy Ba$tard Tour and when I hear about a schedule being posted, I'll let you know. I saw him in his last go-round and had a very good time, even during the live, on-stage liver transplant.

• Posted at 11:44 AM · LINK

This Just In...

I just looked at the column on Salon where they offer up AP news and found the following headlines:

I'm not sure which of these things creeps me out the most.

• Posted at 10:57 AM · LINK

August 22, 2003 • Current • August 20, 2003