Archive for abby elliott

SNL Real-Time Review – Some Highs And Some J-Lo’s

Posted in Humor, NBC, TV with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 28, 2010 by tvismyiv

I haven’t written a review of Saturday Night Live this season since the Megan Fox season premiere.  Mostly for no reason other than I haven’t been home on Saturday nights (sad face tonight).  So with the Kristen Wiig Counter in full effect, let’s begin…

Back in the day, but not the Bronx days...

We Are the World 3 Benefit for We Are the World 2 Disaster (Cold Open)
By far, one of the best cold opens in a while, mostly because I agreed with it (and was equally late on the criticism). Wiig Counter: 1

Jennifer Lopez’s Monologue
I was surprised at how hot J-Lo looked.  I wasn’t surprised that the audience response wasn’t that warm.

ESPN Classic – Ladies Curling
One of Will Forte’s best characters is Greg Stink.  Come to think of it – it is his best, because I can’t think of any others.  Wiig Counter: 2

Digital Short – Flags of the World
Awesome and requires repeated viewings.  Especially to figure out the “I like to hit people with my car” subtitle.  And also because of adorable Abby Elliott.  Will post as soon as available.

Hollywood Dish
I’m not too into this bit normally, but this one had its moments.  And none of those moments belonged to J-Lo.  (Spit take was a win.  Also, the “I like to hit people with my car” subtitle finally makes sense!) Wiig Counter: 3

Telemundo Olympic Coverage
For the record, Jenny Slate’s Spanish accent is muy terrible.  Lopez and Fred Armison’s reaction to the “unfinished” ski jump was pretty funny, as was their reaction to people living in Vancouver, and curling not being shuffleboard.  Bobby Moynihan as a man-child armed with a pie earns this skit bonus points.

Undercover Celebrity Boss
I love the original show, and this was a clever riff. Wiig Counter: 4

Lopez’s First Performance
Usually I approve of singers (and athletes and politicians) playing Actors! on SNL, but the other way is indulgent.  Couple that with the fact that despite having a few “hits” under her belt, I will never consider Jenny from the Block an actual musician.  She’s an Actor! that sings (pitchy on the high notes), and even though she was better than, say, Ashley Simpson, merely by singing live, that didn’t stop her label from dropping her… only two days ago.

(SIDENOTE: Kudos to her performing despite that fact.  Double kudos to her ass hopefully keeping Kim Kardashian’s buxom behind as far away from this show as possible.)

BTW… fuck NBC for their Tonight Show with Jay Leno ads.  This one, I approve:

Weekend Update
Some of the jokes were pretty easy, but aren’t they always?  Something not as easy – for Armison’s (blind New York governor) David Patterson impersonation, they have to hold his cue cards off to the side to complete his “wonky eye” effect.

Univision’s Besos Y Lagrimas
Or in English, “Kisses and Tears” (don’t be impressed – I Babelfished it).  It was as over-the-top as I would have expected, and did expect.  As is the tradition with these type of skits.  (It is a thirty-five year old show after all.  Not that thirty-five is that old…)  Wiig Counter: 5

Romance in the Copy Room
Despite being frowned upon by the masses – and even by me at times – Kenan Thompson has a few fun characters in his repertoire.  This is his second best after What Up Wit’ Dat? The sliding in and out works quite well.

Lopez’s Second Performance
All I can think about during this performance is the fact that her comeback song was supposed to be Louboutins (a song about shoes) and how she fell during her first performance of it at the AMA’s.  A weird feeling is coming over me while watching her sing.  Is it pity?  Is it compassion?  I think it’s hunger.

Smashmouth Attacks!
Bravo!  The best of the night, at least as far as ideas go.  I have to wonder if Nasim Pedrad wrote this bit, and if she did, she needs to write more.  Oops on the boom microphone in the shot.

Car Horns and More
When I was a kid, my sibs and I made an audio tape version of SNL (because we did not have a camcorder, you see).  This is the type of skit we made.  Doesn’t mean I didn’t smile.

Closet Organizer
Was this a new commercial?  No.  They showed it, like, an episode or two ago.  Wiig Counter: 6 (barely)

FINAL DECISION: I’d rank this somewhere between January Jones and Charles Barkley’s appearances.  And I’m surprised I didn’t hate on the Wedding Planner that much.

SNL Real-Time Review – Surprisingly, Fox Didn’t Sux

Posted in Humor, NBC, TV with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 27, 2009 by sgottahurt
megan-fox-star-wars

Star Wars was a good movie...

Gaddafi Cold Open
Fred Armison’s portrayal of the Libyan leader isn’t difficult, but that doesn’t make the jokes about his UN ramblings any less funny.

New Opening Footage
Wow.  There’s not too many ladies there anymore.  But the lovely Abby Elliott looked lovely.

Megan Fox’s Monologue
Not too bad.  Mostly due to my having low expectations.

Fake Bladdivan Commercial
As a victim of chronic shy-bladder syndrome, I found this bit a bit easy.  Squirt guns? In a commercial about peeing?  Hilarious, right?

Real Starbucks Via Commercial
Can’t believe they brought up town hall shouters already…

Real Oreo Commercial
Yay for Darrell Hammond getting to spoof Donald Trump in Donald Trump’s presence!  Boo Eli Manning, for no reason.  Albeit I still gotta give him props for toppling Tom Brady.

Bad News Flight Attendants
Opened funny, via Abby and Andy Samberg. Maintained absurd humor throughout.  Liked Megan’s performance.  Plus, the return of the Kristen Wiig Counter: 1

Russian Brides
Svetlana and Katya are the brides-to-be. Svetlana is played by Fred; Katya is played by Megan.  Svetlana is $10 cheaper.  Will Forte has a hard time deciding between the two.  I decided it was comical enough.

Digital Short
Weird mismatched couple’s date is, um, weird.  But I’m beginning to think Megan has talent.  Not a classic by any means, but the performances elevated it to smile-worthy.

Grady Wilson’s Burning Up the Bedsheets
Kenan Thompson’s first appearance is a bit lewd.  Surprisingly lewd.  But surprisingly silly, to the point that I did laugh.

U2’s First Performance
Does their longevity in the music industry have to do with their talent, or the fact that l33t became mainstream through IMing, texting, and now Tweeting?

(SIDENOTE: I just noticed the 35 in SNL’s logo.  Man, Lorne Michaels must be old.)

Weekend Update
It’s strange to watch this without Amy Poehler, especially since she was there on Thursday… Kristen still impresses the hell out of me with her Judy Grimes… just-kidding.  Wiig Counter: 2

Live Lounge
Spoof of modern phone sex lines that’s spot-on AKA easy. Wiig Counter: 3

U2’s Second Performance
…is background noise to me right now.  I just was trying to update my iPhone so it would have MMS (pictures in text messages), and it crashed and had to restore – to an earlier backup!  I need to figure out how to get back a bunch of shit I bought!

Biker Chick Chat
New girl’s skit.  New Wayne’s World? Probably not.  DID SHE JUST SAY FUCKING?!  Rewind.  YES!  At least we know it’s live… Wiig Counter: 4

Digital Short (another one?)
Optimus Prime is Megan’s roommate.  Or is he?  Best skit of the night.  Save doucheBAG… BAG = Brian Austin Green Not a coincidence, me thinks…

Your Mom Talks to Megan Fox While You Finish Getting Ready
Probably how it would go down in real life. Kristen sells it, as usual, and increases her Wiig Counter to 6.  Wait, it’s only 5? Slow night.  But conversely, Megan was in almost all – a rarity for hosts, it seems, and amazingly, she’s held her own

FINAL DECISION: Not as strong as last season’s John Malkovich’s episode, but better than most.  Why is Bono swinging around on a microphone?  And how much is new girl’s fricking FUCK gonna cost?

SNL Real-Time Review – Five Voices, One Rock

Posted in Humor, NBC with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 8, 2009 by tvismyiv

Dwayne Johnson, who I believe is no longer obligated to be called The Rock, hosted tonight’s show in anticipation of Race to Witch Mountain (witch looks awesome!)

Here are the skits and five people’s opinions of them:

COLD OPEN – The Secretary of Treasury talks about the failure of our economy.  $420 billion goes to the individual that can solve the banking crisis problem.

  1. Chris – “Can I fast forward this skit?”
  2. Venessa (who laughed at insurance companies insuring houses that are on fire comment, for some reason) – “She thinks Tracey Jordan’s theory from 30 Rock works – Panic!”
  3. Richie – “Not funny.”
  4. Jess – No comment.  Kept getting up to check on her microwaved Chinese food.
  5. Sean – “I laughed… enough.”

OPENING MONOLOGUE

  1. Chris – “Really?  This is his third time?”
  2. Jess – “He looks too skinny.”
  3. Venessa – “Yeah, it makes his head looks to big.”
  4. Richie – “His neck’s still huge, though.  And what’s with that tattoo?”
  5. Sean – “Yay!  Abby Elliott!  And who’s that chick on the far left?”

MACGRUBER (Part 1)

  1. Venessa – “Yes, MacGyver!”
  2. Jess – (possibly passed out)
  3. Richie – “He’s from Detroit.”
  4. Chris – “Fast forward through the commercials.”
  5. Sean – “Yay! Abby Elliott!”

PRESIDENT OBAMA “GET ANGRY”

  1. Venessa – “The Rock Hulk!” (she enjoyed it the most)
  2. Jess laughed (she did not pass out) – “He looks like a vampire.”
  3. Chris – “Is.  Barack Obama.  That easy.  Of an.  Impression.  To do.”
  4. Richie laughed throughout, but not continuously
  5. Sean – “Wiig Counter: 3”

MACGRUBER (Part 2)

  1. Venessa – “Look how hideous he is.”  (in reference to Richard Dean Anderson)
  2. Chris – “It’s okay.”
  3. Jess is fading out
  4. Richie – “It was kind of funny… the whole daddy’s issue thing.”
  5. Sean – “Yay! Abby!  Wiig Counter: 4”

ACTIVIA WITH JAMIE LEE CURTIS

  1. Chris – “I love Kristen Wiig.”
  2. Venessa – “She’d shit all day.” (in reference to coffee, cigarettes, and Activia intake mentioned by Abby)
  3. Venessa (laughing) – “Take Number 2.”
  4. Richie laughed at the yawning/pooping reference
  5. Sean – “Jess passed out.”

HAWAIIAN SKIT

  1. Chris – “He looks really thin there.”  (in reference to Brian Moynahan this time)
  2. Venessa – “Sean’s blogging and not drinking his forty.”
  3. Sean – “I’m doing both.”
  4. Richie laughed at the “I got lei-d” comment.  Venessa – “Not funny.”
  5. Chris – “Is she (Abby) going to be in every skit?”
  6. Venessa – “I hope so.”
  7. Sean drank his forty

MACGRUBER (Part 3)

  1. His dad’s a friggin’ butthole line in the song made everyone laugh.
  2. Sean drank his forty.
  3. Venessa – “Can they show butts on TV?”
  4. Sean – “They showed his butt a couple weeks ago.”

RAY LAMONTAGNE SINGS

  1. Venessa – “Have I heard of this guy?”
  2. Sean – “He’s on the River.”
  3. Venessa – “Grrr… satellite radio!  I loved the River!”
  4. Chris wanted to fast-forward, but Richie and Venessa wanted to keep watching, so we did

WEEKEND UPDATE

  1. Venessa – “That’s so true.” (in reference to AIG building a $15 billion toilet to flush $15 billion down it)
  2. Sean – “That’s just like the Cartman swearing bit in the South Parkmovie.” (re: zapper on the RNC spokesman Michael Steele’s head, at 1:15 mark)
  3. Richie and Venessa really enjoyed “Cathy” bit… Jess and Chris chimed in when Justin Timberlake appeared
  4. Sean – “I didn’t even know Cathy was married in the comics.”
  5. Sean – “Was that Jessica Biel playing Jessica Rabbit?”
  6. Richie and Venessa liked D.O.A./Denny’s joke and burning green Escorts jokes… a lot, as well as Bon Jovi opposite band: Jon Bovi (they sing “Alive and Dead,” for example)
  7. Richie – “Jon Bovi was the best thing yet.”

GAME TIME WITH DAVE AND GREG

  1. Venessa  – “He’s an alien all right!” (in reference to Greg speaking funny)
  2. Laughs were shared by all.
  3. Sean drank his forty.
  4. Venessa – “That’s true!” (when a caller said Greg didn’t age in his pictures)
  5. Sean – “That was pretty good.”
  6. Venessa – “That was stupid.”

DONALD TRUMP/CELEBRITY APPRENTICE NBC COMMERCIAL

  1. Venessa pointed at Sean in reference to Trump saying he hit high marks in the 35 douchebag demo
  2. Sean – “I haven’t watched it… yet.”
  3. Sean – “Who’s Fred Armison supposed to be?”
  4. Venessa – “I don’t know.”

RAY LAMONTAGNE SINGS AGAIN

  1. Venessa – “I liked him so much I’ll watch him again.”
  2. Richie – “He has a very unique voice.”
  3. Sean – “I gotta pee real quick.”
  4. Chris has officially passed out… snoring
  5. Richie – “What time does the time change?”
  6. Venessa – “2am.”
  7. Jess (stirring) – “That sucks.”

LIGHTHOUSE OPERATORS

  1. Venessa enjoyed the splashing water on the shipwrecked victims
  2. Venessa also predicted the Clapper being installed in the lighthouse
  3. Sean – “Wiig Counter: I lost count.”
  4. Chris snored more.
  5. Sean – “I can’t believe they referenced a BJ.”

SNL Real-Time Review – Alec’s Back!

Posted in Humor, NBC with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 15, 2009 by tvismyiv

11:35pm – Dan Aykroyd, yay!  Cold open, boo!  I don’t know if Dan’s just a bit rusty, or if he didn’t get enough prep time, but any laughs he elicited from the audience were almost out of pity or happy memories or a mixture of both.  It didn’t help that the bit wasn’t all that funny.  It tried to make fun of Obama’s recent plans and actions and turn them into some future positive spin for Republicans when they fail.  The skit failed.  Horribly.  Kristen Wiig Counter: 1

11:40pm – Alec Baldwin thanked Christian Bale for taking some of his heat (for calling his daughter a “rude, thoughtless, little pig”) and made further fun of himself.  Kudos.  He introduced Jack McBrayer from 30 Rock and did one of the sometimes funny, sometimes tired Q&A sessions.  Getting sleepy.  Wiig Counter: 2

11:45pm – Baldwin as one of the Jonas Brothers named Gary.  If you thought Britney Spears was a bad actress, triple that.  And yeah, that one Brother is 100% gay (which one, you ask… take your pick).

11:53pm – The Cougar Den – Introduced the concept of a CouGay, which is ho-hum ha-ha, and brought back original skit cougar, Cameron Diaz.  Thank god the boyfriends weren’t the Jonas BrothersWC: 3

11:59pm – Digital Short – Damn.  Jonas Brothers again.  At least Andy Samberg found a way to limit their acting and in turn make them mildly entertaining.  In the skit, Samberg confronts them with an old VHS cassette featuring them performing in the 80’s, and he wonders how it’s possible.  It turns out a wizard granted them eternal life.  That’s the joke, folks.

12:01am – Sir Mix-a-Lot’s Photo Shop – Bring your photos in to have back added to the photo.  Abby Elliott’s shown, but has no lines.  Don’t think Wiig is in this one.  I wouldn’t be either.  Mix-a-Lot was used much better in this:

12:07am – Jonas Brothers perform and I assume this will be the only time I ever see them.  Well this and later in the show.

12:13am – Weekend Update – Angelina Jolie returns (via Abby Elliott)!  Michaela Watkins as Angie Tempura blogger of BitchPleeze.com gets chuckles.  Joaquin Phoenix appears (via Jason Sudekis) and bombs worse than he actually did on David LettermanSeth Meyers’ closing joke garners the biggest laugh – “If you’re at home watching this Valentine’s Day episode, better luck next year!”  At least he didn’t say anything about blogging.

12:26am – Vincent Price’s Valentine’s Day SpecialBaldwin plays Richard Burton.  Meh.  Wiig Counter ups to 4 with her awesome portrayal of Carol ChanningIt rivals her Bjork from last week.

12:35am – Business Meeting – Different excuses to cancel an appointment.  Good lord, please end.  Thank god, it did.  I’m getting ready to watch last’s week’s 30 Rock on Hulu.

12:41am – Definitely watching 30 RockJonas Brothers are introduced by Baldwin’s rude, thoughtless, little pig?

12:45:am – Wii Game – First, a Mix-a-Lot skit, then Liberace gay jokes, and now a Wii masturbation bit?  Did they go to the file cabinet for these ideas?

12:49am – Chewable Pampers Commercial – I saw this already somehow.  Maybe it was online, but still…  Well, I guess, yeah, it’s kinda funny.  Mostly the different flavorsWC: 5

12:52am – Virgania Horsen’s Hot Air Balloon Rides – Not as good as her Pony ExpressWC: 6

12:53am – First Coughs – Probably the best skit, where Baldwin’s DVD teaches you how to foreshadow your death in a movie with a slight cough.  Saying it’s “probably the best” isn’t saying much.  I’m trying to remember if there was a cough earlier in the show that foreshadowed this episode’s death.

12:58am – Disappointment sets in.  Onto 30 Rock!

SNL Real-Time Blog

Posted in Humor, NBC, TV with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 14, 2008 by sgottahurt

11:30Cold Open – A skit Andy Samberg did a couple weeks ago was cut because of bleeped-out cussing, yet this skit’s only highlight was the cussing.  Maybe if I knew more about the Governor of Illinois it might have been funnier, but the crowd didn’t seem too into either.  Also, the Kristen Wiig Counter is at 1.

11:38Hugh Laurie’s Monologue – I don’t know why my mind expected him to walk out with a limp and a cane, (that’d be like me expecting him to come out holding Stuart Little), but for some reason I forgot about his accent, too.  His jokes were very dry, as was his Christmas song medley, but Laurie’s likability shone through, so… win?

11:43Bronx Beat Maya Rudolph is back (?) and Amy Poehler is back to regular size.  You could feel the comfort level and rapport between these two fine comediennes, especially when they took Laurie to the ropes making innuendos about cuts of meat (he played a local butcher).  The distinguished actor that he is almost broke character, so that made it work.

11:54Christmas Dinner – Short tempers flare at a dinner party.  The dinner party’s saved by a rendition of Silent Night, Holy Night… almost.  Does ir save the skit… not even close.  So far I feel Laurie’s skills are being squandered.  Or maybe he’s not funny.  Or maybe his Brit humor clashes with the farting humor this show tends to have.  Nonetheless, the idea of subtle tensions at a dinner party worked better in Will Farrell’s classic “I drive a Dodge Stratus” skit.  Wiig Counter: 2

12:02 – Wedding Toasts – This skit was actually pretty good.  Everyone rotated as eccentrics giving toasts.  I liked Bobby Moynihan’s mic drop the best (see I learned his name – I pray he doesn’t have that waiter skit tonight).  Wiig Counter: 3

12:11 – Um… wow… and not good wow.  Kanye West should not sing.  Because he can’t.  If the Lil Wayne digitizer was supposed to do something to his voice it didn’t.  And his look was ridiculous.  Also, I’m beginning to think half of the people that work on this show already checked out for the holidays.

12:17Weekend Update – It’s funny how they get Fred Armison to play every black guy (and Maya Rudolph to play every black woman… Kenan Thompson only gets to play the fat black men and women).  This time he was New York governor, David Patterson, and he was humorous enough (especially when he kept wandering in front of the camera a la McCain).  Really!?! with Seth & Amy is one of my favorite bits, so I was happy to see them attack Governor Rod Blagojevich (saying his hair was like Little People toys was spot on <—British!)  The worst part was Poehler announcing this was her last episode.  Thanks for the laughs, Amy… you will be missed!

12:32Lamps! – Um… weird… and not good weird.  Living lamps?  Holding their owner’s hostage?  And it’s a musical?  Who thought of this?  Seriously, I am beginning to think everyone on the staff has left.  Wiig Counter: 4

12:39 Cat Christmas Letter – Don’t know why, but cat humor almost always gets me.  On the other hand, dead cat humor always gets me.  Sprinkle it with passive-aggressiveness and puns – purrrrrrrfect!  Wiig Counter: 5

12:48 Digital Short – Amidst discussion of layoffs, Armison’s cookie fanatic finds himself eating something that’s not quite cookies.  Armison sells it.  Still, I’m reminded of a better old skit with Rainn Wilson.

12:53Kanye’s back.  Isn’t that the same song?  I know it’s not, but what happened to this guy?  I loved College Dropout so much.  This new stuff is crap.  And stop singing/rapping about Louis Vuitton!

1:00 – What a let down compared to last week’s homerun of an episode, AND it’s Amy Poehler’s last?  Bummer.

SNL Real-Time Blog

Posted in Humor, NBC with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 7, 2008 by sgottahurt

11:30 – Cold Open: Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State – Yay!  Amy Poehler’s back!  Barack Obama winning slam: check.  Sarah Palin dig: check.  Hillary’s chuckle: check.  Bill: check.  Happy days are here again!

 

11:35 – For John Malkovich’s third time hosting, he read Twas the Night Before Christmas, complete with dark and honest asides, such as descibing how in reality, Santa would burst into flames trying to fly around the world so fast.  Chuckle inducing.

 

11:41Gas Right Commercial30 Rock (which is loosely based on the idea of SNL) always makes jokes about how they use too many fart jokes in their skits.  Guess what this skit’s about.

 

11:45 – Work Birthday Party – Let me start by saying this: Kristen Wiig is like in every skit.  So we’ll began the Wiig Counter at 1.  In this one, she plays the hot bimbo in the office that loses her sex appeal bit by bit.  I’ll finish by saying this: her comedy chops improve on a weekly basis.  She’s come a long way since the Joe Schmo Show.

 

11:52Obama Cool Cat Ad – He keeps it cool.  Funny.  Liked this one a lot.

 

11:57La Rivista Della TelevisioneMalkovich is on an Italian talk show and can’t speak it.  Simple, but good.  New guy whose name I don’t know made me laugh in this one.

 

12:02Digital Short: Virgania Horsen’s Pony ExpressKristen goes solo on this short, if you don’t count the guest appearances by herself.  Wiig Counter: 2 (not counting multiple Wiigs)

 

12:04Christmas Twins – I’ve never seen a calculator joke go on for so long, but somehow it still kinda works… mostly because it’s short.

 

12:11T.I.’s first song.  I’m indifferent.

 

12:17Weekend Update – Again, yay AmyPlaxico Burress (Kenan Thompson) warns about the dangers of wearing sweatpants and concealing guns.  Boy George (Fred Armison) couldn’t keep a straight face (no pun intended).  And a different nine-year old boy has better tips on getting girls – like using cocaine.

 

12:34Lost Works of Judy Blume: GertieMalkovich plays Gertie, the crazy mutant girl that has her period for three months, foams at the mouth and blacks out when she thinks of cute boys, and is growing a tail… Overall, a pretty funny skit about a pretty ugly girl.  Kenan Thompson’s song even made me smile.  Wiig Counter: 3, Abby Elliott Counter: 1  😦

 

12:42Digital Short: Jizz in my Pants – Molly Sims, Jamie Lynn Sigler, and Justin Timberlake guest star in  the second great short that’s sure to be a classic… it may not reach Lazy Sunday or Dick in a Box heights, but at least the level of Natalie Portman’s rap and Iran So FarJorma Taccone is the other Dude.

 

12:49 – Rocking hip hop by T.I.  I kinda like it.

 

12:54Dangerous Liaison Redux: J’accuzzi – French aristocrats in a hot tub.  Throw away final skit that isn’t awful, but not super funny.  J’silly.