TRAFFIC IN L.A. SUCKS BUT THIS...

NOTHING BEATS SOUTH PARK

Last night's episode of SOUTH PARK, as usual, was brilliantly funny. It's almost ridiculous how consistently funny this show has been over the last decade. Always smart, always scathing, and always crude, genius show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have clearly set the bar for small screen comedy. I dare you to find a show that has been as timely, socially relevant, and laugh out loud hysterical as this show has been. You can't. Last night's episode, titled "CANADA GOES ON STRIKE," was essentially a response from Parker/Stone over the whole Writers Guild strike/fiasco that gripped Los Angeles these last few months. Granted, I work in the business, so I might find this particular epsiode funnier than some people. But it's just amazing how on point and how caustically funny this show is. Parker and Stone don't just remind us of how silly corporate America is and can be -- they rub our noses in it. The ballsiness of their efforts is sometimes remarkable in it's boldness; here are two guys, getting paid tens (if not hundreds) of millions of dollars by Viacom, who openly assault their bosses through their irreverent cartoon. The idea of having Canada, as a nation, striking (ala the writers striking against the studios) against....umm....nothing in particular, is just one of the many moments of hilarity in this episode. When Stan and Kyle break it all down in the show's last few minutes, the speech is so funny you will want to listen to it twice. And their constant reminder of the fact that, essentially, NOTHING WAS CHANGED by the strike, is a further reminder of how lame this industry is at times, and how rich people just love pissing one another off. If you missed this episode, it will be repeated throughout the week. And thanks to the new website http://www.southparkstudios.com/ you can go and watch any episode on your computer at any time, for free. They even managed to bash FAMILY GUY in last night's episode, which is always fine by me; that show is beyond overrated in my book. What Parker and Stone do on a weekly basis with SOUTH PARK is lunatic, maniacal, and flat-out perfect. There's a reason why they have garnered Emmy awards, Peabody awards , Cable ACE awards, and and an Oscar nomination. They are two of the most gifted comedians to ever walk the planet Earth.

POSTER/TRAILER: PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

(Image first seen @ www.joblo.com)

Here's the link to the PINEAPPLE EXPRESS trailer, which yahoo is hosting:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809846725/video/7239662;_ylt=AmsXXnSLtdte2VSfxS91BtpfVXcA


I am eagerly anticipating this stoner action-comedy from the Judd Apatow factory and writer/director David Gordon Green (SNOW ANGELS, ALL THE REAL GIRLS). Seth Rogen and James Franco play two stoner buddies who get mixed up in a bad drug deal and some serious action-movie shenanigans. Looks like a lot of fun. This, along with TROPIC THUNDER, will ensure that the summer movie season is full of laughs.

MY SISTER IN LATEST SECOND CITY PERFORMANCE

Here's a snippet from my sister's latest performance at Chicago's Second City. So proud of her!

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS LIVES ON!

NBC officially confirmed a third season for the brilliant television program FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.

New episodes will begin airing winter 2009. It will still air Friday nights at 9pm. But here's the really interesting info: the show will be exclusive to DirecTV's Channel 101 starting Oct. 1. It will then will be repeated on NBC subsequent to the 2009 Super Bowl.

So, for people (like me) who don't use DirecTV, we're gonna have to be really cautious of spoilers coming out.

NEW JOKER PIX

Just saw these after going to http://www.darkhorizons.com/ and then going here:

http://www.lyricis.fr/cinema-dvd-serie/batman-the-dark-knight-photos-exclusives-du-joker/

A LETTER FROM EBERT

I just saw this at Roger Ebert's website...here it is in full:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080401/PEOPLE/994190446


Today, April 1, is Roger Ebert's 41st anniversary as film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times (no fooling) -- and he declaring his imminent return to reviewing movies.

Dear Readers:

I am at last returning to the movie beat. After my current stay at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, I’m looking forward to opening night of my annual film festival at the University of Illinois on April 23, and I will resume writing movie reviews shortly thereafter.

Are you as bored with my health as I am? I underwent a third surgery in January, this one in Houston, and once again there were complications. I am sorry to say that my ability to speak was not restored. That would require another surgery.

But I still have all my other abilities, including the love of viewing movies and writing about them. And at my side I have my angelic wife, Chaz.

The festival is shaping up well. Thanks to festival director Nate Kohn, the schedule, which is already released at ebertfest.com, includes appearances by filmmaker and U. of I. graduate Ang Lee; directors Paul Schrader, Sally Potter, Tom DiCillo, Bill Forsyth, Tarsem Singh, Jeff Nichols, Barry Avrich, Taggart Siegel, Eran Kolirin and Joseph Greco. We are also happy to welcome actors Joey Pantoliano, Aida Tuturro, Christine Lahti; and the Alloy Orchestra.

It was Schrader’s line from his screenplay for Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” that inspired my acceptance of my bandaged appearance: “I ain’t a pretty boy no more.”

Assisting in the onstage Q&A sessions will be my TV partner, Richard Roeper; my Chicago Tribune colleague, Michael Phillips; my longtime friends, Time magazine film critic Richard Corliss and his wife, Mary, a film expert; Sony Pictures Classics president Michael Barker; film scholars David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson; Professor Eric Pierson; RogerEbert.com editor Jim Emerson; Movie City News editor David Poland; film scholar Hannah Fisher; and U. of I. alum and Sports Illustrated’s Bill Nack.

The longest distance commute to the festival will be Farmer John Peterson, who lives in northern Illinois but will fly in from New Zealand.

I am still cancer-free, and not ready to think about more surgery at this time. I should be content with the abundance I have.

So that’s the latest. I have been so moved by the messages I’ve received from so many of you. Thank you. Now let’s go to the movies.