Here's a funny one for your Friday: Remember that MTV Movie Awards spoof featuring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black? If not, head here to refresh your memory. In said video, Stiller was using his two Tropic Thunder co-stars to shoot a "viral video" for the upcoming flick; one to impress his consistently bored nephew. It was a funny video, and arguably the best spoof of this year's awards show. Of course, kids everywhere wanted to share the viral video featuring three of their favorite actors making a viral video -- but the only problem is that Viacom has forced YouTube to not only remove all uploads, but also suspend the YouTube account of the person(s) who uploaded it.

They've pulled the viral video they made! Looking around, the video is still available over at sites like Funny or Die, so perhaps this has more to do with Viacom's lawsuit against Google (who own YouTube) than it does pulling the video from all similar sites so that folks can only watch it on MTV. Because that would be weird ... and sorta ironic, don't ya think? Ahem.

[via Matt Griswold]

Immediately after watching what appeared to be a last second decision gone awry, I knew people would be talking about it the next day -- especially because it's MTV, because it's a show designed for teens and pre-teens and because Seth Rogen and James Franco kinda made pot smoking "look cool." In an article over at AOL News, Franco admitted that MTV put them up to it -- "even supplying the script, the fake marijuana and the fake joint - then had a last-second change of heart about the bit." That "change of heart" turned into the camera remaining on a wide shot of the stage while Rogen and Franco took hits off the fake joint, coughing in between. Of course, even though the camera was wide, we still heard everything being said -- and could still see the awkward, uncomfortable faces in the crowd, some of whom (like Will Smith) brought their young children with them as dates.

From the article: "MTV wrote it! ... Then backstage there was this big commotion: 'You guys can't say that,"' Franco said. "It says right in the script: 'Lights fake joint."' Of course, this shouldn't take anything away from The Pineapple Express (which I heard was absolutely hysterical and am dying to see), because it's rated R and doesn't pretend to be something it's not. However, the film's green band trailer makes sure not to use the word marijuana or show either character actually putting a joint to their mouth to smoke (going so far as to change the word 'weed' in the trailer song to 'seed') -- so, obviously, it's an issue with the MPAA.

Should it be an issue with the FCC? Did MTV make a huge mistake with this bit, or should they be applauded for taking the comedic risk? (Check out the video after the jump and let us know ...)



[photo courtesy of Getty Images]

While the 2008 MTV Movie Awards was probably more like one long commercial for summer movies than it was an actual awards show, there were some funny, memorable bits featuring old friends and a few clips worth mentioning for those who missed it last night. (Anyone else catch Brendan Fraser screaming like a lunatic into the camera on the red carpet, promoting Journey 3-D, while they were interviewing SJP about Sex and the City? I mean, dude, I know this show is all about promoting your movies, but calm the F down -- even SJP looked a tad freaked out.)

But anyway, my favorite bit of the night was a tie between watching a Wayne's World reunion and the Tropic Thunder viral spoof by Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black. Surprisingly, it wasn't even any of the three who stole the show; it was, instead, the kid playing Stiller's nephew. Hilarious. Watch the Wayne's World routine above, then head after the jump for the full Tropic Thunder video, Megan Fox looking extremely hot and freaked out by a naked Rainn Wilson and the footage you DIDN'T see of Seth Rogen and James Franco smoking a "pretend" joint on stage. I'd like to think the bit would've been funnier if the cameras were actually allowed within 700 feet of the stage and they didn't cutaway to several different actors who weren't laughing ... at all. In fact, Downey Jr. looked kind of insulted. Not the best anti-drug advertisement I've ever seen, but what the hey ...

So since there's a little something called The MTV Movie Awards tomorrow night, we thought it might be fun to take a look back at a few of their funnier spoof segments from over the years. Keep in mind there's literally tons of spoofs from more films than you can count, but I've gone and plucked out four pretty funny ones. Well, I think they're funny. But first, watch as Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. get together to brainstorm viral videos for this summer's Tropic Thunder -- then, after the jump, we head back in time for Jack Black as Spider-Man, Seann William Scott and Justin Timberlake in The Matrix Reloaded, Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Gellar in Lord of the Rings, and Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn attempting to convince James Cameron to do a Titanic 2. Fun stuff. Tell us your favorites.

The MTV Movie Awards airs this Sunday.

There are four things I will always love about MTV: the videos from the '80s, Daria, the first handful of seasons of The Real World, and the MTV Movie Awards spoofs. In many cases, those suckers stick in my mind more than the films they were spoofing -- especially 1999, when Alyson Hannigan, Jaime Pressly, Chris Owen, and Charlie O'Connell took on everything from Risky Business to Cruel Intentions. The sight of Hannigan reenacting the whipped cream scene from Varsity Blues is forever burned into my brain.

This year, however, things will be a bit different for the awards ceremony. The Hollywood Reporter posts that instead of spoofs, a number of big-name actors are making their own short films for the evening, with the creative control in their hands -- namely, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Adam Sandler, and host Mike Myers. Not much is being said about the shorts, but Stiller hired Mike Bender to write his, and Nick Stoller to direct it, while Myers' shorts focus on two new characters he's come up with.

While I love the spoofs, this should be great twist on an old habit -- and as a rabid Downey Jr. fan, I'm itching to see what he comes up with. How about you? Will these shorts convince you to tune in?

With five nominations, it looks like Superbad will be the star of the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, and its three jubilant male leads -- Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse -- deserve the kudos. But one major talent behind the whole affair has stayed relatively anonymous while these young up-and-comers bathe in the spotlight: Director Greg Mottola. The erstwhile independent filmmaker, responsible for some of the best installments of Arrested Developed and Undeclared, launched his career a solid decade before the rise of Judd Apatow with a charming little low budget comedy called The Daytrippers. Starring Stanley Tucci, Hope Davis, Liev Schreiber, Parker Posey and a host of other fantastic character actors, the film follows a wildly dysfunctional family over the course of a single day, as Davis, playing a worrisome housewife, tries to track down her unfaithful husband (Tucci).

Mixing warm humanity with pitch-perfect screwball timing, Daytrippers marked the sort of debut that told you a filmmaker had a big career ahead of him. After a modest premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival, it landed at Cannes, barely got a theatrical release and promptly vanished thereafter. Mottola turned to TV work, and slipped out of the film scene for a good ten years. These days, it's no easy task to track down Daytrippers on DVD -- you can nab second-hand copies on Amazon for decent rates, but not a single retail outlet carries it. Aside from the occasionally airings on cable, the movie has vanished.

So the gags are all done, the skits are all finished, and the goofiest Movie Award ceremony this side of Razzie-town has drawn to a close for another year. Last night was the first time the MTV Movie Awards had been broadcast live, and general internet chatter seems to indicate that host Sarah Silverman did a fine job overall. We could sit here and talk about the funniest speeches, the ugliest dresses or the corniest comedy sketches, but let's just focus on the movies right now. Here's what MTV (and its viewers) considers the very best in cinema from the last twelve months:

Best Movie -- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (over 300, Borat, Blades of Glory and Little Miss Sunshine) Better than Pan's Labyrinth and Children of Men, too?

Best Villain -- Jack Nicholson in The Departed (over Bill Nighy in Pirates 2, Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, Rodrigo Santoro in 300 and Tobin Bell in Saw 3) Yeah, no argument here.

Best Performance -- Johnny Depp in Pirates 2 (over Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness, Gerard Butler in 300, Keira Knightley in Pirates 2 and Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce Knowles in Dreamgirls)

Breakthrough Performance -- Jaden Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness (over Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine, Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada, Justin Timberlake in Alpha Dog, Columbus Short in Stomp the Yard and Lena Headey in 300) I wonder how the kid got the gig in the first place...

Best Comedic Performance -- Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat (over Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory, Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada, Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum and Adam Sandler in Click) As if this award could have possibly gone to anyone else.

Best Kiss -- Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (over Marlon Wayans and Brittany Daniel in Little Man, Mark Wahlberg and Elizabeth Banks in Invincible, Columbus Short and Meagan Good in Stomp the Yard and Cameron Diaz and Jude Law in The Holiday) Funny pick, and certainly better than any of the alternatives.

Best Fight -- Gerard Butler vs. The Uber-Immortal in 300 (over Sacha Baron Cohen vs. Ken Davitian in Borat, Jack Black and Hector Jememez vs. Los Duendes in Nacho Libre, Uma Thurman vs. Anna Faris in My Super Ex-Girlfriend and Will Ferrel vs. Jon Heder in Blades of Glory) And it's not even the best fight in the movie!

Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet -- We'll just skip this one...

The nominees for the 2007 MTV Movie Awards were announced today, and they're a predictably colorful lot indeed. As is always the case, you can cast your very own vote and then sit down to root for your favorites on June 3, when the presentation will be broadcast LIVE with Sarah Silverman as your host. Whew, I sounded like a press release there for a minute. Let's dig through the nominees...

Best Movie: 300, Borat, Blades of Glory, Little Miss Sunshine, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Wow, Blades of Glory? Really? I mean, even among hardcore Ferrell-heads I doubt it's considered one of his best movies. Also, I know several young people who definitely fall within MTV's most coveted demographic ... and they've pretty much all seen (and adored) The Departed. (To say nothing of Pan's Labyrinth.) As much as I love MTV's willingness to throw a lot of love towards the "popcorn" movies, I don't think they need to dumb it down quite this much.

Best Villain: Bill Nighy in Pirates 2, Jack Nicholson in The Departed, Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, Rodrigo Santoro in 300, Tobin Bell in Saw 3

Give it to anyone but that big bronze goofball. His were the (unintentionally) funniest scenes in 300.

Best Performance: Johnny Depp in Pirates 2, Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness, Gerard Butler in 300, Keira Knightley in Pirates 2, Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls, Beyonce Knowles in Dreamgirls

We'll give it to Will Smith just so they can play "Parents Just Don't Understand" when he comes up to collect the award. It'll be ironic because Happyness is about a parent who definitely understands ... the importance of overt melodrama. Otherwise, it's Johnny and Keira (???) duking it out, another Dreamgirls battle in the making, and ... oh, Gerard Butler. He'll definitely win.

Breakthrough Performance: Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine, Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada, Jaden Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness, Justin Timberlake in Alpha Dog, Columbus Short in Stomp the Yard, Lena Headey for 300

This is the Smith that will win. Just picture how cute it will be.

Most of my conversations are shared with pathetic movie geeks like myself, and more than a few recent chit-chats have focused on my nerdly obsession with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. I've got the desktop wallpaper, the hi-def trailer ... hell, I just listened to the screenwriter's commentary on the original Pirates DVD. So to say I'm pretty pumped for the second nautical adventure of Capt. Jack Sparrow would be a keen example of understatement. (If it sucks, I'll be crushed. Seriously.)

And then I got an email from a friend that said: "JoBlo points ye toward a new clip from Pirates 2. Don't be emailin' me back, ya landlocked bilge-nerd, because I'm sick of ye talking about pirates, ye royale depp-dork."

Granted, it's a short little not-much of a clip, but apparently it comes from last week's MTV Movie Awards broadcast, and it does seem to feature the unexpected reunion between Captain Jack and Will (Legolas) Turner, so that's a little bit of fun, I suppose. Click here to check it out for yarself.

And then go re-watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and tell me it's not awesome. I dare you.

(And save the salty comments, ye scurvy trolls, and mislabelin' me a disneyboy! I only to get be fanboy frenzied about a few titles this year, and POTC2 is absolutely one of those flicks.)