snl Tagged Articles at Cinematical

While I still try to process the fact that Fast and Furious took home over $70 freakin' million at the box office this weekend (really? You all still dig Vin Diesel that much?), Saturday Night Live came through with a pretty funny sketch featuring Seth Rogen and Andy Samberg doing their best fast and furious imitations for a new film called The Fast and Bi-Curious. Their angle, in case you haven't figured it out yet, was to go the bromance route ... and then some ... and then some more. As one commenter on the SNL site pointed out, this ain't Fast and Furious ... it's more like Hot and Hilarious. Zing! Oh, and am I the only one who wonders whether these guys overdose on breath mints before performing this scene? Check it out below ...

Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy:

• Over at The Squad, they run down the top TV stories of 2008, including the decline of Heroes, Tina Fey's impersonation of Sarah Palin, the economy's effect on the TV industry and so much more.
• Luckily my neighbors are quiet and keep to themselves, but TV neighbors tend to cause a bit more trouble. Check out this list of the most annoying TV neighbors.
• Have you always wanted to create your own t-shirt and also happen to be a big fan of NBC's The Office? Well how about entering this contest where the winner will have their shirts sold in the NBC store. Cool.
• Who said Christmas was over? Check out seven of the greatest Christmas-related Saturday Night Live sketches.
• The online premiere of the cult HBO show Flight of the Conchords scored 250,000 viewers. This begs the question: Should more TV shows premiere online? (And speaking of, watch the pilot episode of Showtime's The United States of Tara -- which was written by Diablo Cody -- over here using the password, 'tara'.)
  

At some point this past summer, between all but consecutive viewings of The Dark Knight, I slipped into a screening of Step Brothers with the same tempered expectations with which I had greeted Blades of Glory and Semi-Pro -- and found myself equally surprised in the coming days and weeks and months by just how admittedly tickled I was by any of them (quoting lines was moderate on all counts). Mind you, I'm saying this as the guy who chuckled during Anchorman, sure, but not really enough to keep it on my shelf or call myself thankful for it.

That's nothing against our Eric D. Snider, and nothing against the star of each film mentioned, Will Ferrell (yes, he was actually Batman). In fact, with Step Brothers hitting shelves today (with reports of a wholly sung commentary track), it only seemed fitting that we go over his most amusing roles as overgrown man-children (Ferrell's, not Snider's). Because they're there, and they always will be, and the sooner that I admit to being vulnerable to his shtick, a better world this very well may be.

I'm not sure if you've been following Saturday Night Live over the past few weeks, but they've made some viral waves with a few sketches -- most notably Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impersonation, but also with Andy Samberg's Mark Wahlberg in a hilarious skit called Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals. Of course, it didn't take long for someone to catch the real Wahlberg (who's conveniently making the TV rounds promoting his new flick Max Payne) and ask him what he thought of the sketch.

Guess what? He didn't like it. Not only did he not like it, but he also told Jimmy Kimmel that next time he sees Andy Samberg, he's going "to crack that big f**king nose of his." All kidding aside, though, Wahlberg does seem a bit flattered he was chosen, though he admits to wanting something a bit more "legendary" and says they're trying to figure out a way for him to appear on SNL tonight. He notes [via Vulture], "I wasn't unhappy with it. It's just that after seeing the Tina Fey–Sarah Palin thing you were kind of hoping for something on that level. That's legendary. But they actually called and asked me if I would do something on the show this weekend, but I can't stay until Saturday, so maybe we'll film something in L.A."

Check out the video of Wahlberg on Kimmel below, then we've provided the original SNL sketch for those who missed it after the jump. Oh ... and say hi to your mother for me.

Update: Wahlberg appeared on SNL tonight with Andy Samberg in a pretty funny follow-up skit. We'll add video when it's available -- what did you think of it? Funnier than the original?

Update 2: New Wahlberg SNL video with Samberg after the jump.

In case you missed Saturday Night Live this past weekend, the hilarious Jonah Hill hosted ... and he co-starred with Andy Samberg and James Downey in the above digital short. SNL has gone through its problems over the past few years, but they seem to be kinda, sorta turning it around a bit -- especially when it comes to the digital shorts they air each week. Here, Jonah sits down for a chat with SNL star Andy Samberg to clue him in on a little news -- namely that he's been dating Andy's father. Hilarity (as well as a pretty nasty make-out session) ensues.

Additionally, since I'm a nice guy and all, you can head after the jump for another clip from the same episode -- one that features Jonah Hill as a pretty vocal six-year-old who's dining at the local Hibachi joint with his father (as played by Bill Heder). I enjoyed that one more than the digital short, but I'm a sucker for Jewish humor. Enjoy!

Considering what a convincing badass Sigourney Weaver is, it's easy to forget that the lady can be funny. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Weaver is in talks to sign on to the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler comedy Baby Mama. Last month, Erik had news that the film was set to start shooting in NYC, so I guess the addition of Weaver is going to be the final piece of the puzzle. Written by Michael McCullers (an alum of SNL along with Fey and Poehler), the story focuses on a career woman with baby ambitions (Fey) who decides on the surrogate route. Weaver is angling to play the owner of the agency that represents Poehler's character. The premise might not sound hilarious on paper; but, I am a big enough fan of both Fey and Poehler, that I have some pretty high expectations of how funny it could be.

Weaver has just finished work on the assassination drama Vantage Point, and will be providing the voice of the narrator in the animated film The Tale of Despereaux. But of course, the real news is her work on the highly-anticipated James Cameron film Avatar. Since Baby Mama is already scheduled to have started production, it looks like it could be a quick shoot or a relatively small part for the actress to fit into her schedule. Weaver has done a handful of comedies over the years, with varying success. Some of the high points include Ghostbusters and Galaxy Quest, but there has also been the occasional miss. I'll keep my fingers crossed that Baby Mama is not going to be one of the misses.

When we first brought you news on the film Rocket, it was being called Eliot Rockett and Jimmy Fallon and Sharon Stone had just signed on to play a mother and son. Now, Variety brings us word that the film has changed titles, added Tom Arnold, Lucy Liu and Ileana Douglas to its cast, and, just recently, began production. Holly Wiersma, who is very familiar with pic's cast, having worked with all four actors on three different films (Factory Girl, Bobby, Happy Endings) is producing via her shingle Ring Prods.

Though he's still a fairly bankable star, Jimmy Fallon hasn't quite been able follow in his former SNL pals' footsteps and bring in major box office dollars. However, that hasn't stopped him from deciding to go the dramatic route (a la Sandler and Ferrell) in an attempt to switch things up and possibly provide a much-needed spark for his career. In Rocket, he'll star as a guy who has problems committing to his girlfriend (Liu), which stem from the extremely dysfunctional relationship his parents (Stone and Arnold) once shared. Pic is based on several short stories written by Ethan Canin, with a script penned by Patrick Sisam and Rick Velleu. Sisam is also set to make his feature directorial debut with the film. Do you think Fallon has what it takes to go all dramatic on us, or should he cash in his big-screen chips now and search for a comfy new TV gig?

If you enjoyed Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update back when it was hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, then you should no doubt be excited by the news that both gals will reunite for the film Baby Mama, which begins shooting next month in New York City. In the pic, Fey will play a single, successful executive for Happy Planet (which is described as a "Whole Foods-type grocery store") who desires a child of her own, but doesn't want the whole pregnancy thing to hinder her career. Thus, she hires a surrogate mother (Poehler) to do all the work ... and we get to watch the entire hilarious scenario unfold before our eyes. (Yes, in case you were wondering, this is a comedy.)

Michael McCullers will make his directorial debut on the pic (which he also wrote); this comes after a string of gigs that included penning the screenplays for two Austin Powers flicks, Undercover Brother and a number of SNL episodes. The built-in chemistry between Fey and Poehler -- coupled with their experience working with McCullers on SNL -- should benefit the film (we hope.) There haven't been any further casting announcements, though I'm sure a leading man (SNL vet, perhaps) will pop into the picture before production officially begins. Personally, I've never been a big fan of Tina Fey, though for some odd reason she's grown on me this past year due to repeat viewings of Mean Girls (which she wrote and also co-starred in.)Poehler, on the other hand, is the type of actress who deserves more work on the big screen -- her comedic style reminds me of a lighter, fluffier (and blonde!) version of Zooey Deschanel*. And, when you're being compared to Zooey, that can't be a bad thing.

*Cinematical Insiders Tip: A bunch of us here at the site are huge Zooey fans -- just so you know ...

I first saw Amy Poehler in a hilarious recurring role on Late Night With Conan O'Brien as Andy Richter's psychotic little sister, then on the uneven but often funny Upright Citizen's Brigade. Tina Fey has skillfully manned (or womaned, I guess) the Weekend Update desk for years, and I liked what she did as one of the token adult characters in Mean Girls, which she also scripted. Despite the verbal jabs I took the last time I said this, Fey and Poehler were perhaps the best Weekend Update team in the history of Saturday Night Live. Two very funny individuals with great chemistry. What's not to like?

Now the pair will reteam for Baby Mama, a comedy from Universal. Writing and directing will be former SNL writer and first-time director Michael McCullers, who wrote the screenplays for both Austin Powers sequels as well as Thunderbirds. According to Variety, by way of Zap2it, Baby Mama is the tale of a single woman who wants to have a baby without sacrificing her career, so she hires a surrogate. No indication which actress will play which role. Production will begin next summer once Poehler is done with the current season of SNL and Fey completes the premiere season of her new show 30 Rock.

Though it's unclear how long ago talks about Hot Rod began, it can't be a coincidence that all the appropriate papers were signed very shortly after its key players made the world go crazy over a little ditty known as Lazy Sunday. The film was written by Pam Brady, who had nothing whatsoever to do with the Chronic of Narnia, but it stars Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone and will mark the directorial debut of Akiva Schaffer, a trio that, when not working on SNL, make up a comedy team known as The Lonely Island. (Just to review, in case you haven't thought about Mr Pibb and Redvines in a while, Samberg was in the Lazy Sunday sketch, Schaffer directed it, and Toccone served as musical director.)

Disappointingly, there will be no rapping and, probably, no Narnia mentions in Hot Rod, which is a comedy (a "rowdy" one, no less -- does that mean people-getting-hit-in-the-crotch jokes?) about a not-so-talented stuntman (that's Samberg) who decides the only way he can earn the respect of his hardass step-father is to "jump the Snake River on a moped," ala Evel Knievel. Production is slated to get underway in July, presumably because the SNL season has to be wrapped up before any significant work on the film can begin.