The Juice Blog needs to produce a "Please Explain: Animal House" segment one of these days. I just don't get that movie. Until a year or so ago, I had only seen clips from the movie, from which I developed an expectation that I wouldn't like it. But I always thought I "should" watch it someday, given that it was so popular and that it was filmed in my hometown and such.

So, a year or so ago, we watched it. I hated it. I don't think I laughed a single time, and in fact, and found myself hating every moment and wanting to kill myself. It was that bad. It just wasn't funny, and if anything was actively un funny. Every attempted joke or funny situation fell completely flat, and I felt like it was written by an unfunny 10 year old. I didn't like or care about any of the characters, and I particularly hated John Belushi. I got the impression that we were "supposed" to find him hilarious, which made his utter unfunniness even worse. "Food fight!" is supposed to be funny? Throwing food at each other? That's supposed to be brilliant slapstick? I don't get it.

The lone bright spot for me was seeing Eugene and the UofO campus, including a bench upon which I sat back in 1999 while waiting for my wife-to-be prior to our first date.

The only thing I can figure is that the movie is very dated, and that Belushi's "wacky" behavior was funny back then but passe and played out now. Contrast that, for example, with "Revenge of the Nerds," which (IMO) is every bit as funny today as it was back in the mid-80s.

To each their own, I guess.

That's a shame.

Do you think you would have liked it as well as you do if it were to have been released now, instead of 30ish years ago?

It may be the case that it was "avant garde" at the time and that I don't find it funny because its variety of humor has been imitated to the point where I attribute the humor to the things that imitated it rather than to Animal House itself.

I like "Animal House" even though I never was in a frat, I'm too young, and it was filmed in Eugene.

4
For the love of Betemit: watch "Revenge of the Nerds" already and tell me what you think...!

3 - It wouldn't have had the same impact, but I would have liked it a lot. It's much better than ROTN in my mind.

For me, one of the charms of watching Animal House now is the cast of then-unknowns, a host of likable actors like Peter Riegert, Tom Hulse, Tim Matheson, Bruce McGill, Karen Allen, Kevin Bacon (not playing a likable character but still good) and of course the lovable slob in Belushi. I was 9 when that came out the first time and didn't get all the college-y references but I still laughed (especially the sophomoric gross jokes), and I still enjoy it today. Don't know what to say or how to explain it, but I think both the casting and having smarter people than the premise deserves behind the camera probably makes it better than it could have been. I think it depends on your tolerance for silly, raunchy humor. But there's a sweetness there, too. Sounds like Superbad has some of that mixture, too.

then-unknowns, a host of likable actors like Peter Riegert, Tom Hulse, Tim Matheson, Bruce McGill, Karen Allen

All still-unknowns to me, at least in name.

I think it depends on your tolerance for silly, raunchy humor

I have a high tolerance for such humor: I just didn't see any in AH.

Animal House is funny, now, then, and forever. Any definition of funny that can't accommodate Animal House, is wrong. And any that goes out of its way to tolerate Revenge of the Nerds is wrong, squared.

9
Then again, you're a D'backs fan. And you wear pants everyday, come heat or low water.

I saw Animal House for the first time as a 19-year-old in 1999 and it was just as funny as any modern comedy as far as I was concerned. I'm sure it would have had even more of an effect if I had seen it when it first came out, but it's still one of my favorite comedies.

Revenge of the Nerds is also one of my favorites - and probably rated higher than Animal House - but that may be because I saw it at a much younger age.

probably rated higher than Animal House

Yes! Ah ah ah...You are correct sir! Ah ah ah...

BTW: How was George Michael in Superbad...?

13 - Great. He was very George Michael, frankly.

14
It's tricky. When you've played such a great character that you were perfect for and that really demonstrated your talents, do you stick with the same general character in future roles or do you try something different?

I certainly wasn't tired of George Michael after 2.5 seasons of AD, so I don't mind him sticking with what was working for the time being.

On a related note, does anyone have an opinion of GOB's performance in that ice skating comedy? I haven't seen it, but my wife wants to rent it when it comes out...

You don't see any silly or raunchy humor in AH, D4P? Huh. Well, it's there, you just may not have found any of it funny.

Can't we like both AH and Nerds? Can't we all get along?

Hey, Nerds is historically important because it foreshadowed the coming of Geeks taking over the business world. Not that I'd write a very long term paper on the film, exactly.

Michael Cera is just 19. I don't know how wide a range we can expect of him just yet.

Can't we like both AH and Nerds?

Sure, that's preferable to only liking AH.

15 - His performance was solid; the movie was pretty poor, though.

the movie was pretty poor, though

Super poor...?

20 - LOL. I didn't hate it. It was very silly but just mostly stupid. A few inspired moments.

My local movie house is closing down! No more Rialto.

Where will I go to get the feeling of a spring going through my back? Where will I go to find 20-something art school grads telling me that they don't have change for a $10 bill?

21
Off the top of my head, I don't think I've seen a Will Ferrell movie. I don't think I ever saw him on SNL either. I guess a lot of people like him.

I think this is the only thing I've seen him in (i.e. a George W. Bush impersonation), which is good for a few laughs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkqrI3IibYI

I saw Superbad last week, and Jon's right, it is hysterical; I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard in a movie but for Borat. Michael Cera registers embarrassment better than any actor I can think (even Ben Stiller). Jonah Hill will be Jack Black in a few years.

What's amazing to me is that Rogen and the other guy supposedly wrote this when they were 13. I'd be very curious to see how much the script changed since then.

24 - They started writing it as teenagers, but they've been through 18 drafts, by their count.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117967387.html?categoryid=2607&cs=1

I've read the Superbad script (an '05 draft) and couldn't believe how funny it was on the page. I had previously read Knocked Up and felt it fell a bit flat (but I loved the movie), but man the Superbad script was really, really funny. I'm super excited to see the movie

22

Wait, the Rialto in South Pasadena? Is that the that's closing?

Man, I probably haven't been there in a decade, and it wasn't so hot even when I was going there, but that nonetheless makes me kind of sad.

Paula Marshall alert:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=24&entry_id=19343

Where does Wonder Years rank on everyone's list of favorite TV shows? It's basically #1 for me though Seinfeld and Arrested Development are near the top. Nostalgia anyone?

28
Scene at the Weisman household:
"Honey, I'm just going to watch Showtime before I go to bed. It's for work!"

I will go line up to see Superbad next weekend.

I will be seeing Superbad and I was planning on it from the day I saw Michael Cera and Jonah Hill on the poster...and that was before I knew that it was written by none other than the genius Seth Rogen.

30 - I'm getting the pilot sent to me, but I don't know if I'll be able to swing episode two.

29 - There are many episodes of Wonder Years that I cherish, but I could probably name several shows that I would put higher. Maybe it's top 10 or top 20 - which is no slam against it by any means. I'd have to think about it.

I did already see the first episode of HBO's "Tell Me You Love Me."

That is one reason I would love to be in the entertainment industry at some level - advance copies and screenings of things. Even if it's bad, at least you can ween it out early. Jon, you have all the fun.

33 It's funny, Wonder Years ran from 1988-1993 (I would have been 7-12). I must have watched it in reruns a couple of years later because I specifically remember going through Jr. High School while watching it and having my life literally mirror Kevin's (or at least feeling like it) at the time. I think that must play into a lot.

Incidentally, my life does not mirror Jerry Seinfeld or Michael Bluth so perhaps relating too much to the characters is not necessary for loving a show.

I am obnoxiously talkative today...

My wife and I watched "The Sting" last night. She asked beforehand if it was supposed to be funny. I said, well it's more of a "romp". Movies weren't funny until "Animal House" came out.

Happy to read that "Superbad" is apparently everything I hope it to be.

Anyone see "Hot Rod" with Andy Samberg?

My wife and I started recording all the Wonder Years reruns on ION recently and we watch them on our lunch break. I have fond memories of the show, and I am amazed at the incredible life lessons in there. I imagine I was not mature enough to embody those lessons when I first watched the show, but I am impressed by the actual content of the show, beyond just the nostalgic response. However, knowing the ending, I am forever bitter at Winnie and it makes it worse to see Kevin passing up on Madeline for Winnie, when she is attending a different JR High.

29 - AD, South Park, Simpsons, News Radio, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Cheers, and Seinfeld are shows I can think of that would place above Wonder Years. It does hold a special place for me in that the show did exactly mirror my age growing up while it ran (the character's ages; I didn't grow up in the 60s).

23 - If you haven't already "seen" Anchorman through the relentless quoting of it on seemingly every social gathering area on these here internets, I'd highly recommend that one. It's his very best work.

37 - Right back atcha. Must've been the 3 Coke Zero's I had after lunch. Oh well, the weekend beckons.

39

I saw "Hot Rod." It's an odd-duck movie. Very arch and, at times, straining too hard to be offbeat. But I gotta admit, I laughed. It struck me as the kind of film doomed for a quick death in theater, but likely to find an appreciative cult of fans on DVD and cable.

This is sort of like Stevie Wonder being asked what his favorite impressionist paintings are, but here goes:

1) The Wire

[gigantic gap]

2) Six Feet Under
3) The Sopranos
4) Homicide
5) Seinfeld
6) The Simpsons
7) Deadwood
8) The Office
9) Cheers
10) The Shield

I never watched more than three or four episodes of "The Wonder Years," although I get the feeling I might like it if I did.

My Top 10:
1) The Rockford Files
2) Bob Newhart Show
3) Seinfeld
4) Mary Tyler Moore Show
5) The Simpsons
6) Freaks and Geeks
7) Arrested Development
8) The Office
9) St. Elsewhere
10) This space for rent

1) The Sopranos
2) Arrested Development
3) Six Feet Under
4) The Simpsons
5) Dream On
6) Cheers
7) The Twilight Zone
8) The Office
9) The X-Files
10)Northern Exposure

I do not even think I can put this in order, but I will attempt it.

1)Sopranos
2)South Park
3)Strangers With Candy
4)The Simpsons
5)Trailer Park Boys
6)Flight of the Conchords
7)Da Ali G Show
8)Curb Your Enthusiasm
9)Nip/Tuck
10)The State

"Tell Me You Love Me" is going to get a chance with me, because they use Massive Attack's "Angel" in the commercial. Great song.

I saw a screening of SUPERBAD this past Monday night - it was everything I had anticipated it being.
Yes, it was hilarious and yes, it was quite crass....but it also was grounded emotionally and was so easy to relate to. It has that same special blend that made KNOCKED UP and 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN so successful...

16- The geeks aren't in charge. They like to think they are (as they always have), but the smooth talking, eighty dollar haircut having, Leadership book readers are still in charge. May Ch-i have mercy on their black, dead souls.

For Brock: two great tastes that you may not think taste so great together: http://tinyurl.com/2kr54c

A relative youngster's top 10:

1. Seinfeld
2. The Office
3. Arrested Development
4. The Simpsons
5. 24
6. Scrubs
7. CSI
8. da Ali G Show
9. Family Guy
10. Flight of the Conchords

Honorable mention: Stella, Freaks and Geeks, That 70's Show, Saved by the Bell

That pretty much embodies every show that I watch(ed) at least semi-regularly. I'll have to plead ignorance on a lot of the other high-profile shows (Lost, Heroes, etc.) and on pretty much anything made before 1988.

51 I'm not surprised Hitch was unimpressed. He wouldn't be Hitch if he was gleefully satiated.

52
Nice, a Stella fan. Hope you have seen the sketches they made before the show. Absolutely awesome.

54 I saw what was on the DVDs, but that's about it. If they had made more than 12 episodes (or however many there were) it would probably be in the top 10. As it is I'm only left with two DVDs worth of hilariousness.

It's probably too late in the thread to initiate something like this, but I'm wondering about something.

Reading through these lists of favorite programs I see some commonality, particularly with regard to shows like Arrested Development that seem to die too early a death.

Here's my question for anybody out there with any kind of business sense: Is there any scenario in which it would be feasible to organize a cooperative of television viewers to own and run a cable station?

I'm thinking such a viewer-run station could run syndicated fan favorites such as Seinfeld, but also might be capable of picking up excellent series that are cancelled before their time, such as Arrested Development.

I dunno - I have a terrible head for business, so the idea is probably laughable. Anyway, just thinking out loud.

Walter O'Malley would like not have had enough money to finance a cable channel to make this feasible.

Seinfeld reruns would eat up your budget.

I didn't catch the last line about Kai on JFC. Anyone know what he said?

It seems like this is probably the last episode of the series and I am left wanting more.

I'll tell you in about 2 hours and 45 minutes.

I doubt I will be left wanting more.

58 "See the mother of God Cass/Kai"

Mash
Soap
Deadwood
Northern Exposure
Cheers
Scrubs
Taxi
Barney Miller
Seinfeld
Sports Night(Incomplete)-Six Feet Under(Best Ending)

When I first saw Animal House I expected to hate the movie, instead it was the funniest movie I'd seen that wasn't written by Mel Brooks.

60
Thank you.

62 I may have misheard. It may have just been "Mother of God Cass/Kai"

Regardless of what the last line of JFC was, all I can say is "Thank God, it's over."

My father words aren't going to be heard anymore.

So, let's recap the show:

Butchie: Awesome
Bill Jax: Awesome
Cissy: Die in a fire
Mitch: Unnecessary
Barry: Weird
Doc: Dellahunt is the man
Hawaiian drug dealers: Well acted but impertinent
Dickstein: Whatever
Hairlip: Whatever
Luis Guzman: Always great
Linc: Worst. Bad. Guy. Ever
Kai: Whatever

What about Cass?
And her camera?

Oh, and I would very much like to have relations with Cass.

And I really like Austin Nichols. He was good as John.

65
That pretty much sums up the biggest problem with the show. The characters are pretty hard to like and care about and that is going to be a problem on television. Shaun seems like he was cast more for his surfing and skating ability than his acting. Plus, so many characters seemed pointless, but we will never get the chance to see their significance.

68 I liked a bunch of the characters. I thought the characters were fantastic. Butchie, Bill, Hawaiian dudes, Dillahunt's Doc. They were wonderfully acted and written.

The show was just pointless. Like a well-acted nothing.

I thought most of the acting was good, just not Shaun. The characters are good for their roles, I just did not particularly care for any of the main characters, aside from Bill.

I liked the show and it was a show set up for the long haul and that is going to end up killing it.

Very odd FotC tonight. Only one real song and a very different feel from the other episodes. There were a few good moments, but overall it was a disappointment. And what was with HBO slotting it for 45 minutes when it was only the regular 30?

Also, Anna Faris looked terrible on Entourage tonight. It was no surprise that a Google search of "anna faris lips" produced a ton of hits about how bad her plastic surgery looks.

Was it hubris? Did Milch just feel like, because he such a brilliant writer (and he is), he could just throw out ridiculous dialogue and that people would eat it up?

The zeroes and ones?
Cass's camera?
My father's word?

I mean, come on, Milch. You may be smart, but things have to have a point. It has to mean something, whether it's well written or not. Good God.

71 Dude...Yeah. What's up with Farris? She was an absolute knockout. Now...Nose looks different and the lips are Melanie Griffithish.

Anna, you were a ten. Wha happen? Why you destroy such hotness? Why you do that, Anna Farris?

Anna Farris in "May" was one of the hottest broads ever. And I'm saying "ever" here.

Where have you gone, Anna Farris. A nation turns it's lonely eyes to you. You look like silicone garbage.

Her lips and lipstick resembled some kind of evil clown.

Why would she mess with plastic surgery? She was smoking hot. What are you thinking, Anna Farris?

Why...WHY?

I am the only person who had NO idea who Anna Farris is?

77
There were at least two.

Oh, the dumb woman in "Lost in Translation"!

I think of Anna Faris as a poor man's Marley Shelton, who herself is a poor man's Heather Graham.

I had the same initial reaction partway through last night's FotC - where was the music? But I liked it in the end. I thought the running theme of how they were inadvertantly destructive rock stars, coupled with Murray realizing what his true love was, actually was kind of subtly brillant.

80 I agree that the overall concept was good, it just seemed like they missed the opportunity to have one of their "tour dates" morph into (in their own minds of course) an 80's arena rock band or something.

Plus, the one song they did have - "Mermaids" - was mediocre, and since the songs are my favorite part of the show it would've taken a humdinger of an episode to compensate.

78
Make it 3.

Had to love the shrinking leather suits and the tour gone bad.

For JFCers:

http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2007/08/john-from-cin-2.html

Marty, time to get back in the Game:

1. Deadwood
2. Sopranos
3. Larry Sanders
4. The Shield
5. Get Smart
6. Homicide
7. Buffalo Bill
8. Taxi
9. Honeymooners
10. Frasier

82 That makes four of us. My wife, who knows all the celebrity trivia known to man, was able to fill me in on Anna Farris.

Although I'm generally opposed to messing with natural beauty, after just this one episode of Entourage I think Anna Farris is big-time hot...regardless of whether she's had plastic surgery.

I thought FotC was pretty funny. But, then again, Murray was once again prominently featured, and I think just about anything Murray does is flippin' hilarious.

FotC was not one of my favorite episodes. I thought it was good but not one of the better ones. Something I realized was that the Conchords are actually a HORRIBLE band in the reality of the show. Maybe it's just me, but I keep forgetting that the band on the show is not the same band who breaks out into song in the middle of the episodes.

on a side note, has anyone seen any of Rhys Darby's (Murray) stand up? Man, not what I was expecting....!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NxO94S6tMLM
(i hope youtube links are OK?)

83
I love Ed O'Neal, but I cannot imagine him being a better Al Swearengen than Ian McShane.

Speaking of Stella, did anyone see "The Ten" yet? I haven't, but want to - and enjoyed listening to an interview podcast with those Stella/The State guys about the movie.

Btw, I blogged a little bit about Californication tonight if anyone's interested. Or even if you're not.
underdog.typepad.com

What are we listing here? Favorite shows ever?

Okay, underdog's 10 favorite TV shows?

The Simpsons
Taxi
Freaks and Geeks
The Bob Newhart Show
Mystery Science Theater 3K
The Wire
MASH
Seinfeld
The Sopranos
Arrested Development
(tie) BlackAdder
with ST:TNG and X Files not far behind.

88
I am going to go to the Kabuki in SF sometime to see it.

BTW, I am going to miss Roman Grant on Big Love.

Film critics I actually respect (and they are few...very few) tell me "The Ten" is crap.

I'll find out on DVD in nine months.

10 from dzzrtRatt:

Sopranos
Six Feet Under
South Park
I Love Lucy
Twin Peaks
Hill Street Blues
Saturday Night Live
The Twilight Zone
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Law and Order

(Bear in mind, I have yet to see hardly any of Deadwood or The Wire.)

10 from dzzrtRatt corrected:

Sopranos
Six Feet Under
South Park
I Love Lucy
Twin Peaks
Hill Street Blues
Saturday Night Live
The Twilight Zone
Homicide
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

Oooh, Homicide, I knew I forgot something. That and Twilight Zone could make my list's "supplemental draft".

JfC is officially not coming back.

96
Good news in these dark times.

good god, no white shadow? nobody?

it's at the top of the list for me. the top of the top.

others (i prefer not to rank 'em) include:

the office
news radio
arrested development
it's your move (though perhaps my memory of that show is stronger than the show itself was -- i just remember it being hilarious and way, way ahead of its time)
early west wing
seinfeld
curb your enthusiasm
cheers
twilight zone

I have no recollection of "It's Your Move", but it looks like it aired in 1984. That was one of the years when I didn't watch much TV because I pretended to study in college.

I just heard the theme song for "Makin' It" in the lobby drugstore of my building.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0078647/

88

I saw "The Ten." Not great, and certainly not as cohesive as "Wet Hot." I laughed occasionally, but it'll probably play a lot better on DVD than it does in the theater.

I really enjoyed Californacation last night after Suffering Bruin mentioned it yesterday on the game chat thread I got curious so I fliped over the channel & I kind of really liked it, david duchovny puts absolutely no feeling in his acting but it works for him (?) I'm gonna stick around see how the show unfolds.

Just saw "Superbad" and really enjoyed it. Maybe not quite in the "40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" class, but pretty close...

I recommend seeing it early in its run, as it's precisely the kind of movie that will become less enjoyable after your idiot friends ruin all of the jokes for you.

Western Homes is not dead. As soon as I can illegally download the "Weeds" episode from last night, I'm all over it. (I'm too cheap to pay for Showtime and HBO at the same time.) Meanwhile:

1) "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
2) "Fawlty Towers"
3) "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"
4) "The Prisoner"
5) "The Simpsons"
6) "The Adventures of Pete & Pete"
7) "Arrested Development"
8) "Deadwood"
9) "Home Movies"
10) "Seinfeld"

There are a lot of shows I considered but then eliminated because of way too many weak filler episodes: "That 70's Show," "Monty Python's Flying Circus," "Chappelle's Show" (the Player Hater's Ball is maybe the single funniest sketch ever), "X-Files" (the last three seasons are a joke), "Gilmore Girls," "South Park," and probably I watch "Angel" and "Futurama" more than a lot of shows on the above list but they're really just extensions of "Buffy" and "Simpsons."

C'mon Mark, "The Prisoner" has to be #6.