Claire and Phil Foster (Tina Fey and Steve Carell) are a suburban couple slogging through their daily lives and marriage. Even their "date nights" of dinner and a movie have become routine. To reignite the marital spark, they visit a trendy Manhattan bistro, where a case of mistaken identity hurtles them through the city at breakneck speeds, into non-stop adventure. Remembering what made them so special together, Phil and Claire take on a couple of corrupt cops, a top-level mobster—and a crazed cabbie—as their date becomes a night they'll never forget.
"In the plaid-draped mid-’90s, Angela Chase squirmed through her so-called life and Daria Morgendorffer weathered suburbia under an armor of sublime snark. At the turn of the century, Freaks and Geeks’ Lindsay Weir picked up Daria’s mantle, that trademark army coat. But the 2000s have seen a peculiar shift: Teenagers on TV, especially girls, are suddenly cool. Even aspirational.
In years past, shows about high schoolers served a dual purpose, allowing their peers to sympathize while offering post-grads a weekly nostalgia trip. But it’s difficult to imagine Angela Chase hawking flip phones, or Lindsay Weir inspiring ready-to-wear lines at Target, as their modern counterparts on CW’s 90210 and Gossip Girl have done (indeed, as their franchise success has demanded). The alternagirl is basically unsaleable—most of us already know one, were one, or are one.
She’s a dying breed, but not yet extinct. You just need to know where to look—namely, the big screen, which has become a haven for alternagirls cruelly ousted from TV land. Zooey Deschanel reigns as Hollywood’s queen of quirk, though Ellen Page is on the rise after Juno (a film with a hyper-referential script that featured at least one My So-Called Life nod). Actresses Kat Dennings, Emma Stone and Charlyne Yi add a bit of alt-weirdness to anything they touch—and with the increasing crossover between indie and mainstream cinema, their reach is widening."http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/11/where-have-all-the-weird-girls-gone.html... more
Since its debut in 2006, there hasn’t been a more quotable comedy than 30 Rock. Memorable lines include the quacky pronouncements of Dr. Spaceman (“Medicine’s not a science”), Jack Donaghy’s non-compliments (“Lemon, don’t ever say you’re just you, because you’re better than you”), Tracy Jordan’s bizarre endorsements (“I love this cornbread so much, I want to take it behind a middle school and get it pregnant”), Liz Lemon’s grammatical breakdowns (“I want to go to there”), and Tracy’s awesome advice (“Live every week like it’s Shark Week”).http://www.good.is/post/the-language-of-30-rock/?GT1=48001
Since its debut in 2006,... more
"Since it’s debut in 2006, there hasn’t been a more quotable comedy than 30 Rock. Memorable lines include the quacky pronouncements of Dr. Spaceman (“Medicine’s not a science”), Jack Donaghy’s non-compliments (“Lemon, don’t ever say you’re just you, because you’re better than you”), Tracy Jordan’s bizarre endorsements (“I love this cornbread so much, I want to take it behind a middle school and get it pregnant”), Liz Lemon’s grammatical breakdowns (“I want to go to there”), and Tracy’s awesome advice (“Live every week like it’s Shark Week”).
But it’s a trio of terms that are 30 Rock’s most significant linguistic impact, so far: “blurgh,” “lizzing,” and “mind grapes.”
“Blurgh” (sometimes spelled “blergh”) is a synonym for “bleah” and “ugh” that was first used in “Cleveland” (April 19, 2007), a first-season episode featuring four different blurghs, each expressing a slightly different form of revulsion, deflation, or disgust.
On the 30 Rock website, Tina Fey gave some insight into the term on April 26, 2007: “Blurgh is something we say around the writer’s room and also since we’re on network television we can’t curse or anything…sometimes we run out of non-cursing ways of saying things. So we started to make up expletives…feel free to use it!” Folks have done just that—especially on Twitter, the most bountiful home of unselfconscious language use these days:"http://www.good.is/post/the-language-of-30-rock/
"Since it’s debut in 2006, there... more
30 Rock is the best comedy on television, pure and simple. There are a lot of funny shows on TV. But 30 Rock is funny and intelligent and, FYI, this is only the first in a series of posts intended to pump up the show’s ratings.
I believe so strongly in 30 Rock and Tina Fey (especially that cutie Tina Fey) I am thinking of banning anyone who does not watch the show from my website. And, yes, I mean you. I don’t care what you say. It’s a lousy half hour a week, and I feel I have the right to ask that little of you. It’s not like your paying for this.
Your comments are welcome on TVSoundoff.com30 Rock is the best comedy on television, pure and simple. There are a lot of funny... more
Sheer genius! I’m telling you, this movie is a downright amazing. It’s just too bad Gervais felt the need to clutter his directorial debut film with so many hanger-ons, actors, who, I am sure, think Gervais is God! Hacks like Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Tambor and the aforementioned over-actor Lowe are just distractions. The real pleasure of this film is Gervais himself, one of the most gifted and universally appealing actor-directors since Charlie Chaplin.Sheer genius! I’m telling you, this movie is a downright amazing. It’s just too... more
Over at USAToday they’ve posted the first image from the highly anticipated Shawn Levy comedy, Date Night. The cast is filled to the brim with talent that’s led by NBC comedy all stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey. The film centers on a married couple whose lives end up in danger during one of their routine “date nights.”
Take a look at the first photo of the happy couple…
Date Night co-stars Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Taraji P. Henson, Kristen Wiig, Leighton Meester, and Common, which makes the film a huge ensemble piece. According to Fey, her and Carell’s characters are a normal couple put in an extraordinary situation thanks to the unintentional influence of their friends.
“They are a very normal couple with two kids who are sort of worn down by the exhaustiveness of their life and are jolted by the fact that a couple they know, good friends of theirs (Ruffalo and Wiig) who seemed to be fine, are now getting divorced. It prompted them to have this evening out.”
During this evening, the unsuspecting duo find themselves at the center of a botched robbery, and all hell breaks loose. Date Night is scheduled for release on April 9th, 2010. Fey and Carell going head to head in a comedy is the match up I think a lot of people have been waiting to see.Over at USAToday they’ve posted the first image from the highly anticipated Shawn... more
When Tina Fey and Steve Carell decide to spice up their married life a bit, they end up with one disastrous night out as their date night leads to mistaken identity and running away from the Mob.When Tina Fey and Steve Carell decide to spice up their married life a bit, they end... more
Tina Fey proved she's just as funny off-camera when she had the whole room in stitches during her post-Emmys press conference. The reporter perhaps thought he was throwing Fey a curveball by asking her about Miley Cyrus' stripper pole dance and young women "sexualizing themselves." Fey batted it right back:
Another hilarious moment comes at the end when Fey accidentally gives out co-star Jane Krakowski real hotel room number.Tina Fey proved she's just as funny off-camera when she had the whole room in stitches... more
Fey received an Emmy Award on Saturday for her impersonation of Republican vice presidential contender Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live."
Accepting her trophy for best guest actress in a comedy, Fey thanked "SNL" producer Lorne Michaels and her parents, "who are lifelong Republicans, for their patience."
She was honored at the Creative Arts Primetime Emmys, which recognize technical and other achievements for the 2008-09 season and preceded next weekend's main ceremony. Fey has the chance for more awards: She could repeat last year's win as best actress in a comedy series for "30 Rock," and the show also could again claim top comedy honors.
Justin Timberlake was another "SNL" winner Saturday, honored as best guest actor in a comedy series.
On the drama side, Michael J. Fox won the guest actor award for his turn on "Rescue Me," and Ellen Burstyn was honored as best guest actress for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
"I always wanted one of these," Burstyn said, winning her first Emmy after being nominated five times.
Neither Timberlake nor Fox were on hand to accept.
Kathy Griffin was host of the nearly four-hour ceremony, her trademark outrageous humor intact with risque jokes and filmed bits.
An edited, shorter version of the ceremony will air Friday on E! at 1 p.m. EDT.
The top network winner was HBO with 16 trophies, followed by NBC with 11. Fox and ABC each won eight awards, with CBS, PBS and Cartoon Network each claiming six.
PBS' "Little Dorrit," an adaptation of the Dickens novel, was the most-honored program with four awards. Several shows, including the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and "American Idol," received three creative arts trophies.
Next Sunday's Emmy ceremony, with Neil Patrick Harris as host, will air on CBS.Is Tina Fey an Emmy winner? You betcha.
Fey received an Emmy Award on Saturday for... more
Sometimes directors have to pull the Slo-Mo Walk out of their Bag of Tricks.
The Rotten Tomatoes Show is a movie review show that airs on Thursday nights at 10:30 e/p on Current TV. From reviews of the newest releases to commentary on cult favorites and movie trends, each episode of The Rotten Tomatoes Show is a fast-paced, comedic journey through the week in cinema.
Apparently, the answer is "yes" in Hollywood more and more. Here, famous comediennes like Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman, Christina Applegate, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and more, talk ageism in tinsel town: http://stilettorevolt.com/?p=1273Apparently, the answer is "yes" in Hollywood more and more. Here, famous comediennes... more
Formerly known as This Side of the Truth, the trailer for The Invention of Lying starring, written, and directed by British comedian Ricky Gervais has hit Yahoo today. Here's the concept: Imagine a world where everyone can only tell the truth. And no-one has ever lied. There are no big lies. There are no small lies. Not even white lies. Until one man discovered how to lie. It looks like a quirky, crazy, fun comedy, similar to Bruce Almighty, except this has Ricky Gervais instead of Jim Carrey. I'm not dying to see this, but it does look good. And if you want to see a slightly different trailer, a UK version hit earlier today as well.Formerly known as This Side of the Truth, the trailer for The Invention of Lying... more
"Of all the television characters to emerge in the era of Obama, none captures the zeitgeist quite like Leslie Knope. Leslie, the central character of the new NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation," believes deeply that the promise of America has been restored. She's always convinced that even when we think our nation has become its best self, there is still a cache of potential waiting for some industrious person to tap into it. As deputy director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Pawnee, Ind., she works tirelessly to improve the lives of the citizens under her charge. Her primary mission is to get a cavernous dirt pit on an abandoned lot turned into a beautiful park, a simple sounding task that becomes a Sisyphean ordeal as she navigates a bureaucratic obstacle course. Still, Leslie tries to maintain her optimism even as those around her wallow in despondency. Says one such sorry character: "When I think about the logistics and the various hoops you'd have to jump through, I'd say, is it likely? No. But is it possible … no. It's not possible. You should give up." Leslie: "So … there's a chance."
It's hard to think of a better person to play Leslie than Amy Poehler. For seven years, Poehler, 37, populated "Saturday Night Live" with such memorable characters as Kaitlin, a lisping, overactive 10-year-old, and Amber, the world's most self-confident one-legged hypoglycemic. But she's perhaps best known for anchoring the "Weekend Update" desk, first with Tina Fey, then with Seth Meyers, and for her impression of Hillary Rodham Clinton, portraying her as a megalomaniacal careerist with a mannered, grating cackle. Poehler is the first to admit her take on Clinton was hardly a spot-on impersonation. "I don't look like Hillary or sound like her, so I had to come up with another way to come at the character," says Poehler. "I made the game of playing Hillary more about her having to grit her teeth through debates with Obama or appearing with Sarah Palin. It wasn't a representative impression of her, it was an impression of people's impressions." In other words, rather than slavishly mimicking or lampooning the minutiae of the political process, Poehler created a character that was funny whether you're politically engaged or not. With her performance as Leslie Knope, she'll continue in the role she meandered her way to during her "SNL" tenure: the political comedian for people who take their comedy as seriously as their politics.""Of all the television characters to emerge in the era of Obama, none captures the... more
``Slumdog Millionaire'' continued its unlikely rise from low-budget underdog to the highest Hollywood heights, winning the Screen Actors Guild Award for best cast of a motion picture.``Slumdog Millionaire'' continued its unlikely rise from low-budget underdog to the... more
Five of the best moments from the 2009 Golden Globes; including Mickey Rourke ’s surprise win (and calls Darren Aronofsky a "son of a bitch"), Ricky Gervais’ annoyance at not receiving a nomination, and more!Five of the best moments from the 2009 Golden Globes; including Mickey Rourke ’s... more
Those anonymous internet critics Tina Fey told to "suck it" in her Golden Globe acceptance speech are actual posters on the LA Times' Envelope awards site. And mean!
Some points of clarification, though. Two of the three commenters Fey called out in her speech (video above) are the same person — "dianefan" used to be "cougar-letter." And the third, "BabsonLacrosse," totally got caught in the crossfire.
On the serious, Fey is HUGE right now, and much deservedly so.Those anonymous internet critics Tina Fey told to "suck it" in her Golden Globe... more
Actress Tina Fey capped a stellar year on Thursday when her television comedy "30 Rock" shared top billing at the Screen Actors Guild nominations, earning nods for best actress and the coveted best ensemble comedy cast.
"30 Rock", the NBC series about a fictional sketch comedy show that Fey created and produces, won three nominations including best comedy actor for Alec Baldwin.Actress Tina Fey capped a stellar year on Thursday when her television comedy "30... more
If you watch "30 Rock" you might have noticed that we almost never see Jack Donaghy's (Alec Baldwin) assistant, Jonathan, anywhere except within a 10-foot radius of Jack's office doorway. Maulik Pancholy who plays Jonathan, sheds some light.If you watch "30 Rock" you might have noticed that we almost never see Jack Donaghy's... more
Tina Fey's husband is talking about something the "30 Rock" actress would rather not discuss: the scar on her left cheek.
In an interview in Vanity Fair, Jeff Richmond says a stranger slashed Fey's face when she was 5 years old. He says the incident occurred in the front yard of her house.
Says Richmond: "That scar was fascinating to me. This is somebody who, no matter what it was, has gone through something. And I think it really informs the way she thinks about her life."Tina Fey's husband is talking about something the "30 Rock" actress would rather not... more
