Posts Tagged ‘Ed Helms’
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Zach Galifianakis isn’t the only one who can rock a scruffy beard and a pair of dark sunglasses.
Vote for Theater Hopper at Top Web Comics to see what I’m talking about.
As you know, The Hangover comes out today and I, for one, am very excited to see it. Even though I felt the marketing campaign focused a little too heavily on our trio of heroes stumbling upon Mike Tyson singing along to Phil Collins’s “In The Air Tonight,” I think the movie looks like a lot of fun.
I was almost going to do a comic that was more of a literal interpretation on the title of the movie and make my comic about drinking to excess. I couldn’t really find a punchline that I liked. But after the week I’ve had, I could use a stiff drink.
Not to bum everyone out, but I need to communicate with you the manner in which my circumstances have recently changed and they have changed dramatically.
If you’ve been following my Twitter account, you know that on Wednesday, the corporation I work for eliminated my position. That’s a nice way of saying I was laid off. I was one of 220 that were let go on Wednesday. So I suppose I can take solice in the knowledge that it wasn’t personal.
It sucks being unemployed, that’s for sure – Especially in a down economy. But there’s not much that can be done about it. The decision to eliminate my position was made long before I could have hoped to have any influence over the outcome.
The good news is that I was given a respectable severance and I have a little bit of breathing room as I try to find new work. So the pressure isn’t on just yet. Still, I’m not taking any chances and plan on hitting the bricks first thing on Monday.
This isn’t my first time around the block when it comes to the whole job-loss thing. So I’m not freaking out as badly as maybe I should. I feel confident that the experience I’ve cultivated over the last 10 years will help me find a job in new and creative work environment.
To that end, if you know of any companies looking for a web or print designer, let me know, won’t you?
What does all this mean for Theater Hopper? Truthfully, I don’t know.
I have to admit that I was on the fence about continuing Theater Hopper after a particularly stressful first half of 2009. Diminished site traffic, ad revenue and a lack of store purchases made me wonder if I was spinning my wheels.
But after 7 years working on the comic, it’s hard to turn my back on it. I’m sticking with it.
Now that I’m unemployed, I’m trying to decide if I want to ramp UP production of the comic to 5 days a week. If I do that, I think the change would go into effect on Monday. But I really need time to sit and think about it. Either I’ll come up with a long-term story idea that will carry me through for a month or two at 5 days a week or I won’t.
I also have to decide if it’s worth it to pour that much effort into the comic while I’m trying to find work.
In either case, you will probably see me talking more about the books and shirts I have for sale though the site.
I’m willing to share that pre-orders on Theater Hopper: Year Three and the Spoiler Alert! shirt were not strong. As a result, the people who DID pre-order have been waiting and waiting and waiting. I appreciate their patience.
I think after the first two books (released in 2007), I became a little gun shy about promoting my stuff. I worked very hard to spread the word about Theater Hopper: Year One and Theater Hopper: Year Two. As a result, some people complained that they were tired of hearing about it. So I dialed back. WAY back.
I can’t afford to do that any more. In addition to gathering pre-orders for the new material, I need to work on getting rid of my existing inventory. So you’ll probably hear me mention those things more often.
Look, I know times are tough for everyone. I know there are those of you out there that WANT to support the comic but can’t afford to do so. That’s fine. I’m not trying to pressure anyone into buying anything. All I want to do is put reminders out there. So, if by luck you find a $20 in the street, maybe you’ll spend it with us.
I hope these renewed efforts in promotion don’t alienate any of you and if you have any suggestions as to how I can keep things in check before they become annoying, I’d appreciate it.
Bottom line: This layoff could be a huge opportunity to do something drastically different with Theater Hopper. Before I make any changes, I wanted to bring everyone up to speed on what was happening in my life so it didn’t feel like it was coming out of nowhere.
I want to say “thank you” to all of the people who responded to my Twitter posts with words of encouragement and support as well as the good friends who have checked up on me through e-mail or over the phone. I appreciate it more than you know.
As for the future, who knows what it will bring? But I’m encouraged to work hard and do the best I can.
Thanks for your time, your understanding, your support and have a great weekend.
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Cedar Rapids starring Ed Helms comes out on February 11 and I’m kind of on the fence about it. As an Iowan, I’m particularly sensitive to media that insists on portraying us as complete rubes and I kind of feel like that’s what the trailer for this movie is trading in.
I also get the vibe that this movie is trying to ride on the coattails of The Hangover a little bit. In this regard, having Ed Helms as your lead doesn’t help.
But here’s the thing… I really like Ed Helms. I think he’s very accessible and emotionally honest as a comedian and that makes him likable. Also, any movie that features John C. Reilly acting thoroughly unhinged gets a pass in my book. I’ve really enjoyed Reilly’s transition from a dramatic to a comedic actor in the last few years. He’s been very deft about it and I can’t think of very many actors who have made the transition as seamlessly as he has.
That’s why this link to Deanzie’s Guide To Business Conventions is kind of a hoot. In the movie, Reilly plays a cock-sure salesman named Dean Ziegler and this web site is written in his voice. I think what makes it funny to me is I can totally envision Reilly delivering those lines.
Embedded in the site are clips from the movie. You might enjoy checking them out. I think it’s warmed me up to the idea of seeing Cedar Rapids a little more. Plus, positive early reviews from the Sundance Film Festival have helped. I’ll be keeping my eye out for it in the next couple of weeks.
Is anyone else anticipating Cedar Rapids?
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So Warner Bros. released the first full trailer for The Hangover 2 and… I think it looks terrible. Watch for yourself.
Seriously, it’s like the exact same movie, except it’s in Bangkok. Tattoo = tooth, monkey = baby and there’s another missing person that Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zack Galafinakis have to find.
Hey, I loved Ken Jeong’s Mr. Chow in the first Hangover as much as the next guy. But does it make A LICK of sense that he would be in Bangkok for the sequel?
Incidentally, if I were Justin Bartha, I’d be pissed. He’s not the one missing this time, but he’s still relegated to the sidelines.
Between this trailer and Due Date being pretty much a straight rip-off of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, I am seriously concerned that director Todd Phillips has run out of gas creatively.
What’s your reaction to this trailer? Leave your comments below!
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Today’s comic might be (fairly) criticized as one of the laziest comics in web comic history. But it came together in a really beautiful way and I want to tell you how.
I was kicking around a comic idea to make commentary about The Hangover Part II’s $86.5 million dollar opening weekend. Numbers like that pretty much guarantee another sequel and there’s already talk that it will be set in Amsterdam.
I wanted to make a joke that it’s not very challenging for the writers to come up with crazy adventures for Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zack Galifianakis to get wrapped up in when the setting is a notorious party city like Amsterdam. They should try to challenge themselves by setting it in Duluth, or something.
A quick aside: I mean no disrespect to the citizens of Duluth. But when the first syllable in your city’s name is basically “dull,” I’m sure images of an exciting nightlife don’t immediately spring to mind.
Hey, I sympathize. Critics of my hometown have been calling it “Dead Moines” for years.
Anyway, back to the original joke… it wasn’t exactly strong and I knew it. How bad was it? I had originally forgotten it and went to Twitter to express as much.
“I had an idea for a comic, but didn’t write it down. Something to do with The Hangover II. Maybe it wasn’t a very good idea?” I said.
This was a little bit of meta-comedy because, as you probably know The Hangover Part II’s is being accused of recycling the same jokes from the first movie and – as such – was probably not a very good idea.
Shortly after that tweet, I received a reply from H. Caldwell Tanner. You may know him from his work on Loldwell or, more likely, from his work for College Humor.
“Just remake an old comic and add a “Part II” to it instead,” he suggested.
It was too good of an idea not to pass up and here we are.
Of course, the joke in this comic – stealing from oneself – doesn’t really work if you haven’t read the original comic. To that end, I am providing this link for your reference. There. Now no one can claim I did not perform my due diligence.
What do you want from me? Tomorrow is Memorial Day here in the states and I’ve got the day off from work!
Don’t worry, though, I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides this weekend and will have a review up in the Bonus Materials blog in the next few days. That should make up for things, hopefully.
In the meantime, help me fill in the blanks. Did you see The Hangover Part II? I have no interest in seeing it considering that I have The Hangover on Blu-ray and can watch that if I’m interested in jokes about roofies. But what did you think? Is it the retread everyone is claiming it is? I’ve heard there’s another photo montage at the end that nearly salvages the movie, even if it’s the same joke from the first movie. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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On the invitation of a friend, I went to see The Hangover Part II this week.
Up until I received his invitation, I was content to let the second installment in this forgotten weekend franchise slip blissfully below my radar. The trailers and advertisements for the film looked painfully reminiscent of the original film and reviews since then have all but confirmed it. The film has only been in theaters for two weeks, but it’s staleness is already legendary.
But, hey. When a buddy calls to see a movie, you put aside your reservations and go. It’s the Bro Code.
I suppose the same could be said about The Hangover Part II. Good will among those who saw the original movie was so strong, a sequel was all but demanded by the powers-that-be. When it was first announced, people were pretty excited. But as footage started coming out, that enthusiasm waned – and rightfully so.
It’s unfortunate that director and co-writer Todd Phillips couldn’t come up with something more than copying and pasting the original Hangover script into a new document, performing a Find and Replace on “Vegas” for “Bangkok” and sprinkling in a few “I can’t believe this is happening again!” exclamations from his characters.
Is it wrong to admit that I kind of hate these characters now? In the original Hangover, The Wolf Pack was an oddball assembly of guys who you at once celebrated and sympathized with. For all intents and purposes, they were regular guys caught in extraordinary circumstances who managed to emerge unscathed with a hell of a story to tell.
I think that was part of the appeal behind the original Hangover. Most people wouldn’t want to be caught up in the whirlwind those three guys found themselves in. But everyone kind of wishes they had a story like that. It would fuel late-night B.S. sessions for the rest of your life.
But in the sequel, you kind of sit back and think to yourself “How could these morons get wrapped up in this again? Haven’t they learned anything?”
To their credit, Ed Helms sheepish dentist Stu seems to have learned something from the original outing. He puts a napkin over his orange juice to keep people from giving him roofies. He barely invited Bradley Cooper’s Phil or Justin Bartha’s Doug to his wedding. The mentally deranged Alan played by Zach Galifanakis was deliberately kept at arms length.
But there wouldn’t be much of a movie if the lead characters exhibited any common sense. So, before you know it, the gang is flying off to Thailand where Stu’s fiancee’s family (conveniently) calls home. Wackiness ensues.
It’s not worth going into the plot because it’s a deliberate facsimile of the original. After having ONE (!) beer on the beach together, Phil, Stu and Alan wake up in a dingy hotel in Bangkok. What follows is supposed to be a fun mystery as the guys untangle where they’ve been so they can find Stu’s soon-to-be brother-in-law – lost during the previous night’s revelry.
Yes, there are a few laughs in the movie – due largely to Galifanakis, who can extract laughs out of the most droll situation with a simple, doe-eyed thousand yard stare. His potent combination of inadvertent malevolence and wonder are the only things that keeps the movie on two feet.
Recognition should be afforded to Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow. He shows up early in the film and I felt immediately agitated by his presence. But he is dispatched of fairly quickly. The laughs he earns when he re-materializes in the third act all but negate the nattering annoyance I felt in the first act.
Overall, however, I found myself feeling exceedingly impatient with the proceedings. I wanted the guys to get their next clue and move things along so we could get to the inevitable slideshow of photos capturing their raucous night. And after the photos materialized – like clockwork – I felt insulted by the whole affair. Ashamed that I had put down good money to see a movie I pretty much already owned on DVD back home.
Much like visiting Bangkok itself, I felt very unclean after spending time watching The Hangover Part II.
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