Posts Tagged ‘Zach Galifianakis’
3 items.
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.
[ 21 Comments ]
I know it’s kind of cheap to compare Due Date to Planes, Trains and Automobiles. But no matter how I looked at it, that was the most glaring thing about the movie I could make fun of.
I mean, sure, I could have taken a shot at Zach Galifianakis and his bearded weirdo shtick. But that’s kind of like making fun of a fourth grader for eating paste. He’s not hurting anyone. Just leave him be.
Incidentally, does anyone have the sneaking suspicion that Zach Galifianakis might already be wearing out his welcome? I like the guy, but I think he’s best in small doses. Sticking him into the middle of a quasi-mainstream comedy like Due Date doesn’t seem like the brightest idea to me because it puts a lot of pressure on the guy to go toe-to-toe with the lead actor (in this case, Robert Downey Jr.) instead of leaving him to operate on the fringe, tossing in odd and funny one-liners.
I cast serious doubt over Due Date at the end of the first trailer that came out back in July when Galifianakis tells Downey Jr. “You’d better check yourself… before your wreck yourself.”
I know that’s a weird detail to focus on. But, for me, it became representative of an awareness Galifianakis seems to be developing about his performances. Before, he was weird for weird’s sake – which is entertaining – but now he needs to be weird because audiences expect him to be weird – which is patronizing.
At this point, the weirdest think Galifianakis can do is play a role completely straight.
Obviously, my excuse for seeing Due Date is for Robert Downey Jr.. I just kind of wish they flipped the script a little bit in terms of the movie’s plot. An uptight dude and a weirdo? Like I pointed out in the comic… it’s too much like Planes, Trains and Automobiles. If they wanted to make a REALLY interesting road movie, they should have paired Downey Jr. up with Vince Vaughn – just to see which actor could out-motormouth the other one!
I think what surprised me most about Due Date was how badly Cami wanted to see it. I still haven’t been able to pinpoint why. Which can only mean one thing – she has a secret crush on Zach Galifianakis. I can see why. Never underestimate the appeal of an overweight weirdo. She married me, didn’t she?
So what did you guys think about Due Date? Anyone skip it and see Megamind instead? Leave your comments below!
[ 21 Comments ]
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.
[ 6 Comments ]
