It’s been a stand up year for comedy and the Grammys surely had a hard time picking out the best of the best. Dozens of specials and albums released but only a select few made it to the top. Amy Schumer was nominated for the audiobook version of The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo. Patton Oswalt was nominated because he’s Patton Oswalt. And Carol Burnett was recognized for In Such Good Company: Eleven Years Of Laughter, Mayhem, And Fun In the Sandbox. James Corden takes the reigns of the Grammy Awards on February 12th on CBS. The comedy noms are below.
“BEST COMEDY ALBUM
David Cross, Making America Great Again
Margaret Cho, American Myth
Tig Notaro, Boyish Girl Interrupted
Amy Schumer, Live at the Apollo
Patton Oswalt, Talking For Clapping
BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM
Amy Schumer, The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo
Carol Burnett, In Such Good Company: Eleven Years Of Laughter, Mayhem, And Fun In the Sandbox
Patti Smith, M Train
Various Artists, Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History Of L.A. Punk (John Doe With Tom DeSavia)
Elvis Costello, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink”
We are in the throes of awards season with somber hit after hit are let loose on our critical world. While a Pitt led or Affleck starring drama is to be had, there has to be a host to facilitate the long outstanding tradition of the Academy Awards. Now, Variety has learned, Jimmy Kimmel will be that host. The late night guru has done all in terms of awards hosting. He’s tackled the 2007 ESPYS, 2012 and 2016 Emmys, and America’s own American Music Awards five whole times. Can Kimmel handle the limelight of the Oscars as well as his other hosty friends? Find out when the 89th Academy Awards take over on Sunday, February 26.
“When all else fails there’s always delusion” -Conan O'Brien
This is the news you didn’t know about for the week of 11/28/16!
Larry Wilmore is going behind the scenes at ABC; Conan is producing a new cartoon for TBS; and Ivan Reitman ensures us that Sony has not given up on Ghostbusters.
It’s really almost here. Pete Holmes’ HBO special is just around the corner and it should be as Pete as everything Pete has ever done. In it, he speaks on the messiness of the English language. But he makes it funnier than I did. He also just names his special in one line at the end. It was so natural. Below is another clip in which Holmes talks about returning to Chicago for his biggest special yet.
Ike Barinholtz and John Cena will make their starring debuts next to Leslie Mann in a new Kay Cannon comedy. That was a mouthful. Variety reports that the movie – The Pact – comes from a slew of writers: Eben Russell, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, and brothers Brian and Jim Kehoe. It follows three parents who try to stop their daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. The movie is said to be produced by Point Grey (consisting of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and James Weaver), Good Universe, Hurwitz & Schlossberg Productions, and DMG.
Just like Robin Thede has moved on, so too has Larry Wilmore. After The Nightly Show’s unceremonious ending, the host/producer has signed a development deal with ABC (which is also the same network that airs one of his other produced shows Blackish). The pact is multi-year and should stimulate a bunch of projects and allow for Wilmore to supervise others while also finding new talent for ABC Studios. The Hollywood Reporter writes that Wilmore is very excited to continue his work with ABC: “Disney took a chance on me as a young writer years ago and so I’m thrilled to return to the Mouse House. I hope my room still looks the same.”
Netflix’s rampage against regular television is still ongoing but it’s usually focused on dramas. Their comedy slate is full, mind you, but not as bulbous as even some of the streamer’s most mundane of dramas. Worry not because a new comedy starring charmer Timothy Olyphant and hard worker Drew Barrymore will star in the new show Santa Clarita Diet. The two will play Joel and Sheila Hammond, parents living in the California city during a time that Sheila is going through “the change” and the couple’s following “road to destruction.” EW says the show is coming on February 3, 2017.
Loves: Disney princess movies Likes: Most other Disney movies Dislikes: When movies I like end, The short in front of Moana Hates: Nothing about this movie
There are no monsters. There is no darkness.
Disney movies tend to lean heavily on thematic elements. Whether it’s the familial connection in Frozen or racial tensions in Pocahontas, there’s bound to be at least one way for audiences to relate to the characters on screen. But for their latest movie, Moana, it proves that as technology and storytelling for Walt Disney Animation Studios grow, so too does its ability to advance its leading ladies. This movie is a superb entry into the Disney princess lore. And Moana is a princess (refer to the notes section for more explanation).
Starring 16 year old newcomer Auli'i Cravalho, Moana and its titular character are nothing to balk at. Moana is fierce, a fighter and undeterred in her goal to journey the seas. Living on an island with her village leads to a good and simple life yet Moana wants so much more. But her father Cheif Tui Waialiki (Temuera Morrison) had his own tough experience with the ocean and he doesn’t want his people or daughter to venture past their barrier reef. After her grandmother passes (and she finds the heart of Te Fiti – an island goddess), Moana decides it’s time to make her dream fully realized. She goes forth to find the demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson) so they can repair the dying world together.
Disney movies tend to have some of the best production value in the category but this movie is on its own level. The voice acting from Cravalho is nothing short of phenomenal. The same can be said about the singing from every character. Speaking of the music, Moana brings a genre not necessarily explored by any film to the forefront. It’s got a World vide to it that admittedly overtakes the video that goes with it (in a good way). But with the video and music working in tandem, a sensory feeling of unexplainable emotion overtook this reviewer. In short, the music is top notch. And The Rock can sing well.
The story is above most Disney princess fare. Moana has a goal and she sets out to achieve it. She and Maui do get into sticky situations but they are ultimately focused on one thing – even if they never see eye to eye. Better yet, there’s no forced love for Moana in needing to find a suitor. In fact, she doesn’t even mention another male aside from Maui and the Chief.
One other very wonderful aspect of the movie is that it looks so appealing. Walt Disney Animation Studio’s technology looks to have peaked yet they somehow manage to make everything look crisp. Instead of trying to make it look all around good, they dug even deeper to the smallest of details such as wrinkles on hands or light shining on the water. PLus Moana’s hair looks amazing. It’s reminiscent of Geralt’s hair in Witcher 3 and Lara Croft’s in the Tomb Raider reboots.
Should you watch Moana?
Comparing Disney princess movies is like comparing several football teams to one another. Sure, they all have quarterbacks who pass the ball to receivers but each team has a different plan on how to score touchdowns. Moana is refreshing in ways that Frozen could never be. It has the feminist ideals of Brave but the cultural identity of Mulan. And Moana herself is as kickass as Rapunzel and elegant as Belle. Disney did it again.
Notes
Okay. Moana is 100% a princess. Here’s how:
Her dad is a king; early on, she becomes his successor.
Even though Maui constantly states that Moana is not a typical princess, she’s nonetheless still a princess.
The same team that directed Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and THe Princess and the Frog took the reins of this movie too.
If Merda from Brave is a princess, Moana can be one too.
I’m going to go ahead and believe that the opening number is sung to Moana for ~13 years straight. It’s funnier that way.
They did a bait and switch with the two sidekick animals. The pig was obviously the cutest one who should’ve been on the journey but Heihei the chicken is too stupid to NOT have on screen.
When Lin Manuel-Miranda sings in “We Know the Way,” you can really hear him. And Christopher Jackson is also here singing as Moana’s dad. It’s a regular Hamilton reunion.
The Mad Max Fury Road reference had me in tears. TEARS.
It feels so good to have a legit Disney musical again.
This is the news you didn’t know about for the week of 11/21/16!
San Francisco Sketchfest announced its packed 2017 lineup; Robin Thede is already making another late night show; and we take a look at the world of famous people and their production companies.
It’s the most special-full time of the year. The holidays bring out the best of some and the worst of others. And networks tend to trot out stars for epic, hour-long specials that will live on your DVR until early February when you try to power your way through them. IFC joins the club with a comedy/musical called Joe’s Pub Presents: A Holiday Special. Splitsider says the show stars Tony Hale in a talk show-eque format. Joining him in the house band position are The Dap Kings. Then there are huge guest like Bridget Everett, Jo Firestone, Jen Kirkman, and Nick Thune. Keep an eye out for the special days before Christmas on Wednesday, December 21st at 10 PM.