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Hercules Has Seen EASTBOUND & DOWN, The HBO Series From Will Ferrell And The Folks Behind FOOT FIST WAY!!

Published at:  Feb 15, 2009 2:44:51 AM CST

I am – Hercules!!



A six-episode HBO comedy from the “Foot Fist Way” team of writer-director Jody Hill, screenwriter Ben Best and writer-actor Danny McBride, “Eastbound & Down” follows a vulgar, racist, homophobic, narcissistic, dope-addled, deluded and tax-evading former major-league pitcher named Kenny Powers who finds himself reduced to serving as a P.E. coach.

Besides McBride (“Pineapple Express,” “Tropic Thunder”), the series stars John Hawkes (“Deadwood”), Jennifer Irwin (“Still Standing”), Katy Mixon (“Four Christmases”) and Andrew Daly (“Mad TV”).

It holds a handful of solid-gold gags, and a lot of waiting between solid-gold gags. McBride’s no Will Ferrell (who produces the show with “Anchorman”/“Talledega Nights”/”Step Brothers” co-writer-director Adam McKay) in the kind of role Ferrell practically trademarked, but I suppose there’s enough funny here in episode one to lure me (and, I suspect, other fans of “Flight of the Conchords”) back, especially since Ferrell himself is slated to guest-star in at least one upcoming episode.

USA Today says:

… a smug, ugly, wit-free comedy from Will Ferrell and friends that operates under the assumption that the audience is as stupid and vulgar as the show's characters. Prove that assumption wrong.…


Entertainment Weekly says:

… What lifts Eastbound & Down away from mere crudball humor is McBride's ongoing love affair with the lower middle class: He revels in getting all the details right, from his brother's cramped suburban house to the frowsy bar where Kenny drinks boilermakers in the front and hoovers coke in the back-room.…


The New York Times says:

… feels like a margarine, not butter, version of “Talladega Nights,” the Nascar reversal-of-fortune story in which the children were ingeniously named Walker and Texas Ranger, and the exchanges between Mr. Ferrell and John C. Reilly had an addicting improvisational madness. Comparatively, “Eastbound & Down” feels static. Unlike Ricky Bobby, Kenny shows no signs (at least not yet) of a turnaround, and it is unclear whether Mr. McBride could believably pull one off. Lacking Mr. Ferrell’s vulnerability, one that comes to a great extent from resembling an overgrown 10-year-old, Mr. McBride looks like someone you’d run away from in the parking lot of a Waffle House.


The Los Angeles Times says:

… I can't say the pilot struck me as especially funny, but there are good things and talented people in it, and it looks good. (Hill directed, and Best appears as Kenny's once-and-present drug buddy.) Perhaps I am just being old-fashioned, but I was disappointed by its tenuous relation to reality and the uneven respect it pays its characters. …


The Chicago Tribune says:

… Played by the wrong actor, Kenny could be someone you’d instantly hate, but Danny McBride (“Pineapple Express”), one of the creators of “Eastbound,” somehow makes this guy dementedly winning without glossing over his flaws. … Kenny’s outsize ego may get tiresome after a while; though I've only seen the first half-hour of "Eastbound & Down," I can't escape the feeling that it might have worked best as the first third of a comedic washed-up-athlete film. …


The Washington Post says:

… He's never lovable, he's barely tolerable, but many of the things he does and says are frighteningly recognizable. He's a kind of Everyjerk, and when a long day of blustering and cursing is done, he can be heard weeping pitifully in his bed. "Eastbound & Down" finds true triumph in utter failure.


The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… What HBO might find equally difficult with "Eastbound & Down" is overcoming the fact that the series is mostly stupid, frequently unfunny and covers for its lack of original comic material by dropping f-bombs all over the place. The notion that being daringly inappropriate at all times or shouting obscenities as loud and often as possible somehow makes "Eastbound & Down" cutting edge is misplaced. Anybody can do that. Is it funny? Sometimes - definitely. But the repetitive yahoo-centric situations hint that there are no other comedic layers here. Swearing, yelling and snark, with an unlikable main character - that's just "Deadwood" without the brilliance, nuance and originality. At this point, "Eastbound & Down" is a consciously lowbrow, one-note tirade. Maybe the five other episodes grow up? (HBO usually sends three or four episodes, so something seems amiss.)…


The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… The humor in "Eastbound" is a far cry from the cerebral comedy currently en vogue on shows like "The Office" and "30 Rock," but that doesn't mean "Eastbound" can't do sly humor that falls left of center. …


The Newark Star Ledger says:

… Kenny is so abrasive, so unapologetic in his cruelty, that it becomes almost as frustrating to watch him as it would be to live with him. … Maybe McBride has more pitches in his arsenal than he's shown so far, but the repertoire on display in "Eastbound & Down" feels too limited for a long stint on HBO's mound.


The Boston Globe says:

… falls into the grating category of totally obnoxious dude comedies, at least based on tomorrow night's premiere. Maybe the series, whose producers include Will Ferrell, will improve in coming episodes, but it's hard to see how.…


The Hollywood Reporter says:

… What's initially so sublimely hilarious about the series is its protagonist's utterly clueless refusal to conform to polite society, yet he's somehow likable -- lewd-crude hubris and all. Credit the performance of Danny McBride, a budding star who makes it clear in the premiere that he will spare no foul-mouthed rant or offensive diatribe in depicting an arrogant anti-hero of monumental self-delusion and hostility. …


Variety says:

… Perhaps sports fans are similarly pining for something to fill the emotional void left by "Arliss," but anyone holding HBO to a higher standard will signal for a reliever long before "Eastbound" reaches the bottom of the ninth. … Even with the promise of a Ferrell cameo in future episodes, it's a tired premise -- a more profane version of the kind of low-swinging sitcom that could easily have wound up on TBS. …


10:30 p.m. Sunday. HBO.






$4.74 Woody Until Feb. 16!!






Lies!!





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    Readers Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 2:08:09 AM CST

    I'll be recording it...

    by barrock

    I hope it's decent. I hate Foot Fist Way but I've enjoyed Danny McBride in pretty much everything else he's been in.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 2:41:10 AM CST

    Andy Daly

    by grandpashampoo

    seeing Daly's biggest credit being MadTV is incredibly sad. He's one of the best comedic performers around today, and last years Nine Sweaters is one of the best comedy albums in ages. McBride might be the focus on how great EB&D is, as he should be, but Daly should be getting some deserved love as well.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 3:35:40 AM CST

    Remember when McBride was on Conan and sucked?

    by tallboy66

    Yeah, I'm figuring this will be a 30 minute painful version of that. No thanks.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 3:57:03 AM CST

    cue the Will Ferrell haters!!

    by badmrwonka

    they're as reliable as clockwork...and about as funny as well...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 4:04:32 AM CST

    Remember when McBride was in Pineapple Express, Foot Fist Way ,

    by bernie bernbaum

    Maybe this'll be more of a 30-minute version of that. Or maybe it will suck. If only there were some means of truly finding out for oneself...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 7:07:10 AM CST

    He wasn't bad on Conan, I just don't think anyone...

    by iamnicksaicnsn

    knew what was going on. And damn wasn't he awesome in Tropic Thunder? No?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 7:39:58 AM CST

    my favorite Conan bit is the masturbating bear.

    by boomers_lips

    too bad Conan officially retired it last week.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 8:48:32 AM CST

    Wow, that's a lot of newspapers

    by hikaru ichijo

    but not for much longer. Thank you internet, welcome the new dawn of yellow journalism

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 8:57:52 AM CST

    John Rocker, the sitcom.

    by helpful electronic lab partner robot

    I think this could be a lot of fun.

    I never even heard of McBride a few weeks ago, but all of a sudden I'm seeing him everywhere. I thought he was great in Tropic Thunder (his 'Milli Vanilli' line was probably my favorite in the whole movie), and I think that this character will be a great continuation of that role.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 9:42:54 AM CST

    Just seen it? You on DIAL UP!

    by evilwizardglick

    Saw it months ago. Funny but draggy at times. Tune it up and it could go to season 2.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 10:33:25 AM CST

    Once again: Fuck you, HBO

    by obsd

    They dropped Preacher, but picked up this shit. It's not TV, it's really shitty TV.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:01:27 AM CST

    If Land of the Lost Tanks, Ferrell's through

    by catlettuce4

    If it's a hit he gets another couple of years before he's looking for a sitcom deal. Ferrell can be funny but usually he's best in supporting roles such as Old School.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:14:36 AM CST

    I loved him in Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder

    by garbageman33

    Hated him in Foot Fist Way. That movie was aggressively unfunny. I hate "comedy" that thinks inappropriate automatically equals funny. "Oh my god, he just swore at a baby! Hilarious!" What the makers of that film seemed to have missed from Borat was that it was people's reactions to his behavior that made it funny.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:17:43 AM CST

    He's pretty good

    by jor-el23

    But for some reason Apatow and Ferrel and everyone who works in Apatow movies is treating him like the second-coming of (insert name of one of the greatest comic geniuses ever).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:47:13 AM CST

    Obviously written with Ferrall in mind.

    by fiester

    He probably could have pulled it off. I'm not sure this other guy can.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 12:15:00 PM CST

    Are they loaded up and trucking?

    by xiphos_2

    Doing what they said can't be done?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 12:18:08 PM CST

    People still give a shit about Will Ferrell projects?

    by themark

    Seriously? Hasn't anyone gotten beyond tired of the same schtick? I see everyone bitching about Jack Black (and the rest of their ilk) but where's the very necessary hate for Ferrell? Man, fuck the new wave of 'comedy.'

    And though this has no bearing on this topic, Seth Rogen should ONLY be a supporting player.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 12:20:54 PM CST

    Fiester....your an idiot

    by timahh

    "obviously written with Ferrell in Mind" yeah danny mcbride and his two friends/writing partners wrote something for some other guy.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 12:21:33 PM CST

    .........

    by timahh

    the first episode was quite funny, i like this show and expect/hope it to stick around for a bit.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 12:35:47 PM CST

    That review from EW...

    by sillyquiet

    Strikes me as funny, like that latte sipping douche knows anything about the lower middle class to make a statement about 'getting the details right'. #1... since when is cocaine the drug of choice for lower middle-class??

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 12:59:49 PM CST

    Ouch.

    by kid idioteque

    I've never seen a collection of reviews so deafeningly bad. The Foot Fist Way was terrible, but I might watch this tonight since it's on after Conchords.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 1:15:27 PM CST

    Foot Fist Way was awesome!

    by raymar

    Some people make the mistake of thinking that the humor lay in being crude but the hilarity really comes from how oblivious the characters are to their own crudity.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 1:27:42 PM CST

    sillyquiet re: cocaine

    by necgray

    Apparently you don't hang out with lower middle-class drug rats. Cocaine IS very popular among urchins. Don't ask me how or why, I just know a lot of people in that tax bracket who do blow.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 1:30:44 PM CST

    I've seen it...

    by toasterslayer

    And its probably one of the least funny things I have ever watched.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 1:32:49 PM CST

    re necgray

    by sillyquiet

    Must be a regional thing. Most of the lower middle-class druggies in my neck of the woods prefer the cheaper crack or crystal meth.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 1:34:23 PM CST

    this is just more signature Hill and McBride

    by necgray

    "Let's make our protagonist an unrepentant asshole fucktard who actively baits the hatred of the audience. We'll make him shout all of his jokes, most of which are based entirely on being out-of-context inappropriate. Oh, and Danny can improv some of the dialogue in a way that is obvious to anyone who has ever watched improv acting done by a REAL improv comic." Incidentally, Foot Fist Way was pretty much the opposite of awesome. The handful of genuine laughs were not worth the test of patience that was the rest of the movie. The script is terrible and the direction is amateur hour.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 2:16:23 PM CST

    "Let's not start sucking each other's dicks yet..."

    by christian66

    But too many on Team Apatow seem to overirate their own limited humor.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 2:35:56 PM CST

    Hey Timahh

    by fiester

    So you're saying that the writing team couldn't have written it with Ferrall in mind then brought it to him, initially in the hopes that he might be interested in it as a role? Because the character seems like a classic Ferrall turn. But I guess name calling is all you can muster in the way of imaginative thought. Go hump a chimp, you peasant (i.e. go fuck your mom).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 2:41:35 PM CST

    Well, I thought it was god damn hilarious

    by vern

    Especially the narration that turns out to be him listening to his own book on tape, the line "what's your name, fuckin Shrek?", the scene where the teacher storms off because of his racism and the principal ignores it in order to limit the social awkwardness, and of course the part where he cries himself to sleep.
    I would say if you enjoyed THE FOOT FIST WAY then you have to watch this, but to my surprise I know a bunch of people who didn't like the FOOT FIST WAY but loved this pilot. I wouldn't think it would work that way since he's even more despicable and unrepentant than Dan Simmons, but somehow it works. Maybe it's the smaller dose.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 4:09:05 PM CST

    "McBride's no Will Ferrell"

    by lsleelee

    To me this means "McBride's not goofball douchebag idiot whose 15 minutes are loooong overdue to end" unfortunately I think you mean it as a compliment to Ferrell. I can't comprehend that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 4:56:30 PM CST

    It's some funny ass shit.

    by fuckmichaelbay

    Random and vulgar.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 5:55:03 PM CST

    Nobody cares, BUT...

    by mikethespike

    New Simpsons intro tonight.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 7:29:15 PM CST

    Loved it

    by metiphislabs

    I like abrasive and ironic asshole characters I guess.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 9:26:19 PM CST

    lsleelee

    by badmrwonka

    thank you (and your trolling friends) for making my prediction come true...in droves!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 9:44:47 PM CST

    Wow.

    by shellfishh

    Un-fucking-funny.
    This is bad. The sad thing is that there is a good series possible from the premise.
    This makes "Flight of the Conchords" look about fifty times funnier in comparison.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 10:04:33 PM CST

    Vern, you are retarded

    by shellfishh

    and easily amused. Sorry, that was a bit too much, but no way what I just watched can in any way be called 'god damn hilarious'. You probably like Tim and Eric, too.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 10:06:58 PM CST

    I'm with Vern, East Bound and Down is the real deal

    by drturing

    it isn't cute and cuddly twee awkward pauses, like the mannerist bs that's dominating bad improv comedy. it's willing to make you laugh at a horrible, horrible person and doesn't pull its punches. there's no faux sentimentality, no jim and pam to comfort you in its depiction of how shitty americans can be. and it's just FUNNY. "Can i wear the scream mask?" People who don't find McBride funny can go watch fucking Family Guy, the tv equivalent of Meet the Spartans.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 10:09:39 PM CST

    I've never found Ferrel that funny because

    by drturing

    he plays his jerks like they're nine year old kids, not functioning adults. so the blow is always softened. the thing that i think turns people off the most about McBride and Best's stuff is that there's no safety net. if anything it's most like the original BBC version of the office.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 10:16:12 PM CST

    Loved it

    by ckuouka

    and I absolutely hate Will Ferrel. I couldn't imagine this show could work with him in it. McBride, though, he plays jerks so unrepentantly, it works well.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 10:29:53 PM CST

    no big love talkback?

    by mikkoscassadine

    ginnifer goodwin was unbelievable hot tonight.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:09:48 PM CST

    Andy Daly: Part Deux

    by dijonase24

    It's nice to see someone else championing Andy Daly, GrandpaShampoo. The man is amazingly hilarious, and it's indeed sad that no one knows him from anything but Mad TV. I recorded this, and I could care less about Danny McBride, honestly. I'll be watching for Andy Daly.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:11:53 PM CST

    It's not terrible...

    by memento108

    It's almost exactly the same character from The Foot Fist Way. Just not very much redeemable about him. But it's not really supposed to be like that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:22:47 PM CST

    drturing

    by shellfishh

    I have to disagree. I don't need 'cute and cuddly', I don't need fake sentimentality. I DO need humor. BASIL FAWLTY is a horrible, horrible person that makes me laugh.
    As others have said there is nothing redeemable about McBride's character. Which is fine if he is funny or clever, or if there is some pathos involved. He has none of that. When he's talking to the kids, even "Hancock" (not a good movie) was more clever, when Smith called the kids "Goggles" and "Thickness".
    British "Office", "Extras", "Flight of the Conchords"...all better.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:26:46 PM CST

    This show needs a plan,

    by officerjunior

    Great cast, seemingly capable writers, the show just needs some form, it's all over the place. Makes me miss lucky louie even more.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:30:35 PM CST

    I liked this one

    by officerjunior

    the first time I saw it, it was called Bad News Bears.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:53:49 PM CST

    Has a show ever been cancelled mid-episode?

    by garbageman33

    I kept expecting to see the show replaced by a color bar. Which would've been much funnier, by the way.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 15, 2009 11:54:53 PM CST

    VERN

    by the insneider

    Fred Simmons is the King of the Demo, not Dan.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:00:49 AM CST

    J.K. Simmons is the King of the Character Actors

    by garbageman33

    And this show still sucks.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:17:46 AM CST

    McBride = Low-Class Ferrell

    by steve young

    Danny McBride improvises in the same way Will Ferrell improvises. They have the same general comic style, which is why they work well together. However, when Ferrell is backed into a corner, he knows how to do sweet or absurd, whereas McBride just becomes nasty and inappropriate. That gets real old, REAL FAST. McBride was decent in "Pineapple Express", but his improvisations were awkward. His shtick can be humorous in limited quantities, but not headliner stuff. "Foot Fist Way" was a disappointments: there was some serious hyperbole floating around about this guy on AICN. "Big Things" were predicted for him here, but I expect Danny McBride will sink back into bit parts within the Apatow / Ferrell comedy machines.

    I don't detest the guy or his comedy, but I don't think he's quite ready for prime time.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:17:57 AM CST

    drturing, once again you are wrong

    by necgray

    I seem to recall you championing Foot Fist Way or some other crappola. You want to talk about "bad improv comedy"? 90% of what McBride does is bad improv. He doesn't listen to the other actors, he just says whatever random, "offensive" bullshit pops into his head. And he telegraphs it from a mile away. I don't find McBride funny, and I'll thank you to take your implication of stupidity and shove it up your ass. Hey, look, I can shout unfunny vulgarities just like McBride! I must be comedy gold! Rag on Family Guy until the cows come home, dude, but the fact is I get 10X more laughs out of a 20 minute episode of Family Guy than I got out of the entirety of Foot Fist Way. Which HAD its moments, but they were moments only. Not worth suffering through that character, that performance, that "story", and that "direction". And as far as your whole rant about "the safety of Jim and Pam" and blah blah blah, pardon the fuck out of the rest of normal society for not wanting to subject themselves to the kind of person we all run into every day in our real lives. Kudos to McBride and Hill et al for nailing a character type we all run into. But I avoid that person in my real life for a reason. Because he's a fucking asshole whose company I don't care to keep.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:21:37 AM CST

    lots of funny

    by buck swoop

    several laugh out loud moments.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:21:59 AM CST

    To Foot Fist Way's credit...

    by garbageman33

    It does hold the distinction of being the first motion picture shot entirely on a camera phone.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:38:02 AM CST

    necgray

    by shellfishh

    Thank you. What you said was what I was trying to say.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 2:41:30 AM CST

    FUCKING AWESOME

    by tlsonata

    I could watch Kenny Powers 24/7 and never get tired. I'm sure there will be an arch to him at some point in the season...but honestly, I hope it never happens. Viva La Asshole! Viva McBride!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 3:18:20 AM CST

    McBride's no Will Ferrell

    by domi'sinnerchild

    I don't know, I kept thinking to myself I really liked McBride in the role and thought it would have been terrible with Ferrell. I think because you can almost believe the character with McBride. I liked it, it made me want to coach little league. I don't know what it was, but I just love the psyching himself up speach with "You throw faster than f*ck..."

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 4:06:09 AM CST

    I have an idea

    by vern

    Let's all tell each other what is funny and what's not funny and who is a retard for laughing at what. I think this will be really productive and if you disagree you probaly like that stupid cartoon about the guy with the ballsack on his chin making references to different tv shows from the '80s.
    Or maybe a better idea would be just to stop being assholes and forget this talkback ever existed.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 7:02:34 AM CST

    vern's right

    by juror number 8

    this show was hilarious. i enjoyed foot fist way, a very quotable movie that made me laugh, why should i have to fucking defend that? i actually thought tonight's pilot was one of the funniest i'd ever seen, and this show has the potential to be better than the foot fist way. it's a great addition to the summer heights high/flight of the conchords/arrested development/30 rock decade of television comedy.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 7:05:48 AM CST

    and add...

    by juror number 8

    both versions of the office, extras, and human giant to that list of the incredibly innovative tv comedies of the past few years. eastbound and down could very well join that list sometime soon.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 9:06:31 AM CST

    I thought the funniest bit of the episode...

    by d.vader

    Was when Powers was yelling at his brother and sister-in-law, and he explains that he realizes its wildly inappropriate but he can't control the volume of his voice when he's angry. "I CAN'T CONTROL MY ANGER, I'M SORRY! SO I'M GOING OUT RIGHT NOW! PLEASE LEAVE A KEY UNDER THE MAT! BUT I'M GOING TO KEEP YELLING BC THAT MEANS I DIDN'T LOSE THE ARGUMENT!"

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 9:11:54 AM CST

    jesus Vern, thin skinned much?

    by catlettuce4

    The talkbacks are always full of "retard" discussions about what is funny/good/scary and what is not. Maybe you oughtta stay out of them and just stick to what you enjoy and do well, namely, ragging on direct to DVD action films.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 9:48:07 AM CST

    BREAKING NEWS: VERN DONT LIKE FAMILY GUY

    by arcadiands

    Fox rolls up the most recent ratings book and beats him senseless with it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 10:45:00 AM CST

    Family Guy blows

    by drebin

    Let's take The Simpsons and dumb it down, add shock value. Hey, look at the millions of dollars come in! Just because lots of people watch it doesn't mean it's good (e.g. American Idol, NASCAR, Dane Cook).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 11:49:16 AM CST

    I've been looking forward to avoiding

    by no1ofimportance

    this show since I saw the pilot 6 months ago. Unfunny, boring, and unlikeable characters. It's not even a lovable pathetic guy that Farrell usually does. The gu is a pathetic, egotistical ass, but only the viewer recognizes it. Yeah, that's hilarious.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:25:43 PM CST

    The Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising need tv.

    by evilwizardglick

    So far this is the funniest most original movie I've seen in months. And all low budget.These people really need some contracts. They earned it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:26:34 PM CST

    Family Guy does in fact blow.

    by evilwizardglick

    Mark another in that column.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:54:42 PM CST

    Vern (and others)

    by shellfishh

    The 'retarded' comment was pretty much tongue-in-cheek. And I do understand that comedy is subjective and no one can tell another person what is and isn't funny. HOWEVER...
    I think a lot of people on here are like babies who learn the word "hurts" and then the babies mis-use the word for things other than actual pain. I don't think people are using the world 'funny' properly.
    I had a roommate once who would turnon Nick at Nite and watch "The Jeffersons" and similar shows and CACKLE with laughter
    Not one fucking thing is funny about EB&D and if I had sat next to anyone watching that who was laughing, I would have to question their sense of humor.
    Fuck subjectivity and objectivity. I'm drawing a line in the sand. EB&D is NOT funny. 'Tim & Eric' is not funny. And "Old School" is NOT FUCKING FUNNY. End of story.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 12:57:47 PM CST

    Well....

    by shellfishh

    there ARE laughs in "Old School". I'm just tired of of people comparing it favorably to "Animal House"

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 1:14:45 PM CST

    Why does Vern get a black TB?

    by bobparr

    I thought it was reserved for people that acutually contributed to the site? If I unclog Harry and Yoko's toilet can I get a black TB as well?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 3:13:44 PM CST

    'Funny' is not a noun, people.

    by haggardatbest

    Please stop using it as one. Please, for the love of Pete, stop saying things like, "There's enough funny..." and especially, "bring the funny." Please.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 3:31:56 PM CST

    Well...

    by santiagoanddunbar

    Old School is hilarious ya nerd

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 3:39:41 PM CST

    A few funny bits

    by bizarrojerry

    But not very good all around. Like his inappropriately saying "fucking" in front of 13 year olds. Yeah, kinda funny maybe, but I just started thinking, "Why don't they stop him from swearing like that?"

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 3:46:02 PM CST

    shellfishh

    by time child

    didn't we lock you in a dumpster once?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 4:44:17 PM CST

    Yes, you did Time Child

    by shellfishh

    And it was inappropriate. I was trying to talk your mother out of giving dumpster blowjobs for free.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 5:04:58 PM CST

    Tsk

    by santiagoanddunbar

    You were supposed to answer in an Old School quote.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 5:42:41 PM CST

    A few objective truths for you assholes.

    by ebonic_plague

    EB&D was pretty funny. Tim and Eric is pretty damn funny most of the time. Vern is funnier than 10 of you assholes in a daisy chain. Will Ferrell can be funny, when he's not overexposed. Old School was funny. Family Guy blows fucking goats. Here ends your lesson. Now fuck off.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 16, 2009 6:34:19 PM CST

    I found the first 15 minutes kind of dull and gave up.

    by flim springfield

  • Feb 16, 2009 11:25:52 PM CST

    i finally saw step brothers recently and

    by slappy jones

    thought it was fucking funny. loses its way a bit...starts to meander but the first three quarters are great. especially john c reilly and his dad having their talk at the beginning

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 1:10:17 AM CST

    vern, funny or not, his improv sucks and...

    by necgray

    So let's take the whole "define funny" thing out of play. McBride's improv is bad. Most of the time it's only vaguely connected to the lines that come before it (the whole "listening" thing) and it's almost always cliche "inappropriate". And how about the "unrepentant asshole" aspect of the characters in both EB&D and Foot Fist way? Why should anyone put up with that in their main character? It's the same reason I don't watch Curb Your Enthusiasm. Curb is popular and well-liked by critics, but the advantage there is Larry David pretty much admits he's an asshole. And he doesn't rely on that aspect of his personality to sell the character. Whereas the only reason you watch McBride's asshole characters is because they are train wrecks of humanity.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 1:18:35 AM CST

    As for you anti-Family Guy people...

    by necgray

    Yeah, Simpsons did it. You know who did it before The Simpsons? The Honeymooners. Fat, inappropriate husband married to attractive, passive-aggressive wife. Get over your little comparison conniption fits because it's all been done before. And if your sole basis for whether something is funny or not is how easy the joke is, I suggest you may be operating under what we call "pretentiousness". Humor snobs are as tiresome as music snobs or art snobs or movie snobs. Get over yourselves.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 2:12:26 AM CST

    necgray

    by vern

    But how are you gonna accuse somebody else of being "pretentious" and a "humor snob" when you're the one trying to objectively measure Danny McBride's improvisational techniques? I'm not sure I know what you mean about his "improv is bad." If he's improvising many of his lines in FOOT FIST WAY, EAST BOUND, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS and ALL THE REAL GIRLS, which I would guess he probaly is, then I'd say his improv is great. Come to think of it I believe they said the FOOT FIST scene where he asks his student out on a date was improvised, and that's my favorite scene because of the extreme discomfort and the weird things he thinks he can say to sound cool ("I like to go to musical dance clubs").
    I agree that there is a comparison with CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, which to me is the funniest thing on TV by far. But CURB is more relatable because although Larry is an asshole most of the things he gets into fights over are very relatable, for example the one where he gets pissed off at a dude for talking on his cell phone in a restaraunt and decides to have a loud conversation with an imaginary friend. Most of McBride's characters don't have that going for them, but for me it doesn't matter, I still like watching them even though I wouldn't want to hang out with them.
    I'm sorry for bringing up Family Guy, I was just using it to accuse other people of thinking a show is funny that I don't think is funny. Kind of pointless. (But come to think of it why would anybody put up with that main character either?)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 2:18:03 AM CST

    I could go either way

    by unnatural

    Yes, some parts had me laughing -- I liked the beginning where they explain how he ended up where he was. I also liked the part where he was yelling at the kid on the jetski. The rest of it just didn't work. I will give it a few episodes and see what happens. Hell, it's only 30 minutes.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 4:54:28 AM CST

    this show

    by rockness

    was funny! i don't understand the hate? he's a tragic, funny figure.

    Reply to Talkback

  • In the early seasons, it was shit we could all relate to. It was like he was the sole voice of reason, and everyone around him took it as just him being an asshole. Audiences and critics kind of latched on to that, so as the show progressed it started to turn into that sentiment of "he's just an asshole." In my opinion, I mean.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 9:56:38 AM CST

    Didn't like Foot Fist Way, Love this show, here's why...

    by zooch

    For some reason this type of character works better for a tv show than a movie. If it was a movie it would need some cheesy redemption arc that we've all seen before. Kenny Powers is hilarious because he's so unapologetically arrogant and cocky and obnoxious and doesn't need redemption because that's the point of the show.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 4:02:03 PM CST

    Better than I expected....

    by homer sexual

    My expectations were low because, well, Will Ferrell sucks. But I like McBride and was hoping HBO would finally have another decent show, so I checked it out.

    Maybe it's because I was raised total white, trailer trash in east Bumfuck, and am now an overeducated liberal. But this was mildly amusing, largely due to the cast. McBride on his jetski with the crack ho was hee-larious.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 4:05:24 PM CST

    Old School

    by homer sexual

    Yes, Old School was funny. That was before Ferrell became the smug "aren't I funny? look, I'm flabby and naked" jerk he is today.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 8:19:48 PM CST

    Necgray,

    by chest_rockwell

    pull your panties out of your twat. If you know someone like Kenny Powers in your life, where the fuck do you live?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 17, 2009 10:58:10 PM CST

    I thought this was brilliant!

    by darth_baiis

    I really can't understand the lack of love for EB&D. Now if a couple of seasons pass and we still have the same old dick as the lead character I will have grown tired of it all. However, as a pilot episode I thought it succeeded. The Q&A with the students was fucking hysterical, the audio book, fat kid on the jet ski, crashing the morning announcements, nose candy at the bar... so many great laugh out loud parts for me. Give me more Kenny Powers!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 18, 2009 12:09:25 AM CST

    TOO MANY DICKS!!!

    by darth_baiis

    And the Conchords song TOO MANY DICKS ON THE DANCEFLOOR is deserving of its own talkback. TOO MANY DICKS!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 18, 2009 8:44:29 AM CST

    TOO MANY DICKS!

    by jackie boy

    Can we at least get a combined Conchords/EB&D talkback someday?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 18, 2009 9:06:28 AM CST

    Thought this show was good

    by kenjinattix

    I love the "whats this ones name Shrek" line. I love the fact that he has a book actually called YOU'RE FUCKING OUT. This one episode was better than ever episode of Arliss in my opinion. Give it time...I guarantee this show will grow on you.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Feb 19, 2009 4:09:21 AM CST

    I don't care....

    by spyro

    what any of you say. I'm with Vern. I thought this was hilarious and was literally pissing myself at the end with the jet-ski. Can't wait for the next episode.

    Reply to Talkback

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