Month: October 2011 (Page 8 of 12)

A Chat with Nick Swardson

October 11, 2011 / Will Harris

It would be fair to say that the comedy of Nick Swardson is an acquired taste, as anyone who’s seen his films, including “Grandma’s Boy” and “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star,” or his TV series, “Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time,” can tell you. With the latter now back in Comedy Central’s Wednesday night line-up for its second season, Swardson took a few minutes to chat with Bullz-Eye about what we can expect from Season 2 of “Pretend Time,” what he thinks of his lack of critical love, and more.

Bullz-Eye: To start off by kind of stating the obvious, I’m sure you’re psyched about your show returning for a second season.

Nick Swardson: Yeah, I am. I’m really excited, ‘cause I feel like, no matter what happens, this is the show I wanted to make.

BE: So what are the origins of “Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time,” anyway? Did you pitch them the idea, or did they come to you with the idea?

NS: My friend Tom (Gianas) actually pitched me the idea. He created “Human Giant” and ran that show on MTV, and he did “Tenacious D” on HBO. He’s an old friend of mine. He directed “Gay Robot,” this original pilot that I did years ago. He’s really, really brilliant, and he came to me with this idea. I’ve always wanted to do sketch comedy, and I trust Tom a lot, so I was, like, “All right, let’s do it.” And we just jumped into the show. We pitched it to the network, and they bought it off the pitch. We didn’t even get a pilot. They ordered six episodes. Which was kind of good and bad. I kind of wish we had a pilot, because it was kind of a tricky show to make. (Laughs) We didn’t really have that trial by fire. We were just kind of thrown into the volcano.

BE: You have a pretty vocal fanbase. I presume you’ve gotten some advice, either helpful or otherwise, as far as where to take the show in its second season.

NS: Yeah, it’s been interesting, because people didn’t really know what to expect from the show. My fans were kind of, like, “Well, wait, what is it? Is it stand-up? I don’t understand what it is.” They were kind of confused. Obviously, comedy’s subjective, and people either bought the show or they didn’t. (Laughs) But the people who got it, they loved it.

BE: So is Season 2 along the same lines as Season 1, or do you think you’ve kind of fleshed it out a bit more as far as what you want from the show?

NS: Um… (Long pause) I mean, it’s more aggressive. Like, there’s some really crazy stuff. (Laughs) It’s really aggressive. But we’ve kind of counterbalanced this season with doing more of a live element and more storytelling than stand-up.

BE: How much flexibility do you have with Comedy Central as far as your vision for the show? Has there been any point when they were, like, “Uh, can you dial it back a bit?”

NS: Uh, yeah. (Laughs) At the beginning, they were, like, “This is way too aggressive.” But that’s the whole point of having and doing a show. Why not make it the most aggressive thing you can do? I just didn’t want to play it safe. I wanted to just throw it against the wall, and hopefully it works. Hopefully people will dig it.

Entertainment, Interviews, Television

Adam Sandler Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star Comedy Central Grandma's Boy Nick Swardson Nick Swardson's Pretend Time

Product Review: Axe Fixers Line

October 10, 2011 / Paul Eide

In baseball in a critical situation, sometimes you need to put in a pinch hitter to change the flow and momentum of a game. Say you’re the Red Sox in the late 80’s and you’re down by a run in the ninth with men on second and third with two outs. Jody Reed enters the game and promptly slaps a pitch off the Green Monster for a double, scoring two runs, giving the BoSox the lead. The Axe Fixers line is like a young Jody Reed, leading the AL in doubles in 1990, completely changing the game.

The Axe Fixers line is a collection of shower gels and deodorant body sprays that are “designed to help guys revitalize the senses to fix their mind and change the game.” The collection is comprised of six fragrances:

– Axe Cool Metal
– Thai Massage
– Axe Rise
– Axe Shock
– Axe Snake Peel
– Axe Fever

The two most recent additions to the line, “Thai Massage” and “Cool Metal”, were the fragrances that I used to adorn my body. “Cool Metal” was a little more generic in terms of scent and feel; the scent itself reminded me of the “Original” scent of body wash from Old Spice. It also contains a strong dose of menthol which you could feel open up both the pores on your skin, and your nose and sinuses as well. It also contained quartz which may sound strange in a body wash, but it complemented the menthol nicely. “Cool Metal” was definitely more middle of the road than some of the other fragrances, more like a safe bet for someone making a transition from a similar body wash, definitely less exotic than the rest of the collection.

Speaking of exotic, “Thai Massage” was certainly that. Billed as containing “Tigergrass Oil and Bali Sea Salt” just the smell itself was more potent and practically whisked you away upon opening the lid. One thing I liked about “Thai Massage” that differed from Cool Metal were these tiny little yellow capsules in the gel. When you popped them open individually, a new scent was released, in addition to the primary scent. Ultimately “Thai Massage” had four different scents in one gel that were merged together- Tigeergrass Oil, Bali Sea Salt, Ginger and Sandalwood. I found the smells to be very relaxing and complemented each other nicely.

As far as the washing experience itself, both scents rinsed clean off with minimal scrubbing and didn’t leave behind any slimy residue. But it did leave behind a scent that was at least strong enough for my “special lady” that particular evening to smell. Her exact response was, “Wow you smell really fresh, compared to usual. What gives?”

In closing, “Cool Metal” was less exotic, more of a classic scent; something your dad may use. “Thai Massage” was my personal favorite and I swear I was more relaxed after using it.

Consider the “game changed.”

Grooming, Lifestyle

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Netflix backs down and keeps DVD service

October 10, 2011 / Bullz-Eye Staff

Netflix responded quickly to the backlash surrounding their recent announcement to split their traditional DVD subscription business from their streaming business by reversing their previous decision. The announcement to create “Quickster” as a new service that would handle DVD subscriptions going forward was a PR disaster for Netflix, partly because it was handled poorly and seemed to come out of nowhere. Customers were blindsided, and this followed very unpopular price increases.

Here’s the email that Netflix sent out to subscribers:

Dear ____________,

It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

This means no change: one website, one account, one password…in other words, no Qwikster.

While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes.

We’re constantly improving our streaming selection. We’ve recently added hundreds of movies from Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM and Miramax. Plus, in the last couple of weeks alone, we’ve added over 3,500 TV episodes from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, USA, E!, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Discovery Channel, TLC, SyFy, A&E, History, and PBS.

We value you as a member, and we are committed to making Netflix the best place to get your movies & TV shows.

Respectfully,

The Netflix Team

Many analysts and tech experts actually liked the move, since the streaming and DVD businesses are so different. Yet the stock has lost more than half of its value since July of this year.

While the whole episode, including today’s reversal, seems like a case of bad management decisions, it also highlights the difficulty companies are facing with the constantly changing landscape surrounding content delivery. With new tablets, smart phones and consoles, consumer behavior evolves rapidly, and business models can see significant success followed by the threat of obsolescence. Netflix helped put the final nail in the video store business, and now streaming is shaking up the DVD by mail model. The brain trust at Netflix can’t seem to stick with a strategy, but it’s hardly surprising given the uncertainty out there.

Meanwhile consumers have tons of options, and the next few years should offer a dizzying number of new options. For many of us, that’s part of the fun.

Gadgets, News, Television

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Breaking Bad 4.13 – Lily of the Valley

October 10, 2011 / Will Harris

In last week’s blog, I wrote of Walt sitting poolside, “We see a man who’s spinning both his firearm and his wheels, waiting to figure out how little future he has left. When the pistol spins toward one of the potted plants, however, it’s clear that Walt has gotten an idea.” If only I’d recognized that plant as a Lily of the Valley, I could’ve been a hero among my peers. Damn my insufficient knowledge of botany! Damn it all to hell!

Ahem.

When we first see Walt this evening, he’s making a mad dash through the parking garage to remove the bomb from the underside of Gus’s car, which he promptly carries into the hospital and up to the waiting area. It’s an unabashedly slapstick moment when the magnet on the bomb sticks to the elevator door, followed by a hilarious back-and-forth between Walt and Jesse about the decision to bring the bomb with him (“What, was I supposed to leave it on his car?”), but things get serious immediately thereafter, with the ABQ police showing up and requesting an audience with Jesse about his statement. As the boys with badges walk away with Mr. Pinkman, Walt looks positively pale. Is it just from being in close proximity to the cops?

The conversation between Jesse and his new friends is predictably tense. “We’re just talking.” “So if I get tired of talking, I can get up and leave?” Sure, that’s how it always works. Jesse’s being seriously grilled over the fact that he offered up a very specific poison as what was causing Brock’s illness. His explanation? “I musta seen it on ‘House’ or something.” Awesome. Time to call Saul, but there’s so much shredding going on that his secretary can’t hear the phone when he calls…or when Walt calls, for that matter, as we discover when he busts through the bottom pane of the front door in a desperate effort to find Saul. It’s an unexpectedly hilarious scene between Walt and H.T. (as Saul dubbed her last week), particularly when Walt is initially completely oblivious to the fact that the $20K pricetag for the repairs ain’t nothing to do with repairs. Okay, so it was a little slapstick-y when Walt left the office the same way he came in, but that didn’t keep me from laughing, anyway.

Entertainment, Television

Aaron Paul Anna Gunn Betsy Brandt Bob Odenkirk Breaking Bad blog Breaking Bad fourth season Breaking Bad Season 4 Bryan Cranston Dean Norris Giancarlo Esposito Gus Fring Hank Schrader Jesse Pinkman Jonathan Banks Marie Schrader R.J. Mitte Ray Campbell Saul Goodman Skyler White Steve Gomez Steven Michael Quezada Tyrus Kitt Walter White Walter White Jr.

Rockport Lux Lodge Boots Review

October 9, 2011 / Staff

Rockport Lux Lodge Boots

With winter fast approaching, it’s about that time to get your gear ready for the freezing lements. One key component to not only staying warm in the colder months but also keeping a sense of style is having the right winter boots. Well, we have good news for all of our readers out there searching for warm and stylish boots as we just reviewed the new Lux Lodge boots from Rockport, and we were impressed. These great looking boots will be worn by the staff at the Aspen Snowmass ski resorts this winter season and Bullz-Eye.com can certainly understand this choice after testing the Lux Lodges. The Lux Lodge boots sport a padded collar and tongue to help prevent blisters and lace bruising; upper reflective details that promotes safety in the dark (ideal for nighttime walking); and waterproof full-grain leather that helps keep your feet dry and makes them easy to clean and extends product life.

These are also very comfortable boots, and part of the reason why is technonolgy including EVA with adidas adiPRENE, which is a highly shock-absorbent cushioning that protects the heel at impact, CMEVA which provides lightweight shock absorption for reducing foot and leg fatigue, and a rubber outsole that provides a durable grip on a variety of surfaces. Keeping your feet warm and dry is something Rockport invested in the new Lux Lodge’s with 3M Thinsulate lightweight insulation that helps keep feet warm in cold weather, and the impressive Hydro-Shield waterproofing substances that are tanned into the leather consisting of a special seam sealant which helps keep feet dry in wet weather.

Now, what was also impressive is the reaction from folks who commented on the sleek styling of the Lux Lodges, which is basically a huge bonus when you consider how effective they are in keeping your feet warm and dry and extremely comfortable while in the cold. Looking good is always important, and though staying warm is number one when you’re in freezing conditions, style was obviously still very high on the list at Rockport with the Lux Lodge. Go to www.rockport.com for more info on purchasing the Lux Lodge boots.

Gear, Stuff to Buy

Rockport boots Rockport Lux Lodge boots review