Category: The News From Around The World

Watch This: Pistol Pete

September 23, 2014 - David Feldman Show, The News From Around The World

In light of the recent barrage of Simpsons output, it’s nice to know that some things about the long-running show are still a bit of a mystery. In this case, the enigma is John Swartzwelder, one of the show’s longtime writers and a veritable JD Salinger/Hunter S. Thompson of the Simpsons world. With a weird and absurdist view on things, Swartzwelder is perfectly suited for writing animated comedies, where pretty much anything that will make you laugh your ass of goes.

A lesser-known fact is that Swartzwelder wrote a live-action pilot that, until this week, few had seen. Swartzwelder’s 1996 pilot Pistol Pete was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday and is a time capsule of an established talent, in the vein of Lookwell and Heat Vision and Jack. Absurdly anachronistic, chock full of bad acting and rough cuts, there are shades of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. But where Darkplace deliberately lambastes, Pistol Pete falls short in its reverence for the classic western source material and lack of self-awareness. Either way, the pilot is a fun watch, if only to see Simpsons-world comedy in a real world setting.

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Woody Allen’s Sixties Stand-Up Albums Reissued

September 22, 2014 - David Feldman Show, The News From Around The World

Woody Allen's Sixties Stand-Up Albums Reissued

Woody Allen\'s Sixties Stand-Up Albums Reissued

The recordings Woody Allen made of his comedy routines in the mid-Sixties will once again be available at an affordable price. November 25th will see the release of a comprehensive two-disc set – The Stand-Up Years: 1964 – 1968 – which will contain everything from the three records Allen released in the Sixties, along with a never-before-released routine and more bonus audio. The additional material comprises 25 minutes of excerpts from the 2012 film Woody Allen: A Documentary, in which he discusses how stand-up comedy changed his life, as well as liner notes by the documentary’s producer and director, Robert B. Weide.

The album contains Allen’s routines from the Chicago club Mr. Kelly’s in March 1964, the Washington D.C. venue the Shadows in April 1965 and the San Francisco club Eugene’s in August 1968. Previously, Allen’s three comedy LPs had been split between two compilations, Standup Comic and The Nightclub Years. Among the performances are the comic’s routines about everything from Brooklyn and marriage to a vodka ad and “The Moose,” a memorable bit about shooting a moose – and the repercussions he faced from doing so.

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Paul McCartney’s ‘Meat Free Mondays’ Video

September 22, 2014 - David Feldman Show, The News From Around The World

See Paul McCartney's Star-Filled 'Meat Free Mondays' Video

Paul McCartney has made a music video in support of his family’s Meat Free Mondays campaign, which urges people to take a weekly break from eating meat in an effort to help the environment. The song – which dates back to 2009, when the outspoken vegetarian cofounded the effort with his daughters Mary and Stella – lays out all the benefits to slightly changing one’s diet, including reducing greenhouse gases and slowing down the polar ice thaw and rising ocean levels. His video features people from all over the world holding up signs with the song’s lyrics, including celebrities like Woody Harrelson, Twiggy and actress Joanna Lumley. McCartney makes a wide-smiled appearance at the end.

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The Complete Collection Of ‘South Park’ Guest Stars

September 22, 2014 - David Feldman Show, The News From Around The World

From Clooney To Korn: The Complete Collection Of ‘South Park’ Guest Stars

 

From Clooney To Korn: The Complete Collection Of ‘South Park’ Guest Stars

There’s no exact figure available, but if I had to guess how many characters Matt Stone and Trey Parker have voiced over 17 seasons (and one movie!) of South Park, I’d say: a lot. But even they need SOME help. Mona Marshall and April Stewart provide the voices for most of the females on the long-running series, while Vernon Chatman, Adrien Beard, and Jennifer Howell are the talent behind Towelie, Token, and Bebe. There’s been a heap of guest stars, too. Matt and Trey will gladly keep the skewering of Tom Cruise in-house, but sometimes, you just need some assistance from Radiohead.

There’s no exact figure available, but if I had to guess how many characters Matt Stone and Trey Parker have voiced over 17 seasons (and one movie!) of South Park, I’d say: a lot. But even they need SOME help. Mona Marshall and April Stewart provide the voices for most of the females on the long-running series, while Vernon Chatman, Adrien Beard, and Jennifer Howell are the talent behind Towelie, Token, and Bebe. There’s been a heap of guest stars, too. Matt and Trey will gladly keep the skewering of Tom Cruise in-house, but sometimes, you just need some assistance from Radiohead.

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