Armchair Commentary

"Adventureland" - What Was Your Worst Job Ever? (Our Staff Weighs In)

Adventureland is one of those great, funny and fun movies that somehow managed to fly below the radar this year.  Our reviewer called it "A sweet and slap-happy mix of indie coming-of-age drama and Judd Apatow’s scatological but heartfelt manchild comedies...a winning look at the pleasures and frustrations of dead-end jobs and teenage kicks as viewed through a filter of mid-‘80s pop culture".  As someone who has had, count 'em - 27 jobs in 14 years - I can relate to working a crappy "what the heck am I doing here?" job.  And while plenty of them were just about as miserable as you can imagine, there have been a handful over the years that made an impression, long after I clocked out.  I admit that I'm kind of the biggest sucker in the world for a coming-of-age tale, regardless of whether it happens at 11, 19, 24 or 60, but that's what I love about this movie.  It's made me remember those long hours where I was berated by mean customers, or left stinking of fried fish for days after, or locked in a dusty file room for 8 hours straight - kind of fondly, or at least in an "I'm so grateful I went through that to get me here" sort of way. 

So after this long walk down memory lane, I started getting curious about what some of the folks I work side by side with were doing before making their way to Amazon.  Here are some of my favorite responses to the following question - "What was your worst job?"  Read them, feel better about your own crappy work history, and tell me - what was your worst job? 

Lisanne:
Mind-numbing job post college when economy was crap (and pay was even crappier). Log expense reports into database. 10 key. Repeat all day long until you want to poke out your eyes.

Job perks: Feel like you are permanently stuck in Office Space. Get told you are a slow filer and asked if you have “medical issues”.  Get whopping $0.05/hour raises and pretend to be excited about that and your “future career”.

Kirk:
As a temp I had to paint the inside of a machine shop and got electrocuted. Went to work the next day; my mom owned the temp agency.  I also worked in a potpourri factory and spilled the concentrated liquid all over me. I can’t go near a Crabtree & Evelyn.

Amanda:
Children’s gymnastic coach. Before you get all warm and fuzzy- picture 15 screaming 5 & 6 year olds on trampolines, foam pits, and balance beams; fighting with each other, ignoring me, and me trying to make sure they don’t break their necks while their parents watch from a balcony overhead.

Meredith B.:
I was a waitress, which sounds fairly boring, but the kicker is I was required to wear a bolo tie and a denim shirt. You can imagine how pretty that made me feel.

And the winner of the Amazon Movies Very Worst Job Award goes to...

Sara:
I’ve held my silence for long enough, but my true identity (for about 2 months) was the bird at Red Robin  -  Red, he really has a name.  It was horrible, you could only be out in the restaurant getting poked and stepped on by little kids for 15-20 minutes at a time- at which point you would overheat and the staff would waddle you back to the huge meat freezer to cool off and start all over again.  Perk: free steak fries and soda.

Pre-order Adventureland now on DVD or Blu-ray.  ---Kira

Billy Mays, 1958-2009

When my partner told me that Billy Mays had died, it took me a minute to process who he was. Then she started talking about OxiClean and I knew. It was the legendary and larger-than-life salesman, star of memorable commercials (and video remixes) and recent guest on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. Mays was found dead in his bed, in his home and no foul play was suspected. Some are wondering if the fact that he bumped his head during a rough airplane landing the day before might have played a part in the tragedy. Mays was only 50.

Billy Mays wasn't just a salesman, he was a showman -- and a star (with "Sully" Sullivan) of the new Discovery Channel show, Pitchmen. He was also a significant presence on Twitter, and Twitter is where is son (also named Billy Mays) confirmed the elder Mays' death, shared his feelings this morning: "My dad didn't wake up this morning.. I'm sure you'll all hear about it. It hasn't yet hit me but it's about to." It wasn't long before he was thanking people for their support, and RIP Billy Mays became the No. 1 trending Twitter topic (Farrah, Michael and even Ed McMahon were on the list too). Celebrity deaths, and the way we process them, will never be the same. -- Stephanie Reid-Simons, Amazon Video On Demand (Twitter: amazonvideo and Facebook: Amazon Video On Demand)

Our interview with Jon Voight for "Lookin' to Get Out"

Jon Voight gave us a call the other day to talk about a comedy he made in 1982 called Lookin' to Get Out, directed by Hal Ashby (Voight's collaborator on Coming Home) and making its DVD debut on June 30. He talks about how the new cut of the film was discovered, his experiences working with Ashby,  Angelina Jolie's acting debut, and an essential film from his career. Listen below or here. --David

Trailer Park: "The Time Traveler's Wife"

Travel ahead in the future... at least to August 14, 2009, which is the opening day for The Time Traveler's Wife, starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana and based on the book by Audrey Niffenegger. Watch the trailer below or on YouTube. 

And just because you're you, here's a bonus trailer of My Sister's Keeper, opening this weekend, starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin and directed by Nick Cassevetes (The Notebook). Watch it below or on YouTube. --David

Farrah Fawcett, 1947- 2009

Farrah Fawcett, whose fluffy golden tresses and gleaming smile made her the biggest sex symbol of the 1970s, has died after her long and courageous battle with cancer. She was 62. She is survived by her longtime companion, actor Ryan O'Neal, and their son, Redmond.

Fawcett had gained popularity in TV commercials in the '70s when she was cast as Jill Munroe in the Aaron Spelling series Charlie's Angels, which debuted in the fall of 1976. The first of the so-called "jiggle" genre, the series was an instant hit, as was Fawcett's pinup poster released around the same time, showing that Fawcett could work a red one-piece swimsuit just so (the poster has sold a still record-holding 12 million copies and counting).

Fawcett's easy acting style was perfect for the light comedy formula of Charlie's Angels, yet Fawcett also had very accomplished, polished skills as a dramatic actress. Her memorable TV film roles included The Burning Bed (1984), in which she played a victim of domestic violence, and Small Sacrifices (1989), her truly riveting performance as Elizabeth Diane Downs, the sociopathic Oregon bombshell who shot her own children. She was nominated for Emmys for both performances.

In later years, she acted periodically, including another against-type and heartbreaking performance, in the 1997 indie film The Apostle, for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. She played the all-too-earthly wife of a charismatic preacher (Robert Duvall), and Fawcett's nuanced performance was hailed by critics as so accomplished as to virtually steal the film from her dynamic costar.

In recent months, as she struggled in her battle with cancer, her fans rallied for her, hoping, along with her family, for a miracle. Fawcett's longtime friend Alana Hamilton filmed a documentary on Fawcett as she went through treatment over the past year--Farrah's Story.

Fellow Angel Jaclyn Smith said, upon learning the news: "Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels." Her earthbound fans can take some comfort from that. --Anne Hurley

Farrah Fawcett Essentials:

Charlie's Angels

The Burning Bed

Small Sacrifices

The Apostle

Extremities

Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story

Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story

Dalva

Silk Hope

 

 

 

Buzz Aldrin "Rocket Experience"

In commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of  Apollo 11 and man's first steps on the moon, FunnyOrDie.com posted the full video version of astronaut, Buzz Aldrin's (aka "Doc Rendezvous") "Rocket Experience", his rap about the journey to the moon and those infamous first steps. Check out the video and the dance moves that fans- including Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, and Soulja Boy are raving about:

Buzz Aldrin's Rocket Experience from Buzz Aldrin

Want to get in on the celebration? Check out our list of out-of-this-world movies and documentaries. --Amanda

Oscar Best Picture nominations expanded to 10

Surprising news from the Motion Picture Academy today: The number of Best Picture nominees will go from five to 10. The quote from Academy president Sid Ganis in Variety: “Having 10 best picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize. I can’t wait to see what that list of 10 looks like when the nominees are announced in February.” 

Hmm, I can see the value of having a little more room for a popular title like The Dark Knight (which should have been nominated last year), and it will make the awards and the broadcast more appealing when more people know the films, since a number of recent BP nominees have been somewhat obscure.  But I'm skeptical that they'll really be able to find five more legitimate contenders.  Sounds like the door is now open for a Star Trek or an Up (or both) to grab a nomination, which would be fine with me. --David

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" - Coming Soon to a theater near you?

Chances are you've heard of this fantastic little book that came out back in April and shot to the top of the Amazon books bestsellers list.  In case you haven't, the title basically says it all.  A literary mash-up that is actually incredibly fun to read but still remains somewhat faithful to the original - I can't even formulate my thoughts in an articulate way about this book - I can only gush, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is awesome!  Read it!

Of course, someone in Hollywood snapped up the rights in about a second and I'm already abuzz with anticipation to see my two movie favorites (Period drama and the human flesh-devouring Undead) combined to light up a big screen for the world's enjoyment.

As of yet there's been no official announcement on casting, director, etc - but there is a rumor that the butt-kicking, zombie slaying, fiercely independent and protofeminist Elizabeth Bennett will be played by Natalie Portman. Not sure how I feel about that, though I've always found her  resemblance to Kiera Knightley a little freakish and I could see her wielding a dagger in an empire waist dress.

 
I think my P&P&Z dream team would look like this: Director - Peter Jackson (we know the man can do anything and I'd love to see the epic beauty of Lord of the Rings combined with the over the top gore and humor of Dead Alive).  For Elizabeth I think either Emily Blunt or Emma Watson could be fantastic, and Darcy...that's the tough one.  I certainly wouldn't mind if Matthew Macfayden came back and walked out of the mist one more time.

 

I've definitely been spending far too much time pondering who I'd like to see make this movie and am curious about other opinions about there.  Who do you want to see as Darcy?  And the rest of the Bennett sisters?   Collins?  What's your dream team?  ---Kira

Ed McMahon, 1923-2009

There is an art to being a second banana. Ed McMahon, who passed away today, June 23, at the age of 86, made it look easy. For 30 years as the announcer for The Tonight Show, he and Johnny Carson gave a nightly master class in chemistry.

Entertainment Weekly ranked McMahon as TV's greatest sidekick. McMahon always had a full plate. He was the host of Star Search. He co-hosted those practical joke clip shows with Dick Clark. As the spokesperson for American Family Publishing sweepstakes, he announced that you might already be a winner. He lent his services to Jerry Lewis and his Muscular Dystrophy telethon. He shilled for Budweiser. He was even featured in a commercial during the 2009 Super Bowl. But McMahon will forever be best known for those signature four words: "And now, heeeere's Johnny," so ingrained in the national consciousness that Jack Nicholson's deranged character in The Shining invoked them when he used an axe to enter a room.

McMahon was the master. A big, gregarious Irishman, he deftly set Johnny up ("How cold was it?"), punctuated his jokes with offstage guffaws, and even got in some zingers of his own during Johnny's Carnac bits. He never said, "You are correct, sir." That was Phil Hartman, whose McMahon impersonation on Saturday Night Live indelibly captured his glad-handing essence. But he did say, "Hiyo," which became another unlikely pop culture catchphrase.

McMahon wrote several books about his remarkable career. The best of Johnny and Ed can be relived on DVD and in clips posted on YouTube. --Donald Liebenson

Blu Monday: "Crackin' Blu-ray, Gromit!"

William Wallace, meet Wallace and Gromit.  My yin-yang is getting a kick out of pairing these two Blu-ray pre-orders:  Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection and Braveheart.  I've watched the three Wallace and Gromit short films--A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, and A Close Shave--many times (the middle is my favorite) and yeah, I already own three different DVDs with the first three films on them, but this collection has the 2008 film A Matter of Loaf and Death, which I haven't seen, and it's their first time on Blu-ray.  I love Nick Park's humor and old-school clay animation.  Braveheart I've also seen a number of times--or at least parts of it, as the later stages are pretty tough.  Say what you will about Mel Gibson, but he made a passionate, moving film about Scotland's quest for independence.  I'm planning to pick up both of these.  --David