Lately I’ve noticed a disturbing trend about myself: I don’t get as excited about things as I used to. Perhaps it’s a merely function of getting older – I just hit the big 3-0 six months ago, after all – or, maybe, all the years of crushing cynicism and relentless snark has finally caught up to me. Passion, perhaps, is the provenance of the young and the unencumbered, and I’m no longer either of the two. For example, it would have shocked the ten-years-younger version of myself, maybe even the 2009 model, to learn that it took me, a devoted Wes Anderson-ophile, two months to see The Grand Budapest Hotel, especially after making a pilgrimage to see The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic during their respective opening weekends, and attending a screening of The Darjeeling Limited by myself because I just couldn’t wait any longer, even if that meant sitting alone in a small theater on a Tuesday afternoon. Likewise, I’ve yet to see X-Men: Days of Future Past, and that’s already been out for a whole week and is possibly the X-Men movie that I’ve been praying for these last fourteen years. There are spoilers abound and I run the very real risk of having the movie ruined before I get around to seeing it. It’s a danger I’m well aware of, and one, for some reason, I’m at peace with. Perhaps most egregiously – and this something I’m very much ashamed to admit on this blog – I’ve yet to watch last week’s Survivor finale. Yes, I was out-of-town for two weeks, but I’ve been back for four days already. Really, what good excuse could I possibly have for not immediately marathoning the last three episodes, including the two hour-finale and post-show live cast reunion? Heresy, is it not? Not only am I liable to inadvertently stumble upon the final result at any turn, removing any drama upon viewing, but shouldn’t this be tearing me up inside? It’s Survivor, the subject I’ve perhaps committed more space to on this blog than any other, and, yet, I’ll get to it when I get it to it. Urgency, shockingly, I do not feel. It’s not apathy or indifference – that would be truly alarming – but, rather, caring a bit less, being more patient. It’s an odd, peculiar, somewhat concerning notion to not experience the same sense of pressure, immediacy, and life-or-death importance about these shows and films and bands that I always did. Am I depressed? Should I look into Lexapro? But the change is also freeing in a way. There is a flipside to caring a little less. It means that it doesn’t hurt so much when something you love is taken away from you.
Category Archives: Team Zissou
Don’t Cry Because It’s Over, Smile Because It Happdeaned: Five (and Maybe More) Seasons of ‘Community’ and the Truly Jumping the Snark
Polish Your Crocs and Retouch Your Tattoos
Because Top Chef: All-Stars starts tonight! (did we mention how excited we are for this? Oh, we did. Well, we’re going to say it again: We’re really excited for this).
Vodpod videos no longer available.Our money is on Richard Blaise. And not because he was the clear favorite in Season 4 and, by his own admission, choked in the final. And not because we’ll squeeze an excessive amount of joy out of calling him “The Blaise.” But because The Blaise is rocking the orange Crocs. Dude is angling for a role in Wes Anderson’s next stop-motion film (watch your back, Batali).
The Blaise Means Business
We also like Las Vegas‘ Jennifer Carroll. Girl looks good. Good and ready.
Filed under Century 21 Reality, Freak Out Control, Team Zissou, Top Scallop
Terry Gross Interviews Jason Schwartzman, Gets EVEN Closer to the Judd Apatow Chart
Around this time last year Fresh Air host Terry Gross interviewed directors Judd Apatow and Wes Anderson, asserting her place on the Judd Apatow Chart. Last week she welcome Jason Schwartzman, who appeared in both films the directors discussed with Gross last fall, those being Funny People and The Fantastic Mr. Fox respectively. Now that Gross has interviewed all three talents it’s clear now that she’s really angling to be included on our Apatow web. Well, Terry, you keep at it, and next time we do an update we’ll see what we can do. If you could somehow finagle an appearance in one of their movies that would certainly be a big boost to your chances.
In addition to discussing his roles in Apatow and Anderson’s films, Schwartzman also talks about Bored to Death, as well as what it was like growing up in the Coppola family, so if you have 45 minutes, it’s worth a listen.
Listen to the Fresh Air Interview with Jason Schwartzman
And to stimulate your visual cortex, here’s a couple of our favorite Schwartzman moments:
Filed under Flashback!, Judd Apatow, Marconi & Cheese, Team Zissou
Orange Crocs Really Aren’t Appropriate White House Attire, Mario Batali
It’s one thing to wear bright orange Crocs when competing in Kitchen Stadium. It’s another thing to wear them to a film premiere.
And it’s a whole ‘nother thing to wear them to the White House.
At Jumped The Snark we’ve followed the Crocs trend among chefs, from the cheftestants on Top Chef to the granddaddy of Croc-clad cooks, Molto Mario Batali. And while the footwear is indeed silly it seems that one could make a legitimate argument for the functionality of Crocs in the kitchen. And Batali normally gets a pass because his orange Crocs have become his trademark, so much that they were even included on the feet of the rabbit character he voiced in Fantastic Mr. Fox. However, for the latest Iron Chef special event “Super Chef Battle,” in which Batali, Iron Chef Bobby Flay and “Super Chef” Emeril Lagasse visit the White House, wethinks Chef Batali might have chosen a more formal shoe. At least something with laces. Do plastic slippers really belong on the White House lawn?
And hey, this is not to say there’s anything wrong with orange. It can work. Just look at the First Lady. Classy, demure, hip; the woman has style. Perhaps Batali can swap recipes for fashion tips.
But, to Batali’s credit, every time I seem him in Kitchen Stadium I’m consistently impressed by his uncanny cool and sense of whimsy, not to mention the ease in which he prepares and presents what I can only assume are mind-blowing dishes. While “Super Chef” Lagasse was running around like mad, sweating into his three remoulades and nearly burning a turkey roulade, Batali appeared to be working in first gear, moving even slower than the honey from the White House beehive that he poured from an unnecessarily great height. But despite his lack of urgency, he was working with a deft hand, and seemed to create food brilliance (might help that he has another full-fledged Food Network personality as his sous-chef). So either he’s about the best chef going or at least one of the most eccentric.
But I can only imagine what kind of furor the orange Crocs would have elicited had the challenge taken place in Japan. Those guys take their cooking very seriously. Just ask Bobby Flay.
Filed under Team Zissou, The Sixth Taste, Top Scallop
The Connection Between Wes Anderson, Mario Batali & ‘Top Chef’ Revealed
(Hint: It’s the Crocs)
And speaking of these things, Top Chef finally returns tonight! Until then, play the Match the Tattoo game! (guess they didn’t have enough Croc-wearers for a Match the Crocs game. Shame)
And if you still need more Wes Anderson you can check out a recent profile done on him by New Yorker (subscription required), and if you’re feeling a little less elitist, then click over and read Videogum’s effusive praise for Fantastic Mr. Fox. Agreed!
More later y’alls!
Filed under Team Zissou, The Big Screen, The Sixth Taste, Top Scallop
Foxy Movie, I Think I Love You
Yeah, we went with that title. Give us a break, it’s early on a Monday, and it’s not fair to expect words of beauty.
Anyway, we contributed another post to the Awards Picks Red Carpet Blog, this time in praise/reverence of Fantastic Mr. Fox. Long story short, I loved Up, but I also loved this movie, and now I’m confused.
If your thirst for Mr. Fox and Wes Anderson material is not sated by the review, nor his interview on Fresh Air, nor by this featurette, then check out the A.V. Club’s recent Q&A with Anderson.
Now off to play some Whackbat.
Filed under Other people's stuff, Team Zissou
Terry Gross Interviews Wes Anderson, Really Fleshing Out Her Spot on Judd Apatow Chart
What a roll Terry Gross is on! First, last Friday she had on Judd Apatow, and today she welcomed another auteur, Mr. Wes Anderson. Now I can connect Apatow, Gross and Anderson on the 2nd Level of the Judd Apatow Chart!
Anderson joined Gross of Fresh Air to talk about his new stop-motion masterpiece Fantastic Mr. Fox (when I say masterpiece it sounds sarcastic, but it’s not intended to be. The film is truly excellent). The Texan native talks about what drew him to the Roald Dahl book, how he unknowingly based some characters on himself and his older brother, and how they turned to Bob Fosse for inspiration. Terry Gross talks about cat postcards.
Listen here–> Wes Anderson Covers New Ground with “Mr. Fox”
Say what you want about Wes Anderson (and a lot has already been said), but he is one of the true visionary geniuses working today. He gets a lot of criticism for his obsessive devotion to the most minute details. But it’s one thing have an obsessive devotion to the most minute details, and it’s another thing to have an obsessive devotion to the most minute details and create these unbelievably vivid, unique, and charming worlds. He has begun to reuse the same tropes and devices, but they are his tropes and devices, and how many directors have created such a distinct style with such a small sample of work? Not many.
And if you still want more Anderson and details on Fox, here’s a behind the scenes featurette:
Unfortunately, Gross will not be hosting one of our favorite writer-directors tomorrow. Well, you can’t hit a home run everyday.
Filed under Judd Apatow, Marconi & Cheese, Team Zissou
Reege No Longer Just a Danger to Himself, Nearly Gives Meryl Streep Heart Attack
Yesterday I turned the TV tuner to Live! with Regis and Kelly specifically to see if Regis would say something ridiculous within one minute. Well, he didn’t disappoint.
A few weeks back Regis gave us a very detailed account of his painful battle with kidney stones many years ago, a fight that he thankfully won just before surgery. On Monday’s show Regis and Kelly welcomed Meryl Streep to the stools and this time Regis decided to stop inflicting pain on himself and turn the cross-hairs on his guest instead. In a smooth segue, Regis informs Streep that her daughter has broken her leg, nearly giving the Oscar Queen a heart attack as this was news to her. In fact, it was news to everyone because ol’ Reege just completely butchered the cue card, which actually said that Streep’s daughter “just got her big break.” Just broke her leg, just got her big break, whatever, same thing.
(forward to 2:15 to see the incident)
You really can tell that Kelly is embarrassed, and these days she has to be feeling more like a handler than a co-host. Let’s face it, the guy ‘s a loose cannon, and he’s going to do some real damage one day.
What makes this extra amazing is that apparently this whole time Regis has been so clueless about names and facts and words and he’s actually been reading cue cards. Who knows what kind of bad news he would have delivered to Streep if he was left completely to his own devices. Swine Flu? SARS? Black Lung? Imbalance of bodily humors?
More: What do Kelly Ripa’s breasts, Costco, Charla Nash & Lou Dobbs have in common?
Filed under Talkies, Team Zissou
It’s One Thing To Mess With Roman Polanksi, But Seymour Cassel? No!
Well, no, Seymour Cassel has not been detained by Swiss officials on 32-year-old charges of raping a 13-year-old girl. He has, however, been suspended from the Screen Actors Guild after being found guilty of “conduct unbecoming of a member,” stemming from a May incident in which he allegedly sexually harassed staff members during a May meeting. It should be noted that he was found guilty by an “internal trial board,” so it seems that SAG is its own sovereign nation or is part of the fleet of human survivors fleeing the Cylon pursuit.
It’s just hard to believe that this kind of behavior is capable by the man who stole our (my) heart as Bert Fischer, beloved father of Max and devoted husband to the late Eloise (in Jumped The Snark favorite Rushmore).
Oh no! Apparently him and Polanksi are buds. Maybe this isn’t so outrageous after all.
Well, hopefully the only thing they have in common is a love for cigars.
Let’s just cross our fingers that Wes Anderson doesn’t shoot his next film in Switzerland (although even if he does Anderson might not show either).
Filed under Team Zissou, The Big Screen, Who's the Boss?
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