That Other News Show

Hey guys, when trying to think up a topic to write about this week, I couldn't really think of anything. But then I thought "Hey, I can shamelessly plug the show I worked on this semester!" and all became right in the world. So That Other News Show is an ICTV show which just began this semester and provides the news, along with sketches and field packages, and delivers them in a humorous way.

Think something along the lines of The Colbert Report or any of the various late night shows with (insert host's name here). I was actually recruited onto the show last semester when it was still being planned, and went through this season as the head editor. I don't mind editing, some people do, but I don't and I have gotten pretty alright at it, so for this semester I became head editor on two shows and it's been pretty cool. The only issue with editing this show? Our turnaround time was seriously tight, having it due at noon on Monday and only being able to begin editing at 3 on Sunday. Since I didn't want to throw my Sundays away every week, I typically started editing after midnight and would stay up all night to finish it. Due to this, there are a few slip-ups here and there that with a little bit more time, I could've ironed out. Anyway, I got off track.

Now that the season is done and everything is up on the website, I recommend checking it out, everyone pull a lot of heart into it and I think it's come out pretty good. Plus, it'll give you the chance to see what some of the people in our class worked on.

Black Dynamite

Shaft, Undercover Brother, Pootie Tang, Django Unchained. All of these movies have one thing in common: they are all a part of the sub-genre of film known Blaxploitation. This genre has seen many entries over the years, but one of the best, in my opinion, would have to be Black Dynamite. This movie, released in 2009, was made as a spoof of these types of movies, and it is one of the funniest movies I've seen ever.

The film follows the titular Black Dynamite as he uncovers a conspiracy that goes far beyond what you would originally think. Everything is made to look like a film from the 70's, from the costumes to the music, everything thing meshes really well to encapsulate the feeling of the era. One element of humor used throughout the movie is the use of "mistakes" in either production or editing. These instances are done on purpose to give a low budget feel to the film and it's really funny to see them run with mistakes that normal movies avoid like the plague.

For instance, in one scene Black Dynamite stands up and his head hits the boom, which is clearly in the shot and he looks at it confused, or when another character gets slapped in a fight, he breaks character and actually gets pissed which is followed by a quick cut and resuming the scene with a completely different actor. Little things like this go a long way for keen viewers picking up on every little subtle joke. In addition to the movie, an animated show was produced for Adult Swim, featuring the cast of the original movie, and that just takes the over-the top factor, well, over the top. This movie definitely isn't for everyone, and from a technical perspective it isn't really anything spectacular, but it is just such a good time that it's hard not to enjoy while watching it.

Childrens Hospital

Lately I have been watching "Childrens Hospital," Rob Corddry's comedy on the Adult. Each episode is about 11 minutes long, but in that short time span, the large ensemble cast packs as many jokes as possible. The humor is very dark and absurd, so it's not for everyone.

The show is a parody of hospital dramas such as "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scrubs." Corddry's show is actually filmed on the same sets as the latter show, a fact that one of the character's references in one episode, an example of the show's meta-humor. The show is about a group of doctors and nurses, most of whom have slept with one another, a parody of the many relationships doctors have in melodramatic hospital dramas. Characters include Blake Downs, a clown doctor who believes in the healing power of laughter, The Chief, the head of the hospital who is part Cherokee, which explains her name, and Sy, a hospital administrator played by Henry "The Fonz" Winkler. The show has great guest stars, including Jon Hamm, Ed Begley Jr., Nick Offerman, and Michael Cera as the voice of the PA system.

Together, the team of doctors face challenges like quicksand, amnesia viruses, Death (played by Michael McKean), criminally insane children, heat waves prompting a "Do the Right Thing" parody, crampt living situations, cancer guns, and Big Pharma. The show also messes around with format; one episode is a fake-live episode, while another one takes place in the 1970s.

Most of the jokes are throwaway lines, such as "Time of death: 9pm, 8 Central." It's hard to describe, so here's a clip, but it doesn't really do the show justice.