Tag Archives: Akiva Schaffer

Movie trailer round-up: ‘Gangster Squad’, ‘The Watch’ & ‘Total Recall’ [Update: ‘The Campaign’]

The director behind Zombieland and 30 Minutes or Less is back with a star-studded gangster pic. Ruben Fleischer has rounded up Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Michael Peña, and Sean Penn to helm Gangster Squad. And here’s what it’s about:

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. “Gangster Squad” is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.

Yeah, from the looks of this trailer Gangster Squad is going to be one entertaining movie that cannot be missed. Unfortunately we have to wait for October 19 to roll around before we can see it. Perhaps these next two summer movies will hold you over until then… jump after the break! Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘Gangster Squad’, ‘The Watch’ & ‘Total Recall’ [Update: ‘The Campaign’]

The Lonely Island’s ‘Turtleneck & Chain’ now available for hearing

The Dudes are back. In anticipation of their second studio album (the followup to the incredible Incredibad), the Dudes of the Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer) released wickedly hilarious SNL Digital Shorts like “Motherlover,” “Threw It On the Ground,” “I Just Had Sex,” “Shy Ronnie 2,” “The Creep,” “We’re Back,” and their most recent creation “Jack Sparrow.” You’ll find all of these tracks and more on Turtleneck and Chain, available in stores now. The guest list is insane: Justin Timberlake, Akon, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Michael Bolton, Beck, Snoop Dogg, and Santigold all make memorable appearances.

Two versions of the album exist. The standard version (iTunes) contains 19 tracks. The deluxe version (Amazon/iTunes) packs the 19 songs, adds the bonus track “Reba (Two Worlds Collide) featuring Kenan Thompson,” and nine videos. All but one of the included videos are Digital Short fare, a never-before-seen video for “We’ll Kill U.”

Oh, and there’s one more thing. Should you opt to purchase the album at a local Best Buy make sure you bring this coupon with you. With it for $15.99 you’ll get the CD/DVD package and a super cool and exclusive Lonely Island-branded t-shirt. Or you can use it to get the album itself for a low $7.99.

Now check out a bunch of the album photos in the gallery below, then jump after the break to sing about the adventures of Jack Sparrow with Michael Bolton! It doesn’t get any better than this.

Continue reading The Lonely Island’s ‘Turtleneck & Chain’ now available for hearing

THE LONELY ISLAND :: The Ultimate Collection

The dudes.  Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer.  You know Andy from Saturday Night Live.  His two friends, Jorm and Kiv, are writers for the show.  Together they are known as The Lonely Island.

They started as writers for the MTV Movie Awards.  Fellow SNL cast member Jimmy Fallon discovered them when he hosted the MTV Movie Awards many years ago.  The rest is history.

The Dudes are known for their genius work in the SNL Digital Shorts.  It started with “Lettuce,” hit a strong stride with “Jizz in my Pants” and “I’m on a Boat” (feat. T-Pain), and has let to their latest creations, “Motherlover” and “Cool Guys Don’t Look at Explosions.”  That lastest video was shown during the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, which Andy Samberg hosted.

Their debut comic album Incredibad is a must-buy.  Songs include “Dick in a Box,” “Natalie’s Rap,” “Space Olympics,” and others you may not have heard before, including “Sax Man” (feat. Jack Black) and their retrospective piece, “Incredibad.”  Not only is every song funny, but each has its own creative hip-hop beat that beautifully and hilariously mocks the hip-hop and rap genres.  Utilizing auto-tune over their witty verses, the Dudes have created a unique work of art that stems from their personal lives and today’s society.  Simply put, it is very funny, good music.  Preview and purchase it on iTunes here.

Check after the break (click “more…”) for a large collection of some of my favorite songs and videos by The Lonely Island.  Also, be sure to check out their YouTube page for all of their work.  Some of their early videos (pre-SNL) are hilarious.  Keep it coming, Dudes. Continue reading THE LONELY ISLAND :: The Ultimate Collection