the comic's comic

UCB's first film, "Wild Girls Gone," now for sale; plus other random comedy news

Back before they were famous for being the Upright Citizens Brigade, the UCB players produced their first feature-length film that spoofed both Spring Break and Girls Gone Wild. Naturally, it's called Wild Girls Gone, and it's only now available for your digital download pleasure via iTunes.

Would you like to buy it?

Would you like to see the not-so safe for work trailer? In addition to Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts, you also see Andy Daly and others. Roll it:

That seemed so random, but then again, this isn't the only random comedy news for today.

• Betty White confirmed to People magazine that she will be on SNL this spring. When, and how, still to be determined. (People)
• Demetri Martin is now being played by Jonah Hill? Martin is out, and Hill is in, as the stats-cruncher co-starring with Brad Pitt in the adaptation of Moneyball. (ESPN)
• Mo'Nique surprised nobody by winning the Academy Award for best supporting actress in Precious, so of course, today people are circulating an old clip of Jeffrey Ross roasting her at the fete for Emmitt Smith. Very NSFW (YouTube)
• Drew Carey has some ideas on how to save his hometown of Cleveland, and he has documented them on film. (Cleveland.com)

UCB-LA's "Pop Genius" a genius idea for a TV game show?

If I were in Los Angeles tonight, then I would definitely be hoping to check out "Pop Genius" at the UCB Theatre. A friend shared this clip with me, and dare I say (nay, no dare needed), this seems to be the kind of game show that would be an instant hit on the TV. Looks like a 21st-century version of Match Game, combined with the silly celebrity world that gets parodied by folks such as Best Week Ever and The Soup, with hints from funny people a la Password or Pyramid. Jimmy Pardo is a natural as a game-show host, as anyone who knows anything knows (although the Internets tell me that Paul Scheer used to host the monthly Pop Genius last year?), and the panels look funny, too. Here's a clip, with a panel that includes Andy Daly, Matt Besser, Danielle Schneider and Andy Richter:

16 Talking Points From Montreal's Just For Laughs Fest, 2009

As I sit here, living off of the boissons gratis of the 24-hour Subway restaurant and paying for temporary WiFi access in Montreal's Trudeau airport terminal, I realize that my initial plan to bring you a full slate of reviews from Montreal's Just For Laughs festival today might not come to fruition. Something about spending most of the afternoon trying to get a flight to New York City, then boarding a flight that takes off, and almost makes it there only to circle back and land in Canada, forcing you and your fellow passengers to pass through Customs even though you just left (the Customs agent had a quizzical view of the situation, as well), then spending the rest of the evening and into the morning hoping that the skies have cleared and airports reopened -- it all leaves me tres fatigue, as the French write. At least for a few hours, though, I was sitting in a chair in the sky!

With that nod to Louis CK, who put on two of the best shows (and hottest tickets) during the fest, I do want to share some initial thoughts about Montreal's annual celebration of comedy, and how it fared this summer. More in-depth reviews of the shows I saw will get published once I'm back home in New York City, to be sure. But first, a few thoughts, opinions and ideas to get you thinking about -- and hopefully talking about -- comedy.

Night at the Museum's gate-crashing NBC promos

When is a movie plug that's pretending to hinder a promo really just a twisted take on a promo, and when do we realize that by posting it, we do exactly what they want? Are these important questions to even ask before showing you a series of videos in which Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill try to get onto the NBC lot to promote the Night at the Museum sequel, only to be flummoxed at the gate by the head of security, played by Andy Daly. With a cameo by Steve Carell.

The conclusion, after the jump...

Behind the scenes: HBO's Eastbound & Down

Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, the guys behind Funny or Die, also are responsible for getting Danny McBride his own comedy series, Eastbound & Down, which debuts Sunday, Feb. 15, on HBO. McBride plays Kenny Powers, a former Major League Baseball star whose star has fallen, landing him back in his North Carolina hometown teaching gym to middle schoolers. Here is HBO's documentary look behind the scenes of the show. Enjoy:

Oh, and Andy Daly plays the principal!

Sneak peek premiere: Season 2, Flight of the Conchords (HBO)

In real-life, the New Zealand comedy music duo Flight of the Conchords won a Grammy this year and is up for another one in 2009. In their HBO show, however, Bret and Jermaine are still trying to catch a break as the second season opens. Funny or Die gets to bring us the premiere a month before it airs on HBO, for American audiences only (sorry, not my call), so watch it now, and see what happens. Greg Proops, Andrea Rosen and Andrew Secunda make appearances, as well as season one regulars Kristen Schaal and Arj Barker. There's also a subplot for Crazy Doggs (the competing band from Todd Barry and Demetri Martin).

Watch to the end, and you'll also get a sneak peek at the HBO comedy, East Bound & Down, featuring Danny McBride, Will Ferrell and Andrew Daly. Enjoy!

Season 2 Online Premiere - Flight of the Conchords (US Only) - watch more funny videos

"Jerry O'Hearn" asks SNL's "Nicholas Fein" to "cease and desist"!

Political comedian "Jerry O'Hearn" asked Andy Daly to circulate this press release, and let's help a guy out, right? Right. So here it is...in its entirety, reprinted from Daly's post to the AST message boards:

(related: Andy Daly's new CD, Nine Sweaters, became available Sept. 9)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTORNEYS FOR COMEDIAN O’HEARN ISSUE CEASE AND DESIST ORDER AGAINST SNL’S FEHN

Los Angeles –Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but LA-based tell-it-like-it-is standup comic Jerry O’Hearn doesn’t sound flattered when he talks about a particular segment on this week’s season premier of Saturday Night Live. He’s so steamed in fact, that this laughing matter has now become a legal matter.

The offending piece featured a political comedian named Nicholas Fehn whose material was immediately all too familiar to Mr. O’Hearn. And O’Hearn has some typically pointed words for Mr. Fehn. “I mean, this is really one of those things where you’re like ‘hey wait a minute. Excuse me!’ because I don’t know about you but as far as I’m concerned, it’s like ‘really?! Who said so?”, said O’Hearn in his usual take-no-prisoners style. “One minute I’m sitting there and it’s like ‘okay’ and the next minute I’m like ‘this type of thing is like you gotta be kidding me!”.

Ouch!  Fehn can’t enjoy being skewered by a skillfully executed barrage of carefully chosen words like that.

Root of All Evil, season two begins tonight

Comedy Central's Root of All Evil starts its second season tonight, with host Lewis Black and a rotating duo of comedian prosecutors arguing that (blank) is, in fact, the root of all evil. Tonight's show features Andy Daly and Patton Oswalt debating whether ultimate fighting or blogging is more eviler. Here's a trailer:

Match Game returns to TV

Don't let this picture fool you. Match Game is returning to TV, with two tapings today in Los Angeles at CBS. But Sarah Silverman isn't hosting. She'll be one of the celebrity panelists. UPDATE: The other panelists for the pilot, shot at CBS but for TBS, were Norm MacDonald, Scott Thompson (Kids in the Hall version, not Carrot Top), Rashida Jones, Super Dave Osborne and Niecy Nash.

So who will be hosting in place of the late Gene Rayburn?

Despite mass petitions to hire Jimmy Pardo, the man who's been holding down the fort on Match Game Live at the UCB in Los Angeles, the producers went with Andy Daly.

Pardo went to the message boards and offered congratulations to his friend Daly, writing...

Hey everyone,
Since the petition was started here on AST, I feel I should let you guys know what has happened. I am sad to report that I did not get the job.
Obviously, I am very disappointed but ASTers can rejoice in knowing that the producers picked a great talent in one Mr. Andy Daly.
Andy is a great friend and will do a super job.
I don't have to tell anyone on this board how funny Andy is and I'm sure the show is going to be a great success.
JIMMY

It doesn't end there...