2x03 'The Tough Brets'

Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:27 pm

drunkagain wrote:Excellent recap of "
The Tough Brets"
but it's lengthy so I'm just posting the link:

She joined the board recently!

Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:39 pm

chloe wrote:

hellomyfriend wrote:

Rhys' dancing impressed me too.

I would also be impressed with Rhys' dancing I'm sure, but I can't seem to take my eyes off those glimpses of Jembelly. . .

I was impressed despite the luscious, abundant Bret belly. [image]

Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:47 pm

Ok, I watched it again and now I do agree, Rhys is a great dancer! The Jembelly just wasn't giving Rhys' Dance Grooves a chance! ;<br />D

Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:36 am

[size=133:lkwvkia9]Escapism Rules TV’s ‘Flight,’ ‘Chuck,’ ‘Medium’
Review by Jeremy Gerard

[size=100:lkwvkia9]Feb. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Closing last Sunday’s episode of “The Flight of the Conchords,” gang members began snapping their fingers in unison and flying into one another’s arms.

If that scene brought to mind “West Side Story,” you’re probably the wrong demographic for this HBO series, the most original comedy on TV today. It’s silliness of a high order, aimed at the “Napoleon Dynamite” crowd.

“Conchords,” which runs Sundays at 10 p.m. New York time, is about the misadventures of New Zealanders Bret and Jemaine, two would-be rock musicians in New York so pathetically dweebish they make Napoleon look like Cary Grant. You have to love them. When Bret plays a song attacking rap music, their idiot manager warns them that sensitive rap artists have been known to respond to criticism with firearms and worse.

So Bret forms a gang, comprising an ancient Asian couple, a white-haired mobster wannabe and a mama’s boy passing himself off as a Green Beret. All this leads to that tone-perfect homage to those airborne juvenile delinquents immortalized by Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.

Like “The Simpsons,” “Conchords” is unafraid to mine pop culture of an earlier era for ideas. (You can see the real thing, by the way, when a fine revival of “West Side Story” arrives on Broadway in three weeks.) ...

Source:

Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:21 am

I love in the library, they are playing their lame-o rapper dissing song and the camera cuts to Mel. She is grooving her brains out and coming up with imaginary rhythms just to show her enthusiasm. It's one of her finest dork moments, cause she got no beat whatsoeva.

Here's a question...Is this the first time the show has started before they run the opening song/credits (which I believe is called the main title in tv talk?)? First there was the HBO promo, then the library gig scene, then the music w/opening credits.

Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:09 pm

tanfastic wrote:... Here's a question...Is this the first time the show has started before they run the opening song/credits (which I believe is called the main title in tv talk?)? First there was the HBO promo, then the library gig scene, then the music w/opening credits.

Nope. Off the top of my head, Drive-by started like that. Smile

Oh yeah, and so did New Cup.

Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:42 pm

Ok, guess I better start paying more attention! Thanks gez.

Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:21 pm

Chipmunked. For funsies.

[flash=350,287:nvk5kuid]https://www.youtube.com/v/-dt9KVwBOVw&hl=en&fs=1[/flash:nvk5kuid]

Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:05 pm

the chorus of hurt feelings really shows hw really pretty their voices really are

Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:18 pm

wonderrob wrote:Chipmunked. For funsies.

[flash=350,287:xej4j406]https://www.youtube.com/v/-dt9KVwBOVw&hl=en&fs=1[/flash:xej4j406]

haha! I love all your chipmunkings, Rob!

Favorite parts here: "
They forgot about me."
and all of 'Stay Cool, Bret' ;<br />D

Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:04 pm

I loved all the names of the previous gangs Johnny Boy had been in. My favorites were the Hobo Lords and the Gentleman Jims. They probably cracked themselves up coming up with all the names in the writers' room.

"
We'll let this one go, because we don't like that particular kid."
was really funny. I imagine Jemaine wrote that line;
he's said in interviews he doesn't like cops and got into trouble a lot as a kid.

Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:13 pm

gezyka wrote:

drunkagain wrote:Excellent recap of "
The Tough Brets"
but it's lengthy so I'm just posting the link:

She joined the board recently!

I did! And it is lengthy -- those songs sure are wordy Smile

... but what a day brightener this episode was on a crappy Monday morning. Makes me so very happy.

Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:42 pm

wonderrob wrote:Chipmunked. For funsies.

[flash=350,287:ljnihyyn]https://www.youtube.com/v/-dt9KVwBOVw&hl=en&fs=1[/flash:ljnihyyn]

I love the 'Not Very Good' song chipmunked.

[image]

Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:23 am

Source:

[size=100:69mjod45]Another good episode, really. The way the story was set in motion was rather feeble -- Bret (Bret McKenzie) dissing famous rappers during a library gig, scaring himself about retaliatory attacks and assembling a protective "
gang"
-- but the jokes were funnier than usual and the storyline more original. It's a shame the songs were underwhelming once again, although the cast reprise of "
I've Got Hurt Feelings"
was oddly hypnotic in its solemn delivery...

"
The Tough Brets"
was the kind of episode that didn't have a strong narrative;
Bret assembles a ragtag gang that includes their friend Dave (Arj Barker), an old man, and a Chinese couple -- and the mob inconvenience and irritate Jemaine (Jemaine Clement). Jemaine's own storyline involved being given a hideous portrait of himself by obsessed superfan Mel (Kristen Schaal) and trying to dipose of it without hurting her feelings, then accompanying Murray (Rhys Darby) to a consulate function -- where's the hapless Kiwi's are teased by boisterous Aussie diplomats, including guest-star Alan Dale (Lost, Ugly Betty) as the Australian Ambassador. In fact, I'd gladly watch a Murray spin-off series over FoTC, as his rivalry with the bullying Aussies was far more entertaining and enriching than the silliness with Jemaine and Bret.

However, the rather humdrum plots are filled with jokes that hit their target with greater regularity: Dave's dire warning ("
here in the United States, rivalries between rappers usually end in death. Or worse"
), a typo that renamed Murray as "
Mu Ray"
, Dave's deadly utensil glove, a Chinese man hiding in a cupboard, the semantics of having your body chopped off from your penis, etc. Interesting to note that supporting player Dave actually nabbed the majority of throwaway highlights;
indeed, the cast that surround Jemaine and Bret are being given more to do in season 2, thankfully. I've never been very keen on the hamster-like Mel, but even she was quite amusing.

While I didn't particularly enjoy the songs this week, I must confess to liking the dance choreography of the West Side Story-esque "
Stay Cool, Bret"
-- with Bret, his motley gang, Murray and Jemaine, snapping fingers and bounding around streets in a mini-musical extravaganza. If the song had been lyrically and musically better, this would have been a prime highlight of the series for me, but it dipped below greatness.

Overall, there are still problems with FotC, but this third episode offered more indication that it's making a few necessary changes (snappier gags, crazier stories, more for the supporting players to do). I've yet to see an episode bring story, character, comedy and music together into one cohesive, riotously entertaining whole, but they took a step closer here.

Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:40 am

drunkagain wrote:

[size=100:pkgwxog3]It's a shame the songs were underwhelming once again, although the cast reprise of "
I've Got Hurt Feelings"
was oddly hypnotic in its solemn delivery...

What's up with everyone criticizing the songs? I'm really enjoying the songs this season and don't think they are weak or underwhelming at all.

Just because they were written over the last year doesn't mean that should be held against them.

Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:46 am

Frankly, I still think that guy is a dick.

Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:24 am

I agree. He's a guy with his body cut off.

Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:24 am

hellomyfriend wrote:Frankly, I still think that guy is a dick.

This guy just confuses me. I read his reviews for Season 1 and he never really liked the show:

Ep 1: "
Consider me intrigued, but yet to be convinced guitar-carrying comedians equal hilarity."

Ep 2: "
I can't see it becoming a must-watch comedy series, but it's an amusing distraction with a few fun moments"

Ep 3: "
I like these guys now;
I just wish they'd be given better direction..."

Ep 4: "
The Conchords may be in flight, but they're stuck in a very tight circle"

Ep 5: "
...still a disappointing series for me, but this was a definite highlight and helped sustain my wavering belief that a truly great episode is around the corner..."

Ep 6: "
Bowie is undoubtedly the best episode (stylistically) of the series. Shame it's one of the least compelling and humorous, though."

Ep 7: "
So yes, in a mixed bag series that has never really achieved its potential. Drive By ranks as one of the better episodes."

Ep 8: "
And I'm officially bored by it now."

Ep 9: "
when there are no funny moments and decent songs in an episode of a musical-comedy, there's clearly something wrong..."

Ep 10: "
This is a very good episode, although I'm not going to get carried away. The first 15-minutes were still pretty weak..."

Ep 11: "
it's just not particularly well-written or memorable."

Ep 12: "
Ultimately, this was a fairly strong ending, but did nothing to really inspire me to watch season 2 "

Yet he's still watching and reviewing every week - what the hell is he waiting for? If you don't like the show by now, you're never going to.

He could've saved himself a lot of time and effort by taking a page from Ruth Spiegel's book:

"
I personally find that I probably wouldn't find myself watching this program again because it is not the type of programming that I really enjoy."

Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:46 am

Eh, I think that guy's reviews are mediocre at best. Given that the series has gotten such high praise from, oh I don't know, almost EVERYONE, I think he just lacks a sense of humor. However, I do agree with him that the cast as a whole seems to be starting to mesh really well and the pacing is a lot quicker - it seems it's becoming a real ensemble piece, which I personally really like.

Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:51 am

nikki78 wrote:What's up with everyone criticizing the songs? I'm really enjoying the songs this season and don't think they are weak or underwhelming at all.

Just because they were written over the last year doesn't mean that should be held against them.

I don't get it either. I wasn't crazy about Murray's song in the first episode, but I've loved all of the other songs so far this season.

Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:41 pm

blondesnotbombs wrote:

nikki78 wrote:What's up with everyone criticizing the songs? I'm really enjoying the songs this season and don't think they are weak or underwhelming at all.

Just because they were written over the last year doesn't mean that should be held against them.

I don't get it either. I wasn't crazy about Murray's song in the first episode, but I've loved all of the other songs so far this season.

And I think Murray's song is possibly the best one so far. [image]

But I'm biased I guess [image]

Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:52 pm

drunkagain wrote:... He could've saved himself a lot of time and effort by taking a page from Ruth Spiegel's book:

"
I personally find that I probably wouldn't find myself watching this program again because it is not the type of programming that I really enjoy."

He must think that he's going to get a mention in their myspace blog. Though, he was dissing them long before Ruth Spiegel...

Thu Feb 05, 2009 6:29 pm

gezyka wrote:

drunkagain wrote:... He could've saved himself a lot of time and effort by taking a page from Ruth Spiegel's book:

"
I personally find that I probably wouldn't find myself watching this program again because it is not the type of programming that I really enjoy."

He must think that he's going to get a mention in their myspace blog. Though, he was dissing them long before Ruth Spiegel...

Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:19 pm

Ruth Spiegel
ahaaha

Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:26 pm

How does everyone feel about all the charactors singing? i think they should stop at Murray! thats just me though :-)