Craig Might Be Giants

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (June 3, 2009)

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
SINGING, DANCING PUPPET EXTRAVAGANZA opener

This is THE BEST THING EVER. Period.



An Awkward & Hilarious Interview W/ Burn Notice's Gabrielle Anwar




"What Did We Learn On The Show Tonight, Craig?"
Read, Kindly Light...

"there's a green one & a pink one & a blue one & a yellow one..."

"...and they're all made out of ticky tacky, and they all look just the same."

Recognize those lyrics? That's the last four lines of the first stanza of Melvina Reynolds' ironically cheerful ditty, "Little Boxes," which was made famous as the theme of my new favorite TV show, Weeds. However, that odd, quirky, dark soccer-mom-drug-dealer dramedy deserves a whole 'nother post -- a whole score of other posts, in fact. As you may have already guessed by now, we're just concerned with the Weeds theme song today. You see, one of the many brilliant little details of the show is that during its 2nd and 3rd seasons, each episode began with a different cover of Melvina's "Little Boxes." It is truly an addictive song, a fun and simple melody with catchy lyrics, the kind that get stick in your head forever...but in a good way. Anywhoo, below are a dozen or so of the afore-mentioned covers from some spectacular artists, including Elvis Costello, Regina Spektor, The Shins, Jenny Lewis, Johnathan Rice, and the Decemberists. My only regret is that Zooey hasn't done one as She & Him, seeing as she was the special guest star of 3 or 4 episodes.


Melvina Reynolds - Little Boxes

The original - a happy-go-lucky little tune about cookie-cutter suburban houses (i.e. ticky-tacky little boxes) and the frighteningly happy & squeaky-clean WASP clones that inhabit them. It makes you want to whistle while you work.


Pete Seeger - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

Pete was a good friend of Melvina Reynolds, who at one point said that he played "Little Boxes" so well that most people thought he was the original composer. Listen to all the goofy laughter of his audience in the background.


Roger Scime - Little Boxes (soooooorta loosely covering Melvina Reynolds)

It's obvious that Robert's uh...expanding upon Melvina's song (more like putting a little of his spin to it). I do love the bit about "The Wal-Mart & the Wal-Mart & the Sam's Club & the Wal-mart" and the rent-a-cops. Tarnation, is this not the most whistlable tune ever?


Elvis Costello - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

It's Elvis Costello. Need I say more?


Regina Spektor - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

I love this here piano gal and her rendition of "Little Boxes." It doesn't get much more melodic than this.


Christopher O'Riley - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

Speakin'a pianos, here's the only instrumental version of "Little Boxes" on the list. I was unable to get the string orchestra version, which is of course lovely as well.


The Shins - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

I like the Shins a lot. [sarcasm]I know, I'm original. No one else likes them. That's why I like them so much. No one has ever heard of, much less liked, the Shins. This is a good cover by this young upstart band, a relative unknown.[/sarcasm]


Jenny Lewis & Johnathan Rice - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

I keep tellin' my friends we should play "Six Degrees of Conor Oberst" as he is the indie music equivalent of Kevin Bacon. I first listened to Bright Eyes 4 years ago, and through a love of him, all his collaborators, and their gorgeously unique work, I began seeking out the music of Jenny Lewis, Rilo Kiley, The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, M. Ward, Neva Dinova, Maria Taylor, Johnathan Rice, She & Him, etc., etc, etc. So, Conor Oberst is connected to Melvina Reynolds, Elvis Costello, yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah. Okay, I'm done.


Linkin Park - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

One tiny shiny bit of poppy goodness. Not a big fan of Linkin Park, but they do a great cover here.


As The Crow Flies - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

Right now, I am in heaven. That is all.


Nara Leão - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

A cover from the only Brazilian singer on the list, and coincidentally, it happens to be in Brazilianese. A beautiful, beautiful version, to be sure. I love hearing "ticky tacky" surrounded by a bunch of exotic-sounding foreign words.


The Decemberists - Little Boxes (covering Melvina Reynolds)

Well, my friends, I have saved the best for last. I mean, my absolute favorite band here in Fort Worth is The Theater Fire, and TTF is basically The Decemberists with a heaping dose of old-school country and a dash of mariachi added to their big group dark folk. This, my friends, is the best cover on the list, the best version of "Little Boxes" aside from the original. Hands down. And here's why, in Chris Funk's own words:

we thought it would be appropriate to have the chord progression shift to a minor key, suggesting a bit of tension and more directly, a darker tone. The song really isn’t that cheery when you dig a little deeper and get past that sweet voice and melody, in reality quite depressing…ah life.

True dat, true dat.

(Hit the jump for the full set of lyrics and one scandalous promo photo of Mary Louise-Parker [the show's star]).


Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.


Read, Kindly Light...

Late Night Buzz: Trailers, Interviews, and More Trailers

Well, this is a Lenten post, so I can't enjoy any cokes or smokes. Still, perhaps I can get a vicarious buzz off of sharing what's brewing in popcultureland.

To the Buzzmobile! Awaaaay!

!!BUZZ!!
I hope by now most of you have seen the new Star Trek trailer. If you haven't, you must watch it. NOW. Yes, you read correctly: despite my once having been an avid Trekkie-Hater, a few seasons of Voyager and this AWESOME trailer have won me over. When I first saw it in theaters, my head exploded. Twice. True story.

!!BUZZ!!
Did any of y'all catch the series premiere of Castle last night? It's not bad, not bad at all. 'Course, I love just about anything with Nathan Fillion in it. Speaking of whom, here is the link to an interview in which he talks about the new series.

!!BUZZ!!
Apparently the cast of Seinfeld is gonna reunite on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Frankly, I don't want to see Jerry Seinfeld again; I mean nowadays he's just the twice-dried husk of the already dry, hallow shell of his former self. But George? Elayne? Kramer? All of them together? Count me in!

!!BUZZ!!
Here's the newest trailer for Pixar's "UP". Now with twice the number of senior citizens, and 100 times the number of creepy talking dogs!

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I love Amy Adams. So does my niece, Claire. But to her, she exists only as 'Princess Giselle.' Anyhoo, she did an interview for her new indie dramedy (yes, I love saying the phrase 'indie dramedy' when-and-where-ever possible), Sunshine Cleaning. Read it now.

!!BUZZ!!
Wanna take a sneak peak at Guy Ritchie's upcoming Sherlock Holmes film, starring Robert Downey Junior as Sherlock and Jude Law as Watson? Wait. Really? Jude Law as Watson? Oh yeah, yeah, I can see that. Definitely. He definitely looks the part, is the right age, has the level of maturity, etc., etc. I mean he was practically born for this role. [/sarcasm]

!!BUZZ!!
And God said "The Last shall be First, and the First shall be Last." And Tyler blogged it so. YOU MUST WATCH THE NEW HARRY POTTER TRAILER!!! I mean it. Stop reading this and click the link now. Click it!
Read, Kindly Light...

Sunday Already?

Since half of everything good on this site is something I have stolen from better bloggers like Whitney Matheson, I thought, "Hey! Why not steal more?" So here's my version of Whitney's "my week In Pop" review:

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Best TV show I saw:
Burn Notice, which is perhaps the most entertaining show on television, and the season finale ("Lesser Evil") was no exception. Season 2 definitely went out with a bang, a looot of bangs. If you haven't yet seen any of this hilarious and addicting spy dramedy, I urge you to rent Season 1; it'll be the best 5 bucks you spend this week.
I also enjoyed: Life -- it's always funny, surreal, and suspenseful. This episode ("Hit Me Baby") was particularly good and Zen-y. Dollhouse -- it took me a few episodes to get into it, but Joss Whedon never fails to hook you. His new series is thankfully getting better and better. Speaking of Joss (and shaky starts and becoming better and better), I've also been catching up on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am in Season 3 and am now quite obsessed, as my friends and family can well attest.

Best movie I saw: Sadly, I only saw one movie this week, so Watchmen is the best (and the WORST) by default...
Best album I heard: It's pretty much a toss-up between Matter and Light, the new album by my favorite local band (a colossus of weird folk, bluegrass, and alternative country), The Theater Fire, and Blood Bank, the new EP by singer/songwriter indie-sensation, Bon Iver. I'll hopefully jot down a little album review on each of these shortly.
I'm also listening to: Alela Diane's two albums, The Pirate Gospel and To Be Still, as well as lots and lots and lots and LOTS of Daytrotter sessions -- too many to count, in fact.

Best book I read: Um...prob'ly Moby Dick, which, while I hope it isn't really "The Great American Novel", is damn good. Thanks, Dr. Shank, for helping us wade through it.
I'm also reading: Slayer Slang - a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon, by Michael Adams, and I am only half as ashamed as I should be for reading that. But hey, go easy on me; it was a gift!

Ok. There be my list. So what's on yours?
Read, Kindly Light...

Evening Buzz: Zooey Deschanel and Burger Beds and Dresses

Ingrid Bergman wants you to join her in lighting up the collective pop culture cigarette. Here is your Evening Buzzzz!


!!BUZZ!!
Well, first off, Fox has picked up the remaining Narnia movies since Disney copped out. I'm glad C.S. Lewis's books are being adapted to film and not TV, 'cause we all know how Fox treats its best shows (*cough* Arrested Development *cough*cough*).

!!BUZZ!!
Are you a big fan of He-Man? Yeah, I'm not gay either. But apparently Warner Brothers, Joel Silver, and John Stevenson are teaming up to remake "Masters of the Universe". Actually, I suppose it's not bad timing, as Skeletor is being nominated for an Oscar this year.

!!BUZZ!!
You should watch the trailer for "500 Days of Summer", an indie film starring Joseph Gordan Leavitt and Zooey Deschanel. I liked Leavitt a lot in "Brick", and I'm straight-up in love with Zooey Deschanel. I've loved her ever since her bit in "Elf", and she's just wowed me more and more in each new flick (not to mention her musical work with the brilliant M. Ward, especially her band She & Him!). Apparently, 500 Days of Summer has blown everyone away at Sundance. Yay!

!!BUZZ!!
Here's some more good news: Neil Jordan is gonna direct a live-action movie adaption of Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" (a ghostly retelling of The Jungle Book). I have to say, Neil Gaiman is winning me over; I'm coming around to his Sandman comic books, Coraline is shaping up to be really good, and now this.

!!BUZZ!!
Amy Poehler's new government sitcom finally has a name -- "Public Service". This will be one to watch; besides the presence of the ever-funny Poehler, it's from the creators of the Office, and will also feature Aziz Ansari and Rashida Jones (of Office fame). Public Service airs in April.

UPDATE: It's called "Parks and Recreations", and the pilot was BAD. Here's hoping the show gets a looooooot better.

!!BUZZ!!
And finally, here is a fun, provocative, and even -- dare I say it? -- yuuummmyy dress. Hint: It's a HAMBURGER dress. This is the best thing to happen to hamburger-themed non-hamburger products since The Hamburger Bed!
Read, Kindly Light...

Activate Instant Netflix Queue. Engage!

The last good thing I watched on Instant Netflix was "Winter Passing", with Zooey Deschanel, Ed Harris, and Will Ferrell. I saw that sometime last week. Since then I have seen half-way-through a half dozen terrible films. Now, here's what's currently gracing my Instant Queue:


1.
"Red Lights (Feux Rouges)"

2.
"Game 6"

3.
"Zero Effect"

4.
"Morvern Callar"

5.
"Twelve and Holding"


I've only seen Zero Effect before. I expect to absolutely hate half of the others, and absolutely love the other half. I'll get back to you once I've finished watching them.

UPDATE: Or not. :P
Read, Kindly Light...

Afternoon Buzz: Judd Apatow, Joss Whedon, Dr. Who...

Looks like Audrey is ready for her afternoon buzz. Are YOU?


!!BUZZ!!
Here's the first look at Judd Apatow's upcoming comedy "Year One", which features Michael Cera, Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Oliver Platt, David Cross, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, among others. Well, sound great; I'm always up for an Apatow flick. My only concern is the fact that Jack Black (who, while admittedly being capable of giving funny performances, is also a d*****bag) is gleefully hopeful that the movie will offend many people's religious sentiments. Pfft.

!!BUZZ!!
Joss Whedon has been interviewed by Brian Ford Sullivan about his new show "Dollhouse." I've been a big fan of Joss Whedon ever since I saw Firefly and Serenity (though I've never really seen Buffy), and I'm very excited to see Dollhouse; however, there have supposedly been a lot of problems with its production. Joss says in the interview that the original pilot script was scrapped in favor of another--even though the original has already gone to film! Here's hoping it all works out for the best.

!!BUZZ!!
If you know me at all, you'll realize that at times I can be ridiculously snobby and artsy-fartsy when it comes to my preference for eclectic indie music and quirky, bizarre indie movies, especially those ill-named indie "dramedies". Thus I am very excited to see the upcoming indie "dramedy" 'Sunshine Cleaning'. Here's a brand new bland poster for it. So, the question is, does Alan Arkin now only make quirky indie dramedies that focus on a struggling dysfunctional family, an odd kid, and have "Sunshine" as the prominent, catchy word in the title? One can only hope.

!!BUZZ!!
Simon Pegg and Robert Weide have seriously told fans in the US *NOT* to buy the DVD of their movie "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People". Wanna know why?

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In anticipation of Matt Smith becoming the 11th Dr. Who, Wired has written up a piece recounting the litany of the ten other Time Lords and their famed history.

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Apparently, this Australian commercial was the "most complained about commercial of 2008". I'm with the Geekologist on this one; it could have been a looooot worse, considering the genre of the product it's advertising.

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This one's good for a laugh, or at least a mild chuckle. It's a captioned screenshot from Christian Bale's new Terminator movie.

!!BUZZ!!
Oh, Bollywood. You're so silly. You're such a cute and silly baby Bollywood, Bollywood. Why are you trying to remake Back to the Future?

!!BUZZ!!
Huh. A movie about a team of midgets playing basketball with Dennis Rodman as Dennis Rodman...why didn't I think of that? Oh, that's right. It's because I still have a soul. Score 1 for Tyler; Satan, dwarfs, and Dennis Rodman, 0.

!!BUZZ!!
And finally, if you're caught wearing a Hawaiian shirt within the next few days, someone might think it's a sign of your grief.

Ciao.
Read, Kindly Light...