dinosaur office

(h/t to @todaysbigthing)

at first he died... now, he dead!

Reginald D. Hunter was on BBC Breakfast this morning. He funny.

i 'ate them!

I know I know... this was the big skiing in-joke, from one of my favourite DVDs of all time. I love that Dylan Moran himself has trouble keeping a straight face delivering his French sketch. Go on... watch it one more time...


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mr smyth at christmas

There's not much to say really, other than we did have to twist his arm a little after the last time... but he's always game to parody himself, the political situation, and in this case, Christmas messages. ("Parody"... hmmm. But I have to write that in case his boss is reading.) That, and the original - with "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" over the start - got pulled immediately from d'Tube. So congrats to them for their apparently now automated detection.



For more on the GSFTW Campaign, click to the facebook Page.

Well done, sir.

we should shoot it in space

Will Ferrell/Adam McKay's Funny or Die is usually a great source of self-deprecating A-List humour (see 'Bat Fight', May 14th 2009), and this one's no different!

The Kevin Bacon Movie Club from Kevin Bacon

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postbox artwork

Writer and cartoonist Andy Riley has done an awful lot of work, but for me he gets the elevation to some level of genius for two or three projects: the third season of Black Books, and his two sets of books as a cartoonist, the Bunny Suicides, and Great Lies To Tell Small Kids.

So I was pretty thrilled when something popped through my letterbox this morning...






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gta: lego city

Genius... I'd never come across this before, though it is a few years old. I'd buy it!


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the (in)glory of it all

So, last night I did something so henious, so unforgivable, so sadly-in-character that I fear I must let it out, for fear of containing it and the implosion that would occur shortly after.

Went up to Fuel 09 in Ballymena: good idea, though I was only interested in one thing on the bill: the David Crowder* Band. DCB hold the much-coveted second place (second only to DMB, equally awesome) in my last.fm stats, and for several very good reasons. There's a lot of Christian music out there. The vast majority has great meaning and is genuine, but musically can lack a little (in my humble yet mighty opinion.) DCB transcend just about every genre to bring music that is compelling, brimming with enthusiasm, painfully perfected and... and this is the important bit... kicks ass. It really is that good. But, having never managed to make the trek over to Frenzy in Scotland, I had never got the chance to see them live.

They were fantastic, as expected and more. Completely engaged in equal measures of praise and joy, encouragement and entertainment (and that's a debate for another blog, Seranus!) Fuel is relatively intimate, so no detail was missed and Crowder's energy and interaction is a lesson to any worship leader on How To Do It. I don't say that to idolise them, but rather in that if I had to point to a guy and say This Is The Attitude I Would Like To Have, then that would be it.

But, then the kicker: after Third Day had wrapped up the night, a surprise - DCB were doing a signing. Would I queue? Yes I would, and screw my dignity. Having engaged with a lot of Crowder and the DCB's work, most recently Crowder and Mike Hogan's excellent Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven... ("And So I Watch You From Afar", April 16th 2009), I had so much to draw on that I could ask the guys. And then there's B-Wack and Hogan and the obsession with musical experimentation. Or the band's return to recording a conceptual album with the upcoming Church Music. This was too good an opportunity to miss.

But then something horrible happened.

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I was talking to my Dad on Tuesday night about job interviews. There's an occasional moment we all encounter, when it all goes horribly wrong. We see ourselves saying or doing something, almost as if Out-Of-Body, and we are powerless to stop. And it keeps happening. And we don't stop.

Please, please, my consciousness screams. Stop. Please. Now.

But we don't.

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As you can tell from above, I know quite a bit about the David Crowder* Band. A lot of this has built up from regular/occasional web encounters mostly, be that their Twitter, YouTube or own outputs. They're a band that engage and play a lot with new media, and if you're bored you can find out a lot... so I did, when I was bored.

And now, all of a sudden, instead of saying something useful, or offering something of interest, I turned into public enemy number one: Barely Restrained Fanboy.

And so this is what happened...

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Pete and Sensible Friend are queuing. B-Wack (drummer) sticks head around the corner of the tent.

B-Wack: Hey, guys, how's it going?

Pleasantries are exchanged and Stuff To Sign offered.

B-Wack: ....yeah, we were at the Giant's Causeway today... it's weird... did you do that?
Pete: Personally? No. I did kick it once, but, you know...

There is some banter around this and then a pause. That joke went down ok. This was probably a Bad Thing.

Pete: So where else did you guys get to see?
B-Wack: Oh man, I can't remember what any of the places were called.
Mark (guitar): Yeah...
Pete: Oh ok. I saw a TwitPic earlier of Jack sitting behind some big random table...

No! Stop talking! Please! Don't reveal anymore. You sound like a stalker already!

B-Wack: Hmmm... oh yeah, that must have been at the hotel.
Pete: Anywhere good?
B-Wack: Can't remember.
Mark: The Gul.. Galgorm? Is that right?

Sensible Friend says something sensible, and hands her stuff on to Mike D (bass) to sign. Hogan's (DJ, Violin and more) not paying attention, so Mike hands it to him first.

Hogan: Oh ok, sorry...
Mike D: You're not paying attention.
Pete: It's ok, got it sorted now, you're back on the wagon...
Hogan: Yeah, I guess..

On to Crowder... this is it brain, don't let me down. Say it! Tell him you liked the book! Tell him it really helped!

Crowder: *Takes stuff" Hey, here we go: going to get some top quality ink down here.
Pete: *speechless*

Crowder hands it on to Jack. Jack signs and returns. Thanks and turn to go, but then...

Pete: Hey Jack...
Jack: Yeah?
Pete: Saw the rockumentary, and I just have to say: no matter what the others say, you shred if you want to.
Jack: Oh yeah?
Pete: Yeah, you do it man.
Jack: Oh good; that's like I've got permission now.
Pete: Yeah.
Jack: Great, thanks.

Exeunt.

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I'm really, really sorry guys. I just glad I was probably instantly forgettable, because five minutes later I felt that creeping sense...

...but that's how it goes with hero worship. I need to lie down, put my earphones in and let Pastor Mark chastise me for a bit I think.

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bat fight

The main joke in Will Ferrell's latest Funny or Die outing takes a while to really kick in, but the pay off is absolutely worth it. Of course, watch from the start to get all the subtleties and maximum laugh-age.

BAT FIGHT with Will Ferrell from Will Ferrell

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peek-a-boo!

Just the thing to make me cackle on a stressful morning...


I know I shouldn't be blogging this kind of stuff but it was a decision by management to allow for some lighter content... or something.

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crowder does spinal tap

David Crowder* Band, currently in studio working on their next record, Church Music, produce a steady stream of youtube vids, documenting what they're up to...

However, it looks like they've just started a new series of Spinal Tap-esque rockumentaries. And here's the thing - the first one is pretty flippin' funny.



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black and gold

The good folks at Dawsons Music shops have YouTube'd sections of a video I was involved in directing, cutting and authoring for their Bangor store last month. Click here (or on the right) to check it out on the Showcase page. [I love it when people have the good manners to put projects I was involved in online so I can show 'em off...]

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and quit sending her pianos!

Ach, unlucky Glen...



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'i don't have a book down my trousers'

Dylan Moran in Notting Hill - I think the last time I saw this I must've been too young to recognise who he was! Says it all really. Anyway, it's clearly the funniest bit in the whole show so there you go.



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peteswayuk

Just did a wee task I've been meaning to do for a while: archiving and cleaning up the PetesWayUK webpages.

For anyone who didn't know me at school - lucky folks - PetesWayUK (named, in a long and roundabout way, after a Limp Bizkit track) consumed an awful lot of my time. Built on the suitably horrendous Geocities Pagebuilder system, it was my creative outlet prior to, and some way into, music and girls. Mostly, it revolved around the somewhat legendary Woogie tales, which - although complete tripe - will provide fond memories for the few who heard Alice do the lot out loud, from start to finish, once-upon-a-Cavan AYW team. There were even tee-shirts - still available here!

Anyway, every now and again I browse through it and get a big misty-eyed...

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i will be watching the watchmen

La la la bad review i can't hear you la la la la la... *covering ears*

Seriously though - who wants to come with? Cinematic event of the year, people...

In the meantime, check out this - Saturday Morning Watchmen, stolen shamelessly from @Wossy. Genius.

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lions and tigers... and tankers?

Saw the original of this a couple of years ago, but the newer one make me laugh until I was nearly sick. Which for me isn't much, but still.

Watch this, let that sink in, and then watch this.

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mind your language

As I await the Christmas offerings, shiny new socks in hand (or on foot), I spotted Mr Linehan had picked up on this story about Frank Skinner's current experiment, which was also mentioned on Have I Got News For You last night in passing. When it comes to swearing as a Christian, I see people falling in to one of three camps: firmly, and somewhat justifiably, completely against; only occasionally, in the secure comfort of other Christian friends when they feel they can actually be themselves; or to hell with it.

I guess most of the time I can fall in to any of these categories to be honest, but when it comes to swearing in comedy, the waters are murkier still. A recent debate with a certain oversized vidiot has surrounded this. Most of the time, I think swearing is unnecessary; but every now and again, it can be a glorious drop-in of the English language for some comedy. I have very little time, however, for those who use it to take half-assed jokes and make them appealing or funny purely by adding the edge of copious swearing - see the output of many of Channel 4's favourites.

Hence I will always point to Linehan & Co's output over the last few years. Ted, Black Books, The I.T. Crowd and even material from the likes of Big Train have repeatedly given us some of the most side-splitting comedy possible, and what's more, for the most part it has been completely inoffensive. As much as this is tribute to writers' talent, it also goes to show that each of these shows had the skill to be funny without having to fall back on shock value. Of course, on occasion a well-placed bit of cursing has resulted in fantastic humour, but a lot of the reasoning behind this is because of the unexpected nature.

[And no, Father Jack's "swearing" doesn't count here folks...]

So I'm not congratulating Graham Linehan, Frank Skinner and others so much on purely faith-based reasoning (as they would probably be relieved to hear!) but also because in "cleaning up" their acts, they've discovered that even better humour can be produced in more original and novel ways. Huzzah!

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no one likes red monsters

Ah, good times... courtesy of Quickstop Entertainment

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x factor 2008: first single to be "hallelujah"?

Having watch ITV's X Factor for the first time last week, and being suitable appalled, I couldn't resist going to the website today to find out what had happened on last night's show. Was tempted by this particular video diary, where all four remaining artists film the promo for the first single - regardless of who the winner is, the song will be the same. But what is it? About a minute in, the clapperboard reveals that it's called Hallelujah. And yes. It's the Leonard Cohen song, made famous in our time by numerous covers, I will cry. I will. I will actually die a little inside, along with taste, dignity and everyone with a brain. And of course, it will be Christmas number one by a landslide.



This story leaked in rumour form a couple of days ago, but it seems that this clip is the first real comfirmation.

[Now I know what you're thinking... first he says he likes Katy Perry (see below) and now he admits to watching X Factor... no, it really is me. It's been that kind of weekend...]

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