Elisberg Industries
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like
Decent Quality Since 1847

Documentary Now! Now

8/13/2022

0 Comments

 
Back in 2017, I posted what is considered the best "making of" documentary about a Broadway show cast album.  It was called Original Cast Album: Company, about the making of Stephen Sondheim's musical Company.  The film was directed by acclaimed documentarian D.A. Pennebaker, and what made it stand out was that it was not made as a feel-good promotional vehicle for the musical, but showed how the album was made, warts and all.  It's most famous sequence was when Elaine Stritch, wearing her sailor's cap throughout, was not able to get her showstopping number, The Ladies Who Lunch, right -- and kept getting more frustrated and upset as the clock ticked to morning.  And they finally had to send everyone home, to try and get it the next day.

If you haven't seen it, you can watch it here.  And I highly recommend that, not just because it's so good...but also it will make today's video all the better. 

There's a wonderful series on the IFC Channel, Documentary Now!, which is a parody of documentary series on PBS.  The show has a strong Saturday Night Live pedigree, being created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas. And they often get very well-known actors to take part, including Cate Blanchett (who's been in three), Owen Wilson, Michael Keaton, Jack Black, Anne Hathaway, Faye Dunaway, Kenny Loggins, Haim and more -- sometimes in a leading role, sometimes as "talking heads."  In fact, the authoritative, serious host who introduces each half-hour film is Helen Mirren.

Back in 2019, they did one of my favorites -- a parody of that Pennebaker documentary about a musical called Co-Op.  It was written by Seth Meyers and John Mulaney (which confirms my suspicion that it's been Mulaney who writes all the musical parodies whenever he guest hosts SNL.)  It's meticulous in its detail, down to an Elaine Stritch-like character wearing a little sailor-like cap throughout.  And happily, I was able to track the production down online.

The Documentary Now! film, which they properly call "Original Cast Album: Co-Op" is funny on its own, though I think it goes to another level if you watch the Pennebaker film first.

But however you choose to fly, here it is. 

0 Comments

More Bad Lip Reading:  Getting the Axe

8/4/2022

0 Comments

 
And we finish out the Bad Lip Reading 5-segment extravaganza of their interpretation of the musical Hamilton, which in their ears they call "Axe-Assassin Albertson."  And thanks to the KASCAID voice recognition technology from the future, they claim a 98.3% accuracy.  No guarantee on that pesky, remaining 1.7%, of course.

This is the finale, with some wonderfully odd dialogue to start with. and then getting to King George III (or whoever KASCAID thinks he is) later singing the malevolent number "Elven Bodyglove."  One thing you'll note is that not only have the Bad Lip Reading people come up with their own odd, funny and impeccably-crafted mis-heard words...but they've even written their own music throughout, which is what makes their effort all the more impressive.  So, don't expect the light, jaunty tune of "You'll Be Back" (which seems to come out here as 'Cuban bacon'), but something much darker.

0 Comments

More Bad Lip Reading:  Axe Segment 4

8/3/2022

0 Comments

 
There's one more video to go after today's Segment Four of Bad Lip Reading's loopy version of Hamilton, that they call "Axe-Assassin Albertson."  Today's episode, which as always is 98.3% accurate thanks to the voice recognition KASCAID software, feature the haunting ballad, "Nuts."

Strange as this all is, I am thoroughly impressed by the craft that goes into these things.

If you want to catch up with the previous videos, Segment One is here, and Segment Two is here.  And from yesterday, this is Segment Three here.
0 Comments

More Bad Lip Reading:  Axe Segment 3

8/2/2022

0 Comments

 
We return to the Bad Lip Reading folks' interpretation of the musical Hamilton, which in their ears "Alexander Hamilton" comes across as "Axe Assassin Albertson."

And their full effort is now official, as it will be five segments.  This is Part 3.  It includes their heart-rending renditions of "Peaches Man" and the lovely "Sweet Fueling."

By way of reminder, the premise here is that humanity has been destroyed, but a video of the show has been found and run through the voice analyzer KASCAID with a 98.3% accuracy.  Alas, it's that 1.7% that's so tricky...
​
If you want to catch up with the previous videos, Segment One is here, and Segment Two is here.

0 Comments

Getting Your Phil

7/29/2022

0 Comments

 
The other day, I was listening to Sirius/XM radio in my car, and came across a song I’d never heard before from a musical I was only slightly aware of, called NEWSical.
 
The show was a very long-running revue off-Broadway (I was boggled by how long) – marking over 3,000 performances, which is around nine years.  It still plays around the country, and was even settled in Las Vegas for a while.  (For all I know, it’s still there.)
 
The show lampoons news events, and as such has kept changing over the years, being updated.  And occasionally had guest stars making an appearance, among then Andrea McArdle (the original Annie), SNL’s Cheri Oteri, Emmy-winner Jackée and LaToya Jackson.  One of NEWSical’s original stars was Chistine Pedi, who’s a friend of my pal Mark Evanier – and people who read his site have likely seen him post some of her work.  The show was written by Rick Crom, and got two Drama Desk nominations in 2011, for Outstanding Revue and Outstanding Lyrics.
 
It’s the latter which is what most caught my ear.  It was a song called “Dr. Phil.”  And I thought it was extremely clever.  Helped by a very good impersonation.
0 Comments

Bad Lip Reading Returns

7/27/2022

0 Comments

 
I’ve long been a big fan of the Bad Lip Reading people.  For those who haven’t seen their work, the premise is that they supposedly are trying to lip read various kinds of video…but just do a really awful job of it.
 
They’ve generally “lip read” political debates and hearings and sports sideline footage, though occasionally delve into entertainment.  Their most recent is one of their most ambitious – it’s a truly terrible lip reading version of the Disney+ production of Hamilton. 
 
It’s about six minutes and doesn’t cover the full breadth of the musical – though they call it “Segment 1,” so even though they've never done sequels before, I feel pretty certain they’ll be posting more.

What's fun, too, is that for this they decided to create a backstory on why the video exists.  And what they came up with is a hoot, and puts the whole thing in an even more odd perspective.
 
I don’t know the lyrics of Hamilton well, most especially compared to those who can do the full show by themselves in the shower.  But it still was a lot of fun for me.  Especially when I realized that the title of their effort is the bad lip reading result of the main character’s name.
 
Curtain up.  Here then is the first segment of -- – Axe-Assassin Albertson. 

0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    Picture
    Elisberg Industries gets a commission if you click here before shopping on Amazon.
    Picture
    Follow @relisberg

    Author

    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



    Picture
           Feedspot Badge of Honor

    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Audio
    Audio Land
    Books
    Business
    Chicago
    Consumer Product
    Education
    Email Interview
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Fine Art
    Food
    From The Management
    Health
    History
    Huffery
    Humor
    Internet
    Journalism
    Law
    Los Angeles
    Media
    Morning News Round Up
    Movies
    Music
    Musical
    Personal
    Photograph
    Piano Puzzler
    Politics
    Popular Culture
    Profiles
    Quote Of The Day
    Radio
    Religion
    Restaurants
    Science
    Sports
    Technology
    Tech Tip
    Theater
    The Writers Workbench
    Tidbits
    Travel
    Tv
    Twitter
    Video
    Videology
    Well Worth Reading
    Words-o-wisdom
    Writing

    RSS Feed

© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2022
Contact Us    About EI    Chicago Cubs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like