AZIZ ANSARI IS A STANDUP COMIC BASED IN NEW YORK CITY.
SKETCHFEST IN SAN FRANCISCO - THIS WEEK!
Though I've been stuck in the ATL airport forever, I'll soon be in sunny San Francisco for Skethfest! My solo shows are Monday and Tuesday at 8 pm at the Punchline. Tickets are only $10. CLICK HERE TO BUY!
I've been meaning to mention my newfound love for HBO's "Entourage" and I keep forgetting. A little background - a few months back I came home to find that my then favorite show "Lost" had not been recorded on my DVR. I became distraught and called Time Warner. I made up this story about how I had a friend that had tried to record "Gilmore Girls" and when it failed called Time Warner, who then gave him free HBO for for a month.
Luckily, the person I got on the phone was not only a huge "Lost" fan, but had seen the episode I missed, understood the excitement I must have had given the previous week's cliffhanger, and ultimately empathized with my plight. Long story short - I got free HBO AND Cinemax for a month.
This is when I got hooked on "Entourage." For those that don't know, the show follows the exploits of recent Hollywood breakout star Vincent Chase and his buddies from back home in Queens. The show follows them as they navigate their new, extravagant Hollywood lifestyle with the help of Vince's agent Ari Gold. I started watching Season 2 on HBO and pretty soon went to Two Boots and ripped through the Season 1 DVDs in like 3 days.
The show is fantastic for several reasons. First and foremost - Jeremy Piven. My God, this guy is AMAZING at playing pricks. He was a decent prick in "Old School," but as Ari Gold, wow, get this guy some awards already - f'n amazing. Example: At a Lakers game where Ari and co. are courtside, someone berates Ari and tells him to step off a court - "Hey look buddy, for $2000 a seat, I'll pop a 3 if I want!!" (Hopefully I didn't butcher that too bad).
Its strange, because though he is a prick of sorts, you find yourself rooting for him to succeed. The show just does a great job of making him a likeable character despite his common unlikeable behavior and attitude.
The other great part about "Entourage" are the characters of Johnny Drama and Turtle. The 2 other main characters, Vince and Eric (Vince's friend/mgr.) are both solidly developed also, but Drama and Turtle are just funnier and more interesting. Drama probably being the funniest and most adept at lending himself to great plotlines.
Drama is the older brother of star Vincent Chase. He apparently had some heat back in the day, but is struggling pretty badly now. This leads to hilarious backstories and equally hilarious present day trials and tribulations - an obsessions with calf implants, stories of shooting tequila in the Playboy mansion with Ralph Macchio, and let's not forget he's still receiving residuals from his stint on "Blue" ("Pacific Blue" - not "NYPD Blue" -- any show that references the short lived Mario Lopez vehicle "Pac Blue" is a winner in my book).
Finally, start throwing in great, well thought out cameos from the likes of Bob Saget, Ralph Macchio and more - and you can't lose.
So a few days ago, I lamented about the loss of my favorite ice-cream type shop - NYC Icy and asked the AIB community to help me out and post some suggestions for a new place to get my summer treat kicks in my Comments. Unfortunately, I got nothing and the only comments were from me... But now, its turned into a bonnafide Comments war. Check it out:
Comments
Gelato place on Orchard looks promising. I'll scout it out soon. Aziz | Homepage | 07.04.05 - 6:13 pm | #
Thanks for the suggestions folks. Keep em' coming. In the meantime, I'll be pouting my way all the way over to Cones in the West Village for their PassionFruit Sorbet and other delights. Aziz | Homepage | 07.06.05 - 4:26 pm | #
Fuck all of you. Seriously. Not even one suggestion for poor Aziz! I hope your favorite local ice cream-esque business shuts down. You will not have Aziz Ansari's shoulder to cry on, nor mine. Mike | Homepage | 07.07.05 - 1:06 pm | #
I have the biggest crush on you Aziz, let me know, I'll walk with you to Cones any day! Cute Girl | Homepage | 07.07.05 - 1:06 pm | #
Aziz, that other girl is bad news. Look, you need someone that's going to provide you with good conversation on that long walk to the West Village. Give me a call sweetheart. Cute Girl with Great Personality | Homepage | 07.07.05 - 1:09 pm | #
Is that all we are to you Aziz? Some second rate gelato stand for you get your kicks while you moan over your beloved NYC Icy? Go fuck yourself Ansari. Guy that works at Cones | Homepage | 07.07.05 - 1:11 pm | #
Hey I'm a cute girl that works at Cones. The only thing sweeter than our Mint Chocolate Chip gelato is you Aziz Ansari. Come by soon! Cute Girl that works at Cones | Homepage | 07.07.05 - 1:15 pm | #
I can't believe this Carol! Is this how I have to find out there's nothing between us? I thought we had something, and now I see you hitting on my favorite comedian in the comments section of his blog? Guy that works at Cones that thought he and Cut Girl that works at Cones had a connection | Homepage | 07.07.05 - 1:17 pm | #
Dude, Carol's a bitch, she pulls shit like this all the time. Be careful Aziz. Carol's Ex-Boyfriend | Homepage | 07.07.05 - 1:18 pm | 1:14 PM-Permalink
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Ricky Gervais working with Christopher Guest and co.?!?!
Holy shit, this would be awesome, the premise of that movie sounds really good too...
As revealed exclusively on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in the UK, Ricky Gervais' proposed appearance in the upcoming M:I3 will join his other "thanks but no thanks" appearances in Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3, the Magnum PI movie and the proposed remake of the Dudley Moore "classic" 10.
His reasons being that he thought the role was getting "too big" for him to handle (refreshing to hear that sort of honesty isn't it?) and that it was "sort of dramatic" and, following his appearance in Alias, he hates doing 'drama' as he isn't very good at it.
Instead Ricky Gervais will... get this for coolness... be taking a role alongside 'The Christopher Guest Players' in Guest's upcoming film For Your Consideration. How brilliant? The man who took the mockumentary made famous by Guest and co and ran with it to new heights of success is starring in what is said to be the master of the sub-genre's last 'mockumentary' feature.
Details of the project are said to be closely guarded but rumour has it, it will involve a documentary crew following an actor and his "entourage" from the point of completing a movie right up to his campaigning to win an Academy Award for said role, despite the fact that it wasn't a worthy performance.
He says, "Watch BET's All Access R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet"
"And I'm sitting there like, 'What the fuck?!'"
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Do NOT miss R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" - all 5 glorious chapters are being show on VH1, MTV2, and BET. You can watch the videos online at MTV.com and stuff, but R. Kelly's brief commentary is quite awesome.
As the Chicago Sun Times said:
"Yet as a radio phenomenon, "Trapped" has become a sort of serialized, contemporary equivalent of the Orson Welles drama 'War of the Worlds.'"
During the early parts of the summer, my friends and I were eagerly anticipating the reopening of NYC ICY - the beloved East Village icy spot on Avenue B and 2nd Street. As May ended and June began, I became worried. Why wasn't NYC ICY open?? The brutal truth hit me when I read an article in the New York Press when waiting for a slice of pizza - NYC ICY was closing.
For those unfamiliar, NYC ICY made these little non-lactose based icies that were just straight money. Cheap, tasty, and just the right size - NYC ICY was amazing. I lived right around the corner, so last summer I legit would get one almost everyday. Flavors would come and go to keep things fresh and exciting, and the staff was real chill too.
I'd like to use this space to honor some my favorite NYC ICY flavors - apricot ginger, pumpkin pie, apple pie, passionfruit, grapefruit, strawberry, oh man, its too hard.
What to do now? I'm surprised Gothamist didn't post a NYC ICY memorial. They'd be smart enough to find some *gasp* substitutes, if there is such a thing, but for now, I'm just a bummed out, icy-less man... Keep strong NYC, keep strong.
If anybody knows of any nearby summer treats that may be able to hold me over, by all means use the comments section... 5:07 PM-Permalink
Extras.
Out of all the things I've been looking forward to this summer - one thing tops them all. "Extras." This is the new BBC series from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the creators of the greatest thing ever - "The Office." The show is set to start airing on BBC2 (UK) on July 21st and I can't wait! The show is going to be airing on HBO at some point, hopefully around the same time.
The premise of the new show is that Ricky is a struggling extra named Andy and Stephen Merchant (aka the Oggmonster aka Nathan from "The Office") plays his agent. The show has big time Hollywood guest stars (Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, etc.) and is centered around the strange competitive life of 'extras.'
Here is a great interview with Ricky Gervais from TimeOut London. My favorite part:
GW: Were you offered a host of Hollywood roles after that?
RG: Oh, it was mental. The day after the Globes I had meetings and was offered ridiculous things. One was a remake of 'Magnum, PI' with George Clooney as Magnum and me as his butler, Higgins. I mean, words failed me. These are Hollywood films that never got made because the fat-faced bloke from Reading said no. Here's another: Me and Will Smith. It gets better… they actually wanted me to play his brother. Sometimes it's just better not to ask.
Gervais also briefly discusses the Simpsons episode he's writing...
