Chris Stout
Chris likes not having any free time. +Chris Stout Email: cstout76@gmail.com
Homepage: http://www.manjr.com
Posts by Chris Stout
Interview with Steve Dildarian – Creator of The Life & Times of Tim
If you’ve ever seen “The Life & Times of Time,” you know that the show deals with some pretty awkward situations. It’s really the source of the show’s greatness. Too often we’re all confronted with shit that’s just way too weird and way too uncomfortable. But so is life.
Awkward moments always make for good comedy. Whether you’re dealing with your buddy’s quirky behavior, stupid people at work, unwanted comments about your facial hair, or random encounters with actors or homeless people, there are plenty of situations in life where things can turn strange pretty fast.
One thing that’s super-strange is the fact that HBO decided to cancel “The Life & Times of Tim” this summer, and now the show’s looking for a new home. And it’s really a shame, cause the show’s pretty damn good. I had a chance to ask Steve Dildarian, the creator of “The Life and Times of Tim,” some questions about the show:
CS: Who’s the inspiration behind Tim? Is he a semi-autobiographical character?
SD: Tim vaugely resembles me in his hairstyle, build and wardrobe, but the similarities end there. I’ve never squeezed an old lady’s boobs at a wedding reception and I’ve never (knock on wood) been raped by a bum.
CS: Is it exhausting being the creator, writer, director, executive producer and lead voice of the show? How do you juggle all your different roles?
SD: The only exhausting part can be the recording sessions, because I’m directing the talent and also performing as an actor in 90% of the scenes. It’s a lot of fun though, so I usually don’t realize how drained I am until the end of the day, when suddenly it dawns on me that I’ve been talking non-stop since 9am.
CS: How much improvisation goes down in the voice over sessions? Do you ever mix up the script a bit with Nick Kroll?
SD: Improv is a big part of the show, but it’s more to create a general tone than anything. If you compared one of our scripts with the finished episode, all the words would be different, but the jokes would land in pretty much the same places. The structure and rhythm don’t change, just the specifics.
CS: What do you think it is about the quirky-awkwardness of the show that really resonates with people?
SD: I think what resonates is Tim’s point of view – how sometimes in life it can feel like everyone is crazy except you. The show is much more reality-based than most animation, so I think that works in our favor too. People aren’t expecting an animated show to feel quite so painfully real.
CS: The show is in syndication in a few different countries overseas. What’s been the international reaction so far?
SD: It translates very well, which I was surprised by. The show is playing everywhere from the UK to Italy, Greece, Ireland, etc. I guess the humor is relatable since it’s just a guy who has lots of problems in life. We don’t necessarily do “American” humor, or pop culture references, so that helps.
CS: Any updates on where the show will end up next? What can fans do to help the show find a new home?
SD: We’re in the middle of talks but hopefully we’ll have good news soon. For now, fans can keep going to the SAVE THE LIFE & TIMES OF TIM Facebook page, where we’ve posted lots of deleted scenes and never-before-seen short films.
If you haven’t seen this idiosyncratic cartoon-look at life’s awkward encounters yet, you need to start tuning in. If you like what you see, make sure to show your support for Steve and the show on Facebook.
Jul 27th
Hamburger Teriyaki Milkshake
Hamburger and a milkshake? Sure, why not. Teriyaki hamburger? Maybe. Hamburger Teriyaki Milshake? Get the hell outta here. That’s just wrong, son.
Image via Steve McQuaide
Jul 27th
Glenn Beck Calls Brian Urlacher a Neo-Nazi
As if we needed more evidence to support the notion that Glenn Beck is a supreme douche of the highest order, here’s a video of Beck flippantly calling Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher a neo-Nazi on his show. Nice move. Stay classy, GB.
Jul 23rd
Robot Jox Movie Trailer
For no reason whatsoever, it’s time for you to watch this amazing trailer. This film’s a classic…
Jul 22nd
Drunk Talk – Review and Interview with Lance Whinery
I recently saw the play Drunk Talk at the Dragonfly in Hollywood, and I got to say, it was pretty clever stuff. As soon as you walk in, you know you’re in for a different theater experience. The place is setup like a regular bar — McSwiggins — complete with bartenders serving drinks and what looked to be some drunks lounging on bar stools. Tables and chairs were set up facing the bar and people were just hanging out, waiting for the show to start.
As I stood at the bar, ordered some Scotch and waited for a seat, an old chatty dude in a Hawaiian shirt asked me if I knew what this thing was all about. He said he knew the bartender and he could get me hooked up. I smiled, told him I didn’t know much about what to expect and said no thank you to his drink offer.
Once everyone took their seats, the play started unfolding. The cocktail waitress at the bar continued to serve drinks throughout the show, but the bartender who served me my Scotch was actually Steve Sears, the actor who plays the Bartender and the old drunk guy was already-in-character Bruce Schroffel, who plays Earl, the old timer, loud-mouth regular drunk that you see in every bar.
As the show started, I thought this whole setup was pretty cool. Rather than being detached from the stage action, the audience felt like they were actual participants in the play. Cute girls in the front would get a surprise hand on the shoulder from Earl. Everyone was instructed to salute and drink whenever any character mentioned the word McSwiggins. At one point the cast members even passed out shots to everyone in attendance. A lively, interactive time was had by all.
The whole play was written as an outrageous, farcical comedy. Regulars at a bar lament over the fact that their beloved drinking hole is going to be shut down. Drunk talk ensues. Tobias Jelinek, who played Joe, was a total scene stealer. I also really liked the Mayor, played by Kim Estes. The entire cast pulled it all off, let everyone in on the action and made sure that everyone had a good time. You can’t really ask for more.
Jul 22nd
Review – The Edifier Luna5 iF500-Encore All-In-One Audio System
If you constantly use an iPod, iPhone or any other MP3 player, you know there are times when you wish you could quickly turn your device into a home stereo system. You’ll find a bunch of MP3 docking stations out there, but few provide the elegance and performance of the Edifier Luna5 iF500-Encore All-In-One Audio System.
I mean the thing just looks good. It’s something that you can place anywhere in your home. And it sounds awesome, too. The Luna5 Encore is a 5-driver speaker system (4 speakers, one subwoofer) that’s powered by two separate digital amps. A 30-Watt amp fuels the bass driver and a 22-Watt amp powers the mids and tweeters.
On the performance side, you really can’t ask for more out of such a compact unit. The lows come out clean, the highs and mids are clear, and the convenience factor is off the charts. You can hook up your phone or other MP3 device to this thing in seconds.
The Edifier Luna5 iF500-Encore All-In-One Audio System retails for $299. It’s not all that cheap, but you certainly get what you pay for with this system.
Jul 20th
