ADULT SWIM NEWS BLOG

"Tetnis" infects the App Store to promote B$M

2012-02-11T19:15:00.001+11:00

Play the Bejewelled clone for free in promotion of the Billion Dollar Movie.

Tim and Eric B$M vs ATHF:MFFT

2012-01-31T21:29:00.001+11:00

So you've seen them both, now it's time to get some rivalry going. This is Picard vs Kirk stuff... is the Tim and Eric Billion Dollar Movie better than the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theatres?

Vote here.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Quipol&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Review of B$M coming soon.

Tim & Eric Billion Dollar Movie now live in the US iTunes Store

2012-01-27T23:21:00.002+11:00

Go grab you some hilarity, $9.99 to rent it in either SD or HD.

US iTunes / Amazon at this stage. Tim has suggested they are trying to work out a way for those in other countries (Canada, Australia, etc.) to view it.

Bob's Burgers DVD cover flips and sizzles before release

2012-01-24T09:41:00.001+11:00

I've come across some people who have no idea what Bob's Burgers are, but man, they need to get their act together. The DVD artwork has hit the nets ready for the April 17th released (my birthday, hint hint) coinciding with the Season 2 premiere in March.

Go back down the Frankenhole when season 2 airs Jan 22

2012-01-14T13:07:00.000+11:00

Dino Stamatopoulos and Scott Adsit are back with another season of Mary Shelley's Frankenhole, part Tim Burton stop motion part... Mel Brook's Dead and Loving it (wuh?), if the macabre is your bag laugh wise this should be worth your while. Dino brings his trademark style of animation and insightful humour to another round of genre-twisting tales. Rest assured if you give this show a chance you'll get hooked - there are some smart guys at the wheel.

Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 DVD review!

2012-01-06T12:39:00.000+11:00

I watched these DVDs in order, meaning the ATHF disc first then the AUPS1 disc. Some reviewers seem confused by this, saying the discs are labelled in reverse order or even claiming the ATHF disc is "bonus" but - If you're a fan you know the score. So there's a name change, and a new opening sequence, and maybe the titular Squad are going back to being detectives (maybe not, I'm not telling... Alright I'll tell). I'm more nostalgic for the early episodes than a grown man should be, but this series refresh really got me excited. I was a little disappointed when that turned out NOT to be the case, and the story lines returned to their random ways! The early, mystery story lines proved the guys put some thought in rather than rushing out scripts, I've heard their humour described as off-beat and I think if you've seen Matt and Dave's writing technique it's obvious that they prefer the stream of consciousness mode. I often imagine them pitching lines as I'm watching the show itself. Uber fan over here I guess.

The ATHF disc has a few highlights like "Hands on a Hamburger" which feels like old skool baseball and "Larry Miller Hair System", I'm as much a fan of Larry Miller (Dilbert, etc.) as I am of seeing crazy shit on Carl's head. The pivotal ep is the final ATHF titled "One Hundred", where Frylock starts seeing references to 100 everywhere and the fourth wall is demolished as Dana Snyder appears (from inside "the cup"). He confronts some execs about it being the 100th episode explaining that now the show is eligible for syndication, and after throwing out some ideas of his own and a little help from Tom Savini (every 70s horror film) the Aqua Unit Patrol Squad is born, albeit a Scooby Doo throwback.

So we have a little refresh and then BOOM - Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1. Dr Weird and Steve are back (great!) for one episode only (why? boo!) and the killer new theme song from Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) kicks in. (Check your freeze framing skills for some easter eggs.) The two parter-"Allen" opens the series in which the new look 'Squad is put through its paces, which is to say, they attempt to solve a non-existent crime before Frylock declares, "This new show isn't any good". Master Shake freezes himself for nine years (during which time he is face-humped by a space creature voiced by Steven Wright… I mean if you had to endure that, you'd want it to be voiced by Steven Wright), before returning to "Seattle" (their old home town with titles claiming it's "Seattle" in the sense that the Aqua Teen movie took place in "Egypt, Millions of Years Ago, 3PM, 1492, New York" - research yo!). Eugene Mirman makes a few appearances, first an abortion doctor then just a jack-of-all-trades, no scruples at all kinda doctor. Turns out Allen is voiced by Matt Berry (Might Boosh, Snuffbox) and his character ordered a sign that was supposed to say Alien, "but they fucked it up".

One good thing about the new look series is that Matt and Dave have committed to having George Lowe (Space Ghost, The Brak Show) appear in every episode. He does the introduction voice overs (70's cop show style) but appears as a few characters as well. Shake gets in too deep with a Creditor (Predator), Markula returns, there are Canonball Run references and "Jumpy George" where Shake and Carl compete for a woman (I'm sure everything will turn out just fine). The quality of the writing hasn't really dipped from the last few seasons, in Shake's own words, "The needs of the many… something… Star Trek".

What really counts (DVD extras)

Terror Phone III. I put extra detail into the review this time, because that's it for bonus features.

:|

Cheap Adult Swim seasons for xmas (US only)

2011-12-23T16:09:00.001+11:00

Adult Swim are promoting some cheap content to stuff your stocking and put a jingle in your bells this feastivus season. Each season is below $10, which is crazy cheap so stop your whinging for one second. (US only, lame as huh?)

The shows associated are as follows:

Robot Chicken Season 3 - $9.99
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Season 7 - $7.99
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Season 8 - $9.99
Stroker & Hoop Season 1 - $7.99
12 oz. Mouse - $7.99
The Drinky Crow Show Season 1 - $7.99
Space Ghost Coast to Coast Vol 1 - $8.99
Space Ghost Coast to Coast Vol 2 - $7.99
The Venture Bros Season 2 - $9.99
Mongo Wrestling Alliance Season 1 - $8.99

Louis CK live show now available on his website for $5

2011-12-11T16:03:00.001+11:00

Some people say to me, "you sure write a lot about non-Adult Swim related stuff, for a blog called Adult Swim News Blog," to which I normally reply "Eh".

You should go and buy Louis CK's new live special from his website for $5. This isn't related to Comedy Central or HBO or anyone. It's Louis funded the recording and trying to cover his costs and maybe make a little money by cutting down his overhead. I like to think that this sums up the DIY attitude that Adult Swim users love, being all anti-establishment and what-not. So go buy it, it's only $5 - the whole idea of this is that you aren't getting charged, you know, $40 for a freaking bluray... just go buy it and don't pirate it. DO IT!

Do it.

Superjail Season 2 on DVD on March 13 2012

2011-11-25T21:43:00.001+11:00

OMG, I know it sounds like it's a million years in the future... but in 2012 Superjail season 2 comes to DVD. Here's the cover and the most important ten words from the press release.

Infamous. Twisted. Volcano. Horrible. Timeslot. Ads. Nightly. Animation. Irrational. Cheeseburger.

Red vs Blue vol 9 (and RT shorts vol 3) on DVD

2011-11-24T20:11:00.001+11:00

It's been a long, long time I checked in with Roster Teeth to see what the team have been up to. I got an email a few days ago saying that Red vs Blue volume 9 (not a typo) was launching on DVD, and I felt like I had awoken from a long slumber in a strange new world where Dinosaurs ruled the earth, Pizza was ruled to be a vegetable and police pepper spray calm, non-violent protestors.

To further illustrate how behind the times I am they are bundling it with Rooster Teeth shorts volume 3... whatever that is. The main reason I tuned out of the Rooster Teeth carry on was that they seemed to be chasing the younger (read tween) demographic, and part of me feels there's no cred in promoting them because they were such a crossover success and the appeal of promoting an indie-underground show was lost. But, if they are your bag then have at it!

ATHF in the wild

2011-11-16T09:22:00.001+11:00

From reddit.

Moral Orel fans prayers are answered with one final special

2011-11-02T21:00:00.000+11:00

Bitch Commander (tell me one time she has been wrong?) claims on Tumblr that there was an announcement at the end of the Frankenhole (oh yeah, that show exists) marathon this weekend claiming Moral Orel would return for one final special following the series cancellation.

So, that would be good. Obviously Dino Stamatopoulos is kicking goals as Starburns and contributor on Community, but who could blame him for wanting to express his own voice? Sure Frankenhole was a complete let down, but maybe one last trip around with Orel will clarify for Dino that he wants to tell his own stories and take another swing at something new. Do I want Moral Orel to come back? Not especially, it kinda ran it's course, besides once someone pointed out how much one of the characters looked like Will Arnett the cancellation made perfect sense (has he been on a show that lasted more than two seasons? Talk about cursed).

Australia lays Robot Chicken Season 5 / Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 on DVD Nov 30

2011-10-30T12:36:00.000+11:00

What a christmas miracle, don't get your Gen Y nephew his present just yet - because I can tell you now he doesn't want that XBOX game you found in the bargin bin that no-one has ever heard of. He'll practically turn emo if you don't get him...

Sales of the Robot Chicken releases are as strong as ever and the BluRay releases seem to be where the money is, not sure why AUPS1 isn't on BluRay but these are the breaks. Lap it up parents, slam your money down on the counter this buying season and get something your kids will love you for instead of that jumper they've needed for the last three months (clothing that they need is not a present you cheap ass!).

Robot Chicken Star Wars III DVD/BluRay review!

2011-10-10T21:00:00.002+11:00

What do you say about another Robot Chicken release, another Star Wars release no less? This will be a short review but there's a lot of mileage in the extras to cover so bare with me here. After so many Star Wars parodies it seems that the essential scenes, the classic moments from the original trilogy that everybody over 25 has etched forever in their psyche, have previously been doused in tabasco and shucked, leaving mostly the new trilogy to be picked over for this collection. It would seem intentional, but you wonder how desperate they were to fill the episode when they spend 30 seconds on a MacGuyver-style action sequence foregrounding the obscure character Prune Face (his actual name). There's humour here for the Robot Chicken-tragics who wouldn't know a hydrospanner if it hit them in the butt, but it's really one for the true Star Wars fans old and new for whom the fact that it's Seth Green and Matt Senreich is simply a coincidence.

They make jokes about Star Wars, like they always do. And then it goes for a while and then it stops.

Great, more bathroom humour.

So what's the point? Why buy it, we've seen enough Robot Chicken and Star Wars that the thought of another release almost provokes a yawn, like an actual yawn. I'll say this. The RC Star Wars releases have built, slowly and carefully, a little mini-world in which some continuity exists - it's not all, "hey, what if we gave Admiral Akbar a cereal!" If you can't tell, I'm talking about the recurring original character Gary the Stormtrooper. This special begins with a montage of events focusing on the Emperor and Darth Vader and the usual suspects. Then we see a Stormtrooper lying in bed, the camera pans out as he loudly farts as if to announce, "You are watching Robot Chicken Star Wars, bitch!" Fans of the earlier specials will remember Gary, new fans will take some acclimatising but if you hang in there it's worth it. Gary himself could easily have his own sitcom. So, you may think you've seen it all - but, there's that.

Then, and this is the real hidden secret gem of the RC Star Wars specials, there's Breckin Meyer as Boba Fett. Now, I know you've seen him cry at the end of annoying chick-flicks and bouncing around parties in teen comedies, but I'm going to make a bold claim. Beckin Meyer's Boba Fett is one of the best vocal performances in modern animation. I say this knowing full well that it's controversial and intend to back it up with argument. Boba Fett, since the release of the original trilogy, has become something even greater than the movies themselves, a legend unto himself. Not only does Meyer fill these shoes, but contributes so much more creating the most charismatic anti-hero since Hannibal Lecter. The writing, performance and model articulation of Boba Fett alone create something truly special and make this worth checking out (and on BluRay you damn cheap ass, who buys DVDs anymore? They are basically obsolete!). Add to this the vocal skills of no lesser persons that Billy Dee Williams, Zac Efron, Danny Glover and Seth MacFarlane and you have yourself a good time.

Even a still frame is pretty animated.

What really counts (DVD/BluRay extras)

So the release is mostly bonus features, the whole thing took me almost a whole day to watch - not bad for a one hour show. I'll start with a few negatives, the first feature is called "Chicken Nuggets" and basically after watching the episode you watch it again and when an image of a chicken appears you hit a button and someone appears to say something about what's happening. I love commentary tracks but making me do all the work is just not cricket. Chicken Nuggets... more like... chicken... dumbgetts. There's a heap of featurettes broken up in to mini episodes for no reason, they could (and should!) have been merged into one decent mini-doco, I mean who is going to pop in this disc and say "I really just wanna see the bit where the crew talk about the Star Wars toys they had as kids!"

"I find your lack of balance disturbing."

Worthy of a seperate feature is the Robot Chicken Skate Tour that saw the cast cross the country holding free skate parties to promote their DVD release. It's not so much "behind the scenes" as hanging out with some cool cats on a road trip. There's a treasure trove of "deleted scenes and animatics" but IT'S A TRAP! This is just a trick to get you to watch animatics, the kidney stone of DVD extra features. There's four commentaries, three of which are worth listening to but I'll let you work out which ones for yourself. The animation reference videos are fun, watching Seth act out the parts with no context is always great fun, but this one lacks the variety of the usual RC seasons. The clips from the Star Wars Celebration vs Robot Chicken panel gives us the announcement of an upcoming Star Wars animation show (I know no details of this, but will investigate). There's a gag reel (isn't that the whole show?) that features simply funny stuff that happened while a camera was running. Finally there's a boardroom meeting between George Lucas and the Robot Chicken guys (and Jackson Publick from Venture Bros for some reason) which is kinda cute and makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside - these guys do the job they love and got to meet their idol as a result yet it's almost impossible to hate them for it.

Carl IRL, dude shaves his head for Halloween costume

2011-10-06T17:45:00.000+11:00

From reddit.

More details on US release of Snuff Box before October 11 release!

2011-10-02T15:46:00.001+11:00

I was interested to see a US release of Snuff Box on DVD, not just the usual re-release but some kind of special edition. Firstly, the title was being released by Severin Films, not normally known for releasing British independent comedies, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Snuff Box is, dare I say it, a hipster "brand" where only the most dialled in and up-to-date viewers are inside on the info.

There is obviously an audience for this show but to sure up some interest the new DVD release has a mini documentary featuring fans of the show (aka Paul Rudd, Simon Pegg and Noel Fielding) so hopefully it follows other shows like Spaced and Darkplace who have enjoyed a cult following across the pond. Following this weekends appearances at Amoeba Records for a signing and a screening of a few episodes at the UCB theatre in LA, and Cinefamily (with live panel) - the interest should be piqued. Now is the time to tell your friends, order Whiskey!, and generally snuff it up while you can.

Assy McGee DVD review (yeah, I know right?)

2011-09-25T16:15:00.001+10:00

He may sound like a stripper but he's actually a bad ass. Like, literally. I never thought the day would come, but I am sitting here writing a DVD review for the Adult Swim show Assy McGee. Jokes aside, this is a landmark release from Madman entertainment, it's the world premiere DVD release - you can't get this on DVD anywhere else in the world, even if you wanted to! Go Australia. Assy McGee follows a walking, talking ass (think Ace Ventura bent over asking for a mint... but for two seasons). He's rough as all get-out, he's trigger happy and he probably smells like Charlie Sheen's sheets - but damn it, he gets results. These days shows about law enforcement focus on the forensic teams and the synergy between the street forces and the law enforcers, but back in the day TV was about kick ass detectives who shot first and asked questions later, when something stinks on the streets... that's where you'll find Assy McGee. But don't be fooled by his tough exterior, he has a sensitive side too, "I've seen Cats nine times," he tells his partner. "Why, didn't you get it?"

Like the similarly fated (aka canned) Minoriteam, Assy McGee is animated using Flash which gives the show a flat, two-dimensional look which I guess matches the writing. Assy is certainly not considered a fan favourite, so when it came time for me to sit down with the series I wasn't completely across the oeuvre. I'd seen a few episodes and dismissed the show as a one-trick pony and I think this is a common misconception that this DVD release sets about correcting. If the only existing material were four episodes it would be easy to ignore the show altogether, when you realise current "it" man Jon Benjamin was involved you have a closer look. There are jokes here, mostly toilet in origin but some go beyond. "I don't want you to worry about your dog," Assy tells his partner as he recovers in a hospital ward, "I had him euthanised." It's as good as anything you'll see on Squidbilles or Metalocalypse (and surprisingly I enjoyed this more than those tired old pieces of driftwood). Assy is a show where you have to know what you are getting in to and just dive in head-first. Embrace the obscurity, empower your incomplete Adult Swim DVD collection by adding this and improving your street cred (are you listening Robot Chicken fans? There are other Adult Swim shows you know!). Enjoy it, it's a talking ass riding around on a razor scooter and shooting just about everybody for heavens sake, what's not to like! When you see him chloroformed in the 2nd episode it will sort the fanboys from the fanmen (and fanladies) - I'm sure you can summon the visual.

Assy and partner. I can't remember his name, he's not the focal point.

Dana Snyder remarked on his Snydecast show that he was surprised Assy McGee wasn't more popular, "That's like one of the funniest voices I've ever heard in animation!" And he's right, it's a unique vocal creation, sort of like a hungover Robert Evans with a sinus infection. His inaudibility is a running gag that you eventually get comfortable with. Besides the being-a-walking-ass hook there's a lot of action; the Archbishop is a drug dealer, mexicans are being smuggled in pinatas, assassination attempts, bus robberies, spelling bees, almost every character is shot to pieces (including more than a few police officers) by Assy. The show mainly plays it straight with textbook, hard boiled plotlines. "The Chief told me to do this by the book, trouble is I'm illiterate!" Think of it as Dirty Harry meets.... I don't even know what, something with a lot of butt action, the Kardashians maybe (swish). There is a place for toilet humour and perhaps it's a coincidence that it's released in Australia first, as I am reminded of a quote by the 12th man himself, Billy Birmingham, who said "there's nothing wrong with fart jokes, it's just all about the timing." The writers on Assy McGee sure had a hell of a lot of timing. I am a purist, and I've been reviewing DVDs for a while now, I sat through every minute of the DVD and I gotta say I'm glad I did, there are funny moments and while I get that's not a particularly strong show, I think if you give it a chance you'll enjoy yourself.

Yep, it's ridiculous.

What really counts (DVD extras)

This is where the release REALLY lets itself down. There are no extras, at least not Assy related ones. We get a few trailers for other Adult Swim DVDs and that's it. Cry.

Tommy Wisseau's new Tommy Wi-Show

2011-09-17T11:46:00.000+10:00

So, I'm completely obsessed with Tommy Wisseau and his movie The Room. I've seen it dozens of times, I've played the fan made video game, I can quote most of it in my sleep. It's my generations Plan 9 From Outer Space. It's famous for being the worst movie ever made (you hear that, Troll 2? This makes you look like No Country For Old Men). I nearly jumped out of my skin when I my friend showed me a link for a new web series called "The Tommy Wi-Show" which you'll be able to enjoy(?) starting Saturday September 26.

I was so excited the first few times of watching it that I didn't even realise it was a video game review show, but that doesn't fucking matter. It's Tommy Fucking Wisseau. Makes sense though considering it's airing through Machinima.com (previously known as a web network for game based videos, think Red vs Blue). I somehow feel that even if between now and the premiere all electricity in the world runs out and the internet is wiped from the face of existence I'll still find some way of watching this show. I like Tommy Wisseau already.

Futurama fans on YouTube are doing it right

2011-09-12T09:14:00.004+10:00

Great work here.

From reddit.

Adult Swim announced Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All show called Loiter Squad

2011-09-11T19:31:00.001+10:00

I've been reading for the last few days that Adult Swim has signed a new show with a ridiculous title that makes no sense. They appear to be a rap/prank/video/tumblr sensation. I think this is one of those insider things that I'm not allowed to know about.

However, as is my charge, I present to you the news that Adult Swim has picked up a show by Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All called Loiter Squad. Now if someone could explain what the fuck that is, that would be great.

Life and Times of Tim Season 2 DVD coming Jan 10? (Make that Dec 13)

2011-09-09T11:03:00.000+10:00

TVshowsonDVD is saying the second season of Life and Times of Tim will be out ~~January 10~~ (now changed to December 13 - see below), too late for a last minute Christmas present but right in time for you to exchange it for the "Baseballs Greatest Bloopers" DVD that your Grandmother got you. Oh Grandma, you so silly.

This is on the back of news that the series would be resurrected for a third season, and so it should.

UPDATE - HBO has issued a new "official" release date of December 13, so you will have time to grab it for stocking stuffing purposes. Thanks for screwing up my Grandma joke!

Johnny Quest opening titles as stop motion animation

2011-09-05T10:38:00.001+10:00

Should look familiar to Harvey Birdman fans...

mc chris drops new version of I WANT CANDY!!!

2011-08-31T16:35:00.000+10:00

mc chris has released a remix of "I want Candy" (first appeared in the "mc pee pants" ep of ATHF).

Enjoy. This is one that gets in your head and lingers all afternoon. I want candy, bumblegum and taf-DAMNIT!

Life and Times of Tim resurrected for a third season!

2011-08-27T14:07:00.003+10:00

Great news that Life and Times of Tim is coming back with a third season to make you laugh/cringe depending on which you are inclined towards (both if you can manage it). Word was the show was dead and all but buried by HBO, but interest from Comedy Central and FX saw the network renew the series.

Show creator Steve Dildarian said December 5 had been pencilled in for the premier, along with Chris Lillie's Angry Boys for a winter season. I've never been a big fan of Lillie's shows, despite being a fellow Aussie, but if it somehow helps the ratings of Tim then all the better.

New Don Hertzfelt movie shaping up

2011-08-27T11:34:00.001+10:00

So there's not a lot of news around, but Don Hertfeldt has sent out a message saying his new film is coming together, called It's such a beautiful day. This will be the third in the Everything will be ok trilogy.

You can check out some art and details at the bitter films.

Aqua Teen fan art circa 2005

2011-08-23T17:51:00.000+10:00

Great work.

Venture Bros S4 vol 2 DVD review!

2011-08-14T13:37:00.007+10:00

(This review is of the Australian release.)

I know I'm going to enjoy a show when there's a reference to David Byrne's large suit from Stop Making Sense in the first minute. After discussing the side affects of wiping Dean and Hank's minds so often, Brock asks them what colour his tongue is, "Wednesday? Like a light Wednesday." We're in capable hands here. The decision to split the VBS4 in two was at first a little worrying, production schedules seemed to be at fault - but fans were assured we'd be getting 16 episodes rather than 13, and they'd be great... we'd just have to wait a little longer for them. Here is the second part of this season and obviously it's not a great jumping off point for curious on-lookers, but a treasure trove for loyal fanboys/girls/non-gender-specifisticates. And it delivers...

Venture Bros is still the one Adult Swim show I would recommend to watchers of "ordinary" animation shows if they want a taste of what Adult Swim is like, but it remains a distortion of normal action/adventure series. You are quickly reminded that Doc and Jackson do things a little differently with their show, for example, they always seem to roll credits just before the decent of the action peak. Just as the audience feels the inevitable, predictable conclusion is about to land in their laps, the loud credit sequence slaps them in the face before the characters return after the credits to "put a bird on it!" (I'm trying to get this phrase more widely accepted). These abrupt endings somehow make marathon viewings of the show more satisfying, unlike most other shows, I always wait until DVD review time to watch VB in one continuous session. Characters foreshadowed in previous seasons like Monstroso and Captain Sunshine finally make appearances, indeed this is the "season" where heroes and villains are deconstructed and despite the fact that the show often returns to it's action origins for the beginning and end of the seasons we are left in doubt that these characters will obey the constructs of their types - Heroes become Villains, Villains become heroes and occasionally both join forces. With sexy results.

New (hopeful) cosplay contender, Dr. Girlfriend's cheerleader outfit.

The splitting of the season in two would appear prima facie as insurmountably disruptive. In reality it's the catalyst for some of the high points of the season, namely the Hank/Dean two episode arc and the two-part season finale - both of which I'm guessing were attempts to pad the season out a bit. Firstly we get the intriguing structural intertwining of "Everybody Comes to Hank's" a hard boiled episode in which Hank deputises himself and investigates the origins of Dermott (now a "sometimes" Venture Bro?) and "Bright Lights, Dean City" in which Dean goes to New York to intern with Professor Impossible who is in the process of rebooting his character. In New York, Dean lives in the smallest, dirtiest, noisiest possible apartment - being a Venture Bros fan I immediately identified it as Doc Hammer's abode (which he later confirmed in a commentary. Of-course, in the Big Apple Dr. Venture writes a musical and even teaches Dean a few tricks from his college days ("No Moleste!" surely a reference to Tig Notaro). The two episodes cover the same period of time and begin and end at the same place in time. Rather than reducing the episodes into one and cutting back and forth between them, the ideas are given room to breathe and flourish as they are both "A story" worthy.

Pretty sure the hallway was wider than the apartment.

The finale this year was particularly satisfying. You get a prom, hookers, a Brock vs Cocktease face-off and an argument about what the sex-act dubbed the "Rusty Venture" constitutes with plenty of NSFW musings on offer. This is the first time we get Bill Hader behind the mic as Professor Impossible (and various other characters), I'm a massive fan but with the likes of James Urbaniak, Patrick Warburton, Doc and Jackson and Dana Snyder the bench is already pretty stacked. The writing was a little less pop-culture heavy this year (no appearance of Klaus Nomi, cry) but ever-present is the spectre of David Bowie, for example the appearance of the threatening "Diamond Dogs".

What really counts (DVD extra features)

For whatever reason commentary tracks are going out of fashion. Most DVDs these days only have commentaries on a handful of episodes, which I think is a shame. Commentaries have become an after-thought, another listed "extra feature" just to make it look like a wise investment. I'm pleased to see that all episodes on this release get a commentary, and frankly, it's what makes the DVD worth buying. The Venture Bros universe is so dense and watching it "with" Jackson and Doc is a most rewarding experience - there are no bigger fans of the show than the creators themselves. They wax lyrical on whether shrinking down their characters Fantastic Voyage style is acceptable this late in to the show's life, and point out that two innocent bystanders are substitutes for Adult Swim executives Mike Lazzo and Keith Crawford (who are then killed by two Jackson and Doc stand-ins, without any passive aggressive undertone we are assured). They also shout out the Venture Bros blogs, fan-sites and podcasts which is a generous and sincere recognition of their devotion.

Beyond this the bonus features offer alternative line readings of the pivotal line "So, this is Captain Sunshine?" which is just a little nugget for uber-fans, but the series of improvised idents created to promote the series finale is worth a watch. For these reviews I often think back on the season and try to identify which images struck me and remain with me. I'm afraid this particular job applicant will haunt my nightmares for some time...

Sweet dreams are made of this.

Snuff Box US DVD details (coming October 11)

2011-08-11T12:19:00.007+10:00

We're big fans of Snuff Box, the brainchild (what a weird expression) of Rich Fulcher and Matt Berry, you'd recognise them from The Mighty Boosh and various other comedic endeavors. It was a short lived sketch comedy series that aired in 2006 and now, five years later, it's getting a release in the US. We saw this happen with Spaced when Simon Pegg and co had suddenly become big stars, unfortunately for them the UK DVD release with its Star Wars parody cover wasn't so topical any more - but thanks to some photoshopping no-one was any the wiser.

Anywho, the show centres around two gentlemen who occupy their time in a gentlmen's club and work as hangmen - with Berry playing the swathe, sophisticate and Fulcher the bumbling but admiring sidekick. It has an old fashioned vibe - they drink whiskey, they chase ladies and take no shit - the humour is pretty dry but if you're a fan of shows like Darkplace you'll be in familiar territory here. Snuff Box was released with a special edition DVD and CD packaging two years ago (music plays a big part in the show and is a passion of Berry's), and is now getting another make-over for the US with a documentary feature included where Rich and Matt revisit locations from the series, and various celebrities (i.e. Paul Rudd, Janeane Garofalo, Bill Hader Simon Pegg and Weird Al Yankovic) are interviewed professing their undying love for the show. Wierdly, the DVD is being released by Severin Films (known for horror and exploitation releases) despite there being no mention of the release on their website, however the expected release date of October 11 remains "expected".

Venture Bros costume competition winners video profile

2011-08-06T19:41:00.003+10:00

Speaking of Adult Swim in real life, check out the video of these die hard Venture Bros. fans. Check out their Cosplay For a Cause calendar which raises money for victims in Japan.

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch please... have my babies.

Taking the temperature of NTSF:SD:SUV:: (First impressions)

2011-08-05T11:09:00.011+10:00

Some have called it the spiritual successor to Childrens' Hospital, partly because it began as a fake commercial that aired within the pilot for CH and partly because they share a love of unusual punctuation (note the two colons that follow the show's already cumbersome title). Machette seemed like such a good idea but Hobo with a Shotgun felt more like an obligation, both from fake trailers featured in the Grindhouse release, maybe NSTF:SD:SUV:: too is another "should we do it? maybe, maybe we can make it work? nah, ohhh, yeah maybe!" MIA is Rob Riggle who appeared in the initial teaser but is nowhere to be seen. Seriously, where is he?

So let's look at what we do have, there's show creator Paul Scheer (Human Giant, The League) and who I just learnt is his wife June Dianne Raphael (they co-star on the podcast How Did This Get Made). Some critics have pointed out that the scene is maybe a bit incestuous, especially with these two - they are in this show, they are on the same podcast which also stars Brian Mantzoukis who also (sometimes) appears on The League.... you get the idea. I don't really mind this too much, if anything it heightens my anticipation. I mean, who hasn't Googled someone like, i dunno, Danny McBride and decided "I wanna see everything that dude has done!" This just makes it even easier to unlock the uber-fan achievement. But seriously, Riggle, where is he? As well as Scheer and Raphael we get Martin Starr (Freaks and Geeks, Party Down) who seems to have really hit his stride in the last couple of years, and Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager... yeah, I know). There's also Brandon Johnson (seemingly unknown), Rebecca Romijn (formerly of the Stamos clan) - who sex up the cast a bit.

Then there's the story. The actual show is your run of the mill piss-take on NCIS and shows the action/investigation vein. In the first ep Scheer delays dropping a one-liner in the opening passage while looking for his sunglasses, Caruso-style. The tempo is set very early, and if you're onboard for the ride you're going to enjoy yourself. There's quick cuts between people in different locations (so quick the guy putting the location idents on the screen can't really keep up) and the usual "pre-season relationship tensions" that later surface, apparently everyone was married to Kate Mulgrew's character at some point. We haven't even mentioned the pre-cog team member who can see in to the future Minority Report style. This is super fun, and as others have pointed out it's very much in the include-as-many-jokes-as-you-can formula that makes Childrens' Hospital so successful. The rivalry between the SUV:: crew and the FDA is cranked up in the pilot, giving them an A-Team style rogueishness and provides the catalyst for future encounters. We're only a few episodes in and I think shows like this need a season to prove themselves (just as Childrens' Hospital needed a full season as a web-series before people really got it), and I'd have to say that anyone who jumps off the wagon at this stage is probably a bit premature. (In more ways than one, ammirite? Yeah, that's SUV:: humour at its finest.)

UPDATE: We're hearing from an official source that Riggle is in a bunch of episodes but couldn't be in all of them. BOO-YAH!

mc chris selling ATHF IS THE BOMB t-shirt to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis

2011-08-05T08:59:00.003+10:00

mc chris (lower case, no dots) has been raising money for Cystic Fibrosis for a long time now... like years. The latest offering is an ATHF IS THE BOMB t-shirt from the infamous 1.31.07 incident, I myself still have one of these bootleg t-shirts that popped up on the net around that time.

You can (and should!) hit up the ebay auction here, it's currently a steal at $100 and it's bound to go up from there, so get in quick! (There's also a Calvin and Hobbes t-shirt, if that's your thang.)

The League S2 DVD/BluRay on October 4!

2011-08-04T11:29:00.002+10:00

Great news! Thanks, TVshowsonDVD.

Eastbound and Down S2 IS FUCKING OUT (on DVD and BluRay)

2011-08-02T11:09:00.000+10:00

Kenny Fucking Powers heads to Me-hi-co to find himself in S2 of what will become the Trilogy. There's 255 minutes of Lulz here to enjoy, including deleted scenes and commentaries. This season didn't set off as many fireworks for me as the first one did, but think of it as the Empire Strikes Back of the series.

Aqua Unit Patrol Squad titles...

2011-08-02T10:26:00.002+10:00

Had you noticed these guys before? I sure hadn't...

A peek into the Black Dynamite Comicon session

2011-07-30T16:05:00.000+10:00

Mr C on the Planet Chocko zine site has summed up the session for the upcoming Black Dynamite series, there's a few videos from the session posted as well! Read it on up right here.

Ron Swanson cut out and dress up kit!

2011-07-29T10:38:00.001+10:00

Ron. Fucking. Swanson. Well played internet. Check out the source here.

Childrens' Hospital, great ad placement

2011-07-26T13:26:00.001+10:00

From reddit.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia crew sing Day Man live at Comicon!

2011-07-26T10:38:00.000+10:00

The best thing that you'll see today.

Shocker Toys get what's coming to them

2011-07-23T22:20:00.001+10:00

There are a million stories that come out of Comicon, I really like this one. Someone apparently gate-crashed the Shocker Toys session to serve representative Geoff Beckett with legal papers demanding unpaid dues for designing toys for them. BOOM! Adult Swim favorite mc chris posted the story to his Facebook fan page with the comment "these guys fucked me over when I tried to make some cool stuff for you guys," suggesting the same thing had happened to a number of other people and called the story the "best news of con".

I've had a personal dislike for Shocker Toys going back a few years to the launch of what I thought were disappointing Metalocalypse figures. I got an email from someone referring to themselves only as "Shocker Toys Staff" who threatened to report my post back to Adult Swim, and informed me I really needed to "talk to the source before talking crap!" I sent a response email saying I wasn't affiliated with Adult Swim and that it said so right on the blog (which it still does) and that I was just calling it like I saw it, and that next time they threatened me I would go public with the correspondence I had received. I got one more response suggesting only that I shouldn't make comments based on promotional images (which they distributed) but should judge the finished product (which they never sent me), this time the email came with a lengthy spiel that the correspondence was intended for the addressed individual only and that I was not permitted to copy or reproduce it. Obviously a classy operation, I can and will continue to comment on whatever the hell I see fit. I've also been consistently spammed by Shocker since the incident but haven't promoted anything they have released.

Boxy Brown, Dewey and Vanessa IRL

2011-07-22T10:56:00.003+10:00

This was posted to reddit today. I'm happy to repost here as a continuation of the Adult Swim in real life series that I've just made up.

UPDATE: Readers have submitted a Zombie Carl head. Great, great work guys. Check out their post HERE for more pics.

Lucy, daughter of the Devil DVD review!

2011-07-18T16:47:00.005+10:00

So, it's been a while since Lucy, daughter of the devil aired and with the recent DVD release it's just possible that it will snag a few new fans. The original pilot first aired in 2005 (can you remember back that far? Phones still sucked) and in '07 the one and only series aired. In the opening scene, the Devil (Jon Benjamin) attempts to impregnate an anonymous woman and seemingly has trouble maintaining his "composure". Creator Loren Bouchard says this sums up the shows' conceit perfectly. 21 years later and having graduated from art school the Devil's daughter, the titular Lucy (Jessie Klein in the pilot, Melissa Galsky for the series), is being groomed by her father to take up her rightful place as the Antichrist. Attempting to hunt her down is a special clergy made up of Sister Mary (Eugene Mirman) and Fathers Cantalupi and Benetti, who are a sort of pastoral assassin team, a nod to a similar team of killers in The Final Conflict. The only threat to the Devil's plan for domination is the supposed 2nd coming, and Lucy's love interest DJ Jesus (Jon Glaser), a musical messiah known for his nearicles (near miracles) and escape artist abilities.

References to pop culture like the quip, "Get behind me, Satan" acknowledging the seminal White Stripes album reward the observant fans. It'll be interesting to see if hipsters take to "Lucy", things like having an alternate theme song each episode are like, totally fresh Brah. The show attempts to fit in to the Adult Swim look and feel by slotting in pictures of Coach McGurk and snippets of Tom Goes to the Mayor in the background. Bouchard admits to a blossoming infatuation with the ukelele which features prominently here and will later arrive full force in the theme of the creator's smash hit Bob's Burgers.

"Lucy" revolves around two main storylines, the special clergy chasing down Lucy and her on again off again relationship with DJ Jesus. The Devil, despite wishing an end to the messiah, will often stall Jesus's demise for his own ends like securing a location fee and small acting role in Jesus's film project. This attitude typifies Bouchard's Devil character - he owns a TexMex, after-work-drinks establishment and a dildo factory. He even pushes extended warranty when selling electronics for heaven's sake! And forget everything you've heard about vampires in the movies... Sure they are still killed with stakes and are harmed by sunlight, but did you know they are afraid of balloons? The closest to any kind of persisting arc we get (which comes a bit too late in the season to be honest) is the recruitment of the Devil by Senator Whitehead to assist in his Presidential campaign. You can probably guess how that all plays out.

Bouchard admits that "Lucy", like all his creations, is character based despite all appearances. Having set up a Heaven vs. Hell conflict with the highest possible stakes, the characters are often distracted by their own self interests and inconsequential issues like the unlikely presence of cinnamon in their hot chocolate (these scenes often aided by a healthy dose of improvisation). Grounding the Devil in reality is his variety of Cosby sweaters, meanwhile the other worldly setting allows for plenty of cinematic references including Goodfellas, Mulholland Drive, The Royal Tanenbaums, The Omen, The Matrix and an Elm St homage (complete with Krueger sweater). In hindsight, the loving relationship between Lucy and her father probably alienated too many viewers who hastily dismissed the show and should give "Lucy" another look.

What really counts (DVD extra features)

The commentaries (four episodes) are worthwhile and expose Bouchard's slightly reserved persona, explaining his tendency for characters studies over base comedies. They, like the production of the show, are fun and rough - "Are we recording?" For your enjoyment are some "sing-a-long" segments providing lyrics and guitar chords for some songs from the show. Interviews with Jon Benjamin and Eugene Mirman are fun but provide few insights, Benjamin in particular warns that playing the DVD forward at normal speed unveiled some Satanic references (gasp!).

Adult Swim UK runs Tim and Eric competition

2011-07-18T08:58:00.000+10:00

Are you heading to the Tim and Eric tour through the UK? Thinking about it? YOU SHOULD! Here's a little bit of incentive for all AS fans across the pond. Enter to get yourself one of five double passes to the Friday 29th July show at the Electric Ballroom. Enter here!

Robot Chicken S5 DVD and BluRay October 25... before it airs on TV

2011-07-13T11:42:00.002+10:00

Adult Swim is cooking up a fresh batch of 'Chicken and it's coming your way on shiny plastic discs this October, the most interesting factoid is that this will mean you can see the second half of the season before it airs.

Of-course the first ten episodes aired earlier this year between January and March, leaving us to wonder... will people still tune in if they have the DVD? Or will AS make more money by releasing the DVD and trying to stay ahead of piracy game.

Comic Con schedule, you checked it yet?

2011-07-11T18:32:00.000+10:00

Have you checked the Comic Con schedule yet? You might wanna do that.

As usual it's all about friday for the Adult Swim tragics, but there's enough on the other days to make it worthwhile. Here's what I can see just from skimming it:

Thursday

2:00 - 3:00 Bill Plympton

4:00 - 5:00 Archer

5:00 - 6:00 Beavis and Butthead (Judge is back baby!)

6:15 - 7:30 Wilfred

7:00 - 8:00 Penn and Teller Tell a Lie

Friday

11:15 - 12:15 The Walking Dead (Season 2 is coming...)

11:45 - 12:30 The Venture Bros

12:45 - 1:15 Adult Swim: Pilots/New Shows/Additional Sundry-Topics (with Mike Lazzo and Keith Crofford)

1:30 - 2:30 Childrens' Hospital (Lake Bell will be there, nice)

2:30 - 3:15 Black Dynamite

3:00 - 4:00 Bob's Burgers

3:30 - 4:15 Robot Chicken

4:00 - 5:00 Ugly Americans

4:30 - 5:00 Eagleheart

Saturday

12:15 - 1:00 Futurama

1:00 - 2:00 Community

2:00 - 2:35 Family Guy

2:35 - 3:15 American Dad

5:45 - 7:30 An Early Evening with Kevin Smith (because who knows, he might have another melt down and rant about how shit the industry is)

7:45 - 8:45 Mythbusters

9:30 - 10:30 FX Pilot Sneak Peak Screening

Sunday

2:45 - 3:30 It's always Sunny in Philadelphia

NBC to premiere Parks and Rec and Community on September 22

2011-07-07T13:21:00.000+10:00

Set your..... calendars. Going to be a great night.

Sorry, was trying to Google a pic with multiple show cast members in it and got as far as "Alison Brie and Amy Peohler" and got.... erm, distracted. New show called The Playboy Club starts as well. Awwww yeahhhh.

Nick Kroll announces sketch comedy show for 2012 on Comedy Central

2011-07-01T15:49:00.001+10:00

Nick Kroll (The League, Human Giant, probably other stuff) has announced via Twitter that Comedy Central have green lit a sketch comedy show based on his characters to be produced and aired in 2012. I guess we'll get more details later on in the year, but it would seem the recent special he did was the network testing the waters for a future production.

I kinda thought the special was a little slow, maybe I just love Nick too much - you can't blame me for that. I'd like to see some new characters and more of an ensemble supporting him, but i'm sure the network has thought of this (I don't get paid the big bucks to have their ideas for them). So, looks like 2012 will be the year of the Kroll... doesn't sound all cool as it did in my head.

Will there be a Party Down movie?

2011-06-29T10:36:00.001+10:00

Wow! I had heard there was a Party Down reunion/marathon last week, but I didn't hear until now whispers of a movie comeback. Word is flying around today about the "almost" done deal that would begin shooting in the tv season hiatus of 2012.

With Adam Scott now starring in Parks and Recreation, Ken Marino still... you know... everywhere and Jane Lynch having won awards for her role on Glee the show has certainly gone from obscure but talented ensemble to having big star appeal. I know it was cancelled for poor ratings, but on a small cable channel can you blame it? It'll do better this time, I swear - can we please make this happen?

Potlandia land(ia)s on DVD on December 8

2011-06-29T10:11:00.001+10:00

Hipsters rejoice. Portlandia season 1 has been announced for release on DVD and BluRay (what, no laserdisc?) in December this year. There's still no announcement about a season 2, but with the DVD release planned I would expect to hear if not actually see something later this year.

Portlandia seemed to be a big hit, although I could never work out if it was a show for hipsters or making fun of hipsters. "Put a bird on it!" certainly went viral, leaving most people saying either they did that or knew someone who did that. It is pure cross over entertainment, mostly because it is not generally speaking cruel to it's characters - it accepts them for who they are.

Wilfred US ratings smash

2011-06-27T09:41:00.002+10:00

We watched the pilot for the series Wilfred with some mixed feelings. Would the US translation leave a bitter taste in our mouths (Kath and Kim for example was a favourite on home shores, but not abroad it would seem), or would the success of Chris Lilley and his "multi character" comedies like Summer Heights High pave the way for more Australian success abroad. Despite Wilfred never really gathering that much heat here on SBS, the premiere of the US series reboot caught our attention - for the most part the appeal was a "new" comedy series that we already knew... while maintaining it's Aussie creator and star, Jason Gann.

For this reason it is a great relief to hear that Wilfred is a smash hit in the ratings, posting "the highest rating ever for a comedy series premiere on the FX network." That's quite a feat for a network with a lot of cherished comedies like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Archer, Louie and The League. The buzz around Wilfred has been noticeable, in the US arena of TV comedies the curiosity is always based around will it smash or bomb (there isn't usually a middle-ground, although DVD sales are now creating a strange "floating" affect for shows that are struggling but still making money). So while the reviews and ratings are good at first, we'll have to see what the rest of the series brings. It may be too early to tell but it certainly appears that Wilfred is a dog who will have his day in the sun after all.

mc chris recording "something secret" for adult swim, new mc Chris cartoon?

2011-06-25T11:49:00.001+10:00

mc chris (lower case, no dots) has revealed on Facebook that he has just gone in to record something for adult swim. Despite many requests for more information he hasn't revealed anything further, leaving us to speculate. Is mc pee pants coming back to Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1? (Or is Hesh returning to Sealab? Lol) Or maybe even...

He's raised a metric buttload of support for his vision of an mc chris cartoon and adult swim would obviously be a tight fit. It's worth noting that his previous Facebook posts were mc chris cartoon related with enthusiastic comments like "the best thing about my cartoon is we are all making it together" and "I love my cartoon backers". Hmmmm.

Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 (ATHF) announced for DVD in October!

2011-06-18T18:36:00.001+10:00

The season hasn't even finished, and we're still in debate about whether it's ATHF or not any more - but that decision may have been made for us with the announcement of the upcoming DVD release of Season 1 of Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1.

At least it'll be sitting on the shelves right next to the earlier Aqua Teen releases. The wonderful tvshowsondvd is saying this will be out October 11, features 17 episodes and (back by popular demand) the third instalment of Terror Phone. We're noticing the Mooninites are on the cover but haven't featured in the season yet... just saying, that's all.

Red vs Blue season 9 starts today!

2011-06-15T11:51:00.001+10:00

The ninth season (I know, right?) begins today for the canon Rooster Teeth series.

Crazy huh? I guess with the crossover success of Red vs Blue it's no surprise that it's still going - it's quite a cash cow for RT - and i'll be the first to admit i'm not up to date with the series but there's something comforting about it's existence, like a new Weird Al album or something.

Check it out here.

Jon Benjamin has a Van, new series premiere Tuesday 14th June

2011-06-11T11:09:00.000+10:00

You probably know Jon Benjamin from reddit. (JK, he's in like every animated show that isn't made by Seth MacFarlane... and some that are.) Often credited as H. Jon Benjamin and only occasionally appearing IRL, he is stepping out of the animated frame with a new show airing twice weekly (weakly?) for a new show on Comedy Central called "Jon Benjamin has a Van". It remains to be seen what the show is actually about, but likely his sketch comic props often on display with partner in crime Jon Glaser (Delocated) will be in full force this time around.

Sounds creepy right? But looks funny. Benjamin has a ridiculous number of credits under his belt and apart from the current flavours of the month Archer and Bob's Burgers he has contributed to Home Movies, Important Things with Demetri Martin, ATHF, Human Giant, Freak Show and probably most fondly remembered as Ben from the squiggle-vision classic Dr Katz.

But what is his secret sause? What makes the best in the business want to keep working with him and keeps audiences coming back for more? Even if he knew, why would he tell anyone? If you've dug deep into the commentaries of the Dr Katz DVDs or the extra features for Home Movies you'll see that he is tireless in his output, fun loving and genuinely creative (unlike other VO actors? well some).

It would also seem that some of his success throughout the years and during his current swan-song can be accounted to the dues he paid in his early career - projects like Dr Katz being recorded in a kitchen, famously cars and trucks can occasionally be heard in the background of recordings. He has also worked on his own independent animated projects during lean periods to keep his creative muscle flexed. The question is, is this the hour of Jon Benjamin? Or will be power through and remain as relevant as he is right now for years to come. I certainly hope so.

Community Creator Dan Harmon discussed ALL of Season 2 with the AV Club

2011-06-11T10:42:00.001+10:00

Just a public service announcement that Dan Harmon, creator of Dan Harmon sat down with the AV club to discuss Season 2 of Community. Yeah, it's finished, it's not so much an interview as it is a wrap up of each episode. Well, whatever, I thought it was cool.

Here's part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4.

Bored to Death S2 on DVD and BluRay on September 27

2011-06-07T22:19:00.001+10:00

I thought season 2 of Bored to Death was pretty steller, it dealt with the rising star of Zach Galifianakis in an interesting way, Jason Schwatzman and Ted Danson were as strong as ever and the stories kept up the momentum of the first season - I guess I think it succeeded where other series like Eastbound and Down maybe fell away. I can't wait for this to drop in late September.

I was in New York last year when Bored to Death season 2 was premiering, the promotion in Times Square was ridiculous and I guess I realized something that I'd never considered before - more often than not the little shows that we love are actually treated like massive hit shows on their home turf. I picked up season 1 on DVD when I was there because I knew i'd watch it over and over down the line.

Robot Chicken Star Wars 3 and Assy McGee coming to DVD on August 3 in Australia

2011-06-02T16:44:00.001+10:00

Are you an Assy McGee tragic? You're probably the only one. I never thought i'd be typing this post but the show about the Private Brown Eye is coming to DooVDe very soon. Now that that's over with, let's get to the dessert. ROBOT F***ING CHICKEN STAR WARS 3 is coming to DVD and BluRay.

The great thing as far as I can see is the price. The early promotional material that i've seen suggests that RCSW3 will be only $24.95 for the DVD and BluRay, now I know that the Star Wars specials are often shorter and whatnot, but harden up! How much did you spend on that Lord of the Rings Trilogy that you never watch? Exactly, and I told you at the time not to but you still did. Pfft.

Delocated DVD delayed until October

2011-05-24T09:43:00.001+10:00

Report today from tvshowsondvd that Delocated has been pushed back from July to October to cash in the post 9/11 sales (sorry, I'm just crazy following the post-rapture madness).

Get some air? Get some SKA!

Childrens' Hopsital on DVD may 24

2011-05-20T19:23:00.001+10:00

From tvshowsondvd, 22 episodes from season 1 and 2 for all you Childrens' Hospital tragics. You may notice that the 24th is really soon!

Better mark your calendar, although it's pretty soon - you could probably just write it on your hand or something, we all know what your washing habits are like.

Penn and Teller create new show

2011-05-19T12:22:00.001+10:00

Penn and Teller look to have turned their backs on their Showtime show Bullshit! in favor of a new and better format on the Discovery channel. Far from ditching their love of debunking anti-intellectual nonsense, the new show will see them present a number of amazing facts and stories throughout the show with one of them being a lie - to be exposed before the end of the show.

Masters of deception this shouldn't be any surprise, the new show titled SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE reflects their love of science and truth.

Ambiguously Gay Duo triumphant return

2011-05-15T18:59:00.001+10:00

What's everyone looking at? Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon as the ambiguously gay Ace and Gary from the Robert Smigel animated staple. The flaming duo return on this week's SNL after a long break, and in living colour!

Pretty great.

Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 thoughts

2011-05-15T16:11:00.001+10:00

So the first episode has aired, the 2nd is only a few hours away... what do you think of the ATHF reboot?

Yeah, not much of a reboot - in fact if anything it's more of a throw back for the old fans, but at least it breathes some life in to the show, people are talking about it and the writers seem to be reinvigorated so that's a great sign. ATHF being one of the original big five adult swim shows i'm really happy to see it still around and still one that the fans are tuning in to watch.

Disneyklok

2011-04-02T20:57:00.000+11:00

Looks about right to me.

Louie comes to DVD, available for pre-order but no release date?

2011-03-23T08:51:00.000+11:00

TVshowsonDVD posts a shot of the DVD cover for the HBO show Louie, and provides links on Amazon for pre-orders. No mention anywhere of a date, but I guess you can lock in a pre-order discount price for whenever it does come out.

Delocated Seasons 1 and 2 DVD released in US in early July

2011-03-10T09:45:00.000+11:00

The wonderful tvshowsondvd is reporting today that Seasons 1 and 2 will be released on DVD early July, with the sighrifically crappy cover art.

Pardon my fucking French, but I dislike this very much. Sure fans of the show may buy this DVD regardless of what's on the cover - but how in the hell do they expect to reach a wider audience without something that doesn't look like a dog ate a bunch of printed Bill O'Reilly monologues then crapped them out on a piece of paper?

Adult Swim iPhone app launches

2011-02-23T12:21:00.001+11:00

Big news today with the release of a free Adult Swim app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The good news? If you're in the states you'll be able to stream the latest episodes. The bad news? The app is only available in the US iTunes store (sorry, rest of the world). The good news? If you know how you can get an US iTunes account to download free apps, and unlike the website you can still watch episodes outside of the US (for now). Confused? You shouldn't be. Just download it.

Meatwad in the wild, speaks for itself

2011-02-06T17:26:00.002+11:00

1.31.07 - we will never forget!

2011-01-31T14:49:00.000+11:00

Ok, I might have forgotten last year, but not this time. It's the anniversary of the infamous Aqua Teen Hunger Force advertising/bombing hoax/stupid-ass mix up.

New life was breathed in to 1.31.07 last year when someone held up a sign at the Colbert/Stewart rallies vowing never to forget. I salute you, Sir or Madam.

Moral Orel Volume 3 on DVD in Australia April 20

2011-01-29T13:03:00.000+11:00

Frankenhole was a bit of a let down, wasn't it. It was ok, just fell flat kinda quickly. Not like the bag of win that was Moral Orel, which is out on DVD in Australia April 20th (just after my birthday, hint hint... ok, fine).

Venture Bros Season 4 Volume 1 on DVD Feb 16th (OZ)

2011-01-29T12:43:00.000+11:00

Waiting for a Venture fix? Season 4 Volume 1 is out February 16th in Australia. Booyah.

[300th post!] Mongo Wrestling Alliance premieres tonight (or online right now)

2011-01-24T11:27:00.001+11:00

The latest Adult Swim premiere titled Mongo Wrestling Alliance airs tonight on AS, or of-course if you're in the US you can watch it online right here, right now.

It's from Metalocalypse co-creator Tommy Blacha and we can expect 10 episodes - sounds like it'll be killer fun.

Rob Lowe goes nuts in Parks and Recreation promo

2011-01-19T15:17:00.001+11:00

Psst, you wanna see Rob Lowe flip out? That's unfair, everyone has wanted to see that at some point.

To celebrate Parks and Rec not not being on the air the group made this little viral video, it's like Ricky Gervais only intentional.

Funny or Die presents is back Jan 14

2011-01-07T10:22:00.000+11:00

FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUU..... yeah!

Tim and Eric Chrimbus now on iTunes

2010-12-16T13:34:00.002+11:00

No need to put on pants to go buy the Tim and Eric Chrimbus DVD (bad things happen outside anyway), you can always just grab it on iTunes.

Parks and Rec returning for Season 3 on January 20

2010-12-01T16:08:00.001+11:00

Following Aubrey Plaza's announcement on Doug loves movies that it wasn't certain when the season would premiere, it has now been revealed that on January 20 the third season will air sandwiched in between Steve Carrell's final episodes of The Office and before 30 Rock. It just so happens that I found of photo of Steve, Amy and Tina that is clearly unphotoshopped to illustrate what that might look like.

Sometimes as a blogger you just get lucky.

Archer Season 2 to premiere January 27!

2010-12-01T15:30:00.000+11:00

The blogs are asploding with news of Archer's January 27 return with another season of... well... more of this.

Oh yeah! Splooge.

Code Monkeys Season 2 DVD coming soon?

2010-11-23T21:08:00.001+11:00

Get your Cheetos and Mountain Dew ready, there may be something interesting happening. Tvshowsondvd is reporting a rumor that season deux of the Adam De Le Pena (Minoriteam, On the bubble) creation may be in preparation for release. The websites source is a tweet from Brian Ward (no relation to Burt... as far as I know) who worked on the packaging.

You know Code Monkeys right? The G4, 8-bit comedy set in the video-game company Game-A-Vision, co-starring Adult Swim royalty Dana Snyder? No... Well do you think poop is funny? Cool, so you're probably in the target demo.

Poop.

Laugh it up Fuzzball - Family Guy Trilogy DVD set coming 21 Dec

2010-11-06T16:13:00.001+11:00

Comprising of Blue Harvest, Something something something Dark Side and It's a Trap! the collection of Family Guy Star Wars specials will be released on DVD and BluRay on December 21st. TVshowsonDVD has the cover art, front and back for both versions... neat huh?

Aqua Teens sign at Rally to Restore Sanity

2010-10-31T17:12:00.002+11:00

I was flicking through a blog post of the "100 Best Signs At The Rally To Restore Sanity", I couldn't help but notice this one...

I certainly haven't forgotten (click here for more background)... you can check out the rest of the signs here, and the original source of the image here.

Robot Unicon Attack Heavy Metal released for the Metalocalypse fans

2010-10-14T08:36:00.000+11:00

So you've tried Robot Unicorn Attack online or on the iPhone and thought, "yeah, this is good - but I wish there were flaming skulls involved." Well peeps, it's time to rejoice as a "Heavy Metal" skinned version has been released as an iPhone app which is launching for 99c, it looks pretty bad ass and I know I'll be replacing the normal version on my phone/ipad with this one. Definitely one for the Dethklok fans!

Open your eyes by clicking here for more info.

P.S. If you haven't checked out the music video for the song in the original version, you should watch this as well, it's fucking crazy.

Metalocalypse Season 3 comes to Australia December 1st (DVD and BluRay)

2010-10-08T18:05:00.000+11:00

Yep. The cover for this one looks a lot like the season 1 DVD, and so does the show. Too bad you can't buy it on BlackRay or something, that blue stripe kinda kills the look they were going for. However, if you are a true Dethklok fan you will accept nothing less than optimal digital viewabilityness.

Black Dynamite the animated series comes to Adult Swim

2010-09-30T06:04:00.001+10:00

Looks like Black Dynamite (swoon) the animated series is coming to Adult Swim - info is that it's from the makers of the Boondocks which would make sense judging by this screenshot.

SNL vs Tim and Eric's tiny hats

2010-09-27T05:12:00.001+10:00

Twitter is buzzing with posts tagged with #tinyhatswar following a sketch on Saturday Night Live last night that some are saying rips off the T&E tiny hats sketches from 2007. While Tim admits he didn't watch the show he is tweeting about a rivalry and seemingly fueling the fire.

Comments on various websites range from "who cares? Everybody steals from everybody" to calls for SNL to rectify the situation by allowing Tim and Eric to write and host the show. We'll see what happens on that front.

* WIN "THE LEAGUE - SEASON 1" ON DVD *

2010-09-10T18:29:00.001+10:00

UPDATE - the competition is now closed, the winners have been contacted via email, thanks to all who entered and we hope to have more giveaways like this in the future.

Good news everyone! To celebrate the upcoming DVD release of "The League - Season 1" on DVD we are announcing an Adult Swim News Blog promotion where you can score yourself a copy for FREE!!! (I bet we are your best friends right about now, huh?)

How? It's super easy, just send an email with the subject heading "I want The League on DVD" with your name, address, and the answer to the following (easy) question to asnewsblog@gmail.com.

What is the name of the trophy that the friends all compete for?

(There are three copies to be won, entries chosen at random. Entries close Monday 13th September, US and Canadian entrants only... sorry "rest of the world".)

New side project for Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride

2010-09-09T10:14:00.001+10:00

Screen junkies has a report of a new side project for Ansari and McBride, a movie called "Olympic size a**hole". I love everything either of these guys do, so reports of numerous side projects (the upcoming 30 minutes or less from Ruben Fleischer, Zombieland) with the pair make my happy gland pulsate.

Link here.

Adult Swim iPhone games on sale - most 99c

2010-09-08T09:21:00.000+10:00

Go get you some Robot Unicorn Attack!

Link here.

RIP Robert Schimmel

2010-09-04T21:56:00.001+10:00

News is coming in about the passing of comedian Robert Schimmel, apparently due to complications following a car accident. Schimmel had survived heart attacks and a long battle with cancer (all became content for his act), and was known for his unashamed, dirty style on the Howard Stern show and TV programs like Crank Yankers.

Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival Sept 16-19

2010-09-03T14:33:00.001+10:00

I'll be in New York in time for the third annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival. If you think he is funny, imagine a comedy festival featuring him and all the people he thinks are funny (and available for booking).

Should be steller. Link here.

Emmy news

2010-08-31T19:10:00.003+10:00

So the Emmys happened, what did you think? Yeah, me too. I know, she has massive breasts.

There's plenty of info out there about the Emmys, so instead here's a video of Back to the Future-style power laces.

Hipster Hitler, for your consideration

2010-08-28T15:08:00.002+10:00

So this has hit the web, just thought you might enjoy ;)

Ladies and Gentlemen... Hipster Hitler

Party Down Season 2 DVD coming September 28

2010-08-27T09:54:00.001+10:00

TVshowsonDVD.com has the details for the upcoming DVD release of Season 2. The two disc set will feature all ten episodes and a gag reel - with no other listed extras you have to wonder.... why two discs?

Childrens' Hospital leaves the web behind

2010-08-24T15:55:00.000+10:00

Ironic t-shirts aside, Childrens' Hospital has reached the business end of season uno (the original web series) and is in to the original content portion. Although the future is uncertain, here's hoping they can keep up their good form!

Delocated returns on August 22nd

2010-08-20T15:19:00.002+10:00

For more ski-masked comedee.

Life and Times of Tim gets a third season!

2010-08-18T14:46:00.001+10:00

Facebook says so. Booyah!

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Season 7 DVD review!

2010-07-31T13:24:00.008+10:00

(This review is for the Australian release.)

ATHF keeps on trucking maintaining its reputation as the powerhouse mainstay of the Adult Swim line up. Having recently hit 100 episodes (the necessary number to reach syndication status) the show now adds having reached a season 7 to its list of achievement including a slew of a-grade celebrity cameos and the only Adult Swim theatrical release. This collection reinvigorates the franchise with a few unique episodes that breathe life in the show keeping new and old fans satisfied - like rebooting one of their pilot episodes and the Last Last Episode For Ever and Ever, the long over due live action Aqua Teens show.

I would say that since the conclusion of the Spacecataz cold openings the show has been looking for something a little different to spice things up. Following the Aqua Teens movie is seemed Matt and Dave were either tired of the shorter format, or struggling to downsize their ideas again, leaning on the lesser characters and the unexplained absence of Meatwad, Shake and Frylock, with Carl taking centre stage for a short, multi-episode story arc. Episodes like these are nice every once in a while but returning to the core origins of the show and the elements that made the first three/four seasons so great is what makes this season worth checking out. There are a number of episodes with actual monsters (using the term loosely) such as The Creature from the Plaque Lagoon, Der Inflatable Fuhrer and Rubberman that recall the early days of the Balloonenstein and naturally the return of the Rabbot is a really nice touch for long term fans.

This seasons is not without its fair share of guest stars such as Scott Adsit (30 rock, Frankenhole), Bill Hader (Superbad, SNL) and of-course the star casting of T-Pain as Frylock and H Jon Benjamin as Shake in the Aqua Teen live episode. I can't wait for the next DVD because while all these guest stars are nice, none can live up to adoration (in my mind) for the irrepressible Paul F Tompkins - bring on Season 8!

What really counts (DVD extras)

A few behind the scenes segments, some smart phone bonuses, a short about terror phone and a featurette on the guy who played Carl in the live episode. Not a bad collection, the episodes are the starts of this release.

The League Season 1 DVD/BluRay coming September 14

2010-07-22T15:46:00.004+10:00

Yay! The League (of... nothing, just The League) is dropping on DVD and BluRay on September 14 in the states, you can pre-order the BR version on Amazon but nothing for the DVD as of yet. TVshowsonDVD.com gives us this image of the cover art...

SHEEEEEVA!!! Yeah, I liked this show. Not necessarily stellar, but anything with Nick Kroll is going to be worth a look, not to mention Paul Scheer, internet sensation Jon LaJoie (sp? wtf? lol), and alllllll those other guys. It's awesome fun, check it out.

RIP - Harvey Pekar age 70

2010-07-13T09:42:00.004+10:00

I first heard about Harvey Pekar when I saw the movie American Spendor, I'm not really trendy enough to have known about his work earlier than that - although I had obviously heard of Robert Crumb and some others on that scene. Reports from this morning are that he has passed away at the age of 70 in his Cleveland home. This from Wired.com:

"Pekar was diagnosed with cancer in 1990 and naturally wrote a book about it. Our Cancer Year, which Pekar penned with his wife, Joyce Barbner, went on to win the Harvey Award in 1995. Lately, he had been collaborating online with indie artists who illustrated his life as part of The Pekar Project (pictured)."

American Splendor trailer:

Childrens' Hospital airs this weekend

2010-07-10T12:21:00.004+10:00

Finally a new(ish) premiere that's actually an Adult Swim show. Well it's not really a premiere, and it's only a de facto Adult Swim show, but I'll take it because it looks pretty good. Rob Cordrry (The Daily Show, Hot Tub Time Machine) is writer/creator/actor in this medical comedy revolving around a clown doctor and his peers.

I've written about the show here before, I'm putting the word out as a reminder to check it out! If you want some info or a taster you can get both at the one location.

Kids in the Hall: Death comes to town comes to DVD August 3 (in Canada)

2010-07-02T09:23:00.004+10:00

We enjoyed seeing Kids in the Hall on TV again, even though Brain Candy is among our favourite movies it seems the smaller, serialised format really allows the Kids' to excel. If you missed the first run (and repeats, and don't have access to the net... or live in a small, cold cave somewhere) tvshowsondvd are reporting that you'll be able to relive all of the (good?) times with the all the fine Shuckton residents in glorious digital video disc format from August 3rd - but only if you live in Canada or a country to which these discs can be exported.

Presumably there will be other international release dates shortly after, getting the DVD in stores before the pre-pre-christmas buying frenzy.

Mary Shelley's Frankenhole premieres this weekend on AS

2010-06-27T10:23:00.005+10:00

Adult Swim's new stop motion series Mary Shelley's Frankenhole airs this weekend, of-course the wonderful Dino Stamatopoulos has his hand in the production, hosting the show along with pal Andy Dick which seems to revolve around the Frankenstein story with other horror parodies thrown in for good measure.

There's a neat promo video at the Adult Swim Video site (don't worry, there's no region locking on the promo videos apparently). You can throw your little eyes towards its general direction by clicking this link that appears right.... here.

P.S. There's a great interview with Dino about the show here.

Futurama is back baby! (For real this time)

2010-06-24T19:56:00.005+10:00

Futurama is back - the first two episodes have finally aired marking a return to the small screen after the show was axed in 2003. Following in the footsteps of network brethren Family Guy, Futurama has been resurrected on the back of strong DVD sales, continued fan interest and the birth of a seemingly insatiable hunger for animated programming.

Today the first two episodes of the new Futurama series aired, fans will surely have their say on blogs like Can't get enough Futurama and dissect the show - but it is already a success having returned to its original format following the below-par performance of the four straight-to-DVD movies (which converted to TV episodes in at best an awkward fashion) during the shows sabbatical period.

If you've been living under a rock for the last eleven years or just want a five season recap, Comedy Central are offering a complete catch up in seven minutes.

(You may notice the catch up link uses the new "Kea.nu" url system - proceeds from the ads go to charity and I think it's really neat... please support it.)