The Wizard of Oz Focus Group

This bit was a welcome oasis in a desert of Crystaline humor. When they offered the heavy-handed introduction to the skit, I let out a slow audible groan, which was quickly silenced when it became apparent that the troupe tasked with the short were the Christopher Guest players. I’m guessing Parker Posey was in the hospital or something.

Though the skit wasn’t actually that funny by CGP standards, the novelty of seeing these guys gave it a big leg up over the things that came before and after it. Plus, seeing Fred Willard harp on monkeys like some sort of speed freak was almost worth the price of admission all by itself.

Nick Nolte’s Transformation into Rooster Cogburn

One of the best features of Oscar night is your ability to check back in with stars that often manage to stay out of the public eye during their normal lives. For example, Chris Rock. I saw Chris Rock and was surprised by how different he looks. I didn’t see the Ike Turner look coming, so that was a pleasant surprise.

However, Chris Rocks appearance paled in comparison to Nick Nolte’s, who looks like he killed three men on the way to his seat. Also, the slitty little eyes add an element of mystery to a guy who is known to take GHB and just be generally crazy. Crystal’s “mind reading” gimmick fell flat, save for his insight into Nolte’s psyche, which only revealed, “Uhhhhhhhhhhhh.” I was half expecting to see Nolte recreationally gnawing on a dead, intact rabbit, but I guess the camera never caught that part.

What’s most surprising here is that The Devil Inside garnered the very rare F rating from a thing called CinemaScore that apparently Joe Q. “I Wanna See Bones Twist” Public doesn’t check in with before buying a movie ticket. That, combined with the impressive box office, make the film a surprise hit like the films listed below.

District 9

Budget: $30 million – Worldwide box office: $211 million

District 9 defied expectations when it toppled G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and The Time Traveler’s Wife in its first week of release. Very little was known about the film’s plot, lead, or director when it opened strong. Analysts then anticipated for its revenue to fall off after week one, following Cloverfield’sexample, but great word of mouth and awesome special effects pushed the sci-fi action commentary on to be a global phenomenon.

Slumdog Millionaire

Budget: $15 million – Worldwide box office: $362 million

Starring a cast completely unknown to American audiences, the Danny Boyle-directed film became the darling of the Academy Awards after its release in 2008. When the critics began to notice the film, the film then opened wide reaping a huge box office and making a household name out of Virendra Chatterjee.

Expect to see a lot more McCarthy in the next few years as she swiftly climbs the Hollywood A-list. If Tammy production can get underway before Betty White retires, they’ve got a bonafide hit on their hands. (Variety)

7 photosKristen Wiig

The directing team behind American Splendor, The Extra Man, and The Nanny Diairies, Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, are set to direct from a script by Michelle Morgan. Wiig has considered Imogene a passion project for the last couple years and, in fact, mentioned it to us when we interviewed her about MacGruber. It was in that same interview that we learned somebody stole Will Forte’s ass celery. It was a pretty revealing afternoon. (Variety)

“It was one of those things where I was like ‘Oh, that wasn’t supposed to come out’ but I’m kinda glad it did; I’ve been secretive about it the past few months but I guess I’ve dropped enough hints too. It’s a real passion project; again, I just want to tell stories that don’t normally get told and this is another of those.”

“They’re the inspiration for it”, Feig says of Hamm and McCarthy, adding that the film would be a “very unconventional love story, in the vein of [Bridesmaids]. Judd and I have a very specific storytelling style – it’s very real and out of the reality we’ll try to make it as funny as possible. I’m excited about that.”

How long away is this prospective Hamm/McCarthy movie? “I’m just writing it at the moment”, the filmmaker says, “There’s actually something in the Fall that…is a sequel to a movie that people know but I can’t really talk about it yet; we’re still trying to finalize it. That would be fun. It’s something I’ve wanted to with some actors I’ve wanted to work with.”

“This would be a reboot of a franchise. I want to talk about it but it might not happen because of actors deals and so on so I better remain mysterious.”

Ummmm…. my guess is Ghostbusters. Or something else entirely. Yeah, let’s go with something else entirely.(Moviehole)

After Bridesmaids’ monster take at the box office this May, Universal has reunited director Paul Feig and producer/director/writer/man-child Judd Apatow by purchasing a pitch from their camp. Of course, the studio refuses to deliver the log line, but Deadline informs us it’s an “unconventional love story and is something Feig has been working on for awhile.” Wow! Consider my appetite whetted!

This duo has worked together since “Freaks and Geeks” way back in the 1990′s, and their bodies of work, both individually and as a team are pretty solid, so get excited about this project, if only because this reunion might mean an original new comedy from two bright minds, as opposed to a stale retread, similar to that other May release.

I thought the gags in Bridesmaids, gross-out and otherwise, were hilarious. However, I lost interest during the (endless) 45 minute Kristen Wiig pity party. “Boo hoo, I won’t call the guy I like.” Just keep the joke-em-ups coming, please.

Melissa McCarthy Reveals That She Was Channeling Guy Fieri In 'Bridesmaids'

“Really, when I first read it, the first person that I thought of was Guy Fieri from the Food Network. I wanted to do the shirt, the Kangol. Every scene I would have my glasses on the back of my head. I tried for a long time to convince them to let me wear short, white, spiky hair, and they were like, ‘You can’t actually be Guy Fieri.’ Cut it off at some point!”

Now that she’s pointed out the influence, it’s spot-on. I’d say we should get these two in a room together, but if they were to touch it could rip the fabric of space and time. And I personally refuse to travel back to a time before Panera Bread. (via Splitsider)

The other new release to crack the top five was Priest, the Paul Bettany-hunts vampires-in-3D movie, which snagged the number four spot with a weekend gross of $14.5 million.Fast Five continued its triumph with a number 3 $19.5 million gross, and Rio continued its reign of terror at number 5, with $8 million. Who says CGI parrots can’t be funny? (Box Office Mojo)

Director: Paul Feig

Cast: Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey

Synopsis: A comedy centered on two women battling to plan their friend’s wedding party.

Release Date: May 13, 2011