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    <title>Wayne's World's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Film:Wayne's World</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/Wayne_s_World/37694/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
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<strong>Title:</strong> Wayne's World<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 1992<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Penelope Spheeris<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> Based on the <a href=/films/220811/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Saturday Night Live</a> sketch of the same name, Wayne's World is a wacky, irreverent pop-culture comedy about the adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne (<a href="/players/P____51621/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mike Myers</a>) and Garth (<a href="/players/P____11499/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dana Carvey</a>). From Wayne's basement, the pair broadcast a talk-show called "Wayne's World" on local public access television. The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive (<a href="/players/P____43513/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rob Lowe</a>) who wants to produce a big-budget version of "Wayne's World"--and he also wants Wayne's girlfriend, a rock singer named Cassandra (<a href="/players/P____11254/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tia Carrere</a>). Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show, but also Cassandra. Director <a href="/players/P___112314/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Penelope Spheeris</a>, Myers and Carvey hang a lot of silly, but funny, jokes on this thin plot, and the energy of the cast--as well as the wild pop-culture references--make Wayne's World a cut above the average <a href=/films/220811/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Saturday Night Live</a> spin-off movie. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 50<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 60<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 5<br/>
<strong>Number of discussion threads:</strong> 5<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 3<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:56:36 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>Wayne's World</spout:Title><spout:Year>1992</spout:Year><spout:Director>Penelope Spheeris</spout:Director><spout:Plot>Based on the &lt;a href=/films/220811/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Saturday Night Live&lt;/a&gt; sketch of the same name, Wayne's World is a wacky, irreverent pop-culture comedy about the adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne (&lt;a href="/players/P____51621/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Mike Myers&lt;/a&gt;) and Garth (&lt;a href="/players/P____11499/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Dana Carvey&lt;/a&gt;). From Wayne's basement, the pair broadcast a talk-show called "Wayne's World" on local public access television. The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive (&lt;a href="/players/P____43513/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Rob Lowe&lt;/a&gt;) who wants to produce a big-budget version of "Wayne's World"--and he also wants Wayne's girlfriend, a rock singer named Cassandra (&lt;a href="/players/P____11254/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Tia Carrere&lt;/a&gt;). Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show, but also Cassandra. Director &lt;a href="/players/P___112314/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Penelope Spheeris&lt;/a&gt;, Myers and Carvey hang a lot of silly, but funny, jokes on this thin plot, and the energy of the cast--as well as the wild pop-culture references--make Wayne's World a cut above the average &lt;a href=/films/220811/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Saturday Night Live&lt;/a&gt; spin-off movie. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>50</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Tag Target (&gt;10)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>60</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>5</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads>5</spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads><spout:SpoutRating>3</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/Wayne_s_World/37694/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: waynes world</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/laurenbailey63/archive/2009/9/23/43995.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/154053/default.aspx'>laurenbailey63</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/laurenbailey63/default.aspx'>laurenbailey63 Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 9/23/2009 6:13:38 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> it rocks the best film iv ever seen in the world you shud whatch it.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:13:38 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>laurenbailey63</spout:postby><spout:postto>laurenbailey63 Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>9/23/2009 6:13:38 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>it rocks the best film iv ever seen in the world you shud whatch it.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: It's Wayne's World ... It's laughin' time ... excellent!</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_mow/archive/2009/5/1/41928.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/148616/default.aspx'>The_MOW</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_mow/default.aspx'>The_MOW Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 5/1/2009 3:23:55 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> "Wayne Campbell" (Mike Myers) and "Garth Helgar" (Dana Carvey) are two Aurora, Illinois, teens who run their own late-night cable access TV show titled Wayne's World, which have made them a local celebrity to their peers. However, they still both live with their parents, which is totally bogus! Sh-hah! A smooth-tongued, sleaze ball of a TV producer named "Benjamin Oliver" (Rob Lowe), just happens to catch a Wayne's World with his latest "girlfriend" (NOT!) and has an idea which includes the show and his latest advertising client. He arranges a meeting with the lovable losers and offers them a very bad deal: $5000 each for exclusive rights to their program. In other words, he suckered them (totally). With dollar signs in their eyes, they both sign without reading the small print on the contract. To their dismay, they find that their show is now with an actual, but low, budget with a horrible cover of their show's theme song, a typical TV off-camera announcer and a set designed to look exactly like "Wayne's" basement, where they normally broadcast from. The two become very vocal with their displeasure in the production, "Benajamin" reminds them that they have signed contracts giving the network rights to the program. To make things even more bogus, "Benjamin" is using his sleazy tricks to woo "Wayne's" new, "totally babe-alicious" girlfriend "Casandra" (Tia Carrere) with the promise of helping her band's career and takes her and her band away to film a music video. This totally blows huge chunks! But "Wayne" isn't going to go down that easily and begins to use his comical and outrageous ways to get his show, and his gorgeous girlfriend back -- with help from "Garth" and his wacky gang of slackers. This insanely funny movie is based on the former recurring sketch on the US television series Saturday Night Live, or "SNL" to the kids these days, that lends its name to this movie. The movie gives us a behind-the-scenes look in the Channel 10 cable access show and the lives of its hosts. The entire cast is fantastic. Myers and Carvey recreate and expand the characters they created on SNL nicely, and have great comedic timing with one another. Carrere, who actually sang the songs you hear and see "Casandra's" band perform, is excellent playing the bilingual (bi-what? exsqueeze me?) songstress, and helps make "Casandra" and "Wayne" a loveable couple on-screen. Lowe plays his role so good, you actually see the sleaze dripping off of him (eewwww! I think I'm going to hurl!!). Lara Flynn Boyle is near perfect as the "totally mental" ex-girlfriend of "Wayne", however she is a bit too campy. Kurt Fuller, who plays "Benjamin's" sidekick, plays his character pretty well, but he's mainly there to be a target for some of the jokes. Other characters are either just there for filler in scenes or in minor roles that help get over some jokes. This film is pure comedic fun, with little time between jokes for you to catch your breath. It has a lot of one-liners, slapstick and visual jokes that make you laugh out loud. Some of the jokes are even minor subplots, but usually are only there for more of a laugh rather than to advance a storyline (Garth's "dream girl" for example). Many jokes, like the product placement scene, a dated and may not be understood completely by younger audience members, but are still laugh-out-loud funny. However, the worst of the jokes will give you an out loud chuckle and are still quite funny. In fact, I don't think one joke was so bad that all I could do was shake my head and roll my eyes at it. This is certainly a "Must See" first pick the next time you go to your local rental shop for a movie.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2009 19:23:55 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>The_MOW</spout:postby><spout:postto>The_MOW Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>5/1/2009 3:23:55 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>"Wayne Campbell" (Mike Myers) and "Garth Helgar" (Dana Carvey) are two Aurora, Illinois, teens who run their own late-night cable access TV show titled Wayne's World, which have made them a local celebrity to their peers. However, they still both live with their parents, which is totally bogus! Sh-hah! A smooth-tongued, sleaze ball of a TV producer named "Benjamin Oliver" (Rob Lowe), just happens to catch a Wayne's World with his latest "girlfriend" (NOT!) and has an idea which includes the show and his latest advertising client. He arranges a meeting with the lovable losers and offers them a very bad deal: $5000 each for exclusive rights to their program. In other words, he suckered them (totally). With dollar signs in their eyes, they both sign without reading the small print on the contract. To their dismay, they find that their show is now with an actual, but low, budget with a horrible cover of their show's theme song, a typical TV off-camera announcer and a set designed to look exactly like "Wayne's" basement, where they normally broadcast from. The two become very vocal with their displeasure in the production, "Benajamin" reminds them that they have signed contracts giving the network rights to the program. To make things even more bogus, "Benjamin" is using his sleazy tricks to woo "Wayne's" new, "totally babe-alicious" girlfriend "Casandra" (Tia Carrere) with the promise of helping her band's career and takes her and her band away to film a music video. This totally blows huge chunks! But "Wayne" isn't going to go down that easily and begins to use his comical and outrageous ways to get his show, and his gorgeous girlfriend back -- with help from "Garth" and his wacky gang of slackers. This insanely funny movie is based on the former recurring sketch on the US television series Saturday Night Live, or "SNL" to the kids these days, that lends its name to this movie. The movie gives us a behind-the-scenes look in the Channel 10 cable access show and the lives of its hosts. The entire cast is fantastic. Myers and Carvey recreate and expand the characters they created on SNL nicely, and have great comedic timing with one another. Carrere, who actually sang the songs you hear and see "Casandra's" band perform, is excellent playing the bilingual (bi-what? exsqueeze me?) songstress, and helps make "Casandra" and "Wayne" a loveable couple on-screen. Lowe plays his role so good, you actually see the sleaze dripping off of him (eewwww! I think I'm going to hurl!!). Lara Flynn Boyle is near perfect as the "totally mental" ex-girlfriend of "Wayne", however she is a bit too campy. Kurt Fuller, who plays "Benjamin's" sidekick, plays his character pretty well, but he's mainly there to be a target for some of the jokes. Other characters are either just there for filler in scenes or in minor roles that help get over some jokes. This film is pure comedic fun, with little time between jokes for you to catch your breath. It has a lot of one-liners, slapstick and visual jokes that make you laugh out loud. Some of the jokes are even minor subplots, but usually are only there for more of a laugh rather than to advance a storyline (Garth's "dream girl" for example). Many jokes, like the product placement scene, a dated and may not be understood completely by younger audience members, but are still laugh-out-loud funny. However, the worst of the jokes will give you an out loud chuckle and are still quite funny. In fact, I don't think one joke was so bad that all I could do was shake my head and roll my eyes at it. This is certainly a "Must See" first pick the next time you go to your local rental shop for a movie.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:Weekly Theme for March 3: Motorin'!</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_March_3_Motorin/625/40835/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/119628/default.aspx'>mercurial</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/625/discussions.aspx'>Weekly Theme</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 3/5/2009 1:23:24 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> I'm a fan of those cheesy monstrosities that cause a double take due to their insane look. The least offensive of the bunch is the bright yellow VW Bus in Little Miss Sunshine which was a character in itself in the film.      The Mutt Cutts mobile in Dumb and Dumber was just pure insanity.              The Pussy Wagon in Kill Bill. 'Nuff said.  The Mirth Mobile in Wayne's World. Comes standard with flames and Twizzler dispenser.  The ECTO-1 in Ghostbusters.    <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:23:24 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>mercurial</spout:postby><spout:postto>Weekly Theme</spout:postto><spout:postdate>3/5/2009 1:23:24 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>I'm a fan of those cheesy monstrosities that cause a double take due to their insane look. The least offensive of the bunch is the bright yellow VW Bus in Little Miss Sunshine which was a character in itself in the film.      The Mutt Cutts mobile in Dumb and Dumber was just pure insanity.              The Pussy Wagon in Kill Bill. 'Nuff said.  The Mirth Mobile in Wayne's World. Comes standard with flames and Twizzler dispenser.  The ECTO-1 in Ghostbusters.    </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 10 Best Product Placements in Movies</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/7/35995.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 10/7/2008 11:01:06 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 
Product placement in movies is now so overdone that we may not even notice it unless a particular film or TV show really hits us over the head with a blatant in-your-face product shot. Otherwise, seeing commercial goods everywhere merely seems like everyday life in capitalist America. Just look at any of the websites that tally up products spotlighted in mainstream movies and you’ll probably be surprised (though not shocked) at how many brands appear in each new release. Did you notice that Blades of Glory contains 38 separate products? Probably not. Many of those products couldn’t have gotten their money’s worth, because the movie doesn’t allow the audience to walk away recalling any one particular item.
At a time when TV’s Top Chef and 30 Rock show us how lame blatantly whorish and ironic product placement can get, and while moviegoers are being subjected to more subliminal, suggestive and unintentional advertisements (Speed Racer, Wall-E and Beverly Hills Chihuahua respectively have us thinking about McDonalds, Apple products and Taco Bell, though some of these associations are not necessarily the movie’s fault), it’s good to remember that not all product placement is superfluous or despicable. Some of it is actually funny, smart and beneficial to mankind.


Movie: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Product: Reese’s Pieces
In case you don’t believe the part about product placement being beneficial to mankind, just imagine what could have happened if E.T. had featured either of Steven Spielberg’s first choices in candy placement, M&Ms or Hershey’s Kisses, rather than Reese’s Pieces. Would the delicious peanut butter candies still exist today? Okay, they might, but they certainly wouldn’t have become so popular so fast. Don’t forget that advertising is not simply about a greedy corporation marketing a product for profitable gain; it’s also about alerting us to wonderful new products that we otherwise might not have noticed. And isn’t your choice of sundae mix-ins better thanks to millions of moviegoers noticing the existence of Reese’s Pieces?

Movie: Back to the Future
Product: DeLorean DMC-12
On the opposite side of the spectrum from Reese’s Pieces, the DeLorean DMC-12 (popularly referred to as simply the DeLorean), is possibly the least necessary product ever to be placed prominently in a film. Maybe if it were actually a time machine it would be a must-have and the DeLorean Motor Company could have been back in business despite having gone bust a few years prior to the release of Back to the Future. Instead, the DeLorean is just a cool car, yet one that highly appeals to huge BTTF fans. And of the 6,500 DMC-12s still in existence, it’s likely that a large percentage are possessed by people who’ve installed a mock Flux Capacitor and own a vanity license plate that says something like “MCFLY” or “88 MPH” or “OUTATIME”. Get ready to see more tributes to the movie, too, since a car manufacturer in Houston has begun making new DMC-12s in limited production.

Movie: The Wizard
Product: Nintendo
A year after Mac and Me seemed to indicate that really, really prominent and shameless product placement was possibly a bad idea, The Wizard came out and provided the opposing argument. Then and now people have looked at the film’s promotion of Nintendo’s latest and much-anticipated blockbuster video game (and the the system’s “so bad” Power Glove controller) as one of the low moments in product placement, but for anyone who cared about video games in 1989, the chance to even get a glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3 was worth the price of admission for an otherwise lame kiddie version of Rain Man.

Movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
Product: White Castle
Like The Wizard’s promotion of Nintendo products, the employment of the White Castle fast food brand in Harold and Kumar is about reminding an audience about something it already likes and desires. But unlike The Wizard, Harold and Kumar doesn’t make the sponsorship seem like such a cheap grab for cash. Sure, the stoner comedy could have used any fast food place, real or made up, but for anyone who has devoured a whole Crave Case with one other friend at four in the morning, the specifically branded joke is all the more appreciated.

Movie: Wayne’s World
Products: Pizza Hut; Doritos; Reebok; Nuprin; Pepsi
Tina Fey may seem like the smartest SNL vet ever, but each time 30 Rock does the ironic product placement shtick, a number of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey loyalists likely shout at their screen, “Sheah, right! As if that’s not a 15-year-old gag.” And Fey isn’t the only one guilty of recycling the joke, although occasionally movies like Talladega Nights and Josie and the Pussycats can get away with it, because it’s kind of a necessary gag when satirizing things like NASCAR and pop music. Even the reflexive use of product placement in Fight Club somewhat descends from the Wayne’s World scene.

Movie: Best in Show
Products: Starbucks; Apple; J. Crew; L.L. Bean
Product placement doesn’t always have to be about favorably advertising a brand. It can also be about making fun of a brand, or making fun of a certain kind of person that brand is geared toward. In the mockumentary Best in Show, Starbucks is made fun of for having so many locations, while Apple is merely employed in the joke. Catalog clothing companies J. Crew and L.L. Bean are also simultaneously the butt of a joke and the means with which Christopher Guest makes fun of two of his film’s characters.

Movie: Good Bye Lenin!
Product: Coca-Cola
Product placement can also be about employing a product that serves as an idea. Coca-Cola is a brand that has been featured in tons of films as more a symbol of capitalism and the West than of soda pop (see my old post on Coca-Cola in cinema here), and in this German comedy, a giant Coca-Cola billboard serves to represent the westernization going on outside the window of the room of an oblivious woman being duped to believe the Berlin Wall never fell.

Movie: One, Two, Three
Product: Pepsi
The Coca-Cola placement in Good Bye Lenin! recalls Billy Wilder’s film One, Two, Three, which also deals with the division of East and West Berlin and also employs the iconic brand for the same kind of symbolic representation of capitalism. In Wilder’s film, though, the product is much more prominent, as the plot revolves around a Coca-Cola executive (played by James Cagney). Yet after so much mention of Coke, especially with the association of overbearing consumerism and cultural imperialism, you’re more likely to come away from the film wanting a bottle of Pepsi, instead. Of course, it also helps that the final shot in the film is of Cagney holding a bottle of Coca-Cola’s main competitor.

Movie: Breathless (À bout de souffle)

If you’re surprised that there was product placement as long ago as 1961, when One, Two, Three was released, let’s go back even further to 1960, and to another country, France. Jean-Luc Godard’s breakthrough and groundbreaking film probably wasn’t meant to increase sales of the New York Herald Tribune, but what male viewer could resist purchasing a subscription after watching and hearing Jean Seberg peddle the newspaper at the beginning of the film? Perhaps now the film even still inspires young men to subscribe to New York magazine, as a substitute for its now unavailable ancestor.
Oh, and just so you know, product placement can be found many, many decades earlier than the 1960s.

Movie: Minority Report
Products: Lexus; Guiness; American Express; and others
The product placement in Minority Report is considered an example of overkill, but that’s also the point. The film is set in a not-so-far-off future in which ads are everywhere, and most of them are personalized to address the consumer directly by name. It’s one of many futurist ideas in the film meant to exaggerate the present while predicting the direction technology is going. Already people receive personalized spam and internet ads, and advances in personalized marketing are growing closer and closer to what exists as a joke/prophesy in Spielberg’s film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:01:06 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>10/7/2008 11:01:06 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>
Product placement in movies is now so overdone that we may not even notice it unless a particular film or TV show really hits us over the head with a blatant in-your-face product shot. Otherwise, seeing commercial goods everywhere merely seems like everyday life in capitalist America. Just look at any of the websites that tally up products spotlighted in mainstream movies and you’ll probably be surprised (though not shocked) at how many brands appear in each new release. Did you notice that Blades of Glory contains 38 separate products? Probably not. Many of those products couldn’t have gotten their money’s worth, because the movie doesn’t allow the audience to walk away recalling any one particular item.
At a time when TV’s Top Chef and 30 Rock show us how lame blatantly whorish and ironic product placement can get, and while moviegoers are being subjected to more subliminal, suggestive and unintentional advertisements (Speed Racer, Wall-E and Beverly Hills Chihuahua respectively have us thinking about McDonalds, Apple products and Taco Bell, though some of these associations are not necessarily the movie’s fault), it’s good to remember that not all product placement is superfluous or despicable. Some of it is actually funny, smart and beneficial to mankind.


Movie: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Product: Reese’s Pieces
In case you don’t believe the part about product placement being beneficial to mankind, just imagine what could have happened if E.T. had featured either of Steven Spielberg’s first choices in candy placement, M&amp;Ms or Hershey’s Kisses, rather than Reese’s Pieces. Would the delicious peanut butter candies still exist today? Okay, they might, but they certainly wouldn’t have become so popular so fast. Don’t forget that advertising is not simply about a greedy corporation marketing a product for profitable gain; it’s also about alerting us to wonderful new products that we otherwise might not have noticed. And isn’t your choice of sundae mix-ins better thanks to millions of moviegoers noticing the existence of Reese’s Pieces?

Movie: Back to the Future
Product: DeLorean DMC-12
On the opposite side of the spectrum from Reese’s Pieces, the DeLorean DMC-12 (popularly referred to as simply the DeLorean), is possibly the least necessary product ever to be placed prominently in a film. Maybe if it were actually a time machine it would be a must-have and the DeLorean Motor Company could have been back in business despite having gone bust a few years prior to the release of Back to the Future. Instead, the DeLorean is just a cool car, yet one that highly appeals to huge BTTF fans. And of the 6,500 DMC-12s still in existence, it’s likely that a large percentage are possessed by people who’ve installed a mock Flux Capacitor and own a vanity license plate that says something like “MCFLY” or “88 MPH” or “OUTATIME”. Get ready to see more tributes to the movie, too, since a car manufacturer in Houston has begun making new DMC-12s in limited production.

Movie: The Wizard
Product: Nintendo
A year after Mac and Me seemed to indicate that really, really prominent and shameless product placement was possibly a bad idea, The Wizard came out and provided the opposing argument. Then and now people have looked at the film’s promotion of Nintendo’s latest and much-anticipated blockbuster video game (and the the system’s “so bad” Power Glove controller) as one of the low moments in product placement, but for anyone who cared about video games in 1989, the chance to even get a glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3 was worth the price of admission for an otherwise lame kiddie version of Rain Man.

Movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
Product: White Castle
Like The Wizard’s promotion of Nintendo products, the employment of the White Castle fast food brand in Harold and Kumar is about reminding an audience about something it already likes and desires. But unlike The Wizard, Harold and Kumar doesn’t make the sponsorship seem like such a cheap grab for cash. Sure, the stoner comedy could have used any fast food place, real or made up, but for anyone who has devoured a whole Crave Case with one other friend at four in the morning, the specifically branded joke is all the more appreciated.

Movie: Wayne’s World
Products: Pizza Hut; Doritos; Reebok; Nuprin; Pepsi
Tina Fey may seem like the smartest SNL vet ever, but each time 30 Rock does the ironic product placement shtick, a number of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey loyalists likely shout at their screen, “Sheah, right! As if that’s not a 15-year-old gag.” And Fey isn’t the only one guilty of recycling the joke, although occasionally movies like Talladega Nights and Josie and the Pussycats can get away with it, because it’s kind of a necessary gag when satirizing things like NASCAR and pop music. Even the reflexive use of product placement in Fight Club somewhat descends from the Wayne’s World scene.

Movie: Best in Show
Products: Starbucks; Apple; J. Crew; L.L. Bean
Product placement doesn’t always have to be about favorably advertising a brand. It can also be about making fun of a brand, or making fun of a certain kind of person that brand is geared toward. In the mockumentary Best in Show, Starbucks is made fun of for having so many locations, while Apple is merely employed in the joke. Catalog clothing companies J. Crew and L.L. Bean are also simultaneously the butt of a joke and the means with which Christopher Guest makes fun of two of his film’s characters.

Movie: Good Bye Lenin!
Product: Coca-Cola
Product placement can also be about employing a product that serves as an idea. Coca-Cola is a brand that has been featured in tons of films as more a symbol of capitalism and the West than of soda pop (see my old post on Coca-Cola in cinema here), and in this German comedy, a giant Coca-Cola billboard serves to represent the westernization going on outside the window of the room of an oblivious woman being duped to believe the Berlin Wall never fell.

Movie: One, Two, Three
Product: Pepsi
The Coca-Cola placement in Good Bye Lenin! recalls Billy Wilder’s film One, Two, Three, which also deals with the division of East and West Berlin and also employs the iconic brand for the same kind of symbolic representation of capitalism. In Wilder’s film, though, the product is much more prominent, as the plot revolves around a Coca-Cola executive (played by James Cagney). Yet after so much mention of Coke, especially with the association of overbearing consumerism and cultural imperialism, you’re more likely to come away from the film wanting a bottle of Pepsi, instead. Of course, it also helps that the final shot in the film is of Cagney holding a bottle of Coca-Cola’s main competitor.

Movie: Breathless (À bout de souffle)

If you’re surprised that there was product placement as long ago as 1961, when One, Two, Three was released, let’s go back even further to 1960, and to another country, France. Jean-Luc Godard’s breakthrough and groundbreaking film probably wasn’t meant to increase sales of the New York Herald Tribune, but what male viewer could resist purchasing a subscription after watching and hearing Jean Seberg peddle the newspaper at the beginning of the film? Perhaps now the film even still inspires young men to subscribe to New York magazine, as a substitute for its now unavailable ancestor.
Oh, and just so you know, product placement can be found many, many decades earlier than the 1960s.

Movie: Minority Report
Products: Lexus; Guiness; American Express; and others
The product placement in Minority Report is considered an example of overkill, but that’s also the point. The film is set in a not-so-far-off future in which ads are everywhere, and most of them are personalized to address the consumer directly by name. It’s one of many futurist ideas in the film meant to exaggerate the present while predicting the direction technology is going. Already people receive personalized spam and internet ads, and advances in personalized marketing are growing closer and closer to what exists as a joke/prophesy in Spielberg’s film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
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      <title>Spout Post: Re:Top 5 Films of the 90s</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Forever_Young/Re_Top_5_Films_of_the_90s/85/35726/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/2227/default.aspx'>pippin06</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Forever_Young/85/discussions.aspx'>Forever Young</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 9/30/2008 4:56:32 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> [quote user="filmgal81"] ( Originally posted on the 80s Movies board, but i think it fits better here) Picking up where Seely left off, I'd like to start a list of the Top 5 Films of the 90s. Again, not necessarily cinematic genius, but films that epitomize how you remember the 90s ( or a particular part of the 90s).   Here's mine:   1) Edward Scissorhands - does anything scream 90s like this film? Early Johnny Depp, the Rebel Without a Cause like angst of the early 90s personified in Tim Burton's creation about a man forever on the outside of the "perfect" world ( a theme that also  reverberates throughout many of his later films)   2) Singles -    A film complete with long hair, plaid shirts, and the Seattle grunge music scene- classic!   3) House Party- on the lighter side, there was this fun film featuring a very popular rap duo named Kid n Play.  The fashion, the music,  the dancing, blatant sexual references...also classic! 4)Dances with Wolves - &amp; 5) Wyatt Earp - 90s actors of the moment paying tribute to our frontier past.     [/quote] Ah, thank you for posting!  This group has been sleepy lately, so it's nice to know people are still interested.  And a good topic...but... I have a question: are we talking our five fave films in general from the 90s?  Or our five fave teen flicks?  Since this is the group devoted to those guilty pleasures we call the teen movie, I'll approach it from both vantage points, but if you like Top 5's, the Top 5 group is the best place to play this game.  Still, we're open to all here - So: top 5 teen flicks from the 90s (not as good as from the 80s...but yeah). 1. 10 Things I Hate About You - I admit it.  I like it.  I mostly like Heath before his superstardom, but the whole massively guilty pleasure is just fun to watch.  Even when you're sick! 2. Clueless - As if!  Whatever happened to what's her name?  You know, the star? 3. Never Been Kissed - Is Drew Barrymore believable as Josie Grossie?  Hard to say, but another massively guilty pleasure. 4. Election - Overachiever hell by Reese Witherspoon. 5. Now and Then - The female version of Stand By Me for the 90s! Now, to pick my favorite movies of the 90s.  That's considerably harder - I mean, it was a good decade and all, but I don't think my favoritest films include many from the decade.  I'm trying to think back to my movie collection; ironically, it dances around the 90s quite dramatically.  Let's see if I can pick five... 1. Forrest Gump / Apollo 13 - I put these Tom Hanks movies together because this was during the Tom Hanks era, when he couldn't escape a year without an Oscar nod.  I like Philadelphia too, but I liked these movies more.  Forrest sees it all - it's funny and touching and yes, he's not a smart man, but he knows what love is!  And Apollo 13 still tenses me up, and I already know the outcome (I have seen it a few times, after all, in addition to, well, history). 2. Schindler's List - It's hard to watch, but it's the artistic pinnacle of the decade without question. 3. Pulp Fiction - QT exploded onto the map with this quintessential film, and John Travolta had a second coming.  It's violent, profane, and overtly sexual (not to mention the unadulterated cocaine use), but it's one of the best told yarns on film. 4. American Beauty / The Usual Suspects - Two of my favorite movies starring one of my favorite actors.  Kevin Spacey, playing the duplicitous Verbal Kint or hysterically sardonic Lester Burnham, pretty much rocked my world, and I've watched these movies multiple times and own them both too. 5. The Sixth Sense - Shyamalan seems to offend many nowadays, but no one can deny the thrills and chills factor of this, his very first film, about seeing dead people. And for good measure, my top 5 honorable mentions for the decade: Wayne's World / Austin Powers - It was Mike Myers' decade, after all. Toy Story - A masterpiece but oddly not my favorite Pixar anymore. The Mask / The Truman Show - It was Jim Carrey's decade too, and these two films exemplify his wacky acting schizophrenia. The Silence of the Lambs - Almost made my top 5, but I can't watch it repeatedly.  Hannibal scares me.  And he should. Titanic - Oh shut up.  You know you loved it the first time you saw it.  It was only after Celine Dion's painfully worded ballad and James Cameron's self-indulgent "I'm the king of the world" nod that you decided you were too cool to like it.  Besides, the production values on the film are astounding.  I get cold just watching those poor people drown in the icy Atlantic.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:56:32 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>pippin06</spout:postby><spout:postto>Forever Young</spout:postto><spout:postdate>9/30/2008 4:56:32 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>[quote user="filmgal81"] ( Originally posted on the 80s Movies board, but i think it fits better here) Picking up where Seely left off, I'd like to start a list of the Top 5 Films of the 90s. Again, not necessarily cinematic genius, but films that epitomize how you remember the 90s ( or a particular part of the 90s).   Here's mine:   1) Edward Scissorhands - does anything scream 90s like this film? Early Johnny Depp, the Rebel Without a Cause like angst of the early 90s personified in Tim Burton's creation about a man forever on the outside of the "perfect" world ( a theme that also  reverberates throughout many of his later films)   2) Singles -    A film complete with long hair, plaid shirts, and the Seattle grunge music scene- classic!   3) House Party- on the lighter side, there was this fun film featuring a very popular rap duo named Kid n Play.  The fashion, the music,  the dancing, blatant sexual references...also classic! 4)Dances with Wolves - &amp;amp; 5) Wyatt Earp - 90s actors of the moment paying tribute to our frontier past.     [/quote] Ah, thank you for posting!  This group has been sleepy lately, so it's nice to know people are still interested.  And a good topic...but... I have a question: are we talking our five fave films in general from the 90s?  Or our five fave teen flicks?  Since this is the group devoted to those guilty pleasures we call the teen movie, I'll approach it from both vantage points, but if you like Top 5's, the Top 5 group is the best place to play this game.  Still, we're open to all here - So: top 5 teen flicks from the 90s (not as good as from the 80s...but yeah). 1. 10 Things I Hate About You - I admit it.  I like it.  I mostly like Heath before his superstardom, but the whole massively guilty pleasure is just fun to watch.  Even when you're sick! 2. Clueless - As if!  Whatever happened to what's her name?  You know, the star? 3. Never Been Kissed - Is Drew Barrymore believable as Josie Grossie?  Hard to say, but another massively guilty pleasure. 4. Election - Overachiever hell by Reese Witherspoon. 5. Now and Then - The female version of Stand By Me for the 90s! Now, to pick my favorite movies of the 90s.  That's considerably harder - I mean, it was a good decade and all, but I don't think my favoritest films include many from the decade.  I'm trying to think back to my movie collection; ironically, it dances around the 90s quite dramatically.  Let's see if I can pick five... 1. Forrest Gump / Apollo 13 - I put these Tom Hanks movies together because this was during the Tom Hanks era, when he couldn't escape a year without an Oscar nod.  I like Philadelphia too, but I liked these movies more.  Forrest sees it all - it's funny and touching and yes, he's not a smart man, but he knows what love is!  And Apollo 13 still tenses me up, and I already know the outcome (I have seen it a few times, after all, in addition to, well, history). 2. Schindler's List - It's hard to watch, but it's the artistic pinnacle of the decade without question. 3. Pulp Fiction - QT exploded onto the map with this quintessential film, and John Travolta had a second coming.  It's violent, profane, and overtly sexual (not to mention the unadulterated cocaine use), but it's one of the best told yarns on film. 4. American Beauty / The Usual Suspects - Two of my favorite movies starring one of my favorite actors.  Kevin Spacey, playing the duplicitous Verbal Kint or hysterically sardonic Lester Burnham, pretty much rocked my world, and I've watched these movies multiple times and own them both too. 5. The Sixth Sense - Shyamalan seems to offend many nowadays, but no one can deny the thrills and chills factor of this, his very first film, about seeing dead people. And for good measure, my top 5 honorable mentions for the decade: Wayne's World / Austin Powers - It was Mike Myers' decade, after all. Toy Story - A masterpiece but oddly not my favorite Pixar anymore. The Mask / The Truman Show - It was Jim Carrey's decade too, and these two films exemplify his wacky acting schizophrenia. The Silence of the Lambs - Almost made my top 5, but I can't watch it repeatedly.  Hannibal scares me.  And he should. Titanic - Oh shut up.  You know you loved it the first time you saw it.  It was only after Celine Dion's painfully worded ballad and James Cameron's self-indulgent "I'm the king of the world" nod that you decided you were too cool to like it.  Besides, the production values on the film are astounding.  I get cold just watching those poor people drown in the icy Atlantic.</spout:body></item>
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      <title>Spout Post: Re:Weekly Theme for September 22: Breaking the Fourth Wall</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_September_22_Breaking_the_Fou/625/35459/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/119628/default.aspx'>mercurial</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/625/discussions.aspx'>Weekly Theme</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 9/23/2008 5:49:19 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Probably one of my favorite and least annoying uses of breaking the fourth wall is Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer were hilarious and the entire movie is Robert Downey Jr.'s characters talking to the audience and disrupting the film. In terms of comedies, there is of course Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Wayne's World, The Mask and I'm pretty sure all of the Austin Powers films too. Along the lines of A Clockwork Orange and that creepy omniscient look directly into the camera, there is the end of Psycho where I always felt like Norman Bates was looking right at me; the end of Magnolia where Melora Walters character is being confronted by John C. Reilly's character and finally looks straight into the camera and smiles; and the end of The Devil's Advocate when Al Pacino as the Devil says that line about pride being his favorite sin and winks at the camera.  <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:49:19 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>mercurial</spout:postby><spout:postto>Weekly Theme</spout:postto><spout:postdate>9/23/2008 5:49:19 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Probably one of my favorite and least annoying uses of breaking the fourth wall is Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer were hilarious and the entire movie is Robert Downey Jr.'s characters talking to the audience and disrupting the film. In terms of comedies, there is of course Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Wayne's World, The Mask and I'm pretty sure all of the Austin Powers films too. Along the lines of A Clockwork Orange and that creepy omniscient look directly into the camera, there is the end of Psycho where I always felt like Norman Bates was looking right at me; the end of Magnolia where Melora Walters character is being confronted by John C. Reilly's character and finally looks straight into the camera and smiles; and the end of The Devil's Advocate when Al Pacino as the Devil says that line about pride being his favorite sin and winks at the camera.  </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: I'm all outta 'Love'</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/archive/2008/6/22/31524.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/113227/default.aspx'>usesoap</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/default.aspx'>usesoap Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 6/22/2008 7:36:58 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Since Mike Myers latest abomina... I mean, character, &ldquo;The Love Guru,&rdquo; is rather fond of acronyms for followers in his self-help dynasty, let me sum up his film accordingly. Those expecting even the slightest twinkle of comedy from &ldquo;Wayne's World&rdquo; or &ldquo;Austin Powers&rdquo; are in for a lot of &ldquo;Crotch References and Agonizing Puns.&rdquo; If you are a big fan of &ldquo;Funnies from Anally Released Thunder&rdquo; jokes or a focus on &ldquo;Woefully Aggrandizing Narcissism Guffaws,&rdquo; then &ldquo;The Love Guru&rdquo; is right down your darkened alley. In fact, anything below the belt is the go-to source of snickers for Myers here. With the subtlety of a toddler discovering his genitalia for the first time, Myers seems fixated south of the equator, offering more crotch-centric comedy in 90 minutes than Adam Sandler's entire r&eacute;sum&eacute;. Myers star as the eponymous self-help expert with aspirations on becoming America's next top spiritual advisor. To do this, he must appear on Oprah like his rival, Deepak Chopra. And to do this, he must reunite a hockey player with his estranged wife. It should be noted that the athlete is played by Romany Malco, a black comedian, because, you know, a black man playing hockey is apparently hilarious in Myers comedy playbook. The team is owned by one Jane Bullard (played with tapioca intensity by one Jessica Alba), who Pitka warms up to in a romantic way. Pitka lives a comfortable life in his Los Angeles ashram. Pitka an American child raised (for no real apparent reason) by an Eastern guru (Ben Kingley, accepting another role that serves as steel brush to polish that Oscar of his). The master is cross eyed (for no real apparent reason) and his name is Tugginmypudha. If your knees are red from slapping them after reading that last name, again, run to the theater a get your ticket. Pitka is given a chastity belt (for no real apparent reason) only to serve as a gag involving a clanging sound every time he achieves an erection. He greets everyone with the mantra (for no real apparent reason) &ldquo;Mariska Hartgitay.&rdquo; By the way, you'll never guess who shows up for a cameo! To Ms. Hargitay's parents' credit, at least her name has some thought behind it (it means &ldquo;bitter&rdquo; in Herbrew). Myers, who also co-wrote the film, litters it with less-inventive names such as Dick Pants and Coach Cherkov (seriously, Mike, were you even trying?). The latter character is played by Myer's &ldquo;Austin Powers&rdquo; co-star, diminutive actor Verne Troyer. He's cast for no other reason than for Myers to squeeze out whatever little person jokes that didn't fit in the &ldquo;Powers&rdquo; films. I have stated in my column before that I am no prude and do enjoy an occasional wallow into the muddy waters of crude humor. But, honestly, &ldquo;The Love Guru&rdquo; is one school grade away from using a comeback of &ldquo;doody-head&rdquo; as a punchline. Myers' character is tested in that he has to learn to love himself before others, but that does not seem to be a problem for the actor himself. Shamelessly mugging, laughing at all his own jokes and flailing like a sleep-deprived child mid-tantrum, calling Myers a ham would be a disservice to the pork industry. First-time director Marco Schnabel does little more than point and shoot, allowing scenes (and Myers) to go on much longer than necessary. The other truly odd vibe of &ldquo;Guru&rdquo; is its presumption of intended audience members (boys under age of the PG-13 rating, or adults with an IQ of 13) have actually seen a Bollywood muscial, read a Deepak Chopra book or even fondly remember hair-metal band Extreme's music video to their power ballad &ldquo;More Than Words&rdquo; (it's better not to even ask about that last one). This derision all comes from the saddened heart of a Myers fan &mdash; someone who found the original &ldquo;Austin Powers&rdquo; and &ldquo;Wayne's World&rdquo; hilarious and who still recalls with a smile several of the perfomer's &ldquo;Saturday Night Live&rdquo; skits. But there is little to smile about in &ldquo;Guru.&rdquo; For even if you remove all the references to fetid bodily functions, you are still left with a &ldquo;Totally Underwhelming and Rancid Diversion.&rdquo;<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:36:58 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>usesoap</spout:postby><spout:postto>usesoap Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>6/22/2008 7:36:58 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Since Mike Myers latest abomina... I mean, character, &amp;ldquo;The Love Guru,&amp;rdquo; is rather fond of acronyms for followers in his self-help dynasty, let me sum up his film accordingly. Those expecting even the slightest twinkle of comedy from &amp;ldquo;Wayne's World&amp;rdquo; or &amp;ldquo;Austin Powers&amp;rdquo; are in for a lot of &amp;ldquo;Crotch References and Agonizing Puns.&amp;rdquo; If you are a big fan of &amp;ldquo;Funnies from Anally Released Thunder&amp;rdquo; jokes or a focus on &amp;ldquo;Woefully Aggrandizing Narcissism Guffaws,&amp;rdquo; then &amp;ldquo;The Love Guru&amp;rdquo; is right down your darkened alley. In fact, anything below the belt is the go-to source of snickers for Myers here. With the subtlety of a toddler discovering his genitalia for the first time, Myers seems fixated south of the equator, offering more crotch-centric comedy in 90 minutes than Adam Sandler's entire r&amp;eacute;sum&amp;eacute;. Myers star as the eponymous self-help expert with aspirations on becoming America's next top spiritual advisor. To do this, he must appear on Oprah like his rival, Deepak Chopra. And to do this, he must reunite a hockey player with his estranged wife. It should be noted that the athlete is played by Romany Malco, a black comedian, because, you know, a black man playing hockey is apparently hilarious in Myers comedy playbook. The team is owned by one Jane Bullard (played with tapioca intensity by one Jessica Alba), who Pitka warms up to in a romantic way. Pitka lives a comfortable life in his Los Angeles ashram. Pitka an American child raised (for no real apparent reason) by an Eastern guru (Ben Kingley, accepting another role that serves as steel brush to polish that Oscar of his). The master is cross eyed (for no real apparent reason) and his name is Tugginmypudha. If your knees are red from slapping them after reading that last name, again, run to the theater a get your ticket. Pitka is given a chastity belt (for no real apparent reason) only to serve as a gag involving a clanging sound every time he achieves an erection. He greets everyone with the mantra (for no real apparent reason) &amp;ldquo;Mariska Hartgitay.&amp;rdquo; By the way, you'll never guess who shows up for a cameo! To Ms. Hargitay's parents' credit, at least her name has some thought behind it (it means &amp;ldquo;bitter&amp;rdquo; in Herbrew). Myers, who also co-wrote the film, litters it with less-inventive names such as Dick Pants and Coach Cherkov (seriously, Mike, were you even trying?). The latter character is played by Myer's &amp;ldquo;Austin Powers&amp;rdquo; co-star, diminutive actor Verne Troyer. He's cast for no other reason than for Myers to squeeze out whatever little person jokes that didn't fit in the &amp;ldquo;Powers&amp;rdquo; films. I have stated in my column before that I am no prude and do enjoy an occasional wallow into the muddy waters of crude humor. But, honestly, &amp;ldquo;The Love Guru&amp;rdquo; is one school grade away from using a comeback of &amp;ldquo;doody-head&amp;rdquo; as a punchline. Myers' character is tested in that he has to learn to love himself before others, but that does not seem to be a problem for the actor himself. Shamelessly mugging, laughing at all his own jokes and flailing like a sleep-deprived child mid-tantrum, calling Myers a ham would be a disservice to the pork industry. First-time director Marco Schnabel does little more than point and shoot, allowing scenes (and Myers) to go on much longer than necessary. The other truly odd vibe of &amp;ldquo;Guru&amp;rdquo; is its presumption of intended audience members (boys under age of the PG-13 rating, or adults with an IQ of 13) have actually seen a Bollywood muscial, read a Deepak Chopra book or even fondly remember hair-metal band Extreme's music video to their power ballad &amp;ldquo;More Than Words&amp;rdquo; (it's better not to even ask about that last one). This derision all comes from the saddened heart of a Myers fan &amp;mdash; someone who found the original &amp;ldquo;Austin Powers&amp;rdquo; and &amp;ldquo;Wayne's World&amp;rdquo; hilarious and who still recalls with a smile several of the perfomer's &amp;ldquo;Saturday Night Live&amp;rdquo; skits. But there is little to smile about in &amp;ldquo;Guru.&amp;rdquo; For even if you remove all the references to fetid bodily functions, you are still left with a &amp;ldquo;Totally Underwhelming and Rancid Diversion.&amp;rdquo;</spout:body></item>
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      <title>Spout Post: Viral Marketing Recreates the ’90s. Clip of the Day</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/5/29/30124.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 5/29/2008 11:00:24 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 
Yesterday, we presented a clip pretending to be a film from the ’60s. Now, here’s a clip that’s pretending to be from the ’90s. Are the ’00s really that bad that we can’t own up to making films in this decade? Perhaps, but I still love both retro recreations. Today’s video is part of the viral marketing campaign for The Wackness, a movie set in 1994. And fitting for its period, the promotional clip is in the form of a mock public-access show hosted by the film’s protagonist, teenage drug dealer Luke Shapiro (as played by the film’s star, Josh Peck).
It’s been a long time since I last watched public-access television (though it had to be more recently than ‘94), so I never thought about the idea that it was almost like the predecessor to YouTube, on which we are now all watching this fake public access spot. Think about it: Wayne’s World today would be about two guys taping an internet-based talk show; Tom Green would have been famous first on YouTube; and ten years ago, all your favorite YouTube stars would have had to go to the local college in order to broadcast themselves. Only they wouldn’t have reached a fraction of the population they reached through the internet. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2008 15:00:24 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>5/29/2008 11:00:24 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>
Yesterday, we presented a clip pretending to be a film from the ’60s. Now, here’s a clip that’s pretending to be from the ’90s. Are the ’00s really that bad that we can’t own up to making films in this decade? Perhaps, but I still love both retro recreations. Today’s video is part of the viral marketing campaign for The Wackness, a movie set in 1994. And fitting for its period, the promotional clip is in the form of a mock public-access show hosted by the film’s protagonist, teenage drug dealer Luke Shapiro (as played by the film’s star, Josh Peck).
It’s been a long time since I last watched public-access television (though it had to be more recently than ‘94), so I never thought about the idea that it was almost like the predecessor to YouTube, on which we are now all watching this fake public access spot. Think about it: Wayne’s World today would be about two guys taping an internet-based talk show; Tom Green would have been famous first on YouTube; and ten years ago, all your favorite YouTube stars would have had to go to the local college in order to broadcast themselves. Only they wouldn’t have reached a fraction of the population they reached through the internet. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
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      <title>Spout Post: Party Time...Excellent!</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/10/10/20588.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/98071/default.aspx'>JakeStevens</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/default.aspx'>JakeStevens Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 10/10/2007 3:10:40 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Surprising, this film still holds up, even if the era itself hasn&#39;t. Watching this film, I couldn&#39;t help but think &quot;What happened to Mike Myers?&quot; Sure, he&#39;s still voicing Shrek, but he hasn&#39;t physically acted in a film since &quot;The Cat In The Hat&quot; (if you count that film at all) 4 years ago. His Wayne character is so likeable and naive that he completely holds the film all on his own - quite a feat for a first-time-feature-film starring role of a former SNL skit. And let&#39;s face it, those former SNL skits don&#39;t have the greatest track record for successfully transferring to the big screen. A pleasant blast from the past.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:10:40 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>JakeStevens</spout:postby><spout:postto>JakeStevens Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>10/10/2007 3:10:40 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Surprising, this film still holds up, even if the era itself hasn&amp;#39;t. Watching this film, I couldn&amp;#39;t help but think &amp;quot;What happened to Mike Myers?&amp;quot; Sure, he&amp;#39;s still voicing Shrek, but he hasn&amp;#39;t physically acted in a film since &amp;quot;The Cat In The Hat&amp;quot; (if you count that film at all) 4 years ago. His Wayne character is so likeable and naive that he completely holds the film all on his own - quite a feat for a first-time-feature-film starring role of a former SNL skit. And let&amp;#39;s face it, those former SNL skits don&amp;#39;t have the greatest track record for successfully transferring to the big screen. A pleasant blast from the past.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re: Chicago = Playground Theater</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Chicago/Re_Chicago_Playground_Theater/354/11609/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t11987mp1ul.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/5353/default.aspx'>Risselada</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Chicago/354/discussions.aspx'>Chicago</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 6/21/2007 3:24:17 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> It&#39;s weird to imagine if they are all from different eras.Gondorf and Hooker are pulling a big one over on Lonnegan.  Dr. Richard Kimble is on the run from a U.S. Marshal.  The McAllister family is flying out of O&#39;Hare minus one member.  Bill is working his last day at the steel-mill.  Rob Gordon is making another stupid list and whining about his life.  Satan is giving a bus tour of the St. Valintine&#39;s Day Massacre.  Wayne and Garth are headbanging.  "Rocket" Steadman is sucking it up like usual.  Tom Stansfield is chasing an owl named O.J. in the year 2003.  A baby carriage falls down the stairs.  William Gates fucks up his knee.  <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:24:17 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Risselada</spout:postby><spout:postto>Chicago</spout:postto><spout:postdate>6/21/2007 3:24:17 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>It&amp;#39;s weird to imagine if they are all from different eras.Gondorf and Hooker are pulling a big one over on Lonnegan.  Dr. Richard Kimble is on the run from a U.S. Marshal.  The McAllister family is flying out of O&amp;#39;Hare minus one member.  Bill is working his last day at the steel-mill.  Rob Gordon is making another stupid list and whining about his life.  Satan is giving a bus tour of the St. Valintine&amp;#39;s Day Massacre.  Wayne and Garth are headbanging.  "Rocket" Steadman is sucking it up like usual.  Tom Stansfield is chasing an owl named O.J. in the year 2003.  A baby carriage falls down the stairs.  William Gates fucks up his knee.  </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:love</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>love</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 12478</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 338</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1480</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:28:29 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>12478</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>338</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1480</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:funny</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>funny</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 609</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 316</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 942</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:10:58 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>609</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>316</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>942</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:Classic</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>Classic</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 816</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 313</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1454</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:30:46 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>816</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>313</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1454</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:family</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>family</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 6289</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 227</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1139</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:00:49 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>6289</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>227</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1139</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:Loved-It</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>Loved-It</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 509</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 179</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 921</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:35 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>509</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>179</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>921</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:friendship</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>friendship</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 6791</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 154</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 980</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:42:20 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>6791</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>154</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>980</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:music</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/music/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/music/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>music</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 4341</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 144</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 481</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:51:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>4341</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>144</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>481</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:fun</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fun/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/fun/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>fun</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 459</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 142</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 296</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:23:09 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>459</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>142</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>296</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:comingofage</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comingofage/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/comingofage/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>comingofage</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1186</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 72</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 219</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:51:56 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1186</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>72</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>219</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:Guilty-Pleasure</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Guilty-Pleasure/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/Guilty-Pleasure/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>Guilty-Pleasure</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 102</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 61</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 152</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:55:42 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>102</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>61</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>152</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:excellent</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/excellent/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/excellent/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>excellent</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 44</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 44</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 60</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:40:08 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>44</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>44</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>60</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:party</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/party/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/party/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>party</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 900</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 43</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 169</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:17:56 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>900</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>43</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>169</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:television</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/television/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/television/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>television</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 945</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 34</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 91</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:28:57 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>945</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>34</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>91</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:car</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/car/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/car/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>car</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1316</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 32</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 99</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:32:16 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1316</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>32</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>99</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:rock</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/rock/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/rock/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>rock</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 172</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 30</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 39</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:02:40 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>172</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>30</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>39</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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