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Netflix reportedly spent $40 million on Chris Rock
Chris Rock has had well-known comedy specials on HBO like Bigger and Blacker and Never Scared, but in 2017 when he returns with his first special in eight years, it will be on Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Deadline, the streaming service outbid others including HBO, Amazon and Hulu for the rights to two specials at a price of $40 million.
Comedians Andy Kaufman and Redd Foxx will return as holograms
Holographic (really, "Pepper's Ghost") versions of dead musicians have proven successful, so why not comedians from days gone by? Hologram USA doesn't think that's a bad idea, at least. The tech firm has revealed that it's producing visual resurrections of legendary comedians Andy Kaufman and Redd Foxx that will go on tour in 2016. Hologram USA says the estates of both celebs are collaborating to make this an "authentic experience," although it's not clear exactly what that means.
Louis CK releases his first nightclub comedy special online
Louis CK has made it a habit of releasing comedy specials online, bypassing the industry gatekeepers that jack up prices and delay releases. Well, he's at it again. The laugh-maker has just posted his first nightclub special, Live at the Comedy Store, on his own website. Pay his customary $5 price and you'll get three unprotected video downloads (finally in 1080p!), three audio downloads and three streams. You'll know the drill if you've watched one of Louis' digital shows before, but this show could be just the relief you need if the weather has you cooped up at home. [Image credit: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for New York Comedy Festival]
Comedian Jay Mohr rejoins star-studded Saints Row cast
Former Blizzcon host Jay Mohr is again lending his voice to the Saints Row franchise, a series that also boasts Hollywood notables such as Neil Patrick Harris, Burt Reynolds, and in possibly the greatest cameo appearance ever, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Mohr broke the news on Twitter, stating simply, "About to do my voice over work for new Saints Row video game." Alongside this message Mohr posted a photograph of the recording studio he was using where a screen clearly shows several fan-favorite Saints Row characters. Unfortunately, Mohr's image offers no further hints at what the actor's involvement might be in the Saints Row universe. Saints Row 4 is a new enough game that this recent recording session may be related to an upcoming, as yet unannounced DLC addition for the game. On the other hand, the game is also old enough that developer Volition could have pulled Mohr in to record lines for Saints Row 5. While not necessarily a direct indicator of his role, Mohr previously voiced Dane Vogel, antagonist of Saints Row 2. Whatever the case, we likely won't know more any time soon. Mohr's become coy since his initial reveal, and neither Volition nor publisher Deep Silver will say anything further. Edit: This article has been altered to note that Jay Mohr previously appeared as a voice actor in the Saints Row series. [Image: Flickr]
Comedy Central laughs all the way to Xbox 360 with stand-up comedy app
Comedy Central announced that its CC: Stand-Up app is now available on Xbox 360. Using a layout similar to YouTube's Xbox 360 app, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can search over 6,000 stand-up comedy videos from over 700 comedians to find anybody but Dane Cook, please. CC: Stand-Up is compatible with both Kinect and SmartGlass, and the app itself is already available on iOS. Now that we have a Comedy Central app on Xbox to make us laugh, we're waiting on Lifetime to bring us the tear-jerkers via Xbox Live. We need to get our cry on.
Bacarobo 'stupid robot' contest is back, and it's hilarious (video)
Our love of tech, gadgets, and anything, really, with blinking lights means that while we certainly value usability and quality in our consumer electronics, there will always be a place in our hearts for the utterly useless. And we're definitely not alone here, as the popularity of the annual Bacarobo (stupid robot) contest will tell you. This year's event was held in Budapest, Hungary, and featured a number of the silliest robots you've never seen before -- all designed to get a laugh. The contest is judged in true hackneyed Gong Show-esque fashion with an applause meter, and the winner received a €2,000 ($2,700 USD) prize. And that's nothing to laugh at! But enough chatter: peep the video after the break to see for yourself.
DICE 2009: Jay Mohr pokes fun at devs at AIAA awards
We've seen the unforgettably disastrous consequences that result when comedians attempt to make jokes at the expense of members of the gaming industry (smelly virgins! LOLOLOL!), but from what we've heard, Jay Mohr's introduction to the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards show actually possessed some elements of humor. Instead of harping on gamer stereotypes, Mohr's act was refreshingly researched -- take, for instance, his jab at Richard Garriott: "That guy used thirty million to launch himself into space. Maybe he should have used that to launch Tabula Rasa."While some of his jabs fell flat, Mohr ended up hitting more than he missed. He compared the 100-plus hours he's sunk into Fallout 3 to the amount of time it takes to acquire a pilot's license, saying, "Guys are landing planes on the Hudson. I'm decorating a shack in Megaton." He turned his sights to the D.I.Y. nature of LittleBigPlanet, too, saying, "It's like buying a CD, plugging it in, and then having to go buy all the instruments." Best of all, he refused to pick on Grand Theft Auto IV, quipping, "If you want to watch an awards show about thugs beating up ho's, watch the Grammys." Awww ... (wait for it) ...
Promotional Consideration: Ms. Yanagihara
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.Shipped out to stores in Japan just last week, Fujimori Midori no Let's Tarot performs virtual tarot readings while teaching its users how to interpret the cards themselves. It's an interesting title, one that we could picture possibly being a small success if ever brought to the states, occupying the New Age shelves of bookstores.Also interesting is who publisher Bitway chose to promote the fortunetelling trainer, opting for a celebrity face, Kanako Yanagihara, instead of Fujimori Midori, the medium who lent her name and likeness to the game. Read on for some of Kanako Yanagihara's previous work.
Comedian Jimmy Carr takes act into Second Life
Irish funnyman Jimmy Carr is set to become the first major comedian to perform stand-up in Second Life. On February 3, as Carr takes the stage in London, his routine will be simultaneously broadcast to a select audience in the virtual world. Will his signature deadpan survive the translation?Carr is giving away tickets to the event through a competition on his MySpace page.[Thanks Joe](Note: the BBC story grossly exaggerates the size of Second Life's user base. See: Analyzing the press' Second Life obsession)
"The only thing that would have made the original NES better is if it had worked"
Kyle Cease, a stand-up comedian who also had roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and Not Another Teen Movie, covers NES sub-culture in this clip from one of his acts. Kyle sends up everything from out-of-touch parents ("MOM! PRESS THE B BUTTON!"), the fragility of the cartridge slot and the "suspenseful" music made out of bleeps.Before you click continue to watch the video, be aware that this is definitely NSFW.
