tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post6560381452373409085..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The story behind the piesBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39906025566571925322008-09-29T09:57:00.000-07:002008-09-29T09:57:00.000-07:00As someone who has choreographed MANY pie fights (...As someone who has choreographed MANY pie fights (albeit on a much smaller scale, and with very little budget... or help...), I can vouch for the fact that these things ALWAYS take longer than you think. And are ALWAYS messier than you think. (We often shoot outside for exactly the reason you described... Hoses afterwards!)<BR/><BR/>I only wish you had used real pies (a la The Great Race) or even fake pies a la The Three Stooges (usually pie crusts filled with shaving cream). Those tarts are a little too small for my pie-centric tastes. <BR/><BR/>GREAT blog though, very entertaining read!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25323057031840139852008-09-25T17:19:00.000-07:002008-09-25T17:19:00.000-07:00It's very funny. I wish there were a traditional s...It's very funny. I wish there were a traditional sitcom on the air right now half as good. <BR/><BR/>And Edelstein. Sigh.Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88999953039452556252008-09-25T15:47:00.000-07:002008-09-25T15:47:00.000-07:00Is the pie soaked extra famous now? I have to loo...Is the pie soaked extra famous now? I have to look at the clip again.<BR/><BR/>I saw it when it originally aired. I distinctly remember the "Patty, please don't dance" line right before the singing. I also remember Lisa Edelstein expertly falling down a marble staircase in another episode. She must do physical comedy very well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67922326229983744582008-09-25T15:03:00.000-07:002008-09-25T15:03:00.000-07:00Let me get this straight; you referenced a Natalie...Let me get this straight; you referenced a Natalie Wood movie IN the piece, and yet posted no picture of Natalie Wood. <BR/><BR/>In the word of Claude Rains, "I'm shocked. SHOCKED!"<BR/><BR/>Cheers.Tallulah Moreheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416330735326405496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2704190979865888512008-09-25T11:32:00.000-07:002008-09-25T11:32:00.000-07:00700 tarts of chaosIsn't that The Bachelor reunion ...<I>700 tarts of chaos</I><BR/><BR/>Isn't that <I>The Bachelor</I> reunion show?<BR/><BR/>Moving on to a question for Friday, if you were hired to cast a new show and told to pick one performer from each of your previous shows, who would you add to the ensemble? (Keeping in mind that who you pick doesn't mean you think he/she was the best on a particular show, but rather that each would work well off each other in one cast.)Mary Stellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9627825626581340892008-09-25T09:25:00.000-07:002008-09-25T09:25:00.000-07:00Sebastian- After watching the pie fight several ti...Sebastian- After watching the pie fight several times(very well choreographed btw), I think I figured out who the culprit is. However, Ken is probably right in not naming her, and leaving it to the imagination as in most things is probably for the best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-64386800726988546402008-09-25T05:46:00.000-07:002008-09-25T05:46:00.000-07:00There was no way you could shoot this episode and ...There was no way you could shoot this episode and not refer to The Great Race--the largest pie fight ever staged. It is such a fantastic comedy and one of my favorites. I loved Natalie Wood as Maggie; it's worth going back to watch her hurl pies while she's wearing a corset.Corinnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17724324179898960650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38057534755190622572008-09-24T22:33:00.000-07:002008-09-24T22:33:00.000-07:00No disrespect intended to either your judgment or ...No disrespect intended to either your judgment or the finer qualities of your colleague, Mr. Levine, but amongst wrestling faithful, Mr. Gewirtz has been widely criticized. Wrestling, being something of a unique beast, has often presented an insurmountable challenge for writers from other genres. Script too much... the performers come off even <I>more</I> wooden and unconvincing. Script too little... the writer gets blamed for not doing anything good. Gewirtz, rightly or wrongly, has been blasted by both fans and wrestling beat writers. At times, his tenure has been used as another demonstration of the intractability and hubris of wrestling management as regards refusing to admit mistakes and force-feeding unwanted, over-stylized content.<BR/><BR/>Personally?—I have no opinion. I come neither to praise Gewirtz nor to bury him. I just happen to know some people in the hemi/demi/semi-professional world of wrestling beat writing.<BR/><BR/>One thing I can tell you, with confidence, is that while Mr. Gewirtz surely has many uncredited or underappreciated talents, insofar as the wrestling world is concerned, his making the Rock's career is not one of them.<BR/><BR/>The truly "great" wrestling personalities are created via their "mic work," and almost to a man all the greats owe their memorable work to improvisation. They might make something akin to a high-school extemporaneous speech's outline the night before; they might write down one or two zingers. But mostly, they try to establish three or four points to hit ahead of time, then go out there and riff off the audience, feel their way to what is working and what doesn't. In a lot of ways, it's like stand-up comedy and stand-up drama. Scripted stuff comes off less naturally and usually less successfully.<BR/><BR/>Almost all of The Rock's signature phrases came from this sort of improvisation. In fact, his name, The Rock, came from an ad-lib. Previously, he was "Rocky Maivia," but he decided to wing a harder sounding name to fit the speech he was giving. Most of what made The Rock such a phenomenon with the audience was his ability to quip and riff at a faster pace than almost anyone else.<BR/><BR/>I don't mean to take anything away from your colleague. I only feel that, in this case, crediting Mr. Gewirtz for the work that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson improvised and created for himself lessens another performer.Mobutuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00248812411837063895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22690977190549611792008-09-24T22:21:00.000-07:002008-09-24T22:21:00.000-07:00I think it's actually funnier if you don't know wh...I think it's actually funnier if you don't know who it is and pick your personal favorite ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01936042470523695383noreply@blogger.com