Blast from the Past (Bonus): Sigourney Weaver in Alienses on SNL

Every once in a while, I happen upon an old post that is worthy of a rerun. And I think this is one of them. Enjoy.

ORIGINAL POST 08/21/11:

Saturday Night Live isn't as funny as you remember. I don't mean now versus yesterday, I mean it was never as funny as you remember. I've watched since the very first episode in 1975, and am an unabashed fan. Even with its wild swings in quality (often within the same episode), I've stuck with it through thick-and-thin, only abandoning it during the abysmal 1980 season (and even caught a couple of those). As terrific as it could sometimes be in its original years, and successive reboots, it's always been hit-and-miss, with nostalgia painting it "better than it was."


You know how sometimes these days, the "cold open" or the monologue, Weekend Update or the SNL Digital Short might be absolutely hilarious, and then the rest of the show might suck? Yeah, it's always been that way, really. I think it's the nature of live TV. You don't know what's going to work until it's over. A Debbie Downer might only be funny because all of the cast cracked up during the live show. A bit might only work with repetition. But one thing SNL has only rarely been is: funny all the way through.

I can think of two episodes that were. One was a show hosted by Roseanne Barr (Arnold). And the other was the episode hosted by Sigourney Weaver in 1986. Hers was the premiere episode of the season, after the abysmal single season that marked Lorne Michaels' return to the show after a long absence. Though the 1985 season introduced Dennis Miller, Nora Dunn and Jon Lovitz to America, the rest of the cast (which included Robert Downey Jr., Randy Quaid and Anthony Michael Hall) never clicked, and the show was nearly cancelled. Madonna (the host of the 1985 premiere) even came back to declare the whole season a "horrible, horrible dream."



But in 1986, Lorne Michaels hired perhaps the best cast in SNL history, barring the original. For the next several years, the cast remained intact, and segued along nicely for many more. 1986 saw the introduction of Dana Carvey, Victoria Jackson (batshit teabagger, these days), the fabulous Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon and the sadly departed Phil Hartman. And in that first episode (which also featured Weaver's friend, playwright Christopher Durang and musician Buster Poindexter), SNL aired probably their strongest premiere episode ever, including the first Church Chat, featuring "church lady" Enid Strict. There was the great "Quiz Masters" game show segment. Also, the Derek Stevens "Chopping Broccoli" bit.  Then there was the timely Aliens parody, spoofing Weaver's huge hit movie, called Alienses.



I found and watched this episode (after having had it saved on videotape for years, since discarded) on Netflix. I was disappointed to find that Alienses and a duet with Buster Poindexter (and any other possibly included musical guest) were curiously missing from the episode. Why on earth they would do this, I have no idea. I know that sometimes bits that didn't go ever well are excised in reruns. But Alienses is a fan favorite, with Carvey's colonial marine aping Bill Paxton's character:  "We're shredded wheat, man! We're grated cheese, man!" So after that (very) long introduction, here is Alienses. . .


Sigourney Weaver in "Alienses" by alienfan

Vote For Newt!

Newt.


Plucky.


Newt.


Scrappy.


Newt.


A survivor!


Vote for Newt. Or nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. Game over, man. Game over.

Bummer: White House Says No Contact with Aliens Yet

Actually, they really ought to take a look at Ron
Paul's DNA, just to be sure. Image from Raw Story

Well, they aren't admitting we've made contact anyway. Could we ever expect them to?

[Excerpt]


White House: No contact yet from E.T.

In a galaxy, far, far away, there is a mathematical chance that alien life exists — but the White House says it has no evidence that extraterrestrials have ever tried to contact humans.

In a blow to conspiracy theorists everywhere, a senior Barack Obama administration official also says there is also no credible information to suggest evidence of alien life is being kept from the public. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Saturday Night Live: Sigourney Weaver in Alienses

Saturday Night Live isn't as funny as you remember. I don't mean now versus yesterday, I mean it was never as funny as you remember. I've watched since the very first episode in 1975, and am an unabashed fan. Even with its wild swings in quality (often within the same episode), I've stuck with it through thick-and-thin, only abandoning it during the abysmal 1980 season (and even caught a couple of those). As terrific as it could sometimes be in its original years, and successive reboots, it's always been hit-and-miss, with nostalgia painting it "better than it was."


You know how sometimes these days, the "cold open" or the monologue, Weekend Update or the SNL Digital Short might be absolutely hilarious, and then the rest of the show might suck? Yeah, it's always been that way, really. I think it's the nature of live TV. You don't know what's going to work until it's over. A Debbie Downer might only be funny because all of the cast cracked up during the live show. A bit might only work with repetition. But one thing SNL has only rarely been is: funny all the way through.


I can think of two episodes that were. One was a show hosted by Roseanne Barr (Arnold). And the other was the episode hosted by Sigourney Weaver in 1986. Hers was the premiere episode of the season, after the abysmal single season that marked Lorne Michaels' return to the show after a long absence. Though the 1985 season introduced Dennis Miller, Nora Dunn and Jon Lovitz to America, the rest of the cast (which included Robert Downey Jr., Randy Quaid and Anthony Michael Hall) never clicked, and the show was nearly cancelled. Madonna (the host of the 1985 premiere) even came back to declare the whole season a "horrible, horrible dream."


But in 1986, Lorne Michaels hired perhaps the best cast in SNL history, barring the original. For the next several years, the cast remained intact, and segued along nicely for many more. 1986 saw the introduction of Dana Carvey, Victoria Jackson (batshit teabagger, these days), the fabulous Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon and the sadly departed Phil Hartman. And in that first episode (which also featured Weaver's friend, playwright Christopher Durang and musician Buster Poindexter), SNL aired probably their strongest premiere episode ever, including the first Church Chat, featuring "church lady" Enid Strict. There was the great "Quiz Masters" game show segment. Also, the Derek Stevens "Chopping Broccoli" bit.  Then there was the timely Aliens parody, spoofing Weaver's huge hit movie, called Alienses.



I found and watched this episode (after having had it saved on videotape for years, since discarded) on Netflix. I was disappointed to find that Alienses and a duet with Buster Poindexter (and any other possibly included musical guest) were curiously missing from the episode. Why on earth they would do this, I have no idea. I know that sometimes bits that didn't go ever well are excised in reruns. But Alienses is a fan favorite, with Carvey's colonial marine aping Bill Paxton's character:  "We're shredded wheat, man! We're grated cheese, man!" So after that (very) long introduction, here is Alienses. . .



Sigourney Weaver in "Alienses" by alienfan

Paul Reiser Show Cancelled After 2 Episodes

"No, kid, I shouldn't have done that to Ripley
in 'Aliens'." Image from source, TVLine

I watched both of them! And to be specific, though the show has aired twice, we're talking a span of eight days here. That's ridiculous. Was The Paul Reiser Show brilliant? No. Was it fall-down hilarious? No. But it wasn't intended to be. It's that sideways, sort of subtle kind of humor. It's not for everybody. I've only caught a couple of episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, but the pacing and style of the show was like that. Clearly this show should have been on a Showtime or HBO, and not on a trigger-happy NBC. Seinfeld, arguably a show with a similar sensibility, wasn't a hit out of the gate. It took time to build. I don't know if Reiser would ever have developed into that kind of show, but it's impossible to tell much of anything after two weeks.

[Excerpt]

NBC Kicks The Paul Reiser Show to the Curb



NBC has pulled the plug on The Paul Reiser Show. Network sources confirm to The Futon Critic that the sitcom has been axed after only two outings. . .
 
Read more at: TVLine

ABC's V Returns Tuesday, January 4!

I have high hopes for a great season two of V, the ABC remake of the old 80s cult hit. I really enjoyed season 1, and though it didn't have the impact of Lost or 24, the network must've seen something in it to give the show a renewal. I'm not confident that V will become buzzworthy enough to get to season three. I know how these things usually go. But I'll be there, every episode. Especially since Jane Badler--the evil Diana from the original--will be joining the show as a different (but surely still evil) Diana!  I can't wait.  And the promo is very, very compelling. . .

Will WikiLeaks Let us Know if The Visitors Are Our Friends?

UFOs in the WikiLeaks? Oooh, I hope so. Wouldn't it be interesting if the government really was covering up extraterrestrials--just like the conspiracy theories say--and we only find out it's true from WikiLeaks? Call Mulder and Scully to get to the bottom of this. I want to believe. . .

[Excerpt]

WikiLeaks chief: Expect UFO talk in future files

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Friday that there were some references to UFOs in "yet-to-be-published" confidential files obtained from the U.S. government. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

Jon Stewart's Take on Arizona Illegals Law

I'm frankly a little surprised at the national response to Arizona's draconian illegal immigration law.  I was perhaps a little to encouraged to see that 63% of my fellow Americans were supporting financial regulation. So, I was disheartened to see that around the same percentage of people support the "papers please" law.  Yikes.

I'm hopeful that it is just a case of not having considered the ramifications and possible unintended consequences of it. But already, people who are opposed to the law are being referred to as "pro illegal immigration."  Which is stupid.  And, as usual, to straighten this all out, we must turn to a comedian.  Frankly, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart often defines the implications of laws like this better than anyone else in the media.  It's certainly more entertaining.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Law & Border
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Creepy Photo of the Day: Palin vs. Palin

Pod people!!! Just kidding. This is an actual photo from Sarah Palin's Facebook page. Gaahhhh. . .

Barney Frank Was Right: You Can't Argue With Crazy or Stupid

This video is a little noisy and low tech, but it is no less confused or confusing than the state of the political discourse on the right, right now. And after arguing a pointless argument, I needed it.

Seth MacFarlane's Hulu Ad

Family Guy was slow to grow on me, but I was eventually a convert. I was actually an American Dad! fan before I warmed to it. The Other Half was even slower to take to the offbeat, outrageous humor, but is now a rabid fan. So, I was delighted to see the new Hulu ad by FG & AD! creator/producer/writer/voice actor Seth MacFarlane. It's the latest in a series, where stars of NBC and FOX TV shows openly shill for the video service in a most humorous (and offbeat) way.



Previously:

Eliza Dushku's Alien Hulu Commercial

Steelers Win, Whoop-de-do! (Alec Baldwin's Hulu Commercial)

TV I Can't Wait to See: V

Image from source, TV Squad

Do you remember V and V: The Final Battle, back in the 80s? It starred Faye Grant (from The Greatest American Hero), and Marc Singer (Beastmaster) who was fully clothed here, but in very tight jeans. They were the leaders of a resistance against an alien invasion. The twist was, the aliens presented themselves as our friends, here to help us eradicate all disease. But they were really ugly lizard people who were rounding us up for food!

The first miniseries was true event television for me, and I ate it up. But it was oddly unresolved at the end. Fortunately, it was successful, and the sequel was produced. It was just as engrossing, and wrapped with the defeat of the alien overlords. Except it wasn't. V: The Series premiered soon after, and then things went down hill.

The low budgets, and the difficulty sustaining a storyline where some humans were still on the aliens' side sunk the show. Still, I watched every episode. Jane Badler as the creepy lizard leader, Diana was bitch-tastic. And one of the aliens was on our side, Willie, played by Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger of A Nightmare on Elm Street). The characters were great, but the re-used footage from the mini-series, and the cheapness of the production just killed it.

These days, budgets may not be as much of an issue, with CGI effects instead of models. The same might be said for the makeup, where it might be made more believable that the lizard faces under the skin could actually be under the skin. In the original, the shape of the lizard head bore no resemblance to the human faces stretched over them. Maybe they'll fix that.

Anyway, I'm as excited for the remake as I was for the original, so I hope they get it right. My suggestion: Cindy McCain for the part of Diana!

[Excerpt]

ABC's V series remake -- will it really happen?

. . .The possible good news is that ABC sees the future and it is sci fi. They've done well with Lost (OK, that's borderline sci fi but becoming more so with this time travel stuff they've introduced) and even Life on Mars has that little bit of sci fi element to it. But that's it for anything even remotely sci fi on ABC's winter schedule. . .

Read more at: TV Squad

And now a clip of Diana from the original V:

Red State Update: Do Aliens Exist?

I thought I'd finish out the month with a humerous post, devoid of politics. And even though the ridiculously funny Red State Update is usually political, this time they take on last week's story about an astronaut that thinks aliens exist. Enjoy.

Astronaut Claims Alien Cover-Up?

Image from BuddyTV

Wow. Aliens. Really? Cool. Let's hope they're the friendly E.T. type, or even the American Dad Roger type, and not--ohhhh--War of the Worlds.

[Excerpt]

Moon-walker claims alien contact cover-up

FORMER NASA astronaut and moon-walker Dr Edgar Mitchell - a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission - has stunningly claimed aliens exist.

And he says extra-terrestrials have visited Earth on several occasions - but the alien contact has been repeatedly covered up by governments for six decades. Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us. . .'

Read more at: News.com.au

News of the Weird: Faceless "Aliens" in Crowd Scenes

Image from source, Daily Mail

I've always loved those advertising campaigns that trickle out slowly, giving you almost no information at first. You might see a billboard with nothing but a dot on it, followed a few days later by a couple more. Eventually the message is made clear. It's fun playing along.

These days, the same thing is accomplished with "viral videos" and the like. Something that attracts public attention for it's oddness, and then becomes known to be an advertisement, or a public awareness campaign. I have to wonder, if that is what this is all about. . .

[Excerpt]

Faceless 'aliens' spotted in crowd at Wimbledon

With the blankest of blank expressions on their faces, these mysterious figures have been popping up in the most unlikely of places.

The faceless mutants have a penchant for A-list celebrity bashes and have been spotted at Elton John's White tie ball and Harrods summer sale, opened by Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall. . .

Read more at: Daily Mail

Ann Coulter: Plan 10 from Outer Space?

Guest posted by Stupid Monkey Planet

For a change of pace, here's a post by Stupid Monkey Planet, best friend and fill-in editor. Usually, he posts when I'm away, but today he was getting a bit creative. Time to start up that long-simmering blog of your own, isn't it, Monkey?

ANN COULTER: Plan 10 from Outer Space?

Maybe there is something to the theory about this creature being an alien. Note the appendages, hands, wrists and arms in particular. Some strange bone structure, odd joints and an awfully elongated features on it. Alienish. . .at the very least!!!???

My scientific guess is this is a shape shifting alien. . .from the "Rushlim Bag Moon" orbiting Uranus. I believe the stage the alien is now in what could be called a morphing phase. I think that it is doing it's best to imitate or morph into a woman after failing at being a man.

It does appear to be getting better at this shape shifting bit as it goes along. The breasticles appear larger on it lately. . .and sometimes there are less veins in its NBA basketball player-sized phalanges. I think it also possible that it changes shape with emotion when provoked or soothed. Look at the imagery, and judge for yourself.




That's my case. . . If you need anymore proof try this. . . TVLand

If you squint your eyes when you look at this last picture depicted in the series it is easy to see it/her as a man. Too bad for the ladies and gentlemen. . .she might have been a handsome man. . .if it wasn't for the alien shape shifting thing. ~From Da Monkey

EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm thinking the aliens might have gotten a little praying mantis or grasshopper in the DNA matrix of this creature.

Area 52?

Area 52: The "Reno" of Secret Bases
If you lived in Las Vegas for at least a year you know who George Knapp is. He is our local investigative reporter with a particular interest in UFOs & Area 51.
But did you know that there is an Area 52... It is like the "Reno" to Area 51's "Las Vegas". Check out George's report to learn more.
Vegas, Baby!
Area 52... Queue X-Files music here...
Part II of the report here...