edited by Jonathan Doyle

Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

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November 12

Slumdog Millionaire

November 14

A Christmas Tale

B.O.H.I.C.A.

Dostana

The Dukes

Eden

House of the Sleeping Beauties

How About You

Quantum of Solace

We are Wizards

November 21

The Betrayal

November 30

Tracy's Retort

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"I want to know what qualifies Hillary Clinton to be president? Is it because she was married to the president? If that were true, then Robin Givens would be heavyweight champion of the world. If Hillary's last name wasn't 'Clinton,' you know...she'd just be some crazy white woman with too much money and not enough lovin'. That's where I come in. I know women like that. You don't want them answering the phone at 3:00 in the morning.

"This, in conclusion. Three weeks ago, my friend Tina Fey, she came on the show and she declared that bitch was the new black, right? You know I love you, Tina Fey....you know you my girl. I have something to say. Bitch may be the new black, but black is the new president, bitch!" -- from Tracy Morgan's SNL "Weekend Update" routine last night. (Here's another location with the video embedded. The YouTube version has been removed for some reason.)

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 16, 2008 at 4:03 PM

comment #1

Edward says ...

Tracy Morgan and Tina Fey are funny and both are great in 30 Rock, but does anyone care about SNL any more. It stopped being relevant a long time ago.

Posted by Edward at March 16, 2008 4:40 PM

comment #2

Rob says ...

I think "bitch" is kind of like the N word, in that it's only okay if they call each other that.

Posted by Rob at March 16, 2008 5:11 PM

comment #3

Mr. Blood Vessel says ...

Tracy Morgan and Tina Fey are funny and both are great in 30 Rock, but does anyone care about SNL any more. It stopped being relevant a long time ago.

yea, it's more present letterman.
more conservative with occasional flashes of brilliance.

Posted by Mr. Blood Vessel at March 16, 2008 6:16 PM

comment #4

Walter Sobchak says ...

So is it okay for us to watch SNL again or is the boycott still on? Jeffrey?

Posted by Walter Sobchak at March 16, 2008 6:42 PM

comment #5

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Sobchak: No, we be cool. They obviously heard the outcry and changed the gameplan. Tracey Morgan's thing was much funnier than Tina Fey's. Much.

Posted by gruver1 at March 16, 2008 8:08 PM

comment #6

lazarus says ...

Jeffrey's right there. Fey's monologue was more of a rant, and her and Poehler screaming at the end was just some Girl Power bullshit that managed to not be funny at all.

Morgan's, on the other hand, was peppered with great lines, and a lot closer to the reality of what's being discussed. Also, his final punch line was right on the money, and more memorable than Fey's.

Posted by lazarus at March 16, 2008 8:21 PM

comment #7

christian says ...

And it's always cooler when men call women "bitch."

Posted by christian at March 16, 2008 10:34 PM

comment #8

BurmaShave says ...

christian, I'm starting to worry about you. This absurd defensiveness about misogyny clearly in jest. Methinks the lady-defender doth protest too much. In my mind you are Jame Gumb but you keep the well stockpiled with water and food.

Posted by BurmaShave at March 16, 2008 10:51 PM

comment #9

JaySmack says ...

Tracy Morgan for president! His rejoinder to Tina Fey's ignorant, and incresingly tiresome tirades is pricelss.

Black is the new president BITCH!: Couldn't have said it better myself.

Posted by JaySmack at March 17, 2008 4:34 AM

comment #10

gansibele says ...

Typical Obama supporter, all bluster and no substance. Of course Tracy Morgan owes what's letf of his unfunny career to the bitch -and let's be honest, he's the worse part of 30 Rock.

Love to see Jeff eat crow over SNL though.

Posted by gansibele at March 17, 2008 7:14 AM

comment #11

jasonvang says ...

In fact i am not interested in these things, however, i like dating girls.
months ago a friend told me a online dating site WealthyLoves.c o m where people can find their perfect matches or quality friendships. ....maybe we can keep in touch and make friends on this site.

Posted by jasonvang at March 17, 2008 7:46 AM

comment #12

Bocephus says ...

"-and let's be honest, he's the worse part of 30 Rock."

Sorry, wrong. His lines and plotlines are consistently the funniest on the show. Morgan is brilliant.

C'mon, I could watch Tracy Jordan talking to a pidgeon on the street for 30 minutes and honestly wouldn't miss the rest of the show.

Posted by Bocephus at March 17, 2008 7:51 AM

comment #13

wayne76 says ...

Thanks for posting, Jeff. Much funnier than Fey's "Bitch is the new Black". and yeah, Tracy is hilarious on 30 Rock.

Posted by wayne76 at March 17, 2008 8:16 AM

comment #14

Rich S. says ...

Sorry, to me Tracy Morgan is an integral part of the success of 30 Rock. And this comes from someone who couldn't stand him on SNL.

Two words: Knuckle Beach.

Posted by Rich S. at March 17, 2008 8:20 AM

comment #15

christian says ...

Don't cry for me Burma Shave. I know you're trying to feel your way through this whole liberalism thang. But if you don't think there's a surplus of men calling women "bitch" you're not paying attention or you don't care. Women do. The bitches.

Posted by christian at March 17, 2008 9:02 AM

comment #16

gansibele says ...

Oh please. Humor is highly subjective, of course, but here's some kind of consensus data: of all the awards and nominations 30 Rock has had, only once has Morgan been nominated and that was for a NAACP Image award.

Posted by gansibele at March 17, 2008 9:27 AM

comment #17

Rich S. says ...

I would be careful, gansibele, equating awards nominations with quality. 'Round these parts, we're still dealing with the shockwaves over:

Norbit: 1
Zodiac: 0

Posted by Rich S. at March 17, 2008 9:35 AM

comment #18

Bocephus says ...

Everyone knows that the NAACP Image Award is the only one that really counts, anyway.

Posted by Bocephus at March 17, 2008 10:01 AM

comment #19

Kristopher Tapley says ...

"Sorry, wrong. His lines and plotlines are consistently the funniest on the show. Morgan is brilliant."

I don't think there is anything bout 30 Rock worthy of the adjective "brilliant." Or "funny" for that matter.

Posted by Kristopher Tapley at March 17, 2008 10:04 AM

comment #20

Aladdin Sane says ...

While I don't watch 30 Rock consistently, the funniest episode I saw was Tracy writing his memoirs/autobiography while under what I think was house arrest? Anyhow, that was classic.

Posted by Aladdin Sane at March 17, 2008 10:36 AM

comment #21

BurmaShave says ...

Trapley, are you just always contrary about really well respected things to encourage debate? Meaning, are you always wrong on purpose?

Posted by BurmaShave at March 17, 2008 11:09 AM

comment #22

gansibele says ...

I'd venture to say, Rich, that I have been round these parts longer than you have. Notice the Oscar balloon and the Oscar, SAG, Golden Globes and sundry other awards being discussed constantly and held as some measure of quality we can more or less agree on.

Of course, there will be some who'll say Fey and Baldwin winning best comedy actor Emmies and Golden Globes while Morgan doesn't even win the Image award is more about racism than about how profoundly unfunny the man is.

Burma: Tapley is wrong because 30 Rock IS brilliant. But it's brilliant despite Morgan. You take Morgan out, the show goes on. IMO it gets better.

Posted by gansibele at March 17, 2008 1:04 PM

comment #23

Rich S. says ...

If you've been around that long, gansibele, then you know I am a constant and consistent dissenter on this site as to the notion that awards, award shows and nominations mean anything whatsoever as to the quality of the thing being lauded (or not lauded). They are certainly, to my mind, not a consistent measure of quality.

I will discuss the various politics and trends that will lead one performer receiving an award over another. But politics and trends, in my opinion, are the only things awards for "artistic achievement" signify.

I am endlessly grateful when award season ends each year, since that usually means the site gets back to discussing things that are actually interesting and noteworthy. Sadly, this year award season has segued into a never-ending campaign season that has seized Jeffrey's attention, almost to the exclusion of all else. But occasionally an interesting nugget can still be found.

Posted by Rich S. at March 17, 2008 1:23 PM

comment #24

Richardson says ...

"Of course, there will be some who'll say Fey and Baldwin winning best comedy actor Emmies and Golden Globes while Morgan doesn't even win the Image award is more about racism than about how profoundly unfunny the man is."

Well, the Golden Globes are about how famous and/or well-connected you are, though they do tend to shy away from awarding black people.

Since you brought it up, it's worth pointing out that, combining last year's Golden Globe nominations and last year's Emmy nominations, there was only one black actor nominated -- Queen Latifah got nominated for "outstanding performance in a mini-series" in both awards shows.

I'm sure that this is purely coincidental and has nothing to do with race. I mean, just one year prior, they actually nominated *three* black actors for Emmys, and they even gave one to Andre Braugher!

Posted by Richardson at March 17, 2008 1:37 PM

comment #25

Richardson says ...

Also, if you judge quality by awards, then you must think that 'Lord of the Rings: Return of the King' and 'Titanic' are two of the absolute best movies ever (tied with 'Ben-Hur' of course), and 'Zodiac' is a piece of shit.

So I don't know why you'd post here, where most people think exactly the opposite.

Posted by Richardson at March 17, 2008 1:40 PM

comment #26

Josh Massey says ...

"I don't think there is anything bout 30 Rock worthy of the adjective 'brilliant.' Or 'funny' for that matter."

Still lamenting the cancellation of "Shasta McNasty," are we?

Posted by Josh Massey at March 17, 2008 2:37 PM

comment #27

gansibele says ...

Whoa there Nellie. I comment whatever I want and rather have my own opinion than going with the herd. You may think it's very cool and iconoclastic to not give three shits about awards but if there's somebody out of place in a site with an Oscar Balloon feature, it's you not me. Go discuss Fassbinder with the cool kids.

Anyway, Rich: no, I don't read all comments, so your name escapes me. Nevertheless, your point I agree with to a point. All I said about awards is that they'll give us some measure of Morgan vs. Baldwin and Fey when it comes to 30 Rock. Otherwise, as I said, it's highly subjective. You think he's hilarious, I find him annoyingly schizoid. Most people probably fall in the middle. But the consensus out there is that he's a second tier ex-SNLer with a one-note comedic act. Google.

Posted by gansibele at March 17, 2008 7:20 PM