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Ishtar
(May, 1987)
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (OOP)
(Ross, 1976)
The Devils
(Russell, 1974)
The Pirates of Penzance
(Papp/Leach, 1983)
The Fortune
(Nichols, 1975)
-30-
(Webb, 1959)
Betrayal
(Jones, 1983)
Play It As It Lays
(Perry, 1972)
The Outfit
(Flynn, 1973)
Alex in Wonderland
(Mazursky, 1969)
The Legend of Lylah Clare
(Aldrich, 1968)
In The Cool of the Day
(Stevens, 1963)
That Cold Day in the Park
(Altman, 1969)
Thumb Trippin'
(Masters, 1972)
Midas Run
(Kjellin, 1969)
At Long Last Love
(Bogdanovich, 1973)
Brewster McCloud
(Altman, 1972)
Outcast of the Islands
(Reed, 1951)

Reader Submissions
1930's-1950's
The Moon's Our Home
(Seiter, 1936)
Sh! The Octopus
(McGann, 1937)
The Mating Season
(Leisen, 1951)
Bad for Each Other
(Rapper, 1953)
The Phenix City Story
(Karlson, 1955)
Run of the Arrow
(Fuller, 1956)
House of Secrets
(Green, 1956)
Saint Joan
(Preminger, 1957)
Macabre
(Castle, 1958)
The Fiend Who Walked the West
(G. Douglas, 1958
Five Gates to Hell
(Clavell, 1959)
1960's
Key Witness
(Karlson, 1960)
Summer and Smoke
(Glenville, 1961)
The Chapman Report
(Cukor,1962)
Bachelor Flat
(Tashlin, 1962) [on Hulu]
The L Shaped Room
(Forbes, 1963)
The Chalk Garden
(Neame, 1964)
A Thousand Clowns
(Coe, 1965)
You're a Big Boy Now
(Coppola, 1966)
The Whisperers
(Forbes, 1967)
Dark of the Sun
(Cardiff, 1968)
Skidoo
(Preminger, 1968)
Last Summer
(Perry, 1969)
The Comic
(C. Reiner, 1969)
1970-1974
The Revolutionary
(Williams, 1970)
The Landlord
(Ashby, 1970)
Diary of a Mad Housewife
(Perry, 1970)
Tropic of Cancer
(Strick, 1970)
I Never Sang for My Father
(Cates, 1970)
Sometimes a Great Notion
(Newman, 1971)
Marriage of a Young Stockbroker
(Turman, 1971)
The Music Lovers
(Russell, 1971)
Drive, He Said
(Nicholson, 1971)
The Steagle
(Sylbert, 1971)
The Last Movie
(Hopper, 1971)
Made For Each Other
(Bean, 1971)
The Day the Clown Cried
(Lewis, 1972)
Hickey & Boggs (OOP)
(Culp, 1972)
The Carey Treatment
(Edwards, 1972)
Pete 'n' Tillie
(Ritt, 1972)
Slither
(Zieff, 1973)
Man on a Swing
(Perry, 1974)
Open Season
(Collinson, 1974)
The Tamarind Seed
(Edwards, 1974)
Law and Disorder
(Passer, 1974)
Homebodies
(Yust, 1974)
Stardust
(Apted, 1974)
Celine and Julie Go Boating
(Rivette, 1974)
1975-1979
Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins
(Richards, 1975
At Long Last Love
(Bogdanovich, 1975)
Hearts of the West
(Zieff, 1975)
Welcome to L.A.
(Rudolph, 1976)
W.C. Fields and Me
(Hiller, 1976)
Citizens Band
(Demme, 1977)
Twilight's Last Gleaming
(Aldrich, 1977)
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
(Brooks, 1977)
Girlfriends
(Weill, 1978)
Movie Movie
(Donen, 1978)
The Medusa Touch
(Gold, 1978)
American Hot Wax
(Mutrux, 1978)
Hot Stuff
(DeLuise, 1979)
Scavenger Hunt
(Schultz , 1979)
Players
(Harvey, 1979)
Rich Kids
(Young, 1979)
Nightwing
(Hiller, 1979)
Screams of a Winter's Night
(Wilson, 1979
When You Comin' Back Red Ryder?
(Katselas, 1979
1980's
Resurrection
(Petrie, 1980)
The Awakening
(Newell, 1980)
Simon
(Brickman, 1980)
God's Angry Man
(Herzog, 1980)
Fast-Walking
(Harris, 1982)
Twice Upon a Time
(Korty & Swenson, 1983)
Trouble in Mind
(Rudolph, 1985)
When the Wind Blows
(Murikami, 1986)
Housekeeping
(Forsyth, 1987)
The Glass Menagerie
(Newman, 1987)
Patty Hearst
(Schrader, 1988)
Drowning by Numbers
(Greenaway, 1988)
Haunted Summer
(Passer, 1988)
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
(Spheeris, 1988)
1990's
Old Times
(Curtis, 1991)
Prospero's Books
(Greenaway, 1991)
City of Hope
(Sayles, 1991)
The Baby of Macon
(Greenaway, 1993)
King of the Hill
(Soderbergh, 1993)
Dadetown
(Hexter, 1995)
SubUrbia
(Linklater, 1997)

Upcoming

January 8

Bitch Slap

Waiting for Armageddon

Wonderful World

Youth in Revolt

January 15

January 22

Drool

Extraordinary Measures

The Girl on the Train

Two Fresh Faces

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If you're an MSNBC junkie you're going to feel deluged these days by two ads (i.e., advertisers) in particular -- those series of singing freecreditreport.com spots starring that guitar-strumming French-Canadian guy Eric Violette, and that amusing Travelocity ad showing the young married couple trying to talk to each other over a loud drilling sound coming from the apartment above.

Here are two other Violette/freecredit ads -- the pizza restaurant and driving in the beater. There's no sign of a Violette bio on the IMDB, but one nonetheless presumes he has a Los Angeles-based agent. I'm saying this because he's got a nice look and an easy likable vibe that would fit right into under-25 throwaway movies or Entourage or what-have-you.

I'm also running this because I can't find an embedded copy of the Travelocity ad. It's a very funny due to the fast timing of the Jewish guy playing the husband ("Really?"), but it's also pulsing with emotional subtlety. Look at the wife's face as he tries to speak to her. Is she a little bit sick of him? Could they be on the verge of a divorce? or is she just trying to quietly repress her frustration at the drilling noise? She doesn't even crack a slight smile at what he's saying, and he's hilarious. I've seen this ad maybe 20 times and I've never tired of it. And who's the guy?

Breathtaking PUMAs<< previous | next >>Yesterday 's Tracking

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on June 27, 2008 at 3:36 PM

comment #1

Geoff says ...

I fucking hate those ads. I have fantasies of somehow jumping into my TV with a 44. magnum and blowing all of their heads off. This shit is on the radio too. HATE IT!!!

Posted by Geoff at June 27, 2008 4:28 PM

comment #2

Geoff says ...

You've put a name to the face. I really hate Eric Violette.

Posted by Geoff at June 27, 2008 4:31 PM

comment #3

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Geoff: The Eric Violette ads, you mean...right? Have you seen the Travelocity "noise" ad?

Posted by gruver1 at June 27, 2008 4:31 PM

comment #4

Geoff says ...

Just the Violette ads, yes. I hate those. I'm sorry for repeating myself but I found it surprising to be on this site. I just can't stand it.

Posted by Geoff at June 27, 2008 4:32 PM

comment #5

Movie fan09 says ...

how is that guy in the 'noise' commerical jewish?
I always thought he was indian/pakastani.

Posted by Movie fan09 at June 27, 2008 4:58 PM

comment #6

HoopersX says ...

I don't know what pisses me off more about the freecreditreport.com commercials, the absolutey annoying nature of the song or the blatant false advertising of the company. If you listen to the ads there's always a voice the says "Offer applies to enrollment in Triple Advantage", how is that free?

Posted by HoopersX at June 27, 2008 5:02 PM

comment #7

MrClever says ...

Not having seen the travelocity commercial, I can't say anything about it, but the Violette ads? Eesh. I hear them a lot on the radio, and turn the channel instantly. To hear them the first time was a good thing, because the words are easy to understand and they are pretty clever. But they've been over-run. Enough. That being said, I much prefer the one where he's in the POS car rather than the one where he's in the fish place, if only because one is much less played than the other.

Posted by MrClever at June 27, 2008 5:08 PM

comment #8

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Blood Vessel: Speaking as a former New Jersey guy, the Travelocity guy's coming timing is too perfect and precise for him not to be Jewish. Okay, maybe he's Indian/Pakistani...fine. But I associate that kind of super-quick intelligence with Jewish comic actors.

Posted by gruver1 at June 27, 2008 5:11 PM

comment #9

BlueRaymondBabbit says ...

The Travelocity Guy's schtick is way too "Daily Show" for me. And as a former Jersey Guy myself, there are few assholes more infuriating than Eric Violette and his douchebag credit report-wantin' loser posse. They almost drove me to Fox News with those nightmare, guaranteed-once-an-hour MSNBC spots. Death to the career of the bloated, lip-syncing Eric Violette... and as much as I hate to say this, I hope freecreditreport.com brings back that "I'm thinnnnnkkkk-ing of a number" jerk before they make more of these bozo-slacker douchebag ads. Can a "Cavemen"-like sitcom featuring these bastards be far off? Fuck.

Posted by BlueRaymondBabbit at June 27, 2008 5:41 PM

comment #10

Chapman Carruthers says ...

I'm with Wells on this one. Sure, the commericals are annoying, but imagine how unbelievably annoying they'd be if the two leads were replaced by other actors. Say,... Kal Penn.

Posted by Chapman Carruthers at June 27, 2008 5:55 PM

comment #11

broadstreetbully says ...

Funny, I associate Jewish comic acting with lame Seinfeld jokes or cheap, "Take my wife, please!" Catskills humor a la Henny Youngman or Mel Brooks.

The "really?" moment in that commercial is pretty much a rip-off of Paul Rudd's comic timing and attitude.

Posted by broadstreetbully at June 27, 2008 6:10 PM

comment #12

Joshua Mooney says ...

Are you serious? All those ads are awful. Eric Violette is the fucker's name? Good. Now I know. FREE credit report dot com, FREE credit report dot com. FREE credit report dot com. FREE credit report dot com."

Also, I didn't realize the guy in the Travelocity ad was Jewish. That would certainly explain a lot.

FREE credit report dot com. FREE credit report dot com./Come to FREE credit report dot com.

When you start asking yourself why people need freed credit report dot com, and then you think about it for five seconds, you realize we're all in the kind of fucking mess that even Eric Violette can't lift us out of. But yeah, those are some sweet commercials. They're really top shelf. The French-Canadian POV only helps.

Free credit report dot com/free credit report dot com/ free credit report dot com...

Posted by Joshua Mooney at June 27, 2008 6:27 PM

comment #13

LFF says ...

so we can sum this up by saying ERIC VIOLETTE OWNS WELLS' ASS?

Posted by LFF at June 28, 2008 12:45 AM

comment #14

Ghost072 says ...

Interesting (perhaps only to me) trivia regarding the free credit ads and Eric Violette: apparently he can't speak a lick of english and so he is lip-syncing in an unknown (to him) language. I know I am in the minority here (as my friends have made abundantly clear), but I can't help liking that blue grass inspired tune in the restaurant spot. I know, I know, you'll hit me with the...thing. But I love it.

Also, love the Travelocity spot. The timing really is pretty tight, even if it is a little derivative.

Posted by Ghost072 at June 28, 2008 7:45 AM

comment #15

MickTravis says ...

I would like to see Eric Violette get a "Full Metal Jacket" style soap-and-towel party.

I would like to hear him scream and cry for mercy about five minutes before he actually gets it.

Barring that, I would like to see Eric Violette fall down a long flight of marble stairs.

Look at Chris Barron, Eric, there is your future. Without the royalties.

Posted by MickTravis at June 28, 2008 8:23 AM

comment #16

Movie fan09 says ...

gruver1 [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Wells to Blood Vessel: Speaking as a former New Jersey guy, the Travelocity guy's coming timing is too perfect and precise for him not to be Jewish. Okay, maybe he's Indian/Pakistani...fine. But I associate that kind of super-quick intelligence with Jewish comic actors.

me too.
but it's always nice to see people rise about their stereotypes.
one of the reasons I hope to be one of the few mexican american comedians who is good at comedy, and doesn't have to resort to mexican lifestyle jokes.

Posted by Movie fan09 at June 28, 2008 4:42 PM

comment #17

supertaster says ...

the guy in the travelocity ad is doing a really bad jimmy fallon impersonation and the schmuck in the freecredit commercials is one of the smuggest, most insufferable faces to grace a commercial in years, and wells likes BOTH of them?

Wells generally deplores this stuff....but whatever part of him that is responding to it must be the same part that has something to do with why he writes *about* hollywood and not *for* it.

Posted by supertaster at June 28, 2008 9:11 PM

comment #18

hypeful says ...

Mystery solved! The actor in the Travelocity ad is Stephen Full. You can check out a demo reel of his acting (including the commercial) here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7uYmKjvyugs

The actress in the ad is Diane Luby Lane. If you're still interested in an embedded copy of just the Travelocity ad, you can find one here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u7JZNnpRwc

Posted by hypeful at June 29, 2008 6:02 PM

comment #19

Krazy Eyes says ...

Isn't that a seafood restaurant? They're dressed as pirates . . . get it?

I hate those ads too plus freecreditreport.com always gets listed as a ripoff site that isn't actually free and is full of other hidden fees. I guess something has got to pay for those incessant ads.

If you want an actual *free* credit report the site you want is annualcreditreport.com.

Posted by Krazy Eyes at July 1, 2008 7:03 AM

comment #20

Krazy Eyes says ...

Isn't that a seafood restaurant? They're dressed as pirates . . . get it?

I hate those ads too plus freecreditreport.com always gets listed as a ripoff site that isn't actually free and is full of other hidden fees. I guess something has got to pay for those incessant ads.

If you want an actual *free* credit report the site you want is annualcreditreport.com.

Posted by Krazy Eyes at July 1, 2008 7:03 AM

comment #21

B Johnson says ...

I was intrigued by the level of apparent rage in Mick Travis' comment. I am wondering whether he has only one level of disapproval, and whether it always involves the need to commit violence and rape on whatever irritiates him. I hope I'm never around when he burns his toast.

As regards the ads, I often think they are funnier than the so-called comedy that's out there on TV on the channels we actually pay for. Another favorite of mine is the family that has the heated discussion about using leftover mobile phone minutes.

Posted by B Johnson at July 13, 2008 5:50 AM

comment #22