Awesometown (2006)

That was an excellent one.

Admirable film.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

"Awesometown" is a 20-minute short film from 2005, so already over a decade old, that was intended as a pilot episode for a potential recurring sketch comedy series. But this one did not only manage to get declined once, but twice, first by FOX (the version I watched), then by MTV: It features a trio of comedians known as The Lonely Island and they are most known today for their work on SNL and the most famous from the bunch is Andy Samberg, now a Golden Globe winner too. I really wonder why they had parts from a studio here, even if that "hot mother" moment early on was still among the more better parts. But other than that, it was all about the sketches and if this audience wasn't just actors, then I really wonder what they thought of coming for 5 minutes, probably less parts from the studio and the rest just pre-recorded material. And sadly, none of it was too creative, funny or memorable either, so it is quite a disappointment as a whole. I may be slightly biased because I never found Samberg funny and his (always the same) shtick gets old quickly, but still you need to be a huge fanboy of him (and his gang) to see any value in this third of an hour. Had it been picked up, I probably would not have continued watching, so they probably made the right decision and the three writers, directors and actors weren't too mad either as their careers gained steam a lot with other projects. One final note: Fans of Jack Black, Sarah Chalke and Kal Penn can watch this too. Everybody else should better skip it, it's highly overrated here on IMDb.

This is a funny pilot that was done for Fox but never aired since Fox rejected the concept. A search for the Awesometown video on Google or another search engine will lead you to 20 minutes of fun in this quirky show. It was apparently intended to be a 30 min show featuring the boys listed here. Their budding comic genius sparkles here in the perpetually perky and perfect every town, USA. The occasional introduction of reality into the sketches makes for great comic tension. It is certainly worth a look. You'll leave wanting more episodes and you will hum the Awesometown songs all day.While the concepts are simple, the sketches are well done. Just Two Guys Having a Good Time and Castaways are memorable, but it's the theme that makes it great.