East Bound and Down

[BillBrasky]

Hey, I kind of feel like this thread got lost in the changeover, and maybe we should try to resurrect it so that more people can see this pilot and then comment on it.

Link for people too lazy to learn how to use torrents (http://tvseries-download.com/2008/07/09/eastboundanddowns01e01preairdvdscrxvid-medieval/)

I think it's a really funny pilot and it seems like it's going to be a really good show. Andy Daly is great in this. Watch it!

"What's this one's name, fuckin' Shrek?......... No, huh?"

[nadsat droog]

So many great lines in the pilot. I love how everyone pretty much plays the straight man to Kenny Powers, while he lives in his own vulgar world.

[Pimpbot]

I thought it was really funny although Kenny will be a tough character to make audiences care about and want to watch each week which may mean it will have a short run.

However, I hope, because it will be on HBO, they can keep it as raw as the pilot because I personally find that more compelling than a generic show with redeeming, one-dimensional characters and traditional story arcs.

[yumitree]

i really enjoyed this pilot and really hope they can keep the tone (and cussin') from this in the final product.

[rabbitandox]

The Shrek line was good, but I really had to force myself through the rest of it. It's a simple fish out of water premise with stereotypical characters (prude Christian wife, laughing naif principal, that topless chick...). It's School of Rock with naughty words.

[crimestick]

Yeah, I wasn't blown away by it either.

[stephan]

<img src="http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/9650/rodbeckcw7.jpg" border="0">

I thought the pilot was great. I especially enjoyed how much Kenny Powers looked like Rod Beck (whilst acting like John Rocker).

Andrew Daly was fantastic too. He took a pretty pedestrian role and made it actually funny.

[Chaza8]

I watched this pilot today and thought it was pretty funny, and had a couple of lol moments. I'll check it out, when HBO starts showing it.

[J vs W]

I liked this a lot and I liked foot fist way a lot too!

[YoungAmerican]

The main guy, whose name I don't remember right now, is a really compelling performer. And the show has a great sense of style (or lack thereof).

It has some room to grow, though.

Also: Andy Daly is the funniest person.

[Jouster]

The main guy, whose name I don't remember right now, is a really compelling performer.

Danny McBride, and yes, he is.

It has some room to grow, though.

You say this like it's a bad thing (the 'though' implies it, anyway), but I think that's exactly what a pilot should be. It worked for me as a self-contained half-hour (especially the first half), but there's room for growth. I'm excited for the rest.

[toddlevin]

I really liked the pilot. It wasn't perfect—pilots rarely are—but it was a very good introduction to the characters and the series.

And I don't know if the pilot has changed since I saw it, but the jetski scene was so perfect in every way. That scene should be our new national anthem.

[jason w.]

This pilot, like Foot Fist Way, gets funnier every time I watch it. I'm really psyched for this show.

[BillBrasky]

A few weeks back, ComingSoon.net spoke with director Adam McKay and he told us about the HBO show he's producing with Will Ferrell to star Danny McBride of The Foot Fist Way, which he's doing with that movie's co-creators Jody Hill and Ben Best. McKay mentioned that the title for the show was "Eastbound and Down" (which apparently is changing), but he didn't mention that both he and Ferrell would be directing episodes, something ComingSoon.net learned when we sat down with McBride to talk about his two new action-comedies, Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder.

We wanted to find out a bit more about the show about the "epic downwards spiral" of a major league pitcher who loses his fastball from its star, but Ferrell making his directorial debut was the big shocker that McBride explained to us. "This is going to be the beginning for him. It's going to be exciting, but him and McKay are going to tag team it. When they suggested that to him, I think a lot of people would be nervous, like, 'Oh sh*t,' but working with Will on 'Land of the Lost,' that dude has f*cking insane instincts, and he knows his sh*t. Will would come up with ideas in the scenes, and we'd be like, 'God that's such a great way to do that' and I fully trust that he'll be able to come in and knock it out."

"We're going to do a lot of improv; we did a lot on the pilot," he continued, explaining the mindset of making the show, "We didn't have any interest in selling it. We pitched this to all the networks, and everyone put a bid in on it, but we didn't have any interest in making something that was twenty-four episodes or anything. We wanted to keep it small like the British comedies are, and actually on 'Tropic Thunder' talking to Steve Coogan about the show, his advice was to keep it small. That way you don't have to turn the comedy into a formula, you don't have to hire a big staff to translate what you do, and it just becomes stilted then. He said, "Keep it small, and just keep people wanting more." And that's really how we wanted to approach the TV show for HBO, just look at it as a chance for us to make a three-hour movie that's going to just unfold over this many episodes, and if people like it, maybe we'll get to make a sequel to it next season."

McBride also told us that he'd be writing parts on the show for some of the comic stars he's been working with in his last couple movies, which could include anyone from Ferrell to Ben Stiller to Steve Coogan to Jack Black and many others. Jody Hill directed the pilot and will do a couple more episodes, while McKay, Ferrell and Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green will be helming the rest.

[nadsat droog]

Wow, that all sounds fantastic. I love their approach and it quells any fears I had about over-stretching the idea.

[BillBrasky]

Continuing from that last post, here's the complete interview (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=47664) with Danny McBride where he talks about the show.

CS: How are you going to be able to manage all the movie roles you'll be offered while doing the TV show?
McBride: The TV show, luckily, is only five episodes. We've only shot the pilot, so we have to shoot for the rest of the season. It's a week an episode, so it only ends up being five weeks of shooting. It's less time than a movie, and that's how we wanted to keep it. Let's just make this something we don't get dragged down by or feel weighted down by. Let's just keep it short and fun and wild and see what people think of it. We shoot that at the end of this September and I think it's supposed to premiere in March.

CS: And Jody is going to direct the entire series?
McBride: Jody directed the pilot, and he's directing two more. McKay is going to direct an episode, Will Ferrell is directing an episode, and David is directing an episode.

[Sean P. OConnor]

"I play real sports, I'm not trying to be the best at exercise."

Wow!
So funny.

[crlygrl]

"He drew a pentagram made of penises."

HA!

[nadsat droog]

Exclusive Set Visit! HBO’s East Bound and Down With Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, and Ben Best. (http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/12/03/exclusive-set-visit-hbos-east-bound-and-down-with-danny-mcbride-david-gordon-green-and-ben-best-cameo-by-gina-gershon/)

[youngnoz]

"sizes up dicks with Powers"

[DiscoInferiorityComplex]

Anyone know why The Foot Fist Way DVD doesn't appear to be available from any major retailers anymore?

[darrylduffy]

Anyone know why The Foot Fist Way DVD doesn't appear to be available from any major retailers anymore?

it was all over best buy when i was there a week ago (they had a lot of copies)

[nathansmart]

i found this from the foot fist way site:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8930446&st=foot+fist+way&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1887646

[DiscoInferiorityComplex]

i found this from the foot fist way site:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8930446&st=foot+fist+way&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1887646

Hmmm...maybe it's a Best Buy exclusive. No official listing on Amazon or DeepDiscount.

[frogmann]

Hmmm...maybe it's a Best Buy exclusive.

Yeah, that's what I remember hearing, Best Buy's the only place you can get it, unless you get it used somewhere.... I already saw some used rental copies being sold at my local Blockbuster last week.

[NausicaN]

Best Buy is definitely the only place you can buy Foot Fist, at least for now. Amazon doesn't even have a listing for it.

Anyone see the new East Bound and Down commercials on HBO recently? It prominently features McBride's back.

[Dogwelder]

Just watched the first episode of Flight of the Conchords new season and there's a preview at the end for East Bound and Down with some interviews.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c48f423bdf/season-2-online-premiere-flight-of-the-conchords-from-flight-of-the-conchords