Flight of the Conchords, February 2009
You waited the entire first season, but it never came. Sure, there were parodies of Bowie, gangster rap and 60’s French pop… but nothing to hit that Aimee Mann sweet spot. Nothing that knocked your ironic argyle socks clear off, rearranged like alphabet soup the ironic statement on your ironic t-shirt.
/ Drags on cigarette.
This, of course, all changed last night when HBO’s Flight of the Conchords finally paid homage to the movie that defines “I don’t get it, but that just means it’s good, right?”: Magnolia. The parody is dead-on, as evidenced after the jump.
Magnolia, December 1999
I fear for the person standing next to Paul Thomas Anderson right now. If the sense of humor scale were measured from Mark Wahlberg to Kevin Bacon, he’d be a Marky Mark. Does that make any sense? Point is I doubt he’s happy.
Tags: Flight of the Conchords, Parody, PT Anderson
Lifting Fog 
February 2, 2009 at 8:38 pm |
Woah, I just saw this movie two days ago, and yeah that singing scene totally weirded me out. I thought the whole movie would’ve been so much better without that ridiculous musical number… and the frogs.
February 4, 2009 at 8:08 am |
Agreed, just a TAD indulgent. Though I admire Magnolia (and other similarly unique PT Anderson movies like Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood) for doing something different, however much it may make you go “huh?” Most movies just make you go “this is terrible.”
February 4, 2009 at 9:21 pm |
“I don’t even know no LOUD CRASH!!”
-Marcy
def the best scene in the movie.
February 5, 2009 at 2:00 pm |
If ever there was movie over ripe for parody – this is the one, and probably THE scene. It’s almost hard to call it a movie, more an ethereal indie-emo angst ridden Rohrshach test. If you make it to the end and can tell anyone what this movie “meant”, it probably means something more about you than the movie. Personally, call me trite, but I liked the frogs – what’s that say about me? Oh yeah I do use “Slug” in my moniker…
February 6, 2009 at 12:29 pm |
Gunky Slug – “Ethereal indie-emo angst-ridden Rorschach test” is the most perfect description of Magnolia I’ve ever heard. That should totally be on the DVD box.
August 29, 2009 at 6:59 pm |
Really? I adore Flight of the Conchords and Magnolia has been my favorite movies for years. I guess, perhaps fans of the two don’t mesh that well? Anyway, just proving that its possible to like them both.
August 29, 2009 at 6:59 pm |
oops, I meant “movie” not “movies”.
August 29, 2009 at 7:07 pm |
Oh, don’t get me wrong – I love both of them, too. It’s just that “Hurt Feelings” made such an unexpected reference, even for the far-out Conchords, that it seemed right to imagine those fans who had been CLAMORING for it to happen. I thought this, “You Don’t Have to be a Prostitute,” and “Carol Brown” were the best songs from season 2.