You're already at the top of my piss list!

August 1, 2017 9:07 AM

Last night on the Late Show, Matthew McConaughey revealed that he was a great fan of Steven Colbert's work on the 90s Comedy Central sketch comedy show Exit 57, which Steven said "was watched by a baker's dozen people." McConaughey did a couple of bits from sketches from memory, then the two reprised the show's Newspaper Weatherman sketch.

Also from Exit 57: Bottomless Lake (watch this one "I'm so proud of that boy!") - Cobalt Filmstrip - Credit Card Declined (incomplete) - Alley Cat - The Robbery - Memory Monster - Frog Giggin - Honey Pie - One Hand Clapping ("So long, wrong boy!") - The Rattler - "Oh Randy" - Employees Only - What is happening to this world?
Here's a playlist of many old Exit 57 sketches.

posted by JHarris (32 comments total)

I made the mistake of introducing my boyfriend to Exit 57 years ago and he still takes most opportunities he's given when he's holding anything even remotely solid to prod me in the side with it and yell 'TROUT STICK!'
posted by suddenly, and without warning, at 9:20 AM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

"Down in the basement!"
posted by overeducated_alligator at 9:39 AM on August 1, 2017

Having never seen that sketch, about halfway through watching it I suddenly became fixated on the idea that it absolutely had to end by showing that it was actually snowing outside, and when it actually did end that way, I experience a rush of satisfaction bordering on the ecstatic. Phew.
posted by saladin at 9:51 AM on August 1, 2017 [14 favorites]

A few years back, I had to hunt down the sketch "My Wife Left Me for a Guy Named Jesus" just so I could get the darn earworm out of my head. I didn't even remember the name of the show. The best line: "It hurts to say his dad's name when someone sneezes."
posted by soelo at 9:59 AM on August 1, 2017 [2 favorites]

I find McConaughey both fascinating and infuriating. Maybe if he hadn't made that dragon movie we'd be cool. A lot cooler, if he did.

Ah'll riiight...
posted by humboldt32 at 10:04 AM on August 1, 2017 [3 favorites]

Do not confuse Exit 57 with The Vacant Lot, another short-lived sketch series on Comedy Central. TVL kinda burned me out on Comedy Central, so much that I gave cable sketch a three-year miss until Viva Variety and Upright Citizen's Brigade.
posted by infinitewindow at 11:20 AM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

I find McConaughey both fascinating and infuriating.

Same, though this definitely reminds me why I used to find him so charming in a way I haven't seen displayed in many years.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:23 AM on August 1, 2017

Do not confuse Exit 57 with The Vacant Lot, another short-lived sketch series on Comedy Central. TVL kinda burned me out on Comedy Central, so much that I gave cable sketch a three-year miss until Viva Variety and Upright Citizen's Brigade.

Wow. Someone got a little hot under the colander.
 
posted by Herodios at 11:28 AM on August 1, 2017 [4 favorites]

Holy smokes. I remember that show from the theme song. It never really clicked with me, but what a blast from the past.

Colbert was also in Strangers With Candy. I still think about the movie all the time. Not sure I even "liked" it, but I'm pretty sure the movie didn't want to be liked, in a traditional sense.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 11:34 AM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

I find McConaughey both fascinating and infuriating

His ads for Lexus are creepy; he comes across as some kind of high class drifter, serial killing his way across America in a luxury sedan.

I generally like him in movies though. Which is why, if the above were a movie instead of a Lexus ad, I'd probably go see it.
posted by nubs at 11:43 AM on August 1, 2017 [10 favorites]

Well, he WAS in that one Texas Chainsaw Massacre spinoff-ish movie...
posted by Samizdata at 11:46 AM on August 1, 2017

Colbert was also in Strangers With Candy. I still think about the movie all the time.

It seemed to me that the movie was a less-funny re-enacting of all of the best skits from the show. Highly recommended, and only three seasons to binge watch!
posted by knownassociate at 12:06 PM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

We'll probably put a few of these sketches in at MST Club before the show if some of you want to watch them in an online group environment.
posted by JHarris at 12:06 PM on August 1, 2017

Lincoln, not Lexus, but otherwise you're right.

When McConaughey broke after Dazed and Confused, I got the idea we'd get some pretty interesting work from him -- and we did, for a hot minute. Lone Star is beautiful. A Time To Kill is pretty solid, if completely unsubtle. I can't complain about Amistad or Contact.

But then he kinda entered the wilderness of fluff and crap, and stayed there for the best part of 15 years. Amistad was in 1997. I liked a few of his outings in the next several years, but they were all movies instead of the "films" I thought we'd get from him.

Then we got Bernie and, incredibly, William Friedkin's film of Tracy Letts' play Killer Joe, which I would have previously bet folding money was unfilmable (be warned if you want to watch, because it may forever change your relationship to fried chicken). Then Mud, and, as if to prove he wasn't taking himself too seriously, Magic Mike.

In the next year (2013), he did Dallas Buyers Club (for which he famously won an Oscar) and Wolf of Wall Street (which was nominated for Best Picture, Screenplay, and Directing). 2014 brought True Detective on TV as well as Interstellar. He is apparently done fucking around, and I love it.

But I have concerns about The Dark Tower.
posted by uberchet at 1:22 PM on August 1, 2017 [6 favorites]

The Dark Tower will trap the viewer forever in an Idris Elba/Matthew McConaughey sandwich. Everything else is details.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:31 PM on August 1, 2017 [10 favorites]

speaking of the fluff and crap, in the first segment of that interview, he described why doing the rom-coms is actually harder than doing drama, and his explanation/analogy is some kind of wonderful.
posted by numaner at 1:35 PM on August 1, 2017 [6 favorites]

Maybe if he hadn't made that dragon movie we'd be cool.

Wait, what? That was a McConaughey high point! He was a Frank Frazetta painting come to life!
posted by maxsparber at 1:58 PM on August 1, 2017 [4 favorites]

Yeah, *Reign of Fire* is absolutely a guilty pleasure for me. I mean, come on: DRAGONS.
posted by uberchet at 2:17 PM on August 1, 2017 [8 favorites]

Waiters who are Nauseated by Food
posted by growabrain at 2:41 PM on August 1, 2017 [7 favorites]

I mean, come on: DRAGONS.

Exactly, why ruin a perfectly good dragon movie with an unbelievable McConaughey as a dragon slayer?

Like I said, he's infatuating and frustrating.
posted by humboldt32 at 2:53 PM on August 1, 2017

In case people havn't seen it, McConaughey reacting to news of Sam Shepard's death: http://variety.com/2017/film/news/matthew-mcconaughey-sam-shepards-death-reactin-video-1202512693/
posted by ish__ at 3:12 PM on August 1, 2017 [3 favorites]

uberchet: "He is apparently done fucking around, and I love it."

Aka the McConnaissance.
posted by mhum at 3:29 PM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

I saw a few clips from Exit 57 on one of those "What they did before TDS" articles. It was so, so weird. Kinda like more what you'd see at a live show than on TV. Surprised Comedy Central didn't capitalize on this. Unless they no longer have masters, they could have put the series (or clips) up on streaming on their website, but I think it's unlikely someone even bothered digitizing episodes from a fringe mid 90s show.

Exactly, why ruin a perfectly good dragon movie with an unbelievable McConaughey as a dragon slayer?

TEXAS DRAGON SLAYER (obligatory caps) sounds like a great name for a metal band.
posted by lmfsilva at 3:42 PM on August 1, 2017

A few years back, I had to hunt down the sketch "My Wife Left Me for a Guy Named Jesus yt " just so I could get the darn earworm out of my head. I didn't even remember the name of the show.
OH MY GOD. I've had this in my head for 25 years and didn't know what is was from--I thought it must have been an SNL skit but everyone looked at my like I was crazy. Thank you! (And of course the best line is "I can walk on water when it freezes").
posted by TwoStride at 3:58 PM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

This is the second time I've heard an E.B. White joke in two days as practically the same line was uttered on the new episode of Rick and Morty. I wonder if there are dozens of instances of people calling other people E.B. White in jest? And if that, in itself, has started to become it's own running joke?
posted by coolxcool=rad at 4:12 PM on August 1, 2017

You're both wrong- the best line is obviously "I can cure a cripple... with a prosthesis" which I used to get stuck in my head every day when I commuted past a prosthestics shop a few years ago.
posted by rmless at 5:48 PM on August 1, 2017 [2 favorites]

I remember really liking Exit 57, but it was on with so many other sketch shows that were being run at that time
on Comedy Central that it didn't really get as much attention as it should have. Hadn't seen the bottomless lake sketch in a while and it was weird to realize I probably have it committed to memory and wasn't even aware of it as one of their sketches.
posted by Kemma80 at 7:04 PM on August 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

I ever so slightly remember this show; it started coming on right when I first got cable (specifically for The Comedy Channel so I could watch MST3K...which promptly moved to the SciFi Channel that my cable company didn't provide, but anyway). Thanks for the playlist, some of these really bring back memories.

Regarding a headline in the background of the set, Alabama Begins New Area Code!, I have a question. Do you have to dial a 1 first?
posted by fireoyster at 12:18 AM on August 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

Then we got Bernie and, incredibly, William Friedkin's film of Tracy Letts' play Killer Joe, which I would have previously bet folding money was unfilmable (be warned if you want to watch, because it may forever change your relationship to fried chicken).

That movie's biggest lasting cultural effect will likely be inventing the surprisingly horrifying phrase "Kay fried see", and I adore it.

But I have concerns about The Dark Tower.

I have conflicted feelings about TDT myself. I would have loved to see the original book adapted, so I'm sad I won't see that. But I'm also excited at the news that this a continuation of the series, and we may get closure. But then I also know that they'll likely do what they did with The Mummy and turn this into a bland action thing that will strip out all of the world building that made TDT what it is so that they can sell tickets in China or whatever. The trailers mostly show them in this world. I don't want to see them in this world. I want to see Roland's world.

For that matter, the book series took a hard downturn, so it's weird to take a step back and talk about the movie "ruining" it or whatever. King gave us two good first books (some say three) and a decent ending. Usually that would spoil things enough for the reader, but the first two books and core concept were good enough that I still treasure them despite what came later.

If they'd given the movie to Rian Johnson or something, I might breathe easier. But Arcel has done some good work, so I'll give it a chance.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:30 AM on August 2, 2017

The Dark Tower is a daunting prospect to bring to screen, and I'm worried about it but I'm also pleased that someone has had the audacity to try. I think they've been smart in making this a continuation rather than a strict adaptation, to give some wiggle room with a highly engaged and invested fanbase, and I also think the casting was well-done. Putting Idris Elba as Roland gives a clear, unambiguous signal that this was going to be different than what we all thought (I mean, King's own mental image of Roland is Clint Eastwood), and McConaughey will bring the right vibe to Walter O'Dim.
posted by nubs at 8:46 AM on August 2, 2017 [1 favorite]

...an Idris Elba/Matthew McConaughey sandwich...
I'll be in my bunk...
posted by Cookiebastard at 9:37 AM on August 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

Welp.
posted by middleclasstool at 12:41 PM on August 3, 2017 [1 favorite]