Comments on: A Video Movie Could Improve Your Life

A Video Movie Could Improve Your Life

allkindsoftime — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:43:20 -0800

Who needs a movie? (SLYTP)

If this isn't the BOTW, I don't know what is.

By: clearly

clearly — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:57:44 -0800

With that kind of promo, my parents are finally going to make it big! Psyche!

By: paintist

paintist — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:15:10 -0800

Something deep down within me has just been destroyed.

By: Gungho

Gungho — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:16:19 -0800

Great idear

By: DU

DU — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:35:31 -0800

With quality like this *edit cut* why haven't they been hired by ILM no question mark.

By: six-or-six-thirty

six-or-six-thirty — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:39:39 -0800

I could sure use a hug right now is equally baffling and odd. Thank you for the wake-up terror, I'll be browsing through these all morning.

By: splatta

splatta — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:43:45 -0800

Other videos from Fred and Sharon: Fred could sure use a hug right now. George Bush meets Mahatma Ghandi I only wish that fredandsharonsmovies.com weren't offline, because I'm sure that'd be a goldmine. Also, I loved the two gloved, groping hands for the "How about prom?" section.

By: PlusDistance

PlusDistance — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:47:03 -0800

Good video, but it could use some marble columns.

By: jbickers

jbickers — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:55:26 -0800

Thank God YouTube added the higher quality option.

By: ubiquity

ubiquity — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:58:42 -0800

I only wish that fredandsharonsmovies.com weren't offline, because I'm sure that'd be a goldmine.. Not really. You can see a cached version here.

By: ubiquity

ubiquity — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:07:16 -0800

After further research: You can (presumably) see most of their videos on their YouTube Channel. Am I paranoid, or is it suspicious that they got the domain name in January and went off line two months later, just at the moment when they appear to be getting a lot of publicity?

By: allkindsoftime

allkindsoftime — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:20:52 -0800

just at the moment when they appear to be getting a lot of publicity? They start getting a lot of business (thanks to effective marketing), maybe more than they can handle, so they take the site down for a bit while they try to catch up with demand. I don't see what's suspect about that.

By: DU

DU — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:30:09 -0800

Uh...I've been assuming it's a joke. The editing isn't just bad, it's terrible. It's like every time they had a decision to make, they made the wrong one. Throwing random video clips into a blender would by chance produce a better ad than this.

By: RokkitNite

RokkitNite — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:33:46 -0800

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

By: itchylick

itchylick — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:04:08 -0800

I've always felt that I looked uncomfortable and stiff on camera ... until about 30 seconds ago. Thanks Fred and Sharon!

By: jack_mo

jack_mo — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:08:39 -0800

Quite something. splatta: "Also, I loved the two gloved, groping hands for the "How about prom?" section." Yeah, what on earth was that about? Do they have "inept Zombie fisting" themed proms nowadays?

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:21:47 -0800

The day I hire these two is the day Mary Ann gets busted for driving while stoned! Oh. Where's my checkbook?

By: waraw

waraw — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:36:15 -0800

If this isn't the BOTW, I don't know what is. You used to, so I wonder what happened.

By: ofthestrait

ofthestrait — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:11:32 -0800

A video movie, eh? Interesting.

By: celerystick

celerystick — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:33:39 -0800

like a Saturday Night live skit but could be ....real. Exhibit B: Shoparama Christmas Craft Fair http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqIp4m0fWTQ&feature=related

By: BrianBoyko

BrianBoyko — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:57:21 -0800

There's a link there that says: "Watch this video in higher quality" but it don't work.

By: tittergrrl

tittergrrl — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:23:09 -0800

I liked the fact that they call them "Video Movies" which reminds me of the classic bit in Home Movies about how it is wrong to call movies filmed on video "Video films."

By: Uther Bentrazor

Uther Bentrazor — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:38:00 -0800

Bullshit, that's gotta be David Cross, right? in make-up right? No seriously.

By: disgruntled

disgruntled — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:42:45 -0800

Thanks for the post! It just inspired me to make my own home videos. In fact, I think I'll just strap a digital camera to my Basset Hound and let him shoot the movie.

By: nanojath

nanojath — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:48:42 -0800

It does seem far too reminiscent of Tim and Eric's Awesome Show.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:05:11 -0800

Heh. When I saw Ogopogo at the end of that clip, I realized this was Okanagan Lake, which I'm looking at out my window right now. Fred's Bread and Jam Bakery has a stall at the Farmers' Market here. What hath YouTube wrought?

By: tittergrrl

tittergrrl — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:06:19 -0800

The question is, what happens when you call one of those numbers. Who's got the cojones to give it a shot? (Ans: Not me!)

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:06:34 -0800

Do they have "inept Zombie fisting" themed proms nowadays? Don't knock it.

By: mecran01

mecran01 — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:12:07 -0800

This has to be viral marketing.

By: quin

quin — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:14:21 -0800

There's something about the way that Fred is intercut and chroma-keyed that is bringing to mind Max Headroom. "W-w-w-who needs a m-m-movie? T-t-t-tune into Network 23!"

By: quin

quin — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:19:22 -0800

And as I watch this again, Sharon seems to be doing an impression of a terrified hostage making a proof-of-life video. Like she is reading the lines off a cue card held by some gun-wielding kidnapper just off camera.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:19:58 -0800

It's not viral. I'll go down to Fred's Bakery and interview him if you want.

By: Turtles all the way down

Turtles all the way down — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:33:52 -0800

This is Tex and Edna Boil's Organ Emporium.

By: Daddy-O

Daddy-O — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:41:04 -0800

Looks like poor Sharon needs to back off on the medication.

By: Sticherbeast

Sticherbeast — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:53:25 -0800

The makeup job they did on Tim & Eric is really quite impressive.

By: eurasian

eurasian — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:01:47 -0800

I want to kill myself now.

By: Reverend John

Reverend John — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:06:05 -0800

It's not viral. I'll go down to Fred's Bakery and interview him if you want. posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:19 AM on March 12 [+] [!] Want! And try to get it on video.

By: tittergrrl

tittergrrl — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:16:38 -0800

It's not viral. I'll go down to Fred's Bakery and interview him if you want. posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 12:19 PM on March 12 [+] [!] Yesyesyes!!

By: starman

starman — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:32:07 -0800

It's like they are amazed by the magic of video and anything captured by it must be cherished.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:35:48 -0800

I'll see what I can do. Watch for an update tomorrow.

By: humannaire

humannaire — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:49:49 -0800

If this isn't the BOTW, I don't know what is. And there you have it.

By: ninjew

ninjew — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:51:53 -0800

The rough quality of the edits gives Fred an aged, Canadian Max Headroom sort of feel.

By: mrnutty

mrnutty — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:10:47 -0800

It's not viral. I'll go down to Fred's Bakery and interview him if you want. The MeFi Dectective Squad is on the case!

By: everichon

everichon — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:17:22 -0800

Wow. *throws Turkish movie collection into dumpster*

By: everichon

everichon — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:19:08 -0800

Effusive thanks to allkindsoftime for this. Hoo, boy.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:52:43 -0800

You know, there once was a time when something howlingly, awfully bad could be embraced as kitsch and enjoyed as such. Then came the deliberately bad, an attempt to cash in on the ironic success of the awfully bad. Then came ironic commentary on the deliberately bad. Now, having completely decoupled authorial intent from artistic output, we're left with just BAD. Thanks, artists! You devious little fuckers.

By: bigschmoove

bigschmoove — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:17:14 -0800

Keep on truckin, Tim and Eric!

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:18:58 -0800

All the phone numbers I Googled for Fred's Bakery are outdated and now belong to different people or businesses, including multi-level financial marketeers, so I was beginning to think this was viral, but I finally got ahold of Fred through the guy who runs the Farmer's Market. Fred is real, he has a bakery, he is married to Sharon, and he is becoming aware of his impending fame. I just had a good conversation with him on the phone, and we're going to meet up on Sunday. I'll try for video. Stay tuned.

By: joe defroster

joe defroster — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:05:36 -0800

This one is astonishing.

By: flatluigi

flatluigi — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:34:25 -0800

You know what I realized, after watching this? I would get a movie from them.

By: katillathehun

katillathehun — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:37:17 -0800

And try to get it on video. Preferably on video movie.

By: nola

nola — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:16:07 -0800

Great job!

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:39:10 -0800

I'm gonna have to keep an eye out for this guy when Farmer's Market starts back up. My inclination is to believe he's one of those people who is so incompetent that he doesn't even realize he's incompetent. At least in the realm of video production. Or in other words, he's sincerely bad at this.

By: eegphalanges

eegphalanges — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:52:09 -0800

The lake at the end of the first video movie was pretty.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:14:56 -0800

DAMMIT, I was gonna post this!

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:19:05 -0800

Sincerely bad = painfully good.

By: Greg Nog

Greg Nog — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:54:21 -0800

Man, I am just unbelievably excited about the update on this. I'm gonna be refreshing this page like crazy come Sunday.

By: allkindsoftime

allkindsoftime — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:15:04 -0800

Same here, I can't wait for the update...

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:08:06 -0800

Oooh! Their site is back up and they are charging visitors $1 to watch more movies. But... but... they still have movies on youtube (for free) so... huh?

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:10:08 -0800

Sunday Update: Fred is too busy to meet today; we'll try for Monday.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:20:48 -0800

Monday Update: I just spent about an hour with Fred and Sharon, and shot a short video which I will upload when Fred sees it and gives his OK. Likely tomorrow.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:47:12 -0800

You mean... a video movie? You ROCK.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:35:36 -0800

A video movie. The MetaFilter interview with Fred and Sharon.

By: Greg Nog

Greg Nog — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:45:10 -0800

I am so deeply anticipatory over here. These past few days, I haven't been able to stop thinking about Fred's "I need a hug" creature descending upon his skull. Something in these movies is making heretofore-unknown synapses fire in my brain.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:15:44 -0800

Fasten your seat belts: Fred has edited my video movie and put it up on YouTube. Includes a couple of plugs for MeFi. Who Needs a Movie? is approaching 600,000 hits.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:16:50 -0800

BTW, fff nailed it. Be nice, now.

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:43:21 -0800

Yay, what delightful folks they are and what a charming interview, w-g pandemonium. Hi rightbackatcha from Metafilter, Fred and Sharon!

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:46:46 -0800

Oh. My. God. (A) Was Sharon completely wrecked on pot, or completely terrified that WGP was going to... well, do whatever a weapons-grade pandemonium might do? (B) This couple has no clue about the Internet. I'm sure Fred was posting his movie for his grandkids or friends to view. That someone might stumble across his fascinatingly awful work and share it with sixty thousand friends is something he quite likely still can't quite comprehend. (C) I will never, ever share my stuff on the web. The consequences are too horrifying. Perfect strangers hunting you down, interviewing you, and then popularizing your imperfect work is the stuff of nightmares. It's bad enough my words go on record. God forbid something I really value get out there.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:53:44 -0800

Calm down; nobody's after your fish.

By: Salmonberry

Salmonberry — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:58:07 -0800

I love this. He says his next film will have an animated snake, eyeballs and Sharon; it'll be for young folks and overseas troops. Awesome. Just a pair of people being creative and enjoying themselves, then putting their stuff out there for people to view. YouTube is the new cable access and it is so great when people find these things.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:32:46 -0800

That's six hundred thousand friends, fff.

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:01:16 -0800

wgp, that's wonderful. Did you warn them that people might hassle them? They seem so nice, it's grim to contemplate them (him?) getting discouraged from this activity they/he enjoys so much.

By: donnagirl

donnagirl — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:14:50 -0800

Did Sharon loosen up when the camera was off? She seemed absolutely frozen with that smile and the echo-y talking.

By: Reverend John

Reverend John — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:23:32 -0800

Oh god, I can only take this in like, 90 second intervals. And I'm digging them both, they seem very sweet and charming. But now, I'm stopped right after the part where Fred talks about Van Gogh making 70 paintings and then committing suicide, and then his paintings going from being worthless to priceless. I had to stop there because I was already over my 90 second limit, yet I so need to go back to find out if he's got some larger point which goes beyond suicide. Ok. I think I'm ready now. Hahaha. "Do you intend to stop at 69 then?". Phew. "I have no intention to off myself". Thank god. Bye Sharon & Fred! Take care!

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:03:43 -0800

Did you warn them that people might hassle them? Yes, but they know this already. Thousands of emails--many of them insulting-- rude phone calls--the whole nine yards. All this inspired Fred's "I Need a Hug."

By: nanojath

nanojath — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:20:00 -0800

The haters are a shame, but that cat's out of the bag. They will probably experience positive effects as well. If I had a video movie I needed made that would benefit by some sort of post-ironic anti-internet sort of vibe I would totally get Fred and Sharon to do it.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:36:14 -0800

muh thou wee?

By: misha

misha — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:19:17 -0800

I am so picturing a "Snakes on a Plane!" animation with Sharon as the victim now. She already looks like she is scared to death, so she won't have to act. Fred seems like a sweet old guy, too. Good job, wgp!

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:17:17 -0800

I wish you'd shown Sharon's hands for a little bit longer, WGP. She looks totally parkinsonian and it would have been interesting to see if she has a rest tremor.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:08:13 -0800

I did show her hands for longer. Fred edited it out.

By: Grangousier

Grangousier — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:14:59 -0800

Fred sounds like David Lynch when he talks.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:09:50 -0800

No Country for Old Fred. I haven't laughed so hard in years.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:19:04 -0800

Oh, and Fred's latest video. And it's just like he said: Students. Troops. Snake. Eyeballs.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:44:57 -0800

Oh jesus me... oh my. I WORSHIP FRED! I'm sorry, I did inhale, and this was a brilliant video. I don't know if the Fred we're seeing in the video is the Fred who's actually producing this stuff (as opposed to acting in it). But who ever the real person is behind the Fred-as-...producer?... concept is my new god. If I see Fred at the farmer's market, I'll be buying whatever he's selling. I expect it's an herbal medicine.