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Dogleg Can’t Tour Behind ‘Melee’ Yet, But It Already Feels Like A Cult Classic

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Michigan punk group Dogleg recorded their recently released debut album, Melee, in a garage and in a basement. That’s especially appropriate these days, since the coronavirus is keeping artists and home and not leaving them with many recording locations beyond their garages and basements.

The pandemic is also preventing Dogleg from touring behind their new release. Bassist Chase Macinski tells Uproxx that’s a huge bummer, since he believes the band’s kinetic live shows are what turn curious listeners into full-blown fans. The band hasn’t needed concerts to get people hooked on Melee, though. The album recently surpassed one million streams on Spotify, and it has earned white-hot critical reception: It’s one of the year’s highest-scoring albums on Metacritic.

Instead of hitting the road, the members of Dogleg are hitting their respective couches, but they’re staying busy, too. Macinski tells us he and the rest of the band are maintaining an active online presence in support of Melee (which is named after the classic GameCube title Super Smash Bros. Melee, by the way). During our conversation, he also spoke about personal themes on Melee, shared his thoughts on some of the biggest recent video games, and discussed how his expectations for the album have already been shattered.

Your new album is out now, and I’ve seen it getting some really positive press, and I saw that the album recently hit one million plays on Spotify, so nice job there. How does it feel to have your first album out and see it do as well as it has?

Thank you. It’s kind of unbelievable, to be honest. I did not expect it to do as well as it’s doing by any means. I think my expectations were absolutely blown out of the water because of the phenomenal job of all the people we have working on our team. We knew we made a really good album. We had no idea of how successful it would be in the short term, because when we were writing the album, I was like, “I’m just trying to make something that… even if it doesn’t explode right now, ten years from now, it will be like a cult classic,” you know? But I think because we have such a phenomenal team that we’re working with, we were able to bridge that gap immediately and already hit that milestone, which is phenomenal.

I would think, though, that there’s probably a sort of bittersweetness to it with everything going on in the world as the album has come out. How does this kind of pandemic impact an act like a Dogleg, which has a fan base and admiration but isn’t like a global superstar pop act?

It’s hard to measure how detrimental this is. We feel like it’s definitely hurt us, because we feel that our live performances are what solidified people as our fans. We’ve worked really hard on writing this album. We’ve been writing this album for probably two or three years, it feels like. People who have been hearing these songs live are still not sick of them, and I feel like a huge part of that is the energy and performance that we put in during our live shows. So, it sucks that we can’t really hook people in with all the shows that we’ve had lined up for the upcoming spring and summer.

I guess we’re not too worried because we’ve got such good reception on the music, but we just want to stay relevant on people’s radar until they can finally see us in person, and then they can be like, “Holy sh*t, they are the real deal.”

Since you’re not playing shows now, what are you guys doing to pass the time?

We’re just trying to generate content, things that we can post online, things like music videos. I stream on Twitch every Monday from 7 to 11 and I play [Super Smash Bros. Melee] with people over this online service called Netplay, and that connects to computers so that they can play console games together, which is really cool.

Other than that, Alex has been doing acoustic Instagram and other streaming service live performances where it’s just like him and a microphone. Before all of this happened, before Michigan got put in lockdown, we did a live studio session with our friends at Eureka in Downriver, Michigan. So we have videos, we have live things we can do, and we have just things that we want people to engage with.

Melee addresses difficult times that [singer Alex Stoitsiadis’] mom has gone through. From your end, how did it feel to help him bring that ultra-personal message to life?

I feel like that reflects on the Dogleg writing process, and that’s interesting because lyrics are the last thing we add to any song. A lot of the instruments happen first and they all start with a riff, or a simple progression, and then we build on that. All of our songs have that tenacity or ferocious anxiety, and a lot of tension. When we put all that into the songs, I believe Alex felt very natural out letting his emotions and his expressions in that manner. I think it was because all of us were feeling all of those emotions that we were able to provide an outlet for him and his personal experiences.

Going back to the video game front…

That is my forte.

I was going to say, that is also my forte. So, since you and the band seem to be the most game-literate group around today, I figured I would get your thoughts on a few recent high profile games: Have you been getting into Animal Crossing at all? My girlfriend has already put in so many hours, it’s bonkers.

I personally have not played Animal Crossing because I don’t own a Switch, but Alex does, and Alex has played a ton of Animal Crossing. It’s cute, but personally I’m not going to say anything negative, because everyone’s going to think Dogleg hates Animal Crossing, even though I love it.

I watch my girlfriend play and it’s not quite my thing either, but I certainly get the appeal. I tend to like a game that has more direction and that is less open, if that makes sense.

Yeah, yeah. I’m a big fan of games that challenge me instead of games that let me only escape from reality, in a sense. And so, I respect Animal Crossing, but it isn’t my cup of tea personally.

How about the new Pokémon games, Sword and Shield?

Our drummer, Jacob [Hanlon], has a Switch, and he’s been playing it and he really likes it. He’s been grinding it out to find… I forget which Pokémon he wants perfect EVs for. I think it’s a psychic type. He’s grinding out in the Battle Tower trying to perfect his team. Him and a bunch of other people in the DIY music scene actually started a Pokémon league for [online battle simulator Pokémon Showdown]. You can assemble whatever teams you want and automatically customize movesets, EVs and IVs, and natures. He’s been participating in that league and I think he’s doing pretty well. He has a buddy who enters and wins Pokémon tournaments, and it’s really exciting to see the competitive aspect of that applied to Sword and Shield. I’m just absorbing how serious Pokémon can get.

Finally, how does Super Smash Bros. Ultimate compare with Melee?

My stance on Ultimate is that Smash Ultimate is what Smash 4 [Super Smash Bros. For Wii U and Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS] should’ve been. We’re only making up for lost time with Ultimate. When Ultimate came out, I was like, “OK, so we’re finally here.” We should’ve already been here. That’s OK, I guess, but let’s keep pushing it forward and make an intricate platform fighter like Melee is. So unfortunately, Ultimate, I would play it casually, but I’ll never enter a tournament for it, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop entering Melee tournaments.

So you’re not going to put Ultimate at the merch table over Melee any time soon.

I’m not, but Jacob thinks he’s pretty damn good at Ultimate, so sometimes if he’s feeling up to it people can challenge Jacob to it.

Melee is out now via Triple Crown Records. Get it here.

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Foo Fighters, St. Vincent, And Many Others Cover Prince For The Grammys Tribute Concert

Live entertainment is a rare luxury these days, since the coronavirus pandemic has necessitated that concerts and tours either be rescheduled or canceled entirely. Fortunately, though, there are a number of events that were filmed before self-isolation became widespread. One of those things is “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute To Prince,” a tribute concert that was taped in late January. Last night, on the fourth anniversary of Prince’s death, the show was aired, and it featured some special performances.

Foo Fighters busted out a rendition of “Darling Nikki,” which fans know is far from their first experience with the song: They released a cover of the track in 2003, as a B-side on the Australian version of the “Have It All” single. The band’s Tayor Hawkins previously said Prince originally objected to the band’s cover, which is why it wasn’t released in the US. It seems that issue eventually became water under the bridge, though, as Dave Grohl and Prince later jammed together.

Another highlight was St. Vincent’s funky performance of “Controversy”:

Deborah Dugan, then the Recording Academy President/CEO and now famously not, said of the show when it was announced, “Prince. The Purple One. His Royal Badness — regardless of how you identify him, he is indisputably one of the greatest musical virtuosos of all time. With his subversive attitude and commanding nature, he straddled musical genres and created electrifying music that was bursting with character. He continues to serve as an inspirational icon for artists and fans worldwide, and we are so honored to pay tribute to his legacy.”

Other performers included Earth, Wind & Fire; Chris Martin; John Legend; Usher; and others; so watch more clips from the show below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Kacey Musgraves’ New Version Of ‘Oh, What A World’ Celebrates Heroes On Earth Day

It might be hard for people to celebrate right now given the state of the world. Today (April 22), however, is Earth Day, and the pandemic has had the welcomed side-effect of drastically reducing air pollution. That’s something to smile about, and Kacey Musgraves is spreading joy today with “Oh, What A World 2.0,” a slightly poppier version of her Golden Hour highlight.

Musgraves shared a statement about the new edition of the song, saying:

“There is a lot to feel downhearted about on this Earth Day. Everyone and everything feels out of balance. People are suffering and the future is uncertain. In the face of a pandemic that has brought cities to their knees, a song can feel small. A melody can seem insignificant. This is a global moment of acknowledgment and respect for the power of nature and for so many of us — extreme challenges and sadness. But in the midst of all the loss and uncertainty there are signs everywhere of human compassion and renewal. The earth is healing. Bluer skies hang over China and Los Angeles. Clearer water and a positive effect on wildlife is being seen. In spite of all its troubles, it’s still a wild, beautiful world and if you need proof, it’s out there. You just might have to look in a different corner of the sky.

Right now, there are so many brave people that deserve Medals of Honor: the nurses, doctors, grocers, the delivery and truck drivers, cashiers, gas station attendants, the scientists, restaurant workers, the single parents, and SO many others. I’m just a songwriter but my hope is that if I bring the light I have in my spirit to the table, maybe it could be a form of energy that lifts someone else’s spirit for a moment. Oh, What a World — dedicated to our planetary home and all the quiet heroes this Earth Day: you’re the northern lights in our skies.”

Listen to “Oh, What A World 2.0” above.

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Kate Beckinsale Responded After Wendy Williams And An Instagram Commenter Dragged The 24 Year Age Gap In Her New Relationship

Kate, 46, recently went public with 22-year-old Goody Grace. And while they seem perfectly happy, it hasn’t stopped people expressing their opinions on the relationship.


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JoJo Siwa Just Took Out Her Bow To Show Off Her Naturally Wavy Hair And Everybody Is Losing Their Goddamn Minds

“OMG this is a whole other JoJo and I love it.”


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Trump Says His 60-Day Immigration Ban Will Only Apply To People Applying For Green Cards. But The Order Is Still “Being Written.”

The policy announcement comes during a time when the immigration system has already slowed down significantly.


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The Best Animated Movies On Netflix Right Now

Last Updated: April 22nd

Now that Disney+ has more animated films than we know what to do with, it’s easy for animation buffs to get discouraged flipping through Netflix’s offerings, which skew heavily toward mass-produced kiddie TV programs and dire-looking CGI direct-to-video sequels. But a little digging turns up quite a few unexpected animated gems — and what Netflix’s animated offerings lack in depth, they make up for in breadth. The range of techniques and narrative approaches on display here highlights what makes the animation medium so exciting and fruitful. So here are the best animated movies on Netflix right now.

Related: The Best Adult Animated Shows On Netflix Right Now

Universal

Despicable Me (2010)

Run Time: 95 min | IMDb: 7.6/10

Steve Carrell voices the criminal mastermind Gru in this animated adventure, which contains a surprising amount of heart. And minions. There are so many minions. Gru adopts a trio of orphans (Margo, Edith, and Agnes) to help pull off his latest scheme but gets more than he bargained for when he begins to form a real family with the girls. Of course, going soft isn’t good for business, so most of the fun in this film comes from watching Gru try to hang onto his hard rep and failing, miserably.

Sony

Monster House (2006)

Run Time: 91 min | IMDb: 6.6/10

Dan Harmon helped pen this animated horror-comedy about a house that comes alive to eat children. The story itself is actually quite dark — it involves unhappy spirits and bullying and death — but the hijinks lighten things up a bit as three kids try to get to the bottom of the legends surrounding the place and the man who owns it.

best animated movies on netflix - the princess and the frog
Disney

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Run Time: 97 min | IMDb: 7.1/10

Anika Noni Rose and Oprah Winfrey voice this imaginative Disney flick about a waitress in New Orleans with dreams of leaving her small-town life behind. Rose plays Tiana, a young woman who hopes to one day open up her own restaurant who gets entangled in a magical adventure when she makes the mistake of kissing a frog — who’s really a prince named Naveen that’s been cursed by a Voodoo doctor. When Tiana also turns into a frog after the smooch, the two are sent on a journey through the bayou, outrunning demons and hunters in order to find a real princess for Naveen to kiss before midnight.

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Pixar

The Incredibles 2 (2018)

Run Time: 118 min | IMDb: 7.8/10

Our favorite superhero family is back with a new mission that requires a reversal of roles for its patriarch. Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is forced to stay home and look after the kids — including Baby Jack Jack whose powers continue to grow — while his wife Helen (Elastigirl) saves the world, becoming the new face of the superhero presence. While Elastigirl goes on covert missions aimed at restoring her family’s good name, Mr. Incredible struggles to raise the kids. There’s plenty of humor to be mined from his parental woes, especially when it comes to Jack, who eventually requires a special suit to control his abilities. Unfortunately, Elastigirl’s new employer plans to wreck the reputation of superheroes once and for all, using her family to do it, which means it’s up to the kids to save the day (again).

GKIDS

The Breadwinner (2017)

Run Time: 94 min | IMDb: 7.7/10

Based off a best-selling book by Deborah Ellis, this Angelina Jolie-produced animated drama follows the story of a young girl named Parvana, who’s forced to disguise herself as a man in order to provide for her family when her father is sent to prison by the Taliban. The film is set in war-torn Afghanistan, in a village under Taliban rule where women aren’t permitted to hold jobs or even buy food without the presence of a male relative. When Parvana’s father angers a member of the Taliban, he’s thrown in prison, and she pretends to be a man in order to earn money and food for her mother and sisters. The film is a gripping, honest look at some difficult-to-swallow issues, and it’s done in the most visually-stunning of ways.

Paramount

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Run Time: 107 min | IMDb: 7.3/10

Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, and Jamie Bell lend their talents to this animated adventure about an intrepid reporter named Tintin, who teams up with a rarely-sober sea captain named Archibald Haddock to find some sunken treasure. Tintin and Haddock must battle against other greedy hunters, including the film’s villain (voiced by Craig) to uncover Haddock’s ancestral connection to a sunken ship and the cases of gold still inside it.

best netflix animated movies - april and the extraordinary world
Fantastic Fest

April And The Extraordinary World (2015)

Run Time: 105 min | IMDb: 7.3/10

In an alternate version of 1941 where France has been led by a line of Napoleons and leading scientists mysteriously disappear, young April, her talking cat Darwin, and the shady Julius go searching for April’s missing parents. It’s an interesting take on a history where technological advancement isn’t a thing, where “steampunk” is reality and TVs and cars don’t exist. April’s journey starts in the dreary, stuck-out-of-time France but leads her to fantastical advancements that still make sense in the world we’re presented with. The heart of the film lies in the love that plucky, stubborn April has for those she cares about, and the film’s driven by charming animation and a genuinely interesting concept. It’s a fun trip that’s just out-there enough for adults while being accessible for the young and young at heart.

WB

Space Jam (1996)

Run Time: 88 min | IMDb: 6.4/10

We’re not here to defend the merits of this ’90s sports flick. Some consider it good cinema, others not so much. But the fact remains it’s a fun watch, one that defined many a childhood. It’s also got a weird as hell premise — the Looney Tunes must win a basketball match to earn their freedom and to do that, they need Michael Jordan — a guest cameo by Bill Murray, and some great, nostalgia-inducing animation.

Netflix

Klaus (2019)

Run Time: 96 min | IMDb: 8.4/10

Normally, Christmas movies trademarked by Netflix come with sappy romances, mistaken princesses, and Vanessa Hudgens but this original animated feature is the exception, and the best holiday flick the streaming platform has given us yet. It imagines a different origin story for Saint Nicholas, one that involves an eager-to-please postman voiced by Jason Schwartzman and an isolated, gruff Santa voiced by J.K. Simmons. The two go on a toy-making adventure together that ends up mending old wounds and bringing entire villages together. Oh, and the animation is a visual feast. Prepare yourself.

GKIDS

My Entire High School Sinking Into The Sea (2016)

Run Time: 75 min | IMDb: 6.1/10

This animated drama feels like it belongs on Adult Swim, not Netflix, but it’s a refreshing change-up from the rest of the family-centric options on this list. With a voice cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Reggie Watts, Maya Rudolph, and Lena Dunham, the film follows a group of students whose seaside high school falls off a cliff, forcing everyone trapped inside to go into survival mode. Think Lord of the Flies but stranded at sea. Schwartzman plays Dash, a young kid forced to reconcile with his ex-best friend to save a group of students, and Susan Sarandon pops up as a lunch lady named Lorraine who displays some heroics of her own. It’s quirky and crudely-drawn, but that’s part of the charm.

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Disney

Tarzan (1999)

Run Time: 88 min | IMDb: 7.3/10

The most memorable thing about Tarzan is probably the Phil Collins-led soundtrack. That’s not a dig, because every song in this movie is a banger, but the story is fun too. It follows a man named Tarzan who was raised by gorillas in the jungle when his family was killed. As a man, he encounters a new set of colonizers, one of whom he falls in love with, that threaten his family, his home, and his way of life.

Dreamworks

The Croods (2013)

Run Time: 98 min | IMDb: 7.2/10

Prehistoric times were rough, you guys and this film is proof. Ryan Reynolds, Nic Cage, and Emma Stone lead an impressive voice cast for this Dreamworks movie about a family of cavemen (and women) whose home, errr cave, is destroyed. They’re forced to trek through a fantastical land to find shelter with the help of a strange newcomer. It’s silly, though beautifully animated, but the comedic chops of Reynolds and Stone keep things afloat.

Paramount

The Little Prince (2015)

Run Time: 108 min | IMDb: 7.8/10

Pulled from its theatrical release mere weeks before it was supposed to hit theaters, this adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved children’s book combines several different types of animation to mixed but ultimately winning results. One’s a charming stop-motion retelling of the original book. The other’s a more familiar Pixar-ish tale of a young girl pushed too hard to succeed who meets an aged Aviator. The film’s not entirely successful, but ambition and lovely visuals go a long way.

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Sony

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)

Run Time: 117 min | IMDb: 8.5/10

The Oscar-winning animated film quickly made its way to Netflix last year, which means if you didn’t get a chance to see it in theaters, you no longer have to wonder what all the hype is about. The story follows a young kid named Miles, who becomes the web-slinging hero of his reality, only to cross paths with other iterations of Spider-Man across different dimensions who help him defeat a threat posed to all realities. Mahershala Ali, John Mulaney, and Jake Johnson make up the film’s talented voice cast, but it’s the striking visuals and daring story-telling technique that really serves the film well.

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Netflix

I Lost My Body (2019)

Run Time: 81 min | IMDb: 7.6/10

This beautifully animated French fantasy film follows the story of a young man named Naoufel, or rather, his hand which has been severed from his body and spends most of the film escaping labs and trying to get back to its owner. The film flits between the past and present, watching Naoufel’s life unfold from a young orphan to an accidental carpenter’s apprentice — which is how he lost his appendage — all while exploring themes of love, loss, and destiny.

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In Which We Zoom With Will Forte To Discuss ‘MacGruber,’ ‘The Willoughbys,’ And How To Properly Pronounce ‘Lithgow’

Look, if you have a better cure for those “I’ve been inside for about a month” blues than zooming with Will Forte, well I’d sure like to hear it. A few minutes before this interview was set to begin, Forte was having some phone problems, so, instead, we did it over Zoom. And when we connected, there was Will Forte, sitting in front of a giant painting of the 29th President of the United States, Warren Harding.

Forte can be heard next this week in the Netflix animated film, The Willoughbys, which features surprisingly trippy animation and, as Forte suggests, would have been a good movie for 4/20. (You know, it’s never too late.) But it is weird doing an interview over Zoom, where most of us have become used to work meetings and more lackadaisical conversations with friends. So, yes, this sort of turned into that, too, as we got off on tangents like Good Will Hunting, the Star Wars Radio Drama and how to pronounce John Lithgow’s name.

And it’s been ten years since MacGruber, which Forte notes is one of the first times the two of us met, back when face to face human contact was still “a thing.” Forte give us an update on the MacGruber Peacock series that was still being written and waiting for a greenlight before production was shut down across the board. But, Forte reminds us there are more important things right now than if MacGruber comes back or not. And, yes, that’s true, but it’s still somewhere on the list of “important things.”

Why do you have that painting?

It’s a Last Man on Earth prop. I think it was the first episode in season two when we’re cruising around the White House and we need to cut to an unhappy president portrait. So we, for some reason, did Warren Harding. And then we had a second one made because either it was too severe of a frown or not enough of a frown. The second one made was a slightly different face. So I have a second one in my house here.

I don’t have a background set up. This is just where my computer is. Those Star Wars toys behind me, this isn’t me going, “Hey, check this out.”

Okay. I still get to check it out though.

It’s borderline embarrassing. I wish I had Harding behind me.

You can for a price.

For The Willoughbys, this movie no one’s seen yet, we should just get really esoteric, a frame by frame analysis. Just all the theories…

I will answer whatever you throw at me. You are my captain. You are my Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting.

Wait, that’s…

No, Dead Poet’s Society!

Yes. But he’s also in a teaching role of sorts in Good Will Hunting. What’s Robin Williams character’s name in that movie?

Oh, God. I have no idea.

It’s going to drive me nuts.

I don’t know. I have such a bad memory for all details. I can’t remember half of the MacGruber stuff.

Well, that’s my first question of this interview. And you don’t know.

Oh, that’s your first question?

Yes. What was Robin Williams name in Good Will Hunting, and you don’t know.

What’s his name?

Sean Maguire.

I would never have guessed that.

The scene where Sean Maguire is saying, “it’s not your fault,” over and over. Matt Damon says “Sean, come on, come on. Sean. Sean, not you, Sean.” Will Hunting does say Sean’s name a lot.

If you gave me a choice of five names, I still might’ve guessed that one last.

So if I had said like Murray Stedman, you might have thought it was Murray Stedman?

I’d be way more apt to pick Murray Stedman and then Sean Maguire.

This should be an entire interview — quizzing you on character names from Robin Williams movies.

Oh, I’m going to do very badly.

I don’t have anymore though.

Probably for the best.

Well, you’re the one who brought up Good Will Hunting.

I meant to do Dead Poets Society, and I don’t even know his name in Dead Poets Society. I just know he was, “Oh, captain, my captain.”

Well, strangely, that is my second question. What is Robin Williams character’s name in Dead Poets Society?

I bet his name is Robert something. I just saw Sudeikis in a production of Dead Poets Society.

Really? Was this like a live read?

Yeah, he did it for the theater.

I have the character name. It’s not Robert.

Oh, you do? What is it?

Do you want me to present it to you as a quiz or just tell you?

Give me three choices and I’ll tell you.

Perry King, Frank Nelson, or John Keating.

Oh, John Keating.

Yeah, I didn’t do a good job with those names. Perry King is a real person. I think he was in Riptide.

Yeah, Riptide. He’s handsome! Perry King.

Yeah. He’s a handsome man. Oh, Perry King, in the radio production of Star Wars he played Han Solo. And the same for The Empire Strikes Back.

Wait, really? Oh, I didn’t even know they did that. That’s cool.

Yoda was voiced by John Lithgow.

Oh really?

I think they did Star Wars in like ’81 then they did ‘Empire in 83. And then they didn’t do Return of the Jedi until the ’90s.

By the way, just so you know, it’s pronounced “Lith-go.”

I’m pronouncing it wrong.

Because I wrote for him for Third Rock From the Sun. I was a writer on that show and I think I used to say Lith-gow also. So, you’ve asked me so many questions that I didn’t have an answer for. I thought I would throw out some piece of knowledge that I have. So I don’t seem like a complete know-nothing. So, I’m a know-something.

So since Footloose I’ve been pronouncing his name wrong?

Yep. If that’s the way you’ve been pronouncing it. Sure.

I interviewed Colin Trevorrow and he told me his last name rhymes with “tomorrow.” Blew my mind.

Ryan Phillippe, it still takes me a little while to remember. Because, I mean, for years I just knew him as Ryan Phil-eepe. And then finally through knowing him through MacGruber, obviously, drilled it into my head. But it still takes just a second where it’s not as easy as just coming out. I have to remember what it is because for years and years I did say Phil-eepe.

Did he have to correct you? How did that come about? Or did you just hear him say his name?

No. I think somebody told me the correct pronunciation. I probably fact-checked it with them. I just want to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

Were there times you’d have to say his last name to him? I guess in interviews you wouldn’t want to say it wrong.

Probably more like that. But it’s also you just want to know.

I’m going to look back now because I remember I interviewed you for MacGruber. That might’ve been the first time we met.

Probably the first time we had met. Do you know what that means? This is our ten-year anniversary.

Really? MacGruber came out ten years ago?

Yeah, in May.

And here we are ten years later, on Zoom.

Ten years later.

So I watched The Willoughbys

Oh, you watched it? I haven’t seen it yet.

You haven’t seen it?

Certainly, I’ve gotten to see throughout, as you come in to record the voice, they’ll show you different stages of the animation and say, “Oh, this is what this is looking like.” It was so fun to see it all put together. And then what blew me away was the final couple of times that they would show me stuff. And just the visual aspect of this on its own is memorizing and beautiful and just super interesting and cool. Kris Pearn, the director, I had worked with him on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. And he’s just awesome.

The animation style, you’re right, it’s kind of a trippy movie. If there are kids still reading this, and you’ve made it through the pronunciations of John Lithgow’s name and Colin Trevorrow’s name and you’re still here, maybe ignore this part…

If you’re reading this and not hearing it, it’s just going to be the exact spellings of their names. They’re not going to know.

Okay, that’s true.

We’re saving it for tonight, which is 4/20. So you enjoyed it?

I did enjoy it. But, then again, there’s nothing bad right now. Anything anyone sends to me at this point, I’m just like, thank God. There’s no such thing as bad content, but I did enjoy it.

I think the first time that I read the script must have been two years ago, maybe even longer. So at this point, there’s so much stuff that I don’t remember about the plot, about the characters, about my own character.

You’re in for a treat.

Yeah, it’s going to be really fun to watch it because the process is so interesting and you’re dealing with everything on a real micro level that after a while you forget about the bigger picture of it.

We were talking about MacGruber earlier, with the Peacock show, did you get to film anything or did the pandemic hit before you even got to filming? I have no idea.

We’re still finishing the scripts. We’re still waiting for the official green light. But, we’re moving forward as if that’s going to happen. And you know, obviously what has happened to the world puts everything on hold, and rightly so. The most important thing is to make sure everybody is safe. We’re going to stop this virus from spreading even any more. But that just means that all this stuff, there’s a lot of uncertainty as to what happens when you come back. Hopefully, we still have a shot, but it’s just there are so many unanswered questions and way more important questions then if MadGruber is going to get done or not.

Well, you’re right. It’s not my number one question right now, but it might be in my top 10.

Okay, well thank you. Well, yeah, I mean we are really excited about the stuff that we have written so far. I think it’s stuff that if people are fans of the MacGruber movie, I think it will be something they will enjoy. If you weren’t a fan of the MacGruber movie, you’re probably not going to like this either. Who knows?

Well, it was good to see you. Also, I really need a haircut.

You have a wonderful overhead light that’s coming over you, giving a nice halo effect.

Yeah. I need to redo this setup…

It almost makes you look like you have frosted tips.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.