Anyone know what Dino has been up to?

Author	Comment
Finnegan T Ghostbuster I'm a writer! Posts: 4 (7/20/03 10:01 pm) 67.75.106.105 Reply \| Edit \| Del All	Anyone know what Dino has been up to? Anyone here know what Dino Stamatopoulos is doing or working on these days? I am not asking because I want to get in touch with him or anything, just interested in what he is doing in terms of writing and/or performing. I know he was working on TV Funhouse (the .5 hour show) with Smigel but since that show isn't around anymore... I put his name into IMDB and nothing recent came up except for co-producer on Master of Disguise. Also, if/when the Stiller show comes out on DVD, I would be super psyched if one of the extras is him and Andy Dick doing the Whose On First routine that is mentioned in Dino's page in the Mr. Show book. But I'm not holding my breath about it (did i use that phrase correctly?).
bsteuernagel Captain Ed Posts: 66 (7/22/03 7:45 am) 57.69.14.65 Reply \| Edit \| Del	uh I think he writes for Mad TV.
BillBrasky2620 Wait A Minute Sally Posts: 304 (7/22/03 12:28 pm) 65.32.66.180 Reply \| Edit \| Del	re: Jesus. That somehow offends me more than the fact that he coproduced Master of Disguise.
Jixby Phillips Leguguine Posts: 163 (7/22/03 1:11 pm) 68.116.34.246 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Re: re: That's great, I WROTE A HIT PLAY! You mean these rosemarry bleeds right here?
dinost I'm a writer! Posts: 1 (8/12/03 11:48 am) 216.101.81.2 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Master of Disguise, MadTV and beyond... Look, Master of Disguise was almost a tolerable film but Adam Sandler ruined it through editing. All my stuff was eventually edited out. I wish I could take my name off it. As for MADTV...I quit after a season. I needed the money. I have to say, the show has some funny writers on it, but the production and performing is so bad that the writing doesn't really come across. Also, bad notes from producers in rewriting really hurts the sketches. I don't usually apologise, but these two "M"s in my life are a real bummer. I felt compelled to join the forum and write this post. I'm working on a project now with Jack Plotnick, who made an appearance on Mr. Show Season One. It's called "Spacestation 76" and it will be great if Comedy Central picks it up. So far we only have a pilot written, but it's one of the best things I've been involved with to date.
bsteuernagel Captain Ed Posts: 73 (8/12/03 1:27 pm) 57.69.14.65 Reply \| Edit \| Del	... That would be cool. I had your buddy Norm for a teacher at SC in Chicago. He is nice. Any stories form the Dana Carvey show you'd like to share? Rich Little's Easter Spectacular still make me laugh quietly to myself.
in search of Sasquatch tell them it was a fwend Posts: 1973 (8/12/03 2:19 pm) 68.64.112.75 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Re: ... Thanks for posting Dino. Always cool to hear from the people we're discussing here.
dinost I'm a writer! Posts: 2 (8/12/03 2:23 pm) 216.101.81.2 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Dana Carvey That sketch was probably the only good bit I wrote specifically for Dana on that show. My favorite part was that at one point it was Dana playing Rich Little playing Jean Stapleton playing Edith Bunker playing Mary Magdalen. There was one "Grandma the Clown" that didn't air. I may have gone too far with it. She mistakes one of the kids for her dead son who fell through the ice when he was twelve...or something like that. That old lady was great, but sadly, she only realized how tasteless it was after the show aired. I think she was quite upset about it. Other than that, I don't remember much about the show. It was a pretty disjointed sketch show that didn't really have a strong point of view. And it certainly wasn't for primetime ABC. I think there is one lost episode, but I doubt anyone cares whether its found or not. All in all, the show had some good bits, but was ultimately disappointing. When did you have class with Norm? Any good stories?
timfar Sonic Death Monkey Posts: 314 (8/12/03 3:56 pm) 149.63.89.155 Reply \| Edit \| Del	the goods This is WAY cool. I'm not sure but this might be the first time anyone from the show has actually posted here. Thanks, Dino. "You got the goods."
BillBrasky2620 Wait A Minute Sally Posts: 331 (8/12/03 6:36 pm) 65.32.66.50 Reply \| Edit \| Del	re: Well, Scott Aukerman posted here, and he's part of the show. But I do have to agree that this is hella cool. Now I kind of feel like a dick for dissing the work of Dino, who I genuinely think is a comic genius. This is kind of like when I participated in a discussion about Rachel Dratch's breasts on the SNL newsgroup and then found out that she reads the newsgroup regularly. Oops. I wish I had taped those Dana Carvey episodes, because I now realize they will never be repeated anywhere, or show up on DVD. It would be worth having the lactating President Clinton feeding puppies sketch, just as an example of how not to start off a prime time sketch comedy series And it sucks that Mad TV is still apparently having the same problem with douchebag executives "ripping the spine and cutting the balls" off of anything comedic. "Um, this Hitler sketch is really funny....can he not be anti-Semitic? And three of these Klansmen need to be black". Anyway, good luck with your Comedy Central pilot and I promise not to be critical again of people that are approximately 20 bazillion times funnier than me. My apologies.
bsteuernagel Captain Ed Posts: 74 (8/12/03 8:01 pm) 162.84.240.194 Reply \| Edit \| Del	... I had him last spring. Was it you two that saw Andy Kaufman at Park West when all he did was "sleep" in a sleeping bag on stage until everyone left, or was that Norm and someone else? I also noticed Bob's character in the "Audition" sketch is called "Norm." Did Andy Dick play David's part in the "Anti-Comedy" shows? I guess nothing interesting happened in class other than me picking Norm's brain. Cheers. PS Do you have the Skank pilot on tape or did Stiller nix it before it got that far?
Finnegan T Ghostbuster I'm a writer! Posts: 15 (8/12/03 11:21 pm) 67.75.113.2 Reply \| Edit \| Del	... wow, thanks for replying. I hope Comedy Central picks up the show. I remember reading about that sleeping bag "bit"(?) in Andy Kaufman Revealed by Bob Zmuda, which is a really, really good read that I recommend to any Kaufman fan or even a comedy fan.
Jixby Phillips Leguguine Posts: 172 (8/13/03 2:44 am) 68.116.34.246 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Re: ... I read that book. My favorite chapter was the stuff about Mr. X. I want to know who the fuck that is. You mean these rosemarry bleeds right here?
BillBrasky2620 Wait A Minute Sally Posts: 332 (8/13/03 4:18 am) 65.32.66.50 Reply \| Edit \| Del	re: "Mr. X" is Norman Wexler, who died in August of 1999. He wrote the screenplays for the movies "Saturday Night Fever", "Mandingo", and "Serpico". From his IMDB profile: Norman Wexler was born in New Bedford Mass and attended Harvard University. In addition to his acclaim as the writer of Saturday Night Fever, he also suffered from manic depression, and in 1972 was arrested by the FBI for saying he was planning to shoot then-president Nixon. Tony Clifton was somewhat based off of Norman Wexler, from Andy Kaufman hearing stories of Wexlers behavior from Bob Zmuda.
bsteuernagel Captain Ed Posts: 75 (8/13/03 4:54 am) 162.84.240.194 Reply \| Edit \| Del	... If you liked Zmuda's book check out Bill Zemhe's "Lost in the Funhouse" which I think is a more informative read. Kaufman got really screwed by "Heartbeeps" and lost the oppertunity to make "The Tony Clifton Story." I highly recommend reading this script, it's a great piece of meta comedy.
Finnegan T Ghostbuster I'm a writer! Posts: 16 (8/13/03 12:59 pm) 67.75.115.45 Reply \| Edit \| Del	... I have read "Lost in The Funhouse" and the Tony Clifton script. 'Lost in the Funhouse' was a really good biography but I would only recommend that to more "die-hard" Andy fans. I would recommend Revealed to anyone who is a fan of comedy and performing. I've read both books more than once. but I am a weirdo about Andy
dinost I'm a writer! Posts: 3 (8/13/03 3:26 pm) 216.101.81.2 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Dissing me If it wasn't for you dissing me, I probably wouldn't have been moved to write on this site. But the ol' ego kicked in and here I am. By the way, The Who's On First bit will NOT be on the Stiller DVD because they couldn't or wouldn't get the rights from Abbott and Costello's estates. I doubt that I'll be mentioned much on the disc anyway because I never got along with Stiller and don't talk to Andy anymore. Skank was nixed before the deal was ever done. I wrote about half a pilot for it. I had his first wife dying five minutes into the show because he bought a car with only one safety bag on the driver's side. He meets his second wife, Janeane, at the first wife's funeral. It's love at first sight as he's doing the eulogy. That might be as far as I got. I can't really remember. Then, HBO indepentdent productions killed it because Ben and Judd Apatow were asking for too much money. Fox really was into it though. I wanted to do the first season straight, and the second season kind of like Larry Sanders where we see the "behind the scenes" of the show. Also, I wanted to set up Skank as hating his work, calling it "a stinking dead end job!" and then eventually finding out that he's the Mayor of the town. I know this is a lot of useless info, but I might as well write it somewhere. I didn't come up with the audition bit till I was in L.A. goofing around and Mike Stoyanov's house. Andy eventually stole it and did it in some live show of his in L.A., so I quickly reclaimed it and gave it to Mr. Show. I actually did that bit at a few real auditions...to equally puzzled responses. The Kaufman thing wasn't me with Norm. I never saw Andy Kaufman live. Wish I did, though.
bsteuernagel 23-Skidoo Posts: 77 (8/13/03 3:32 pm) 162.84.240.194 Reply \| Edit \| Del	... I have to ask what it was like writing for Letterman as opposed to Conan and are you doing anything for the 10 anniversery show? Also do think with the success of the Strangers with Candy DVD's CC will release TV Funhouse on DVD? Thanks.
dinost I'm a writer! Posts: 5 (8/13/03 3:48 pm) 216.101.81.2 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Letterman VS. Conan Letterman was a real bummer to work on. Everyone was nice, but the fear of "the big man" trickled down the chilled spine of the show and effected everyone on it in a negative way. Conan during the first two years really spoiled me. I sort of shut down on Letterman and wrote my own stuff. I was just waiting out my term and looking forward to going to Mr. Show. No one's contacted me about the tenth anniversary. It's weird that so much time has passed. I remember when Conan first started and thinking that we were taking over for a comedy Institution. Letterman was on for ten years at that point! It seemed like forever. I got through high school because of Dave. I don't think TV FUNHOUSE was as popular as Strangers With Candy, so, no, I don't see it being on DVD anytime soon.
in search of Sasquatch tell them it was a fwend Posts: 1977 (8/13/03 4:57 pm) 68.64.112.75 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Re: Letterman VS. Conan Dino, Since we have you here... How was it working for Judd Apatow? He's one of my comedy writing heroes, so feel free to crush my sad, silly dream image of him. Obligatory Mr. Show fan nerd questions: Did you record any commentary for the Mr. Show Season 3 DVD? Or, for that matter, Season 4? What's your favorite Mr. Show sketch a) that you wrote; b) that you didn't? Where'd the idea for the pre-taped call-in show come from? Thanks for sharing some of your stories.
dinost I'm a writer! Posts: 6 (8/13/03 6:25 pm) 216.101.81.2 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Misters Apatow and Show I personally don't think Judd's that strong a writer. He's really great at producing, though. Ruthless. I definitely wouldn't trust him when it comes to giving credit to any other writer. He knows what's funny, but I'm not that convinced he can deliver what's funny without a lot of help. I did commentary for season 3. Season four hasn't been recorded yet, but I'll probably do that, too. My favorite Mr. Show sketch that I wrote would probably be "Young People and Their Companions." I co-wrote that with Brent Forrester along with Pre-taped call-in Show. Young People was conceived on acid. But my favorite joke that I wrote would have to be the banana nonsequitor/Planet of the Apes bit for "The Lost Episode." I love that I could pitch something like that where the set-up wouldn't pay off for another 22 minutes and then it actually got in the show. My favorite sketch that I didn't write is the Megaphone bit from Season Two. I love the logic of that sketch. The idea for the pre-taped call-in show came from Brent. He came to me during the Ben Stiller Show and said, "Hey, what if a Call-In show was pretaped? Could that work?" I immediately thought the premise was crazy and funny. We started mapping out the logic of it on paper. Writing it was like doing a math problem. It kind of wrote itself with us trying to figure it out. Then the Stiller show was cancelled and we shelved the idea for about five years.
Jixby Phillips Lee Posts: 619 (5/18/05 11:54 am) 130.212.120.6 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Re: Tic Tac Pitch i have an idea for a show where you all SHUT UP
scuZZer I'm a writer! Posts: 2 (5/18/05 12:50 pm) 142.59.173.123 Reply \| Edit \| Del	desert wraparound the reality aids idea is intriguing... or how about an hour long show of a middle aged man in the middle of a desert laying on his back, spread eagle, and pulling his goalie while the camera slowly circles the man.....all set to Joni Mitchell's "Blue" album.
yumitree The Asian Problem Posts: 1410 (5/18/05 1:41 pm) 24.6.152.94 Reply \| Edit \| Del	Re: Tic Tac Pitch dino, does this latest round of posting in your thread kind of make you cry a little?