For those of you missed my live tweeting last night you’re in luck! I’ve obsessively posted them for you here. At least the less boring ones.
- Welcome to Live Tweet of Over the Hedge on ABC. Haven’t seen the film in probably four years.
- Vending machine bit boarded by Jeff Snow added after I asked, “Why does RJ go into the cave?”
- Jim Carrey originally cast as RJ. My first choice: Bill Murray. Told he was too old.
- No product placement in Hedge. Smart decision. Would’ve been nightmare negotiations w/ brands.
- Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy were leads in TV series based on my comic: Committed.
- Nick Nolte voicing Vincent was inspired casting. Sat behind me at premiere. Didn’t laugh once.
- Never nuts about bear plot device, but in the end it worked.
- I liked using Ben Fold’s, but think JK regretted it. No big blow out dance number at end a la Shrek.
- I think El Rancho Camelot is my sole contribution to the script.
- First draft script written by Private Parts scribe Len Blum. Not much survived to final.
- @Vergiejune It was hard to let them go. They were in great hands at DWA. My job was to just stay the hell out their way. I did that well.
- Told getting Shandling to emote was damn near impossible. Still did great job.
- Continuity error: Verne reenters Hedge nowhere near where he exited. Yet animals in same spot.
- Privates a good licking line from Jim Carrey when he voiced RJ.
- Told Shandling brought in comedy buddies Patton Oswalt, Judd Apatow and others to punch up script.
- Hedge rights sat at Fox for 5 years before it got to DWA.
- Willis and Shatner had the thousand yard stare when I met them. Sorta disappointing.
- This RJ/Hammy rabid squirrrel scene was in the can a couple years before the movie came out. Like they built the film around this scene.
- When Fox had Hedge rights, JK said, “They’ll never make it, and when they don’t, I will.”
- Catherine O’Hara sat behind me at premiere and laughed her ass off.
- Didn’t like Verminator’s character design. Thought a less broad design would be more menacing.
- Hedge is the most Pixar-ish of all DWA films.
- Dr. Phil bit is funny and one of few pop culture references in the film. Very un-DWA.
- Great Looney Toons stuff with the dog. And very much like the strip.
- “You’re the devil.” Great line. Perfectly delivered.
- This end Act II RJ decides to help them when he/we know he’ll betray them never worked for me.
- Wanda Sykes was terrific. Kept reintroducing myself at premiere until she’d had enough, “I KNOW who you are!”
- “I’m not stupid.” Best line in whole movie. Only line delivered in Carrell’s own voice.
- Wanda Sykes loved working on Hedge. Told director Tim Johnson first time she had ever been given chance to really act.
- The Hammy laser pointer bit is brilliant. “But I like the cookie.”
- RJ’s change of heart feels a tad contrived. Works, but…
- Yes, faster than light Hammy bit like Hoodwink squirrel. No rip. Scene boarded, animated way before HW released.
- Hammy light speed scene got HUGE ovation during Canne Film Festival premiere.
And that’s most of the tweets. The overnight ratings are out and Hedge averaged about 3.8 million viewers and did a 1.2/4 in the 18-49 demo. Won the time slot in the demo in third half hour. Better than Hairspray the week before and slightly below Shrek the Third two weeks earlier. In other words it did well, though not spectacularly well. Hope you enjoyed this experiment in social media and self-promotion. Cheers!
