A new Between Two Ferns is always cause for celebration, and this latest installment is among the best.  It begins like most Between Two Ferns: Zach Galifianakis makes deadpan insults towards his guest (in this case James Franco), but then it turns into the music video for the new Lonely Island single, “Spring Break Anthem”, which is appropriately in the style of Spring Breakers but also supports gay marriage.  And because The Lonely Island–which is comprised of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg–likes to embrace the random, Edward Norton co-stars in this excellent sketch/music video.

Hit the jump to check out the music video.  The Lonely Island’s new album, The Wack Album, will be released on June 11th.

In addition to giving a moving response to the Boston Marathon tragedy, Patton Oswalt has been using his status as Lord High Geek to star in some amazing comedy videos this week.  The first is a bit from College Humor where he plays the Penguin in the site’s ongoing mockery of Batman, “Badman”.  In the sketch, Batman fails to understand the difference between death and being asleep.

The other video is a deleted scene from Parks and Recreation where he plays a citizen doing a filibuster by creating possibly the nerdiest fan-fiction crossover ever between Star Wars: Episode VII and The Avengers 2 while also bringing in the rest of the Marvel Universe, licensing rights be damned.  Eventually it just becomes geeky white noise where I stopped following the plot and just heard bits like “Lando Calrissian, Princess Leia, Han Solo love triangle”, “Robot Chewbacca”, and “Time Ribbon”.  I imagine that Oswalt wrote/riffed the uncut 8-minute scene, but since Parks has such amazing writers, I could believe they had input as well.  Hit the jump for comic greatness.

Yesterday, we showed you Part 1 of Zach Galifianakis‘ Between Two Ferns – Oscar Edition.  Today, Part 2 has gone online and features his interviews with Jessica Cheststain (0 Dark 30), Sally Field (Linkin Park), and Brad Lee Cooper (Silver Lining Cookbook).  Between the two parts, I enjoyed this one more because Galifianakis gets a little more time to play off his guest, especially his Hangover co-star Cooper. There’s also a special surprise by a certain Lewis.

Hit the jump to check out the latest episode of Between Two Ferns.

Fans of Quentin Tarantino’s films know that the iconic director has a habit of working pop culture references to movies, comics, music and celebrities into each of his pictures.  Now, a compilation of those references has been put together for you to enjoy.  In under six minutes, you can watch a chronological recap of almost every meta-mention from such films as Inglourious Basterds, Death Proof, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and even Tarantino’s short sequence he directed for Four Rooms.  However, it’s missing out on Django Unchained (currently-in-theaters) as well as Tarantino’s uncredited written dialogue in Crimson Tide, as The Playlist points out.  Still, it’s a nice walk down memory lane for long-time Tarantino fans.  Hit the jump to check out the video.

While 2012 was a great year for superhero movies, fans continue to fiercely debate which one was “the best.”  Those in Christopher Nolan’s camp squarely defend The Dark Knight Rises as the year’s best, while fans of Joss Whedon hold to the superhero assembly flick, The Avengers.  Few comic book fans may rally to support The Amazing Spider-Man for the top spot, but Marc Webb followers certainly liked his stamp on the property.  General consensus would suggest that none of these movies were perfect.  A new batch of micro-reviews from Cinema Sins point out the flaws in each movie and tally them up.  If you’re a fan of Honest Trailers or just want some more ammunition to tear apart your friends’ shitty opinions, you’ll like these.  Hit the jump to check them out.

Anne Hathaway and Samuel L. Jackson are in a competition of sorts since they both have movies coming out on Christmas Day—Les Miserables and Django Unchained, respectively.  In a new Funny or Die video, the two actors decide to have a straight-up competition with a “Sad Off” in order to decide whose movie is more depressing.  Having seen both films, Les Miserables is easily more depressing and Django Unchained is a borderline comedy (there’s one scene that could have been in Blazing Saddles).  But really, their war of words boils down to which is worse: slavery or prostitution.  Despite the dark subject matter, the sketch is pretty damn hilarious, especially since Jackson builds the best gingerbread house ever.

Hit the jump to check out the video.

With only five days left until the Presidential Election, Idiocracy‘s President Dwayne Elizando Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews) has traveled back in time to give his thoughts on the election, the economy, the Middle East (Mexico and Canada should watch out), jobs, and the “outgo tax” (the constipated shall live like kings).  If you’re worried this won’t have the flavor of Idiocracy, Mike Judge wrote and directed all these shorts.  Also, for those who took issue with Joss Whedon‘s zombie apocalypse warning, these Camacho shorts are decidedly apolitical.

Hit the jump to check out the videos, and don’t forget to vote on November 6th.

This video has been making the rounds over the past few days and though the piling on of nitpicking over Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises has gotten pretty heavy already, this one’s all in good fun.  The good folks over at HISHE have put together an animated take on how The Dark Knight Rises should have ended.  Some of the points are comically valid, but others are a bit far-fetched (there’s no way Bane gets taken down by sleeping darts without his goons retaliating immediately).  At the end of the day, while far from a perfect, The Dark Knight Rises was a damn fun ride.  Despite the vitriolic flame wars that broke out over the film’s merits, Nolan’s trilogy put a stamp on the Batman legend that will loom large for a very long time.

Hit the jump to watch the HISHE video, along with another ending parody that is definitely worthwhile.

A new Funny or Die video has veteran actor Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) getting Dickensian (or becoming a Disney version of a Cockney blaggard, you decide) as part of the Olympic scalping game.  Assisted by a young David Copperfield-looking Maisie Williams (Arya from Game of Thrones) as Scraggly Sue, the two swindle Yanks and explain their dastardly deeds via hilarious terminology.

Also featured in the video is swimming star Ryan Lochte (Jeah!), complete with his trademark grill, as well as an appearance by the loveably nerdy Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz) who calls Stewart (“a Knight, no less!”) out on his ruse.  To check out the video, hit the jump.

What do you do after co-writing one of the best horror films in years, directing an incredible superhero movie, and presiding over a highly-emotional Comic-Con panel?  If you’re Joss Whedon (and I don’t know anyone else who has accomplished those three feats in a row), then you star in the short film, Scary Smash, which is based on a story by a 5-year-old kid named Brett Baligad.  To Brett’s credit, his story about a S.Q.U.A.T. leader (Whedon) facing off against a giant one-eyed monster (leave your sick minds at the door) after the death of a milkman (Dave Foley) is more entertaining than most movies you’ll see.  It’s got a good set-up, strong dramatic tension, obstacles, and a clear resolution.  Some screenwriters would do well to take notes from young Brett.

Hit the jump to watch the short film, which was directed by not-a-five-year-old-kid, Daniel Strange (The Ballad of G.I. Joe).  If you need more convincing to watch the short, it was produced by Felicia Day (The Guild).

While others have celebrated The Wire‘s 10 year anniversary with, say, a fantastically in depth oral history of the show by its creator, production crew and stars (or you can just check out the Cliff Notes), Funny or Die has created a four-minute preview for a musical version of the series that includes such hits as “I Got the Shotgun, You Got the Briefcase.”

Scoffing at the amateurs involved in the production? Think again – Michael K. Williams (Omar), Andre Royo (Bubbles), Sonja Sohn (Kima Greggs) and, yes, Felicia “Snoop” Pearson (“this is some Cinderella bullshit”) all make appearances. After the jump see the video that “explores the realistic portrayal of the decay of America’s inner cities through the magic of song!”

If you want to get New Yorkers’ attention, you’ll have to do something drastic…like hiring surrealist director David Lynch (Eraserhead) to direct a “Clean Up New York” PSA.  Apparently, the rampant littering problem in New York was slightly more concerning than the ravenous hordes of blood-thirsty rats that seethed beneath the city streets.  This PSA stops just short of a full-scale outbreak of bubonic plague.  All because you couldn’t be bothered to throw away your popsickle wrapper.  For shame.  Hit the jump to check it out.

It’s been six years since The West Wing left television (and in my book, it’s more like a decade since I couldn’t keep going after Aaron Sorkin left the show), but it will always be one of the best programs in the medium’s history.  It was inspiring, funny, smart, and moving, both emotionally and with people constantly moving.  The “Walk-n-Talk” was one of the show’s memorable devices, and that device has now been appropriated to promote the fitness campaign, “Everbody Walk“.  Funny or Die has put together an amusing video for the campaign featuring West Wing cast members Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Dulé Hill, Joshua Malina, Melissa Fitzgerald, and William Duffy reprising their roles and poking fun at the classic show’s beloved trademarks.

Hit the jump to check out the video.

I’m not much on celebrating 4/20, but far be it from me to deny others their fun.  This buzz-killing anti-marijana ad, however, will not only bring you down from your high, but might even force you to turn to harder drugs.  While it aims to keep kids away from the apparent dangers of the recreational drug, it’s probably been responsible for more harm than good.  There are clearly some brain damaged people behind the making of this PSA.  It’s not quite as terrifying as these Darren Aronofsky-directed PSAs, but personally I’d rather listen to Rachael Leigh Cook tell me about the effects of drugs (or just watch Kate Upton again).  Hit the jump to get scared shitless.

The popular SNL Digital Short series Laser Cats got a new installment last night featuring none other than the legendary Steven Spielberg.  And with the Spielberg touch, just about everything in the short parodied the director’s most popular movies, or at least his popular popcorn movies.  Don’t expect to see any Saving Private Ryan or Schindler’s List references floating around.  Even though you won’t see anyone shouting “Give Us Us Free!” it’s nice that Spielberg decided to drop by and join in the Laser Cats fun even though he wasn’t promoting an upcoming movie or TV series.

Hit the jump to check out the short, which also stars Laser Cats regulars Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, and Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels.