Which of these press releases is fake?

One of these announcements is real and the other is fake. Which is the hoax? Is it this one?

STEVE MARTIN TO RELEASE “THE CROW: NEW SONGS FOR THE FIVE-STRING BANJO” JANUARY 27

Martin reprises his role as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in Pink Panther 2, in theaters February 6

Los Angeles, California, January 9, 2009 — Actor/comedian/musician and bestselling author Steve Martin will release his first full-length music album The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo on January 27, 2009. The bluegrass flavored album will be available exclusively on Amazon.com for the first 90 days. Martin is scheduled to host and perform on “Saturday Night Live” on January 31st as well as make several more television appearances, including the “The Late Show with David Letterman” on February 2, and “Good Morning America” and “Live with Regis & Kelly” on February 3 in support of the The Crow and the major motion picture release of Pink Panther 2. A three-time Grammy winner, two for comedy albums Wild and Crazy Guy (1978) and Let’s Get Small (1977) and one in music for his collaboration with Earl Scruggs on Foggy Mountain Breakdown (2001), Martin is currently nominated for Born Standing Up (2008) in the Best Spoken Word Album category.

After playing on the Grammy Award winning Foggy Mountain Breakdown with Earl Scruggs, Martin began writing a string of new banjo songs, some with lyrics and some as instrumentals. An album 45 years in the making, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo features special vocal appearances by Mary Black, Vince Gill, Tim O’Brien, Dolly Parton and musicians Earl Scruggs, Pete Wernick and Tony Trischka. Recorded in Dublin, Hollywood, Nashville and New Jersey and produced by John McEuen, of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the record consists of 15 original tracks written by Martin.

“I have loved the banjo my whole life,” says Martin. “The songs on this record represent the influence of a dozen players and a thousand tunes, and I thank them all. But it’s the banjo itself I thank most for generating nostalgia for experiences I never had, joy I was yet to experience, and melancholy that was yet to come.”

Martin will reprise the role of intrepid-if-bumbling French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau in MGM’s The Pink Panther 2, in theaters February 6, 2009. When legendary treasures from around the world are stolen, including the priceless Pink Panther Diamond, Chief Inspector Dreyfus (John Cleese) is forced to assign Clouseau to a team of international detectives and experts charged with catching the thief and retrieving the stolen artifacts. Martin is joined by his co-stars Jean Reno (as Ponton, his partner) and Emily Mortimer (as Nicole, the object of his awkward affections). The investigative dream team is played by Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Yuki Matsuzaki and Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Lily Tomlin also stars.

Album cover art and photos are available upon request.

Or this one?

ROBIN WILLIAMS TO RELEASE “THE HUMPBACK WHALE: NEW SONGS FOR THE STEAM CALLIOPE” MARCH 3

Williams reprises his role as Bob Munro in RV 2: Making Tracks Down Under, in theaters April 7

Los Angeles, California, January 9, 2009 — Actor/comedian/musician and bestselling author Robin Williams will release his first full-length music album The Humpback Whale: New Songs for the Steam Calliope on March 3, 2009. The ambient flavored album will be available exclusively on Amazon.com for the first 90 days. Williams is scheduled to host and perform on “Saturday Night Live” on March 31 as well as make several more television appearances, including the “The Late Show with David Letterman” on March 8, and “Good Morning America” and “Live with Regis & Kelly” on March 15 in support of the The Humpback Whale and the major motion picture release of RV 2. A four-time Grammy winner, three for comedy albums Reality...What a Concept (1980), A Night at the Met (1988), and Good Morning, Vietnam (1989) and one in best spoken comedy album on Robin Williams — Live 2002 (2003), Williams is currently nominated for Emotional Rescue (2008) in the Best Spoken Word Album for Children category.

After playing on one of Pitchfork's albums of the year Everything That Happens Will Happen Today with David Byrne and Brian Eno, Williams began writing a string of new calliope songs, some with lyrics and some as instrumentals. An album 45 years in the making, The Humpback Whale: New Songs for the Steam Calliope features special vocal appearances by Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Devendra Banhart, Antony Hegarty and musicians David Byrne, Brian Eno and Leo Abrahams. Recorded in London, Hollywood, Paris and New Jersey and produced by Eno, the record consists of 15 original tracks written by Williams.

“I have loved the calliope my whole life,” says Williams. “The songs on this record represent the influence of a dozen players and a thousand tunes, and I thank them all. But it’s the calliope itself I thank most for generating nostalgia for experiences I never had, joy I was yet to experience, and melancholy that was yet to come.”

Williams will reprise the role of intrepid-if-bumbling beverage employee, Bob Munro in Columbia’s RV 2: Making Tracks Down Under, in theaters April 7, 2009. Now employed by the independent Alpine soda company, Munro is assigned to visit the Australian outback to find a rare herb that could be used in boosting the failing company's product line, and decides to take his family along for another vacation. Williams is joined by his co-stars Cheryl Hines (as Jamie, his wife), Joanna Levesque (as Cassie, his daughter) and Josh Hutcherson (Carl, his son). The investigative herb team is played by Ray Liotta, Robbie Coltrane, Paul Hogan and Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan. Jane Curtain also stars.

Album cover art and photos are available upon request.

Thanks again to Jesse for the Steve/Robin brilliance.

Steve ’n’ Robin: Career opportunities

Following up on our conversation about the downward spiral of disappointment and mediocrity that are the careers of Steve Martin and Robin Williams, here is a look at what both have on the docket. As you might expect, they are not planning to turn things around anytime soon.

Martin:

• Traitor (2008). He’s not acting in this, but is one of two writers (it was his “idea,” says IMDB) and is executive producing. Plot description doesn’t say much: “A special operative working with a terrorist group becomes the target of the CIA.” Variety adds a little: “Story centers on a former U.S. Special Forces operative who’s aiding terrorists, although it’s unclear where his loyalties actually lie.” Stars Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce. Could be good, right? Not so fast: director is one Jeffrey Nachmanoff, who co-wrote The Day After Tomorrow (and thinks the public can’t tell “what is real and what is fake” in it). Sigh.
  
• Pink Panther 2 (2009). Somebody kill him please.

Williams:

• Old Dogs (2008). Buddy comedy with John Travolta, directed by the maestro who did Van Wilder. Also features Travolta’s daughter Ella. “Two friends and business partners find their lives turned upside down when strange circumstances lead to them being placed in the care of 7-year-old twins.” Did Danny DeVito turn this down? I also see that one of the two writers, David Weissman, has as one of his more prominent credits Dream a Little Dream 2.
  
• The Krazees (2009). Family comedy co-written by a guy who was a PA on Jumanji. Based on a book for preschoolers. Plot: “Unable to deal with his daughter reaching puberty, a psychologist (Williams) has to get a handle on his emotions, which have come to life as different characters.” Expect lots of CGI.
  

Can they be saved?

Steve Martin vs. Robin Williams: Showdown of failure

The other night Jesse and I discussed the strange fact that Robin Williams and Steve Martin, two of the most brilliant and successful comedians of our time, have made so many poor, unfunny films that just don’t do justice to their talent. It’s especially inexplicable since both are rich and powerful and presumably have been able to make any film they’ve wanted for at least 20 years now.

In my opinion Martin has done far better: The Jerk, L.A. Story, Parenthood — all masterpieces. And he’s done well with Roxanne, Little Shop of Horrors and a bunch more. But Sgt. Bilko? Father of the Bride Part II? Cheaper by the Dozen 2? The Pink Panther?!

Williams’s career, in contrast, is a disgrace. Mrs. Doubtfire, Cadillac Man, Toys, Jack, Death to Smoochy, Hook, Patch Adams, Jumanji, Flubber, and who can forget RV — it’s just incontheivable that a man this supremely talented has never made a great comedy film, and I don’t think his many carpe diem parts (Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, Good Will Hunting, Good Morning, Vietnam) make up for this deficiency; rather, they just point to an easy crutch.

An interesting note: they’ve never been in a film together.

Jesse took it upon himself to compile, in the way that only he can, the following year-by-year, film-by-film comparison of Martin and Williams. It’s pretty sad. My comments, where I have them, are in [bracketed itals].

We will start by pointing out the feature film debuts of both of them, The Jerk (1979) and Popeye (1980). Both excellent films, but the critics would have The Jerk as the winner. Nevertheless, I will say they started out even. Let the games begin! [For the record, I note that Jesse has an unusual and very personal bias toward Popeye, a massive flop that had serious consequences for Williams, Robert Altman (director) and Robert Evans (producer). Also, I think it’s awesome that Martin’s role in The Muppet Movie (1979) is “Insolent Waiter.”]

1981.
Steve: Pennies From Heaven. Excellent underrated musical dark comedy.
Robin: Nothing. Probably still smarting from Popeye.
Winner: Steve by default.

1982.
Steve: Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid. Excellent noir homage/parody.
Robin: The World According to Garp. Worthwhile adaptation of Irving novel.
Winner: Tie. Critics may raise Garp over Plaid, but I value Plaid over Garp.

1983.
Steve: The Man With Two Brains. Good dark comedy some value as excellent.
Robin: The Survivors. Haven’t seen this, but it has Walter Matthau.
Winner: Tough, but I say tie. Fans aren’t overly ecstatic about Brains, and I’ve heard good things about Survivors.

1984.
Steve: All of Me. Classic comedy that propelled Steve into stardom. [Not sure why you think that — Martin was already a major comedy star. Note “King Tut,” “Wild and Crazy Guys” etc. from SNL in the ’70s.] The Lonely Guy. Funny film that tried to recapture brilliance of The Jerk.
Robin: Moscow on the Hudson. Very touching movie about Russian defector.
Winner: Tough. Stellar year for both, but although critics may have favored Moscow slightly more than All, All has withstood the test of time better. I will say Steve here, but only by the fact that he turned in the above-average Lonely Guy as well. [Agreed.]

1985.
Steve: Nothing, probably due to having served up two films last year.
Robin: Nothing as well. Lazy perhaps.

1986.
Steve: Little Shop of Horrors. Small part in worthwhile adaptation. [A masterly cameo, I think. Martin is a vocal amateur, of course, but he nails the part.] ¡Three Amigos! Classic.
Robin: Club Paradise. Underrated film, low on laughs but high on charm. The Best Years of Our Lives. Bizarre “comedy” about a high school football reunion.
Winner: Steve, but he did not trounce Robin this year. [Nonsense. Little Shop of Horrors and Three Amigos? Come on, Steve by miles.]

1987.
Steve: Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Underrated classic. Roxanne. Overrated adaptation of Cyrano, but worthwhile nonetheless. [I think the reverse: Planes, Trains is overrated, Roxanne gets an A-.]
Robin: Good Morning, Vietnam. Overrated but still fairly good period comedy. Winner: Tie. Critics highly favored Vietnam, but also gave nods to Roxanne, and Planes has had the most durability. [Maybe so, but Vietnam was a massive hit. I’m inclined to agree on the tie, but that success is notable.]

1988.
Steve: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Classic.
Robin: Nothing.
Winner: Steve by default.

1989.
Steve: Parenthood. A good film when all comes down to it. [It’s a great one, especially for Martin, from “you’re an amalgam” on down.]
Robin: Dead Poets Society. Overrated, yes, but still a classic. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. A small part in a classic.
Winner: Robin. He got Oscar nods and people went gaga for Dead Poets, plus his turn in Munchausen allied him with another great film. [Dead Poets was a big one, but I call it a draw.]

Recap of the decade: Not counting default years, Steve leads by 2, which isn’t much. With defaults, 4. [My count would be Steve by 1, or by 3 counting defaults.]

1990.
Steve: My Blue Heaven. Not entirely unfunny, but not very strong either.
Robin: Awakenings. Serious drama via Oliver Sacks. Actually not that bad. Cadillac Man. Not entirely unfunny, but not very strong either.
Winner: Robin. While Cadillac and Heaven are very close in quality, Awakenings gives Robin a little more actor credit.

1991.
Steve: Father of the Bride. Not-bad retread of Parenthood style. [It’s well liked by girls and their moms, but I’d say it’s weak.] Grand Canyon. Haven’t seen this, but guessing not entirely bad. Sort of a sequel to The Big Chill. L.A. Story. Excellent later film that is a little of a mixed bag. [Strongly disagree. It’s a 10 out of 10 in my book, and an inspiration.]
Robin: Hook. Overly maligned. Actually not that bad. The Fisher King. Excellent Gilliam film. Dead Again. Haven’t seen this one, but guessing not entirely bad. [It’s not bad, but I don’t remember Williams’s part; he’s not one of the leads.]
Winner: Tough. Grand Canyon cancels out Dead Again. Bride cancels out Hook (although Hook is slightly better). Fisher King is slightly better than L.A. Story, so Robin by a hair. [I’d call it a draw. Fisher King may have been an important role for Williams, but I prefer L.A. Story, as noted. Also, Fisher King is a lesser version of the Dead Poets/Good Will Hunting role that was starting to become cookie cutter for Williams at this point.]

1992.
Steve: HouseSitter. Not very good but not terrible comedy with Goldie Hawn. Leap of Faith. Incredibly boring.
Robin: Aladdin. Good Disney flick, pretty funny. Shakes the Clown. Dark comedy that is not entirely bad, but not very good. Toys. Huge flop. Almost unwatchable.
Winner: If it hadn’t been for Toys, Robin would have trounced Steve this year. With the inclusion of Toys, I’d say tie.

1993.
Steve: Nothing.
Robin: Being Human. Strange multi-role drama. Mrs. Doubtfire. Highly successful and not that bad actually.
Winner: Robin by default. [I would call Doubtfire worthless, which means this is a draw.]

1994.
Steve: Mixed Nuts. Completely forgettable, but not godawful. Simple Twist of Fate. Mediocre remake of Silas Marner, à la Roxanne.
Robin: Nothing.
Winner: Steve by default, barely.

1995.
Steve: Father of the Bride Part II. Completely worthless sequel; not soul-crushing, just awful.
Robin: Jumanji. A nicely spirited family romp. Nine Months. Small part in decent family comedy. To Wong Foo. Worthless remake, but not soul-crushing. [Is it really a remake?]
Winner: Robin.

1996.
Steve: Sgt. Bilko. Stupid.
Robin: Jack. Pretty dumb. The Birdcage. Decent remake, but not great. Hamlet. Small part in pretty good adaptation. [I was curious so I looked it up: he plays Osric, a courtier. Very minor character.]
Winner: Robin.

1997.
Steve: The Spanish Prisoner. Pretty interesting drama, a good turn for Steve.
Robin: Good Will Hunting. Star turn for Robin, overrated but still pretty good. [ADDENDA: Flubber, a black hole of filmic suckiness, perhaps the reason it was missed the first time around. Deconstructing Harry, mediocre Woody Allen flick, don’t remember Williams’s role. Father’s Day, invisible “dad” comedy with Billy Crystal.]
Winner: Robin. [A real sourpuss would say Flubber cancels out Good Will Hunting. I don’t think so, but it’s certainly debatable: a decade later, Flubber still stands as nearly as great an embarrassment as Hunting was a success.]

1998.
Steve: Nothing.
Robin: Patch Adams. Pretty dead attempt at fusing Awakenings with Good Morning, Vietnam. What Dreams May Come. Incredibly overdone, but not soul-crushing bad.
Winner: No one. Neither of Robin’s films warrant a win by default.

1999.
Steve: Bowfinger. Startling return to form of sorts. Good film, if not great. The Out of Towners. Worthless remake.
Robin: Bicentennial Man. Horrid. Jakob the Liar. Worthless remake, but not without some merit at least. [How can it be worthless and yet not without merit? Also, I don’t believe it’s a remake.]
Winner: Steve.

Recap of the decade: Robin by 4, not counting defaults. With defaults 5. Which means, with the previous decade, Robin is ahead by 2. [I put Williams ahead by 3 this decade. Total so far, Williams by 1, or Martin by 1 if counting defaults.]

2000.
Steve: Joe Gould’s Secret. Under-the-radar small bit in what I hear is a good film.
Robin: Nothing.
Winner: No one. Steve’s small part is not a win by default.

2001.
Steve: Novocaine. From what I hear, mind-bogglingly pointless.
Robin: AI. Bit voice-over part in this monumental embarrassment.
Winner: No one. Robin has higher profile, but no one scores.

2002.
Steve: Nothing.
Robin: Death to Smoochy. Mixed reviews on this one. Insomnia. A very well done remake and great turn by Robin. [Really?] 24 Hour Photo. OK, not bad.
Winner: Robin by default.

2003.
Steve: Cheaper by the Dozen. Attempt to recapture Parenthood sales. Not good. Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Semi-acceptable family film. Bringing Down the House. Why?
Robin: Nothing.
Winner: It would be hard to say Steve by default here. So I’m not going to.

2004.
Steve: Nothing.
Robin: House of D. Barely seen drama that has been reviewed so-so. [Notable in that it was written and directed by David Duchovny.] The Final Cut. Another serious turn for Robin; hear it is so-so.
Winner: While Robin should maybe win by default, the fact that I’ve seen none of these is indication how nonexistent Robin was this year. So no one.

2005.
Steve: Cheaper By the Dozen 2. Why? Shopgirl. Although it got mixed reviews, it at least garnered better attention.
Robin: Robots. Big cartoon. OK. The Big White. Haven’t seen. Sounds so-so.
Winner: Steve. Only by a hair, due to Robots. And really it should be a tie. I mean, Cheaper By the Dozen 2 is a stinker. [I haven’t seen Shopgirl, but Martin deserves some credit since it’s based on a short book he wrote.]

2006.
Steve: The Pink Panther. Ouch.
Robin: Happy Feet. Good/great animated film. Man of the Year. This might be applied to Robin for how many films he’s in this year, but no. Night at the Museum. OK children’s film. RV. Horrid. The Night Listener. Another film like The Final Cut, 24 Hour Photo, etc., etc.
Winner: Robin. [RV cancels all. Another draw by mutual suck.]

2007.
Steve: Nothing.
Robin: License to Wed. Soul-crushing. August Rush. Horrid.
Winner: Steve by default. Better to do nothing then these films.

So far this decade, Robin by 1, but with defaults they are tied. [Actually, by your count they’re tied either way.] Add to it the other decades and Robin is ahead by 3. [By my own reckoning Martin is up 1 in the ’00s. All-time career totals ... they’re equal if default years are not counted, and Martin is up 2 if they are.]