Review: The Lonely Island Presents “The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience” on Netflix

Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone grew up in the East Bay when the Oakland A’s ran the American League in the late 1980s. In a brand-new surprise Netflix special, The Lonely Island has dropped a half-hour collection of music videos all about that team, that time and that place.

Never mind that Samberg looks like Samberg, while Schaffer’s take on McGwire resembles a mash-up of Justin Timberlake with Danny McBride’s Kenny Powers.

Their half-hour Netflix special is not just a collection of raps, but also a love letter to the East Bay and the late 1980s.

Directed and edited by Schaffer with Mike Diva, the opening shot features the BART running past the Coliseum, and the first rap references the nearby Hilltop Mall in Richmond, as well as Danville’s Blackhawk gated community. Other songs hark back to Alf, Alex P. Keaton, Kathy Ireland, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Soloflex, NordicTrack and SkyTel pagers.

Jorma Taccone mostly only cameos in this, but stay for the credits to see his biggest cameo and solo rap.

Read my review in Decider.com

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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