Somehow missed this post from a few weeks back by the entertaining Michael Adams at his blog “Schlock & Awe”:

Hollywood’s going through a new Golden Age of comedy. But as funny as they are, we don’t owe thanks for this period of soda-out-the-nostrils mirth to the likes of Judd Apatow or Sacha Baron Cohen.

Rather, it’s an army of studio suits, corporate executives, jobbing screenwriters, vulgarian producers and wily agents who have me reliably LOL.

The most recent absolute crack-up — and one they really should’ve announced on April 1 — is that DreamWorks and Hasbro are circling each other for a movie based on View-Master.

I had my own take on this deal here. But Adams more than one-upped me with snark like this:

Studio “creatives” only have to wander to the nearest suburban corner on a Saturday afternoon and spend a few bucks at a yard sale for inspiration. Look for, in rapid succession, deals done for “Hungry Hungry Hippos”, “Rubik’s Cube” and “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots”.

And what I wouldn’t give to own the rights to “Sea Monkeys” or “Barrel Of Monkeys”, both of which would make ideal Jack Black projects.

But why stop there? Why spend money on brand names when there are public domain properties like “Tic-Tac-Toe” and “Hangman” available? And don’t limit the “thinking” to just games, people! Why not adapt dusty old Chicago LPs, “Hang In There” cat posters and flared jeans?

The yard sales and thrift stores are a gold mine! (God forbid, though, anyone should start flicking through the box marked “Books” and try to restart adaptations of marvelous musty old paperbacks like “Flicker” or “The Alienist”).

H/T to one of my students Annika for sending me the link. Although now that I’ve revisited the whole ViewMaster project, my stomach doesn’t feel so good…