controlled with complete autonomy. In March 2006, the trio produced their second viral hit, "Natalie's Rap". In the sketch, actress Natalie Portman acts as a gangsta rap star, juxtaposing her clean-cut, Harvard-educated image with profane and shocking lyrics. Portman was the host of the program that week and came to the three having seen "Lazy Sunday". Their rise to fame was highlighted by a combination of "new" and "old" media, with Schaffer later remarking: Further work: "Dick in a Box" and Hot Rod Much of their work on Saturday Night Live further explored music. Their office—described by Taccone as "the nastiest dorm room you've ever been in"—doubled as a recording studio and editing bay. Multiple artists in the ensuing years would record their vocals for The Lonely Island songs on a $500 microphone in the office (which was not equipped with sound-proofing). The songs were recorded without professional audio engineers, and each video was edited by Taccone, Schaffer, and Samberg. Creator Lorne Michaels was often confused by the trio's pitches. His attitude towards their work is referenced in the Digital Shorts series "Laser Cats", which consisted of Samberg and Hader brandishing cats as weapons that shoot lasers from their mouths. In each sketch, Michaels appears at the end, dismissing the visual quality and stupidity of concept. As such, he decided to stop taking their pitches and allow them independence from the program, producing their efforts themselves and turning them in. In the summer of 2006, The Lonely Island filmed their first feature film, Hot Rod, in Vancouver. The film concerns Rod Kimble (Samberg), an Evel Knievel-type daredevil who dreams of jumping 15 school buses on a moped. The role was originally conceived for Will Ferrell before Samberg signed on. Subsequently, the trio re-wrote much of the original script to match their standards: "Which is another way of saying, just dumb it down," said Schaffer. The film was released in August 2007 to mediocre reviews and a tepid box office reaction. Despite this, the later attracted a cult following; in 2012, The A.V. Club wrote that it differentiated itself from other Lorne Michaels–produced comedies: "They may be just as poorly received, but their rhythms are unpredictable and exciting, shocked to life by moments of anti-comedy and wacky deconstruction. Hardcore comedy devotees pick up on them like a dog whistle." The Lonely Island's next major viral success came in December 2006, when