LOL: Hitchcock Subway Art
Found in the subways of New York City, this Hitchcock advertisement has been remixed by Posterboy using clippings from Eddie Murphy’s face from Meet Dave. And this wouldn’t be a LOL posting if their werent some kind of stupid dick joke hidden in the website url.
via: Flickr
Vanessa Hudgens Goes Underground
Vanessa Hudgens Goes Underground
During what must have been an exhausting day, Vanessa Hudgens continued filming into the night on the the New York City set of “Will”.
The High School Musical star found herself in the subways of the Big Apple, going through multiple takes with co-star Gaelan Alexander Connell by her side.
The movie, which had been shooting in Austin, Texas until recently, is about “a high school outcast’s bond with a popular girl over their shared love of music results in them assembling a rock group that looks to win their school’s upcoming battle of the bands competition.”
Also co-starring in the film, which is slated for a 2009 release, are former Friends star Lisa Kudrow and the always interesting David Bowie.
Gossip Guy Penn Badgley Takes On Seth Cohen and His Character's Sexuality
Hey there, Upper East Siders. TV Gossip Girl here. Suddenly, everywhere you look, around watercoolers, dorms and subways all across town, the words on all the cool kids' lips seem to be Gossip Girl—even those naysayers who were convinced they wouldn't like it. It's the show du jour.
And of course, Gossip wouldn't be half as delish without its leading man, Penn Badgley. So, why don't we listen in as "P" tells a recent convert/reporter all about his experience on the show, his costars and what’s coming up (including whether his character could be gay).
Keep reading and enjoy the convo.
XOXO,
TV Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is the first freshman series to get a full-season pickup. That must feel pretty good.
Yeah, it’s cool. We were on set when we heard the news. [Executive producers] Josh Schwartz and Stephanie [Savage] had us all gather around the speakerphone, and they told us, so that was exciting.
Were you guys expecting it?
I wasn't really surprised. People who expected us to do better [ratings] right off the bat were being unrealistic, because the CW is still trying to establish itself as a full-fledged network. I think a show like Gossip Girl is just going to keep building an audience. It seems to be doing that slowly but surely every week.
Are you getting recognized already?
Actually, multiple times a day. If I go out in the city, chances are it’s going to happen, especially if Blake [Lively] and I are together. We have this Serena and Dan complex going, so people freak out if they see the two of us.
Have you guys been hanging out together off set a lot?
Yeah, the whole cast gets along really well. I think I’ve made some pretty incredible friendships.
Are we going to see Dan’s mom come back into the picture?
I don’t know if I can tell you that…
Gotcha. [Editor's note: Ahem, that's a yes!] So, are you having fun playing this sort of "outsider" character?
Yeah, sure. What’s great about Dan, on one hand, is that he’s the most relatable, because he’s the "everyguy." But he’s also sort of on a moral high ground, which, not that it can get boring but it’s more fun to explore the darker side of a character. I really like the scenes where I’m able to work with his temper a little bit and do something a little more exciting.
I don’t think this would be happening if Gossip Girl weren’t a Josh Schwartz show, but people are making this comparison between Dan and—
Seth Cohen?
Exactly. Have you been getting that a lot?
No, not at all. I can’t imagine why anyone would compare me to Seth Cohen! That’s just absolutely crazy! [Laughs.] No, I think, on the page, Dan started out like a Seth Cohen in New York. But that’s one of the reasons why, I think, Stephanie probably wanted to bring me on. Because I’ve worked with her before, and I typically play the "Dan role," but one of the things I think has worked well for me is I try to bring as much dimension to that character as possible. I try to make him unique and not just a bumbling, awkward kid but a charming and innocent kid. You know, Adam Brody has his thing, and he’s great at that, but I wanted to do something a little different. People are probably going to see the similarities at any chance they can and be like, 'Oh, he’s just trying to be Adam Brody.' I’ve already gotten that in a lot of the reviews, but I think if you pay a little more attention, I’m actually doing something very different.
Are you familiar with the Gossip Girl book series at all?
I read about 40 pages of the first book, just to get the idea and the tone. Then I realized there’s really no point, because we’re not emulating the books. We’re only using the premise as a platform to go off and do our own thing. But fans of the books won’t be disappointed, because we’re going to bring the same kind of fun entertainment: a little bit of trash but a lot of substance.
Producers recently cast a new character that was a major part of the book series but has yet to appear on the show: Dan’s former flame Vanessa.
Yeah, yeah. We’ve actually shot two episodes with Jessica [Szohr] already. It’s really great having her on. She adds a nice dynamic to the show, and she’s a great actress. I’m excited to see where Dan and Vanessa’s relationship could possibly go. So far she’s recurring, but I think given the character's prevalence in the book series, she could easily become a series regular. I mean, she definitely shifts things around a little bit, and I think it works.
Is she playing bald like she is in the books?
Oh no…she actually has a lot of hair! Great, curly hair.
In the books, she’s sort of the love of Dan’s life. Will it be the same on the series?
That is how they’re pushing her. She was the love of Dan’s life, but now Serena is. There’s a history [between Vanessa and Dan] and an immediate comfort and ease that isn’t there with Serena. Maybe he will eventually find that is what he’s after, but at the moment, Serena is very much the one he's with or wants to be with.
In the books, Dan has a bi-curious element, no? He has questioned his sexuality.
Yeah, I think he’s straight-up gay in the books. But I don’t think network TV really has the balls to make one of their [teenage] series regulars gay. Let's say the show builds up to become a big hit, then I think they'd maybe explore it in year three or four. It would be an interesting thing to do. It could bring in a whole different demographic.
—Reporting by Korbi Ghosh
Survivor Micronesia: A Lost Puppy Dog
(S16E08) After a brief hiatus and some odd scheduling due to March Madness, Survivor has returned! Oh, you might not be as excited but after watching so much Big Brother, it’s nice to hear someone refer to another as a “lying sack of slop” instead of totally foul-mouthed. Not only did it return, but tonight’s show explored a bit of new ground in the fans vs. favorites arena.
Read on past the jump for the full review.
I’m finding out as I watch the season that I’m letting my preconceived notions about the favorites still run rampant in my mind. I adored Ozzy in his season, finding him not only cute but such a competitor in both physical and mental strategies, and I’ve fallen for him again. On the other hand, I can’t recall exactly why I didn’t care for Ami in her season, but I know I didn’t like her. I still don’t.
Since the tribal mix-mash, both Ozzy and Ami are on what’s becoming the Ulong of Micronesia along with favorites Cirie and Amanda. Lone fan Erik is on that tribe, Malakal, and is busting his butt to stay in after watching them pick off the fans one by one as their losses pile up. I’m getting kind of attached to Erik. He so wants to be an Ozzy and he’s trying so hard to stay in what looks like a losing battle. I think I like the kid better than I like Ami. That, of course, is a good thing.
Erik’s doppelganger Jason over on the Airai tribe doesn’t give me the same warm fuzzies. He makes a big deal about killing a rat to bring back the tradition of a rat meal not seen since the first season. Um, okay. If he thinks back, that tribe was almost starving. His tribe has fishing gear and James. One rat between six people is not a feast. Well, unless you’re talking about those rats in the subways of Manhattan, that is. Jason did well at the immunity challenge, so he dubs himself the MVP. The kid has a big head and seems more like he wants to fit in with the famed players of the past. Erik is just doing anything and everything to stay alive. Although they look a lot alike, I’m definitely getting better vibes from Erik.
It felt a bit odd to have immunity so early in the episode and a good two days early for the castaways. But I liked the concept that they got a hint of the upcoming challenge and a chance to choose someone from the other tribe to sit it out. I liked it even more that Airai chose to send Ozzy, thus giving him individual immunity for the tribal council. He is my man, remember. I still know zip about Alexis, the choice by Malakal. I understand their reasoning that she can balance, though.
In watching the challenge go down, it seemed like two skinny guys were running it all — Jason and Eric. If Eric hadn’t plowed his chest into that wooden dock, they might have actually won. Yeah, Jason did well. But going on about how well he did is annoying. Those heavy sacks seemed the least of the worries as the two men-children ran back and forth. I personally would have pulled an Amanda … into the water at the first step.
But the fact remains that Malakal lost another immunity challenge (with beer and pizza, too). Folks who don’t watch the show always fuss about how they’re not really “surviving.” Tonight’s episode was the perfect example of the show not really being all about physically surviving in the woods or on an island. It is indeed “outwit, outplay, outlast.” It’s politics. That’s the main component.
So we have four favorites and one fan. In the previous three tribal councils, it’s been a fan out each time. However, one of the favorites had been trying to ally with the fans before the numbers went down. One of the favorites has been working to get Ozzy (my man, remember) out. Well, to be honest, another has mentioned getting him gone, too. But this isn’t about Cirie. It’s about Ami.
Erik’s only play would be to work tremendously hard and win immunity for his tribe. That didn’t work out. He went to Plan B — the honesty card. He told Cirie and Amanda about how Ami’s been plotting against them since the first day after the tribes mixed. They were reluctant, but when he hit Ozzy up with the same information, he found an ally. And, heck, the kid is right. He only wants to stay in the game right now. He’s not thinking alliances down the road, he’s thinking about the looming tribal council.
Despite all of the tears and shock that she isn’t trusted, Ami got her just desserts when she was voted out unanimously. The favorites allegiance to each other was shattered, but I think it was for a valid cause. She was sneaky. She betrayed them. They made the right vote. I think even though she turned on the tears and lied before the vote, she went out with class. She stopped to wish Erik the best in the game and had some pleasant parting words. Tonight was an example of two people with different approaches doing what they thought they must to stay in the game. Honesty and hard work prevailed in a reality show. Who woulda thunk it?
The best lines in tonight’s episode:
- James referring to the Malakal campsite: “This is where they bring criminals.”
- Amanda night crab-hunting with Cirie: “It’s a big-ass crab! I want me a big-ass crab!”
- Jason after referring to himself as the MVP on the immunity challenge: “And I have the hidden immunity idol, too!”
It was a hoot to see that Jason still thinks that fake idol planted by Ozzy is real. And, even better, that Ozzy played along following clues on Exile Island with Alexis and discovered it was gone. I won’t bring up the promo they showed for next week. I don’t want the moment spoiled!