We'll always have Madagascar...

Work has been great! Things have finally calmed down here making life more enjoyable. My hours have reduced from 90 per week to a mere 60 per week. I feel like I have all the free time in the world! I'd be able to do more with that time if I only had all the money in the world.

My sister visited New York last weekend. She was only here for a few days, but I think we managed to make the best of our time. A few of the sites we visited were the Botanical Gardens, The Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo. I had never been to any of these three places, so it was a relief to finally have the opportunity to visit. The Botanical Gardens was one of the most boring places I've visited since living in New York. If it were cheaper, and if I were at all interested in flowers etc. I may have been more entertained. The Zoos were a different story however. I will definitely return to the Central Park Zoo, where for just $8 you can relax in an oasis in the middle of Manhattan. The highlight of the weekend however was my visit to the Bronx Zoo. It was amazing, and not just for the exhibits or the animals. While my sister and I were exploring the Madagascar Exhibit, watching the lemurs leaping between tree limbs, a woman with two young children approached the glass display and stopped next to us. Her kids were clearly thrilled, although she seemed more excited than they did. I glanced over and smiled at her acknowledging the joy her two kids were obviously experiencing. It took a few moments to sink in, but after a few moments I began to think to myself, "wait a second, do I know her?" A few moments later I looked again and my thoughts were confirmed. For those of you who know me well you likely know of the female celebrities I most enjoy. Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Weisz, Franka Potente, and this woman standing next to me with her kids. Jill Hennessy. Jill is slightly less famous than some of the others on my list, but she is likely my favorite. After years as Assistant D.A. to Jack McCoy on Law and Order, followed by the leading role as Jordan Cavanaugh on the NBC crime drama Crossing Jordan, Jill has certainly made a name for herself and developed a strong following. Anyhow, I couldn't very well watch the animals after that. I'm fairly sure that my sister was more than a little annoyed with my ranting about how awesome Jill Hennessy is. I didn't talk to her. I thought it would be rude to intrude on her day at the zoo with the kids. I sent Jill a message on her myspace page complimenting her on her new musical career she has pursued since Crossing Jordan ended.

Later in the week, I had a dream that I found entertaining. It had nothing to do with Jill Hennessy (unfortunately) but instead was about my friendship with Norwegian singer songwriter Sondre Lerche. Sondre and I were hanging out at his house. This house appeared to be in Dearborn Michigan and I'm fairly sure it's the house that my good friends Mike and April live in. But in this dream it was Sondre Lerches house, or more accurately, his parents’ house; but we'll get to that in a minute. Sondre and I were going to play video games in his room because his dad was bothering him. His room was almost an exact duplicate of Zach Morris' on Saved by the Bell, with the addition of a really realistic red racecar bed, some guitars, and records on the walls. Oh, and for some reason it had classic 80s era additions like glass block dividers and some neon lightning bolts (Maybe Norway is behind in the times). Moments later we were leaving his house to go somewhere and his dad was mowing the lawn. The odd thing was that his dad was John Travolta. He smiled, nodded our direction and politely asked when we'd be back. Sondre became visibly agitated with Mr. Travolta's question and huffed past him without answering. I remember thinking to myself in my dream, "How'd I forget that Sondre Lerche's dad was John Travolta? His airplane must be in the garage." It made absolutely no sense at all which is why I loved it. I woke up laughing at my stupid dream, rolled out of bed and checked my e-mail, facebook, and myspace. Jill Hennessy had replied to my message. She said she was grateful for my compliments and that "we'll always have Madagascar." I wasn't dreaming. At the time, Jill's page had only 22 friends listed, she had joined myspace less than a week earlier. Coincidentally I was listed as #2. Who was #1? Sondre Lerche. How weird is that? Anyway, if you like Tracey Chapman’s style of bluesy folk rock, then check Jill’s page out. She should be releasing an album soon.

Sondre Lerche - Sleep On Needles
by scopitones

Web-Junk

I know I just posted a blog hours ago, but I couldn't wait to share all of this web-junk with you.

COMICS:
First off, this site is pretty awesome if you're into comics, and is probably fun even if your'e not. It comes from Marvel and allows you to create your own version of superhero based on pieces of existing Marvel heroes.

Also falling into both the comic and movie areas, it looks like Sony might be making a Spider-Man spinoff. Thanks to the hollywood reporter for this one. Check the story out here.

Finally, it looks as though the presidential candidates are the new thing in comics. I'm not gonna bother with this, but you can investigate further here.

MOVIES:
The new Harry Potter preview is now online. If you haven't already checked this one out, here's the link to do so. I'm actually very psyched for this movie.

Also, according to Variety, Warner Brothers is developing a Marvin the Martian feature film. I'm not sure what I think of this idea, but will gladly wait for the movie to arrive before passing judgement. See the story here.

Finally, it looks like Steven Spielberg might be slightly smarter than George Lucas after all. Yes, the latest instalment of Indiana Jones may have killed at the box office, but I'm not so sure that fans are going to buy tickets to yet another disappointment like crystal skull. All the same, that's not going to stop Mr. Lucas from trying.

MUSIC:
I am thrilled to mention that former Spacehog frontman Royston Langdon may have a new gig. Velvet Revolver has officially been auditioning him to replace Weiland as thier new lead. I think I might actually start listening to Velvet Revolver if this happens. Sweet!.

INTERNET:
Finally, a website that truly proves the internet is useful! Jellotime.com is not only fun and entertaining... well... it's not actually all that entertaining, or fun. But it might just be the best way to waste 3 seconds of your time you've ever found. I hoped it might do something different if poked enough, but unfortunately it's a pretty straight forward blob of jello, no tricks involved. I only know because I poked for much longer than I should've.

RANDOM:
I didn't even know where to put this news, so I've created a 'random' section. It would appear as though Buffy's beau Freddie Prinze Jr. has signed on with the WWE! No, he won't be fighting, as much as we'd all like to see that, he'll apparently be in some bhind the scenes role like writing or producing or whatnot. Seriously, how esparate can he be?

This Week

Hey kids. Sorry about my short hiatus from blogging, but I’m pretty sure I’m back at full steam now. July has been an amazing month in New York City. I’ve made quite a few new friends this month, and have become addicted to numerous new bands. The cashiers at my favorite comic book store know me by name and work is looking up. Needless to say, I’ve got so much to talk about. But, let’s start with what’s up this week.

Movies: First off, my old roommate Brandon was in town and we were able to go see the new Will Farrell movie Step Brothers. If raunchy slapstick comedy is your style, then this is a good one for you. I will admit that I laughed more than I thought I would. For a guy who doesn’t generally like comedies, that says a lot.

Music: I finally listened to the synth-pop band Metro Station. While I apparently downloaded this album a few months ago, I had failed to ever make it a priority. While it is a pretty tight album, I can’t get the image of the lead singers little sister, Hannah Montana, out of my head while listening. This pretty much ruins the whole experience for me. I can’t seem to take them seriously, which they clearly want. Also in music however, the New York band Bears Repeating released an EP today, and is allowing free downloads of that EP via their website beginning today, August 1st. The album will only be free for a short time, so be sure to download it A.S.A.P. And seeing as they have no relation to any Disney Channel royalty, I’m pretty sure it’s worth your time.

TV: Mad Men blew my socks off this week. The season 2 premier picks up exactly 2 years after the first season ended, with a lot of holes to be filled. But still, seeing the difference those 2 years made to American life is surely interesting. The addition of locks on doors, copy machines first appearing in office hallways, and women beginning to find a spot in business with the men. I can’t wait for Sunday. You can watch the entire season 2 premiere below. Go to hulu.com to watch the full screen format.



Internet: I haven’t had much time to surf the web for interesting sites this week, but I will once again recommend you check out hulu.com. Not only does this online TV network have a tremendous library of shows and movies to watch on demand, but it also has Joss Whedons’ (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly) hit internet musical “Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog”. The 45 minute musical film is split into 3 segments and stars Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion. (Watch the whole thing below, or tune to hulu.com for full screen) If you are a Joss Whedon fan at all, you’ll get a kick out of this. For those of you who haven’t kept up on Joss’ blog, he says that his new goal for his shows is to always provide the unexpected. He wants to write the “episode of Murder She Wrote in which none gets murdered.” So, don’t get too upset by Joss’ surprise ending, he’s just delivering on his promise to us. I am really psyched to check out his new FOX network show, Dollhouse. Hopefully he’ll be supported by the network this time around.



That’s it for now. Check back in later for more.

I can't wait until Friday!

You may remember a short Hellboy promo I posted a week or two ago:
Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio


Well, it looks like Universal Studios is using it's newest family member to conduct some unique team advertising with many other Universal characters and shows. Here are two more that've been recently released:

NBCs CHUCK


NBCs American Gladiators


NBCs 'The More You Know'


I'm not sure what this is connected to, but it's a good one.


Rumor has it we'll be seeing more of these involving the casts of Law and Order, The Office, and Heroes to name a few. I'll keep an eye out for them and let you know when they're posted.

Mad Men

I've talked about it before, but I really must insist that if you haven't already, you watch AMCs critically acclaimed drama, Mad Men. The first season is available on DVD and on iTunes, so there are no excuses. Season Two begins at the end of July, so catch up now! Also, if you were thinking of ignoring my advice, I've posted the series premier, thanks to AMC, below in three chapters. Pay attention to the subtleties in the acting and writing. This is a show not to be missed.

I warn you, this show can be graphic in to the often uncomfortable realities that existed in New York in the year 1960. Sexism, racism, and adultery are only some of the themes portrayed unapologetically, without the usual 'moral of the story' ending we'd expect to see in mainstream television. This fresh and true approach to the time period is only an added reason to love this show.

He can do no wrong.

Over the years I have followed one persons career more than most others. Ever since Alias first aired I've been watching J.J. Abrams as he produced and/or directed any number of projects that always turned out amazing. I began calling myself a fan once I first became an addict of his Alias follow up project, ABCs 'LOST'. But Abrams' geniu=ous seems unstoppable. From the mysteries of the LOST island to the suspensful Mission Impossible 3 (the best Mission Impossible, by far), Abrams never fails to entertain. He's got a new show airing on FOX next season and is currently in post production on the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie. His monster film Cloverfield was a huge box office hit and multiple sequels are rumored to be in the works. To see for yourself why J.J. Abrams is as dependably good as he is, watch the video below. The video is about 20 minutes long, so make sure you have some time.



P.S. This video comes from TED.COM. It's an amazing site with many, many interesting speakers. Check it out.

This Week...

On T.V.:

This week watched the Season 2 premier of My Boys on TBS. It was a lot better than I expected, prompting me to turn to iTunes and get caught up on Season 1. I thoroughly enjoyed my time watching this show. As far as 30 minute comedies go anymore, they've really done something right on this one. In other T.V. news, it looks like Academy Award winner William Hurt will be joining Glenn Close, Tate Donovan and Ted Danson for Season 2 of FXs Critically Acclaimed drama Damages. Unfortunatly, we still have a while to wait for the insanity of Damages to return, as production began just yesterday here in New York. Luckily, the first season is available on DVD and iTunes. This is a show NO ONE should miss. It's by far one of the best things I've ever seen on television.

In Movies:

I finally got to see the Incredible Hulk this week. Edward Norton did it again. This movie was outstanding. It had good depth, plenty of comic book nerd 'easter eggs' and lots of action. I can only pray Norton returns for the sequel. I also watched 10,000 B.C. on iTunes last night and was pleasently surprised. I had very low expectations for this movie, and was happy to see that they had packed in as much plot as they did. This Friday I'm aiming to see Wanted, which I am confident will hold me over until Batman arrives in theaters next month.

In Books:

I finally finished reading A Big Life in Advertising by Mary Wells Lawrence. If your interested in advertising this is a good read. Ms. Wells ads are well known, and her developement in the industry makes for an entertaining and educational story. I've also finished half of Marley and Me by John Grogan. I can honestly say that no book has ever had the effect on me that this book has. It's extremely charming and well written and by the end of chapter one you'll love Marley as though he were your own dog. There are points when I became choked up and other times when I couldn't stop laughing while reading this book. Read the short preface and if you're still not interested, then the books not for you.

Jack Black Sucks!

It's no secret that I waste far too much time surfing the internet in search of crazy information about the world and pop culture. Well, here's one fun activity I've found in my search that I thought worthy of sharing. It's a Swedish furniture name generator. If you've ever walked through IKEA store and thought, "where the hell do they get they come up with the names for these couches?" this is most likely the answer. I'm a side table named SVERRII. I don't know if I like Sweden.

Also, for those Jack Black/School of Rock fans out there, it looks like 2 might be in the works. Click here to see the full article. I can't say I'm excited about a School of Rock sequel, since Jack Black destroys every movie he's in. Case in point: Be Kind Rewind. Any Michal Gondry flick should be amazing, but this latest film was barely bearable thanks to the consistently annoying Black. Eh…

Moving on, Mad Men returns for season two Sunday July 27^th. I'm a TV nut, and would recommend this show to anyone. It doesn't take much to get addicted to this show. The series focuses on an advertising agency in the late 1950s. It's the most truthful portrayal of the industry and the time period I've ever seen on television or on film. While we're used to seeing the chipper, pleasantville world of the Leave it to Beaver '50s, Mad Men portrays the sexism, racism, and immorality that peaople faced during the period. Seriously, you have one month to catch up on season one before the new season begins. The first season is available on DVD or on iTunes. Check out more about the show here.

This is different; the Chicago Sun-Times ran an interesting piece on the effects of high fuel costs on indie rock. It's an interesting spin on a topic I'm really sick of being reminded of. Check that article out by clicking here.

Finally, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson. I'm hooked on this guys music. He sucks live, as he's rarely sober enough to stand let alone get words out while playing guitar. Still, he's wildly popular here in New York and his live performances are often reviewed as 'trancendant'. I disagree, but still love his recordings and can understand why he's often called 'the next Bob Dylan'. My brother and I happened to catch one of his live shows at the Cake Shop on the Lower East Side a couple of months ago. To read more about him and his music, click here.

Public Displays of Affection

For most of my TV watching years I have been a die hard fan of NBC. I think it started with shows like Mad About You. As lame as it is, I always dreamed that one day I'd be like Paul Buchman living in New York City with my dog, Murray. (If Jake hadn't already been named Jake, guess what I would've picked.) There are so many other classics to enjoy like Friends and Frasier, Scrubs, The Office, ER, 30 Rock, Law & Order, etc. But, despite these great shows NBC has had trouble in recent years. Often I've watched the amazing new programming get ripped from the airwaves without warning, as was the case with the Black Donnelly's. Well, today the GE operated network redeemed themselves by sending me a gift, an offering of peace. In a padded manilla folder crammed in my tiny mailbox I found a collection of Pins. Yes, pins. This is why I love NBC. I received 15 free pins in the mail today, all spoofing political pins, all advertising wonderful NBC shows. With slogans like "Get a clue: Vote SVU" and "Vote SNL" I'm both entertained and reminded to watch TV. Or how about "Baldwin Fay All the Way!" or the simplistic "Conan is our Man!" Even better, I'll be the coolest kid in New York once I attach these creative displays of fandom to my man purse. Awesome. Dorky, but awesome. I love you NBC! "Believe in Steve!"

This is the entire collection that arrived in my mailbox!

Asscat

Last night, my brother Jeff and I attended a free improv show down at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. This is only the second show I've attended, but from what I understand the usual comedians involved are fresh faces, with an additional guest comedian or two. The guest will be a touring stand up comedian or SNL alumni. Last night had a plethera of guests. Leading the troupe was Amy Poehler of SNL, also a cofounder of the Upright Citizens Brigade. The 'Special Guest' was Doug Benson, who is probably most recognizable for his attempts at humor on VH1s I Love The... series. Also in attendance (in addition to the usual faces) was Jack McBrayer, better known as Kenneth the NBC Page on the best show on TV, 30 Rock. John Lutz of 30 Rock and SNL was also present. Speaking of SNL, they threw in Horatio Sans and Seth Meyers, who were both hysterical. It's been 12 hours and my face still hurts (insert joke here) from laughing so much. Anyhow, good times. If you're ever in town on a Sunday night, I highly recommend you swing by. It's a free show, so show up early to get in line.