Play it Again, Sam

As anyone who has a 2 or 3 year old toddler can attest, little ones can get hooked on videos like nobody’s business. I’m talking, watching the same YouTube video of an Australian chef making playdough from scratch at least a hundred times and never tiring of it. Or wanting to see the same home video from a certain birthday party or family trip for the zillionth time, and always acting as though it’s the first time they’re laying eyes on the footage. My little 2 1/2 year old daughter is no exception. In fact, the super specific reference to the Australian chef applies to her. She is obsessed – and the video is comprised of nothing more than a closeup of the chef’s hands at work, and his voice-over, yet she is still riveted by it. Especially the part where he adds the food coloring to the balls of dough. (It’s actually pretty cool!) She is also addicted to a home video of a dance performance we went to see back in March that, to this day, she requests to watch every single morning as soon as she wakes up, without fail. And calls out to me before each of her favorite parts to make sure I don’t miss them. It’s actually quite adorable. And this morning, after our little dance session (she requires that we also dance while we watch) I began to think about her seemingly undying love for certain pieces of content. And then it struck me. This is not a toddler thing. This is just a thing. We all do it – it may seem like a silly kid thing because of all the whining that’s often associated to the request (“Mommy, can I pleeeeaaaaaassse watch it again??”) or by the subject matter of the content (maybe you and I wouldn’t necessarily get hooked on the commercial for the Playdough Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe) but besides that, we are all guilty of the same behavior. I know it sounds odd, but hear me out.

How many times have you been channel surfing, stumbled upon one of your favorite movies and couldn’t get yourself to change the channel even though you’ve seen said movie at least ten times before? Or, how many times have we all watched the classic “Ouch Charlie” video on YouTube? (I myself have seen it at least 30 times, and enjoy it immensely every single time). And don’t even get me started on music and TV – I mean, it goes without saying that our favorite songs are the ones we listen to endlessly on our iDevices / Androids / Spotify / etc. We may listen to others in between, but we do always come back to our favorites. And how about our favorite radio stations, spinning the same playlist of about twenty songs until we have no choice but to get hooked on what the industry is pushing as the latest hits? And TV? Fuggeddaboutit. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen episodes of your favorite sitcom more times than you can count. Need I say more?

So, now that I’ve established we are all toddlers at heart, here are some of my can’t-change-the-channel-no-matter-what movies.

1. It will be no shock to my colleagues, but Remember the Titans is my biggest weakness. I cannot, I mean cannot not watch that film anytime, anywhere. Denzel Washington at his best, and the uplifting story of these young athletes learning how to rise above the racial divide in a desegregated high school in the early 70s is truly inspirational. If you haven’t seen it, add it to your list and you will not be disappointed.

2. Terms of Endearment: Unfortunately, Debra Winger’s character Emma does, in fact, die every time. Yet, I still cannot look away, and have never gotten through without balling like a school girl. And I genuinely enjoy every minute – it’s one of the finest movies I’ve ever seen. The relationship between Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter, coupled with Emma’s inexplicable love for Flap (Jeff Daniels), the pathetic husband/son-in-law; and the added twist of the carefree drunken neighbor Garrett (Jack Nicholson) is some of the best on-screen family dynamics I have ever seen, especially as things unfold in the wake of the family tragedy. And don’t get me started on the kids. The scene in the hospital when Emma is saying goodbye to them?? Or at the end when Aurora is sitting on the bench in the backyard at the funeral and gestures for the baby girl to come sit closer to her, even closer, then closer? I can’t even… Just go grab a box of tissues and watch this film. Again.

3. Though it may seem so, I’m not all about the tearjerkers. I do also love a good comedy just like the next person. Which is why third on my list is the always hilarious Wedding Crashers. I don’t think I need to say much about this comedic gem. It simply never disappoints. I can watch that opening montage of crashed weddings on an infinite loop and never tire of it. And what’s not to love about the courtship between Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson amidst the otherwise off-the-wall antics of the rest of her cooky family? Always entertaining and never abandoned once discovered on my cable guide.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. And I’m sure you’ve been nodding along, coming up with your own lists of favorites as you’ve been reading. So go ahead and share some of them in the comments below, and then voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of these current chart toppers in heavy radio rotation do you most enjoy listening to?

Boyfriend (Justin Bieber)
Somebody That I Used To Know (Gotye)
We Are Young (Fun.)
What Makes You Beautiful (One Direction)

Post a Comment (0) 8:35 am on May 16, 2012

It’s Britney, Betch

A few months ago, I shared a poem about Lindsay,

She was hosting SNL, and boy were we weary.

We watched, we mocked, we doubted,

And she came, she saw, she pouted.

But who would have guessed, she didn’t do half bad,

She’s on her way up, and still scantily clad.

The move proved a good one, she’s back in the biz,

‘Cause wouldn’tcha know, they cast her as Liz.

Taylor that is, another tabloid fixture,

Beauty, talent and fame; a scary, deadly mixture.

 

Which brings me to Britney, who’s back on the scene,

X-Factor called and showed her the gr$$n.

She’s judging along with a star-studded panel,

But it’s Britney who’ll keep viewers from changing the channel.

We’ll all tune in to see her in action,

To watch her succeed would be true satisfaction.

We’re rooting for her, we’re all on her side,

We’re ready to go, we’re along for the ride.

 

But I can’t help thinking, “Oh that poor little girl,”

She looks scared and alone, like she’s going to hurl.

Does she really want to do this, to get up on the stage?

Or would she rather retreat and completely disengage.

She could get out of the limelight, just hang with her boys,

Get away from the noise, and all it destroys.

No more stress, no more glory,

No more bloggers writing stories.

Just a life away, with time to crochet,

It’ll all be alright, it’ll all be okay.


Who am I kidding? I know that’s not ideal,

Many people are riding on Ms. Britney’s appeal.

And the ability to mold her into just what they want,

She’s a puppet, she’s a robot, she’s a September Sweeps stunt.

I’ll still tune in, just to see the reaction,

To the shell of Britney, her skeleton back in action.

 

What do you think about Britney’s return to TV?

She hasn’t been on since TRL and the Club of Mick-ey.

Do you think she’ll succeed and prove us all wrong?

Or will she crash and burn, sing her final swan song?

 

Tell us in the comments, and please while your there,

Lighten the mood and tell us your favorite style of Britney’s hair.

Post a Comment (0) 8:27 am on May 15, 2012

Finally Some Heat!

For the first time in what feels like eternity, spring weather hit New York City this past weekend and I couldn’t be happier. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the Frisbees were frisbeeing, and my nice red burn tan started to form. Walking in the park yesterday I couldn’t help but reflect on some of the things I love when the weather gets hot. From trying to learn how to surf in frigid east coast water, to outdoor concerts by artists like O.A.R and The Black Keys, nothing beats clear skies and 80 degrees. Whether you’re a big music fan or not, I truly believe that everyone should go to at least 3 outdoor concerts before the hot weather fades.

Though this past weekend I was not able to satisfy that urge, I thought I would share some of my memories and recommend a few great concerts coming this summer.

The first outdoor concert I ever attended was Dave Matthews Band when I was 16 . Dave was playing a few hours from my camp and for whatever reason my counselor took me along with a few friends. This was back in the days when the band was still doing renditions of “Crash into Me” and “Ants Marching” so I was pumped to get a chance to experience them live. Until that concert the only band I had ever seen was an Offspring cover band, so the bar was set pretty low. The concert was held at The Toyota Pavilion in Scranton Pennsylvania the day after a thunderstorm. I only remember that it had rained because it was the also the first time I had ever seen a mosh pit.  Only now do I realize that it was strange to see mosh pits at a Dave concert, but at the time I thought seeing guys elbow and throw mud at each other was a pretty regular thing when “Grey Street” played. Though I have yet to find the track list for that show, I still remember singing along to  “Where are you going” standing miles away from the stage next to a bunch of old hippies passing around objects that were definitely not cigarettes. Now that was a hot day I won’t ever forget

A more recent concert I attended that was no less memorable was a few springs back in Israel. DJs like Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto, and Girl Talk, to name a few, come almost every spring to hold massive concerts out in the deserts there because it just never seems to rain. The concert I went to was Infected Mushroom and if you haven’t heard them yet and if you’re ever in the mood for trance music, check out the song “Becoming Insane” it’s incredible. Me and group of friends were about to leave on a camping trip when we heard Infected was playing a show that was supposed to start around 2AM. We got tickets immediately and were on a bus an hour later. The venue was in a desert somewhere with tents and lights set up across the grounds. We got there around 1am and soon found out that they wouldn’t be coming on till after 230. We were a little bummed but it didn’t matter because the energy and atmosphere of the concert was indescribable.

Before that concert I only thought it was a myth that bands could play till the sun came out but I will never forget the feeling when Becoming Insane came on just as the sun was rising – it was quite possibly the coolest thing I have ever experienced. What made that weekend also so memorable was that we still decided to go camping  that weekend and by the end of the day we were laying out on the beach with camping gear by our side.

So now that you have heard a few of my stories here is a list of a few concerts coming this summer that I hope you do not pass up. There’s Governors Ball  (Kid Cudi, Passion Pitt, Explosion in the Sky) in June, Catalpa Music Festival (The Black Keys, Girl Talk, Snoop Dogg) in July, and Electric Zoo (David Guetta, Pretty Lights, Laidback Luke) in August. And for all of you outside NYC, be sure to catch Dave Matthews Band at the Toyota Pavilion in Scranton Pennsylvania  on May 28th. If you happen to see a 16 year old kid standing next to a bunch of hippies, think of me.

For this week’s poll, tell us which artist performing this summer you are most excited to see in concert:

Dave Matthews Band
David Guetta
Kid Cudi
The Black Keys

Post a Comment (1) 8:37 am on May 14, 2012

Back in My Day…

My (much younger) colleagues make fun of me when I talk about ye olden times.  If I start a sentence with “back in my day” — which I do sparingly and with irony –  I know full well that it will be met with eye rolls and snickers. (And not the good kind of Snickers — not the chocolate-coated, packed-with-peanuts, filled-with-nougat-and-caramelly-goodness kind that cost a dime back in my day.)

They mock me, for instance, for the fact that I learned to type in junior high school on a manual typewriter.  (“Was it hard to punch the keys?”) They can’t hide their shock when they discover that Accutane was, indeed, on the market when I was a freshman in college.  (“It was available back then?”)  And they laugh and laugh when I reveal that my wardrobe circa 1992 consisted of lots color block shirts like the one Garth Brooks sports on the cover of The Chase. (“Did you wear the denim shirt/blue jeans combo, too?”)  Well, if you must know, as a matter of fact I did.  Dark blue jeans with a light blue denim shirt, or light blue jeans with a dark blue denim shirt.  And Doc Martens.  Moving on…

So it is with great trepidation — and full realization that more mockery is imminent — that I admit the following:  I long for the back-in-my-days of the CD, the record store, and “new release Tuesday.”

You see, back in my day, buying brand new CDs on new release Tuesday at the local record store (in my case, HMV and/or Tower Records on the upper west side of Manhattan) was a music lovers ritual.  A weekly pilgrimage.  A thing of beauty.  The cool stores would have a white board near the cash registers that listed CD releases for the upcoming weeks. Imagine my delight when I saw the following tracks listed on the new release board for April 14, 1992:  Charlatans UK Between 10th and 11th, L7 Bricks are Heavy, Peter Murphy Holy Smoke AND Jesus and Mary Chain Honey’s Dead.  What an embarrassment of riches!  And that was just one random Tuesday.  Kiddies, if none of these bands is ringing a bell, YouTube them immediately.

Now that music is all digital, the joy is gone.  I no longer impatiently wait for my favorite bands’ new stuff.  In fact, sometimes new releases hit iTunes and I don’t find out about them until after the fact.  Strangeland by Keane came out this week.  I love Keane, but I totally missed that memo.  Two of my favorite singer songwriters — Nanci Griffith and Bonnie Raitt  — released new music a month ago.  Who knew?  The Dandy Warhols and Peter Gabriel and Rufus Wainwright and Carrie Underwood and Norah Jones have all released their latest fare, and I have yet to buy any of it.  What’s happened to me?

There was a time when I actually made plans to meet up with a friend to go to Tower Records to purchase the CD single of R.E.M.’s “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” It was September 5, 1994.  We made a day of it.  I guess that will never happen again, partly because all the record stores in my neighborhood are gone, partly because R.E.M. broke up.

My biggest new release Tuesday was actually on a Monday.  For very hotly anticipated CDs, certain record stores would stay open past midnight the night before the official Tuesday release.  It was kind of like how The Hunger Games screened in a bunch of movie theaters at midnight on the night before the official Friday opening and it counted as part of their opening weekend box office receipts.  (How was that for trying make a parallel you young’uns would understand?)

The big releases for August 27, 1996, were Pearl Jam’s No Code and the Original Broadway Soundtrack for RENT.  Being a big fan of Pearl Jam’s Ten and Vs. and Vitalogy, I couldn’t wait to get my fingerless gloved hands on No Code.  And I wanted to get the RENT soundtrack for my 15 year old niece.  Okay, I wanted it, too.  In fact, I really really wanted it.

One could tell with a simple glance that the crowd wrapping around the block at HMV just before midnight that night was made up of 50% Pearl Jam fans and 50% RENTheads.  I’m pretty sure I was the only one in line who was there for both.  The only thing the two groups had in common was the occasional matching plaid of a RENT fan’s pants (a clear homage to Roger’s skinny jeggings-esque costume in the musical) with a Pearl Jam fan’s sleeveless flannel shirt (a clear homage to Eddie Vedder and Seattle grunge.)  I did my best to blend in.

A local news crew came to film the festivities.  The reporter screamed to the crowd, “Who’s here to pick up the new Pearl Jam CD?”  Hundreds of tattooed arms shot into the air accompanied by a chorus of guttural “YEAH, MAN!”s.  When this same reporter followed up with, “Who’s here to get the RENT soundtrack?,” hundreds of bedazzled jazz hands reached for the sky, amid high pitched screams of “No day but today!”  Not wanting to be stereotyped into either group, I kept my hands to my sides, pulled my hoodie over my head and hid from the news camera.  Okay, maybe I don’t miss new release Tuesday that much.

What’s your favorite genre of music?

Country
Hip Hop
Pop
Rock

Post a Comment (2) 8:27 am on May 11, 2012

Yoga Anyone?

Do you practice yoga? I do. I freaking love it. I used to practice Bikram yoga – you know, the one where they turn up the heat to 1 million degrees so that everyone in the class drips with sweat and there is a lingering smell of feet in the room? It sounds questionable but it always made me feel really, really good – and when I first got into it, I even took a class with Gina Gershon one time at a studio down in Soho. Anyway, they don’t recommend the hot torture chamber for pregnant women so I am happily now enrolled in prenatal classes at my hospital with this amazing woman, Janet who is also a doula. All the parts that hurt during the day are eased, and I find myself believing that I can actually handle child birth. So in honor of my love for yoga, and in much the same spirit of my blog from a few weeks ago (I’ve since seen the Seinfeld episode where George gets massaged by a man on TBS), I present my list of Favorite Pop Culture Yoga Scenes.

Top spot has to go to the yoga scene from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Do you know this movie? Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) loses his girlfriend Kristen Bell (Google “Kristin Bell loves sloths” if you haven’t already) to English pop star Russel Brand (when we liked him) and hilarity ensues. They all end up at a resort in Hawaii together (Turtle Bay resort on Oahu – I’ve been, it’s amazing), and in a yoga class with none other than the ingenious Kristen Wiig as their instructor. Her name is Prana and she gives Segel’s character a very hard time while basically fawning over Brand’s. She manages to embody everything that you kinda dislike about yoga teachers (all-knowingness, insistence in all things healthy) while still making you laugh. Well done, Prana.

Next, I’m going to make a much more obscure reference. Ever watch the Showtime series Dexter? I’m presently catching up on all previous seasons on Netflix before season 7 debuts later this year. The series follows the life of Dexter Morgan, a psychopathic nice-guy who murders bad-guys to quell his urgency to well, kill everything. Without giving away too much to anyone who might want to go down the Netflix path, during season 3, Dexter finds himself at a yoga class with girlfriend Rita. In mid Warrior 2, Dexter’s inner monologue declares “This is absolutely, without a doubt, the worst moment of my life,” until the classically earthy instructor asks the class to just dance in place. Later, when she approaches him and says to “be as beautiful as the golden flakes of dust around you,” his inner monologue pops up again to point out “I could probably kill her before anyone realized what happened.” Just made me laugh and redefined why I will never ask my husband to take a yoga class with me.

The next one I’m going to leave mostly to the imagination so as not to offend any of my readers. Anyone remember a certain SNL skit from the 00s staring Tobey McGuire as a yoga instructor and Will Ferrell as an overeager yoga student? Let’s just say that after 3 years of practice, Will finally masters the task and attains the flexibility he set out to accomplish when he first began taking yoga. The ladies in the room are disgusted while the men in the room simply want to know how. Gross and classically funny Ferrell.

There are others – I remember a funny trailer for Couple’s Retreat that featured a yoga scene, and I know the Jackass series did something funny in a yoga class one time, but the ones above are the ones I know and love. If you’ve seen those scenes or not, tell us which of these yoga practicing characters is your favorite.

Pete – Jason Segel from Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Dexter – Michael C. Hall from Dexter
Yoga Guy – Will Ferrell from Saturday Night Live

Post a Comment (0) 8:10 am on May 10, 2012

Every Mother Counts

It’s May, and although personally I find it absurd that mothers get only a single official day of recognition, it does happen to take place this month – this Sunday, to be exact. Like it or not, commercialized as though it may have become over the years, it’s still very important to take the time to give special thanks to those who gave us life. Women of the world, here’s looking at you.

Having recently become a mother myself, I have an even greater appreciation for the meaning and importance of this day, and I implore every child out there to remember that, as much as she might bug you sometimes, your mom is the most important person in the world. Without her, you would not exist. I wish I could remind every sexist man of that often overlooked fact when they treat women as their inferiors. Um, hello? That “lesser” person MADE you. So get over yourself.

Anyway, I digress. The point of this post is to call to your attention to a project in honor of mothers that I recently came across… it’s a musical compilation entitled “Every Mother Counts” and I was admittedly standing in line at Starbucks when it caught my eye. Now, there’s a lot about Starbucks that I deplore (does my coffee really have to cost $5? would it kill them to switch to fair trade coffee?) but every once in a while, they put their excessive powers towards the betterment of the world, at least in some small way. The compilation features a wide range of artists including Bono, Eddie Vedder, Alanis Morissette and Lauren Hill, and its purpose is to help raise funds for maternal health-relief efforts worldwide. The project is heralded by former supermodel Christy Turlington Burns who, for the second year in a row, gathered together a wealth of talent to make her vision a reality. Some of the artists recorded exclusive songs for the CD, and as a huge fan of the aforementioned musicians, I didn’t hesitate one second to purchase the album to a) contribute to the relief efforts and b) hear the new recordings from the artists I know and love.

Obviously I was not surprised to fully enjoy the first track on the album entitled “Original of the Species” by Bono and the Edge. It’s not a new song, but this particular acoustic recording is beautifully moving in its simplicity. Everything that Bono touches turns to gold, in my opinion. Then comes Eddie Vedder’s “Skipping” which had me literally skipping home with delight from the Starbucks in anticipation of hearing it. You don’t understand – as a massive Pearl Jam fan since the age of 16, I can honestly say Eddie Vedder is one of the few artists I practically venerate. And this is not your typical mosh-pit fare, nor one of his ukulele jams… it’s a previously recorded but unreleased find, Eddie Vedder at his most vulnerable – just him and his guitar – which makes me swoon even more. It’s a tearjerking tribute to his children and his apparent unadulterated joy of being a father. It even features his daughter Olivia’s adorable voice in an endearing “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder kind of way – she calls “Check, Check, Check… Daddy, Daddy!” It’s beyond endearing and I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

I won’t walk you through all 19 tracks, and not to skip over gems from the likes of Faith Hill (while I’m not a country fan, I cannot deny that woman’s talent and ability to give me chills, and “Wish for You” is no exception) and Lauren Hill who contributes a sweet little live acoustic recording of “I Remember” where her voice cracks half way through the song and makes you love her even more (who would be comfortable enough with themselves to contribute a track with an obvious vocal blunder?) but I must jump ahead to track 12 which is Alanis Morissette’s “Magical Child.” It’s an entirely new song and folks, may I just say, “Wow.” It’s the first release of her new collection of songs coming out in August – her first studio album in 8 years, entitled Havoc and Bright Lights – and if the rest of her songs are anything like this one, I can say without a doubt that I will be listening to the album on repeat for long after its release. Man oh man. She has teamed up with some new producers who have really reinvented her sound, yet without abandoning the Alanis we know and love, to bring us a new electronica infused transcendent little treasure that I have already listened to about 15 times. And what’s most interesting about it is that, based on the lyrics, I think the “Magical Child” she is referring to might be the baby Jesus. Just conjecture on my part, but intriguing nonetheless. Anyway, if for no other reason (although I’ve already given you plenty) you must go get this album and hear this song, or at the very least download this track. You simply cannot and should not wait until her album comes out in August.

Not to be overlooked, the album also includes some beautiful contributions including Sade’s “The Sweetest Gift” which could not be more appropriate for this compilation; an unexpected yet delightful duet by Paul Simon and Edie Brickell entitled “Pretty Day”; a cover of Barbara Lewis’ “Baby I’m Yours” by Rita Wilson (yes, that Rita Wilson – she sings now!); Diana Krall doing her thang on a lovely tune called “Don’t Fence Me In”; the oh-so-poignant “Secret” by Seal; a live rendition of “Sister” – one of my favorites by the Dave Matthews Band (what sister doesn’t wish their brother felt that way about them?); the Spanish version of “Fragile” by Sting (who knew? it was recorded back in 1988!); a great jam called “Mother” by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros; the eternally pleasing “Everyone Says Hi” by David Bowie; a refreshing new recording of “Get Up Stand Up” by Cedalla Marley, daughter of the great Bob Marley (he would be proud); a folksy/bluesy “Corrina, Corrina” by Beck; a haunting “Instead of the Dead” by Rufus Wainwright; a touching tribute to “Somalia” by the great Patti Smith; and last but not least, an acoustic “Yellow” by Coldplay that is somehow even more moving than all the versions that came before it.

So, while you’re checking out at Starbucks, pick up a copy for yourself (and your mom!) and be sure to remember that Every Mother Counts, this Sunday and every day.

For more information about Christy Turlington Burns’ project, please visit: http://www.everymothercounts.com

Now voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of these rock artists featured on Every Mother Counts, a compilation to raise funds for maternal health-relief efforts worldwide, is your favorite?

Bono and the Edge
Coldplay
Dave Matthews Band
Eddie Vedder

Post a Comment (0) 8:45 am on May 9, 2012

A Little Taste of Hollywood

I was following my normal route to work yesterday when an unusual white tent caught my still groggy left eye.  Parked betwixt several large trucks on a busy midtown avenue was a small catering hub, a veritable what’s what of perishable breakfast goodies.  You had your carb station, your fruit station, of course you had your coffee station.  And while the smell of bacon and lemon danish filled the air and drool dribbled down unnoticed onto my business casual short-sleeved sweater, I shot back to life knowing full well I could not partake in this tremendous feast that lain before me.  You see this feast is called craft service, and it is only available to a lucky, lucky few.

Every (note: not every) New Yorker worth their salt knows that where there’s smoke, there’s fire and where there’s craft service, there’s a film shoot a ‘brewin. Whether it’s a TV show, a commercial, a music video or a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE is not the point. What’s really important is that we normals get to see a real, live video production in the flesh! And if you’re lucky enough to find yourself smack dab in the middle of a film set, you might even get to see some celebs! If that’s your thang, make sure to follow these easy steps:

Step 1. Tear your eyes away from the croissants at that beautiful white tent and search for the closest street sign/lamp post/totem pole sticking out of the ground. Affixed to that very sign/post/poll will be a bright colored piece of paper, known as a permit. This permit is your ticket, this permit is your friend. You know why? It tells you what you’re looking at! Legally, the production has to tell you what they are shooting, and this little neon token is the only thing that will tell you.  So instead of chasing around a PA wearing a headset and a frown who will inevitably tell you they are shooting Law and Order: Hawaii 5-0 instead of The Dark Knight Rises, go find that sweet, sweet colored paper and move on to Step 2.

Step 2. OK so you’ve sidestepped craft service (without stealing anything) and located the neon paper of dreams. It’s now time to whip out your smart phone and IMDB the crap outta the title that’s scribbled on the permit in black Sharpee.  How else are you going to text your friends that you saw the set for the new Ben Stiller movie when you didn’t even know he was shooting The Secret Life of Walter Mitty? In other news, if it’s not on IMDB, that means it’s probably a student film and that means you should move along, there’s nothing to see here, folks.

Step 3. First, let’s review: You ignored the breathtaking tablescape, you discovered the vibrant permit and you successfully established what set you are on.  Now it’s time for surveillance.  I will warn you that while Parts 1 and 2 will take less than 60 seconds in total, this next step could run you a few hours. But hey, this is more important than the Cats tickets you bought from the guy dressed as Buzz Lightyear in Times Square, right?
So because this is the surveillance phase, be sure to bring your A-game.  You’ll need caffeine, granola bars and a whole lot of optimism – this could get rough. You’ll need to hang out around the set, but keep moving. You hear me? No one likes a loiterer! Since this is (hopefully) a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, the production will most likely cover several streets. Take a walk around! Get a cup of coffee! Follow the screams! When the screams begin, that means the stars have arrived and you’ll start to feel better about the fact that not only did you miss out on Cats, but you learned it hasn’t even been on Broadway since 2002.
Which is okay, OK? Because while you didn’t see Cats and you didn’t procure a biscuit from those turds guarding the craft service tables, at least you were able to taste a little bit of Hollywood, if only for a few hours.
So that’s that, Buzz Bloggers – Tell us if you’ve had any cool set visits in the comments below! And while you’re at it, tell us which TV show shot on the streets of NYC is your favorite!

30 Rock

Gossip Girl

Law & Order: SVU

Person of Interest

Post a Comment (0) 8:15 am on May 8, 2012

The Monday Hustle

So there I am on a Monday morning sitting on the subway with my blog due in an hour. Even though I had one written and edited, I couldn’t help but stress out and decide last minute to scrap the whole thing. As you can imagine I am now that guy sweating next to you at 8am muttering to himself about the “choice of the people” and something about Mad Men and their suits.  Clearly this is not the ideal way to start a week.

I had written a blog about the Avengers and how comparable super heroes can be to our lives. I went into detail about how each character represented another aspect of our life and that painting yourself green and wearing a tattered shirt to a movie was totally fine. After the greatness of Sunday night television though, it was really hard to sit down and publish that kind of a story. Here is a brief sample in case you interested, “Played by Hugh Jackman in the X-men series, Wolverine was the first character I thought of as someone who I could see myself wanting to be. Here was a hero who could sense danger from miles away and could heal himself within minutes. He’s tough, he’s strong, and he has razor-sharp claws in case someone pissed him off. On the down side though, he lost his memory, his brother is his biggest enemy, and he spends most of his life smoking cigars trying to find out who exactly replaced his bones with metal.” While I admit it was not the worst thing I had ever written, how can I compete with mad men! It’s just that good.

Instead of boring you with a long paragraph on what a good Monday morning blog should be, I have decided to leave you with a very easy poll: Of the following theories on relativity, which would you most enjoy studying? Max Planck’s general theory published in 1906 or Einstein’s study of Mass-energy equivalence? Just kidding.  With my stop quickly approaching I have decided to save the thought provoking questions for another week and leave you with this:  of the following events that happened this weekend which was your favorite?

The Avengers

Eli Manning on SNL

The hats at Kentucky Derby

The Knicks finally winning a playoff game

Post a Comment (1) 9:14 am on May 7, 2012

Tape Worms

I missed Tuesday’s deadline but I know all will be forgiven.  I mean, for Pete’s sake, after 21 years of spirited music discussions, shouldn’t I be confident that Gary and Sally will cut me some slack?  Oh… you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?  I guess I need to give you some context.  Let’s go back to 1988, shall we?

I was 23, working at an ad agency in Chicago, going to concerts with my friends at awesome venues like The Riv and The Vic and The Aragon Ballroom and The Park West to see bands like The Replacements and Midnight Oil and The B-52s and Living Colour and solo artists like Morrissey and Sinead O’Connor and Elvis Costello and Bob Mould.  Music was everywhere and life was good.

I was acquainted with a work colleague named Sally; we were both invited to an Us Magazine industry party (Us wasn’t even weekly at that point) at the Hard Rock Cafe (don’t judge… it was the 80s.)  Over several Coronas and a potato skin or two (don’t judge… it was the 80s), Sally and I talked about music.  For hours.  We bonded over our fascination with Toni Childs, our secret obsession with Bob Seger, our mutual love of Tracy Chapman and The Cowboy Junkies.  A friendship was born, living proof that music makes the people come together.  (I’m not in a position, however, to comment on music’s effect on mixing the bourgeoisie and the rebel.)

A few years later, Sally asked me to join her and her friend Gary (whom I had never met) to form a music club of sorts.  We wouldn’t make music; we would discuss it. Here was the premise:  we’d each fill a 90-minute cassette (don’t judge… it was the early 90s) with songs that spoke to us, accompanied by notes that explained each song’s significance.  The notes could describe a particularly moving guitar riff, a profound lyric, and/or a fond memory associated with a particular song.  My first mix included tunes by 10,000 Maniacs, The Moody Blues, Marvin Gaye and Alison Moyet.  My notes referenced Natalie Merchant’s intensity and Marvin Gaye’s soul.  I don’t think I was particularly insightful back then, but I sure had fun dissecting music with like-minded fans.

On that very first exchange, Gary exposed me to an Eric Clapton tune I’d never head before and gave me a new appreciation for U2′s Angel of Harlem.  Sally waxed poetic about Peter Gabriel and Stevie Wonder and The Indigo Girls.  We were off and running.  Since we modeled our group after a book club — but discussed music on tapes instead of books — we dubbed ourselves the Tape Worms.  (Instead of Book Worms, get it?)  We eventually dropped the “Tape” and just referred to ourselves as the Worms, ultimately turning worm into a verb (“Have I wormed that song before?”  “Are we worming any time soon?”)  Here’s an example of one of my write-ups, circa 1998:

Redemption Song by Bob Marley

The same guy who was once obsessed with Bob Seger’s greatest hits became obsessed with Bob Marley after a New York cab ride. I  was heading downtown on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the cab driver was was jamming to a mix tape of several Bob Marley songs he’d put together.  “Africa Unite” and this little gem were two of the ones that stuck out for me.  I used to think that reggae was music for people who have no musical opinion.  I picture a bunch of trustafarians grooving on ‘shrooms at Northwestern University’s Armadillo Day.  That said, this song works for me for some reason.  I could totally hear Harry Belafonte singing this… Why is that?  I like the fact that it’s just an acoustic guitar and his distinct voice… none of the steel drum grooves of your typical reggae song.  The lyrics are political the song is pretty.  What’s not to love?

You get the idea, right?  Over the past 21 years we’ve wormed 17 times.  Not bad, considering at one point Sally lived in LA, Gary in Chicago, and I in New York.  The tapes, of course, eventually gave way to CDs and now we listen to our Worms songs on iPods.  For the past two decades, Gary and Sally have turned me on to songs which are now among my all time favorites:  Hey Eugene by Pink Martini, Feelin’ Good Again by Robert Earl Keen, Poor Man’s House by Patti Griffin and Birches by Bill Morrissey, just a name a few.  I encourage you to form a Worm club of your own with your best music-lovin’ pals.  And may it bring you the countless joy I have experienced with my Worms.

But as I said, I’m already late.  Our music and notes for Tape Worms 18 were due on May 1st and I am still tweaking my notes.  Don’t tell Gary and Sally — I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise — but my songs include Kandi by One Eskimo, The Art Teacher by Rufus Wainwright and Grace Jones’ version of La Vie En Rose.  I can’t wait to hear what they have chosen.  I’m sure there will be a gem or two that end up on my list of all time favorites.

Today’s Poll

Which of these albums from 1988 is your favorite?

Tracy Chapman  Tracy Chapman

Cowboy Junkies  The Trinity Sessions

Midnight Oil Diesel and Dust

U2  Rattle and Hum

Post a Comment (1) 8:05 am on May 4, 2012

We are the Champions

It’s an exciting time to be a sports fan. The Stanley Cup playoffs are heating up and Lundqvist and the Rangers are in contention; the race is on for the NBA title and LeBron is getting a second chance; baseball is back and Clemens is still on trial for performance enhancing drug use; the NFL draft just wrapped up and the Colts have a new quarterback in Andrew Luck; Nascar is a quarter of the way through their season and Junior fans finally have something to root for. All in all, some pretty exciting stuff and enough to go around for everyone. What, not a sports fan? Couldn’t care less about any of what I just said? OK, let’s make it interesting. Let’s talk about our favorite sports movies of all time.

If we start with Hockey, the discussion starts and ends with a little film called The Cutting Edge. D.B. Sweeney plays Doug Dorsey – a star hockey player left partially blind from a blow to the head on the ice – who comes to meet Kate Mosley – a figure skating ice queen played by Moira Kelly – who is disgusted at the thought of the two of them becoming skating partners and going for an Olympic medal. Not surprisingly enough, a love story ensues complete with one of those classic and amazing 90s work out montages set to “Ride on Time” by Black Box – Spotify it. It’s gold baby!

The honor of the best football movie has to go The Program, for its raw and shocking portrayal of life for a fictional college football team, and for it’s controversial stigma. The previews for the film featured a scene in which the players celebrated their greatness by laying in a straight line down the yellow line of a major highway. Soon after, real life kids starting imitating the scene, resulting in death and serious injuries for the teens. The scene was cut from the movie, but it continues to invoke tremendous emotional reactions as the players struggle with substance abuse and the pressures of the game.

Onto greener pastures, let’s talk about Major League as the best baseball movie of all time. Major League was the movie that showed us who Charlie Sheen was, before Charlie Sheen showed us who Charlie Sheen was. You rooted for the Wild Thing, you laughed at Pedro Cerrano (the Allstate spokesperson) and his religious deity Jo-bu and you hoped Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) got the girl (Renee Russo). And let’s not forget Wesley Snipes as the fast talking – fast running Willie Mays Hays. It’s a cult classic filled with its fair share of pop-culture one liners. Up your butt, Jo-Bu.

Finally (yes, I have to do a finally here cause I straight up admit I don’t have a basketball movie I like, except for Teen Wolf) let’s talk about Days of Thunder, the best race car movie ever. Tom Cruise plays Cole Trickle (I love that name!) a reckless but good driver who helps his crew chief Robert Duvall win the Daytona 500. It’s the first movie starring Cruise and the former Mrs. Cruise, Nicole Kidman, who later went on to film Far and Away and Eyes Wide Shut together. It’s also the movie that Mr. Cruise first started insisting he shoot many of his own stunts, a feat he still insists upon today. It’s your classic feel good sports tale, where the hero must overcome competition and injury to get the girl and the win.

So now that I’ve gotten you in the mood, tell us which of these classic sports movies is your favorite. And enjoy the season!

The Cutting Edge
The Program
Major League
Days of Thunder

Post a Comment (0) 8:09 am on May 3, 2012

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The People's Choice Awards staff is dedicated to providing commentary about the world of pop culture through our daily blog. We are TV producers, digital mavens, PR professionals, and entertainment executives who share a love for movies, music and TV. Each day, a member of our team will divulge insights and opinions on topics from TV star trivia to musical inspirations to the ultimate pop culture guilty pleasures, and everything in between. We can’t guarantee you'll agree with every word, but we promise to always be honest, positive and celebratory in true People's Choice Awards fashion.

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