Last Wednesday saw the first big batch of DC’s new 52 released. Reviews were as mixed as they were for Justice League #1 the previous week. A few of the comics were praised here and there, but there seems to be one clear winner for the week. Animal Man #1 has caught everyone’s attention, and I have yet to hear a bad word about it. For reviews on all of last week’s releases, check out Nerd Bastards‘ full report.
Potential major *SPOILERS* for The Avengers have been leaked. If you don’t want to know who the big secret villain is, just skip the next paragraph.
“I want to write to what seems like a fitting ending to the series.” – Charlie Day
FX introduced the new season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to the Television Critics Association with their series of four unique TV spots. With one spot for each character, they feature the gang in overly dramatic situations that are innately hilarious, because it’s the gang.
Charlie Day’s was a Miracle Worker spoof where Danny DeVito teaches him to read and pump water. Charlie’s character is known to be illiterate. After the gang’s presentation to the critics, I got some quality time with Day as he walked from the stage to his next interview. It was a little shorter than the usual interview, but still a solid walk and talk. The Sunny gang and I go way back. At one TCA party, I rode Santa Monica pier rides with Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney, and I was on the set of their classic “Charlie Writes a Musical” episode.
Day created the show with Howerton and McElHenney and hired Kaitlin Olsen for the FX show. Danny DeVito joined the show in season two, and the gang has relentlessly practiced hilariously bad behavior. They regularly take the politically incorrect position on hot button topics like abortion and the economic crisis (see episodes like “Dee and Dennis Go On Welfare”).
As with any success, movies came calling. Day has costarred in studio comedies like Going the Distance and Horrible Bosses. His next movie will be Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim. Sunny is signed for at least two more seasons on FX and Day addressed all of that, plus his standards of The Green Guy and Charlie’s crush on the waitress in the time we had.
“[A show] called Sluts… was the first job I had.”
– Liz Meriwether
I fell in love with Liz Meriwether when she presented her new show, New Girl, to the Television Critics Association over the summer. I would have naturally had affection for anyone who created such a warm, quirky show, but freckles and glasses just completely did me in.
New Girl stars Zooey Deschanel as Jess, a woman who moves in with three male roommates after catching her live-in boyfriend cheating. As she starts to date again, she sings her own theme song to get through the heartbreaks, and dances in celebration a lot. The rough version of the pilot even had a title song set to a sequence of freeze frames where Deschanel posed in different adorable positions. Deschanel sings the theme, lending her musical talents to the show too.
So this innocent reaction to typical sitcom plot lines (wacky roommates, crazy dates) already endeared Meriwether to me. I ran into her later at the party Fox held for its new batch of shows at Gladstones in Malibu. Standing in the beach air at dusk, Meriwether was starstruck herself to see chef Gordon Ramsay at the same party. She was concerned she was not yet drunk enough to be an entertaining interview. Little did she know I was smitten by her natural charm, no drunken word vomit necessary.
Wednesday August 31st marked the beginning of the DC universe relaunch. The first edition of Justice League was released with mixed reviews. Regardless of what the critics thought about DC’s decision to reboot, thanks to healthy pre-orders, Justice League #1 is was the best selling comic of the year before it even went on sale. The first issue managed to sell out in a few days; the second order only lasted another couple of days. DC has now called for the third printing of the comics.
The DC reboot isn’t the only place that Superman’s costume got an overhaul. Close ups of Henry Cavill’s suit from Man of Steel reveal it looks a little like a scaly diving-suit; honestly, if you removed the crest and painted it orange and blue, it would make an excellent outfit for Aquaman. The images are missing the traditional cape, meaning director Zack Snyder is either going sans cape, or it’s going to be done in CG.
“I doubt I’m going to be playing characters in their ’20s for a little while.”
– Britt Robertson
Britt Robertson is starring on a new show, The Secret Circle. Based on the books by The Vampire Diaries’ L.J. Smith and produced by Kevin Williamson, who also worked on the vampiric show, Secret Circle already has a bewitching fan base before it’s even on air. Last week Robertson was driving to the set at 3 PM for an evening shoot. She had a new movie opening and wanted to get the word out, so through the crackle of her cell phone we got an interview.
The Family Tree is an edgy indie dramedy about the Burnett family. Robertson plays Kelly Burnett, a provocative teenager who uses profanity to push her mother’s buttons. She even takes off her shirt at the breakfast table, though classily this scene is filmed from behind. Mrs. Burnett has an accident that gives her amnesia, so while the family deals with that drama, Kelly also gets involved with a fellow student and teacher’s secret relationship.
Robertson has been playing teenagers for some time, even though she’s now 21. She’s got one of those faces that still passes for 16, which can be an asset in casting calls. Her most visible role has been as Lux Cassidy on The CW’s drama Life Unexpected, which lasted two years. She also had a cameo in this year’s Scream 4.
On The Secret Circle, she plays Cassie Blake, who moves to the town of Chance Harbor after her mom’s death. There, the children of the other five witch families try to expose her to the secret past from which her mother always tried to protect her. Five episodes into her new show, this is still a new world for Robertson, so after discussing her new movie we caught up on the witchcraft of The Secret Circle.
“SuicideGirls are American royalty.”
– Anthony E. Zuiker
This October 18th a number of SuicideGirls will be appearing on an episode of CSI: NY. This kind of acceptance from such a mainstream narrative television series on a major network truly proves that SuicideGirls has become a significant part of pop culture. The episode truly focuses on the positive aspects of SuicideGirls. They arent just in the background while the main characters are showcased. The SuicideGirls are integral to the storyline which makes for a very unique and exciting episode. I had a chance to talk with the creator of all the CSI shows, Anthony E. Zuiker.
This Sunday, September 4th, SG Radio’s in-studio guests will be Bravo TV’s Millionaire Matchmakers, Destin Pfaff and Rachel Federoff. Now in its 5th season, the highly addictive reality show follows the romance fortunes of members of the infamous Millionaire’s Club, a Los Angeles-based matchmaking service strictly for those with extremely desirable bank balances (this last week’s ‘The Prince and The Geek’ episode was a classic!). Destin and Rachel will be offering up dating advice worth its weigh in gold, and will also be talking about Destin’s new movie, Sushi Girl (which he co-produced and co-wrote –– see trailer), a killer thriller which stars Sonny Chiba (Street Fighter), Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Noah Hathaway (Neverending Story), and newcomer Cortney Palm in the title role.
Tune in to SG Radio this Sunday September 4th (10 PM til midnight) for two hours of dating advice and movie talk – and don’t let your moma listen in!
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