Grab The Remote – It’s Fall!
Fall is my favorite time of year… the leaves start fading into beautiful autumnal hues, day trips for apple and pumpkin picking, and — most importantly – a new crop of TV shows are ready to delight audiences. Here’s a roundup of what I’ll be watching this fall.
Ringer – CW, Tuesdays at 9pm starting 9/13
Sarah Michelle Gellar makes her triumphant return to the small screen in this drama about a woman who, after witnessing a murder, goes on the run, hiding out by assuming the life of her wealthy identical twin sister after she disappears – only to learn that her sister’s seemingly perfect life is more complicated and dangerous than meets the eye. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect vehicle for SMG, I don’t know what you all are waiting for.
2 Broke Girls – CBS, Mondays at 8:30pm starting 9/19 (series premiere is at 9:30pm, before returning to regular slot on 9/26)
Kat Dennings finally gets her own show. You may know Dennings from her roles as brooding, sexed up teens in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist. The show’s about two down-and-out waitresses – one from humble background (Dennings) and the other cut off from her wealthy family (relative newcomer Beth Behrs) – who work at a Brooklyn restaurant in hopes of saving up to open their own cupcake shop. Let’s hope the creators Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City creator) and comedian Whitney Cummings can deliver.
New Girl – Fox, Tuesdays at 9pm starting 9/ 20
Zooey Deschanel is invading our living rooms weekly! After a surprise breakup with her model boyfriend, she eventually finds a new place to stay when she moves in with three single guys, who try to teach her a thing or two about men and love.
Whitney – NBC, Thursdays at 9:30 starting 9/22
Chelsea Handler-regular Whitney Cummings stars in this eponymous comedy about a happy, committed relationship that’s not on the fast track to marriage. As Whitney takes stock of the relationship, she tries some unusual ways of spicing it and seeks help from friends around her.
Pan Am — ABC, Sundays at 10p starting 9/25
A stylized, sexy show about flight attendants and pilots in the ‘60s, starring Christina Ricci. The women are newly empowered in the feminist movement sweeping the country and they’re looking for the opportunity to see the world and grab it by the balls.
Hart of Dixie – CW, Mondays at 9pm starting 9/26
A medical drama about a NYC doc (Rachel Bilson) who lands in backcountry Alabama when she can’t find a job. Exec producer is Josh Schwartz, the man behind the O.C., Gossip Girl, and Chuck.
Terra Nova – Fox, Mondays at 8pm starting Sep. 26 (first episode is 2 hours)
This is more of a TV event than another Fall show. From Spielberg and Peter Chernin comes an epic story taking place in the year 2149. Life on Earth is near extinction and, in an effort to save the human race, scientists develop a time machine that takes settlers 85 million years back in time to prehistoric Earth. Terra Nova is the first human colony on the other side of the temporal doorway and it is in the middle of a group of carnivorous dinosaurs.
How to Be a Gentleman — CBS, Thursdays at 8:30p starting 9/29
An etiquette columnist is told to put a modern, sexy twist on his conservative column or be fired. He enlists the help of an old friend, reformed “bad boy” played by Kevin Dillon, who shows him how to loosen up. This should provide your fill of bro humor between reruns of How I Met Your Mother.
What will you be watching?
Happy Birthday Macaulay Culkin (and some others)
There’s been a lot of attention today on the Twitters and the Facebooks and the Internets drawn to the thirtieth birthday of Home Alone star Macaulay Caulkin, starting (as far as I can tell) from the tweet from forever-young actor @GaryJBusey Macaulay Culkin turns 30 today, but I still don’t trust him to be left home alone followed by countless blogs relaying the information that Culkin will be spending his birthday “home alone” with some close friends.
In honor of Mac’s birthday, and all of us born in 1980, here’s a quick rundown of the wealth of talent born the year Reagan was elected and Lennon was killed.
January 17 – Zooey Deschanel, American actress
January 18 – Jason Segel, American actor
January 22 – Christopher Masterson, American actor
January 28 – Nick Carter, American pop singer
February 11 – Matthew Lawrence, American actor
February 12 – Christina Ricci, American actress
February 15 – Conor Oberst, American singer/songwriter
February 27 – Chelsea Clinton, First daughter
April 1 – Bijou Phillips, American actress and socialite
June 17 – Venus Williams, American tennis player
June 26 – Jason Schwartzman, American actor
July 10 – Jessica Simpson, American singer
July 20 – Gisele Bündchen, Brazilian supermodel
August 26 – Macaulay Culkin, American actor
September 9 – Michelle Williams, American actress
September 25 – T.I., American rapper
November 12 – Ryan Gosling, Canadian actor
December 18 – Christina Aguilera, American singer
December 19 – Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor
She & Him Rock Out on the Tambourine and Triangle
She & Him at the Bowery last March. (www.brooklynvegan.com) Photos weren't allowed at last night's show.
Last night, the folk/indie band She & Him put on a wonderful, sold out show at Terminal 5. The large, barren room was packed with fans, the room swelteringly hot. But, showing dedication to the band, very few left before the end of the encore.
The opening act, strangely enough, was not musical but comedic – comedian Eugene Mirman, a Brooklyn resident and author of The Will To Whatevs, a humorous guide to modern life (HarperCollins, 2009). His topics ranged from the Tea Party and Obama to a twelve-year-old with Asperger’s to those stupid security questions credit card websites ask you. While the question is generally something along the lines of “What is your mother’s maiden name?” Eugene took the liberty of changing the question to “What are you wearing?” so that he can respond, “I don’t think that’s appropriate!” to whomever is asking on the line. He was well received by the fans.
The room only got more packed and the crowd more eager as the night wore on. When She & Him came on, the room erupted. As effortlessly glowing as she was in 500 Days of Summer, Zooey DesChanel nonchalantly asked how the crowd was doing and jumped into “Change is Hard,” a sleepy, soulful ballad, while the crowd loudly sang along. During her more fast-paced songs, she jumped up and down while playing the tambourine, her long brown hair flailing around her. The show, with Zooey’s twangy voice and retro songs, had a 60’s vibe to it. Zooey, very at ease on stage, did not hesitate to stop a song a few seconds in to change the octave. Lead guitarist M. Ward sang along in a few memorable duets. The two back up singers sang and rocked out on their tambourines, while occasionally playing the triangle, a subtle touch to the alt-country songs.
In addition to girls in dark-rimmed glasses and long boho dresses, I was surprised to see a fair amount of male fans singing along merrily. The burly man behind me sang both the guy and girl parts to “You Really Got a Hold on Me” and got really into the chorus, which goes, “Hold me, hold me, hold me….”
The band played three covers for the encore. Certainly one of the highlights of the show, the band closed with Nina Simone’s “I Put a Spell on You,” featuring just M. Ward on a few vocals and guitar and Zooey on vocals. The song featured her impressive range, as she wailed, “No, I ain’t lyin!!” The memorable show left the fans begging for more.
“It’s A Hit”: Top Actress/Singer Double Threats
It’s the eternal question: Can successful movie stars be equally-as-successful rock stars? Negative, ghost writer. I don’t know about you, but I blame Keanu Reeves. More specifically, I blame Dogstar, Reeves’ musical attempt at alt-rock greatness that was so horrible, it ensured the future ridicule of any actor who dared to dream of musical stardom. Regardless of how good your band is/was, actors-slash-singers would always have the weight of Johnny Utah on their shoulders.
Thankfully, in the past decade, a couple of lovely ladies from the silver-screen have managed to buck tradition by receiving both critical praise and mainstream success from their musical endeavors. Don’t believe me? Then check out the tunage from She & Him (feat. Zooey Deschanel), Rilo Kiley (feat. Jenny Lewis) and Scarlett Johansson (feat. herself and the beauteous voice of my hypothetical-boyfriend Pete Yorn). Dogstar be damned! These gals are proving that, when it comes to actors trying their hand at music, something’s gotta give.
1. ZOOEY DESCHANEL (Band: She & Him / Acting credits: All The Real Girls, Elf, (500) Days Of Summer): Zooey Deschanel is adorable in a basket-full-of-puppies kind of way. Despite how cold your heart is, her illegal levels of cuteness cannot be quelled—or denied. I, too, tried to fight my overwhelming feelings of adoration when I first saw her on the big screen in films like Almost Famous and The Good Girl, but once I heard her sweet coos with She & Him (specifically on songs like “Sentimental Heart” and “Change Is Hard”), I was officially a smitten kitten. Blast you, Zooey, and your obnoxiously catchy Cotton commercials! With a newly released album—Volume Two—and doo wop-influenced ditties like “Get Along Without You Now (Skeeter Davis)” and “In The Sun”, She & Him has truly become the fabric of my life.
2. JENNY LEWIS (Band: Rilo Kiley / Acting credits: Troop Beverly Hills, The Wizard, Foxfire): As a young tyke, did you ever have go-to movies for when you were sick? I totally did. Every time I stayed home from school with a scratchy throat, stomach bug or case of the Mondays, I would make my mom run to the video store to pick up my stock feel-better flick: Troop Beverly Hills. Honestly, I didn’t think much of Jenny Lewis at the time (other than admiring her pastel stirrup pants and gravity-defying side ponytails) but when I discovered the former child actresses’ band Rilo Kiley years later, I would have nothing but fond “Cookie Time” memories of her and the whole Wilderness Girls gang. Thanks to the band’s sunny disposition and breezy melodies (heard on songs like “The Execution Of All Things” and “The Good That Won’t Come Out”), Lewis & Co. was one of the few non-Omaha-based bands to earn a place on the Saddle Creek Records roster, which was no easy feat back in 2002. Yes, Jenny may’ve started her career as an actress, but after six albums—both with Rilo Kiley and as a solo artist—she’s proved that she’s a musician first and foremost.
3. SCARLETT JOHANSSON (Band: Solo album of Leonard Cohen covers & duet album with Pete Yorn / Acting credits: Ghost World, The Nanny Diaries, Iron Man): When I first heard that Scarlett Johansson was going to attempt a music career, I rolled my eyes so hard they almost popped right out of their sockets. I mean, isn’t it enough that she’s the face of Dolce & Gabbana, the wife of Ryan Reynolds and, basically, the most desired girl in Hollywood? Her first vocal foray was an album of mostly Tom Waits covers, which was celebrated by critics but I thought it was a bunch of hooey—mostly because I would rather listen to pebbles in a blender than Tom Waits. That said, when I heard Mrs. Reynolds was going to release a duets album with my beloved Pete Yorn, I was skeptical. In fact, I kind of wanted it to suck. Instead, once I opened my mind—and my ears—I was quickly silenced by how amazing Scarlet sounded on songs like “Relator” and “Clean.” No matter how hard I fought it, it was love at first listen. Homegirl might have dumbest-looking tattoo since Spring Break ’99, but she can serenade me any night of the week!
Wanna read more of my musings? Hoof it over to http://www.leslie-simon.com. Plus, if you’re not following me (@redpatterndress) on Twitter, what are you waiting for? I’m not scared to sic Morpheus on your tush. “Is this real?” Hell to the yeah!
“If You Ever Get Lonely, Just Go To The Record Store And Visit Your Friends”
Our Favor!te Things 2009: Kevin
Considering he saw (500) Days of Summer eight times (at last count), we’re pretty surprised that our marketing head honcho Kevin Callahan actually had time to enjoy other pop culture delights this year. Apparently he did, and apparently these were his favor!tes.
Favor!te Film: (500) Days of Summer. Because “this is not a love story.” Because in the hands of actors less talented than Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel the movie could have taken an entirely different direction, but what they do in it is remarkable. Because I want to live in Tom Hansen’s apartment. Because of this.
Favor!te Concert: Nirvana, Live at Reading. Because very rarely can you be transported back in time and witness something amazing happen.
Favor!te Album: Green Day, 21st Century Breakdown. Because five years ago Rolling Stone wrote “Tell the truth: did anybody think Green Day would still be around in 2004?” and Green Day not only proved their importance then with American Idiot but far-surpassed it in 2009 with 21st Century Breakdown. Because seeing Billie Joe Armstrong in concert is a religous experience. Because What’s the latest way that a man can die / Screaming hallelujah? Because even though Billie Joe has a son in high school, you still believe him when he tells you how mom and dad will never understand.
Favor!te Book: The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, Reif Larsen. Because every now and then you can get completely lost in the mind of a book’s character and forget that he doesn’t actually exist. Because Reif Larsen has created an inventive forms of storytelling. Because the interrior looks like this.
Favor!te Art-type thingy: Hamlet. Because Jude Law made the funny lines actually funny. Because he didn’t over do “To Be or Not to Be.” Because the scene of Polonius’s murder was the best version I’ve ever seen. Because in my opinion Getrude is the toughest role to have and Geraldine James was incredible in it. Because the costumes and set decorations were brilliant in their simplicities. Because it snowed on stage. Because I’m a Hamlet snob so for me to like it as much as I did, it must be good.
Favor!te Fashion: Hoodies. Because a hoodie under a blazer is warmer than a winter coat. Because 2007 was the last time GAP made a decent hoodie. Because 2007′s hoodies are now perfectly worn-in.
Favor!te TV Show: Gossip Girl. Because I lost a little faith after Seaon 2, but Season 3 has more than made up for it.
Favor!te Blog/Website: HTMLGiant. Because it contained the Best Essay of 2009: Blake Butler‘s “James Joyce does not exist.”
Favor!te Real Housewives: Dina Manzo and Caroline Manzo from Real Housewives of New Jersey. Because they are thick as thieves.
Favor!te Twitterer: @God. Because, well, he’s God.
Favor!te You Tube Video: When Pandas Attack. Because this is the video proof that underneath all that fur, pandas are mean fuckers.
Bonus:
What are you most excited about for 2010? Emile Hirsch’s Hamlet may surprise a lot of people. Ed Westwick as Heathcliff and Gemma Arterton as Cathy in a new Wuthering Heights. And I still have high hopes for Shutter Island.
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? Patricia Highsmith. Because “My New Year’s Eve Toast: to all the devils, lusts, passions, greeds, envies, loves, hates, strange desires, enemies ghostly and real, the army of memories, with which I do battle — may they never give me peace.” – Patricia Highsmith, January 1, 1947. 2:30 am.
