Almost Famous Los Angeles

The Transition Between Post-Grad Life Into Adulthood

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:23:00 -0400

The director of The Squid and the Whale and co-writer of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Noah Baumbach, first teamed up with actress Greta Gerwig when she starred in his 2010 film, Greenberg. The two decided to collaborate again on a co-writing project in which 2012’s comedy/drama Frances Ha, directed by Baumbach and starring Gerwig (her first attempt at screenwriting), was born. Filmed in digital and black-and-white to mimic the feel of a Woody Allen film and the cinematography of that of Gordon Willis who worked on Annie Hall along with 1950s and '60s French undertones, watching this movie is like taking is a cool little trip.

What would a magical and enchanting film be without a romantic love story? So surely one can expect to go for an emotional ride when they take their movie seat in front of Frances Ha…but what is unique is that the love story depicted here is one between two best girlfriends, not lovers. Sure, we’ve seen this concept before…many times…but not quite like this. Many other films have romantic love as the main focus with female friendship as a side-story or they have a more superficial display of the love between friends. Not Frances Ha, Baumbach and Gerwig succeed in showcasing the depth and intensity of a purely soul connection between two individuals, something especially rare.

Frances Halliday is a 27-year-old, scattered dance apprentice living from place-to-place in New York City as she figures herself out. The film gives a raw portrayal of a young woman finding balance between the whimsical and child-like nature of her spirit while becoming an adult and pursuing her passions—and all that goes along with it. The film shows how no matter how close you are with someone, at the end of the day, you are the only one who can make things right in your own head, you find your own way when you feel as though everyone else is in full, uniform speed around the track and somehow, you wound up jogging haphazardly down the grassy hill, headed straight for the pond.

Frances is busy thinking about how her next paycheck will come, where she will be sleeping next month, and how to become a real dancer—all within the backdrop of the bond and power of her friendship with Sophie played by Mickey Sumner. The film is brilliantly poetic and sexy. Many critics and reviews are comparing the film to the HBO series Girls. Aside from the two main characters being females in New York City in their mid-to-late 20’s and the fact that Adam Driver who plays “Adam” in Lena Dunham’s hit show and “Lev” in Baumbach’s film, I personally don’t see the correlation. Frances Ha is a deeper look into not settling and pushing for what you desire while learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and finding refuge within yourself.

The soundtrack is eclectic with “Modern Love” by David Bowie and “Every1’s A Winner” by Hot Chocolate making appearances. Gerwig is completely loveable and warm in her acting; her character is fresh and genuine. She does a fabulous job conveying that your true soul mate in this life may not be a romantic lover, but rather your very, very best friend. If you’ve ever felt scattered in the transition from post-grad life into adulthood (laced with some pretty sweet dance moves) and felt the power of the invisible thread that ties you to another person—this is your story. Enjoy.

"Sublime. An enchanting riff on friendship and the late 20-something right of passage into adulthood" Rodrigo Perez, Indiewire

Frances Ha - Official Theatrical Trailer from IFC Films on Vimeo.

Tay Swift Gets a Taste of Her Own Medicine

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:26:29 -0400

Taylor Swift is infamous for writing songs about her past relationships, and although she rarely admits who each song is about, it was obvious that "Dear John" was about her brief relationship with sing-songwriter John Mayer. It wasn't exactly complimentary either, with Swift singing, "Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone / Don't think I was too young to be messed with?"

Mayer wasn't a fan of the lyrics; he declared himself "humiliated," saying, "It made me feel terrible, because I didn't deserve it. I'm pretty good at taking accountability now, and I never did anything to deserve that. It was a really lousy thing for her to do." To make things worse for John, Taylor didn't warn him that she'd written the song, so he was completely blindsided!

Mayer bided his time, and now his new single "Paper Doll" appears to be revenge for "Dear John." He references her single "22," singing, "You're like 22 girls in one." The song also harkens back to "Dear John," referencing the lyric "and regret how I ignored when they said, 'Run as fast as you can,'" with his own, "And none of them know what they're running from." There are several more lyrics that correspond to the original Dear John letter Taylor wrote, making it clear that Mayer hasn't forgotten the original dig!

Listen to "Paper Doll" featured below in the hysterical Prancerise video taking the Internet by storm and decide for yourself!

First Photos From Veronica Mars Movie Set

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:32:00 -0400

Slip on your Mars Investigation shirts, Marshmallows! The Veronica Mars movie, famously the most-backed project in Kickstarter history, with a record-shattering 91,585 donors, has just begun filming, and the cast and creators have the pictures to prove it! The project originally set its goal at $2 million, which would allow creator Rob Thomas to produce the film, but fans came through and donated $5,702,153. The Veronica Mars series ran from 2004 to 2007 and starred Kristen Bell as the titular role. The show helped launch the actress's career, and Bell has never been quiet about her love of the series; she was a huge proponent of getting the film made!

Kristen's busy schedule is part of the reason the movie will be filming over the summer, only a few months after the Kickstarter ended! This is an incredibly fast turnaround by Hollywood standards, when a film sometimes takes months to start filming after its stars are signed on, but half the cast was just announced in the last few weeks, with Tina Majorino and Krystin Ritter only confirmed four days ago!

The success of the Kickstarter has led many to speculate that this may start a trend in filmmaking, and just weeks after the Veronica Mars movie was successfully funded, Zach Braff posted his request for help making his Garden State follow-up, Wish I Was Here.

The film is slated for release in 2014. Check out the slideshow below for the first pictures from the set, and follow @veronicamars on Twitter for more updates.

The Fired Becomes the Firer

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:41:00 -0400

Reports say that more Charlie Sheen-related drama is brewing! The actor, who was famously fired from his gig on Two and a Half Men, is reportedly "at war" with co-star Selma Blair. The rumor is that Selma complained to Anger Management executives that Charlie was a pain to work with. He supposedly doesn't show up on time to set and his work ethic leaves something to be desired. Surprisingly, his notoriously bad temper wasn't mentioned!

Naturally, Charlie found out, and now he's furious, refusing to show up on set unless Selma is fired from the show! He's the star, so his absence would naturally stop production entirely.

Charlie is also reportedly telling friends that HE fired Selma, although perhaps only symbolically, and now he wants to hire Mila Kunis at the rate of $1 million an episode. If hired, Mila would star alongside Sheen in a 10-episode arc. Ironically, Mila is currently dating Ashton Kutcher, who replaced Sheen on Two and a Half Men.

No confirmation whether or not the story is true, but supposedly executive at FX are hoping the drama blows over. It's unlikely that Charlie would be fired this time around, since Anger Management was created specifically for him.

Girl Meets World Gets Picked Up By Disney Channel

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:32:00 -0400

Remember the beloved '90s hit show Boy Meets World? Well Cory and Topanga are all grown up and after months of talk about creating a spinoff show, it’s finally happening! Girl Meets World will be the spinoff to the original show, introducing Cory and Topanga’s daughter, Riley. Disney Channel has announced picking up the show as a series earlier today. Creator of the show Michael Jacobs shared, "I am grateful to everyone at Disney Channel for the opportunity to reach my favorite audience, which has always been kids." He also states that, "Girl Meets World is a new show for a new generation that will be rooted in the same kind of honest, comedic storytelling about coming of age and the importance of family and friendship that made Boy Meets World so popular."

Girl Meets World will begin production this summer in Los Angeles and hopes to premiere in early 2014! Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel (Cory and Topanga in the original series) will be returning as themselves but as parents to Riley, played by Rowan Blanchard. The network revealed that Cory is a history teacher at Riley's middle school (clearly inspired by Mr. Feeny!), while Topanga owns a trendy afterschool hangout that specializes in pudding. And just as Cory had his best pal Shawn, Riley will have her own best pal, Maya played by Sabrina Carpenter.

Disney’s Executive Vice President of Original Programming for Disney Channels Worldwide Adam Bonnett also discussed the series pickup stating, "Boy Meets World and its story of adolescent self discovery resonated with an entire generation of tweens. In the same way audiences fell in love with Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence, we look forward to introducing our viewers to their daughter Riley Matthews in Girl Meets World and building a memorable connection with a whole new generation of fans."

Now I know some of you are too excited for the show to premiere and although many of us original Boy Meets World viewers are a little bit older, we’ve got a feeling that Girl Meets World is going to be a guilty pleasure for all ages!

Channing Tatum & Jenna Dewan Reveal First Baby Picture

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:00:40 -0400

A little over two weeks ago celebrity couple Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum welcomed their new baby girl into the world. On Sunday, the excited father couldn’t wait to share his excitement of celebrating his first Father’s Day with his baby girl. Rather than selling the first photos of their child Channing, 33, and wife Jenna, 32, went to his Facebook to reveal the first photo of their baby! The couple who both starred in the movie Step Up, wed in 2009 and welcomed their daughter on May 31st in London! The name of the baby was released by the actor himself on his website writing,

“Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Channing Tatum are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Everly Tatum, who was born on May 31st in London. Sending love and light to Chan, Jenna and Ms. Everly!”

Well it’s obvious that Channing is a very proud father and husband to the main ladies in his life. When releasing the intimate first picture of Everly on his Facebook page the caption read, “First Father’s Day with my girls!” The photo displays the proud father adoringly holding his sleeping newborn in his arm, while the wife and new mom is right by their side. Everly who is just 16 days old is dressed in the cutest white dress, and although she's still a little tot it's clear that she has inherited both of her parent's great looks! Jenna who has looked amazing throughout the whole pregnancy, is already looking quite slimmer, similar to her pre-pregnancy figure, and like Channing, is super excited about parenthood!

Congratulations to the beautiful family!

Kim Kardashian & Kanye West Have a Baby Girl!

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:21:00 -0400

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are officially parents! Yes, you read that right! On Satruday, June 15th, Kim Kardashian gave birth to their daughter at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood, California confirmed by E! News. We can definitely say this baby girl is her parents’ child, making a dramatic entrance into the world five weeks earlier than expected! And also just in time for Father’s Day and the drop of Kanye’s sixth album Yeezus!

West, 36, was right alongside his girl through it all. Although it isn’t exactly clear if Yeezy was in Los Angeles prior to Kim giving birth, he may have gotten a heads up since the rapper didn't attend his Yeezus listening party last night! Kim reportedly had a natural birth and both her and the baby are doing great. There still has been no confirmation on the baby girl’s name, weight or delivery details, but we’re sure that information will somehow leak out!

The reality star’s boyfriend announced to the world that the two are expecting at his Atlantic City concert, and since then Kim has been no stranger to making headlines for her growing motherly figure and her choice of outfits while being preggo. But now that one of, if not the most anticipated celebrity baby has been born, WE WANT PICTURES! Does she look like Kim? Does she look like ‘Ye? Maybe she looks like ex-husband Kris? Just Kidding!

Grandmother Kris Jenner shared with the Daytime Emmy Awards that although she can’t give too much information the newborn is “beautiful.” Wouldn’t be surprised if what Kris says is indeed true, Kim and Kanye’s seed is bound to be a beauty, but until we get some real pics, we’ll settle with the Kardashian clans’ tweets and and interviews on baby Yeezus!

Congrats KimYe!

Seth Rogen Admits He's Made Some Bad Movies

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:57:54 -0400

Seth Rogen was interviewed on the podcast Doug Loves Movies to promote his new comedy This Is the End, which he wrote and directed. However, he wasn't as excited with his other projects where he had less to do with the creative process. When host Doug Benson asked about some of his recent box-office failures, Rogen wasn't shy about admitting he's made some duds, citing The Green Hornet and The Guilt Trip.

In This Is the End, Rogen and his real-life pals including James Franco and Jonah Hill, all play themselves. When the apocalypse occurs, the movie stars need to try and survive without the help of their personal assistants. In one scene, one of the guys makes a joke about Rogen's poor acting skills in The Green Hornet, so Doug asks why they singled out that movie in particular. Rogen responded, "It was like a perfect storm of bad sh*t happening. We shouldn't make expensive movies where we can't just do like a million d*ck jokes." Doug went on to ask, "Would you enjoy it if someone wanted to make a Green Hornet 2? Would you like to take another stab at it?" "No, that'd be a nightmare," Rogan remarked.

In another scene in This Is the End, one of Rogen's friends accused him of being a sellout. While it's not mentioned by name in the film, his co-starring role with Barbara Streisand in The Guilt Trip comes to mind. Doug mentions that, "I saw Guilt Trip on a flight." Rogen responds with a joke, "There you go. That's how that movie was made to be watched. We shot that movie in the format that plays on airplanes only." He added, "They were like talk loud because the engine will be roaring. You've got to talk over the engine; there's announcements early on in the flight. You've got to take that into consideration."

It's rare for a big movie star to be so candid when it comes to talking about their own flops, so Rogen's comments are refreshing. This Is the End, which looks more in line with his better films like Superbad and Pineapple Express, is currently playing in theaters.

Amanda Bynes Offered a Record Deal!

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:12:00 -0400

It looks like former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes is finally going to make her dream of going from actress to rapper come true. The retired actress was offered a record deal with a small East Coast hip-hop label to release her first album!

The record label of interest? Chinga Chang Records, a small New York-based group that was founded in 2003. Music Producer Daniel Herman shared with RadarOnline that he had proposed a record deal offer to Ms. Bynes. Daniel states, “I cleared the project with The Orchard and Sony Entertainment and they gave me the green light to go ahead.” He then reached out to the aspiring rapper’s attorneys out in Los Angeles to get the contract signed. If you follow Amanda on Twitter you know when she’s not busy bashing other celebrities she’s tweeting about her desire of becoming a hip-hop star!

In a phone call with Huffington Post, Daniel goes more in depth sharing why he’s interested on signing the bizzare star to the label. Daniel continued on to explain his pending business deal with Amanda stating that “right now you have a Nickelodeon pop star masquerading as a gangster rapper. So I see someone like Amanda Bynes and I know she has talent. I grew up with Nick and the orange couch. I know she has talent. I've heard her sing when she was younger. I wanna get her in the cutting room in NYC and see what she has. Why the hell not?"

The music producer also declares, “If you look at her actions and attitude she represents hip-hop a lot better than Drake. Musically, this girl carries herself. She is hip-hop...She is not crazy, she is not on drugs. She's just hip-hop! She's a great talent who is going to make some great records with some classic producers.”

Better than Drake? We know the Easy A actress has PLENTY of feelings toward Drake, good and bad, depending on her mood that day. So it looks that Daniel Herman is saying all the right things to get our budding hip-hop star on board. Although there has yet to be a confirmation that Amanda has signed a contract, we wouldn’t be surprised to see her a part of the Chinga Chang Crew!

Robert Pattinson is the New Face of Dior Homme

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:45:31 -0400

It looks like our favorite Twilight star (#TeamEdward) Robert Pattinson can finally put away the white powder and say bye bye to his vampire days, because our boy is the newest face of Dior Homme! Confirmed by Dior Homme Fragrances themselves the 27-year old actor has signed a contract to represent the fashion houses’ campaign. Photographed by Nan Goldin and filmed by Romain Gavras, Robert is the newest addition to the exclusive circle of celebrity ambassadors for Dior Fragrances, which include Charlize Theron and Natalie Portman.

The speculation of Pattinson staring in a Dior campaign started back in 2012, when it was reported that he had signed a three year deal worth approximately $12 million dollars but the brand refused to release any information regarding the pending partnership and denied the rumors. One year later, we’re glad to see those ‘rumors’ are in fact true!

Dior Homme’s reps released a statement “Today we are excited to announce that [Rob] will join the privileged circle of Dior faces. Photographed by American artist Nan Goldin and filmed by French director Romain Gavras, this new Dior Homme communication campaign is currently broadcast exclusively in Europe (except UK) and Asia (except China and Japan)." So although the Twilight movies are over, we definitely have more to expect from Robert!