So in true urban line form, hubby got to the AMC Empire 25 Times Square Theater around 4pm and was about 20th in line. By the time I arrived at 4:30pm, the line was moved from next to the building to next to the street, and there were thirty people in front of us. Now, that's fine as hubby waited for me, but what wasn't fine was that, in the end, standing in line didn't matter. It was all about the power play of the AMC security team.
Around 4:45pm a man in a black suit with dark sunglasses (I kid you not) came out to tell us that they would be taking our passes and giving us bracelets. Then someone else came out and wrote numbers on our bracelets, telling us that this would let them know what order we came in, since they would not allow people to save places in line after 5pm.
When they let us into the theater lobby around 5:30pm, the men in black inside the theater told us we couldn't come in yet, which led to crowding and more anger as they called each other and finally let us up, to yet another line. But this where they split us into two groups — those with cell phones and those without. And then started to admit people regardless of when they arrived and what number was on their bracelets. Hubby and I were ready to go all Bruce Banner on them, especially after we checked our phones, were wanded, went into the theater only to discover that not only were two prime rows marked "reserved" despite the 'first come, first seated' policy clearly stated on the pass, but that once inside people could save seats, even though we could not save a spot on line.
Now, luckily The Avengers is so much fun and so awesome to watch that once the movie started we were swept in, amazed, and amused enough to have a great time. The effects are phenomenal, the banter between characters witty, and the story simple enough to easily follow without being stupid. So why do they have to make the preview experience so hateful? We actually cut out before the final scene in order to avoid yet another long line to pick up the BlackBerries, and the men in black almost made us wait for everyone else to leave since they clearly did not approve of our early departure.
I understand security, and I understand the importance of maintaining copyright on a very expensive film, but I have some ideas for how AMC can improve the preview process:
Thank you!
]]> customfield_google_news_genreCurtis, can you talk about what surprised you most about how some chefs worked without certain ingredients and how they were able to adapt?
Curtis Stone: When I’m asked to develop recipes, which we do on a daily basis, it’s almost so much easier for us when someone says, "We want you to do a recipe with sea bass." Straight away your mind goes to sea bass and you start playing. And then we put some other parameters around that, whether it’s springtime [for example], so there are the other ingredients you can use.
And I actually found it really interesting watching the contestants be told sometimes they got this exceptional ingredient which made it much more obvious for them in terms of their thinking. And other times they were told they couldn’t use an ingredient. I think in really obvious stuff, like in London the contestant that didn’t win the exceptional ingredient couldn’t use potatoes in their recipe. So then, of course, that makes cooking fish and chips and steak and kidney pie with mash pretty difficult.
Cat, since all the chefs come with different degrees of experience what was the biggest challenge for them in adapting to various cultures?
Cat Cora: Well, because they did come with such a varied range of skills I think it was really trying to figure out who was going to lead, what the strategy was going to be and multitasking. But also there was a language barrier in a lot of countries. There were a few who could speak multiple languages and there were many who couldn’t. So those were definitely some roadblocks that they ran into.
But I think some of the street smart chefs had some of the skills to get through the cities a little quicker, so you could tell the difference between some of the chefs who were trained in the school of hard knocks and had more street smarts when it came to some of the tasks. Like I was saying, getting through the cities versus some of the more formally trained chefs. And I think really it came down to strategy. We had a guy (Nookie) who's a chef for the Red Sox. So, this guy is from, the streets and he definitely was able to maneuver a lot. And we had several contestants like that. So that was really interesting to see and watch, throughout the show.
What was your favorite destination on the trip?
Cat Cora : That’s a hard one. I’m in love with the Thai people and the Thai food and Thailand and I’ve said that over and over, although Morocco was pretty amazing as well.
Curtis Stone: I loved Buenos Aires as well just for the culture and the beauty and it was a real eye opener for me, Buenos Aires and the way they cook. They cook on these grills called parillas and then they cook Asador style which is like these guys that have been cooking on these grill pits for their entire life and they’re just so skilled. It was really special.
If you could be eating anything anywhere in the world right now what would it be?
Cat Cora: Oh, I know — right now I’d love to be sitting on a Greek island somewhere, because of being Greek American, and eating a great octopus salad - a grilled octopus salad and some fantastic lamb. And sipping a little Ouzo.
Curtis Stone: I don’t know — I’d go back to Bologna in a heartbeat, Cat, and eat that truffle salad that we had late night at that place. That little trattoria with the poached egg and the white truffles.
Was there a place you’d like to see on the show that you didn’t get the chance?
Curtis Stone: Well I really want to go to Japan. It’s the one place that I’ve never been to and they just have such a rich food culture. And I had my fingers crossed for it. You know, as you can imagine, there’s just so many great culinary destinations throughout the world and there’s so much diversity. And whether it’s Eastern Europe or Western Europe or, the Middle East or Africa, you name it and it’s just - it’s exciting. But Japan’s one place that I’d just love to see.
Cat Cora: I’m with you on that. I think that would be amazing. Yeah.
So as hosts did you get to taste the dishes that the chefs prepared or was that a job left to the judges?
Curtis Stone: Hell yeah.
Cat Cora: Oh yeah. We ate.
Curtis Stone: I wouldn’t have signed up for it if they didn’t let us eat it.
Cat Cora: Oh yeah. We tasted everything. Nothing slipped past us.
Do you have any favorite ethnic cuisines that are healthy and what’s your opinion on the healthiest ethnic cuisines and do you have any favorite dishes from those?
Cat Cora: Yeah. For me growing up, as a Greek American, I think the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest that you could possibly have, with the fresh, fresh produce, lots of nuts, vegetables, fruits, fresh fish, lean meats, things like that, yogurt. Lots of really great olive oils, I mean artichokes, things like that, olives, things that we grew up with. To me that’s an extremely wonderful diet and cuisine and very healthy. So I definitely look at the Mediterranean diet, especially along the coastal areas of the Mediterranean, where there’s lots of fresh fish, a lot of sun foods, things like tomatoes, eggplants, lots of those types of vegetables growing and fruits that are very healthy.
Curtis Stone: All of that's sort
of fun and interesting how people depict healthy. And I think the more fresh, naturally grown ingredients the better and that sort of constitutes health for me. And
when you look at what they cook with in Southeast Asia, we’re talking about Thailand so let’s choose that. They use all
sorts of fruits and vegetables and nuts and seeds and fish and different proteins. So those
green papaya salads and the curries are so good for you. I love that green papaya
salads are just fantastic and we ate some beautiful ones while were in Thailand.
I love those red curries and green curries that they make. You hear those mortar and pestles. You walk through the streets in Thailand and you hear those mortar and pestles like a daily ritual. You know, there’s the clunking of the ginger and ylang-ylang and chili peppers and all of those delicious spices that they grind up. And then they incorporate that through both their stir fries and all their curries and a little bit of light coconut milk. And the curries feel very light in Thailand. So those jungle curries are great with a spicy peppercorn. It’s so good.
Do you have any strategies or tips for people who are traveling and wanting to explore new dishes and try new foods?
Curtis Stone: I think a really good place to start is a local market because you can wander around the market and get a feel for the culture. You get to read a lot of - you see a lot of ingredients with the names of the ingredients just above it, with the price so then you can sort of associate - especially if you don’t speak the language you can associate certain ingredients. You’re like, okay, tomatoes, I know that and I’d be able to look out for that when I’m in a restaurant. And also to speak to some of those street vendors and ask them where their favorite places to eat are. You know, you start off with some street food and then find out what the locals think. That’s always the best way to go.
Cat Cora: Yeah. I’d have to agree. I always talk to the locals, whether it’s a local driver or a guide. I tend to stay away from the hotel concierge; that's kind of my last choice especially in a lot of foreign countries just because they tend to send tourists to tourist destinations. So it’s really talking to people on the street, it’s really, where I go first. And I agree with Curtis. It’s just looking around and seeing; if you keep seeing something over and over and it’s familiar, that seems like it’s typical local food.
The show is a competition. But have you guys witnessed a lot of the drama going on between the chefs or was it pretty nice?
Cat Cora: Oh no.
Curtis Stone: It was pretty much a love/hate relationship right there.
Cat Cora: Oh yeah, definitely, from the very beginning down to the first elimination. These chefs wanted to be in a competition. You know, they were chosen. They wanted to move on. And they absolutely were going to fight for that role and that position. And obviously it gets a little more tense as it goes along - or a lot more tense I should say. So yeah, we definitely witnessed some strategy.
So without revealing too much can you tell me which country may have presented the biggest challenge to both the contestants and you guys?
Curtis Stone: Strangely I think London presented the really big challenge.
Cat Cora: I think London was really a big challenge for them. I think as they’re trying to find their footing, and the food in England and particularly the gastro pubs and this new style of food that’s happening in London, it’s a little bit new to us, it was challenging for them. And the different ingredients.
Curtis Stone: But then, I think back to Morocco, Cat, when the guys were in Marrakesh and they were trying to run through the market and there were the monkeys. And snakes. And people hitting them.
Curtis, you’ve done so many things, including Take Home Chef, Celebrity Apprentice, Top Chef Masters — how does the experience of Around the World in 80 Plates compare to that?
Curtis Stone: It’s really hard to stack another show up next to it. You know, when I was very young I got my first opportunity in television with a show called Surfing the Menu and it was myself and another guy; we traveled around Australia and we surfed and cooked and drank too much wine. And we had a lot of fun. And I’d always dreamt about getting another show that was a little bit similar to that. And, when this show raised its head I was of course super excited about it because it was travel and the incredible experiences that you get to see and face.And then when they announced Cat as the co-host of it I was just blown away because she’s just like me, an absolute foodie and, we share a lot of common interests. And it was just the dream job. I can’t explain it in any other way.
You know, we literally went to ten different countries and ate some unbelievable food. And I wasn’t joking when I said Cat and I were riding elephants in Thailand. You know, we’d get a little bit of time off here and there and we’d run around in adventure like two little kids. It was so much fun.
Around the World in 80 Plates premieres Wednesday, May 9.
]]>The Morton Report is thrilled to have found the compelling, haunting, and highly addictive Thirstbusters and even more excited to share the EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE of "Can't Fight the Feeling" from their upcoming album, Caught Between, releasing early next year. Their sound, described as melodic, jazz-infused pop, evokes Coldplay and Dave Matthews Band and has a richness and depth despite the band's youth (all of the band's members are currently seniors in college). We are gifting another holiday treasure with the release of their rendition of "Deck the Halls," from the upcoming TNT movie ironically titled Deck The Halls.
Download these little Cyber Monday gifts here (they are zipped MP3 files, and virus-free!) and listen while you keep reading. Then promptly send them to a friend and spread the holiday spirit!
Click to download "Can't Fight the Feeling"
Click to download "Deck the Halls"
So why should you read about a foursome of college kids who grew up in Berkeley, CA and started a band? It's simple — their music is extraordinary, their talent inherent, and their unique understanding that making it big in the music industry comes with the responsibility of education, hard work, and collaboration with truly trusted partners is impressive. It's a brotherhood of the new economy built around a business of old and these kids are doing what it takes to make it work. Thirstbusters really has a darn good shot.
I connected with Chase Jackson (bass guitar, guitar), Forrest Mitchell (drums), Zach Sorgen (lead vocal, keys) and Ryan Thomas (lead guitar) last week (and by connected, I mean I exchanged emails, tweets, and Facebook updates because Ryan and Forrest are at UCLA, Chase is at Oberlin, and Zach is at Vassar). Here is what I learned about these four very distinct personalities who make some pretty sweet music together.
When did you first start playing or making music?
Chase Jackson: I’ve been banging on stuff for as long as I can remember. I got started playing music at informal jazz jam sessions at a family friend’s house. I fell in love with an instrument called the vibraphone around age nine.
Zach Sorgen: I started piano lessons at the age of seven and wrote my first song around the age of ten. I then joined the middle school jazz band, singing and playing trumpet and the baritone horn.
Ryan Thomas: I first started playing guitar when I was around ten years old. My dad had an old Fender that he never played. One day I was home sick from school and put on one of my dad’s Jimi Hendrix records and just started playing along to it.
Forrest Mitchell: Well, I guess I first played the drums when I was still in arms, but officially, I started playing music seriously in the fifth grade. My dad introduced me to the drums and then I began to play in the Prospect Sierra jazz band.
What song do you remember from your childhood?
Ryan: "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor. My dad listened to it all the time. Really showed me how great just a guitar and voice can be.
Zach: “Back at One” by Brian McKnight (among MANY others).
Chase: I grew up listening to the Beatles almost religiously. By the time I was six, I probably knew every lyric from every song, I’m pretty sure. “Ticket to Ride” was a favorite.
Forrest: I remember dancing with my cousin to the song, “Will You Be There,” off of Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album.
First concert?
Ryan: My first concert was seeing Peter Frampton. It was probably one of the best concerts I have ever seen. I remember such soulful guitar playing and great songwriting. His whole band was so tight musically. I remember not being able to sleep that night because I was so enamored with the guitar. I had to learn how to do what he was doing!
The connection with the audience was beautiful. People were singing along, crying, laughing... this is what it’s all about. Having people be moved through music.
Why this band, why now? We can tell you guys are just about to break — why do you think that is?
Zach: Chase, Forrest, and I have known each other since elementary school! And I started writing pop songs with Ryan pretty much as soon as we met. So these guys are my homeboys. But not only do I love them as friends, I really respect them as musicians. There are so many things I want to learn from them. Sometimes I wonder how many hours Ryan must have spent in his room practicing before he could play that sexy guitar lick. Since we’re all studying music in school and were trained in jazz, we can talk about harmony and rhythm in a way we all relate to. We try to listen to and bounce off each other, really interacting and playing together.
I love Vassar and am learning a lot, but there’s nothing like coming home to Thirstbusters. I can’t wait to share some new song sparks and see where we can take it together.
Is Thirstbusters your hobby or your job? Why?
Chase: This band is truly much more than a hobby. Both individually and collectively, we put a tremendous amount of time and effort into making our music the best that it can be. Being spread across the country for the majority of the year (sometimes even across the globe!), our time together is incredibly precious. When we’re all home during summer and short windows of winter break, we treat the band like a business. We see the creative work that we accomplish as a team as directly influential to our careers as professional musicians. This has taken some explaining to family and friends, especially given our habit of early morning rehearsals and late night songwriting sessions; however, we are well aware that hard work pays off, and that making music is truly a labor of love.
What inspiration do you draw from when creating and performing? Who or what inspires you?
Forrest: I think all of the members of Thirstbusters have an edge on many others. I have inspirations from all sorts of music. My personal playing is greatly influenced by Dave Weckl, Billy Cobham, Carter Beauford, Lenny White, Dennis Chambers, Tony Royster Jr., Brian Blade, and Eric Harland.
My vision of what our music should sound like stems from Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Prince, Maroon 5 (although less so now if they continue on this “Moves Like Jagger” train). I like real musicianship and talent to show through. I’m so tired of all the modern canned artists that major labels continue to shove down our throats. I want to see real talent and creativity take control of the music scene again!
Girlfriends? Groupies? Let's get a little personal.
Chase: We’re all taken at the moment, sorry, ladies! We do have some die-hard fans in the bay area though. Also we seem to get a lot of Facebook friend requests from people worldwide whom never met.
What is it like to move an audience with music?
Chase: Being on stage and knowing that you have the ability to influence the mood and emotions of an audience is not only a powerful feeling, but a very exhilarating one too. In performing each song, I feel that I take on a different character to embody the sentiment of the music. When you combine the feeling of the lyrics and groove with the energy and enthusiasm of an audience, the atmosphere is magical.
Ryan: I love the audience connection. It’s therapeutic for everyone involved. When writing songs it really gets out emotions that cannot be expressed in other ways. I want people to relate to our music. I want people to come up to me and say, “Your song changed my life.” That makes it all worth it. The connection between artist and audience cannot really be described. It’s just too magical.
These four guys are absolutely that — magical. Thirstbusters perches on the clear edge of opportunity and it's obvious they have all trained, studied, and prepared enough to justify success. What makes a band rise from college kids to rock stars? I'm not certain, but I can't fight the feeling you'll be hearing and seeing a lot more of Thirstbusters.
Want to see them live? Their next show is in San Francisco on January 6 at the Brick and Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA.
Find 'em on Facebook and check out more of their performances and music on Cambio.
]]>How Does The Layover Differ From No Reservations?
No Reservations is all about me, me, me and me having fun and me satisfying my curiosity about the world and less about whether or not anybody of the audience will actually be able to replicate the experience. So with this show, well, we're actually trying to be useful. We've unmasked a lot of information about places around the world over the course of eight years.
We've gotten pretty good about cutting right to the heart of the matter. You know, particularly local, unique to that location places that we've come to know and like or that in some way personally connected to or clued into over the course of many years making television and all of them in locations where you -- where a traveler might reasonably expected to find themselves hopefully at some point in their life.
It's been said that you came up with the idea for the show while you were out drinking with the crew one night. Was it while you were filming No Reservations?
Yes, it was -- you know, it would be more likely a procession. The idea came together slowly over time in a series of post -- you know, we'd finish the day shooting and we'd be sitting in some cocktail, terrible cocktail lounge in a hotel somewhere, getting our night cap before we'd stagger off to our rooms at which point we tend to sort throw ideas around. I mean, it's where we make a lot of our major decisions, a lot of our creative decisions as well on the show.
When you travel as a civilian do you deliberately plan layovers, so that you can have little side adventures like this?
I have, not often. But every once in a while I have. I mean, if I'm doing a speaking engagement in Australia, as has happened, or like a writer's festival or food and wine festival, I would stop off scheduling myself a couple days, a two-day layover in Singapore would be something I've done before. I see friends, catch up with friends and get some good food. I hate the thought of just, changing planes in Hong Kong and at least not running into town and grabbing some roast goose or something.
When it comes to No Reservations and The Layover, is there a difference in the challenges of putting together a show about an American city versus a particularly remote city?
To do The Layover, yes, it's a challenge because you're looking to do, an informative show without -- trying to avoid the usual suspects. So, yes, it's hard, particularly in LA. You know, so Korea town was a major focus, food trucks and as you know, there's nothing -- the difference between L.A. and so many places around the other major cities is it's not European at all. The heart and soul and spine of L.A. is not Europe, you know, which is a big difference from a lot of the other cities. And I guess I missed that. I hope that this show is a success in that I actually learn something.
Do you think it's ever a challenge to make foreign and really remote cities accessible to an American audience?
You know, I don't really care. I think with Layover, these are places that any international traveler wouldn’t be likely to find themselves. But, you know, the challenge is making like Saudi Arabia or Liberia more accessible in the sense. And I think the way you do that is you sit people down at a table or you show people sitting down at a table and you relate in some way the way that I do. I mean, we spend -- it takes us four hours to do a five-minute meal scene for No Reservations. That's the end result of a lot of time spent getting to know the family, playing with the kids, petting the dog and drinking the local moonshine.
It’s that kind of thing, bringing people into the, you know, the human dimension but relating to people over food, being open to the experience on camera that maybe, I hope, allows those places, those off the road place and cultures to be at least more emotionally accessible and understandable to American viewers who might not ever see themselves going to those places. At least I hope so.
Where do you write when you're on the road, and what is your process like?
I'm a yellow legal pad kind of guy. I'll write very, very quickly on yellow legal and it depends what. If I'm writing a book I'll take notes on the road and then do the actual writing when I'm home and I'll try to set aside some time at home. Voiceovers for the show, scripts for Treme, stuff like that I'll do on my laptop, while I'm on the playing train, backup car, hotel, you know, wherever.
In what ways has travel made you a better chef?
It hasn't. I mean, the short answer is it hasn't at all. I mean, it's taken me out of the kitchen and maybe it's made me -- I don't know. In some ways I maybe am a little more -- I mean, I think anytime you're able to see how other people live around the world, I like to think it makes you more compassionate and tolerant person, maybe. You know, maybe I'm a little tiny bit smarter, a little bit more optimistic actually about my fellow man. But as a cook, if anything, it's taken me away from cooking.
Perhaps the only way that I could, that if it's changed my cooking in a useful way it is seeing how much people make with very little around the world and how well -- how delicious so many cultures could make, you know, food that you wouldn't think of as being delicious again and again and again and seeing how hard people work for food and how generous they are even when they have careful about the respect with which I treat it.
Is there anything you miss about being in a restaurant kitchen on a regular basis?
I miss the first beer after being in the restaurant kitchen, that sense of triumph and camaraderie of having survived another busy night, the sense of certainty, the sense of closeness to the people you work with, of being part of this sort of cult. I miss that. But I mean, I had 28 years of it. Do I miss -- I don’t miss standing on my feet for 16 hours, not at my age. I would never open arestaurant. If I've learned anything in 28 years of being in the restaurant business it's that I never want to own a restaurant. That's, you know, that's a marriage.
Please name your top 3 airport bars in the world.
Top three airport bars, gosh. I'll give you some, you know, top three airports but, I mean, the bars, the last place I want to be drinking is an airport. I like Narita in Tokyo, Changi in Singapore and Frankfurt’s not bad.
Can you discuss any of the places you visited in the New York episode of The Layover?
Sure. You know, a sort of, I don't know, a really special place, quirky, special places to me that, you know, you haven't seen or may not have seen in the other travel shows but that are places that you can actually go that they're, you know, they're reproducible experiences that you, yourself could do. I mean, I'm passionate about the Bemelman’s Bar at the Carlisle Hotel because it's just something I think a lot of people who visit New York haven't seen and yet so many of us grew up at the Madeline Books. As a dad I feel, you know, this is something that particularly new parents would think is really cool, especially somebody who's read that book aloud to their kid. And then some sort of quirky restaurant favorites that are for the most part really affordable but a little bit off the beaten track and, again, kind of unique to New York.
Do you have a preference to writing or filming TV shows?
Hard to say. They're just so linked at this point. I mean, making the television shows, seeing allof these places gives me things to write about. So, I'm always writing in my head, so it's really hard to separate out. You know, it's all part of, a big, happy mess at this point.
What do think your die hard fans are going to think of this new show?
I don't know. It fills me with terror thinking about -- I have absolutely no idea. I learned a long time ago that it's really bad for me to think about how -- whether it's a book or a TV show, whatever I do, if I think about what people will think, what they might be expecting, that's not good for me. I just think all I can do is go out there and do the best job that I can, follow my instincts and hope for the best.
How is the experience of filming The Layover different from filming No Reservations?
To be absolutely honest, it's a lot harder. It's a lot harder. It's tough. On the entire crew. I mean, these guys were running backwards in just withering, withering 110 degree heat, 100% humidity in Singapore and Hong Kong, running backwards all day, holding cameras, almost no down time, you know, three, four, sometimes five meals a day, as opposed to maybe two on No Reservations, a much more reasonable, spread out, less compressed schedule. So it's tough and since I’m shooting them, often shooting them back toback, it's -- it was, it's a new gig for us. Plus, we were -- you know, we were learning as we went. So, yes, it was much harder this time around.
Is the crew as adventurous in their eating as your are?
Everybody on the crew more or less eats and is open to eating what I eat. And over time they've become -- well, you don't work on this show year after year and -- if you've got a fussy pallet. In fact, maybe the more enjoyable things about making these shows is that, we get to hang out after and maybe, have a casual meal together. And, yes, they are as adventurous as I am in their tastes.
When you're on the road, is it just plain fun for you?
It is still fun. It's still fun. It's still exciting. The minute it stops being fun I will stop doing it.
The Layover premiers on Monday, November 21st on Travel Channel at 9:00 pm
]]>Monday, October 3
House at 9 pm on Fox
Season eight premieres with House in the slammer noticing a fellow inmate’s strange symptoms.
Tuesday, October 4
Onion News Network at 10 pm on IFC
The most terrifying news is back for another season. An asteroid heads to earth and more amusing send-ups.
Ken Burns chooses great material for his docs, so if you get beyond the pedantic perspective, this is a fascinating, informative chronicle of a wild time in US history. Take away the juice and things get flapping in this third part, “A Nation of Hypocrites.” The second part aired last night.
The Travel Channel rolls out its new season:
Made in America at 8 pm - from Cadillac to Laz-Z-Boy, Sub Zero to Crayola.
Mysteries at the Museum at 9 pm - weird repositories and cabinets of curiosities
Off Limits at 10 pm - hidden and forbidden locations
Other premieres include Viking Wilderness for Scandinavian animals on Animal Planet, Mad Fashion and Fashion Hunters on Bravo and Chopped on Food Network - all with self-explanatory titles. And Zooey Deschanel’s silly New Girl plays on Fox.
Wednesday, October 5
American Horror Story at 10 pm on FX
From the folks who gave us equally creepy show, Nip/Tuck, these eerie episodes star Dylan McDermott as a shrink in a house haunted by demons not of his unconscious or are they? Also features Jessica Lange.
George Harrison: Living in the Material World at 9 pm on HBO
Martin Scorsese delves into the life of musician George Harrison, weaving together interviews, concert footage, home movies and photographs. To be repeated several times this week. It premiered Wednesday night.
Vidal Sassoon: The Movie at 7:30 pm on Showtime
Doc about British hairdresser whose distinctive sculpted styles created a hair sensation.
Friday, October 7
The Ghost Writer at 8 pm on Showtime’s Showcase
Roman Polanski’s thriller about a former British PM who uncovers secrets in a memoir that jeopardize his life. Stars Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan.
Top Secret Recipe at 9 pm on CMT
Wanna know the Kentucky Colonel’s herbs and spices? An iconic American recipe is recreated by food hacker/author Todd Wilbur. A blind taste test determines if he nailed it.
Say Yes to the Dress 9 pm on TLC
A favorite guilty pleasure for many closeted brides, the seventh season premiere goes inside Kleinfeld Bridal, the famed Manhattan salon and beyond the wedding jitters.
Saturday, October 8
Austin City Limits at 8 pm on PBS
Raphael Saadiq performs songs from ``Stone Rollin'' (remember Tony Toni Tone?). This guy’s music is genre-transcendent. Also, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears.
Sunday, October 9
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 on 8 pm on HBO
The end is near the penultimate film in the epic series about the boy wizard. Daniel Radcliffe and pals stir up magic from J.K. Rowling's finale book.
Breaking Bad finale at 10 pm on AMC
Need I say more?
]]>In a recent interview, Lagasse dished with reporters about everything from his new series, to his "healthy" relationship with boss Martha Stewart, his role on the upcoming season of Top Chef, and what else he's got cooking.
Here's what Chef Emeril had to say....
On the importance of the family table:
I know personally with writing and producing Emeril’s Table, the “table” part of it was really sharing food and memories and different experiences with this table, with these five folks. Whether it’s at a restaurant or on television or how I’m writing books these days, it’s all about encouraging that family table.
I think that we’ve all become very busy, particularly Monday through Thursday, as families. I think we have to rethink the food plan and have a food plan so that by the end of the day we’re not ending up in some concrete parking lot trying to order from the window.
The family table in my house is very, very important. As a matter of fact my kids have a joke that when we get up in the morning I usually ask them what they want for dinner or what we’re having for dinner before I even ask them what’s for breakfast.
On the difference between his other hit shows and Emeril’s Table:
This show is really back to serious cooking, but it is fun because with the audience, five people, the ranges of life bring a lot of realism to the show and to the programming. And I think what you'll see is real food cooked in real time. We really cook most things every day in real time to show that realism not only to the five people there, but hopefully to the folks at home.
I've been doing this for a little while, I've done a lot of television, I've shot a lot of shows. I've got to tell you, I'm super, super proud of Emeril's Table. It's going to be an awesome show.
On having Martha Stewart as a boss:
Martha and I have a very, very healthy relationship personally and work-wise as well in the environment.
I think the thing that really stands out that makes it a great partnership is that Martha is Martha and Emeril’s Emeril; and Emeril’s not trying to be Martha or Martha’s not trying to be Emeril. We run two very separate entities and have two very different styles. Sometimes they’re on the same page and sometimes they vary, but the relationship is healthy.
On the most memorable dinner guests who’ve sat at his table:
One immediately comes to mind and that would be Julia Child. I have a very strong tie, love, almost addiction to music and so there have been a lot of music people who have come into my life because of food and some of them have just been really incredible. Billy Joel is an example, a true lover of food, a great cook. Sammy Hagar is another one; a terrific palate, has a garden, cooks most of the meals for his family and I could go on and on and on. I’ve had professional experiences where I’ve had colleagues, I’ve had mentors that have come I and I’ve cooked for so those were always not only a challenge, but also quite memorable as well.
On his upcoming stint on Top Chef:
I’m involved with pretty much the entire show. I can’t really give you any details of [it] yet, but I’m in ten of the 13 episodes and the finale, so I’ve been very involved with Padma [Lakshmi] and Tom [Colicchio] this season. Gail has sort of branched out a little bit for Top Chef [Just] Desserts although she’s still involved with the show. But I was also there as a great support system for all three of them.
On what else he’s got cooking, his newest book, Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders (available September 27):
As a cook and talking with cooks and being around cooks, I’ve kind of come up with the six cooking vessels that people love to cook with: a skillet, a casserole, a crock pot, a wok, a pot, etc., and basically all of the recipes are in those six categories of those six different cooking vessels.
Pull up a chair at Emeril’s Table, weekdays, starting Monday, September 26 at 11am/10 central on the Hallmark Channel.
]]>Meet the new modern witches, 2011 style.
The CW’s number one show, The Vampire Diaries, gets a new companion September 15th and 9 pm is going to the witches. The Secret Circle is based on LJ Smith’s book trilogy, which came out in 1992, shortly after her other successful trilogy, The Vampire Diaries. So it’s only natural The Secret Circle would eventually follow its companion in TV Land. It’s a match made in supernatural heaven, right?
The CW is riding on it. Even though last year’s Nikita did well in the overall ratings, it lost a lot of the young 18-34 demographic that watched The Vampire Diaries. The hope is this series will share and retain the same advertiser rich audiences. Judging from the official synopsis from The CW, the plot seems to fit:
Cassie Blake was a happy, normal teenage girl - until her mother Amelia dies in what appears to be a tragic accidental fire. Orphaned and deeply saddened, Cassie moves in with her warm and loving grandmother Jane in the beautiful small town of Chance Harbor, Washington - the town her mother left so many years before - where the residents seem to know more about Cassie than she does about herself. As Cassie gets to know her high school classmates, including sweet-natured Diana and her handsome boyfriend Adam, brooding loner Nick, mean-girl Faye and her sidekick Melissa, strange and frightening things begin to happen.
Keep in mind, this is no spinoff. During my chat with the cast and producers during the press session at Comic Con, the words “companion series” were used more than once. That still didn’t prevent the comparisons of the two series. After all, both have witches, and they both have the same Executive Producer. That’s where the similarities end though.
“This world is witches,” explained Executive Producer Kevin Williamson, who was brought onto this project because of his success creating The Vampire Diaries. “We don’t have vampires and werewolves in this world. There’s other things but there’s not vampires and werewolves.” Williamson tried to be sly about what those things were, but admitted that if they were in the books, they’ll probably be in the TV show too.
“We’re just trying to redefine our version of witchcraft,” said Executive Producer Andrew Miller, who’s been with the project since the very beginning and handles a lot of the show running duties. “It’s a bit more nature based and we deal with the elements a lot. Water, fire, air and earth. We’re trying to take the all star team of magic from different cultures and times and try to put it together and create something that’s a little fresh and modern.”
Just like with The Vampire Diaries though, there are some deviations from the books. The most obvious is the death of Cassie’s mother, who is alive and well in the novels. Why was the decision made to kill her? Williamson didn’t see the logic in Cassie’s mother returning to the same town years later with her daughter knowing what she knows. He also thought the town’s name and location didn’t make much sense. “Why is the town called New Salem when it’s about a bunch of witches that were trying to hide? Thank you LJ Smith. So we changed all that.”
The location from the books, New Salem, is now Chance Harbor, Washington. The hope is the location change to another part of the country will give this show it’s own look and feel. “We are shooting in Vancouver and the idea of witchcraft and using elements is so huge there,” said Miller. “It seemed a fit to take that Pacific Northwest feel. There’s some great cultural stuff there from natives and it’s a more frontier kind of place. Instead of just doing something like Salem or Virginia like The Vampire Diaries we could make it new for us there.”
Miller further explained that when beginning a TV series based on novels, they will start with characters and the core relationships, as well as the bulk of the mythology. Once that’s done though, it’s anything goes. “The books go to a specific end that we can’t. For the characters we unfortunately had to reduce the circle a little bit. Things like that are just practical issues in terms in creating the show. We all so love the heart of the books and the idea and the characters so we’ll stick with that pretty closely.”
Also, don’t look for any typical network stunts, like Damon and Stefan Salvatore dropping in for a surprise visit. “Every show has it’s own world,” said series star Thomas Dekkar. “Every one is wondering if we’ll ever do a cross over episode type deal. I don’t think that will happen. We’re really trying to assert ourselves as our own circle.”
Of the cast members that I got to talk to at Comic Con, they all seemed to have a perfect grasp of their roles and what this new style of witchcraft means for their characters.
Phoebe Tonkin
I have to admit, when Phoebe Tonkin sat at our table, I had a major “HITG” moment. Once she spoke with her native Australian accent, it all came to me. She played a mermaid in the Australian series H20: Just Add Water, a show my kids took to watching on Nickelodeon regularly.
Now she plays Faye Chamberlain, who’s characterized as “mean-girl Faye.” Phoebe knows what makes her character tick. “She’s just kind of bored. Instead of going out and partying, she wants to do really bad magic. That’s kind of her vibe.”
This is Phoebe’s first major role in the United States. She told us that as soon as she read this script, she really wanted to be part of this project. What happened when she found out? “I was at a juice bar and screamed. I was so excited because I genuinely wanted this role so badly."
As for her character, what sort of struggles does she see for the circle? “Witches can do anything. That’s where the moral dilemma comes in. If we have this incredible power, how far do we take it? Do we use it for good or do we use it for bad?”
Phoebe must be in the right role, for she knows her genre references too. When asked, “Evil Willow Rosenberg or Faye?” she had the easy answer. Definitely Faye.
Thomas Dekker
Thomas Dekker also got a few of us recalling where we’d seen him before. One easily popped in our heads, John Conner on Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I also remember him from Heroes and one of my favorite House episodes. Now he plays Adam Conant, one of the male witches in the circle.
What’s it like being a male witch on a show with lots of female witches? “To play with witchcraft you’re automatically playing with nature and spirituality, the things you associate with women. I don’t think witches are just for women. I don’t think werewolves should just be for men.”
What’s his philosophy for the circle? “In witchcraft the age old rule is to go light or dark. Two options. It doesn’t come down to the magic being light or dark, it’s the heart of the witch. It depends as we go along and as the powers intensify who’s going to slip to which side, which gives us a lot of places to go.”
Thomas is also very aware that Adam is different in the show compared to his book counterpart. As someone gave him a long description of Adam from the book, he found the comparison quite humorous. “Basically you’re saying, ‘You’re not the character at all I know,” he joked. “Why are you at the table? You’re supposed to be Rupert Grint.” That’s a wizard actually, but we weren’t saying anything.
Britt Robertson
Britt has the most impressive CW credit in the room, coming off of her two season lead role as Lux Cassidy in Life Unexpected. She’s actually counting on their companion show to boost theirs. “A lot of the people that who are excited about our show are fans of The Vampire Diaries.”
Why does she think witches are so popular? “Genre has become such a huge thing. With witches there’s so many cool things that entail that world that we can dive into. This show specifically, you get to watch real people that ordinary people can relate to, but they get to do extraordinary powers that are exciting to watch.”
What about her character? The pilot shows Cassie to be a reluctant member of the circle. Will that change? “It comes back to her mother at the end of the day and this is her heritage, a part who she is. Being a 16 year girl and constantly being influenced by the outside world that can be a very overwhelming thing. The only choice eventually is to break it.”
Who’s her favorite all time witch? “When I was younger I was a big fan of TGIF on ABC and Sabrina The Teen Witch came on. I loved Melissa Joan Hart.” I do wish we had time left to ask her who would win in a Evil Willow/Sabrina death match.
Natasha Henstridge
Natasha came to our table with the longest resume. She’s been on many shows, but the recent one I remember is Eli Stone. Scanning through her IMDB page, movies The Whole Nine Yards and The Whole Ten Yards stand out, but the one that made me smile was “Job Applicant” in a Saturday Night Live skit in 1998. What a credit!
Natasha’s role is unique since she’s playing Dawn Chamberlain, Faye’s mother, who has no powers but a hidden agenda. “She really believes she’s using her daughter for the greater good. Like they say, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, I think she’s got her eye on the prize and probably thinks she’s doing the right thing. Whether the things she does to that endpoint maybe dark and twisted and horrible I don’t think she genuinely wants to hurt her own daughter.”
How does her character play into the circle? “The generation that I’m in has lost their power. But there maybe devices and things enable her to have power briefly. She wants the full circle together so she can have all the power.”
Still, this show is very different to what she’s done in the past. What drew her to a youth skewing show like this? “It’s great to join a show that’s young and hip. I’ve done some great shows that didn’t have that young audience and ‘bye bye.’ Nobody wants to work where nobody’s watching the show.”
As you can tell, this is a cast with a fantastic sense of humor.
Other cast members include Shelly Henning (Days of Our Lives) as Diana, Louis Hunter (Out of the Blue) as Nick, Jessica Parker Kennedy (Smallville, Lie to Me) as Melissa, and Ashley Crow (Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy) as Jane Blake.
On a final note, I was very pleased to find during my recent visit to Vancouver that most of the crew from Smallville now have jobs on The Secret Circle, and even two of their writers, Don Whitehead and Holly Hendersen, are also with the show. Another scoop? Director Guy Norman Bee (Supernatural, Criminal Minds, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is helming episode six.
The Secret Circle premieres on The CW Thursday, September 15th at 9 pm.
In the lead up to next Sunday’s 10th anniversary of 9/11, every angle is explored. I’ll cover the worthwhile documentaries separately, from the recovery to the reconstruction, to commemorate the day, such as Steven Spielberg's "Rise," the tale of rebuilding the towers.
Highlights of the week of September 4th:
Monday, September 5
No Reservations: a 16-hour marathon from 9 am to 1 am on the Travel Channel
Squeeze the tail and suck the head. Anthony Bourdain’s deliciously snarky eating travels from Cajun Country to Cuba.
Other marathons include The Closer on TNT and How It’s Made on the Science Channel plus the above-mentioned.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills at 9 pm on Bravo
Bitch-a-thon at Adrienne’s dinner. All right—tune in to the season premiere of the real desperate faux housewives. The suicide of Taylor Armstrong’s estranged husband might’ve caused a good hard look at reality shows or not.
Tuesday, September 6
2011 U.S. Open Tennis Championships at 8 pm on ESPN
Men's Rounds and Women's Quarterfinals. Watch Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick and others lob it on all week with the finals flipping to CBS this weekend.
Sons of Anarchy at 10 pm on FX
Premiere of season four. Hellboy Ron Perlman and Katey Sagal (Married With Children) costar in these acclaimed series about bikers in Charming, California confronting the law.
Wednesday, September 7
Rescue Me at 10 pm on FX
Finale of the final season. Denis Leary and the firefighters fiery drama comes to an end.
Cinema Verite at 9:30 pm on HBO2
Repeat of the story behind the original
reality show, An American Family
follows the 1970s PBS series with Diane
Lane and Tim Robbins playing the Louds, and James
Gandolfini, the ahead-of-his-time producer many may love to hate.
Paranormal Witness at 10 pm on Syfy
Premiere of a new series recounting first-hand experiences
with hauntings, sightings and a 5 year old's scary invisible friend. They say "Don't watch it alone."
Thursday, September 8
Fall Preview on 8:30 pm on CBS: Get a glimpse of new shows: Unforgettable How to Be a Gentleman with Entourage’s Kevin Dillon, Person of Interest with Lost’s Michael Emerson, and more.
More fave finales:
Burn Notice at 9 pm on USA. Set in Miami and starring Jeffrey Donovan and Bruce Campbell, the fifth season wraps it up.
Wilfred at 10 pm and Louie at 10:30 on FX. This quirky Australian show, starring Elijah Wood and his personal coach in a dog suit, draws to a close. Followed by Louie created by and starring comedian Louis C.K.
Unleashed by Garo at 9 pm on Sundance
Premiere of new series, a twist on a theme: follow Garo Sparo, couture fashion designer, who taps into his client’s inner secret selves to make outfits that express their wildest dreams.
Saturday, September 10
Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 on Spike TV
Uma Thurman seeks revenge on her old assassination team in a Quentin Tarantino mini-fest.
Sunday, September 11
HBO Finales! True Blood at 9 pm, Curb Your Enthusiasm at 10 pm and Entourage concludes the series at 10:30 pm with “The End” - or maybe “Loose Ends” for the upcoming movie.
Many channels will be televising programs with commemorations to 9/11. See separate posting for details on CNN, History, Bio, National
Geographic, and more. Here are broadcasters' presentations:
Remembrance and Renewal: 10 Years After the 9/11 Attacks at 10 pm on ABC
9/11 Ten Years Later at 8-10 pm on CBS: Robert De Niro marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
America Remembers 9/11 at 8 pm on PBS: The PBS News Hour team covers memorial events and personal testimonies.
A Concert for New York at 9 pm on PBS: The New York Philharmonic performs Mahler's Symphony No. 2 to honor of 9/11.
]]>1. Kyle and Kim on the Mend. In the last season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, fans watched in awe as the relationship between sisters Kyle and Kim Richards imploded. After months without speaking, the start of season 2 finds both ladies hopeful that things will change, but from the looks of it, they still have a long way to go.
2. The Return of The Bickersons. If Bravo blessed us with a RHOBH spin-off, this would be it! No married couple can argue quite like Adrienne Maloof and her husband, Paul - and stay married. The "bickering" may be a little one-sided (does that make it "nagging"?), but for some reason, we still love watching Adrienne and Paul turn pretty much any situation into an awkward moment.
3. Re-Introducing Camille Grammer. Make no mistake, when Camille Grammer decided to sign on for season two of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she did it for one reason and one reason only: to change the public’s perception of her.
And it seems that in her run for Miss Congeniality, Camille’s not holding
anything back when it comes to ex, Kelsey Grammer; even if it means hitting
below the belt. How much she’s actually changed remains to be seen, but we can’t
help but be a little excited about all the Kelsey-bashing that’s sure to come. And yeah, it kind of makes us like her a little more too.
4. New Facelifts. Dana Wilkey and Brandi Glanville won’t
be the only new faces in tonight’s premiere. A couple of the ‘wives are looking
a little different since season one. Lisa, Adrienne... we're lookin' at you! Think Adrienne’s plastic surgeon hubby’s gotten
a few new clients?
5. Russell Armstrong Lives. Whether he's actually on the episode or not, Russell Armstrong will definitely be the focus of tonight's season premiere. Between the suicide prevention PSAs and the appearances made by his estranged wife, Taylor, the questions on everyone's minds will be: How much of Taylor and
Russell’s troubled relationship will we see this season? Will Russell be
shown or talked about at all? We'll find
out soon enough.
Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills premieres tonight at 9|8c on Bravo.
]]>The US Tennis Open runs live on ESPN every night and the countdown to the 10th anniversary of 9/11 continues. If on vacation for Labor Day next weekend, set-to-record. It’s the perfect chance to catch repeats of missed shows, must-see movies and the following highlights:
Monday, August 29
Crave at 8:30 on Food Network
The debut of a culinary journey for the ultimate slice (of pizza) from New York to Chicago and San Francisco. More foodie faves from fried chicken and ice cream follow.
The Easy A at 9 pm on Starz
In case you missed Emma Stone’s breakout comedy, see the new Sandra Bullock and future Meryl Streep play a phony bad girl.
2011 MTV Video Music Awards at 8 pm on MTV
If you missed Gaga’s drag king last Sunday night, catch the repeat for a touching Russell Brand tribute to Amy Winehouse, Katy Perry’s wacky hat and more.
9/11 programming from 8-11 pm on the National Geographic Channel: Guiliani’s 9/11 at 8 pm, “George W. Bush’s 9/11 Interview” at 9 pm, and CIA Confidential: “9/11 Mastermind” at 10 pm.
Tuesday, August 30
Quirky at 10 pm on Sundance
A sexy power strip, a wallet/bracelet and odd gizmos make their debut. “Ideators” show-off ingenious inventions for everyday problems. Vote yea or nay - or scratch your head.
Big Sexy at 10 pm on TLC
Celebrate the full-figured woman with five shapely ladies attending New York Fashion Week in all their curvy glory for the season premiere.
Dark Matters: Twisted but True at 10 pm on Science Channel
Creepy new series explores bizarre or sinister experiments like the ape-man hybrid army, zombie servants and laughing gas. Hosted appropriately by Fringe’s John Noble.
Thursday, September 1
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee at 9 pm on Nickelodeon
This veteran journalist explains 9/11 to kids. Safe to say it will be done with thoughtful sensitivity.
Friday, September 2
Man, Woman, Wild at 9 pm on Discovery
Season two premiere: Special Forces survival expert Mykel Hawke and his journalist wife Ruth get stranded in the Bermuda Triangle.
Glastonbury 2011 at 11 pm on VH1
See U2, Coldplay, BeyoncĂ© and more from June’s big music fest at Wort
hy Farm in the UK on this concert special.
Saturday, September 2
Megamind at 8 pm on HBO
Will Ferrell stars as the titular villain pitted against superhero Brad Pitt as Metro Man, along with Tina Fey in last summer’s animated hit.
Sunday, September 3
Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero from 8 to 11 pm on Science Channel
From executive producer Steven Spielberg, three shows: “A New City,” “A Gateway to New York” and “A Place to Mourn,” are repeated from Discovery. Focuses on the new tower and the memorial opening in the footprints of the Twin Towers.
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