Hollywood The Write Way

Talking to YouTube Sensations, Megan & Liz

2009-11-08T17:37:00.003-05:00

Earlier in the year, I introduced you to 16 year old singer/songwriters Megan and Liz from Michigan.

Since then, the girls have opened for singer/songwriter, Savannah Outen and were surprised by Oprah Winfrey on Skype with Taylor Swift concert tickets and a personal meet and greet with the star. Today, Megan & Liz have over 95,200 YouTube subscribers and 3 of their covers have surpassed 1 million views, making "The Climb" cover originally sung by Miley Cyrus the most watched cover with over 2,226,215 views! Also today, I am here to present you my interview with the girls so enjoy!

How have your lives changed since appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show and what was it like meeting Taylor Swift?
Megan: Well at school, people say, "You guys are famous"-
Liz: And they'll say, "You guys think you are so cool because you were on Oprah" and it's all joking.
Megan: Yeah. I mean, obviously though our YouTube went up in subscribers.
Liz: It went up really fast.
Megan: We got at least I think 14,000 since the show aired.

What was it like meeting Taylor Swift?
Liz: It was so cool. I idolized her so much so just to be able to meet her and have her know who we are was awesome.
Megan: She's so nice, it was so cool.

We've seen you on Oprah but what other talk show would you like to appear on?
Ellen! We love Ellen!
Megan: She is so funny.
Liz: That would be awesome.

If were given the opportunity to do a cameo on your favorite TV show, what would it be?
The Office would be cool. 90210 or Hannah Montana would be really cool too.

What is it like to hear people singing your original songs?
We've kind of gotten used to it. It's still a bit weird since people put their own variations to it but it's cool since we wrote it. It's really flattering that they want to choose our song to sing.

How long does it take to learn the covers?
Liz: It depends. If it's a song that we have both been listening to for a long time and then we decide to cover it, it takes about 40 minutes. Well just get in one of our rooms and work on it. If it's a song we don't know very well, it will take a few days since we have to learn it first and then work on the cover.

How do you determine which songs you will cover?
Liz: The songs need to fit our voices where we can make great harmonies and we also look at what is popular. If it is more popular, it will get more views which is good, since we will get more subscribers.

So it's safe to say that some songs that you cover, you cover because they are popular, not so much because you were fans of the artist at first?
Megan: Oh yeah. The most recent cover we did, "Fireflies" by Owl City...we kind of listened to Owl City but since everyone knew this song, we decided to try it out.

What song has been the most challenging to cover and the easiest to cover?
Megan: That's a really good question. The most challenging would have to be Beyonce's "Halo" because-
Liz: You can't compete with Beyonce.
Megan: Yeah. The easiest..."Fireflies" was pretty easy.
Liz: Although the words were really confusing.
Megan: Yeah but the harmonies came really fast. "Our Song" by Taylor Swift was really easy too.
Liz: Yeah.

Megan, what was your first guitar?
My first guitar was Liz's guitar that she got for Christmas. It was a First Act guitar from Wal Mart. My mom said that if I became good at it, she would get me a nice one so I was determined after that. Then I got my first Fender acoustic, which I named Bubbles and it is my light colored one. My second is the same but black and it's name is Marge.

Wow. So...do you like The Simpsons or something?
Megan: No actually someone said that I should name it Marge and -
Liz: It looks like a Marge.
Megan: Yeah and it kind of stuck even though it was kind of like a joke at first.

Megan, what was the first song you learned how to play on guitar?
I believe it was "No One" by Aly & AJ since we were determined to learn it. Liz started learning it on guitar and I on the piano and then Liz quit guitar so I started learning it on guitar.

Liz, can we expect you to play guitar in an upcoming video?
Umm...yes. I think if I do it won't be the main part of the song, just a little compliment to the main guitar.

What instruments do you want to learn how to play?
Liz: I would want to learn the piano and write songs with the piano. I definitely want to learn how to play the drums.

What are some tips for song writing and guitar learning?
Megan: For songwriting, write what you feel strongly about and know about. Don't give up on your song because sometimes it can take like a month to write an entire song. For guitar, stick with it even though your fingers will hurt. Stick with it because it is so worth it in the end.

Is there anything that you wouldn’t write about in a song?
Megan: Clubbing and getting drunk, stuff like that. That is not something that we do. If it's not what we have experienced, we won't write about it.

What do you do about writer’s block?
Put what you have down and then come back to it. Or talk to the person that the song is about and then inspiration will usually come to you.

Where do you go to get in the writer's room?
It's usually in either of our rooms or in the backyard. A lot of our songs have been written outside because there are no distractions and it's very calming.

As sisters, is it harder or easier to work together?
It's easier and it's harder because we are not afraid to be honest with each other.

How do you feel about being compared?
Megan: It was tough at first because we weren't used to being compared so directly. YouTube tells it like it is. We haven't gotten used to it though.

Would you ever do a collaboration song with any singers on YouTube?
Megan: Yes. It's hard to do but if Savannah ever wanted to do one, that would be sweet.
Liz: Yeah, that would be awesome.
Megan: But it is hard doing it with someone else on YouTube since everyone lives everywhere. Savannah lives in Oregon, Esmee lives in Europe. But it would be cool.
Liz: If we got the opportunity, definitely.

Are there plans for an upcoming album?
We are talking to people right now but you never know how things can play out so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

What cities would you want to go to when you eventually go on your first tour?
Every city! Particularly Chicago and NYC, San Francisco, Miami...just everywhere!

What cause or foundation are you interested in supporting?
Make A Wish Foundation and Relay for Life. We sang for Relay for Life this summer.

If you had one wish, what would it be?
Our wish already came true, being on Oprah and meeting Taylor Swift. Are we allowed to wish for more wishes? We really want to have an album to call our own.

Would your album be full of the original songs we have heard or would you like to play around with different genres?
Liz: There are a lot of songs the fans haven't heard that have so many different sounds from rock and pop to jazz and a little bit of country so it would be a wide variety.

What is your favorite song at the moment?
"Jump Then Fall" by Taylor Swift and "Six Months" by Hey Monday.
Megan: Yesterday we practiced "Jump Then Fall" and Liz is still learning it so once we get that down, that should be our next video.

What independent artists do you enjoy?
Artist Vs. Poet, The Somerset, Savannah Outen, and Savvy & Mandy.

Message for the fans:
We love you and thanks for everything that you all do. You have gotten us where we are and we are so blessed so thank you.

**********
Buy the original Megan & Liz song, "6th Sense" on iTunes now.

Listen to their original songs on Myspace.

Follow Megan & Liz on Twitter.

Introducing: Nova

2009-11-08T14:27:00.000-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to one of the newest rock bands on the rise, NOVA, out of San Francisco, California. The band is currently on a nationwide tour now until November 21, 2009 so make sure you check them out if they come to a city near you!

The band consists of 5 guys, singer/songwriter Gabriel McGahee, Rob Bujak on drums, Scott Proctor on Bass, Nick Young on guitar, and songwriter/guitarist Aaron Goforth. The concept of forming the band was created in 2005 but because everyone was involved in many individual projects, it wasn't until a year ago that Nova truly formed.

Nova released their single, "Tomorrow" earlier in the year and the band released their debut album "Nepenthe" in May 2009 to stellar reviews! Since their album's release, NOVA has been touring across the United States, with headlining shows. The band has also played shows with Black Label Society, Papa Roach, and Halestorm.

Nepenthe is available on Myspace and iTunes.

To read about how the band came together and to listen to their music, visit Myspace.

TV Week in Review

2009-11-06T19:11:00.001-05:00

*Reviews May Contain Spoilers*

Desperate Housewives - Don't Walk on the Grass

Katherine: Don't shoot. It's me!

This show is amazing and here is another episode to show why. Starting off with Bree...Bree breaking up with Karl was the best decision she could have made to start turning her life in the right direction. If there was any reason alone to continue with the break up, it would have been for the family heirloom which was obviously way to early to give to Bree. Bree did the right thing in giving it to Susan (creatively anyway). As for Susan, Katherine, and Mike...Katherine apologizing to Susan was not genuine from the start since she was clearly planning to blackmail Susan in to being her "friend." Katherine has everything planned out...when will the plans end? Susan was smart for going with Mike when Katherine called him over for "help." Not sure if it was her intelligence or patience being pushed when she told Katherine to just sue her so that hold wouldn't be over her. What Susan needs to do is tell Mike the entire story of what is going on with her and Katherine, from the very beginning. Especially with this new thought that the new housewife is putting into her head that Katherine could have been the one to hurt Julie. On a more comedic note...Gabby encouraging Lynette to exercise was quite comedic since Lynette hasn't seemed to find the right time to tell her housewife buddies (and Carlos). Tom cheating in school was actually not expected and felt odd. Although Tom telling Lynette off was great because Lynette really needed to hear that and think about how and when (hopefully soon) she will tell Carlos and everyone else. Lastly, Gabby & Carlos at Juanita's play was quite funny since Gabby knew they wouldn't want to watch the video recording of the play for one reason but Juanita gave another reason for it! I am still unsure why Juanita can't go to public school but seeing her being home schooled by Gabby is much more entertaining anyway. Thanks for another amazing episode of Desperate!

Heroes - Once Upon a Time in Texas

Hiro: I'm here to save Charlie.
Samuel: And why would you be doing something like that?

This episode was good but it wasn't fascinating. Having Jayma Mays back this episode was a joy but even that does not make this episode very memorable. It was heartbreaking to see Hiro go back in time to try to save Charlie who was clearly destined to be without Hiro and it was equally unsettling to see HRG in close quarters with a co-worker almost to the point of an affair. Although back to Hiro for a moment, it was very interesting to see Sylar help Hiro and save Charlie because it says an awful lot about Sylar's character then and now. I, as were many others I am sure were less than thrilled to see Samuel take Charlie away after all that Hiro had done to save her...and while it is unclear if she is safe, Samuel's threat about her to Hiro will definitely get Hiro to help Samuel in saving Mohinder. It looks like Mohinder needs saving. Honestly though, I was fine without Mohinder. Ever since Mohinder first gained powers, it all went downhill from there with this character. Speaking of downhill, it just seems wrong when episodes don't have much or any Claire, HRG, or Peter. Please let next week's episode include them at the forefront!

One Tree Hill - (I Just) Died in Your Arms

Nathan: Alright Spielberg, why don't you produce us some marshmellows.

Even though this was a filler episode, it was so enjoyable! Seeing the guys go camping and back at the house have a girls' night...it was so entertaining. I laughed right away when the girls ate brownies with weed in them! The psychic who came to their house was creepy but Brooke & Haley were being all creepy and paranoid after she left which I could have done without. As far as the guys go, I wasn't expecting Julian to say that he doesn't know if he wants kids. Wow. Didn't he tell Brooke that he would have her kids someday? Julian reacted rather calmly towards the news of Nathan & Brooke's high school sex tape, which I almost forgot about! That scene was way more interesting than the scene where Julian told his scary story around the campfire. As for those not at the house or camping...I'm glad Clay told Quinn about his wife and I'm startled that Rachel paid a family who had their boy on life support for his heart so Dan would have one. Hmmm...what do you think? Overall, this was a great filler episode but hopefully there won't be too many fillers in the season.

Gossip Girl - The Grandfather: Part II

Blair: This night is finally over...and as far as I'm concerned, so are we.

This is not the best of GG but it was still a good episode. Once Vanessa was on the trail to help out Tripp, Nate should have been truthful with her because he should know by now that Vanessa can outsmart him. Thankfully in the end he realized that he needed to do the right thing.Speaking of being right...no one is really right in the Blair & Serena face off. Blair & Serena going out for the second half of the episode was irritating because Blair is in her own world too, her own world of popularity and power not so much of being successful for any positive reason. Someone who knows how to balance her worlds is Olivia although before the Jimmy Fallon interview was shown, it was made out to be a big deal when the interview was really not a big deal at all. Not sure if that was a good thing or a let down. Anyway, there was nothing going on with Chuck or Jenny in this episode. It felt odd not really having Chuck in the episode as much as usual. Hopefully next week there will be more Chuck! Although we have all been getting some great eye candy watching Aaron Tveit (Next to Normal Musical) play Tripp. Anyway...overall, this was an incredibly busy episode which was good but I didn't see anything that could be deeply developed and played with over a long period of time.

90210 - Women's Intuition

Debbie: Let me give you a hint. It starts with your not pregnant and it ends with stay away from my son. Enjoy your coffee Sasha.

I didn't expect Dixon to be a chump and ask his girl to get an abortion. Wow. He needs to man up. You know what the consequences are when you have sex so he should have been prepared. It was funny when he said he was "almost" safe every time when he was talking with his parents about the pregnancy. I was highly upset when his girl said that what she decides to do with the baby was none of the parents' business. It is their business if they would be babysitting (if the pregnancy was actually real)! Debbie put the pieces together and was right for going to confront his girlfriend about the first time they met unaware to her that the girl was secretly with Dixon the fact that the girlfriend lied. When it comes to Dixon, I'm not sure if I think it is okay or not to tell Dixon that instead she had a miscarriage. Either way, it seems that is the last we will see of the girlfriend, so that is good... Adrianna playing acoustic guitar and singing to Navid to try to get him back didn't work but it was sweet. I didn't know that Jessica could play the acoustic guitar, that is fabulous. On another note, Navid going to tell Annie about her boyfriend being a drug dealer was a good move and her boyfriend was wrong for overreacting when Annie approached him about it (while they were at Pink's Hot Dogs which is delicious). Everyone has their issues, that could be his. Even though Annie went back to him and said that she believed he wasn't a drug dealer, what will be the icebreaker in this relationship (other than that little fact of Annie killing his uncle)? Anyway, Jen going to Ryan's friend, Ramona and talking down to her was so disrespectful. Is she really that jealous and insecure? Was Jen introducing Ryan to Pharrell to impress him? Samantha Ronson was another special guest in this episode for those counting. Anyway, Jen telling Ryan that Liam propositioned him made me incredibly angry. She is messing with people's lives and relationships. Mr. Matthews is the only great influence in this kid's life and is could ruin that relationship. That is the last straw, Liam needs to tell Naomi what really happened once and for all.

Melrose Place - Gower

Lauren: What are you doing?
Riley: I was just about to ask you the same thing, pretty woman.

This episode was not as entertaining as I had hoped it to be. Riley & Jonah at a wedding and talking about their wedding was quite comedic but outside of their relationship and Jonah's job, what else is there to their storyline? Anyway, I truly believed Ella when she said she was busy with a client the night of the murder so to find out that she wasn't and to find out that David believes he could have killed Syd since he was drunk...yikes. It is such a toss up as to who killed Syd, I don't even try guessing anymore. I'll still be as excited to find out who the killer is when the moment is revealed, but I am done playing the guessing game. In this episode, we found something out about Ella and Ella found something out about Lauren. Now that Ella knows Lauren's secret, will she find another way to help her get out of prostitution, even if it doesn't benefit Ella herself? Last and least, there is absolutely nothing interesting about Auggie and Violet in this episode and even though both of these actors are apparently being written out of the show, at least give them somewhat of an interesting storyline before their exits. Overall, this was definitely not a stand out episode so hopefully next week will be more entertaining.

V - Liberation Day

Erica: The sleeper cell are visitors.

What an introduction! I loved finding out right away that there were 29 ships all over the world because I just assumed that it was a few ships over the major cities in America. The main visitor, Anna seemed so friendly but why do they need our supplies? Erica is on the same page, believing the only reason to take what they want from us is to use it against us. Although their investigations don't seem to be going well...I knew that none of the main characters would die during the raid but it was still nerve wrecking to see. The choreography of the raid was phenomenal. I will be rooting for Erica and her friend trying to bring down the visitors and helping (or sorry but killing) Ryan. As for those in the sleeper cells being visitors...I wonder how many visitors were sent beforehand! What are the real forms, appearances of the visitors anyway? We have seen a glimpse of what's under their human form but what about the whole thing? Anyway, it was discouraging to see the pastor killed...but the visitors can't kill everyone who gets in their way. Can they? The main visitor telling Chad not to paint them in a negative light and to just go on with the interview since it will elevate his career was awkward. He is obviously the first target of doom if he says anything negative about them. It would be perfect if he joined Erica's team in taking them down. Could that happen? As for the kids going on the space ship...not only would I never do that but my mother wouldn't allow it. Although as of right now it seems Erica is more interested in her job than what her son is up to. Hopefully her son won't get in too deep in lust/love with a visitor he has his eye on. This Pilot could not have been any more perfect. This is no doubt one of my favorite new shows of the 09-10 season. Looking forward to next week.

Glee

Listen to the latest episode of Gleek Squad Podcast.

Flash Forward - The Gift

Al: It doesn't have to play out that way.
Demetri: Al, what are you talking about?
Al: I found a way to change the game.

The death club that was formed by those who had no flash forward was wild! Even more insane was seeing Al's flash forward, which was very disturbing and led to his death by his own choice. When he was on top of the building, I was hoping with everything in me that he wouldn't jump. If Demetri had told Al that he didn't have a flash forward would Al have thought more and not committed suicide? If Celia did not have a flash forward, then she could still die. Right? As for Al's agent buddy, Demetri finally told his fiancee that he didn't have a flash forward and she reacted in a completely different way than I thought she would have and that is a good thing. It would be terrible to be so invested in Demetri only to have him die. At the same time, his death would be a major point in the series at that point so it's hard to say what I want to see happen. On a side note, Lloyd told Olivia that he would never do anything to hurt Olivia's marriage but is he sincere? Knowing that he is involved in the cause of the flash forward makes me wary of him as a person. Is he a good guy just involved in an "experiment" go bad or is he a bad guy? Lastly, Aaron receiving the knife he saw himself giving his daughter in his flash forward gave even more hope that he would find his daughter but he didn't have to hope much longer since his daughter was waiting for him at home! Wow. If there is any storyline I am looking forward to seeing next week it is this one! This episode was very well written and I cannot wait for more.

Vampire Diaries - 162 Candles

Stefan: I have to kill him.

Arielle Kebbel guest starring as Lexi, Stefan's friend was a treat since I am a fan of Arielle and this could not have been a better show to guest on. It was great that Lexi touched on the fact that Elena could be related to Katherine after she found out about her and I wonder if she is. Maybe Stefan will change his mind and look into Elena's family history. So the kids going to the police station and telling the sheriff that they "truly" believe that Vicki left town was a necessity but is Vicky's death behind them? Why is Elena's brother so calm about the situation...I agree with Elena that Damon did something more and Damon didn't seem to deny it as he said he took away all of his suffering. Hmm, is that good or bad? Damon has made friendly with the sheriff so as for now, Damon and Stefan are not on the list of vampire suspects. Lexi seemed to be a sacrifice but Lexi could have gotten away so I am angry at Damon for killing her. That is true betrayal. With the sheriff off Damon and Stefan's trail, since Bonnie is a witch, will her secret be found out and will she be targeted? What is coming? Anyway, Damon making Caroline throw a party (on Stefan's birthday) to get Bonnie's necklace was smart but he didn't get it. Plus, I thought Damon was over using Caroline but I guess not. This was a great episode filled just enough story development and lots of emotions running high. Looking forward to next week.

The Office - Double Date

Michael: I am not robbing the cradle. If anything I'm robbing the grave.

The cold open was hilarious. Dwight is crazy and umm it looked like Rainn wanted to bust out laughing, did it not? I loved that this cold open storyline lasted throughout the entire episode. Andy took after Dwight's generosity for the right reasons while Dwight tried to be number one in generosity for the wrong reasons and ended up accomplishing nothing in the entire day. Comedy gold! Outside of the office...Michael, Pam's mom, Pam, and Jim going out for her mom's birthday lunch was not as awkward as I had envisioned it to be. Thankfully Michael found the icebreaker in the relationship and called it off and thankfully for us, Michael allowed Pam to hit him in front of everyone in the parking lot. Michael limping and saying that he saw his life flash before his eyes was so incredibly dramatic and made me laugh so much. This is one of the most well written episodes of the season.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Paddy's Pub: Home of Original Kitten Mittens

Charlie: Think there's no answer? You're so stupid!

Charlie's Kitten Mittens idea was a "shake my head" idea since the thought is there but the execution of that thought is not helpful to the kitten at all. Mac, Dennis, and Frank coming up with their own inventions was quite hilarious, especially since Frank's stress ball idea has already been created! Those 3 against Sweet Dee and Charlie was not as entertaining as their usual competitive story lines. The most comedic scene with Sweet Dee and Charlie was when they were in the lawyer's car. Their entire storyline was much more interesting than watching Mac, Dennis, and Frank. This episode didn't do much for me overall but there were still some comedic moments although I am hoping next week is more entertaining.

Ugly Betty - Plus None

Amanda: Marc, when did I get so deep?

Daniel hiring Natalie as his assistant was a great decision! The decision he made to walk into his mother's office whether she was in a meeting or not was not a good decision since he caught her kissing the big boss. Although what his mom, Claire did, calling the adoption agency to look for the son she gave up...that was a great choice! Looking forward to that story line furthering along. As for the newest editor...Betty needs to take the whole going after Matt thing a break. I didn't expect Amanda to have a heart and think about Betty's feelings regarding Mandy going as Matt's plus one to the party. Throwing a party so that Betty could find a date, even though it didn't end well was very thoughtful. Although at the real party of the night, Wilhelmina's charity party..I don't think Betty or Amanda expected Matt to bring the entire under staff as his plus one. Anyway, as for the party's hostess...I was glad that Wilhelmina told Marc thr truth about why her daughter was staying with her in the city. Wilhelmina and her daughter going about resolving the blackmailer issue was disturbing in a sense that they both wanted to help but someone is bound to do damage, especially since the daughter tried to help behind Willie's back...although she ended up saying that she would turn herself in. Hmm. All in all this was a great episode, very meaty in regards to storyline which I love so keep it up!

The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty

2009-11-06T17:02:00.004-05:00

The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty is set to premiere on A&E on December 13 at 9p/8c with back-to-back one hour episodes. The series will then move to its regularly scheduled time, Sunday’s at 10:00pm ET/PT beginning December 20 on A&E.

The series will chronicle the personal and professional lives of Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon as they prepare for a Jackson Five reunion, while also coming to terms with the recent death of Michael.

I'll be watching. Will you?

Amazon Deal: Paul McCartney’s Memory Almost Full

2009-11-06T16:29:00.004-05:00

I have been informed about this amazing deal on Amazon today and wanted to share it with you all!

Today only, Amazon has a special deal for Paul McCartney’s Memory Almost Full album! Paul’s Memory Almost Full will be available at a discounted price of $2.99 all day so make sure you head on over and get your copy!

Also, keep your eye out for my review of Paul McCartney’s Good Evening New York City!

DVD Review: Disney•Pixar's Up

2009-11-05T22:38:00.003-05:00

This past year and even last year, Disney•Pixar promoted their animation, Up at Comic Con in both San Diego & New York and its release afterwords got as much of a positive response as it did at the cons. Luckily, I was able to receive the Up 4-disc Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack to review and wow, there is so much to enjoy once it releases on November 10, 2009!

Release Date: November 10, 2009
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Rating: G

Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios take moviegoers up, up and away on one of the funniest adventures of all time with their latest comedy-fantasy. Up follows the uplifting tale of 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Their journey to a lost world, where they encounter some strange, exotic and surprising characters, is filled with hilarity, emotion and wildly imaginative adventure.

Up is a beautiful story, a must see Pixar film and in fact one of my favorite Pixar films. There is a perfect balance of reality and creativity with real genuine characters and an incredibly imaginative plot. As far as the characters go, every character is layered and whether good or bad you find yourself invested in each one. Viewers might be taken aback by a talking dog a t first, but Dug will turn out to be one of your favorite characters. Viewers also might be wary of how strong of a friendship Carl and Russell can become but this odd pair shows you how in a very short amount of time. There is incredible storytelling, especially the visual storytelling in the first 5 minutes, and there is a steady pace of story development which makes everything all the more touching and captivating. There is also an impressive balance of action, comedy, and suspense, yes suspense. All of the above evoke real emotions and creates for an incredible ending. Most importantly, it is quite evident how much research was done for the setting of this film as there is exotic South American wildlife all throughout which creates beautiful imagery that you won’t forget. Up is a wonderful story that will definitely go down as a Pixar classic.

Special Features:

Partly Cloudy (5:46) –The short film preceded screenings of Up when it was in theaters. It is a very entertaining, comedic short showing where storks get babies and what happens when one cloud creates evil babies! This was a fabulous addition to the DVD, and I hope everyone who buys the DVD takes the time to watch this hilarious short that was directed by Pixar story artist, animator and voice actor Peter Sohn.

Dug’s Special Mission (4:40) – This new original short film follows Dug as he tries to complete his “special missions” bestowed upon him from the other dogs. The missions were hilarious because while the dogs tried to prove how useless Dug was, Dug proved (with no effort) how well he can follow orders. This isolates Dug from the other dogs which leads th short film to end where Dug meets Carl and Russell in the Up film. This is a must see as it is incredible back story! This short is directed by Up Story Supervisor, Ronnie Del Carmen.

Adventure is Out There (22:17) – The director, Pete Docter, co-director, Bob Peterson, and numerous other crew members discuss their trip to South America, including Venezuela and many other places for research. Photos and video of their trek to the very remote tepuis mountains of South America are shared and it is just so magical to see such beautiful nature. This short documentary does a great job in going back and forth with showing video and photos of the trek to South America, the sketches of the animation inspired by the trip, and the finished result of the film. What I found to be very important components to share was the weather and the plant life because you may not realize it until you see here that everything in the film including these components literally reflect real life South America. The film’s character designer, Daniel Lopez says, “The team got to experience what it truly felt like to be in the mountains for several days. They got dirty and muddy – and it was a great experience to inspire them.” Viewers definitely see this in this documentary and will even be inspired to visit.

The Many Endings of Muntz (4:56) – Director, Pete Docter and many crew members talk about the character Muntz, and how this villain was created to be portrayed as. This prompts everyone to discuss the many alternate endings that were proposed during story development as viewers see storyboards and animation of these endings. If you were not satisfied with the ending of the film or are curious to see what else the writers had planned, feel free to catch this feature.

Commentary - Stay tuned for review on the commentary which will be posted on November 10, 2009!

Only on Blu-ray Hi-Def:
Stay tuned for reviews of blu-ray features on November 10, 2009!

• Cine-Explore – A visual montage of concept art, clips and documentary coverage that illustrates the directors’ commentary.
• Geriatric Hero – A character study of Carl, from research to realization including art and design, rigging, animation and story. It focuses on the issues of aging, “simplexity”, shape-language and compelling character arcs.
• Canine Companions – For anyone who ever wondered where CG puppies come from, an introduction to the design, behavior and language of dogs.
• Russell: Wilderness Explorer – A character study of Russell from inspiration and design to finding the character arc and authentic voice for this wilderness ranger.
• Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin – Find out how avian research and development at Pixar helped bring a mythical, 13-foot tall iridescent bird to life.
• Homemakers of Pixar – Carl and Ellie’s house is an important “character” in the film. Fans follow the development of the house from story to art to its ultimate realization in the computer.
• Balloons and Flight – Carl’s house and Muntz's dirigible presented the filmmakers with two different problems—how could they make a physical impossibility possible? And, in the case of the dirigible, how would they unearth a fallen giant and let it soar?
• Composing for Characters – Composer Michael Giacchino returns to score his third Disney•Pixar feature film. See how the Up filmmakers collaborated with Giacchino to create the memorable score and compelling musical themes.
• Married Life – The original story concept that became the powerful “Married Life” scene, showing Carl and Ellie’s love story.
• Global Guardian Badge Game – Players try to locate countries, states and capitals around the globe in a multi-layered BD-Exclusive geography game enhanced by BD-Live.

Disney•Pixar’s Up will become available on Blu-Ray & DVD November 10, 2009.

Star Trek DVD Exclusives

2009-11-05T20:19:00.002-05:00

On November 17th, Paramount Home Entertainment will release Star Trek on DVD & Blu-ray!

With this releases comes MANY fantastic retail exclusives!

Best Buy - Collectible Gift Set with four pack of badge pins.

CVS - Buy $15 (or more) in itunes gift cards and get the DVD (single disc) for only $9.99 (First week only).

Target - Limited Edition Collectible Starship Enterprise Packaging on both 2-Disc DVD and 3-Disc Blu-ray.

Amazon.com - Star Trek Limited Edition Replica Gift Set (Three-Disc + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

What exclusive will you get? Think fast!

USA Network’s Character Arcade

2009-11-05T17:36:00.002-05:00

For those of you who love games, USA Network’s Character Arcade has re-launched!

The Character Arcade now features:

-Game of the Week promotion featuring weekly prize give-aways (shown above)

-Facebook Connect Integration; sign in with your Facebook account & challenge friends

-Point System to buy accessories and upgrade avatars [redeemable for physical rewards coming soon]

-New virtual trophy case

-New Games including MMO and downloadable PC Games

-A new gaming blog

-A new Twitter feed

Make sure to join this new game community and spread the word to other gamers because you don't want to miss what USA has to offer!

Also, make sure to check out USA's new hit series, White Collar Friday nights at 10/9c.

Matt Bomer on Jimmy Fallon

2009-11-04T16:35:00.003-05:00

Watch Matt Bomer on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from last night's episode!

Also, here's a description of this week's episode of White Collar:
The disappearance of a precious bible creates an interesting union when a New York Mafia kingpin enlists the help of Peter and the FBI in tracking down his beloved artifact. But while rooting out the thief, Neal finds himself in a tango with a sexy female villain and must decide where his loyalty truly lies. Catch the premiere of "Book of Hours" this Friday at 10/9C!

White Collar airs Fridays at 10/9C on USA Network.

20 Years of Law & Order

2009-11-04T16:28:00.001-05:00

Law and Order fans, here's a treat for you!

Find out what Jeremy Sisto, Alana De La Garza, and Anthony Anderson think about being on the 20th season, past actors, guest stars, fans, and Benjamin Bratt in this video below.

Law and Order airs Fridays at 8/7c.

TV Week In Review

2009-11-02T16:40:00.000-05:00

*Reviews May Contain Spoilers*

Desperate Housewives - Everybody Ought to Have a Maids

Katherine: You shot me!

First off, it was so good to see Barbara Alyn Woods (One Tree Hill) appear in this episode! Gabby doing what she had to do to get people to come to Juanita's birthday party was fun to see. After all, the neighbor played by Woods completely overreacted. Monkey and all. Anyway, one thing I am wondering is why Danny gave Julie his house gun. What is his motive? Katherine swooning over Mike at the patrol meeting and Susan ignoring her was fun to see on Susan's part but plain depressing on Katherine's part. Susan is smart, she knows that Katherine is plotting and is not hesitating to win this battle. If viewers thought the battle was over after Susan married Mike again, they were wrong. Katherine needs to change her mindset or move away for this battle to be over. Although Susan shooting Katherine has prolonged getting to that point. Anyway as for the others... Lynette helping out Karen for a bit was great but I do not want to hear about Karen's sex life. And hopefully Bree having a hear to heart with the maid will change her mind about the affair soon enough.

Heroes - Strange Attractors

Matt: I think I finally found a leash for this dog.

HRG asking Tracy for help releasing Jeremy was creative. Tracy calling Dennis for help showed that she is dedicated to helping HRG and Jeremy. Although I was afraid that Samuel would recruit Tracy. If she joins the circus, I wouldn’t care too much so she needs to either be in or out come the next few episodes. Anyway, unfortunately, HRG nor Tracy could help him in the end and Tracy told HRG to never call again. I can understand that Tracy was angry about Jeremy’s death but she should not have been angry at HRG. HRG tried to save Jeremy. Now Matt has his own problems with Sylar and Sylar threatening Matt with his wife and child was horrible. However Matt and his wife seemed to find a solution to that, having Janice and the baby run and hide for now until Matt fixes the Sylar conflict for once and for all. For now, heat least knows how to keep Sylar down by drinking, which is pretty awesome. Unfortunately when Matt blacked out, Sylar took over his body and I can’t wait to see what damage will be done in the next episode. As for Claire…Claire & Gretchen talking about the kiss was needed because I was thinking that Gretchen needs to give Claire some space. However, after talking about relationships and going through hell week, which was much more than what hell week usually is, and being found out by the two other rush girls…will the Haitian come and erase the rush girl memories or will something else happen? How will Claire find Samuel’s niece? The search is on! Can’t wait until next week.

One Tree Hill - I and Love and You

Sarah: Well what do you know. Character changes everything.

What a very well written episode! I enjoyed the flashback of when Quinn & David were happy but in the next flashback, the conclusion is that it appears Quinn likes things better being young, naïve, and living just to get by. She can't get that with Clay or David so what is she doing? What a revelation to find out that Clay had a wife, Sarah. It was unclear at first if they were still together but in an open relationship, but at the very end we saw their entire relationship from when they first met to the day that she died and it was done beautifully. She let him go and he's still holding on but he seemed to be helping Quinn see that she needs to appreciate her husband while he is still there. Will Quinn & Clay get together? It seems like it but it also doesn't since Clay has respected Nathan's request so far. Only time will tell. As for the rest...I really enjoyed the flashbacks of when Renee met Nathan (and Clay) at the party! Dan having a plan all along for the show, being the good guy, showing that Renee is a liar was amazing! Fooling everyone with the lie detector test and getting Renee to admit that she did not sleep with Nathan was the best moment in the episode. Renee dropped the charges very quickly and since that is the last of her, I wonder what is in store for the rest of the season. Hopefully a proposal...I was glad that Brooke told Julian that she had planned to propose to him and Julian said that he wanted to marry her in the future but how far in the future? He said that they don't have to rush but I'd at least like to see a proposal, engagement by the end of the season. Overall, this was an incredible episode and the music was great too. Looking forward to next week.

Gossip Girl - How to Succeed in Bassness

Jenny: He sat above me on the steps.

In this episode, Blair was incredibly annoying as she does not know how to mind her business and let people shine on their own. It's not always about her and what she can contribute and she is getting older but is not really maturing. Come on Blair, you are smart there is no doubt about it just balance the intelligence out to all situations in your life including your love life. Chuck knows how to play games but he also knows that there is a time to play and a time to do business and he does an incredible job at both. It was entertaining to see Dan & Olivia go further in their relationship and face different obstacles. It is unfortunate that Olivia had to compromise her relationship with Dan for the cameras but thankfully it didn't last long and the world soon saw who she was really dating. There was more Jenny in this episode than in past episodes this season but still waiting on a Jenny centered episode. Aside from work, there was nothing going on with Serena and there was no sign of Nate or Vanessa in this episode, which was fine since their story lines are lagging a bit anyway. Overall, it was a good episode!

Flash Forward - Scary Monsters and Super Creeps

Olivia: Trick or Treat...oh.

This was a fairly decent episode. Demetri and Al trying to put more pieces to the puzzle about the flash forward would have been more entertaining if they got further in their blue hand investigation. Demetri is very intelligent but there isn't a good balance of drama and comedy. The comedy seeps in but not enough. Speaking of comedy...what's up with the kangaroo? Will it be explained this season or will this be a series long mystery? Anyway, watching Janis in surgery throughout the episode was nerve wrecking to see. It seemed obvious that Janis would not die in last week's episode but I honestly expected the episode to be set a few days after the shoot out, when she is really healing. So, hopefully in the next few episodes she will be more active. As for the most interesting bit of the episode...Dylan calling Olivia & Mark's home his house now says an awful lot about whatever he saw in his flash forward. I wonder if he knows that his dad is involved in the flash forward. More interesting than the bit of Dylan's flash forward was when Olivia, Mark, and the man Olivia has the affair with in the flash forward met. Mark dismissed the man as kindly as he could and Olivia and Mark had a serious talk about their relationship that actually led somewhere. It looks like the two are breaking up and Olivia's flash forward was not at all an affair but a new healthy relationship...healthy if/until she finds out his involvement in the experiment, err, flash forward. Pretty good episode...but anticipating more.

Vampire Diaries - Haunted

Elena: If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead.
Damon: Yes you would.
Elena: But I'm not.
Damon: Yet.

What a fabulous episode! When Damon overheard the adults talking about catching the vampires, I was glad that one of the brothers was catching up to what was going on. So it is safe to say more will start to happen as Damon & Stefan find out more about the plans the adults have. As for the students...Vicki threatening Elena about her brother, Jeremy was frightening to say the least. The drama really hit the fan at the high school Halloween party. Elena & Stefan had to try to keep Vicki away from everyone and keep Jeremy safe while Damon found out there was something going on with Bonnie! When Stefan staked Vicki, I was unsure what else we would see in the last 15 minutes of the show! Damon resisted his urge to bite Elena and Elena talked to Jeremy about Vicki dying...not so much about the vampireness. Although since Elena allowed Damon to work his hypnosis over Jeremy to help him move on from Vicki, I guess everything was happening so quickly, Jeremy didn't have time to process that completely. Regardless, I loved the way this episode ended. Also, it was great to see Jasmine Guy (A Different World) in this episode again and looking forward to seeing much more of her in future episodes. Looking forward to Arielle Kebbel (John Tucker Must Die) next week!

The Office - Koi Pond

Dwight: Judas!

The haunted house cold open was hilarious! Pam & Andy on a sales mission was exciting to see since they were put in an odd position by the ones they were selling to but soon embraced it. It was quite funny when Andy knew the street a breathing coach, or whatever the title of the lady that taught was talking about. This storyline was much funnier than what was going on back at the office. Michael falling into a a koi pond - err being tripped by Jim and being the butt of the joke was still comedic though. You can always depend on the office to get their hands on what is causing everyone to talk and seeing Jim trip Michael was the most hilarious moment of the episode! What else has Jim done that has been caught on tape that we haven't seen? Dwight talking about Jim being his enemy brought quite a bit of laughs as well. What a standout quote that line was. Great episode and looking forward to the next one!

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - The Gang Wrestles for the Troops

Sweet Dee: Artemis, I'm warning you. if you don't get out of my way right now, I'm gonna bring out the big guns.
Artemis: Oh, hit me with your best shot you stupid biotch.

More often than not, the logic behind what these characters do is completely skewed and this episode was no exception. As if the troops haven't seen enough fighting overseas...and worse, Sweet Dee deciding to meet up with a soldier coming home from Iraq and then literally running away from him when she saw that he was in a wheelchair was funny and sad. Although it was much more funny come to find out his being in a wheelchair was temporary - after she had given him up to Artemis! It was quite comedic when the guys tried to make eagle outfits and they turned out to look more like chickens. Their routine was more tragic than the outfits, especially with Cricket beating them up. It was expected for Frank to come out on top and even still, it was fun to watch. This was an enjoyable episode full of actually more physical comedy than comedy in the dialogue. Either way, still fun to watch!

Ugly Betty - The Wiener, the Bun and the Boob

Betty: Were you just about to hug me?
Marc: Shut up, no.

Daniel's new assistant, Lexi did not look like she would last long from the moment she walked in but her rudeness towards her boss (so quickly) was not expected. Thankfully, Daniel took the high road and told his assistant to become a model so he could take the high road and get out of a ridiculous situation. Speaking of assistants, I was wondering when Marc was going to have to be an assistant for Betty, even if it is just temporary. The two finding out that Daniel and Wilhelmina tossed a coin to decide who would be an editor was somewhat surprising since I didn't expect them to ever find out. The two working on an article together which had the two dress up as a hot dog and bun in the end was just hysterical. Marc helping her save that article (and Daniel's assistant modeling in the article) was full circle success on all ends which was very promising. On a side note, Hilda trying to do sext her boyfriend but emailing everyone was comedic and terrifying but it all worked out? So there's not much to say on that. On another side note, Wilhelmina and Nico helping each other out in this episode was comforting to see but things are going to get messy soon so they had better be prepared to really help each other out. Overall, what a very entertaining and well written episode. This show has always been about entertaining characters but this season it seems like the writing is going another level in character development and I love it. Keep it coming!

WB Gifts This Season

2009-10-30T13:28:00.005-04:00

It's the holiday season and soon enough, you will be buying gifts online or in stores for your family and friends...so here are a few gift ideas from The WB that I wanted to share.

Here's my wish list. What's on your wish list?

DVD Review: Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs

2009-10-30T12:53:00.001-04:00

On October 27th, Fox Home Entertainment released Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs on DVD & Blu-ray!

Release Date: October 27, 2009
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Rating: PG

In the third film in the outrageously popular Ice Age franchise, the sub-zero heroes return for another wild and fun adventure. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while maybe finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth; Diego the saber-toothed tiger wonders if he’s growing too “soft” hanging with his pals and Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna, run amuck, and meet a relentless, one-eyed dino-hunting weasel named Buck. Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs features hilarious performances from Ice Age veterans Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), John Leguizamo (The Happening), Denis Leary (“Rescue Me”), Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees), Seann William Scott (Planet 51) and Josh Peck (“Drake & Josh”), along with newcomers Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”), Jane Lynch (“Glee") and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).

Ice Age 3 opens with what we all have seen in theaters before (acorn chase) and continues with the comedy all throughout. If you thought there wasn't enough funny to bring to another installment of Ice Age, watch this film! Adults will find just as much humor in the film as children will, since there definitely are a few double meanings behind certain jokes. There is some major conflict when a dinosaur picks up Sid and the gang has to search for him while Ellie is pregnant. The scene when she gives birth is full of high energy not only because of the birth, but everyone else is fighting off enemies and saving Sid, bringing him back to safety. There is a very entertaining ending that all will all but even better, there are a number of special features!

“Scrat Pack” Double DVD Pack Special Features:
• Filmmaker Commentary - The commentary is conducted by the director, Carlos Saldanha, co-director, Mike Thurmeier, producers, John Donkin & Lori Forte, art director, Mike Knapp, character designer, Peter DeSève, and supervising animator, Galen Chu. With all of these crew members on board for the commentary, viewers just might be overwhelmed with the incredible amount of information shared. Some of the information is beneficial for those interested in any of these professions above, while other information is just exciting to learn - either way you will not be disappointed.
• Two Scrat Shorts - If you enjoy comedy shorts or need to keep the kids occupied for a short moment, you will enjoy "Gone Nutty – Scrat’s Missing Adventure" and "No Time For Nuts."
• The Sabre-Toothed Squirrel: Natures Nutty Buddy - This short feature teaches kids about squirrels, the sabre-toothed squirrel in particular with fun animation and a narrator that will keep your attention.
• Scrat: From Head To Toe – This is a tutorial for those who want to learn how to draw Scrat. The tutorial involves an introductory interviews with Christopher M, the executive producer. Character designer, Peter DeSève teaches the tutorial, which is very basic and very beneficial. The tutorial doesn't end there, as viewers see the 3D process, animation, and voice recording.
• Scrat: “Breaking Story” & Scrat: “News Report” - These shorts involving actors on the screen and not just as voices could have been left out of the special features since they do not connect with the film enough.
• Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making A Scene - This lengthy feature is a more in depth look into many scenes, including the flower sequence and this feature has the cast and crew members talk about many scenes. We even see some of the actors in the recording studio.
• Falling for Scratte - The crew talks about the creation of this character and why people love the character so much. It was quite fun to watch and see how he developed over the 3 films.
• Buck…Easel to Weasel - This is just like the previous feature, so it really depends on which character you enjoy more to determine which feature you will enjoy more.
• Unearthing the Lost World - The cast and crew discuss the creation of the third installment of Ice Age 3 and this is probably the most interesting feature on the DVD.
• Walk The Dinosaur Music Video - This feature speaks for itself but definitely check it out to see Ice Age in all its musical glory.
• Activities - There are 3 activities, Scrat Pinball, Eggshell, and Bubble Trouble that will be fun for the kids and are enjoyable even after playing one time.

The Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs Standard DVD is available and The Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs Three-Disc release includes the BD, DVD and Digital Copy and provides hours of extra fun for the entire family! Additionally, The Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs “Scrat Pack” Double DVD Pack is available for a limited time only featuring an overload of special features focusing on the determined squirrel including three “Scrat” games exclusive to the disc.

The Office: Subtle Sexuality Webisodes

2009-10-29T09:30:00.003-04:00

The first 3 episodes of the new webisode for The Office premiered online today! Episodes 1, 2, and 3 are now online!

Starring Mindy Kaling, Ed Helms, B.J. Novak, and Ellie Kemper, "Subtle Sexuality” melds the webisode format with a music video. Kelly (Kaling) sets out to realize her celebrity dreams – and stick it to her on-again, off-again boyfriend Ryan (Novak) – by starting a girl group and making a video.

Is Kelly the new Beyonce? Will Ryan get his comeuppance? Can Andy finally find an audience for his acapella skills? Find out now at SubtleSexuality.

Also, check out the making of the webisodes below! Enjoy!

Selena Gomez on UStream

2009-10-28T21:00:00.002-04:00

Selena Gomez is going live on Ustream at 4p Pacific Time/7p Eastern Time on Thursday, Oct. 29, to chat with fans about the Trick-Or-Treat for UNICEF Campaign.

Selena, with the support of her fans, is trying to reach a fundraising goal of $1 million by the end of 2009 for UNICEF. During the webchat, Selena will talk about her recent trip to Ghana on behalf of UNICEF, and ways her fans can help the cause to bring better health and education to children in third-world countries.

Selena will be offering the top three fundraisers as of Nov. 30 a personal phone call, an autographed picture, and an official UNICEF certificate of appreciation.

Make sure to watch and/or interact!!!

Album Review: Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

2009-10-27T23:53:00.001-04:00

November 10, 2009 is a big day for Switchfoot fans, as the band's much anticipated seventh album, Hello Hurricane will be released! If you can't wait to find out what's on the new album, continue reading for an advanced album review.

Hello Hurricane is an album full of heartfelt vocals and lyrics, as the songwriting is as honest and open as it can get. The transition between songs could not be any better and there is a perfect balance of alternative rock songs and ballads which closes out the album. The theme, or anthem of this album is heard loud and clear with the track, The Sound. This is the song that the crowds will go wild at during concerts because the energy is so incredibly high and the message is so inspirational. While inspiration is present in every track, most notably the edgy “Mess of Me” which declares independence, there is not one song in particular that stands out like "Only Hope" or "I Dare You to Move" have from previous albums. Every track is catchy, especially the album opener, Needle and Haystack, which sets the tone of the album beautifully. The lyrics in the more subdued tracks, ballads, Sing It Out and Your Love is a Song will grab you, leaving you singing these songs for days. Enough To Let Me Go and Free are the most relatable and thought provoking tracks on the album that many will probably cover on YouTube. Whether you are a Switchfoot fan from the early days or a new Switchfoot fan, you will enjoy all 12 tracks, which are all crowd pleasers! You are lucky if you see the band play this album live.

_______________________________________
Switchfoot is currently on tour. Check here for dates.

Hello Hurricane will release on November 10, 2009. Pre-order the album now.

Chasing Pirates Music Video Premiere

2009-10-27T19:46:00.004-04:00

Today, VH1 presents the world premiere of the music video for Norah Jones’ “Chasing Pirates,” which will also begin to air on VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown at 9AM ET on Saturday, October 31. “Chasing Pirates” is the lead single from Jones’ highly anticipated upcoming album The Fall, which will be released on November 17th.

The video, which was shot in Jones’ hometown of New York City, was directed by Rich Lee, who has worked on the visual effects for all three of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Lee has also directed music videos by everyone from Fergie (“Clumsy”) to Michael Buble (“Haven’t Met You Yet”).

Jones has also announced a first run of TV appearances around the release of The Fall. The multiple Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter will be appearing on CBS Late Show With David Letterman (November 11), Comedy Central The Colbert Report (November 18), and ABC Good Morning America (November 16) and The View (November 23).

Pre-order the album now.

Find Norah Jones on Facebook and Myspace.

Scream Awards Tonight

2009-10-27T15:04:00.000-04:00

Spike TV’s 4th annual Scream Awards, the ultimate celebration of all things sci-fi, fantasy, horror and comic books will premiere tonight at 10 PM, ET/PT.

The two hour event featured awards presented in 16 different categories. “Star Trek” won six awards, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” won five awards, and “True Blood” and “Twilight” won four awards. Twilight star, Taylor Lautner was on hand to unveil world premiere footage from the forthcoming “Twilight Saga: New Moon.”

Spike TV also debuted world premiere and exclusive never-before-seen footage from highly anticipated theatrical releases, including the upcoming Martin Scorsese directed “Shutter Island,” which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” starring Johnny Depp, and the upcoming “Star Trek” sequel. Also presented was an extensive preview of the forthcoming ABC series, “V.”

The cast of the “Big Bang Theory” introduced a tribute to one of the decade’s most influential science fiction series, “Battlestar Galactica” as the cast came together for a moving reunion.

There was much more excitement that you can catch tonight on Spike TV!

TV Week In Review

2009-10-26T21:00:00.002-04:00

*Reviews May Contain Spoilers*

Desperate Housewives - The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues

Lynette: A man just gave me a credit card because of my boobs. That must make me feel less like a hooker.

This is an episode that reminds me why I love this show so much! What a revelation to find out from Andrew accidentally that Julie quit med school to become a waitress since she did not know what she wanted to do with her life and she was dating a married man! What a surprise it was to learn this and that the man she is dating is Dominic, Daniel's dad. Pervert! I wonder if this piece of gossip will be spread by either in the relationship or Dominic's son who put the pieces to the puzzle together. I have a feeling Dominic's wife is not so innocent either and it is mutual. As for her bribing Porter to throw her son, Danny a party so that he could be more social in the midst of this Julie conflict...that was quite funny. I laughed so hard when Porter said, "Anything for my good friend, Danny." There was such a great balance of drama and comedy in this episode. It was quite comedic to see Gabby all flustered about John and her niece, Anna together. I wasn't expecting John to tell Gabby that he still wanted her, nor was I expecting Anna to be so understanding towards Gabby. Someone who is not understanding is Katherine. Bree trying to help Katherine come to her senses about Mike never being with her again almost worked until she saw the wedding cake that she made for her and Mike go to another couple. Thankfully, Bree let Katherine go so she could come to her senses in due time. Hopefully Katherine does not torture Bree or Susan. Someone who is doing the exact opposite is Lynette. She is spreading goodness everywhere she goes with her new twins. Lynette and Carlos talking about the twins, Lynette about her babies and Carlos about chest was hilarious! Lynette playing into it was entertaining however, she has to tell Carlos she is pregnant at some point. At this point, every story line is as interesting as the last and they all intertwine beautifully and I cannot wait to see what else happens and how certain things unfold. Great job writers, I am loving every moment.

Heroes - Tabula Rasa

Hiro: There are no bad powers, Emma. You just have to understand them. And when you do, you will learn to use your power to do good things in the world.

What a very captivating episode. I enjoyed every moment. Peter goes to HRG & Claire for help in saving Hiro which leads Peter & HRG to finding a boy who is a healer that HRG once studied with the company. Although once they get to the boy, Jeremy, they find out that his power progressed and he can not only heal but do the reverse. Although to prevent a less painful death, he carried a gun and ended up shooting Peter. Thankfully, Jeremy dug deep into his healing side and healed Peter as Peter gained his healing power and went off to save Hiro. However by the time Peter got back to the hospital, Hiro had already went off to right his wrong with Charlie at the Burn Toast Diner in Texas. What will it take for Hiro to understand that no matter how he spins certain things, those certain events are meant to happen? While it will feel great to see Charlie again, in the end this will only hurt him more. He should just stick with mentoring new heroes, like the deaf woman. Someone who is in need of serious guidance as Nathan and not as Sylar is Sylar although unfortunately Damien is brought in to show Sylar is true memories. Sylar sees that he is responsible for killing his mother and so many others making him incredibly overwhelmed with what he has seen. Shortly after, the detective in search of Sylar comes to the circus and is supposed to be killed by Sylar but it is done by the sword guy whose name escapes me. Once the detective is safe, according to the circus he is safe now and then becomes part of their family. The circus has no idea what they are about to create. I'd say the Nathan - Sylar days, the days where Sylar is in Matt's head...I would say those days are pretty much over now. We missed a few characters in this episode but the only one I really cared about that was missing was Matt. So much happened in this episode and I am anticipating watching everything progress next week.

One Tree Hill - Deep Ocean Vast Sea

Nathan: Haley, if I'm guilty of this, not only am I the kind of guy that would cheat on you...I'm the kind of guy that would father a child and then turn his back. I'm Dan Scott. If you think I'm capable of that, you do what you have to do but I guarantee you, if you've lost faith in me...all the money in the world isn't going to fix it.

Alex being serious about her screenplay was great to see but she still needs to learn how to think before she talks because Millie is not a plus size model. Even though Brooke has fired her (took long enough), I want Julian to still work on Alex's screenplay because she was starting to take things seriously and only more good can come out of that for her. Julian will help make Alex a more respectable person at least business wise. As for Brooke...all I have to say is that my heart broke when I saw the picture of Brooke & Peyton from their high school days. I miss Peyton & Lucas! Ugh. Moving on so as not to dwell on it so much, Dan coming to the woman who is pregnant with Nathan's child to spread the news on his show is ridiculous. Rachel is no better. In fact, if it weren't for her, I'm sure Dan wouldn't have done many things he did since they have been together. Please let there be an alternative positive motive for Dan doing what he is doing because this is so unnecessary otherwise. Also unnecessary was Haley paying the woman, Renee so thankfully she didn't. As for Mouth & Millie while I am rooting for them, it seems as though their relationship is coming to an end...they are just so distant, so hopefully we can see their relationship come back together and work or hurry up and end. Also, no diet pills Millie! No! Last and least, Clay is such a great guy, respecting Nathan's wishes and not talking to Quinn but Clay can do better than Quinn when you really think about it. She doesn't know what she wants or at least doesn't appreciate what she has when she has it.

Gossip Girl - Enough About Eve

Chuck: Do you really think I've never kissed a guy before.

It was nice to see Vanessa reach out to her mother about the toast but it seemed like she did it too soon since Olivia was actually chosen for the freshman toast, which was a surprise. Although Vanessa lying to Dan saying that Olivia was freaking out about meeting his parents so that he could change the date with Olivia and she would make the speech was wrong. She also is wrong for lying to Olivia. Some friend she is. She was smart for how she got Blair out of the way but really, the speech is not that important and she could have called her mother to let her know that they chose a celebrity instead. As for Blair, it was cruel for Blair to try to speak at the freshman toast just for popularity while Vanessa would speak from the heart. Phases 1 & 2 of her plans worked well, phase 2 with the help of Chuck. However Blair playing Chuck out in Phase 3 was not only wrong in general but especially wrong to Chuck. In the end, they both lost and deservedly so. Speaking of Olivia earlier, it was nice to see her meet the family in the end. Speaking of the new family...Serena came home last, leaving behind the Nate-Carter conflict. She helped Carter in the end but she couldn't help Nate from his boring, predictable storyline. This episode overall was very interesting as it showed everyone's true colors but I have a feeling this is only the beginning of that. Gina Torres cast as Vanessa's mom was a great choice and hopefully this isn't the last we will see of her.

90210 - Unmasked

Deb: No, Listen to me. She likes you. That's why she's confiding in you. And you need to stop being so obtuse and face what's going on. I'm going to yoga. I need to calm down.

Naomi trying to get into school by using that boy for college but crushing on his room mate was quite comedic. Great storyline in this episode. Naomi is always entertaining. Which I can't say for Annie at all this season. There is absolutely no furthering along in Annie's storyline. As far as her brother goes, I knew Dixon would break up with his girlfriend because of her making him choose her over his friends. Although I didn't know she would pull the "I'm pregnant" line to stay in the relationship. On one hand, I highly doubt she is pregnant she just is hurt by the breakup but on the other hand, if she is pregnant, how long ago did she find out? Anyway, as for an even older crowd...Kelly never denied having feelings for Harry so it looks like this will cause more problems if she does (which it looks like) and tells the truth. Kelly just has issues with seeing other people happy and/or doing something with their lives. She needs not be jealous of Harry & Debbie's relationship and she needs to let Silver be content caring for their sick mother. Everyone being sympathetic because of Silver's mom is exactly what Silver needs at this time, support.

Melrose Place - Windsor

David: My dad's not the miracle worker that you and your med school buddies put on a pedestal, I'm sorry.
Lauren: Well you know what David, no father's perfect.
David: He never had an interest in being my father Laur.

David offering to loan Lauren the money for the program without letting their friendship become complicated was a great gesture but Lauren quickly became more invested in David and found out about his stealing. Will David continue to steal? I'm sure he will...Lauren doesn't seem like she will stop being a prostitute. Somehow more interesting though was Daphne Zuniga who came back to her MP roots in this episode. She photographed Riley but wasn't loving Riley as a model (even though Ella was) and Riley wasn't enjoying it either - which was expected. Although Riley talking to Auggie when she got home was the real damper of Riley's night as she will most likely find out about Jonah going to see the business woman that is offering to help make Jonah's film a feature film. Violet was just an odd distraction in this episode, her story line quite forgettable in this episode. Overall, there was nothing fascinating about this episode, which was somewhat disappointing. However, seeing Daphne Zuniga made up for that.

Glee

Listen to the latest episode of Gleek Squad Podcast.

Flash Forward - Gimme Some Truth

Jana: This isn't a me, you thing Maya. This is a me thing.

While this episode did not contain much action, except for the ending, it was still exciting to get more information about the President and Agent Janis. I am very interested to see what the President's future holds, what exactly happened that the guard was going to tell him in his flash forward. The woman who saw herself as President obviously has to tie in with whatever the guard was telling the President. So seeing what is happening on a politics level really makes the viewers more connected to everyone having the flash forwards and how it effects everyone. As for Janis, it was quite revealing to find out that Janis is a lesbian and dating Maya (Navi Rawat, The OC) because it makes it even more of a mystery as to who the father is to the baby she is pregnant with in her flash forward. Hopefully it is safe to say that the one gunshot wound in the shoot out at the end did not kill her...otherwise she would not have gotten a flash forward. Right? The shoot out at the end with Janis, Mark, Stanford, and Demetri was terrible. It was the most exciting part of the episode though! Perhaps these were the same people who end up killing Demetri. Overall, this episode was heavily filled with more furthering of 2 story lines with little action as opposed to furthering along many story lines, so that was disappointing and yet still a decent episode.

The Office - The Lover

Oscar: You have no sense of boundaries Michael.

It is a wonder how Michael Scott is still the boss. His crazy antics makes me laugh yes, but I continue to think the same thing every week that in reality, his craziness would never last in the office. The blind man role, wow. Pam finding out Michael is sleeping with Pam's mom made me just as upset as she was. It was so upsetting to see Pam so upset. Having the entire office find out and being on Pam's side first and then Michael's side...hmmm. Pam is completely right for being upsetting and acting out the way that she did for the record. Angela's face when Pam said that Michael could still sleep with Oscar's mom (even though Oscar's mom is in a wheelchair) to try to get her point across, even though she took it back, Angela's face was hysterical! Seeing Pam so upset that she cursed on screen, wow. That's a first. Michael really has no friends but that still doesn't make it right for Michael as a boss to be dating relatives of the employees. This was a great episode! It had a few funny moments but it was very tense given the situation Pam was put in because of Michael. I wonder what the tension will be like next week.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - The World Series Defense

Mac: Bro, I can do way more push ups than you and that is like 16 different muscle groups.
Dennis: That is beyond retarded what you are saying right now. I can do way more push ups than you, even though I was just hit by a car.

The introduction made me shake my head and laugh out loud but even funnier was Charlie throughout the entire episode. Charlie stole the show last week and he did again this week. Everything he said and did was incredibly hilarious. It was great to see him in his green man suit! It's been awhile since he whipped it out. Although it was more entertaining to see everything that happened that day. Having the gang narrate their world series story in court and watching it happen was quite entertaining, especially the gang throwing in extra bits to make sure the judge was paying attention. Obviously there are no boundaries for the gang as they threw themselves in front of cars to get tickets to the game. It would have been something else to see how the gang survived 6 days in the linen room! What a very chaotic and amusing episode!

Ugly Betty - Blue On Blue

Amanda: I guess I was stupid to think that you actually wanted to hear what I had to say.

Amanda was right on the money when she said, "They are so in love, it's disgusting" about Matt & Betty. Soon enough they will get back together. Although thanks to Marc knowing about Betty's business meeting, his plan was key to bringing her down at this moment in time. Marc was clever for having Matt & Amanda on a business date at Frankie's while Betty was doing the same. It brought her down. Although it is tough seeing Betty in sticky situations like this because it feels like after all of this time at Mode, she would know better how to conduct herself, she would be able to see through Marc and more. Amanda and Betty had to put the pieces to the puzzle together and he thankfully Marc had to pay for it a bit with both of them putting him in the doghouse. Betty is right, Marc needs to act his age. Anyway, as for the other story lines...Wilhelmina trying to get to Connor to get her money was one thing but were you expecting Connor to tell her that he was waiting for her when she was ready to come back to him? It makes sense but it was still shocking for some reason. As for shock, I did not know that Jamie Lynn Sigler was going to appear on the show and wonder if this guest appearance is for this episode alone or multiple episodes. Regardless, her character worked into Daniel's story line for a moment is helping Daniel heal, so that is good. Overall, this was a great episode, more drama less comedy but it works because it shows that this season is really furthering character development. Looking forward to next week.

Dollhouse - Belonging

Priya: This secret we have, can you keep it?
Topher: I can keep it. But I don't know if I can live with it.
Priya: I know I can't. But I don't have to.

Finally seeing Sierra's story of how she came to the dollhouse was amazing! Nolan wanted her and he got her but in the end, he found out the hard way that he can't keep Sierra as his prisoner. Nolan threatening Adele with letting Sierra go upset Topher more than it upset Adele and Topher had good reason to be highly upset. Topher imprinting who Sierra really is, Priya was a move I probably would have made in Topher's place too. Although after Priya killed Nolan, I did not expect Boyd to come and help clean up the the mess that was made and bring Priya back to the dollhouse with this secret between Topher. Is this a one time thing or do Topher & Boyd have other secrets and will Boyd tell Topher what he knows about Echo? I don't like Boyd finding out what Echo does to remember what's really going on but in a sense, I enjoy seeing it because it hints at what is to come. I wish it would hurry up and come already (having seen the 13th episode of Season 1, I am itching for more). Anyway, in this episode, we have learned that Victor & Echo were dolls before Sierra. By the way, Victor's Italian accent was enjoyable to hear. We also learned that Sierra was a paranoid schizophrenic before joining the dollhouse and has since been in the dollhouse for a year. I wonder how long Victor has been in the dollhouse. Speaking of the lovebirds, Victor and Sierra in the shower was interesting because Sierra said Victor was like an Indian chief, he said he was jokingly, and then there's a memory of fighting as a soldier. What was that all about? What they say they are is willed into them temporarily or was that a memory? What a powerful back story coming to the forefront for an episode.

This is It Premiere

2009-10-26T18:46:00.004-04:00

Michael Jackso's This is It will be making its worldwide premiere this Wednesday, October 28, 2009 and fans around the world will have a chance to interact with a live red carpet webcast for the movie's premiere at 4:30p PT on Tuesday, Oct. 27 live from Los Angeles on Ustream and Facebook.

Don't miss it!

DVD Review: Orphan

2009-10-26T13:10:00.000-04:00

Orphan had a successful theater release in July 2009, making over $12 million its opening weekend and this week, the film should have very successful DVD sales as the film releases nationwide tomorrow!

Release Date: October 27, 2009
Rating: R, Bonus Features Not Rated
Runtime: 123 minutes

Tragedy seems to follow nine-year-old Esther. She was orphaned in her native Russia. Her last adoptive family perished in a fire Esther barely escaped. But now the Coleman family has adopted her, and life is good. Until a classmate takes a serious fall from a slide. Until an orphanage nun is battered to death. And until Esther?s new mom wonders if that tragic fire was an accident. From Dark Castle Productions comes Orphan, bringing stunning new twists to the psychological thriller and locking audiences in a tightening vise of mystery, suspicion and terror. You?ll never forget Esther. So sweet. So intelligent. So creative. So disturbed.

Orphan was quite entertaining! This thriller definitely deserved its R rating for its graphic violence but aside from that, this was much more psychological and very character driven as every character is complex in their own unique way. Isabelle Fuhrman portrays the creepy psychopath, Esther incredibly well. All of the child actors in the film give remarkable performances that will blow you away. The Coleman children are manipulated by Esther into keeping secrets of Esther’s evil deeds, which is horrifying to see and yet it reels the viewers in, rooting for the children to break out of Esther’s manipulation. The adults also portray very moving performances, as viewers will be rooting for Kate (Vera Farmiga) and screaming at John (Peter Sarsgaard) for his lack of trust in Kate and disconnect with everything that is going on around him. The setting of the story was perfect and the shots of winter were beautiful. While a few moments are fairly predictable and a few moments might come off as more comedic than terrifying, overall the screenplay is written very well and the story moves along at a fair pace even though the running time is just over two hours. Orphan is a film that you will better enjoy when you watch with a group of people, however either way, this is one entertaining film.

Special Features:
Deleted Scenes - In the first deleted scene, the family is at the dinner table fooling around, so I am glad that it was deleted because it did not further the storyline in any way. In the second deleted scene, Esther and her adopted mother, Kate are at the supermarket and see the lady who was flirting with Kate's husband, John. After the lady leaves, Esther tells Kate that she was flirting with John. That scene was a great scene because it holds a certain purpose at that time and then when you find out the ending, you realize that in this moment Esther was really looking out for herself, getting that lady out of the way. I really enjoyed this scene. In the third deleted scene, Esther was hiding and a homeless man almost saw her. I am unsure where this scene fits into the film. In the fourth deleted scene, Daniel tells his father that he saw Esther and Max in the treehouse but John shows him that he has the keys to the treehouse but after Daniel leaves, John checks his safe to make sure his gun is secure. This definitely needed to be deleted since it would have completely changed the level of trust the father showed for Esther.

Alternate Ending - In the alternate ending, Esther is doing her makeup in her bedroom while singing as the police are surrounding the inside of the house. She then walks down the stairs to say, "Hello, my name is Esther" and because she looks like an innocent child to the police, they take her aside to safety. Thankfully, this was not the ending. For those who want to see Esther win in the end, this is the ending to watch.

Get Orphan on Blu-ray, DVD, On Demand & Digital Download October 27, 2009.

White Collar Premiere Week: Matt Bomer & Tim DeKay Interviews

2009-10-23T21:17:00.001-04:00

White Collar Premiere Week continues as USA's brand new series premieres tonight at 10/9c! Everyday this week, I have presented interviews with the cast and crew of White Collar, and today's post is the joint interview with Actors, Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay.

On Filming in New York:
Matt: New York can’t be replicated. The energy of it, the architecture, the cabs honking and cursing you out right before they call “action.” It just can’t be replicated anywhere else and I think it’s so inherently a character in any film or TV show that takes place there. So, it’s just an unbelievable blessing to get to work here and feed off that energy. It just informs the show so much and the characters so much and the rhythm so much.

What did you think about your character initially?
Matt: Well, what I loved about him from the get go, was that he was flawed. He wasn’t—I mean, he had this—he has this veneer of the charming, hyper-intelligent, eloquent, sly mastermind, but underneath, he was really a kind of diehard romantic who would go to any lengths to find the love of his life. Not only was that his motivating force, but it was also kind of his Achilles heel, because then it ends up getting him caught and—but I liked the fact that, even though the fun he puts on is so suave and debonair, underneath there’s somebody who is also—has a hard time—has always really relied on himself and doesn’t really trust a lot of people.

Are there elements of your character that match up with your own personality?
Matt: I don’t want to say zero, because I mean, I guess we all like to think of ourselves as romantics. But, I like to think of myself as romantic and I guess I understood that part of him and that’s—that to me, has always been the driving force. I mean, his compliance with the FBI and all that stuff, ultimately is really so he can get closer to Kate and find her.

So, to me, that’s the core of the character and that’s the part that I relate to the most. The suave and debonair stuff is, you know, really fun to get to play, but I would say that I fall short of the Neal Caffrey bar in terms of that.

Neal lies with ease and sort of breezes through life but what do you think, besides romanticism, are his redeeming qualities?
Matt: I want people to—I don’t want people to think he’s the perfect guy. I want his flaws to come out, because that’s what it means to be a human being. Human beings are good, they have shadow, every single one of us has redeeming qualities and every single one of us has qualities that people can hold against us. That’s what makes us human.

I’m not interested in playing characters who are perfect or who are, you know—I think the fact that he does try to create that life for himself, is what makes him human and is his redeeming quality. Because he’s trying to cover up for ultimately a life before that that was really, as a kid, probably really unfulfilling. And, he—that’s his way of controlling and controlling his environment, controlling his life, having some sense of control. And, you know, I think he’s some—but he—I don’t think he’s somebody, he is somebody who wants to have fun in any given circumstances.

So, if he has the option of $700 a month getting him a flat in the ghetto, or an amazing house with Diahann Carroll as my landlady, that’s what I’m going to choose. He finds that. He has—he—I mean, he just puts that in his circle, that’s what he finds, he finds a way to live life to the fullest on whatever he’s given. Because I think when he was younger, he did not have any of those things. I think he’s somebody who from a very early age, had to fend for himself.

As the season goes on are we going to see more of his back story? Like, where did he learn it all and how did he go from a guy who’s just trying to make his girlfriend happy, to...?
Matt: You know, I hope, honestly, that that can come out in certain moments through my performance. I want the character to maintain mystery. I want him to—if I had my way, I would hope that by the end of—if we were blessed enough that by the end of the last episode of the seventh season, you still wouldn’t know everything about Neal Caffrey and you still wouldn’t know if he was playing you or if he was telling you the truth.

But, you know, his profession, I don’t like to think of it as a con artist, I think of it as a social engineer. I think he’s probably somebody who from a very early age, had to find out a way to get himself to school and probably first learned how to lie to people as a kid, to get his bus fare, you know, and it only grew from there.

On Research:
Matt: Well, I don’t want to give away all of the secrets of the research I did, but what I can tell you is I read a lot of books. Everything from, you know, obviously Frank Avengale’s memoir, Catch Me If You Can, to a lot of just books about social engineering. Most of them written by people who were in the same circumstances. A guy named Kevin Mitnick, who wrote a book called The Art of Deception that was very informative to me and he was a social engineer who them became—he, you know, does some kind of high tec computer software engineering. Because from a very early age, he had to fend for himself and he learned how to break into all the computers before they had any kind of security that could defend against it. So now he develops that kind of software.

I also tried to get some inspiration from films of the same ilk and the same genre. Everything from, you know, Danny Ocean in Oceans 11, to Cary Grant’s character in To Catch a Thief, with even a little bit of Ferris Bueller thrown in there.

What are some elements of White Collar that help it stand apart from other crime dramas that we see on TV?
Matt: The signature of USA Network is, characters welcome. So, first and foremost, you’re gong to get all the great procedural stuff. It’s really intelligently written. I’m no fool, I know this is a writer’s medium. You can put the biggest stars on the TV screen, but if the writing’s not there, the shows aren’t going to last and we’re so blessed to have Jeff Easton at the helm. Because these scripts are really smart and fun and unique. The White Collar world is unique, hasn’t really been completely explored yet and so you’re going to get all the fun procedural stuff, but at the same time, there’s going to be a lot of character elements that come into play as well. That keep it light and fun and sometimes serious.

So, you do get more back story elements and a lot of interplay, fun interplay between characters that you might not get on a show that’s straight procedural.

Do you think Neal is a good guy or should be liked?
Matt: As an actor, you can never judge the character you’re playing. If you approach a character from a place of judgment, you’re really digging yourself a hole as an actor. So, what I try to focus on is who he is and what motivates him and play the truth of it. I really can’t concern myself whether people like him or don’t like him or think he’s a good guy or a bad guy. I can only play what’s written in the given circumstances.

On Audition Process:
Matt: I’m sure they had probably a pretty big list of actors. I came in and did the initial read and then I tested once, they still weren’t sure if they wanted me for the part and then I tested again and then got the part. And then—is it okay for me to say all that stuff? [laughs] Somebody might get mad at me in the network. But, what’s great about the network, is they really take their time to find the people they really believe in and you really got to win them over. And, that was really, ultimately, a very rewarding process for me.

I had had the part for a little bit and then we went to find Peter and from the minute Tim stepped in the room and the first word that came out of his mouth, I was, like, I said, this is our guy, you know, he’s amazing. Tim’s such a wonderful actor and such an amazing human being and a real blessing to get to work with every day. He has this Midwestern quality about him, this sort of wholesome quality that you can’t teach anybody. You either have it or you don’t and it plays so intrinsically into the character, because as gruff as he is and as hard as he is, you also believe that his heart is soft enough that he would ultimately empathize with somebody like Neal.

So, I think that’s what I recognized right away and just his playfulness and he got what was funny about the character. He got what was interesting about the character. He got what made their interplay interesting and I feel really lucky to get to work with him.

Are you having fun wearing all the different costumes?
Matt: I have to say, I think the wardrobe really informs the character greatly. I mean, you know, when I put on one of those suits, like, you feel like one of the Rat Pack guys, you feel that kind of—yeah, and the fedora especially, when you get it down over one eye and you feel like maybe you can trust me, maybe you can’t. There’s something about that that really helped me kind of get into the skin of the character.

Do you watch Dollhouse?
Matt: I watch it whenever I can to support Eliza, yeah, but she’s fantastic on it. Gorgeous and hot and all the stuff she should be on that show. It’s really cool, I mean, I think Joss is obviously an amazing mind. So, the stuff they’re kind of unfolding on that show has been really interesting and cool.

You both have had a lot of experience working with a lot of different television networks. How is working with USA? They very strongly support their dramas. You know in thirteen episodes, you’re not going to come in to work and find out some show is already canceled.
Matt: It doesn’t stop. That is a great feeling, artistically, it’s a great feeling to know that you’ve got—you know, go do thirteen, go do a bunch, as opposed to oh, we got four and they didn’t kill us yet, we got four more, they didn’t kill us yet. So, you feel, there’s a comfort there and I think they stay true to their logo, characters welcome. They—as opposed to some other networks I’ve worked on, namely HBO, it was more—HBO, interesting, they shot all of their episodes before they aired the first one.

So, they were much more concerned about the art of the entire season and—but it feels like USA is more concerned about the characters. I think that’s what drives their shows. So it’s fun, as an actor, it’s great.

Tim: I really believe Bonnie Hammer is one of the best minds working in the entertainment industry today and I think the network, you know, it all bleeds down from the top. And, I think they really take their time with material, with casting, this—you know, this was not something that—where we were cast, we’re shooting the next day.

They really believe, only pick a handful of things to do and really believe in them when they do. And, then support them when they’re there. I don’t feel like I’m on a network where there are seven pilots that have been picked up that I have to compete with for the network’s attention. They have been so hands on, they’ve been so supportive from the get go and just having that feeling to kind of bolster your confidence as an actor and knowing that they believe in you, it really does help on the set.

Neal and Pete have such a—like, a married personality and they almost have a bromance. How will that play out as the series progresses?
Tim: There’s an odd respect that we both enjoy and we know that each other enjoys solving something. Now Peter looks at it different, solving something than Neal does and Peter is aware of that. So, he can have Neal perhaps do something that shouldn’t really be done, but he does it. And, I think that out of that, they deep, deep, deep down inside, like each other.

Peter hunted, for lack of a better term, for years before he actually caught him four years before the pilot took place. Yet it seemed as though he really kind of agreed very quickly to team up with him. Why do you think Peter agreed to that as quickly as he did?
Tim: I think he agreed because we only had that prison location for two days. [laughs] I asked myself that same thing. My wife helps me with that, but there is—in addition to solving the cases, and in addition to liking each other and having a very close bond, there’s another element here and that’s Kate.

That was a factor when Elizabeth tells Peter. Peter’s saying, there’s more to this than just some lost love thing. And, she asks him, “Really? You think so? You wouldn’t do this for me?”

And now that he's with me, I can ask him all these questions that I’ve been dying to ask and even though I envy his lifestyle, to a degree...this is kind of neat. I mean, Batman now can have the Joker, the Riddler, whomever you want to be with him.

Matt: And, there’s the opposite too, sorry to interrupt you. There’s the opposite too in that I am—I envy and find fascinating his family—his domestic family life. I’m fascinated by what’s it like to have a real family and a life where you can just settle down and you have breakfast together in the morning and all this. Because I don’t think I ever understood those kind of things.

It seemed like the chemistry between the two characters though was that aspect of, you were his nemesis and he spent so long chasing you, that he came to know you and to respect you. You had to put so much effort into finding him and he had to put so much effort into evading you, that it was almost a relationship built in that aspect. And, now suddenly it’s, like, what’s he really like?
Tim: You’re right, we kind of knew each other. He sent me birthday presents. And, then the other element that’s great, that’s written in this, is that there’s no—the whole element of violence is not in it. You know, so it’s—so that sense of being together could—is he going to pull a knife on me? Pull a gun—that’s just not in there. So, it’s not that—

Matt: It’s also not Neal’s nature either. He’s not a gun guy, he’s not a knife guy, he’s a mind guy.

Obviously as an actor, any previous role you have on your resume, kind of helps you get the next job. We saw a few kind of hints of Bryce, that very kind of suave—like, now I’m here, now I’m not, kind of thing going. Do you think other than just the fact that it was something on your resume, do you think that role kind of helped you get this role?
Matt: Oh, I don’t think I ever could have played Neal Caffrey if I hadn’t placed Bryce Larkin because he helped me understand sort of the espionage aspect of—he showed—helped me understand the smoother—yeah, the more espionage aspects of the character and when he has to go undercover and things like that. And, sort of he’s cool under pressure and those kind of things and just maneuvering in that world and never really knowing who he can trust or if you can trust him either. So, it was definitely very helpful.

Were you surprised when Bryce came back for the first time?
Matt: Well, Chris had said something to me when we were filming the pilot and he’d said something kind of off the cuff and very surreptitious about it. But, he said something about, you know, “You know he’s not dead, right?” I said, “Oh, okay.” And so, you know, that’s one of those things that you file away and go okay, and then—I knew I was coming back in flashbacks and then when they called to tell me that I was coming back to life. [laughs] I was being reanimated, I was just really pleasantly surprised and really thankful.

Do you have a favorite scene or stand out moment?
Matt: I know there’s too many to choose from right now. I really like—we have a stake out scene in one of the first episodes, it’s really, really fun. A lot of this stuff, when we go undercover together and we have to—and I, of course, get us into trouble and Peter has to bail us out or we have to use—any of that stuff where we’re just kind of given free rein to be silly and fun and playful and—we just understand the dynamics inherently, all that stuff is just criminally fun to film. No pun intended. Well, I should let Tim answer.

Tim: No, I’d have to agree, I was going to say that one. There—you know, what? If I could say one scene, probably that one. I think what’s really fun are the—between Matt and myself, I feel it’s just little moments here and there. Just—and not necessarily in one particular scene, just—

Matt: And sometimes it’s not planned, we don’t even know they’re there and—

Tim: Yeah, they just, boom, they’re there. Those are the ones that you really look forward to.

Neal seems almost as invested in Peter’s relationship with his wife as Peter is. We saw the aspect in the Pilot of Neal helping Peter discover his romantic side and learn more about her. Does that continue? Is there, like, a Cyrano de Bergerac thing going on here?
Tim: Yeah, it does continue.

Matt: Sometimes, yeah, I mean, I wouldn’t say it’s a steady theme in every episode, but it definitely happens and my—certainly my fascination with what it is to have this picket fence life, is alive.

As for Neal, once he’s done doing what he needs to do. Do you think that he’ll try to change his life and be a, you know, a good guy? Or do you think that he’ll just revert back to being this criminal?
Matt: I would hope he’d always maintain some of his mystery and that you’d never really a hundred percent feel like—he’d always be a little slippery. But, I would love, as the series progresses, down the road, for him to really understand, I think he’s starting to, to understand the rewards of doing what he’s doing and helping out and how he can use certain skills that he taught himself, to—for a better purpose. I think that’s the better moral story to tell, but I’m excited. I trust Jeff Easton a hundred and fifty percent and wherever he wants to take the character, I’m happy to go.

On Audition Process:
Tim: I had just come off of Tell Me You Love Me from HBO and some scripts were being sent and I read this one. I was reading and was not offered, so I’ve got to be clear on this, but there was some interest for the show The Middle with Patty Heaton and it was right at the same time and then I got this and I was shooting New Adventures of Old Christine when I auditioned for this. And, I went in, there was a chemistry read and there were about, I don’t know, a dozen of us in the waiting room. And I won’t say any names, but you’d recognize all these guys. After that, I went in and I read with Matt and right away, oh, oh, oh, this is mine! And, it just kept going. So I read with Matt and then I was cast and then we read with, I don’t know, twenty or thirty women to play my wife.

On Favorite Moment in Pilot:
Tim: There were a couple of moments. All of the moments with Matt, listen, the show to me —it’s not me, it’s not Matt, it’s that energy in between Matt and me. So there were just a lot of fun moments where we were talking and what have you. There was that, specifically I couldn’t think of one. But, I do have to say, the other fun moment for me, was when I bust through the door and all the FBI agents are coming in, it’s this long dolly track. And, it’s just one of those moments where you played it out a thousand times in your backyard.

Have the writers explored or have you thought about why Peter became an FBI agent?
Tim: Yeah, I talked to Jeff Easton about this and he has a very specific back story about it, which I agreed with a hundred percent. But, there’s another part of Peter. I think that Peter came from a very working class background, but was incredibly smart. I say that Peter and Neal both scored exceedingly high on their SATs. I think Neal shared it with quite a few people. Peter was embarrassed to tell people, because where he lived, it just wasn’t cool.

So, there is that and because Peter has that sensitivity, I think he grew up watching people and watching behavior. So, combined with his intelligence and just cerebrally, he’s also intuitive to people. Like, when he asks the question, I think—I hope you see it, I ask a question, and it really doesn’t matter what the answer is, it’s that second right after you ask it. So, you stay with somebody and then it doesn’t matter what they say, it’s their initial reaction and I think Peter kind of grew up that way.

Plus he was really good at math and I went to school with a lot of guys who were accounting majors and then the FBI said, “Hey, do you want to help us solve white collar crimes?” But, not the glamorous, sexy ones that we solve, the ones where, you know, somebody’s embezzled some money. And a lot of those guys were ex-jocks too and I think Peter’s an ex-jock.

Which one of Peter's character traits were you best able to personally relate to?
Tim: He loves to solve a good case. I love that. I used to watch Columbo with my dad and used to try to be ahead of it. You know, it’s always fun to be ahead of—I love any espionage movie, any spy movie. Like, oh, no, why did they—why did they cut to that guy? Oh, he shouldn’t have told her that. He said that because he really means this and—I love that. And, I think there’s a joy that Peter has in solving the crimes. That’s why he works late, because he loves it.

Did you get to talk to real life FBI agents?
Tim: I did, I did. They give you some inside scoop and—the guy that I talked to, he said he would get Christmas cards from people that were in prison, that he had put in prison. And, there were times where he’d have to go to somebody’s house and arrest them and he’d knock on the door and the wife would answer and he knew the wife, because he got to know them and he said he remembers a moment where he comes in, knocks on the door, the wife answers. She says, “Oh, no.” He said, “Yeah.” He said, “You know, —I’ll give you guys a few minutes, but I’ll be outside.” It’s that fine line between, you know, where you cross it all the time between the good guy and the bad guy.

Do you think that Peter will eventually truly trust Neal in not have any distractions, like finding Kate or anything else?
Tim: I don’t know...that’s up to the writers. I don’t know if Peter will every truly trust Neal, I don’t know. We’ll have to see, but it’s interesting you mention Kate, because I think that is the key to that. I don’t know, I don’t know. Right now, right now, I think Peter thinks, I’ll never trust that guy completely, I’ll never trust him, never trust him. And, I also think, as an actor, I need to feel that way because that keeps the tension.

You seem to have a pretty good relationship or you have really good chemistry with Tiffani. What’s it like kind of working with her and was that chemistry pretty much inherent from the first time?
Tim: It was, the second we met, it was there. The casting director we both knew very well. And, so I think the cast—and the casting director said nice things about ourselves to the other person and it was just there. It was there and she’s a pro. She knows her work and does it well and she’s married, I’m married, there’s a nice comfort there. In my past show, it was intense, the relationship stuff that I had to do in Tell Me You Love Me. So, I really enjoy doing this, it’s not nearly as intense as that.

How much leeway do you have with scripts or with input that you and maybe Matt have on your characters?
Tim: We’ve got quite a bit of input. There’s an open door there with the other writers, but by the time it comes to us, they’ve spent a lot of time on it. So, it’s up to us to make those words work and if they really can’t, then you make a call and say hmm, this isn’t working. But they always give us leeway to improv in between and to snap back and forth with each other.

So you’re more than halfway through filming, how does violence come into play or not come into play as the season goes on?
Tim: If there is a murder, you will see it after the fact. You will not have seen it happen and you’ll never flashback to have seen it happen. And if there is blood, somebody on the show will not like it, will not like to see the blood.

And, the other thing is, I have to say, is that you’ll see—like in the pilot, you’ll see a gorgeous part of New York. You will not see somebody killed on a stoop and then, you know, two guys in raincoats coming up and talking about it and then going and investigating.

You’re originally from Up State New York, is it good to be back in NY?
Tim: It’s fantastic. I love California, I love LA, I love my family and friends that I have out there, but I miss the seasons that the east offers. Because no matter how your life is going, no matter what is going on, who knows what the wind and leaves changing will bring you? I mean, I always feel that way, it’s like—something else is going to happen and you don’t kind of get that in LA. It’s just nice.

Let’s say a few seasons from now, Jeff approaches you and says, do you want to be a producer or direct? Would you be open to that?
Tim: Completely, completely, I would love to direct. I think that it makes some sense because the characters drive this show. Yeah, I would love to.

Peter and Elizabeth seem really happy, but is that going to change at all? Are they going to have-
Tim: No, I don’t think so. I think it’s important that they stay grounded and happy. There is this fun episode, Peter has to go undercover and kind of flirt with somebody, yeah, and he does—he’s not good at it.

On No Love Triangle:
Tim: No, that’d be too easy as well. No, no triangle. No, what are you doing in my house? You’re a criminal that has an anklet device there, what are you doing here? The other thing about it, Peter’s not worried at all. He knows that there’s a good thing going there, for a number of reasons.

Who do you think is smarter?
Tim: I think we both we both scored the exact same number on our SAT scores, but Neal did better—maybe now it’s different, but back when I took SATs, there was verbal and math. I think Neal scored better on the verbal and Peter scored better on the math. But together, they had the exact same.

You’ve done a lot of stage work, would you like to return to that at some point?
Tim: I’d love to, I’d love to. It’s great because on stage, you’re in control of the story. It is yours.

Tune into White Collar, premiering Friday, October 23 on USA Network.

White Collar Premiere Week: Tiffani-Amber Thiessen Interview

2009-10-22T21:45:00.001-04:00

White Collar Premiere Week continues as USA's brand new series premieres this Friday at 10/9c! Everyday this week, I have presented interviews with the cast and crew of White Collar, and today's interview is with Actress, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen.

On Getting the Role:
When I first auditioned for it, they hadn’t cast the role of Peter yet. So, they were just loosely looking at possible Elizabeths. And then I was put on what they call a short list, you know, put on the short list, you know. It’s so funny. I’ve been doing this for 26 years. I can’t tell you how many short lists I have been on. And nothing ever happens. But, you know, it’s just part of being an actor.

So they said they were going to do the process of casting the role of Peter. So, they were going to wait and hold off on the wife, which makes sense. So, they finally cast the role of Peter with Tim DeKay, which I was ecstatic about because I have been a fan of Tim’s for a very, very long time. And so I remember calling my agent going, “Okay. So, what’s happening?”

He’s like, “Well, they kind of wanted to go in a different direction.” And they were literally testing girls five years younger than I was. And I was thinking, “Okay, this is interesting.” I mean, Tim and I already have a little bit of an age difference, but you put another five years. And I go, “That seems strange.”

I guess they went through a lot of different girls, a lot of young girls. And so they finally came back. I got a phone call a couple months later and they said, “We want you to do a chemistry read with Tim DeKay.” And I was thinking, “Yes. It’s back on!”

I went in. We had chemistry from day one. I went in, tested for it once. And there’s a very funny story with USA that it takes USA a very long time to make a decision on somebody. And I think I broke the record because I got the call three hours later that I got the job.

On the Testing Process:
You walk into like a room like this—I’m not kidding you—with many of the executives and they’re all staring at you. And it’s super quiet. And they have a little video camera on you. And you have to do the scenes, and you have to make it as real as possible with all these people literally looking at you. It’s very, very weird.

And then you know like there’s a bunch of different girls behind you doing the exact same thing. But I went in and we nailed it. It was awesome. It was meant to be. You know you say things like that. And I truly do believe it.

On Relating to the Character:
I’ve been married almost four and a half years now. And it’s a relationship that I know—you know, a lot of times on TV, and even movies, you see these relationships that don’t work. It’s always about the ones that don’t work. And it’s the drama and it’s the this. It’s nice to see a relationship on TV that does work, and they’ve been together for a long time. And they really do have each other’s best interest at heart.

On No Love Triangle:
You’ve seen it so many times. You’ve seen it over and over, and I’ve played it over and over. So, yeah, I’m glad there's no love triangle. Believe me, I’m glad.

On Working in New York vs. LA:
Los Angeles is very, very different. But I’ve been coming to New York since I was young. I love New York City. I love that you guys have seasons, just to be able to put a coat on and a scarf. We don’t get to do that in L.A.

But on the ‘but’ side of it, my family is in L.A. All of our families are in L.A. We didn’t make the big, big move just yet. I think for first season, you just never know. But I have a sneaky suspicion this show’s going to go for a while. I usually am not wrong. So, we’ll see. And I’ve always wanted to be bi-coastal. So, I’m kind of getting that dream—that wish granted.

On the Funny or Die Video:
It was great fun to do. We all know what that was stemmed from. It was my way of kind of answering a lot of people’s questions, not even just Fallon because I was getting, everywhere I was going, why I wasn’t going on Fallon, and why I wasn’t doing the reunion. And this was way before anybody knew we were doing People Magazine.

We all knew we were doing People Magazine. That was the reunion that we were doing, end of story, didn’t need to do anymore than that. But I was still having to answer questions because it hadn’t come out yet. So, we kind of approached Funny or Die, and they did it and they loved it. We sat down and collaborated the whole storyline and the script. And we literally shot it at my house. Everybody you see who’s in it was my husband, my friends, my gardeners. I mean it was everybody that was around. It was awesome. We shot it all in one day. It was great.

I want Fallon to say something. He hasn’t said a word. I was a little bit disappointed, I have to say. I was a little disappointed. So, we’ll see. We’ll see if he ever says anything. I don’t know.

With event planning as your character‘s career, how does that work with Neal, because it seems like that’s right up his alley?
We’re actually just exactly halfway throughout the season. And there’s been some times where you see what I do for a living kind of come in an episode. Definitely one episode you see it. It’s going to be an ongoing process, I think, for them to kind of figure that out. The thing about it is, yes, the high profile people I might be working with could be an interest for Neal. You just never know.

They don’t have a whole lot of your character working, doing event planning in the Pilot.
No, because at first, funny enough, I was supposed to be an accountant. [laugh] That’s how it was written. And then what they ended up doing in the pilot is they never mentioned what I did for a living because I think they wanted to kind of explore me in the character. And so, actually, after we knew that the show was getting picked up, I sat down with Jeff Eastin, the creator, and I said, “I have an idea.”

They didn’t want her to be in an office. And we’re shooting in New York City. It’s like what better way to show even more of the City? I said, “She’s an event planner.” He said, “Oh, I like that.” And secretly I’ve always wanted to be one. So, I was thinking, “Perfect.”

Are you going to bring comedy to this role?
This show is definitely lighthearted. It’s not a drama and it’s not a comedy. It’s right in between, which is definitely the kind of TV and movies that I like to watch. So, of course, you’ll see a lot of that from me, from Matt, from Peter, and, of course, Willie, which is great because I really do love doing comedy a lot. It’s definitely one of my favorites, so, yes.

Your major characters have been so different. I mean there was Kelly who was everybody’s sweetheart. And there was Valerie who was nobody’s sweetheart. And now you’re playing this adult wonderful support. But is that something you purposely tried to not get caught in the stereotype, or--?
Yeah, I think you do no matter what because it’s the business, you know. I think we all, as actors, fear that. I think there’s always going to be a little bit of that no matter what. But I think, yes, when I read the script, I was automatically really into the script and the role.

Where do you see your character going, or where do you want your character to go over the course of the series?
You know, it’s interesting. I’m not the star of the show. And to be totally honest with you, I’m very happy about that. I mean, I came on the show knowing that it was the two—it’s the two guys. It’s their show. And I and Willie are supporting characters. I’ve been a lead in a show for a long time and, honestly, didn’t want the 17-hour days anymore.

So, for where I want to see the character going, it’s kind of a—I can’t say I want her becoming this huge piece of this show. I want her to still be supporting. She’s this kind of light part of the show that I like. It’s the home piece for Peter’s character, which I like. I love the relationship that they have, Peter and Elizabeth. So, I think it’s more of just about exploring that, and what 10 years of that relationship’s going to be. Kids or whatever that means, I don’t know.

Do you think she’ll have any involvement kind of helping Neal with his whole missing girlfriend situation?
I think you might possibly see that, yeah. I think being I’m the girl on the show, I’m the female voice in that sense that you’ll see—you know, you see Peter coming to me for that side as well as just another look at things. It’s a common thing sometimes when you live in a career for so long that sometimes you don’t think about things that other people see on the outside. So, you’ll see a lot of that.

We know about your directing in Hung but would you be interested in directing an episode for White Collar?
Oh, absolutely! I wouldn’t say no, absolutely not. I mean I would love to. First seasons are always the hardest to kind of get your feet wet with everybody that’s on the show and stuff like that. So, I would love to. They know my interest. I would absolutely love to.

And, yes, Hung, I was actually supposed to shoot the end of this year. But now that I’m shooting this show, it’s got pushed back.

Any interest on making an appearance on the new 90210?
Not at all. No. I watched the pilot, and it’s very different. Also, I’ve always been someone to never look back. I’ve always been someone just in life in general, and that always stays the same when it comes to my career. I always like to move forward.

I played that character for a long time. I don’t need to play that character again. It’s retired. And I’m so glad. And I couldn’t be more blessed and feel blessed to be on the show that I am now. And I love the people that I’m working with. I couldn’t be more ecstatic about it. So, everything happens for a reason.

Tune into White Collar, premiering Friday, October 23 on USA Network.

YouTube Video of the Week

2009-10-21T22:02:00.000-04:00

White Collar Premiere Week: Mini Interview with Stephanie Maslansky

2009-10-21T10:25:00.000-04:00

White Collar Premiere Week continues as USA's brand new series premieres this Friday at 10/9c! Everyday this week, I will present interviews with the cast and crew of White Collar, and today's interview is with Series Costume Designer, Stephanie Maslansky, who has worked on every episode after the Pilot.

On the Pilot:
I think the pilot was done really well by—and the designer for the pilot was Kat Thomas, a really good designer, New York designer. I feel as though I took off from what she sort of established in the pilot having had a conversation with the writer, with the producer, the creator of the show, Jeff Eastin, what his vision was of this character.

Neal really does go undercover in terms that he really has to change his persona in outfits based on that?
Exactly. And, generally speaking, when he goes undercover, whoever he’s playing, that character does require a really strong terrific look. And, initially, the look was based on, and continues to be based on, the silhouette that was popular during the Rat Pack era, during the late fifties, early sixties, which is a very slim silhouette with very fitted jackets, and slim trousers, slim ties...And what we’ve done is we’ve taken that style and made it a bit more contemporary.

Peter, who’s the FBI agent, and always wears the same Brooks Brothers suit, he has a very specific look that—also, he has a very slim silhouette and a very sort of elegant silhouette. But he, actually, confesses to the fact that he isn’t interested in clothes and always his character has been wearing the same suit forever. Primarily, he wears Brooks Brothers. He also wears some Burberry—sort of very traditional classic clothing makers that I found. Paul Stuart as well.

With Elizabeth’s career as an event planner, they must be able to do a few fun parties, etc...?
Yeah, definitely. I’m very happy that they decided to make her into an event planner because that really gives us an opportunity to make her a little bit more cutting edge.

I would say the tone of the colors that we’re using in this show, the pallet is primarily cool—blues, grays, with pops of strong jewel-tone colors. And that’s another difference between our show, this contemporary show, and the vintage era Rat Pack, which was more warm browns and oranges and peaches, more earth tones.

Did you custom design any of the outfits that Neal will be wearing in the show?
So far, I haven’t had anything made from the ground up. However, I am starting to have a few shirts made because I’m sort of running out of—we use specific—there are some—I use some pretty specific designers for Neal in particular. We started out using a lot of Paul Smith and a lot of Varvatos. And we’ve now added Thomas Pink, and they’ve been wonderful. We’re using a lot of Thomas Pink. We also use some Calvin Klein. And then, of course, we use vintage clothes as well. So, I won’t say I’ve custom made anything, but we customize everything... And perhaps as time wears on and there’s season two, three, four, five—God willing, we have more time in prep, I’ll be happy to design their clothes. But so far, I’ve been very fortunate to find really great designers out there who already have great pieces that we can then tailor into the individual items for those actors.

Tune into White Collar, premiering Friday, October 23 on USA Network.