Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Boys From Community pose for GQ! Chevy Pees in the corner:

Thats right the male cast of Community is featured in this months issue of GQ.  They guys show of some of the latest fashions... and yes that is Chevy peeing in the corner!




From GQ:Gant by Michael Bastian


On the Cast of Community



Took the reins: 2009, New York City
Designer: Michael Bastian, 45
The aesthetic: The beloved American heritage brand gets a pick-me-up from one of the marquee interpreters of American style. The result is classic sports-influenced preppy (madras, rugby shirts, navy blazers) updated with bolder patterns and colors and slimmer fits.
Every man should own: "A pair of five-pocket cords. They work with everything, and you need to give your jeans a rest. Sometimes there's a little too much denim static out there."
Fashion pet peeve: "I'm ready for the whole stylist phenomenon with celebrities to go away. People always ask, 'Whose style do you admire?' Well, it's hard to say, because I don't think we're seeing personal style; we're seeing hired style."
Inspiration: "No one has more style than a New York City 7-year-old. I live next to a school in Greenwich Village, and it's always so cool to see the parents walking their kids to school, because it's two moms or two dads, mixed-race families, and you can see that the kids are just allowed to be themselves and pick their own clothes in the morning."



All clothes, Gant by Michael Bastian. From far left: 1. Blazer, $695. Polo shirt, $115. Chinos, $165. Sneakers by Converse. Pocket square by The Tie Bar. 2. T-shirt, $89. Shorts, $198. Moccasins by Minnetonka Moccasin. Socks by Pantherella. Watch by Timex. Hat by Zanerobe. 3. Suit jacket, $695; pants, $345. Rugby shirt, $135. Shirt, $195. Tie, $125. Loafers by G.H. Bass & Co. 4. Baseball jacket, $295. Shirt, $148. Pants, $285. Moccasins by Minnetonka Moccasin. 5. Sports jacket, $696. Hoodie, $198. Shirt, $195. Pants, $325. Loafers by Ralph Lauren. Watch by Smart Turnout.



Read More http://www.gq.com/style/wear-it-now/201103/best-new-menswear-designers-in-america#ixzz1EnEFJi7E

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

“The Road To Shermer, a tribute to “John Hughes”




The Good people at Gallery 1988 in Venice, CA have a new art exhibition, “The Road To Shermer, a tribute to “John Hughes”. The show opening on February 11th and runs until March 4th, 2011.

Several sites give us a small glimpse of the art work.  Here are a few examples and we hope to see more soon.

You can see more at the 1988 gallery website and even better buy prints!
http://nineteeneightyeight.com/index.php/sf/rtsfeb11.html

Check out these sites for more and to anyone who may go to the show we would love to hear from you!

http://nineteeneightyeight.com/index.php/sf/rtsfeb11.html


Friday, December 3, 2010

The Quaid Conspiracy:

Our Beloved Randy Quaid from countless film and television roles including our “Favorite” is currently on the run.  Living in cars, changing locations daily, all in attempts to avoid what he and his wife call “the Hollywood Star Whackers.”

This elaborate Conspiracy includes murder and the framing of celebrities such as:

David Carradine’s death from auto-erotic asphyxiation in Thailand
Heath Ledger’s death
Set up Robert Blake
Jeremy Piven’s falling ill from mercury poisoning
Michael Jackson setup
“framing” of Mel Gibson
May currently targeting Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan

Currently “hiding out in Canada Vanity Fair was able to catch up with Randy and his wife Evi for their side of the story.

Check out the full story at vanityfair.com:

Monday, September 20, 2010

Molly Ringwald remembers John Hughes!

The New York Times talks to Molly Ringwald about working with the late John Hughes and their relationship.  Here are some highlights.


From the New York Times:
Mr. Hughes, who died last year at age 59, will be the subject of a two-day celebration,“John Hughes: We Can’t Forget About Him,”being held by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. (A. O. Scott of The New York Timesappraised his work here.) On Sunday, the society will show five of Mr. Hughes’s films, including “Sixteen Candles” and “Pretty in Pink,” at the Walter Reade Theater. And on Monday, a screening of “The Breakfast Club” at the Paris Theater will be followed by a Q. and A. with Ms. Ringwald and her cast matesAnthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy, conducted by Kevin Smith.
It’s often said about John that he was a rare adult who knew how to write for young actors. Could you sense that just from his screenplays?
Absolutely. So many scripts I would read – and I still find this to be the case – whenever there was a teenager, it just does not sound remotely like a teenager. It sounds like it’s written by an adult for a kid. And then the kid actor is trying themselves sound like a kid, and they just don’t. For some reason, when I read John’s dialogue, it was totally unique. It was like his own language. But it made sense. I didn’t necessarily hear anybody that was talking like that. But we could.
I read “Sixteen Candles” in the back of my parents’ car, and I kept laughing out loud. And I was reading them these random bits of the script, and they were like, all right, we’ll take your word for it, it’s funny.
Was it bittersweet for you as your film career diverged from John’s?
Yeah. I was ready to graduate, as it were. I really wanted to work with other people, and I think I was sort of nervous about only being associated with this one director. If I look back on it, I try not to have regrets about anything, but I do wish that I would have not worried about that so much. I wish, in a way, that I wasn’t in such a hurry to grow up. Because when you’re that age, you just think, Nobody’s going to see me as a grown-up. And you don’t realize how fast you’re a grown-up. [laughs] I always felt like John and I would work with each other again. I liked the movies he did after, and as I said in my Op-Ed piece, they’re really wonderful movies but I feel like his heart wasn’t connected to those movies in the same way.
Did you continue to keep in touch with him during this time?
Not really, no. He kind of sequestered himself. He moved back to Chicago. He didn’t really have much to do with Hollywood. I can’t speak for him, but I felt like he felt rejected in some way by me. But I did write him a letter when I was living in Paris, and I got back this enormous bouquet of flowers, so I felt good to know that I did connect with him, that he read what I wrote and it meant something, so I’m really grateful for that.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Nation Lampoon's Vacation and European Vacation crash onto Blu-ray today!

That's right two of our favorites are getting the high definition treatment August 10th!

The Vacation blu-ray includes less than the 2003 "20th anniversary edition"  as far as special features go but does include a crisp 1080p transfer.


Features:
Griswold Family Commentary
Introduction By Chase, Quaid And Simmons
Video:
Widescreen 1.85:1 Color
Screen Resolution:
1080p
Audio: (more info)
ENGLISH: DTS-HD MA Mono
SPANISH: Dolby Digital Mono
FRENCH: Dolby Digital Mono 
Subtitles:
English, Spanish, French

Special Features for European Vacation mirror the 2001 standard DVD release including a commentary track by Chevy Chase.


For more check out these reviews of the blu-ray we have been waiting for:
http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/vacationbluray.phpcom/reviews/43456/national-lampoons-vacation/
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/302904/htf-blu-ray-review-national-lampoon-s-european-vacation

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Wagon Queen Family Truckster Toy!

I want it, I want it, I want it!
An artist named DrilOne has created a custom Wagon Queen Family Truckster and it is gorgeous!  The piece was submitted for the Multiple Personalities 2 group custom-show last year.

The metallic pea green wagon is complete with Aunt Edna who is strapped to the roof of the family vehicle.

Sadly back in 2005 entertainmentearth.com announced that they were taking preorders for a 1:18 Scale Die Cast version of the car but soon it was announced that the car would not be released.
DrilOne’s work really makes you think just how great this could have been.
The attention to detail is amazing, right down to the “Honkey Lips!”

Check out DrilOne’s website at:
Check out Toysrevil.com for pictures and a 360 view of the trickster:
“Trust me if your taking the Tribe cross country… this is the automobile you should be using.  You think you hate it now but wait until you drive it.”

Monday, June 14, 2010

Vacation: The deleted scenes! Reconstructing the classic.

By Jack Robinson
Well with the new Vacation DVD coming in August and Warner Brother’s refusal to give us decent Special Features I thought I would show case some of the “lost Griswold footage,” including the famous lost ending!

This first picture is a deleted scene in which the Griswold’s run out of Gas and are forced to push the Family Truckster!  Now according to the Griswold outfits the scene should take place just after the family leaves the mechanics and just before the Grand Canyon.  Just after Russ looks in Edna’s purse, Clark comments that the hotel better cash a check or they will run out of gas.  Presumably that’s when the car runs out of gas (Approximately 59 minutes and 41 seconds in the film.)  Curiously the photo does not show Edna who I assume is laying dead in the back seat unbeknownst to the Griswold’s who do not find out about her demise until after the Grand Canyon.

Our next scene was actually scripted a bit differently than how it ultimately was filmed and the scene comes as the Griswold’s arrive in South Ft, Colorado at the camp ground.  If you’ll recall as Clark and Ellen check in to Kamp Komfort camp ground and the clerk who is played by Brian Doyle Murray charges 37 dollars for three tents.  As he explains the 37 dollars includes “scenery and wild life fun.”  Well the scene originally involved the Wild Life Fun.  While Clark and Ellen are trying to enjoy their romantic evening sharing a sleeping bag they are rudely interrupted by Dinky (Aunt Edna’s Dog.) Originally it was not Dinky but Brian Doyle Murray dressed in an Animal costume who sneaks into unsuspecting campers tents to create “Wild Life fun.”  According to the DVD commentary the scene took too long to shoot and was ultimately changed to Dinky attacking love birds, Clark and Ellen.  It’s a shame we never get to witness Brian Doyle Murray dressed in an Animal Costume!

In the original film the song "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters was played over each scene of Christie Brinkley’s driving scenes and June Pointer's "Little Boy Sweet" is played during the truck stop scene for Christie’s dance.  Presumably the song was later cut due to the price of the song?  What ever the reason all recent VHS and DVD’s have replaced all scenes featuring the song "I'm So Excited” with "Little Boy Sweet."  Despite the song being left off the DVD’s the song still appears in the credits of the film.

This brings us to the famous “lost ending!”  Originally the film ends with the Griswold’s arriving at Walley World only to find that it is closed.  Originally Clark does go to the sporting goods store but does not return to Walley World, instead he goes after Roy Walley!  Clark buys the Bee Bee gun and a map to the stars homes and storms the Walley Mansion where Mister Walley is having a meeting in the back yard!  As this photo shows Clark holds the men hostage forcing them at gun point to entertain the family.  Mister Walley and his business associates are forced to sing and dance until the police arrive on the scene to arrest Clark!  As Clark is being hauled off by the police Christie Brinkley shows up only to reveal that she is the daughter of Roy Walley!  Fortunately for Clark she convinces her famous father to drop all charges!  Finally the Griswold’s board a plane home complete with their complementary Marty Moose Hats only to find that they are on the wrong plane!  Clark then “goes nuts” hijacking the plane!  This original ending featured the song "Summer Hearts" by Nicolette Larson which despite being cut remains on the soundtrack. 

The ending was filmed and previewed to test audiences.  Much to the surprise of the film makers the audience loved the movie but hated the ending!  According to Harold Ramis the audience had invested all this time to see Walley World and it’s never seen.  Warner Brothers gave the film makers 4 days to reshoot another ending.  Screenwriter John Hughes was brought in to rewrite another ending.  The cast was brought back to reshoot and it can be noticed that Anthony Michael Hall is several inches taller and Dana Barron gained 10 pounds after hitting growth spurts after filming the original ending!  John Candy was cast as the parks security guard and cast and crew was sent to Santa Anita Park and Six Flags Magic Mountain for filming.  The rest is history! 

Despite Chevy Chase admitting that he has a cut of the film including the original ending Warner Brothers has yet to include these deleted scenes in any of their many special and Anniversary editions of the film.
Like most R rated films of the day many scenes were filmed with alternate lines specifically to be used in the television version of the film.  These include:
When Clark ask the African American Pimp for directions he responds with "Who do I look like, Christopher Columbo?" instead of his R-rated response.
Eddie's daughter credits her science teacher, not her father, with saying she's the best at french kissing.
When they lose the small suitcase while driving, in the movie version, Clark says the only thing that can't be replaced that was lost is Ellen's diaphragm, which is changed to birth control pills for the edited version.

Through my years of research I have never been able to find a complete shooting script for the film.  We know that John Hughes often wrote many drafts of his scripts.  The original John Hughes short story that Vacation was based on does include a variation of the original ending resulting with Clark shooting Walt Disney!

The Blu Ray version of Vacation is set to be released August 10th.  There is no word of special features for the disc yet but as we know, Warner Brothers is not known for producing very good DVD extras (see the recently released Caddyshack 30th anniversary edition!).  Keep checking back for more info on the release of the film and the supposed sequel!

For a real treat check out John Hughes original short story from the National Lampoon magazine: Vacation ’58.
http://www.bizbag.com/Vacation/Vacation%2058.htm

Thanks to Braden for the pictures!