The Big Con

New York may be the epicenter of many things – fashion, cuisine, culture. However, there are a few things that New York doesn’t have the lock on and one of those things is geekdom. San Diego’s annual Comic Con has the New York offshoot beat, and there’s no way to deny that. This year after the San Diego extravaganza wrapped up I looked into getting passes for the New York event. However, nothing had been announced and then when the schedule was finally released, the event was almost totally sold out. In recent years NYCC has been gaining traction and catching up with SDCC. And, this year was no different. Over the weekend, they debuted the trailer for the “Carrie” remake and announced Marvel’s “Avengers” universe set television series “S.H.I.E.L.D.” This was on top of panels for “Carrie”, “666 Park Avenue”, “The Walking Dead” and “Arrow”. I actually passed up the chance to attend the “Arrow” panel even though passes were available. Because $40 is a lot to spend on a one hour event, even if it does involve Stephen Amell. But, when a week before showtime MTV and NYCC added a “Teen Wolf” panel I knew I had to devise a plan.

Day 1 was full of excitement with Jane Levy, Paul Scheer and Chloe Grace Moretz.

MTV had announced show creator Jeff Davis and the titular teen wolf himself Tyler Posey would be there to unveil some DVD features, chat season three and give a full briefing on Colton-gate. I knew that someone would of course videotape the panel and upload it for me to see. But, I was sad I wasn’t going to be there to ask my own questions or see Jeff and Tyler in person. So I decided to take a shot and look around the convention center for any signs of the “Teen Wolf” duo. My first lap was completely fruitless, but on my second lap I thought I had figured out the situation. And a few minutes later, Julianne Moore and Chloe Grace Moretz confirmed my suspicions when they walked out together from their “Carrie” panel. While Julianne Moore was in a rush, I got to speak to Chloe Grace. And, we chatted about the new “Carrie”, how much she enjoyed NYCC and her amazing outfit. Aside from being insanely talented at the age of 15, she is also amazingly stylish.

Day 2 didn’t bring what I expected, but I did get to see some of the cast of ABC’s “666 Park Avenue”.

Together June and I spotted several people departing the convention. Agent Coulson himself Clark Gregg, Carrie Fischer, and Christopher Lloyd all left within minutes of each other. We then spotted Jane Levy from “Suburgatory” who was there to discuss her new horror epic “the Evil Dead”. As a big fan of her show, I spilled how excited I was about the show’s return and raved about the amazing comedic dynamic between her and Jeremy Sisto. I also got to meet Paul Scheer, who I know from many projects. Most recently, his role as Avi on my new favorite show “Happy Endings”. All of this excitement inspired me to take a return trip on Sunday. I hoped to see Stephen Amell and the cast of “Arrow”. However, that didn’t work out as planned. Luckily, the cast of “666 Park Avenue” acted as a consolation prize. I’ve been enjoying ABC’s supernatural drama and made sure to let Terry O’Quinn, Dave Annable and Robert Buckley know that.

I have to say. considering this was an eleventh hour act of desperation I think my NYCC experience was pretty great. That being said, I think next year I will probably just buy passes when they go on sale and hope that next year is even better and we gain on San Diego even more. I mean, this is New York and just like our Fashion Week has come to rival Paris and Milan. Our Comic Con will come to be the best in the land. Sorry San Diego, you’ll still have In N Out burger which we’ll probably never get. Oh… and in case you’re wondering… I did get to meet Tyler Posey. Which will be detailed in a later post.

Rad Max

With Halloween just a mere few weeks away, and my annual costume party coming up fast I have been busy at work preparing. I recently undertook a little DIY job, painting my living room to make sure it is in perfect shape for entertaining. However, as much work as there is to be done. When I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite stars I stepped off the step ladder and made it happen. My major crush on Max Greenfield was chronicled here a few months back. I actually have started watching “New Girl” after several people insisted. Even after a few episodes, my dislike of Zoey still stands. Even if you’ve never seen an episode of ” New Girl”, if you’ve seen Max in anything you know he is super charismatic and charming. Plus, he wrote one of the best issues of GOOP Blog ever. When I saw Max, after his appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman”, I was eager to chat GOOP.

After his issue was published, both he and Gwyneth expressed their mutual adoration for each other. But, went on to reveal they’ve actually never met. How tragic. When I told Max that I loved his issue and it was one of my favorites, he laughed as if I might be mocking him. To express my dire seriousness about his contribution to what I consider to be the third testament of the Bible I went into detail. I explained how I found his claims that life was not about turkey ragu and high neck Rag and Bone sweaters to be troubling. But, the sentiment that life is actually about sharing what you love with those you care about and how that’s what GOOP does, was perfectly put. I guess this must have impressed Max, because with a big smile flashed across his face he said “I’m actually trying to do another one.” I for one would love to see what else Max has to share with us GOOP subscribers. I then had to ask if Max had ever gotten the chance to meet GP. (I actually referred to Gwyneth as GP to Max Greenfield which Lauren the Professional Fangirl pointed out to me.) Max informed he has not, even though they have been in the same place at events like “Stand Up to Cancer”. I like the idea of Max and Gwyneth becoming friends, because it gives me hope that I too could become friends with her. I mean her previous besties like Madonna and Wynonna Ryder are so A list it left me little hope. But, I could totes see Max, Gwynnie and I sitting around eating turkey ragu in matching Rag and Bone high neck sweaters, writing an issue of GOOP together.

Upper East Side Story

New York Magazine’s cover proclaiming “GG” as the Best Show Ever.

In this day and age, it has become a commonplace to watch a television show in big blocks thanks to DVD, Netflix, Hulu, etc. But, ever the trend setter I love TV so much that I have been doing it for years. I remember in 2006 as a young college freshman I discovered “Sex and the City”, watching six seasons of Carrie’s life in a matter of weeks. I loved the show, it’s depiction of friendship and the way it featured New York City. By the time I discovered the series a lot of the girl’s hotspots had closed, New York had changed a lot since 1998. While I did get out to places like Sea and Magnolia Bakery it wasn’t the same. But, then a few years later a little show called “Gossip Girl” premiered and brought with it it’s own set of NYC hot spots. The show featured places like the Palace Hotel, Sant Ambroeus and the MET Steps. New York Magazine dubbed the series “the most restauranty show since Sex and the City.” The Magazine also dubbed the show the best show of all time. So when the CW announced it would be renewing the series for one final ten episode season I was kind of sad. While it was never a ratings juggernaut, attracting around three million viewers at it’s peak the show has had a huge effect on New York City, fashion, pop culture, television and even yours truly.

Spotted on the Steps of the MET, Queen B and the other Queen B in a classic power struggle during a season one filming.

“Gossip Girl” premiered in the Fall of 2007. And, while I heard a lot about it and knew it was something that would pique my interest I didn’t turn in from the start. A few months later, as the Writer’s Strike raged on leaving me with no new TV I turned to iTunes and discovered the series. After I exhausted the episode supply, I posted on Facebook about the show and wound up discussing it with friends who were also obsessed. Our mutual love of “Gossip Girl” brought me closer than ever with my friends MaryAnn and Tina. Before long, we were combing the UES for bow ties and headbands and drinking Sant Ambroeus lattes on the steps of the MET. MaryAnn is a born and bred Upper East Sider and showed me the ropes of uptown. Before “Gossip Girl”, I assumed Manhattan ended at 60th street. But, now I have come to think of the UES as one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city. While “Gossip Girl” is not the only reason I am friends with MaryAnn and Tina, it is the reason I met my good friend Kimberly. She and I met on the set of the series when they shot a season one episode outside the New York Palace Hotel. Overtime, she and I have become great friends and in a way I owe that friendship to the show.

While the storyline between them has been good and bad, Queen B and Chuck always look good.

Now aside from introducing me to new people, the show also introduced me to a new world of fashion. I wrote on this blog once before “GG” I avoided too much color in my wardrobe and played it really safe in terms of style. And, for a while I played it safe shopping for looks I saw on the show. But, over time I have developed my own style and am now able to shop for myself without the help of Chuck Bass or Eric Daman. Still the show has inspired me and many others to add bow ties, crested blazers, bright colored outerwear, prep school ties and several other trends to our wardrobes. Any question about the effects “Gossip Girl” had on fashion and style, can be answered by looking at the landscape of the last few years. Prep school pieces, headbands, colorful leggings, bow ties, Top-Siders all exploded after they were worn on the show. And brands like J. Press and Henri Bendel credit the show and it’s costume designer Eric Daman for causing a business boom.

The ultimate OMFG moment in “Gossip Girl’s” six seasons.

Now, aside from being a lightening rod for New York and fashion. “Gossip Girl” has been above all a very entertaining show. There is no way to deny that it has had some terrific moments. Like Blair getting married, Serena’s murderous confession and Chuck finally saying those three little words. In fact, I count Serena confessing to killing a man as one of the greatest TV moments of all time. I remember watching it with my friends and all of us screaming and standing up when she dropped the bomb. To me, that episode is the best of the series. And, while the show has had it’s ups and downs it has helped shaped the TV landscape. It paved the way for “Pretty Little Liars” where friends receive anonymous texts from the mysterious ‘A’ and “Revenge” where a woman extracts her vengeance on the Hamptons elite. So as we stand here, with the final season’s premiere just hours away I hope that these last ten episodes are full of amazing OMFG moments like only Gossip Girl can deliver. So let’s gather round, Upper East Siders. Don your best headband, dust off your silk scarf and pour yourself a glass of Dom and let us toast to “Gossip Girl” one final time. You know you love her. XOXO.

Out of Office

After spending my summer with teen wolves and oil barons, the fall TV season is finally upon us. So far, we have had a few great debuts. Are you loving “The New Normal” as much as I am? What about “Revolution”? The black-out sci-fi drama even has my dad hooked. And, he hasn’t watched a network show on purpose since “Charles in Charge”. While I am currently enjoying the freshman series both on NBC, the other networks are finally launching and that means that the shows I have been anticipating are FINALLY coming. Back in May after the Upfronts, I listed “Arrow”, “Elementary” and “The Mindy Project” as the shows I was most excited about. I did a little bit of hustling and was able to see all three shows before their launch. I have to say, I feel very confident about my picks after seeing their pilots. All three lived up to the hype and appear to have a lot of potential.

Mindy has a very “Grey’s Anatomy” meet-cute in the pilot episode.

The first to launch is “the Mindy Project”. When I mentioned it back in May, I wrote that I enjoyed how the trailer made the show look layered. It’s a medical show, a coming of age story, etc. But, some other sites and blogs mentioned that the trailer was a mess and kind of all over the place. After watching the pilot – which has a nice organic flow, I have to say those critics did have a point. The trailer WAS all over the place and made the show look scattered. So if you were concerned about that, fear not. Aside from that post show realization, I also came out of it loving Mindy even more. I mean, sure she was great on “the Office” and her book was very well received. But, whenever a member of an ensemble steps out on their own you worry that it may not work. Sure you love the person in small doses, but for every Valerie Harper there’s a Michael Richards. Well Mindy is very much the former, I found myself rooting for her in all arenas. It’s also worth mentioning that the supporting cast is just amazing. The fabulous Anna Camp is Mindy’s bestie who is married with kids. And, at the hospital Mindy is flanked by Ed Weeks as the sexy charming British bad boy and Chris Messina as the slightly less charming good guy.

Mindy and I after I was done complimenting and wishing her will with this new show.

I am interested to see how the reaction is when the show debuts tomorrow, but I thought it was just fabulous. Feelings I made clear to Mindy Kailing when I saw her recently. She was out talking up the show’s debut, and it was clear she was very excited and very flattered about the excitement surrounding the series. When I told her that I found it to be fabulous and that I couldn’t wait for the next episode she got a big smile and told me I was so sweet. A little while after she and I crossed paths, Mindy told Ryan Seacrest that she thought her character on the show was relatable because she has “a lot of flaws”. Luckily for Mindy, and for us the viewers the show does not and Mindy herself is flawless in it.

Be sure to check out the Mindy Project tomorrow night – Tuesday at 9/8c on Fox.

Beginning of the “End”

When I saw “End of Watch” a few months ago, I was blown away and cannot wait to see it again.

When I posted about the pleasure of meeting Anna Kendrick a few weeks ago, I mentioned that she stars in two amazing films that will be released this autumn. While I am sure her musical comedy “Pitch Perfect” is already on your calendar, her other project “End of Watch” should be as well. The film released today, stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a member of the LAPD who as part of a project for school is videotaping his life. He films everything, from his relationship with Anna Kendrick’s character to working alongside his partner Michael Pena. On the job, pair end up stumbling upon a Mexican drug cartel. After bringing their crimes of gun running, human trafficking and drug smuggling to light, they bring on the wrath of the cartel. The film is gritty, tense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. When I met Anna with Lauren from Professional Fan Girl she told us that when she watched the film, the woman next to her was clutching onto her during the climax.

Michael and I last night, when I told him I saw the film and loved it he proclaimed “fuck yeah man!” Before shaking my hand.

Now, what makes the film amazing is the performances by the cast. I love Jake Gyllenhaal, I mean have you seen him? But, he is a movie star before he is an actor. And, sometimes it is hard to separate on-screen and off-screen personas. However, in this film Jake becomes his character Brian Taylor. There were points where I forgot I was watching Mr. Gyllenhaal, he really is that good. Michael Pena is also incredible, and when I heard he was going to be here in New York, I had hoped I would get the opportunity to sing his praises in person. I did in fact get to do so, and he was very enthusiastic and appreciative that Lauren and I had seen and loved the film. The film is not just a crime drama, it has a very solid emotional core. Aside from showing the romantic life of the two leads, it’s also a wonderful look at male friendships. The connection and chemistry between Jake and Michael’s character is truly magical. I do warn you, while “End of Watch” is an incredible film and something I would consider a must-see, all of that grit and violence does make it kind of a heavy film. Perhaps, make it a double feature and check out Anna’s other project “Pitch Perfect” right after to lift your spirits.

If you’re still not sold on “End of Watch” check out the trailer here:

The Longest Week: My NYFW Diary

While fashion is always important here in New York City, twice a year it enters a new level of importance. The tents pop up in Lincoln Center and create an epicenter where the fashion elite, the famous and everyone in between show up to see what we will be wearing next season. Every year, the Fall Fashion Week is kicked off by Fashion’s Night Out. I blogged that my FNO was less fabulous than year’s past, despite rubbing elbows with Coco Rocha and Kellan Lutz. Well, my NYFW more than made up for the sluggish start. I sat out Friday’s adventures as I had a date. And, while fashion may be a major love of my life, it’s not going to buy me candy this Valentine’s day. But, from then on I made sure to pop by the tents at least once a day to see what was happening. Saturday night, I stopped by and got to see that even though a literal storm was brewing, there was still a storm of fashion surrounding the tents. In the eye of that storm, was Brad Goreski surrounded by a camera crew for his Bravo reality series. Literally, right after my encounter with Mr. Goreski, the skies opened and the actual storm hit New York.

The next day, my friends and I organized an outing to the tents to watch the fashion and the stars together. The day was much better in terms of weather, I saw two MTV stars who were New York Fashion Week staples Lauren Conrad and Holland Roden. I got to chat with Holland for a few minutes, I made sure to congratulate her on the amazing season Teen Wolf just wrapped up. She said “we love you guys, as much as you love us. And it’s just so great and so fun to work on the show.” Sadly, she had no season three spoilers to share. and either did her co-star Colton Haynes who showed up a little later. Colton did however tell me “I’m going to see DVF, that’s going to be my favorite part” when I asked what was the best part of Fashion Week. Also in attendance to take in DVF’s show were Sarah Jessica Parker, Andy Cohen and Anna Sophia Robb. I was excited that the two actresses who played Carrie Bradshaw were in the same place, Anna told me on the way out they did in fact get to meet backstage. I wonder if SJP offered any advice on the role and running in heels. We also got to take in the outdoor Zac Posen show. The man of the hour himself even told us before the show that he was both “excited and nervous” and that you always want to feel like that before a show. His show of course was a tremendous success and hosted that super supermodel moment I blogged about.

Jessica Chastain and I after her NYT Q&A. While Jessica stuns in Alexander McQueen, I try to keep up with a Calvin Klein shirt, Mad Men for Banana Republic vest and jeans by H&M.

Monday, I took the day off from watching the action around the tents. Instead, Lauren had invited me to be her Plus One to a fabulous art party. TBD Art was hosting a party to celebrate their fifth artist collaboration. We got to see the art of Daniel St. George and even meet the artist himself all while enjoying absinthe cocktails and a delicious spread. Even though we were sure we would not run into Anna Wintour, both Lauren and I kept it stylish. While the party kept us from the New York Times Q&A our favorite actress Jessica Chastain was doing down the street. It allowed us to make the tail end of it and get to see Jessica. We discussed her Fashion’s Night Out which she said “was so much fun. I mean, could it get any better than that Jason Wu dress?” She also went on to say she’s currently in rehearsals for “the Heiress” and that they are going well. We also had a love fest complimenting each other’s outfits. After that absinthe fueled run-in with Ms. Chastain, I spent some of Tuesday at the tents with Lauren. We saw lots of people coming and going from various shows including Lauren Conrad, Kevin and Danielle Jonas, Minka Kelly and Jenna Dewan Tatum. The fabulous Mrs. Channing Tatum told me she had A LOT of fun filming American Horror Story and that she thinks the show came great and very scary. How could she not have fun when her scenes are rumored to be shared with Adam Levine?

I decided I had energy for one final day of NYFW, so after my friend Kathy got out of work Lauren and I met her to check out the Proenza Schouler show. Held at 5 Beekman the show was a perfect end to Fashion Week. It attracted all four Vogue heavy hitters, Anna Wintour, Hamish Bowls, Grace Coddington and Andre Leon Talley. Aside from the editorial power players, it also attracted fashionable stars like Florence Welsh, Kate Bosworth and Jessica Chastain. Kate Bosworth raved me to that the show was “incredible and absolutely amazing” while wearing a stunning ensemble from the designers. When I pressed Jessica Chastain for which show was her favorite she playfully shoved me and said “Oh honey! I couldn’t pick… It would be like picking a favorite child.” I think that’s the perfect way to put it, each day was a little different but each one was a lot of fun. Every fashion week I get to see and learn a little bit more, this year even getting to take in the al freso Zac Posen show. I was also struck by how many people who were hanging around the tents were from out of town. A woman from Mississippi was telling me about her interaction with Andre Leon. I didn’t even think they know had Vogue in Mississippi. That’s one of the amazing things about fashion, it attracts and unites so many different kinds of people and not just for two weeks a year, but every single day.

Careers Opportunity

Happy Fashion’s Night Out BEST Blog readers. Hope you’re all hard at work prepping for my favorite holiday. I am somehow ahead of schedule and decided to fire off a little well wish for all those about to hit the stores. My outfit is ironed and my errands are ran. Yesterday, I even got to help my friend Lauren the Professional Fan Girl pick her outfit for tonight at a designer’s studio. I hope my outfit can compete with the fabulous one Lauren will be wearing and all of the ones my friends will be sporting. After we hit the showroom, we ran to the New York Public Library where we bumped into Hunger Games star Alexander Ludwig. He was taking in the Joseph Abboud fashion show alongside Ryan Locthe, Kellan Lutz and Hunter Parrish. Alexander was very excited about his first NYFW and even high fived me when he noticed we were both sporting white pants. It was a fabulous, albeit unexpected kick off to Fashion Week here in NYC. While this does give you a little sneak peak at my hair for tonight, please know I will be stepping up the style in terms of fashion. Have fun, stay fabulous and enjoy yourselves tonight!

Ryan’s Song

Before the games happened, I posted about the beautiful spread in June’s Vogue. And, pointed out Ryan got the cover and Michael Phelps got… well nothing.

I am not a sports person, usually. There are a few exceptions to that statement, like the world series or super bowl. But, my attitude towards sports is just rooting for my family teams; the Jets, the Mets and the Rangers. So I don’t know if it’s the odd sports, the pageantry or the skimpy swim suits but something makes the Olympics special. Every four years, I become obsessed with our summer games. Researching our athletes, reading everything I can about the ceremonies and then watching like a madman. Even this past summer, with all of the epic fail surrounding NBC’s coverage I stuck through it. I don’t think I was alone in my observation that as this year’s games kicked off there was a shift in America’s hearts when it came to swimming. In the place of Michael Phelps on all of the magazines, including the June Vogue was Ryan Lochte. Now, aside from being a great swimmer who found a lot of success in London, Ryan won us over in many other ways. One he is so much more attractive that Michael. That’s not a drag at Phelps, it’s genetic fact. Second he wore a diamond grill on the podium. When was the last time we saw a grill? When Paul Wall was rapping about them? But, then just when your crush on Ryan was raging the old interviews came out. And it turned out this sexy swimming powerhouse was the most lovable ditz since 2004 Jessica Simpson. Botched answers to simple questions, the most elementary of mistakes in his tweets and the “JEAH!” catchphrase it was all too much. Ryan became my favorite Olympian, surpassing several other candidates like that bitchy girl who made faces through everything.

Ryan and I after he hunted us fans down. How handsome does he look in that Ralph Lauren suit?

So when I saw that Ryan was here in New York City to do press rounds I knew I had to move. I tried to figure out how to get tickets for his Jimmy Fallon appearance – unsuccessfully. So my friends and I hung around to see if we could meet him. When it looked bleak we devised a plan. All day, people had tweeted Ryan and his publicist Megan about being fans and she would hook it up. Bring Ryan over to fans, or vice versa. We figured she had probably met her good deed quota of the day but decided to try regardless. We tweeted her… A lot. And, just as the towel was about to be thrown in she tweeted back. She asked our exact location – with cross streets and then had the car drive over to where we were. She then got out, asked if we were the fans and called Ryan out of the car. There he stood, Olympic gold medalist, Ralph Lauren model and the inventor of JEAH. He took photos, he signed magazines, he chatted about Olympic victories.

Ryan outside the studio with a crowd of admirers who spotted him as they walked by. He was a champ with all of them.

It was amazing, but good news travels fast. Throngs of tourists slowed down to see what was going on and before you knew it there were 100 people surrounding him. Ryan was a champ and kept talking and being nice to everyone who stopped to say hi and congratulate him. It was just an incredible moment seeing people get to meet their Olympic hero who they watched for weeks. But, what it even more special was seeing Ryan respond so warmly and so genuinely. He seemed so happy to meet people, and responded so sincerely to all of the compliments from the fans and people walking by. Seeing people meet their sports hero and hearing all the ways he and his London success had impressed, inspired and touched people was enough to make me see why people love sports.

First Train to Patti-stan

Monday night, Robert Pattinson crawled out of his sweat pants, put down the Ben and Jerry’s (temporarily) and paused “the Notebook” to make his first appearance since news of his split from Kristen Stewart. With his new film “Cosmopolis” gearing up for a limited release in New York and LA, Rob was back in press mode to discuss his new film. The interviewer who landed Robert’s first appearance? John Stewart. Robert would come to “the Daily Show with John Stewart” to discuss Cosmopolis, Cronenberg and Kristen. Some people might think Stewart was lucky to land the first interview after the scandal that rocked Forks and the world. However, I see it differently. I think John Stewart got the short end of the stick in a lot of ways.

Rob and John Stewart bond over ice cream.

Stewart is a hilarious, intelligent and fun personality. And, while his entertainment guests are usually stemmed from a political based project and it makes sense for Robert to be there to discuss his new 1% themed film it was just shitty timing. Stewart isn’t a vulture like Matt Lauer who would harp on the scandal until the segment was over, but he’s not like Kelly Ripa who can sweep it under the rug to discuss trips to the South of France and late night Domino’s pizza orders. Stewart is too upfront to side step the whole ordeal, and I think he did a good job. He addressed the situation, made light of it and never pressed Rob for details. He only asked if he was alright and wished him well. At no point did he twist his arm for the dirty details – like how he found out and where he’s been since the news broke. To his credit, Rob seemed game for the interview even bringing ice cream in a nod to post-break up comfort food binges. Apparently, Rob’s fans saw it differently. From the feedback I saw splashed over the internet and heard in person, the interview was stupid and spent too much timing to discussing “the incident”. I think they’re being a little harsh and are just too close to this whole issue to make a fair call. John was in a tough spot, he couldn’t not talk about it or it would be a cop out. But, he also isn’t the kind of guy who would berate a guest for gossip. There was no perfect way for that interview to go, and considering that I think Jo Stewart did a commendable job.

Rob continued his trend of rocking colored suits at the big premiere.

Plus, a lot of Rob’s fans might have some pent up anger they’re misplacing. When Robert pulled up to the studio Monday night, he shunned myself and about 100 other fans. Despite there being barricades, security and ample time he chose to enter through a garage rather than meet and greet his adoring public. Most puzzling is that the press got to see him hours later at the premiere, so he only hurt his fans who were there to support him. The lack of fan-love didn’t end there, reports from the NY Daily News claim that some girls who waited over two days outside the premiere left in tears when Robert ran right inside. As someone who cherishes their encounters with their favorite stars, I always think this is sad. But, this particular situation is even worse because only his fans lost. The interviewers got their story and the photographers got the shot, however the fans and supporters went home empty handed. While I feel bad for them, his fans weren’t holding grudges. They offered a plethora of excuses ranging from lack of security to it being out of his hands as to why he avoided them. Bless them. It seems the only person worse off than Rob’s NYC fans is Kristen Stewart.

Not only did Rob get his first round of post-scandal interviews out of the way, while Kristen still has that demon to face, he looked good doing it. While I may not have seen him in person, photos show Robert looked dashing in a Gucci suit. I found even me, giving him a double take, and I don’t typically understand the hype around him. If looking good is the best revenge, Rob just served up his kill shot. Your move, KStew.

The Meeting of Anna Kendrick

I think we can all agree, this is the best thing that has come out of “Twilight”.

I have not hidden my disdain for the Twilight franchise in any way. I’ve tweeted, blogged and even told people to their faces that the allure of the franchise and it’s characters are lost of me. But, even I cannot deny that a few good things have come from the franchise. Bryce Dallas Howard experienced a career surge after appearing in the third chapter “Eclipse”, her on-screen beau Cam Gigandet went on to be a scene stealer in “Easy A” and my best friend Kellan Lutz became the face… er midsection of Calvin Klein thanks to his role as Emmet. One of the people who has been a quote unquote break out star from “Twilight” is Anna Kendrick. While my friend Lauren, the Professional Fangirlargues that her star was on the rise before that, Twilight was the first time I had ever encountered Miss Kendrick.

Although, I don’t even think “Twilight” counts as my first Anna Kendrick movie. In between the hair highs and lows experienced by Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson, her character Jessica is kind of a side note. A better indication of Anna came when I screened “Up in the Air”, the film which she secured an Oscar nod for. Playing the uptight, rigid and borderline sociopathic thorn in George Clooney’s side. She then appeared in a few more “Twilight” films and played third fiddle to Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogen in “50/50″, neither of which are great indications of Anna or anyone’s talents. So when Lauren secured passes to screen a few of Anna’s upcoming films “Pitch Perfect” and “End of Watch” I was interested. Both films are incredible, but also very different. “Pitch Perfect” is Ryan Murphy’s worst nightmare – a well crafted movie about musical competition with the perfect balance of snark, humor and heart. People who fear it is “Glee: The Movie” are in for a surprise, it blows “Glee” out of the water. “End of Watch” is a tense and gritty police drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Anna plays third fiddle here again but the movie is so great that I don’t blame her for jumping at the chance to be a part of it.

Anna and I last week during her promo rounds for “Para-Norman”.

Aside from having what I think will be an incredible year, and being leaps and bounds ahead of her fellow “Twilight” alums, I recently had the pleasure of meeting Anna and found her to be an absolute delight. I commended her on “Pitch Perfect” and even quoted my favorite line of the movie to her. A line that she revealed was *this close* to being edited out. She also inadvertently showed she cannot take a compliment. When I told her she looked pretty in a bright yellow blouse, she mocked herself for wearing a wrinkly top and pairing it with a backpack. As Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and pretty much everyone else who donned fur or fangs in the franchise sketches their post-”Twilight” career strategy I think Anna Kendrick is poised to make them all her bitch. With an animated kids movie “Para-Norman” due in a few weeks and the two aforementioned films on the schedule for Autumn she will only be adding to her lead as team “Twilight” gears up for their final film’s release.