Dead Dawn

They say all good things come to an end, well next Friday “the Twilight Saga” will prove that all bad things do as well. It’s strange to think that just a few years ago, back in 2008 that this “phenomenon” didn’t even exist. And, yet in five years the franchise has exploded and made household names out of Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and pretty much everyone else involved. I knew that the franchise had a polarizing power when after seeing the first movie, my friend Dana ran out to buy the book series. I myself am an avid reader, and had given the books a shot. But, I had never seen Dana read a book, never mind four. Before long she was obsessed and became a full-fledged Twihard. In the years since Dana was first bitten, I have been to five of Robert’s “Today” appearances, three midnight screenings, weathered two casting dramas and one Robsten break up. While I have made no secret of the fact that I am not a fan of the series, being along for the ride with Dana and my other friends has been fun. But, this past week as the cast and the fans geared up for the final stretch before the film’s release I was surprised to see how calm the ride was.

My “Twilight” week started Wednesday morning, as Dana and I walked up to the “Today Show” plaza. Kristen Stewart was slated to make an appearance and I was prepared for the anarchy I have come to expect. Camping out, barricades being tested, chasing cars – it’s all fair game in this fandom. So when Dana and I walked down W48th street I was shocked to see 18 people lined up for Bella Swan herself. Now, last year I waited overnight to get Dana a spot so she could see Rob. And similar measures had to be taken in years before, not by me, but by others. So to show up at 6 AM and find less than 20 people on line was shocking. As things worked out, we didn’t get to meet Kristen Stewart. She was brought over to us and told us yes to our various requests. However, these girls could not get their camera sorted out and cost us facetime with KStew. We fared better with Nikki Reed who was also on the show that morning. She is sweet, gracious and so beautiful. I will never understand why she is not seen in a more favorable light by the fans. The next morning, Rob Pattinson was the star on the plaza and just over 25 people showed up to see him. Now, you’ll say “Brian, it had snowed.” And yes that’s true it had. But, his fans did chase him all around the five boroughs while he filmed “Remember Me” in sweltering summer heat. I thought his fans were weather proof. I will admit, the plaza did fill up slightly more after showtime. But, still we are talking about a fanbase that camps in the street for weeks before movie premieres. This kind of turn out was unheard of. It worked to our advantage because we did get to meet Robert. He was incredible, he came outside in the freezing cold and took photos with pretty much everyone. That is amazingly kind of him and I thank him.

Kirsten Stewart, so close but so far away.

We did get to meet the wonderful Nikki Reed.

Rob works a noticeably smaller crowd on the “Today” plaza.

Now while I have come to expect anarchy and chaos wherever Kristen and Rob go. I have come to expect the opposite where Taylor Lautner goes. In the film he plays proverbial third wheel Jacob Black. And just like Jacob is a better fit for Bella, Taylor is a better fit for the fans. He is nicer and much more patient and comfortable with his fame. In years past, the crowd he has drawn has been significantly smaller than his co-stars. This year? The line was over 50 people when we arrived and doubled to 100 before we were let in. It was so crowded in fact, that Taylor didn’t have time to get to everyone and we left empty handed. We of course had some back-up plans in place and got to meet Taylor later but still it was surprising. Now, all of this begs the bigger question. Where are the Twihards? How is it that a movie franchise that has made over a billion dollars and has created a level of fame that hinders Pattinson’s ability to leave his house is not drawing a bigger crowd as it draws to a close. I mean over the course of the eight Harry Potter films there were times the films were not huge in terms of press and attention. But, when the eighth and final film was released it was a firestorm.

Robert and I at the Today Show.

Taylor and I after his appearance on “Live! with Kelly and Michael”.

When we walked out of the theater last November, I turned to my friends and said one more and we’re done. As I said that I imagined the media blitz Summit was planning. A primetime special about the film’s success, a look-back with former cast members and the inescapable presence of the film’s three stars with a massive crowd of people following their every move. Instead the film seems poised to go out with a whimper, not a bang. The three stars of the film are pretty much done with their television invasion. Robert’s on-screen siblings Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene have a few things coming up but nothing like the cast’s omnipresence of years past. Even Dana’s annual midnight release is drawing less people with many of our friends choosing to see it down the line. A peak at the box office receipts for the series shows they have been on a decline since “New Moon” so I wonder how this last go will fare. I guess I knew that regardless of what Edward told Bella, nothing could last forever. However, I did think that things could at least last until they ended.

He Said, Tee Said

I remember back in 1999, when Winona Ryder was caught shoplifting at Sak’s. The fallout from the scandal unofficially ended her career, unless you count playing a suicidal ballerina and Zac Quinto’s mom in 13 years as a career. It is in my mind, the first HUGE scandal and set the bench mark for all of the celebrity scandals I would see throughout my life. One thing Winnona-gate had that other scandals did not have up until that time? A trendy t-shirt. Fans and supporters of Ms. Ryder all sported “Free Winona” tees. Since then we’ve seen Team Nick and Team Jessica tees and even a Save Britney shirt make the rounds. But, the new shirt that I think is a fashion must have? A tee that reads “Rob Pattinson deserves better”. I have already sent the link to all of my friends and hope they will join me in sporting them when we inevitably see “Breaking Dawn Part 2″ together. Rob does deserve better than someone who is going to betray him, drag his personal life into a three ring circus and then not even have the balls to show their face while he is put through the ringer in the press. And even if you still support Kristen Stewart you have to agree he deserves better than this shitty franchise. You can pick this Fall Fashion must-have at: Skreened.

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.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Hearts Part 2

Robsten was our Camelot. And, with one US Weekly cover, an age is over.

In less than 24 hours, the entire internet has been ravaged by a firestorm of gossip surrounding the very awkward, very pale, very famous power couple Robsten. Made up of on and off-screen love birds Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. The couple have been rumored to be dating since the “Twilight” phenomenon exploded in 2008. While the two have remained coy, it appears after today the Werewolf is out of the bag. Last night People Magazine, the third testament of the Bible in my eyes, released a statement from a source that Kristen had cheated on Rob, was very sorry and realized her mistake. Within moments, US Weekly announced their upcoming cover story which included photos of Kristen canoodling with “Snow White and the Huntsman” director Rupert Sanders. As someone who read their mother’s People magazine since the age of 7, I think People got the statement to kind of spin US Weekly’s scoop. Before you could say “hold on tight, spidermonkey” the internet lost it’s proverbial shit. Fans were rioting, calling foul on the photos, claiming they were photo shopped. And, at around 1 am when I went to bed, fans claimed the director’s wife had called an Australian radio station to say it was her in the photos. Then, US Weekly temporarily took down their story making me nervous that it was all a hoax. But, like a beacon of hope my friend Lauren over at PFG spoke to the radio station and found out there was no truth in those allegations.

I don’t condone cheating, but really? This guy. You were on the set of SWATH. Did you at least make a move on Chris Hemsworth?

When I woke up this morning and clicked on my iPad, I felt like a small child running downstairs to find mountains of presents under a beautiful Christmas tree. Both Kristen Stewart, and her director turned lover Rupert Sanders had released official statements to People Magazine. The pair wholeheartedly apologize, accept blame and do not deny any of the allegations against them. I find this all to be especially crazy because Kristen and Rob are two of the most intensely private people in Hollywood, they are able to be the faces of a billion dollar franchise, conduct interviews all around the world and yet we know very little about them. The idea that this scandal has dragged them both centerstage is just incredible. Now, like I said, this is not my first rodeo. And, I want to extend some advice to some of the Rob/Kristen/Twilight fans.

The press tour for Rob’s upcoming film Cosmopolis and then the final Twilight movie is going to be so uncomfortable.

First to the Kristen fans, accept that this has happened. Denying it and claiming your favorite actress is above doing something this heinous will only make it worse when you accept it down the road. There is an official statement on the record, it’s pretty much set in stone. As someone who was a Britney Spears fan during her Justin days, I know it’s tough. But, hope that she hires a good press and image consultant team and pushes through this. As for the Rob fans, while it is pretty appealing to shade Kristen. Don’t. You never know what skeletons lay in his flannel filled closets. Rumors of him doing Nicki Reed  wrong have been everywhere for years. So, just wish him well in his healing and hope that you can be his rebound slam piece.  I feel like he, Kristen, and the rest of the cast are in for a really uncomfortable Autumn. With the final movie to be released in less than four months, the surrounding press tour and then their victory lap through the “MTV Movie Awards” and “Teen Choice Awards” it is going to be a high wire act. Can you imagine if they win for Best Kiss? Oh my God. The awkwardness. But, that’s literally months away.  In all seriousness, I wish all of them the best and feel like as much as I am not Kristen’s biggest fan it is unfortunate that she had to make this mistake and learn this lesson while living under such scrutiny. I feel terrible for Rupert’s wife Liberty Ross and her children, but from the Twitter and Instagram shade she unleashed before the news hit I think she’s going to be fine. But, poor Robert Pattinson. I imagine he is sitting in a dilapidated apartment in London listening to Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake” and openly weeping. I wish all involved parties some peace and sanity, I hope they all get time to heal and deal before the next press blitz. And, I hope they are given some privacy, enough to deal with the situation but not enough that I don’t know what’s going on. Sorry, I know I am a monster.

The Wrath of Comic-Con

When I first heard about Comic Con, about a decade ago it was a place for comic book nerds, like me, to go and hear scoop about upcoming projects based in the comic book/sci-fi world. I remember it was where I heard all the scoop about the soon to be released super hero movies and what those movies would be inspiring in terms of video games, comic books, etc. A few years ago, something clicked and suddenly more mainstream projects like “Twilight” began using Comic Con as a press tool to promote, discuss and create buzz for their projects. While I am mystified as to why anyone would want to wait around for days to sit in a 20 minute panel about a story you already read is beyond me. However, I think it’s amazing that this little comic book convention held annually in San Diego since 1970 has exploded. The surge in popularity has also led to the creation of several other regional Comic Cons. Including one here in New York City, but more on that later.

This new image of Stephen Amell as the Green Arrow was released for Comic Con.

This year I have been following a few of my favorite upcoming and current projects through Comic Con. One of the shows that I am most excited about this fall, is “Arrow”. I discussed the CW’s upcoming super hero series a few months back when I shared my most anticipated Fall shows. I have been following Oliver Queen himself, Stephen Amell on Twitter for firsthand scoop as the project began rolling. While Stephen has shared a lot of good news, Comic Con has proved to be a bounty of information. A screening of the pilot held the first day drew rave reviews from fans and critics alike, only building my anticipation and excitement for it’s debut. We’ve also gotten some pretty sweet behind the scenes images and some interviews of Amell and his on-screen leading lady Katie Cassidy showing how great their chemistry is. I can’t embed the video, because aside from being super creepy Michael Ausiello is also a cyber terrorist. But, here’s the link to their interview: http://bit.ly/TVLARROWSDCC

At the panel for “Teen Wolf” a lot of things were discussed including the bromance or is it romance between Derek and Stiles. Tyler Hoechlin and Dylan O’Brien look pretty comfortable with it…

While I am so stoked for the October premiere of “Arrow”, MTV’s “Teen Wolf” has been my summer obsession in terms of television. After marathon watching the show on Netflix before this season’s premiere I have tuned in every Monday religiously. There were whispers that the show was yet to receive a Season Three pick-up but they confirmed at their Comic Con panel that they are a go for another round. As an extra bit of good news, their episode count was upped from 12 to 24. Also revealed during their panel? Colton Haynes said that his character Jackson’s reptile situation might be solved by evolution. That the stars view on-screen nudity as a rite of passage. But perhaps most important, Tyler Hoechin teased that the odds of his character Derek getting a girl friend or getting together with Stiles are “about 50/50″. While I think Hoechin and Dylan O’Brien have great on-screen chemistry I don’t think turning two straight characters gay is going to organically happen. But, obviously if it were to happen I wouldn’t complain.

Here’s a fan video of the whole panel, beware the girl holds the camera like its a tambourine. It’s also super short since apparently MTV wouldn’t pay for more than 15 minutes of panel time.

I am even more excited now to see what comes from these projects after this little taste at Comic Con. I also wonder what other tid bits the convention will give us between now and it’s close on Sunday night. There is still so much to come including an official “Arrow” panel which I cannot wait for. Plus a very fitting Friday the 13th screening of ABC’s upcoming “666 Park Avenue” and a panel for the creepy kid’s film “Para-Norman”. All of this excitement surrounding Comic Con and it’s featuring of some projects I am interested in has me turning my interest to this Fall’s NYC Comic Con. While I know SDCC is the tops, I hope that the NYC one gets a few good events worth checking out. The schedule is yet to be announced so I am hopeful that some of the events will cater to my interests. But that’s still months away, in the mean time – stay classy San Diego.

The Hunger Games Sequel’s Casting Rumors Catch Fire

A fan made poster that I enjoyed from Tumblr.

“The Hunger Games” pulled a rare trifecta this week, with a number one selling book, a number one selling soundtrack and the weekend’s number one movie at the box office. It is safe to say that it is a phenomenon. And, while Lionsgate counts their money and sends an Edible Arrangements to Suzanne Collins my friends and I along with every other HG fan seem to already be thinking about “Catching Fire”. As a big fan of the book, I don’t feel comfortable discussing it too much. I feel like the book’s plot is so crazy, that reading it and experiencing it for yourself is part of the fun. But, in the course of the book’s events we meet a few new characters. And, just like the internet was ablaze with chatter over who was going to play Katniss, Peeta and the others, this new crop of characters is in the center of a firestorm of speculation. I figured I should throw my opinions out there to stir the pot and so that when official announcements are made, my picks were in writing ahead of time.

Kellan Lutz was my original pick, but the material and a reported ban on Twilight stars in THG made me look elsewhere.

One of the new characters is Finnick Odair. When we meet Finnick he is wearing sea weed and a tuna net, eating sugar cubes and cheekily hitting on our dear Katniss. Upon our first introduction to Finnick we are led to believe he is a sexy, shallow and one note Lothario. He is from District 4, which is where Panem’s fish originate so he is a skilled swimmer and deadly with a trident. When I first read Fire I imagined Kellan Lutz to be Finnick. Collins paints a portrait of a man who is incredibly sexy, very muscular and super cocky. But, as the rest of the story was told both in this book and later in Mockingjay we see the rest of Finnick unfold.

Colton Haynes would be ideal Finnick. Look at how good and how natural he looks in that water.

These later developments take the character into deeper territory, and while I love Kellan, I am not sure he has the dramatic abilities to portray the heavier elements. In the discussions I’ve had I have heard Grant Gustin, Armie Hammer and countless others mentioned. The two people who I would throw my weight behind are Taylor Kisch of “Friday Night Lights” and “John Carter” fame. From those I know who watched FNL, I’ve heard Taylor has the chops for the role and with his history of modeling we know he has the torso for Finnick. The other pick is a bit of a dark horse and was suggested by my friend June, “Teen Wolf’s” Colton Haynes. From what I have seen of “Teen Wolf” he could handle the role. Plus his Abercrombie and Fitch ads will show you he not only has the body for Finnick but also seems like he would be totally comfortable talking to Katniss in a net and leaves. While I feel Kisch is a safer pick, Haynes is closer to the Finnick I imagined. Plus, I like Colton and think this project would boost his profile.

Kristen Bell discussed her passion for the series a few weeks ago on Jimmy Kimmel.

Our other character in need of casting is Joanna Mason. We meet Joanna in this book, but she is mentioned in the Hunger Games novel. Katniss tells us about watching Joanna, a girl from District 7 in an earlier games. She cried and appeared cowardly in the weeks leading up to the games, but as the tributes lessened Joanna revealed her true nature as a cold blooded killer who wields an ax and takes no prisoners. As with Finnick, this character has a dual nature so the actor cast has to be able to nail the weakling side and the tough killer side. Some of Collins writing may be clunky, but her ability to tell stories and develop characters is magical.

With her chic style and sweet face, Mia Wasikowska could nail the seemingly weak but lethal Joanna Mason.

Kristen Bell has been campaigning for the role of Joanna since I can remember. While I love that she is a big fan of the books, even admitting to throwing a HG themed birthday party. I am not sold on her as Joanna. Other names I have heard are Naya Rivera and Anna Kendrick but, my pick would be Mia Wasikowska. She has proven herself a wonderful actress in “Albert Nobbs” and “the Kids Are All Right”, plus we know she can do a blockbuster after her work in the $1 Billion grossing “Alice in Wonderland”. I think she is someone who could absolutely pull off the weak coward side of Joanna and also be a total bad ass who is a thorn in Katniss’ side.

Sadly, my pull at Lionsgate is minimal and as of yet they haven’t asked me for my take on whoever they’re thinking about. But, I wanted to share my opinions and hopefully get a good debate going on who will eventually step into the roles alongside Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence. “Catching Fire” is scheduled for a November 2013 release and according to my dream BFF, JHutch, is expected to start shooting this summer. So hopefully we will have a casting scoop soon. I feel like these two characters are such a huge part of the story from here on out and think the pressure is on. The world will be watching Lionsgate, so may the odds be ever in your favor.

An amfAR Gala “Gossip” Round Up

The evening's fabulous host SJP.

Spotted: Wall Street reoccupied. The financial district has been taken over once again, but this time instead of tents, protests and the 1%. It was all black tie, ball gowns and celebrities and it was 100% fabulous. Pardon me, but after last night’s Leighton Meester run in I couldn’t help but speak like our favorite UES insider. But, we’ll get to that in a second. Last night, amfAR held their annual Fashion Week kick off gala to raise money for AIDs research. Held at Cipriani Wall Street it was the event to see and been seen at last night. Sarah Jessica Parker was the host of the fundraiser and she looked beautiful in a flowing Oscar de la Renta chiffon gown paired with a Theory leather jacket. The bad ass leather jacket juxtaposed with the feminine gown worked wonderfully in a very SJP way. As you know Fashion Week starts today, so there were plenty of designers afoot with Rachel Roy, amfAR chairman Kenneth Cole and Roberto Cavalli all lending their fashionable names to this great cause. When I arrived downtown at Cipriani with my friend Lauren in tow, we gathered with the big crowd of spectators right next to the arrivals tent. There was quite a crowd, as nothing gets mid-level Wall street professional to stop and gawk like a 15 foot long celebrity filled red carpet.  To their credit there was quite a lot to gawk at.

Leighton Meester in Louis Vuitton.

After the red carpet wrapped up, the real fun began as the celebrities started to trickle out. One of the first people to depart was Gossip Girl’s Queen Bee Leighton Meester. Decked in head to toe Louis Vuitton and looking amazing she made her way over to the small crowd of fans. After taking pictures and signing autographs, I got the chance to talk to her for a bit as she waited for her car. I took the chance to express how fabulous I thought the Gossip Girl wedding was, as much as I don’t like Prince Louis I did enjoy the spectacle surrounding his wedding to Blair. When I asked what it was like to film, Leighton said the wedding was a lot of fun to shoot but that the custom made Vera Wang gown became a hassle because they had filmed the episode over the course of three days. That makes sense as wedding gowns are designed to be worn for one day only. When I asked her if she wanted to share any details on what was going to happen regarding the predicament our resident Queen B had gotten herself into, Leighton coyly responded “well, there’s always divorce.” I’m not sure what that means for Dan and Blair, which is something we seem to be heading towards but hopefully this means that the dreadful Prince of Monaco will be leaving the UES soon.

Aside from chatting with my high school spirit animal Blair Waldorf, I got to meet some of the other fabulous guests lending their name to this cause. Twilight star Kellan Lutz, my favorite member of the “Bridesmaids” bridal party Rose Byrne, supermodel Cindy Crawford and the amazing Gloria Estefan all were so kind to the fans. Kellan was one of a very few people who stopped to say hi on his way into the event. He is always just the nicest guy, its hard to believe that someone can be that handsome and also so nice. Rose Byrne was kind of quiet, but was so sweet to have stopped at all as it was had been flurrying on and off all night, but was snowing rather heavy when she left. Her character Helen in Bridesmaids was my favorite, obviously. And, while its always nice to see Kellan I was most thrilled to meet Gloria Estefan. My friend Dana is a bigger fan, but we both really love her. It should also go without saying, Cindy Crawford looks absolutely stunning. I don’t look as good as she does and I’m not even 25.

Overall, it was a super fun night. The snow was a bummer but when you’re getting spoilers about your favorite TV show from the actress who plays your favorite character, getting to see stars strut their stuff in their red carpet best and also meeting some of your favorite actors and musicians you can overlook a few flurries. Fashion Week is now in high gear. I hope to have more fabulous nights out and will be sure to keep you posted.

My Final Trip to the Pan Am Set

After Sunday’s night episode I was excited to read on OnLocationVacations.com that Pan Am would be doing some exterior filming in midtown on Monday morning. I had mentioned in my last blog about visiting the set that I would attempt to see them film this final episode and hopefully meet Kelli Garner or Christina Ricci. Well, unfortunately things did not go as planned. I woke up early, and got to the set at Gramercy Park. I knew I was in the right place when I saw the street was lined with old cars. I have to say seeing the street filled with people in their 1960′s garb, the classic cars and the other touches they use to create the atmosphere is the coolest thing about visiting the set. They were all set up for the shot and I kept searching for any sign of the cast. As I watched them get ready to roll, I saw a flurry of action behind me and turned around to come face to face with Michael Mosley and Ashley Greene.

Michael Mosley and Ashley Greene shooting a scene on January 16th.

Now, I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I was disappointed when I first saw Michael and Ashley. As you know, I have seen the two of them film before and the show is about fabulous stewardesses. So I was bummed when none of the Fly Girls were on set. I watched as they got into place, it was a close up so Ashley ditched her pumps for a pair of Ugg boots. Smart girl. They ran through the scene three of four times, I read that an on set spy was quoted as saying they filmed a romantic scene. That isn’t what I got from watching it.  It looked to me that Ted breaks up with Amanda on the street. When she sees him, she runs over and greets him with “oh Teddy!”, she goes to hug him and he stops her. Then they talk for a while before he walks away, from the look on Ashley’s face as he walks away, it seemed like she was getting some bad news. When the scene was done, Michael and Ashley briefly chatted and then hugged before Ashley left set. Seeing them so chummy kind of dispelled those rumors that Ashley was a big on-set diva. I’d also like to add, the production staff who walked her from her trailer to set were constantly chatting with her and always smiling when in her company.

My new best friend Ashley Greene and I on set.

Now, my question is. What does the break up mean for Ted and Laura? The scene is scheduled to appear in the fourteenth and final episode of Pan Am airing next month. Does Ted break with Amanda, and then finally get togehter with Laura? Is there time for all of this? I certainly hope so! As much as I love Pan Am, a look at the recent numbers pretty much confirms that it won’t be back next season, which is very sad. Especially with the leaps and bounds its made in its storylines lately. The last episode in Russia? Holy cow. It was amazing. But, the fate seems to be written so all I can hope for at this point is for an amazing final three episodes and a finale that leaves open the possibility of a second season in case of a miracle but not one with cliffhangers. After they wrapped this scene, they went to set up for an interior scene between Ted and his father according to a friend I made on set. She also informed me that Mike Vogel would be filming a scene later in the day. As much as I love Mike and wanted to yell at him for what Dean did to Colette I was not waiting around for hours. I did however, get to meet Ashley. Now, she has not been my favorite in the past. I’ve met her before, and she was nice enough but never over the top sweet. I was pleasantly surprised this time. We had a lovely chat about the show, Amanda’s lesbianism (which she thought was such a surprise she even kept it from her family and friends!) and how much she enjoyed working on the episodes. As we were talking, she had a big smile on her face, kept eye contact and even rubbed my back. Don’t be surprised if you see me tweet that Ashley and I are hanging out. I got the feeling we’re best friends.

After my meeting with Ashley, my on-set informant told me that that day was the last day of filming on location. Apparently, yesterday they filmed the final scenes of the episode and the season on set in Brooklyn. I once again want to thank everyone who works on Pan Am for the great work that they do and for being so nice to on-set lookie loos like me. I am so excited to see what Pan Am has in store for us, especially now that I have seen that Ted and Amanda break up. As for what happens with Ted and Laura, Dean and Colette and the rest of our flight crew I guess we’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for us. We better buckle up, adventure calls.

My Trip to the Pan Am Set – Part II

I have been blogging for over three years, and in that time I have blogged about many different topics. But, the most popular post in my blogging history? A little post I did about my visit to the set of Pan Am. When I was there the first time I met Karine Vanase and Mike Vogel. But, while on set Lauren and I met a PA who was so friendly and helpful. He told us where and what they filming for that day. He even encouraged us to stop by again. So a few weeks ago the show was filming on the UWS and I decided to head back up. Sure enough the same PA was there and he was so happy to see us. He informed us that we had missed Kelli Garner and her spies by minutes. But, that Michael Mosley who plays First Officer Ted Vanderway and special guest star Ashley Greene playing Amanda, a woman from Ted’s past were on set and rolling.

They were filming in Riverside Park, from what I gather Kelli was filming scenes in the actual park. I assume she was being given a mission from her spy contacts. No one would confirm anything but I think her shooting that man in London locks Kate into her duties as a courier. The Government is willing to cover it up for Kate, but only if she works to show her gratitude. But, this is all an assumption since I couldn’t get a peep out of anyone. The building they were filming, the International House is a Grad Student residence located right outside the park. The building is a beautiful structure that wafts of old world class. Plus a Google Image search will show you, the building’s lobby is elegant and could pass for a 4 Star Hotel in any country.

     

As they broke for lunch, Lauren and I got the opportunity to meet Ashley. She was done up in full costume and make-up and looked so stunning. I was hesitant about her casting because when she’s out of Alice Cullen pixie wig she’s usually wearing very little. But, she transforms into a 60′s era beauty queen flawlessly. Ashley was very accommodating, even though she was on lunch. After we took a photo together I of course pressed her for details but she said no. Apparently, she was afraid that spilling the dirt would get her fired. A while later, Michael Mosley came out and I was really excited. Over the course of the first nine episodes, Ted has become my favorite and my pick for dreamiest Pilot in the fleet. Something about his awkward – almost too honest attitude which causing him to say the right thing in the most flawed way is so charming. In real life Michael has that in common with Ted, he was not as smooth or friendly as Mike Vogel but he was still pretty charming. After a little arm twisting I was able to get him to tell me that Ted and Ashley’s character are on a date and that while New York often doubles as Paris, Berlin or Haiti that this particular scene was set in New York City.

Sadly, this trip did not leave with a bounty of spoilers like my first trip but it was still pretty terrific. Once again the cast was so nice and seemed super appreciative of the support. But, the crew was so nice and gave us the scoop on what was happening and who it was happening with. This episode of Pan Am will be airing this Sunday January 8th so we will find out what happens with Kate and how things go with Ted and Amanda. Apparently, the show will shoot one more episode in the coming weeks and if they shoot any exteriors I will try and swing by and see if I can get any scoop. It would also be great to meet Kelli Garner or Christina Ricci before they wrap.

Edit: I want to add a quick thanks to my friend Phil, who gave me the heads up that the show was filming on the UWS and told me to head up.

A