BREAKING NEWS--Fire on Fire Island Destroys the Pavilion

A fire broke out at the Pavilion complex in the Fire Island Pines community last night, destroying  a dance club, a real estate office, a grocery/gift store, the Sip'N'Twirl bar and a number of other small businesses.

It was apparently a fast moving blaze that started around 9:15pm on Monday night. More than 100 firefighters from Long Island and other Fire Island communities worked hard to bring it under control. Fortunately, the fire did not spread to the other buildings like the Canteen, the hotel and the Blue Whale and no one was injured.

Towleroad has all the details, including this photo of the interior of the destroyed Pavilion.  This is where we shot part of the TV pilot "Half-Share" last season and we had our wrap party for that shoot at the Sip'N'Twirl.  It's sad to see this place that is a central part of the Pines community now in ruins.  The remains of the building will likely be razed according to a statement from the owners.  Here's an excerpt below:

Tomorrow morning, Seth, Matt and I will begin the process of renewing this beautiful property and making it even more spectacular than it was before. Our hearts go out to Nicole LaFountaine, Patrick, PJ, Bob Howard and others in the LaFountaine building, and we will help one another get the commercial district ready for summer 2012. There is a lot of hard work ahead for all of us.

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The Thain Family Forest At NY Botanical Garden

I recently made my annual trek up to the Bronx to do some leaf-peeping in the largest remaining wild forest in New York City.  I was surprised not only by the gorgeous colors of the leaves but also that this 50 acre thatch of unspoiled woods with trees 200-300 years old has been recently renamed The Thain Family Forest.

Thain is a former head of CIT and large donor to the Bronx Botanical Garden, which has a long history of naming things for it's donors like the landmarked Edith Haupfman Conservatory.  But naming a forest seemed a little over the top (and the NY Times City Room blog agrees).  Still a forest by any other name is still a thing of beauty come the first week of November.  So here's some of my photos below....enjoy!

Swords & Sandals Big Return With IMMORTALS

I went to see the Greek gods and ferocious warriors of antiquity battle it out this weekend in IMMORTALS, which topped the weekend box office with a healthy $32M in tickets.  I am a sucker when it comes to a good "sword and sandal" epic, a old film genre that has been resurgent lately.  Also, seeing it in the 3D made me think I had taken a time warp back to the 1950's when this genre, and 3D, had its original heyday.

The phrase "sword and sandal" refers directly to films made in Italy from the '50s-60s that feature gladiators, Hercules and Jason (not to mention the argonauts).  The genre also ended up covering the ancient epics that were coming out of Hollywood at the time with bigger budgets, stars, and much wider screens.  This was the studios way to get people to leave their boxy, black and white TV sets at home and come to the movies, which were experiencing a precipitous drop in attendance.

Cut to 50 years later and it seems like it's a little bit of cultural history repeating itself.  Now the studios are trying to yank viewers from your Netflix stream and get them to watch muscley guys in togas with graphic visual effects (exploding head of blood anyone?) in newfangled 3D.  The 3D is cool but, especially in this film, it had the feel of watching a live action ViewMaster movie.  It's cute (see Henry Cavill above) but hardly realistic. It will be interesting to see if there are more scantily clads Greeks and Romans to come.

11/11/11, aka National Corduroy Day

There's been a lot of buzz today on Twitter, Facebook, et al about today's date being 11/11/11.  It's a day on which you are supposed to make a wish and it will come true. Or to simply wonder at the alignment of the universe as your clock hits 11:11:11 on 11/11/11.

But all numerology and superstition aside, this date is actually been serving at National Corduroy Day for the last few years.  Why?  Because 11/11 is the day of the year that most resembles the paralell lines of corduroy fabric.

The New Yorker wrote about this unofficial fashion holiday in 2005 in a Talk of the Town piece. Today on the magazine's website, they recall that original piece and how this unique date is being celebrated this year by its founder Miles Rohan.  You can also check out the official website for the Corduroy Club for more on this beloved fall/wintry fabric.  Happy Corduory!

Jimmy Kimmel's Halloween Trick Goes Viral

Last week, Jimmy Kimmel aired a Halloween video that has gone super-viral.  More than 16 million hits in the last eight days!  I thought it was one of the funniest segments he's done.  Actually, it's something he only suggested...America did all the work.

On the night of his Halloween show, Kimmel told parents across the country to tell their kids they had eaten all their Halloween candy and film their reactions.  Needless to say, the reactions were intense!  Describing them does not do them justice other than to say that there are some serious sugar-withdrawal meltdowns.

My favorite though is the two brothers at the end.  They are so hysterical (and from NYC, natch!) that they will be on the Kimmel show tonight as guests. Tune in tonight for more...

C'mon....It's The '90s!

Back in the '90s, it seems that it was very popular in films and TV shows to say this phrase as a way of accenting a joke or making a point.  Of course, when you string all of these lines together 20 years later, it becomes a whole lot funnier.  And that's what someone did over at one of my favorite sites for pop cultural flotsam/jetsam, EverythingIsTerrible.com.  I actually remember using this line a lot when I was younger, saying it in this overly mature and somewhat over-it tone of voice but with a change of decade;  "c'mon...it's the 80s!"  Oh how times have changed....

A Groundbreaking GLEE Goes All The Way

Tonight's episode of GLEE, titled "The First Time" is going to break a major network TV taboo when Chris Colfer's openly gay character has his first sexual experience with his boyfriend, played by breakout star Darren Criss.  There has already been a lot of pre-show hype that this is one of the best episodes of the season.  And in an interview with EW, Colfer talks candidly about expecting some major flack from the the usual TV watchdogs, like the Parents Council, about going all the way.

Personally, I have a feeling it's not going to be as raunchy or even risque as people expect.  I think the show's handling of the gay romance between these two characters has been so sweet and incredibly well done, to the point where their relationship has truly become the heart and soul of the show.

Also having their first time on tonight's episode will be Finn and Rachel, played by Cory Monteith and  Lea Michele .  I think it's smart to have both of these first occurring at the same time because it really sends home the message that love is love, no matter what the gender combo.  In fact, it's so smart that I employed the same device in my own teen novel, TALE OF TWO SUMMERS (now available as an eBook).   How's that for a plug!  Anyway, if the prom episode from last season is any indication, I think tonight's very special episode of GLEE is going to be a winner.

DOWNTON ABBEY Spoof Video Stars Jennifer Saunders

DOWNTON ABBEY is one of my new fave TV shows, having caught it all on Netflix streaming back in the Spring.  As I eagerly await "Series 2" (as they say across the pond), I found a brilliantly produced spoof-video of the show that was done earlier this year.  It stars none other than Jennifer Saunders as the literal old maid of the servants and also features Kim Cattrall doing a great imitation of Elizabeth McGovern.  Good stuff, I say! At least, that is, until the new episodes reach the states via PBS this January.

A New York Gay Wedding On Conan O'Brien

Conan O'Brien brought his Team Coco to NYC this week for tapings at Beacon Theatre.  I'm not a huge Conan fan, more partial to Jimmy Kimmel lately (as my previous posts indicate).  But last night, Conan did something truly wonderful on his program; he officiated the wedding of one of his staff members, Scott Cronick, to his longtime partner David Gorshein. I think this may be a TV talkshow first even. And it wasn't done all for laughs either. It is a beautiful and moving little ceremony and I dare you not to cry by the end of it.  Well done, Conan!

Michael Bay's Movies Get Buck For Bang

I found a nifty graphics chart today via Videogum which shows the direct correlation between the number of explosions in Michael Bay's films (he did the TRANSFORMERS blockbusters, amongst of summer movies) and the amount of money his films take in.  It was done by a graphic designer named Jeffrey Frankenhauser and you can see the chart on his own site (nicknamed Bayhem!).  There are also some additional graphics and figures on the body counts of Bay's films too, which reached an incredible 206 in the last TRANSFORMERS film.

Honestly, I don't know how you could actually count the on-screen deaths as there was so much general mayhem going on during that film. But someone did.  That someone is named Kyle, a freelance writer in Sioux Falls who provided the cold, hard data for Frankenhauser's chart.  It's a remarkable feat in that I have trouble sitting through a Michael Bay movie once whereas as he had to go back and forth to count all these things.  Anyway, not surprisingly, the higher the body count/explosions the bigger the box office.  Not really news but nice to see someone has taken the time to prove an old Hollywood adage.