A Day in Catalina

I was lucky enough to be asked to fill-in on a panel at the Santa Catalina Film Festival.  It was a great location for the inaugural film festival.  The island was once owned by the Wrigley Family and has seen many Hollywood scenes filmed there from Rosemary's Baby to Apollo 13. So, with an illustrious history and short 75-minute ride by ferry from Long Beach, it makes it the perfect place to showcase the arts.  I invited my friend, Maria, to trudge along with me on our adventure.  She kindly sat through my panel and afterwards, we hit the town.  A margarita, some gelato, and lots of hilarity ensued on our chilly, cloudy adventure.  Enjoy the photos and add this to your must-see list on your next trip to Southern California.  Thank you to the Santa Catalina Film Festival for hosting my trip.  I will see you next year!

If you missed the panel, you can view it again here.  It was live streamed by Stickam.

The Queen Mary (now a haunted hotel) in the Long Beach Harbor.

The Carnival Splendor docked in Long Beach.  They are famous for their Mexican booze cruises.

The casino in the Avalon harbor of Catalina Island......

And the panel begins......

Talking away on the Social Media panel for New Media Markets Convergence.....

Hanging downtown after the panel, you can tell it wasn't that warm.

Me and my pal, Maria......

We asked for a margarita.  Instead, we got a gallon of margaritas.  It was strong and it lead to a giggly trip through town.

 Avalon Harbor......

The architecture on the island is reserved for small, but quaint, bungalows that are built close together....(and yes, golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation.)

....or you have a larger home in the hills.  You can see the juxtaposition between the two types of homes.

 Can you spot the crab in this photo?

Susan Lucci Signs a Deal With 'Desperate Housewives'

We interrupt the weekend with a special Red Carpet Closet announcement.....

I have been following the whole ABC Daytime drama by engaging in a dialogue with the soap fans and then writing an article for Starpulse about the whole debacle.  In my original article, I mentioned the rumor posted on Blind Gossip about Susan Lucci joining the cast of Desperate Housewives.  Well, turns out the rumor is true and Blind Gossip has confirmed that the deal will be announced next week.  The best news about the deal is that Susan will continue with All My Children until the end of its run and still star on the Sunday night drama with Teri Hatcher and Marcia Cross.  While this does not bring AMC back into the daytime fold, I consider the wise usage of Lucci's talents and fans one for the win category, especially since Desperate Housewives has been struggling in the ratings.  ABC was smart not to let her out of their network since she was bound to be snatched up quickly by a competitor.  Now, we just have to wait for the weekend to pass and the news to be officially announced.

Now that the rumor is true, what do you think?  Weigh in here, daytime fans!

Many thanks to Blind Gossip for the scoop!

Santa Catalina Film Festival

This is the week of last minute surprises.  Earlier in the week, I was asked to moderate a panel at the Digital Hollywood Content Summit sponsored by SAG New Media on "Commerce and Communication".  I had literally just stepped off of the plane from two weeks in NY, when I got the call.  Even though I was ready for a day off, I couldn't say "no" when SAG New Media called because the panel was on a strong topic and filled with people I know and respect.  While the panel was going on, I received a text asking if I could fill in and sit on a panel about  "Social Media Behaving Badly:  Campaigns That Miss The Mark" at the Santa Catalina Film Festival on Sunday.

The Digital Hollywood Content Summit Panel sponsored by SAG New Media.  

I haven't been to Catalina in about a decade, but it is a small scenic island off of the coast of Southern California.  You get to take a ferry in and most of the island is filled with golf carts versus cars.  It's charming and lovely, so I cannot wait to enjoy the day in Catalina and share the photos with you on Monday.  If you happen to be in the Southern California area and are looking for a great excursion for the weekend, check out the Santa Catalina Film Festival and the panel information here.

Thank you to Canyon Prince and Hayden Black for making my panel appearance at the film festival possible.  I appreciate it.

Pre-panel pose at Digital Hollywood with ElfQuest producers, Paula Rhodes and Stephanie Thorpe.

Now, share your big plans for the weekend!

Photo 2:  Courtesy of SAG New Media
Photo 3:  Courtesy of Stephanie Thorpe

An Academy Tribute to Sophia Loren

Last night was one of those evenings where you pinch yourself and think "How the heck did I get here?" I ran into actresses Debi Mazar and Eva Mendes on the way to the restroom to kick off the night, but didn't sink in until Tom Hanks said to the audience in a taped message, "How lucky are you to be in the same room as Sophia Loren?".  The word lucky doesn't even begin to describe it.  Sophia was being honored last night by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her 50-year contribution to the film industry.  At 76 years of age, the woman looks spectacular.  Her body is still to die for and that stunning face is unparalleled.  In fact, a gentleman behind me on the way out of the theatre, and close to Sophia's age, said to his wife, "The breasts are good."  Yes, sir, they are, enviably good.
 

The evening was hosted by the man everyone wishes would come back to the Academy Award telecast, Billy Crystal.  Before director/choreographer, Rob Marshall, gave his tribute to Sophia, he yelled over to Billy how fantastic he was and then asked him, "Where were you this year?  You know what I mean."  Wow, that was ballsy to say in the House of Oscar.  Remember, these are the people who vote for the Academy Awards and put on the show, but honestly, Marshall was exactly right.  Crystal came out of the gate with an Osama bin Laden joke about his last words being, "I can't believe I am going to miss Wednesday night."  That is how coveted the tickets were to last night's sold out event. On my way in, a woman asked me if I had an extra ticket.  When I mentioned I was a guest of someone at the Academy, she replied, "You are going to have quite an evening."

With wonderful appreciations coming from Roberto Benigni via video message and in person from John Travolta and her son, Edoardo Ponti, Loren was visibly moved and downright soft-spoken during her acknowledgements.  The fun really began when she sat down to chat with Crystal because the banter back and forth was quick and hilarious.  Loren had personally chosen "Beee-lly" to be the host of the evening, and boy, did she pick well.  There is great affection between the two and only Crystal would lead off a series of questions with, "Where do you get a slice in LA?"  Classic.  Yep, the pizza in LA sure does not compare to that of Italy.

The evening was punctuated with incredible film clips from her career from her Oscar-winning performance in Two Women to her famous striptease scene in Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow to her lovely role in 2009's Nine.  I will list the movies selected for the tribute below because I think her films are a must for your summer Netflix queue.  Also, be sure to watch one of my favorite Oscar moments from 1999 when Loren presented Roberto Benigni with his Academy Award.  Her yell and wave with the announcement makes me smile every time.  

Many thanks to Tarrah Curtis for the ticket to last night's event.  It was such an incredible program, so I appreciate you letting me share in the experience.

Sophia Loren Films Selected for the Tribute:

Marriage Italian Style
The Gold of Naples
Too Bad She's Bad
Desire Under the Elms
Housebout
Two Women
El Cid
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Arabesque
Sunflower
Man of La Mancha
A Special Day
Between Strangers
Nine
Ready to Wear (Prêt-a-Porter)




Photos 1, 2:  Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Photos 3, 5:  Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.
  

Eataly

I must confess, I have become one of those people:  I take pictures of my food.  I just enjoy food and the chefs who understand the art of creating different flavors and textures to make a meal. With that said, I cannot get enough of Mario Batali's food.  I am a huge fan of his LA restaurant's Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza.  It impresses me that a restaurant that has been open for more than four years continues to fill up four weeks in advance.  I still have not gotten a reservation later than 6 PM.  So, I hit the early bird special and fill up on Batali's tasty treats.

Well, last week in New York, I was lucky enough to try Batali's latest masterpiece, Eataly.  Yes, a hybrid word:  Eat and Italy.  You can't go wrong with this combination and Batali touts it as "a new Italian Gastronomic Mecca".  In fact, it was so good that I made a repeat visit two days later.  It is an Italian marketplace in the Flatiron District that is worth every calorie.  It is divided into sections of meats, cheeses, fish, pastas, gelato, pizza, pastries, and more.  You can grab a glass of wine, walk through each section, stop and eat along the way, or dine in one of the sit down areas for a more formal meal.  If you are headed to New York anytime soon, add it to your list, and get thee to Eataly.....especially if you are a hardcore foodie like me.

Hope you're not too hungry.........

From Manzo, the meat restaurant at Eataly, Agnolotti with Brown Butter & Parmigiano.

The cheese section of Eataly.......

Not for the squeamish:  Crispy Sweetbreads with Funghi Trifolati

This melted in my mouth:  Mozzarella di Bufala Campana with Prosciutto & Fettunta.

Perhaps my favorite appetizer at Eataly:  Carne Cruda al Coltello.  Yes, that is a raw quail egg on top.  If you can handle this type of food, it was the tastiest thing I have ever had.  

This is the only meal I thought was adequate:  Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Lobster.

Guinea Hen with Foie Gras, Asparagus, & Chanterelles.  This was delicious.  And pricey: $75!  It was worth it.

Mozzarella from the cheese stop in the marketplace.

Lasagna from La Pizza & Pasta restaurant.

A Prosciutto Ravioli from La Pizza & Pasta restaurant.

Digital Hollywood Content Summit

Well, that was fast.  I was going to take a few days off after my 22 non-stop days of work, but I got a call (okay, a Tweet) from SAG New Media inviting me to moderate a panel for Digital Hollywood Content Summit today.  The talented panel includes producers, actors, and creators from the New Media space who are going to share their experiences on "Actors, Social Media, and Celebrity:  Communications and Commerce".  I know all four of the panelists on a personal and professional level and this will definitely be a good opportunity to learn from the movers and shakers in the industry.  All of the information for the Digital Hollywood Content Summit panel is here.

Hope to see you there!

On the panel, Paula Rhodes and Stephanie Thorpe. You may remember Paula (photo above) and Stephanie (photo below) from my Live streaming coverage of ElfQuest.  If you missed it, you can find the photos, panel, trailer, articles, and red carpet coverage here and here.

Thank You, New York, Good Night!

After a really rough end to 2010, it has been such a joy to see 2011 with a fresh, new perspective. I have had the opportunity to reconnect with friends that are so important to me, I get to work in a field that brings me great satisfaction, and I am lucky enough to visit a city that makes me fall in love all over again.  The conclusion of my two weeks in New York brings about the news that Osama bin Laden is dead and it is sobering reminder of what happened here ten years ago. To all of those who were lost, to all of those anonymous heroes who risked their own lives that day, we still never forget.  Here's to friends, life, happiness, and love.

Thank you, New York, Good Night!