Seeing lights, feeling pain. There's my cure on ice.

If you don't already listen to Alkaline Trio, do yourself a favor and check them out. Their lyrics are dark, the melodies pop infused punk, their singer is unique (and has great teeth), and it'll make me happy if everyone listened to them. Their 6th album, Agony & Irony, is released tomorrow and I'm sure it'll be as incredible as their last five.

A coodle doodle doo! Chee chaw! A coh cah co! Coo coo ca cha!

Jeffrey Tambor CONFIRMED this weekend at the Hellboy 2 premiere that the Arrested Development movie is on.

Oh my God. I'm so happy I could cry.

From Southie to Scranton

It looks like we'll be seeing more of Amy Ryan (Gone, Baby, Gone; The Wire) on the next season of The Office. She's signed on for five episodes so far, and I hope more. I think if we had to have a replacement for Toby, we could do a lot worse than Amy Ryan.

In other The Office news, Brian Baumgartner (Kevin), Oscar Martinez (Oscar) and my bar buddy Craig Robinson (Darryl) have returned to the set for some summer webisodes. Click here for a behind the scenes look and exclusive clips.

"These are OR scrubs." "OH, ARE they?"

Jason Schwartzman, former drummer for the fantastic Phantom Planet, current singer/musician/songwriter for the fantastic Coconut Records, and actor known most for playing one of the most amazing characters ever created, Max Fischer in Rushmore, has signed on to do an HBO pilot called Bored to Death.

The premise is a struggling writer in NY who, following a breakup with his girlfriend, decides to emulate his literary heroes by pretending to be a private detective. It has potential. Jason's definitely funny. I mean, just look at the picture I posted. (He's also super nice. I met him a few times).

Robots!!

I really wanted to go see WALL-E this weekend, but didn't have the time. Maybe on one of my days off this week. Anyway, in honor of the newest robot in the movieverse, EW.com posted a list of the 19 best robots in movies.



And, because the list was for movie robots only, how about some TV ones:

Cylons. Made by man. Evolved. Rebelled. They had a plan.

The Buffybot. Spike's little plaything. Annoying and adorable all at once.

Bender. Bite his shiny metal ass.

Chuck news!

I can't wait for the new season of Chuck. Even if Nicole Richie will be guest starring. That show is awesome, so who cares?

For Heath

Warner Brothers is including a tribute to Heath Ledger at the end of The Dark Knight.

Heath Ledger will receive a special posthumous tribute at the end of his Batman movie, The Dark Knight.

The movie's closing credits will also acknowledge special-effects technician Conway Wickliffe, who was killed last September in a stunt-car accident.

The send-off reads, "In memory of our friends Heath Ledger & Conway Wickliffe."

Ledger, who died in January, plays the villainous Joker in the film, which opens July 18. It also stars Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader, as well as Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

From People.com

This is a genuinely classy move, and I'm happy the studio is doing it.

Daily Eye Candy

I just watched Rendition, which was a LOT better than you've heard, and very thought provoking. And so I give you Jake Gyllenhaal.

And friends. I never saw this issue of Esquire, but anything that features Jake Gyllenhaal, Cate Blanchett, Robert Downey Jr. and Javier Bardem on one cover is something worth noting.

It's my blog, I can post what I want to.

This isn't a Daily Eye Candy post. This is just because I can. Because Jensen Ackles' face is fucking perfect.

Srs bzness

I hope for the sake of my friends that work within the entertainment industry that an actor's strike doesn't happen. Part of the reason I left LA was the damaging effect the Writer's strike had on my financial situation (among so many other reasons) but I have a lot of people I care about still living and working within that industry that will be affected by another strike.

SAG has a petition that you can sign if you're a member. Look at the list of people who already have.

Dear SAG members,

Support your negotiating team! We continue to bargain with the AMPTP daily. Our goal is to reach a fair contract for television programs and motion pictures and improve your wages and working conditions.

You can show your support by signing on to the solidarity statement below by emailing Contract2008@sag.org with your name and SAG membership number (NOT your social security number!).

Once we receive your email, we’ll add your name to the growing list of Screen Actor Guild members who have pledged to stand together in support of these critical negotiations.

Please visit sag.org for daily updates.

WE SUPPORT SCREEN ACTORS GUILD

Screen Actors Guild continues to bargain for a fair contract. And we are not finished. We believe that there are issues that are at the heart of every actor’s career that remain unresolved by AFTRA.

• Significant increases: Minimums, schedule and money breaks, pension and health contributions, increases for background actors, stunt performers, mileage reimbursements and major role premiums.
• Residuals for all new media.
• NO non-union new media productions.
• Protections from Product Integration abuses.
• Reasonable Residual increase payments for DVDs.
• Preserve Force Majeure protections

We believe AFTRA should go back to the bargaining table, with SAG, and fight for a better contract.

Our Screen Actors Guild negotiating team is working 24/7 to get a fair contract for 120,000 SAG members.

WE SUPPORT OUR SAG NEGOTIATORS

Patricia Arquette Rosanna Arquette Ed Asner Scott Bakula Anita Barone Bonnie Bartlett Justine Bateman David Berman Susan Blakely Eric Bogosian Joe Bologna Tom Bower Josh Brolin Keith Carradine Dixie Carter Seymour Cassel Dave Clennon George Coe Bill Daniels Laura Dern Michael Dorn Anne Dudek Frances Fisher Joely Fisher Kate Flannery Jorja Fox Willie Garson

Matthew Glave Sharon Gless Elliott Gould Paul Guilfoyle Louis Gossett Jr. Ed Harris Robert Hays John Heard Marg Helgenberger David Huddleston Holly Hunter Anne Jeffrys Anne-Marie Johnson Lainie Kazan Heather Paige Kent Diane Ladd Beth Littleford Ron Livingston Tony Lo Bianco Kent McCord Amy Madigan David Marciano Debi Mazar Anne Meara Viggo Mortensen Matt Mulhern Laraine Newman Jack Nicholson Nick Nolte

Edward James Olmos Leland Orser William Petersen Emily Procter Lily Rains Anne Ramsay Jeremy Ratchford Adam Rodriguez Alan Rosenberg Alan Ruck Rob Schneider Martin Sheen Nancy Sinatra Brooke Smith Harry Dean Stanton Connie Stevens Ben Stiller George Takei Regina Taylor Renee Taylor Lea Thompson Mark Totty Jeanne Tripplehorn Lisa Ann Walter Chandra Wilson Rainn Wilson Scott Wilson Alicia Witt

To sign on, email Contract2008@sag.org with your name and SAG membership number (NOT your social security number!).

FEEL FREE TO FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS WHO ARE SAG MEMBERS

On a shallower note, I don't know if the entertainment industry on a whole could weather another strike so soon after the last one, and I'm sure episodic television couldn't. I DON'T WANT TO LOSE EVEN MORE TV TIME. I want my Fall TV!!

More Dark Knight images

What are the chances that images of Heath Ledger as the joker will stop scaring the living daylights out of me any time soon?

How adorable is Maggie G?

IESB.net has a bunch of screencaps from The Dark Knight here.


20 days!!!

Dr. Horrible release dates

Dear Friends,

At last the time has come to reveal to you our Master Plan. BEWARE! Those with weak hearts should log off lest they be terrified by the twisted genius of our schemes! Also pregnant women and the elderly should consider reading only certain sentences. Do not mix with other blogs. Do not operate heavy machinery while reading this blog. You must be this tall to read. ‘Kay?

From Whedonesque we get this wonderful news. The internet mini-series starring Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion will be streaming in three parts on Dr.Horrible.com:

• ACT ONE: Tuesday July 15th.
• ACT TWO Thursday July 17th.
• ACT THREE Saturday July 19th.
• All acts will stay up until midnight Sunday July 20th.

Whether you're a fan of Joss' work or not - and if you aren't...why aren't you? - you should probably check out Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. It's sure to be if nothing else, entertaining, but most likely mind-blowingly awesome.

I used to be a pretend doctor.

Oh, Neil Patrick Harris. How are you so awesome?

Emmy Finalists Announced.

And what do we think about the finalists for the Comedy and Drama categories? (Actor finalists not announced yet).

Top 10 Comedy Series Finalists

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
The Office
Pushing Daisies
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds

Top 10 Drama Series Finalists

Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Grey's Anatomy
House
Lost
Mad Men
The Tudors
The Wire

I think it's bullshit that Boston Legal is not only STILL ON THIS LIST, but that it's there and Battlestar Galactica isn't. Does anyone outside of the Academy even watch Boston Legal? And how come it's in Drama this year, when normally it's considered a comedy? Fuck that show.

Good Morning. Have some RPATTZ.

Singing. As if he needed to get sexier.



He sounds a little Chris Cornell mixed with small traces of Conor Oberst in the vibrato. Nice. I like it. Make an album, Pattinson.

Have some videos

I met Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, countless music videos) a few years ago at Virgin Megastore when he was there signing his DVD video compilation and he drew a picture of me, which is pretty awesome in how bad it is. He made some of the greatest videos of our time, and in this EW.com feature, he picks out some that he loves.


The White Stripes - Fell in Love With a Girl


Bjork - Human Behavior


Daft Punk - Around the World

It's not all about Will Smith, dammit!

Bateman and Cross on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, who was nice enough to bring up the Arrested Development movie amidst all of his kissing of Will Smith's ass.

Who is Channing Tatum again?

Here's our first look at the new G.I. Joe movie. Thoughts? Living up to expectations? A little too Matrix-meets-Batman Begins-meets-your average movie based on a video game?

Threaten Fox.

Will Arnett. Learn his name if you don't already know it. He's hilarious. Now watch these short videos from EW.com and love him as you should.

Tricia Helfer news

Tricia Helfer, who I think I mentioned has a holding deal with Fox, has been cast in a new pilot called Inseparable. I'm not sold on the concept, but if it gets picked up I'll check it out. I love her that much.

Daily Eye Candy

Robert Downey Jr. Aging beautifully.

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog teaser trailer. Brain: exploded.

Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

Oh, Joss Whedon, is there anything you can't do?

Bateman confirms Arrested Development movie?!

If this is true, I will be a happy, happy girl. Also, I might need to go see Hancock. Dammit.

What the hell

Is it even possible that this is staged? It's so hard to tell with these "reality" shows now. But if it is real, then fuck, man. I feel even more sorry for Corey Haim now.

Shake it.

There's this fun new site out there called Wordle that takes whatever text you put into the text box and turns it into what they call a "word cloud". I was going to do a Nada Surf song, but I thought Hey Ya would be funnier. Here's the result.

Click on the picture to see bigger version.

A TARDIS would be really handy

This person made a TARDIS cake. I will do this so much better.

Listen up, Upper East Siders

My friend Bob might just have to start watching Gossip Girl, because the beautiful Madchen Amick (Twin Peaks, ER) will be joining the cast next season. And Chase Crawford is the lucky boy who gets to hook up with her on screen. Which makes her awfully lucky too.

Not funny.

George Carlin died yesterday. I admit I'm too young to have been a fan of his comedy in its heyday, but he is in a couple of my favorite movies, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and Dogma. We lost a good one.

My friend is famous.

My friend Cori worked on this book about R.E.M. I'm so proud of him, and jealous that he got to hang out with Michael Stipe. But mostly proud. YAY CORI!!

Daily Eye Candy

Sarah Michelle Gellar. She's reportedly not always the nicest girl, which is why I never wanted to meet her, just in case. Anyway, she's pretty!

Roundup 5

• Dominic Monaghan (Charlie from Lost) has filmed a pilot in which he co-hosts a political comedy show. I'm all for it. He's super funny, and I want him back on my TV.
• Jim Carrey will co-create and executive produce a show for HBO. In related news, where the hell has Jim Carrey been lately?
• Has it really been 15 years since Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville was released? My cd is that old?! Wow. It's held up well. (PS: That album is brilliant).
• This week's issue of Entertainment Weekly is all about the 'New Classics', i.e. the best of the best from the last 25 years. I largely agree on a most of it, though I must admit that I haven't read a lot of the books. Which, if you know me doesn't mean I don't own a lot of them; I just haven't read them yet.
• Matthew Perry will star in a pilot for Showtime that he will be co-writing and co-producing with Steve Tolan. I love love love Matthew Perry.
  
• I was just talking about how Wilmer Valderrama disappeared the other day. And now he's starring in a pilot for Fox.
• The mighty Jason Schwartzman was a guest DJ on KCRW this week.
  
• Limewire has a list of the best rock star onstage outbursts, with YouTube videos. The Green Day one doesn't surprise me since I was at a show once that they had stuff thrown at them and they left about 10 minutes into the set. The Nirvana one is interesting. Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy is less of a pussy than I would have expected. I have no idea what's going on in the Rolling Stones one. And the Queens of the Stone Age one makes me a little scared of Josh Homme.

She has Tahmoh Penikett, so she's not doing too bad.

Dollhouse, people. You better watch it.

It's very dangerous.

James McAvoy is adorable.

"You're so young." "Only on the outside."

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button trailer. This movie is going to be beautiful. It's based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, two of my favorites. Directed by David Fincher.

More Dark Knight. MORE MORE!!

I saw this trailer when I went to see Iron Man. And, while I'm completely unnerved by the clowns and the Joker and it being Heath Ledger under that make-up scaring the shit out of me, I'm learning to deal with it. Nothing is stopping me from seeing this movie.



Look at all the posters!!






29 days!