Hollywood Weekly July 2009 by Hollywood Weekly Magazine, LLC

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

c O n tEn ts July

2009

COVER 4

Redefining the role of “Realtor” 38 Sunset Gower’s Stage Café & Espresso Smoothie Bar

E N T E R TA I N M E N T 10 Dexter 12 Hollywood Kills 14 MuggleNet.com Declares Verdict on Whether Harry Potter Should Have Died 20 Creating Soundtracks… As You Like It 24 Love, She Wrote 27 Friends Celebrate Host Skip E. Lowe’s 54 LA Theatre Beat

CELEBRITY 30 Greeks Make Their Mark In Hollywood 32 Bon Bon… POW! 34 Ed Hardy Vodka

F E AT U R E D 30 New Era Debt Solutions part 2 44 New Talent

PUBLISHER, EDITOR IN CHIEF Prather Jackson VICE PRESIDENT Bernice Harris VP MARKETING Michael D. Coxson

WEBMASTER Autumn Hawarden FILM Iman Lyons LIFE & STLYE EDITOR Niki Shadrow

DIR. OF MARKETING Launy Rhem

OPERATIONS Erskine D. McSwain (1991-2000)

SENIOR EDITOR Pamela Spyrs

PRODUCTION MANAGER Hector Santacruz

ADVERTISING Joseph Mandel

CONTRIBUTORS Raina Silberstein Anthony Calderon Lili Ramirez Leah Michele Yananton Sarah Klegman Jessica Amodeo Adam Freeman Pockross Andy Nguyen Rachel Stuhler K. Carlson Leah Yananton Rayne Sieling Steve Zall Sid Fish

DISTRIBUTOR NEWSWAYS ASSISTANT EDITOR Jenny Werth ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anthony Calderon CREATIVE DIRECTOR Autumn Hawarden LAYOUT ARTIST Amanda Ehrlich

Hollywood Weekly is a monthly publication wholly owned by Jackson Publishing Company. © 2009 All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any content without written permission of the Publisher is expressly prohibited. Letters to the Editor may be sent to: Hollywood Weekly, 4221 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 290-14, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Email: editor@jacksonpublishing.com. For Advertising inquiries call: (323) 934-6397, or Online at: www.hollywoodweekly.net

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TANNIE LUKE Redefining the role of “Realtor” By Anthony Calderon

The Las Vegas Realtor… Honestly, upon hearing that title one is helpless against the aesthetic images conjured up in the mind of beautiful, smiling Agents shaking our hands as they lead us into breathtaking Mansions with gigantic, shimmering pools, bedrooms and bathrooms in the double digits, and driveways which were probably the inspiration for Paul McCartney’s “The Long and Winding Road.” And you, with “Stars” now planted firmly in your eyes, are further dazzled when the Agent unloads another killer smile, exposing a mouth full of perfectly straight, whitened teeth. A pen is produced out of thin air in the Agent’s right hand, and in their left a contract has now magically appeared. You’re standing in a living room so vast it must have been modeled after Orson Welles’ Xanadu from Citizen Kane. Gradually you are guided backwards until you’ve fallen – practically sunken

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– into an enormous white leather couch. The contract has been placed on a white marble coffee table that would look quite at home in The Parthenon. The pen is placed in your hand, and before you know it you’ve signed and initialed your way into becoming a Las Vegas Luxury Homeowner… So, what is fact and what is fiction? If you’re looking for your “Xanadu,” you’ll most assuredly find it in Las Vegas. You might even find your Parthenon… And sure, there will

always be glossy Real Estate Agents who are more concerned with closing a deal, than finding you a home that actually meets the practical needs and true desires of you and your family. But Agents looking for the “quick sale” without truly considering their client’s wishes are one hit wonders who end up closing shop and going out of business, because they’ve overlooked a very important principle in becoming a successful Real Estate Agent: when you take care of your

clients, and you leave them happy and satisfied, not only will they continue to use you for other real estate transactions, but they will refer you to their family and their friends. Which means one happy client literally becomes, in every sense of the phrase, the Gift That Keeps On Giving… Tannie Luke is considered by many the Chancellor in the School Of Thought for placing “Clients First” in everything... Her favorite motto is “My job doesn’t end when the contract is signed.” The reality is Tannie Luke taking you on as a client is tantamount to a Guardian Angel watching over you – and surely, you’d never expect a Guardian Angel to stop caring… So, why and where did this nurturing characteristic take root in Tannie Luke? It might not surprise you to learn that Tannie started her professional career as a Nurse Practitioner… Now, as any writer worth his gold quilt pen will tell you, “backstory” in a character is always key to understanding the motivation behind said character’s action throughout your story… Certainly, Tannie’s protective nature for her client’s is drawn from her experiences as a Nurse. She confessed to me one of her favorite things to do “On her Off-Days,” was to visit different Hospitals to help them clean up hospital rooms, which made me immediately feel guilty for watching T.V. in a trashy room when I’m not working… But, having a very nice Real Estate Agent doesn’t always translate into having an efficient Realtor. Taking care of clients is one thing – taking care of business is quite another. For this, I must quote one of the most basic truths to Human Beings, which is: There are “Two Sides” to every person… Indeed…

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The Young Ferrari… This was Tannie’s nickname when she first started her Realtor career. In part, due to her love for driving famous sport’s cars, but more to the point, the name reflected her “driven” fire and energy in tirelessly employing every creative method possible to satisfy her clients… Remember, we’re talking about a person who was named by Wall Street Journal as one of the Top 200 Real Estate Agents in America – and, bare in mind, they made no mention of gender… Tannie Luke is, quite simply, an exceptionally proficient Realtor… Again, finding answers to the present means searching into the past, and that is where we will find the

earliest traces of Tannie’s trademark dedication, discipline and professionalism in, of all things, her first job as a 12 year-old waitress in a small town in Utah… “It was my first job – just a summer job,” Tannie confessed to me, “And I did better than most of the adult staff… Eventually, my age became an issue and I left, but when I was 14, I was hired at the County Courthouse as

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an Assistant to the County Clerk and Treasurer.” These were her summer jobs at 12 and 14? All of a sudden my proud reminiscing about selling lemonade in front of my house when I was 13 has lost a lot of its grandeur… Of course, Tannie’s youth wasn’t completely about being precocious. She’s always had a passion for sports: she played volleyball, basketball, ran track, was Head Cheerleader at her high

school, became a competitive swimmer – at one point, Tannie even trained with the Coach of Gold Medalist Greg Louganis … Then there were the arts; Tannie’s love for playing the clarinet and piano continue to this day… but there is another aspect to Tannie’s creative spark, and it is another grand feature of Tannie’s abilities which sets her apart from other Realtors – Tannie is an accomplished Interior Designer...

Tannie is a Partner of La Vita, which is a Custom Home Community built on a picture-perfect hilltop, facing and overlooking the Las Vegas Strip… Interior Designing is another area where Tannie has been extremely successful. Movie Producers, Athletes, Musicians, Writers, Inspirational Motivational Speakers and Las Vegas Casino Owners have all called upon Tannie and her Interior Design Company – Tannie’s Design Works – to create their Million Dollar Homes… Many of the homes Tannie sells are not only designed by her, but she acts as consultant through the entire stage, from purchasing the land to working with architects, completing the interiors, then selling the finished

project. This is obviously a tremendous bonus to her clients, having every aspect of this process delivered to them in one package. For most of us, this seems an insane amount of pressure to be put under, but for Tannie Luke, it’s just another Day in her extraordinary Life… In her own succinct way, Tannie summed up her career for me: “The key to my success has always been my sincerity with my clients. When

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I first meet my clients, I don’t walk in with a parade of assistants. This is a one on one relationship… Remember, it doesn’t matter if you’re a single, middle-class parent or the President of a Fortune 500 Company, you’re placing one of your most valuable assets in my hands – your Home – or asking me to find what will become your most valuable asset, so you’re placing a huge amount of trust in me, and I have to earn that trust, and the way I earn your trust is through my actions.” This is how you rise to the top of your profession… Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Tannie does have a “Killer Smile,” which is why she was County Queen in Utah, and also competed in the Miss Utah Pageant, but in the end it is Tannie’s unwavering work ethic, and genuine concern for her clients that has earned her the respect and admiration of her peers. As for reasons why one should purchase their first – or even second home – in Vegas, Tannie was a fountain of information: “You mean ‘why’ as in other than living in a city with 24 hour Entertainment? We have no State Tax here, which some people might find appealing… You’re also minutes away from a great Ski resort – Lee Canyon, in Mount Charleston; and Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S.; if you’re into rock climbing you’re near Red Rock State Park. It’s the fastest growing region in America – why wouldn’t you want to live in Vegas?” Then again, there is another reason one might want to purchase their first – or even their second home – in Las Vegas: it has the largest number of Golf Courses per capita than any other city in the U.S. So, here’s the plan: you play a couple rounds of Golf on a beautiful stretch of green on a Vegas Course, then

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return home that evening to change, pick up your date and grab a bite at Nove Italiano inside the Palms Casino Resort, then move further down the Strip to catch Eric Clapton performing at the MGM Grand... Now, if this doesn’t sound like the ideal day to you… well…I don’t know – from where I’m typing it sounds like a pretty good life to me… To contact Tannie Luke visit www.tannieluke.com Or call 702.252.SELL/702.252.7355

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H ollywood W e e kly-F i lm/TV

Dexter Jenny Werth

With half the face splattered with blood and the other clean shaven, it was nearly impossible to miss the gruesome billboards advertising a certain Dexter a few years ago. Here was this smiling man with some wicked secret and you just knew this show was going to be more than your average shoot em’ up, song-n-dance cop circus. Now, while anxious audiences hold their breath, season four approaches. And we just know there’s going to be a collective exhale strong enough to blow down those very billboards that drew so many of us to Dexter in the first place. What is it that makes one show a phenomenon while so many others never get beyond a pilot? I hear some of you, rubbing enough of that special Buddha’s belly, right? Well, in Hollywood, you never really do know. And the opinions do vary naturally, but everyone agrees there are some essential threads in the fabric of making fabulous TV- unbelievable story line, gripping plot, talented cast and those who produce the show. Without these true stars, there would simply be no show, no weekly get-togethers over soda and popcorn and nothing to look forward to as the clock ticks slowly towards five. With this in mind, one man in particular merits our attention, Robert Lloyd Lewis. Lewis is the line producer for Dexter and is basically your go-to man to save time and money while shooting various

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scenes. He takes the script and helps to realize it by figuring out how to juggle different scenes into more time and cost effective venues that will still produce the best quality. Lewis says it’s like being a building contractor. And this Lewis is a very clever man. So, I say believe him. In fact, I say, listen to his story- it’s full of twists and turns and interesting parallels in and of itself. Upon returning home from college, Robert Lewis was strolling in downtown Englewood, NJ, and he happened upon the shooting of Woody Allen’s “Manhattan.” There was an action scene being shot and a crowd had gathered behind ropes to watch it being filmed. Just like all human beings, Lewis wanted to be INSIDE those ropes and so he simply slipped under them, got a coffee cup, acted like it was for the director and told the guards he was a production assistant. It worked, without a hitch. So he figure, why stop there? Well, he didn’t. In fact, for the next two days he continued the act. He didn’t get a pay check after his little stunt, but, he never got caught either. So started Lewis’ early career in show biz. And isn’t that how it so often isslipping under ropes, pretending to be someone you’re not, fooling everyone around you and fitting in with the crowd? Indeed.

Lewis realized early on in the game that if you wanted to make it in this crazy industry you had to get out there and “Just do it.” So he did. He moved to New York City and started calling TV, movie and commercial companies. He had 85 interviews until someone finally asked him the magical question, “can you drive a truck?” “Sure can,” he lied and went off to deliver a truckload of fake snow to location. And that was his ‘official beginning.’ He started off as a production assistant and moved up that ladder to producing commercials in one and a half years. He says it was a better education than film school. And it must have been because before long Lewis was out here in Los Angeles making movies! The Hollywood success story we all dream of! Once again he put himself in the action, only this time he didn’t slide under the ropes. “When you don’t have a reputation, you have to create material,” Lewis says. And create material he did. His first gig was in 1980 shooting a horror film called “Superstition” for which the crew, actors and composers worked free. In fact, he paid $50 for the script, borrowed $10,000 and shot it over a weekend. Within hours of completing ten minutes of the film, he had a deal to finish the movie. How? Well, he went straight over to a former wellknown company called Carolco (responsible for films such as Rambo and True Blood) and they kicked in over $1 million and made his low-budget horror film. I asked him to see a copy and he insists there aren’t any. I don’t know if I believe him.

He moved on to shooting many, many other movies such as the CBS TV Movie “A Summer to Remember,” in 1984 staring Tess Harper, Dennis Haysbert and Louise Fletcher. Then, fast forward some 20 years later and we find Lewis as producer of this wildly popular Showtime program Dexter. When asked for advice for aspiring producers, Lewis says “find a new profession.” Okay, well, if you are going to stay put, then here’s what else he recommends, “be tenacious.” He says there’s a lot of heart break and disappointment. He says you can’t take things personally. And he also advises to make all your phone calls after 6 p.m. because only then will the executives actually answer as you won’t ever get past the secretary during working hours. If you are a writer he says the easiest way to get into the business is to write a great script. He says that will get you to the top. But great writers are rare…except on Dexter. It’s a good thing Lewis didn’t follow his own advice of finding a new profession, for where would we be without him? With Lewis on the Dexter team among the other talented crew, we are sure to be graced with many more seasons of this twisted characters battle between the justice system and where it fails. Indeed Lewis confirms that one of the reasons for Dexter’s popularity is his ability to live out a lot of people’s fantasies of “balancing the books.” Of making what most people see as an unjust world just. Or, as I would say, of taking things into your own hands and seeing they are resolved as you see fit. However you explain it, Dexter is cleaning up the scum of the planet episode by episode, and we love to watch him as much as he loves to clean it up. As Lewis says, the Dexter creative team led by

Clyde Phillips is brilliant at coming up with fresh themes for each season and exploring that season’s concept. I doubt anyone would disagree. Some of Dexter is filmed on location at the Sunset Gower and Sunset Bronson Studios. The two studios have come together to form the largest independent studio featuring 23 sound stages and 28 acres. Also instrumental in making Dexter a huge success is how well the cast work with each other. Lewis says in his 30 years of working in this industry this is “the most professional cast I’ve ever worked with, all driven by Michael Hall. He brings a strong degree of professionalism to the show and sets an example to the rest of the cast and crew.” Something else that keeps Dexter’s fans coming back for more is the complexity of each character. True, Dexter is the most devious and genius of all the characters, but each character is damaged in some way. And we love that don’t we? Dexter’s love interest, Rita, carries an ocean of emotional baggage inside her soul. And while not all women would ever dream of wanting to identify with her, it can’t be denied that all too often many do. The result of this real-lifewoman-on-the-couch and the fictional woman on TV relationship? Even more of a guarantee that many people will turn on the tube every week to find out what happens next. Proof is seen in some of Dexter’s awards. Other than Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for best Drama, Dexter has won a Spike award, two Golden Satellite awards and a Saturn award. But, to me it’s the originality of this show and its influence long after it’s off the air that makes it a winner. All the awards in the world don’t mean a thing if a spark isn’t left on an audience’s memory. Or, perhaps as Dexter would say, a few drops of dried blood.

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Hollywood Kills

By Anthony Calderon

A Story Truer Than Fiction In E. Elias Merhige’s movie “Shadow of the Vampire,” the Director Murnau, played by John Malkovich, films a real-life vampire (Nosferatu), played by Willem Dafoe, feeding on his star actress, Greta (played by Catherine McCormack), after he has drugged her for the scene. As she lay helpless in bed, Nosferatu literally rips her neck to shreds... It’s a grotesque example of the psychosis some Directors develop, which is a compulsion to manifest their artistic expression, no matter how sadistic or inhumane it may be... This kind of character is not far from the Director Jack Black played in Peter Jackson’s King Kong, where he continued filming his “Dream Movie,” even after each of his crew members, one by one, continued to meet grisly deaths by every prehistoric creature you could possibly imagine... His stock line of justification as each one of his colleagues died was “We’ll dedicate the movie to them...” As John Lennon once said, “Whatever gets you through the night...” In Producer Devin Reeve’s new movie “Hollywood Kills,” available at all major video stores starting July

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28th 2009, British actor Dominic Keating, of Star Trek Enterprise fame, plays a Director so evil he makes Malkovich’s Murnau look as non-threatening as Director Frank Oz.. But, even with that said, Keating plays serial killer/Director Frances Fenway with such style, I don’t think I’ve seen a villain this charismatic since Orson Welles’ Harry Lime in “The Third Man...” Fenway is an embittered Hollywood Director who now uses his cinematic talents to film horrific murders carried out by his small crew of helpers... He relishes torturing and killing his victims with the kind of zest and passion you see cooks displaying on Food Network’s Iron Chef. And like a Master Chef, for Frances Fenway, it’s all about the presentation. This means his “pre-production” begins with finding out what the dreams are of his

intended victims, so he can twist and pervert them into becoming the perfect setting for their nightmares - which simply means the set he builds for you you’ll never leave… Keating’s performance is pitch-perfect, and he’s made his Director Frances Fenway a classic iconic villain on the horror movie landscape. The movie begins when brother and sister James and Sarah Dell, together with James’ best friend, Vaughn Mason, and Sarah’s roommate, Chantelle Sholay, are led to what they believe is going to be an exclusive Hollywood party at the mansion of Director France Fenway. Once inside, the mansion is literally locked up like a fortress, unbeknownst to the four guests, and before the night is over, none of their lives willever be the same… In addition to his Producer credits, Devin Reeve has been acting since the age of ten, which brings a well-balanced level of skill and experience to his role as Producer. At the time of our initial meeting, he and his fellow filmmakers were on the cusp of Osiris’ full scale distribution of Hollywood Kills in North America and Canada, and Devon is well aware that what he has in his hands is the beginning of a major movie franchise. A Hollywood Director turned serial killer, staging murders like scenes in a movie? It sounds more like a Dateline Special than a work of fiction… How close are we to something like this actually happening? It’s this slice of sobering reality that makes Hollywood Kills so chilling… And yet, in the private viewing I saw of the film, I was surprised at - in addition to the “gore,” which Devin warned me about - how much humanity and compassion I saw in the movie… Writer Nicholas Brandt and Producer /Writer Regan Wynne, together with Director Sven Pape,

don’t make the mistake of turning a great idea into an soulless bloodbath… Believe it or not, the heart of the central story in Hollywood Kills is “love of family and friends,” and how much one person is willing to sacrifice to protect the people they love… Definitely not what you would expect in a film belonging to the same genre as “Slasher” movies… But once again, it comes down to choosing good material, and Producer Devin Reeve saw this as a project that worked on many different levels from the very beginning… The characters we’re introduced to are all believable, to begin with, and wellacted by the ensemble put together for this film, which is, of course, what makes it all work. It’s because we care what happens to these four unfortunate individuals that we, as an audience, get so caught up in the terror they’re subjected to… Director Sven Pape truly gives us the best of both worlds, by presenting us visually with the heightened intensity of a stage play, while keeping the intimacy of a film... I have to admit that halfway through the movie I started feeling claustrophobic, as though I were in Director Frances Fenway’s mansion frantically searching for a way out... Obviously, this is what the filmmakers wanted... I was almost tempted at one point to check the soles of my shoes for blood I might have stepped in... This is a film that grabs you by the throat... Hollywood Kills has already been released in Asia and Europe, and it has been the success in those markets that made the move back to North America and Canada possible... Before it’s all said and done, I think we may have a worldwide phenomenon on our hands in the form of Director Fenway... At the very least, it should make you fact check that next open audition you want to go to -- it might be another Fenway Production...

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H ollywood W eekly-Books

MuggleNet.com

Declares Verdict on Whether Harry Potter Should Have Died

Students at Notre Dame, Emerson Spartz, the #1 Harry Potter fan site founder, and Webmaster Ben Schoen reveal their insights on the most controversial issues of the Harry Potter series It’s a question for which only two Notre Dame students with tens of millions of hits per month on their fan site would dare conjure up an answer. A question that only the person who met J.K Rowling herself could even attempt. “Would the series be stronger if Voldemort had killed Harry?” The verdict? Well, you’d have to pick up the latest publication produced by two students mesmerized by the boy magician. On a cool evening in July, the two young students waited to greet their fans at a book signing in Book Soup on Sunset Boulevard. Young girls dressed in Hogwarts uniforms, one with a crescent and gold scarf wrapped around her neck though it was only a mildly cool California evening. Emerson Spartz, a senior studying business at the University of Notre Dame, and Ben Schoen, who is studying psychology/sociology at Notre Dame, are the young wizards behind this quest. As a cool breeze passed by, the young men in their 20’s wore T-shirts for a warmer part of the day and commented on the weather, how it was different in Indiana where they go to school, but it was lost in the noise of traffic along the busy street. Hollywood was such a long distance from home, but they had just finished answering everything Harry Potter, from Albus Dumbledore to Quidditch to Voldemort. The main question is the title of their newest book, “Harry Potter Should Have Died: Controversial Views From the #1 Fan Site,” which their publisher Ulysses Press emphasizes is an “independent and unauthorized fan publication.”

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by April R. Moon

With which character do you most identify? Emerson Spartz By April R. Moon Hermione Why? Her braininess. “But not as over the top.” Read first Harry Potter novel at about the time the third installment was published. Ben Schoen Harry Why? He is constantly overcoming obstacles, a theme in Schoen’s own life. Read first Harry Potter book after his friends got into reading the series. Favorite Harry Potter book? Emerson Spartz Goblet of Fire Why? “I love it, I can’t tell you why.” “That book more than any other transports me to Hogwarts.” Ben Schoen Prisoner of Azkaban Why? Harry finds out a lot about his parents.

Emerson Spartz (left) and Ben Schoen Their first book concentrated on the seventh and final book, “MuggleNet.com’s What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7.” But their latest concoction deals with the entire series. In one swift gesture, the students round up all the questions, debate the pros and cons, then offer their verdict. “Should Voldemort be pitied or loathed?” “Does Harry Potter die in Deathly Hallows?” “Which couple has the most romantic story?” “Is Severus Snape a hero?” Yet, how can they answer the questions millions of fans have debated for years? Who made them authorities on the subject? For one, Spartz and Schoen were inspired by their fans, the

tens of millions who visit MuggleNet. com monthly to debate and collaborate on all things Harry Potter, to expand on the conversation online. The home-schooled Spartz set up the Web site in 1999 when he was 12. He and Schoen have also read the entire Harry Potter series. So when the pair makes a verdict, the spell over the debate doesn’t disappear, but it is greatly diminished by the great and powerful wisdom the two possess. But Spartz didn’t realize the power MuggleNet.com gave him. “(Rowling) randomly called my house completely out of the blue,” Spartz remembered, still in awe of the moment. It was in 2006, after the sixth book, “Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince,” was issued.

When Rowling invited him to meet with her, he said he would have to “check his schedule,” but, joking aside, his one-hour meeting turned into a 2½ hour conversation. “She makes you feel like you’re old friends,” he said. “She’s awesome.” So did she divulge any secrets? “Well if she did, I wouldn’t be able to talk about it, then would I,” he joked, then added, “not anything of substance.” These two students have unprecedented access to the Harry Potter world, having met the stars of the movie franchise whom they call “all very charming and vivacious” at the

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premieres they have attended since the third installment, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” The two have already seen the latest movie out in theaters now, which is based on “Half-Blood Prince.” So, how did the new film measure up to the book, in the view of two authorities on the subject? “(HBP) lived up to my expectations completely,” Schoen said, adding there wasn’t any scene that stood out as cut from the book of the same title. The only minor issue that prompted a lot of text messages from friends was the exclusion of Dumbledore’s funeral. “But for the most part, they made smart cuts,” Spartz added. “They had to condense a very large book into a very short movie.” Committed to their craft, the students will continue to keep the magic alive on their Web site long after the movies are complete to “continue to provide a place for fans to collaborate,” Schoen said. “There’s always going to be new kids who are discovering the series and they’re going to want a place to talk about it,” Schoen added. Then there is the proposed Orlando theme park based on Harry Potter, and Spartz mentioned Rowling is coming out with a new encyclopedia. They consider themselves lucky, though, to have lived through the experience of waiting for each installment, “experiencing it as it comes,” Schoen said. The students will always have a new HP-related trick up their short sleeves, and their fans will wait with breathless anticipation, even in a small bookshop on metal chairs late on a July evening.

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Major Questions in “Harry Potter Should Have Died” “Would the series be stronger if Voldemort had killed Harry?” You’ll be surprised to learn the authors have an answer for both sides, but only one official verdict. “Should Voldemort be pitied or loathed?” On one side he doesn’t deserve any pity, on the other he was an orphan who grew up in an “uncaring Muggle institution.” “Does Harry Potter die in Deathly Hallows?” That depends on the definition and circumstances. “Which couple has the most romantic story?” Spartz and Schoen debate the romances of Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione, and even Harry/Hermione before they reach a verdict. “Is Severus Snape a hero?” Well, think about who Harry names his youngest son

after.

“Are the HP books for adults or children?” Verdict… “The books were written for adults, children, and any human on the planet who can read.”

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H ollywood W eekly-Musi c

FILM & TELEVISION COMPOSER

JOHN DICKSON In the liner notes for the 20th Anniversary soundtrack of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg said composer John Williams literally rewrites his films musically once he’s finished shooting, and praises Williams for making his movies better with film scores that have become instant classics... Directors like Scorsese and Tarrantino use popular music to capture the various moods and atmosphere of their films, while Steven Soderbergh prefers the electronic funk of film composer David Holmes to enhance his movies, and bring his images to life… So, it would stand to reason that a composer who could do it all -- provide the classical, thematic elegance of a John Williams or John Barry; bring the in-yourface, soul grooves of David Holmes, and have a basic rock and roll sensibility -- this is the kind of artist you would want to score your film...assuming you’re a filmmaker... Well, if you happen to be one of the millions of fans watching USA Network’s Burn Notice every week, you might think there are at least three separate composers working on the show’s music, but there’s only one: the multitalented, eclectic genius John Dickson -- a man with musical tastes so varied at times I felt as if I were interviewing three separate composers… On his newly redesigned website (www.johndicksonmusic.com), John explains some of his history with stories of growing up in Texas with his parents playing The Fab Four, Opera, Country, Jazz -- even The Carpenters -- on their home stereo... Then there was undergraduate work at Stephen F. Austin University, and the Masters Commercial Music Program at the

Creating Soundtracks… AS You Like it 20

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By Anthony Calderon

University of Miami... However, it was back in Houston, Texas where the fruits of the John Dickson the film community would come to know began formulating.

and orchestrating it to be performed by rock, pop, and jazz legends. The concert culminated in an album, “Songs of West Side Story.”

A master French Horn player and pianist, John worked with artists from both ends of the musical spectrum, and every stop in between: Tommy Tune, Diahann Carroll, Ray Charles, Andy Williams, Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach... All exciting, engaging work, but it wasn’t film scoring, which is where John’s heart was from the very beginning ... During this time John even wrote music for Alley Theatre Productions of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” and Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” but it was clear if he was ever going to make his mark in Hollywood he’d have to move there... so, he did... In Los Angeles, once again, John’s talent as a horn player and pianist got him work with a roster of A-list performers: Alanis Morissette, Shirley Horn, Harry Connick Jr., Lionel Ritchie and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra... John’s gift for orchestrating and arranging led to, in his own words, one of the most “inspirational and moving” experiences of his career. John worked on the APLA fund raising concert, Commitment to Life VI, which was produced by Bernie Taupin and David Pack. The project entailed taking all the music from West Side Story, and rearranging it

It was also during this time, while working on the song “Rumble,” from West Side Story, that John met one of his jazz idols – Chick Corea… Eventually, John was rehearsing Mozart pieces with Corea nightly for his concerto tour with Bobby McFerrin. They would talk for hours while listening to music… John described this time to me as having “Priceless access to a living legend, and one of the most generous musicians on the planet…” John continued working with Chick Corea on large, multi-movement pieces for his sextet and symphony orchestra which premiered in Japan, and was later recorded… One piece, “Spain for Sextet and Orchestra,” won a Grammy for Best Instrumental… As a fan of Burn Notice, I was personally excited to talk with the man behind the layered sounds of this hit show. It seemed wild that one person could fluctuate so easily between all the different styles the plotline of the series demands. One listen to the samples of musical cues from Burn Notice on John’s website and you’ll understand what the “buzz” on John is all about… Actually, you can listen to most of the Films,

Television Projects, and Short Films John has scored on his website… I was struck by the range of emotions John’s able to conjure up in his music. Especially interesting are the short, behind-the-scenes stories John provides for each of his soundtracks, explaining how he often manages to work around a film’s actual budget to create a sound bigger and grander than what one would expect from the money available… My favorite soundtrack, ironically, came from a movie I’ve never seen or heard of: Mammoth. It’s a story about an ice age, mammoth elephant on a rampage in the city; but the depth and sensitivity John brings to the soundtrack is stunning… Mammoth was directed by Tim Cox, an artist John frequently collaborates with. John and Tim met in the late 90’s during the scoring of “A Galaxy Far, Far Away,” and at a time when John was scoring a lot of short films. We asked Tim for a few comments about John, and he sent us the following statement: “What is there to say? John Dickson is my cinematic voice. He embodies all of the qualities a successful composer needs. He can write complex, thematic driven orchestrations using a pencil, piece of paper and a flashlight. And he is versatile, always listening and devouring a wide variety of musical styles. When

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I listen to his music, I feel transported to other worlds. Often times, I’ve toyed with the idea of recording his music first, and then building the story around it-- a technique used with songs, but not score. Regardless, the music John creates always elevates the films it supports. His intuition is as uncanny as his technical skill. There is no one I trust more when it comes to helping invoke the emotion and the spirit of a movie.” This is also the period where John first met Matt Nix, the creator of Burn Notice. Matt and John first worked together in 1999, on a children’s short film made for the FXM cable channel called “First Prince.” Impressed by John’s ability to deliver a score that was “kind of early renaissance classical - but funny,” Matt called him up for his next short, “Me and the Big Guy,” which went on to air on the Sci-Fi network for several years. John eventually became the go-to guy for all of Matt’s projects, delivering music that ranged from huge orchestral scores to moody thriller music to traditional Native American chants. When Matt’s show “Burn Notice” was green-lit by the USA network, John Dickson was his first call. “It was an easy choice, Matt explained, “There aren’t many guys who can do music in virtually every style, from Latin Jazz to alternative Heavy Metal to traditional orchestral scoring, always on time and on budget. “ Matt and John have enjoyed a creative partnership for almost ten years, a partnership that will continue, Max promised, “Until John gets too expensive.” In 2008, and just recently in 2009, John was Awarded the ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Top Television Series Award for his Burn Notice soundtracks… To say John’s early work in Hollywood with these young filmmakers has been extremely fruitful for him would be an understatement, but it’s proof of John’s reputation as a hard-working, generous musician, who thoroughly enjoys his craft… I can attest to spending hours on John’s website, listening to snippets from his various soundtracks. Gems like Lost Colony, Larva and Dark Light. Most of these fullyrealized scores were composed very quickly, as is normally the case with projects at this level, but John’s trademark has always been quality, regardless of time and budget… Though John’s extensive knowledge of so many musical genres would seem the obvious key to his success, I think the key here is passion. “Knowledge of music” is a given, and expected of all composers, but only a few artists have that vast reservoir of love and respect for the art of creating a melody that makes us believe on a soulful level, the world we see depicted on the screen – big or small. John Dickson is a composer who can create music for any world one could possibly dream of… Look for John’s latest soundtrack on Tim Cox’s upcoming feature Film, Miss Nobody…

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Love, She Wrote true Notes From America’s Next Great Band http://www.myspace.com/loveshewrote By Anthony Calderon Few things in our society of Pop Culture are as coveted as the quintessential “Rock Article.” The purpose of said article is to – in 1,000 odd words or less – provide the reader with a glimpse into the musical magic being produced by some band, on some stage, in some club, bar or makeshift venue, somewhere across America… Fair enough, but the current status of the Rock Article holds nowhere near the power it did in the time of, say, Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous,” where classic rock bands were still cooling from their molten lava stage, having only been formed in the “Cosmic Big Bang” of the sixties – the sound of these bands eventually solidified in our social consciousness, and formed the foundation of everything we steal from today… But this is the age of mass marketing, and corporate meddling in all things artistic. Rock Bands are created with such frequency you’d think they came off an assembly line. The sheer speed at which Bands come into existence now has earned them the right to have their own statistic – at last count I think it was one Band in America being produced every 20 minutes. Conversely, the meltdown of American Bands also have their own statistic: one Band is broken up every 30 minutes, then

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reformed with different lead singers and lead guitarists every 40 minutes. For some reason, lead singers and lead guitarists seem to be the most transitory figures in Rock Bands, whereas Drummers and Bass Players, like the rhythm they keep, appear to be more steadfast in their commitment to their given bands…with, of course, the exception of Sting and The Police, Phil Collins and Genesis, and Don Henley and The Eagles – but they were all singers anyway, so the theory still stands… So, if you’ve all been following along with me, the real statistic we should be looking at as the status of American Bands is one band “Reformed” every 40 minutes… And it is with this somewhat jaded outlook on the present condition of the music industry that I met with the band Love, She Wrote, in the Wilshire headquarters of the Hollywood Weekly… Like soldiers going into battle, the threeman-team of Love, She Wrote walked into our office with the necessary (and expected) armor of tattoos and piercings – but that’s where the stereotypes ended. What I found in this trio of musicians were just three down-to-earth fellows writing and playing music about the things going on in their lives, which happen to be – in alphabetical order: Girlfriends, Ladies and Women… Okay, they’ve got my interest… Joey C., Michael O. and Nick B. Three guys singing and playing from their hearts about girls. No pretension. No attitudes. Just being real… Now, what are they actually saying about the women they’re singing about? Thankfully, the lyrics to all five songs on their new CD Oh! And About Last Night… are printed – and, by the way, even the freakin’ title of their record brings back haunting memories of arguments with past girlfriends… From their song Bling Bling Baby – “I have to go, I can’t stay here/You’re not to blame girl, there’s nothing to fear/It’s been raining for months, and it feels like a year/ But tonight the sky is clear.” The song is a Universal Rally for couples to stop yelling, drop their fists, go out on the town and HAVE A BLAST… This is a HUGE single with a

Big, Phat, Well-Rounded Sound… I’m talking Bass Pumping, Drums Slamming, Guitar Roaring. You think “It just doesn’t get better than this” – then it does… That Girl Is Fierce – no, not Tyra Bank’s mantra – is a song about love at first “public” sighting. A great cut that continues the energy of Bling Bling Baby… And that’s the main attraction of Love, She Wrote for me: these guys are one helluva’ group. The cohesion in which they play is phenomenal. This is a tight trio. If these guys weren’t writing songs they could rival the best cover bands out there, because they sound like anything they play they make better… Vocally, Joey C. is, as Raymond Chandler used to say, “The Genuine Article.” This kid can sing. You can give the spin doctor in the music studio responsible for “fine-tuning” voices the night off. How refreshing is it to actually hear real

talent…? I could actually feel my cynicism thawing… Outlaw, Josey Wales is my favorite cut on the record. It’s a song about a girl breaking up with you – I had this track on “Repeat” all night… My favorite lines: “I felt the tension in the room, but deep down I was on to you/And I’m not giving up or packing anything/And the awkward silence burned, the tricks we played, the lies we learned.” … Yeah, that’s just about right… December Nights and Miss You close out the album, and, once again, these guys know the pain… There’s an honesty to their playing and songwriting, which is completely free of gimmicks, and absolutely full of soul… All in all I spent over an hour interviewing Love, She Wrote, and many hours listening to their CD Oh! And About Last Night…, and what I’ve discovered is a true American

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Band made up of three polished musicians who are as well versed in talking about all the different genres of Rock Music as they are in playing them… This is a trio who defy categorization, unless you use the often-quoted, two-part classification system of the great Duke Ellington, who said, “Music only comes in two forms – good and bad.” As for Love, She Wrote, they’d be filed under “Good…”

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Fr iends Celebr ate Host Skip E. Lowe’s By April R. Moon

Birthday at The Flame Showcase Friends from around the globe along

with regular showcase performers cele-

brated host and entertainer Skip E. Lowe’s birthday at a packed venue June 8, 2009. During his regular Monday night

Cabaret & Talent Show at The Flame res-

taurant on Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, singers, dancers, pianists and other talent took to the stage to celebrate the former child actor and long-time cable host’s

birthday. In his more than half a century career, Lowe has starred in movies with

legends, interviewed stars and entertain-

ment industry veterans for more than three decades on his cable show, and also hosts a weekly cabaret and talent showcase.

His friends from Europe included a

beautiful opera singer and an inspiring pianist. There were Elvis songs from a

showcase regular, birthday balloons, and a bellydancer who dazzled the packed

restaurant. The whole restaurant joined in to wish Lowe a happy birthday.

www.skipelowe.com HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

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H ollywood W e ekly-E vent s

(L-R) Jim Gianopulos, N i a Va r d a l o s

(L-R) Paolo Marinou Blanco, Angeliki Giannakopoulos, Straton Leopold, Ersi Danou, Mimi Denisi, Dinos Andrianos, Helen Vrynoti By Pamela Spyrs

GREEKS MAKE THEIR MARK

IN HOLLYWOOD

The Egyptian Theatre becomes home to Greek Films at the 3rd Annual LA Greek Film Festival From the ancient theatres that surround the beautiful country of Greece to the bright lights of the big screen, Greek film has made a mark in Hollywood. June 25, 2009 was the Opening Night Gala of the 3rd Annual LA Greek Film Festival, which continued through June 28, 2009. The Egyptian Theatre was the place where 4 days of films connected to Greece would be seen by hundreds coming from near and far to see who’s behind the scenes and on the screens of Greek filmmaking. “There is no question Greek cinema is undergoing a evolutionary process, and we were pleased to be in the position to capture this trend with the 3rd edition of the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival”, states Angeliki Giannakopoulos (Festival Co-Founder & Director), “We are happy to connect Greek filmmakers from around the world by creating a bridge between them and Hollywood.” Walking the red carpet at the Opening Night Gala was a star-studded array of Greek filmmakers, artists and actors who were there to support the amazing work of Greeks in Hollywood! Legendary actor, John Aniston (Days of Our Lives), recording artist, Kalomira Sarantis, Alexis Georgoulis (My Life in Ruins), Phedon Papamichael (Director: Arcadia Lost), Vlas Parlapanides, (Screenwriter: War of Gods) were

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amongst the celebrities that lit up the carpet that night. Also on the carpet was Alex Lyras who graced the LA theater scene in 2008 with his award-winning show THE COMMON AIR that will soon hit the bright lights of New York City! Jim Zervanos, author of his debut novel, LOVE Park was seen on the carpet who was there supporting fellow Greek artists. To top off opening night Chris Marcovici of MIXnightlife and Pamela Spyrs of INSPYRS PR presented a special Greek Night at ONE SUNSET where recording artist sensation, KALOMIRA performed for the first time in LA! Crowds filled this Hollywood hotspot to hear Kalomira sing her newest hits. “Kalomira became the sweetheart of Greece and later throughout Europe,” says Spyrs, “ we’re thrilled to see her making her mark in the USA and now in LA.” Day 2 of the film festival was a night to be remembered as Penelope Spheeris, who is often referred to as a Rock’n Roll anthropologist, was honored for her work as a pioneer filmmaker. As a tribute to Spheeris, a screening of her fiction feature film debut SUBURBIA (1984) was shared that night. The films continued to be shown at the Egyptian Theatre and the Linwood Dunn Theater each day of the film festival.

(L-R) Alexis Georgoulis, Alexia Haidos

(L-R) Penelope Spheeris, Phedon Papamichael, Eka Papamichael

Day 3 brought Sharon Stone to the crowd who was featured in the award winning documentary NO SUBTITLES NECESSARY: LASZLO & VILMOS, directed and produced by James Chressanthis. This was a heart capturing yet eye opening look into the lives of Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond and their amazing work, better known as “two heroes, one road”. This dynamic documentary film also was this years recipient of the Orpheus Audience Award. Later that night came the world premier of Nia Vardalos’ I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY, co-staring John Corbett. As screenwriter, director and actor in this delightfully romantic film, Vardalos was on the scene to introduce her directorial debut! Joining her was a number of the actors from the film including her wonderfully talented husband and biggest supporter, Ian Gomez. “We were honored that the festival chose us as their world premiere event for this year. The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival is becoming one of the preeminent showcases for filmmakers of Greek descent worldwide, and we are thrilled to be included as part of their lineup,” says Vardalos. The closing night brought yet another red carpet filled with the glitz and glamour of celebrities including, Jim Gianopulos (Co-ChairmanCEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment) Costas Mandylor (SAW III, IV, V & VI), Michael Papajohn (Terminator Salvation, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Nia Vardalos (My Life In Ruins) along with others who filled the carpet with their dynamic energy! Also dazzling the carpet was Deal Or No Deal’s, Patricia Kara

(L-R) John Aniston, Angeliki Giannakopoulos, Alexis Georgoulis

who hosted the Orpheus Awards Ceremony later that evening. Presenters of the Orpheus Awards Included Nia Vardalos, Jim Gianopulos, Marilu Henner, Mimi Denisi, Keith Morris, Alexis Georgoulis and Stratton Leopold. Penelope Spheeris and Deputy Ambassador to UN Dimitris Caramitsos-Tziras received honorary Orpheus Awards. Producer of LAGFF, Alex Kalognomos, closed the doors of the Egyptian as the lights went out in the courtyard. “That’s a wrap guys! The Greeks did it again, we’re continuing to make our mark in Hollywood and beyond!” Kalognomos exclaimed as he wished everyone a good night until next year at the 4th Annual LA Greek Film Festival. See you there! OPA!

Kalomira Sarantis

Costas Mandylor

www.lagreekfilmfestival.org

Michael Papajohn

Vlas Parlapanides

(L-R) Jim Zervanos, Alex Lyras

Patricia Kara

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Bon Bon… POW! Bon Abedeen’s Serenity Salon & Spa hits Hollywood!

By Pamela Spyrs

“It’s a place you come to experience ultimate serenity in OC and then get ready to do up the town!” says owner of Serenity Salon & Spa, Bon Abedeen. Once you take a step into Serenity Salon & Spa you feel a sense of relaxation yet energized enough to go walk the stars of Hollywood! That shouldn’t be a surprise since those working at the salon find themselves packing up their tools and heading for Hollywood to work on celebrities getting them camera-ready for numerous events.

Serenity Salon & Spa www.goserenity.com 32

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Most recently Serenity’s Bon Abedeen, who is also a make-up artist, and hair stylist, Fallyn Gordon were creating their magic as they got recording artist, KALOMIRA, ready to walk the red carpet at the Opening Night

Gala of the LA Greek Film Festival and then later for her 1st LA performance at One Sunset on the Sunset Strip! Glitz, Glamour, WOW filled their minds as they worked intensely on every detail of Kalomira’s look for the events that were merely only a couple of hours away. PERFECTION! Kalomira was red carpet ready and off she flew to walk the carpet with her hair in loose curls and her camera-ready make-up! Back to the OC it was for Bon and Fallyn, ready to get back to their local clients that awaited their services the following day. Imagine going to a salon and coming out feeling like a celebrity! Or visiting the spa and coming out feeling stress free and total serenity! Now that’s Bon Bon… POW!

(L-R) Fallyn Gordon, Kalomira Sarantis, Bon Abedeen

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Ed Hardy Vo d k a

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H ollywood Weekly-F ood

SUNSET GOWER’S Stage Café & Espresso Smoothie Bar

“You Just Can’t Go Wrong”

By Anthony Calderon

You’re a new P.A. working at Sunset Gower Studios on your first Production. It’s the first day of shooting a feature film and everyone is tense. During lunch, while the cast and crew are eating, the Director sits alone, studying his storyboard… He’s gone 10 hours straight with no food and finally he turns to you and says, “I don’t want anything from Craft Services. Get me something else to eat. I don’t know what, just make sure I like it.” They say stress is the number one killer in America – here we go! Make sure he likes it?! How can you possibly know what this guy likes or doesn’t like. In your mind you can already imagine someone using their phone to film the moment you return with the Director’s lunch and he curses you out so bad TMZ ends up posting it on their website… A couple other P.A.s overhear the Director’s “lunch order” and they try and whisper ideas to you as you walk your own personal “Green Mile” to getting fired from this job… “Make sure the meat isn’t greasy,” one P.A. whispers in your ear… “He doesn’t even eat meat,” another P.A. corrects, “He likes fried chicken.” Great! Nothing like adding an extra dash of anxiety and paranoia to your food-run! As you leave the sound stage you see another Production company filming across from you and just as you’re seriously consider walking over there and inquiring about a job, you remember something a friend said before you took this job: “If you get a chance to work at Sunset Gower Studios make sure you stop by the Stage Café. They’ve got a Roasted Balsamic Portobello on Ciabatta that’s amazing!” Of course – the Stage Café! Now, walking in the Stage Café is a little like stepping into Rick’s Café in “Casablanca.” It’s a gathering place and neutral territory for all the different Production Companies

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filming at Sunset Gower. Add to that all the independent Writers and Producers renting office space, workers from Sunset Gower’s brand new Technicolor building, and the Hollywood Community in general, and you’ve got yourself a nice little hub of social activity in the Stage Café… In place of Sam, the piano player, there are two gigantic, flat-screen T.V.s on the wall…but they don’t take requests. I won’t embarrass Stage Café owner, Allan Jones, by comparing him to Humphrey Bogart, but trust me, Allan’s had along history of working in the film business… But first, let’s return to our panicked P.A. trying to figure out what to get their Director for lunch – we’ll stay away from both meat and chicken and go with a Stage Café classic: the Café Tuna melt, with white albacore Tuna, tossed with house-made fresh herb mayo, and topped with ripe tomato and melted Alpine Swiss… No one ever said the way to a Director is through their stomach, but if Allan’s Café Tuna Melt doesn’t get that P.A. a promotion, “something really wrong is going on here…” Alright, back to Allan Jones and the Stage Café… For Allan, this has been a dream a long time in the making, ever since his joyous, sunny, fun-filled days working on “Tales From The Crypt.” While still in High School, Allan took a part-time with Craft Services on the cult show. Many T.V. and movie catering jobs later, in 2003 Allan formed T & T Craft Service Trailer Rentals with Derek Hurd – but lucky for us he kept his day job, too…. It was while working Craft Services at Sunset Gower Studios for N.B.C’s Heroes that the opportunity for Allan to take over the Stage Café became a reality… But being a perfectionist in everything he does, Allan interviewed over 40 Chefs before choosing Stage Café Executive Chef Page Moll…

Now, talk about a movie star in the making, the L.A. Times recently rated Page Moll L.A.’s “Healthiest Chef”, while City Search named him L.A.’s “Sexiest Chef.” Westways Magazine wrote a feature article on Page that will be placed in Airplanes across the Nation, where travelers will no doubt be intrigued by this young, fit, surfboard-riding outdoorsman who breaks just about every stereotype we have in our minds as to what a great Chef should look like… If you’ve ever eaten at The Beach Comber on the Malibu Pier, where Page previously worked as Executive Chef, then you’ve witnessed firsthand just how creative Page can be in creating classic entrees. On the day I interviewed Allan and Page there were three fire trucks parked in front of the Stage Café, I assumed they were being filmed by one of the Production Companies on the Lot – turns out they were really just a bunch of hungry firemen and women who’d heard about Page’s Barbecue Pulled Pork Sliders, with caramelized onions and cilantro ranch… Word of mouth, or “taste of mouth” has always been a powerful form of advertising for the Stage Café. Doctor Gregory, a resident chiropractor working at Sunset Gower Studios (on Showtime’s Dexter among other shows) took time out from his lunch at the Stage Café to talk with me. He began with a very well-known fact: “It’s not easy to make a really good turkey burger.”No argument here… He continued, “What I love about the Stage Café is everything is fresh – they even have their own homemade house chips.” While listening to Dr. Gregory I ate another homemade favorite of the Café – their sweet potato fries… It’s not the kind of thing you want to eat on a first date, because you can’t stop eating them – literally one after another… “Greed” is just not a good first impression on a date… Sunset Gower’s own Terry Melkonian was also at the Café eating

Continues on page 52.

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H ollywood W eekly-Money

New Era Debt Solutions Part 2.

The only benefit of getting into tremendous debt is I can immediately speak to a real person from a credit card company opposed to the countless computerized voices I used to tolerate before. I’ve even been given the box-of-gold private extension numbers along with the best times to call these people back. Boy, am I special. I mean, everyone knows the frustrating game of sitting around playing the ‘press #2’ button just to speak to some other computerized voice that instructs you to press #3 just to hear the same annoying voice, and then, eventually after being 90th in line you get your chance to talk to a human being- that is, if the line doesn’t disconnect. Well folks, let me tell you, now I’ve got real-life June, Tom and Nancy all calling me personally ready and willing to chat about all my wonderful options available to resolve my overdue accounts. My favorite is Nancy from Bank of America (the card I hate the most). Nancy personally leaves me lovely messages in a kind voice promising reduced payment programs for my debt! A little late Nancy! Sorry! You guys should have thought about that BEFORE you increased my APR to 27.99%! And what about all the times I personally called you to request you lower the

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

by Jenny Werth

revolting APR to a feasible interest rate- like one a normal person can afford on a monthly basis? Too bad Nancy from Bank of America Cheaters.... New Era Debt Solutions has a different plan that doesn’t involve any of your “reduced” interest rates! I am not only NOT going to ‘personally discuss’ a reduced payment program with you now that you’ve realized I’m not going to pay your outrageously ridiculous feesbut furthermore, New Era is going to settle my debt with you demons for about half of the balance that I owe or even less! I have news for you Nancy, there’s a boxing match going on between two companies in my world right now. One opponent is your untamed, impractical credit card company payments and the other is the realistic payment plan created specifically for me by New Era Debt Solutions. I don’t have to tell you who the winner is Nancy… that’s why you’re now personally calling me with offers you denied me months ago. Fortunately New Era has opened my eyes to quite a few things. One is that these credit card companies who harass, threaten and barrage you with constant calls to ‘pay up,’ followed by ‘reduced payment plans,’ are really often willing to

settle for some of the money you owe rather than absolutely nothing which is exactly what they might get if you declared bankruptcy. I wonder if Nancy feels bad that I won’t return her phone calls. Doubtful, she just wants me to feel like I’m prisoner in a debt-jail where Nancy’s payment plans are my only way out. Vice-president and cofounder of New Era Debt Solutions, Alex Viecco, said it best, “credit cards are truly modern day slavery.” And because New Era understands who creditors are and what they have the potential to do to people, I choose to trust my massive problem to them. They are leading me through the foggy maze of dollar signs I started to have nightmares were chasing me down like neurotic meter maids. Listen, I haven’t forgotten that I’m the one who got myself into this crazy debt fiasco. And I know Miss Nancy is just doing her job. But Bank of America screwed up when they refused to lower my interest rate. That’s their fault and I’m going to have to blame Nancy because she’s the one calling. Clearly there’s an infectious disease attacking Americans called lunatic interest rates. If not, President Obama wouldn’t have stepped in to create laws preventing these credit card companies from charging ridiculous interest rates that have left millions of Americans with no choice other than to settle their debt or declare bankruptcy. In between all my new personal phone calls from suddenly sweet creditors promising fabulous reduced programs, I am receiving mountains of mail from Cardmember Services stating they have important information regarding my account. Frankly I can imagine what’s inside these envelopes, but I won’t open them. I just toss them around my long wooden dining table that doubles as my desk and a place to pile my unopened credit card mail.

When I started the program with New Era they told me to simply write the New Era address on the back of each of my credit cards ‘change of address’ column so all this wasted paper would in time be delivered directly to them. But I hesitated to do so because I didn’t know if I really was going to go through with their whole debt settlement program. See, New Era allows a one-month total refund guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with their services. Being the cynical, angry ‘spendhappy’ person I am, I couldn’t decide whether I was going to just skip off to some distant island (traveling by credit naturally) and disappear for years and years, or truly face the problem. We all know which avenue I choose because I’m certainly nowhere near Fiji. So, now I have to mail all my credit-card-hate-mail off to New Era. They really have made it simple for me to deal with this massive problem. I’m the one who choose to make it complicated because I’ve found that disconnecting my credit card IV must be like a drug addict drying out. I’ll get around to sending this mail out to them eventually and I’ll also fill out the change of address form. I tend to be my own worst enemy sometimes. New Era made it easy to avoid the mail ambush and I allowed it to happen…why? They offer a program but I have to follow it; right now I’m a bit like a dieter who isn’t following the entire menu because I still sneak pizza. Yes, getting this mail out to them is something I must do tomorrow. But first I have to deal with sorting through all of it to find the ONE envelope I really must open. You see, I’m being punished by the credit card fairies for my debt-a-holic days. In a bizarre twist of fate, it just so happens that someone stole my Capital One credit card account information and attempted to charge up a bunch of stuff

over the internet. You’ll remember that Capital One was the true love of my life and was also the only card left that I was only a few weeks late on the minimum payment. Apparently they still hadn’t closed my account usage and that’s why the thieves were able to charge anything at all. So, in the midst of all my fun calls from my new personal creditor friends, I received a call from the ‘fraud department’ of Capitol One. Obviously, I was greatly tentative about this call… was it a trick to get me to actually return their call? Or was it truly a genuine fraud issue regarding my account? Horrendous decisions! Ultimately I decided to call. Good thing I did. Turned out some lucky thief got to use up the very last bit of credit on the card that even I had developed the tolerance NOT to use! The irony! They got as far as charging over $300 at a Target somewhere in Long Beach over the internet. They also attempted to charge an additional $700 at Walmart and Home Depot over the internet but the fraud department denied any further charges after Target. I must give kudos to the fraud department! They are sure on top of abnormal and disproportionate charges compared to what the card user typically charges. Naturally this created some stress for me as I was afraid the credit card company would question if I was making some last-minute outlandish charges before they stopped allowing me usage of the card. The fraud department is clever, clearly nothing like the interest rate department. The fraud department must have suspected these were bogus charges since even the savviest of credit card-happy people such as myself probably can’t drive fast enough to make it from one store to the next to charge up hundreds of dollars within seconds. After we discussed the entire situation it turns out all I have to do

Continues on page 53.

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©2008 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker does not guarantee the accuracy of square footage, lot size or other information concerning the condition or features of property provided by the seller or obtained from public records or other sources, and the buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information through personal inspection and with appropriate professionals. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. JOB#LW1209 DESIGNED BY MUSHED PEAS ©2009 323.222.6597

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Susan Stark A 20-year veteran of the real estate business whose client list is as impressive as her list of accomplishments, Susan Stark is the epitome of the hard-working agent. Her discipline underscores a strong determination to achieve the very best results for her clients; to that end, she works tirelessly on their behalf to achieve a quick and profitable sale for her sellers and secure the right property for her buyers, always acting with the utmost integrity along the way. Stark’s vast knowledge of the Westside, available inventory, and pricing trends makes her a valuable resource to her clients, while her broad network of industry contacts and strong negotiating skills

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deepen her ability to meet their needs and exceed their expectations. Because of the way she does business, Stark’s clients return time and again and refer friends and family to her for their real estate needs. Stark built her career at Coldwell Banker’s Brentwood West office, where she was consistently honored for outstanding production, earning the lofty International Presidents’ Circle and Elite, and becoming a Previews Property specialist recognized for her excellence in working with multi-million-dollar properties. Stark is also an architectural properties specialist and has extensive experience working with developers and new construction.

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2115mandeville.com HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

H ollywood W eekly- talent

Spotlighting Talent actors . models . singers . bands

CHRISTINE YOUNG

ACTRESS, SINGER & MODEL

Bringing A New Kind Of Sexy Back…

By Anthony Calderon

… You have to understand, when it came to female models, being sexy used to be enough. It really was. A gorgeous woman was the end-all to every man’s desire, and would simultaneously set a new standard other women would dream of becoming… But it was all fantasy… Nobody really wanted to know anything personal, per se, about a sexy model, we just wanted to look… Perhaps in the back of our minds we believed women who were that incredibly attractive were just too busy being beautiful to ever really care about anything else other than…well, being beautiful… Then along came Angelina Jolie. Sexy as hell. Talented enough to win a Best

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Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in Girl, Interrupted (1999) – but forget about all that: she was Lara Croft (2001, 2003) for God’s sake! Wearing tight leather pants, no less! Just killing us! And then Angelina did a funny thing: she began caring about the world… What a concept! She was actually concerned with how people were living across the Globe, when she didn’t have to… There’s never been a clear correlation between bringing awareness to kids starving in Africa, and the gross movie ticket sales of any given actress… Yet, Angelina did care, and, of course, still does… This is the new standard… But you can’t fake compassion, because people can tell “lip service” from action. The public knows the “Real Thing” when they see it, which leads me to Christine Young…

trance… Once I broke through their inner huddle, however, and glanced at Christine’s pictures, I realized why my coworkers had been hypnotized – Christine is that rare blend of being fantastically sexy, yet extremely pretty…

The first time I saw Christine Young’s picture was in the boardroom of our Wilshire office for Hollywood Weekly… A group of Editors were huddled around the conference table where Christine’s photos were being looked at with such concentration I felt I almost needed to snap my fingers to break their

Christine’s modeling career began in her teens, as well, when a Modeling Agent saw her in a restaurant and approached the natural beauty about working for a professional modeling company… Since that time, Christine has worked steadily as a model, and, of course, as Christine grew, her body…changed, you could

There’s an almost innocent beauty in Christine’s face that works well with her insanely perfect body. This was a girl I had to talk to, so I pulled rank and snagged the interview with her… The first thing I discovered when I interviewed Christine was that she is a former Miss Teen Hawaii, which is an amazing accomplishment since everybody knows Hawaii – generally acknowledged worldwide – is full of beautiful women… But Christine has true facial beauty, so it’s not very surprising she would win that crown…

say… She was no longer just a pretty face – she was a woman whose body spelled s-e-x-u-a-l-i-t-y in every language known to man… Which is what you see now… But just as looking into a diamond always reveals some new angle of beauty, Christine’s talent has deeper layers… Christine is, and has always been, an actress… As a student of Method Acting, and a true lover of film in general, even citing the movies of Frank Capra as some of her favorites, Christine has already risen in ranks to lead actress. “In God’s Hands” showcased what many already knew about Christine – she is the next big breakout Star. She even shares the mantle of the very few who can actually call themselves a Triple Threat, because in addition to Christine’s Modeling and Acting – she’s a singer! Though, too shy to actually compare her vocal styling to anyone currently on the music scene, I think some of Mariah Carey’s magic may have rubbed off on her when she worked on Mariah’s “I’ll Be Loving You Long Time” video… But now we come to Christine’s embodiment of the example set by Angelina Jolie… Let’s take something simple, like America’s new push towards anything “Green.” Christine just so happens to be the Executive

Director for Fireworks Hawaii, an organization that provides “Earth friendly” fireworks for concerts, parties and sporting events -- and every 4th of July, they even put on a Show for the Mayor of Honolulu. Christine’s also the Vice President of Westside Athletic Foundation (WAF), which is a non profit company that assists youth sports organizations on the Waianae Coast, from Nanakuli through Makaha, and in their normal course of business promote “healthy family activities, good citizenship, and encourage education and higher learning.” Once again, this isn’t something that Casting Agents need to see on Christine’s resume, it’s something she feels the need to do… But, let’s get back to Christine’s body – you can’t be that physically fit and not be into Sports, and if you know anything about Christine, she likes to be involved in things firsthand. So – and here’s yet another title – Christine is Vice President of X-1 World Events , which is a Mixed Martial Arts company delivering Live arena-based entertainment on Time Warner Cable, sports on demand, HDNET, MSNBC, Fox network, and Live streaming via Internet… And here you thought Christine was just another Sexy Model…

So, finally, here’s the question I have for a woman who sings, acts, and is sexy enough to model swimsuits in MAXIM UK – does Christine Young really have to “care” about anything else other than her soaring career? Of course she doesn’t have to, the answer is: she just does… It’s part of the beautifully complex person Christine is, and we’re all the more better for it… Christine Young can be booked via UEM Management at 310-8362446 or via email at modelmgr@ gmail.com

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Min Delicious

ACTRESS & MODEL

A Breeze Of Sweet, Southern Sexuality leg propped up— my neighbor just so happened to start playing The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women!” Through my open window I heard that unmistakable funky cowbell clanking before that bass drum kicked in…

I wouldn’t say I have an “addictive” personality… I’m a fairly moderate guy… A couple beers and I’m good… Another bottle of wine? No, thank you… Another round of Blackjack? No, I’m done – I’ll quit while I’m ahead… That’s really the kind of guy I am… So, I was more than a little surprised at my behavior when I was e-mailed Actress/Model Mindi Stoots’ Model Mayhem page (http://www. modelmayhem.com/763088). Now, you must know, in my defense, my subsequent obsession with Mindi’s photos was not entirely my fault… It seemed the Universe was working surreptitiously against me… As her Model Mayhem page opened up, and I saw Mindi standing there in her sky-blue, two-piece swimsuit – with one perfectly tanned

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At this point, my hand was already starting to shake a little, but I managed to click on the lone picture of Mindi – a second later the screen was filled with image after image of Mindi in garments and poses so erotic, so visceral in nature, I instinctually turned off my cell phone, locked my home/office door, grabbed a bottle of tequila and settled in for one hell of a ride! And as I stated before, the Universe was absolutely setting me up – my neighbor had that Rolling Stones song on repeat, so I drank, danced in my chair, and went through every picture of Mindi on all three pages! Then it was “Watch – And Repeat!” Over and over and over… When I finally turned my phone back on I had 18 messages, mostly from coworkers wondering what the hell happened to me, since I was supposed to call them back once I saw Mindi’s picture… Christ, that was hours ago when I was still sober! Believe me when I say my experience looking at Mindi’s photos was not an isolated incident, as the thousands of viewers who’ve seen and commented on her photos will attest to… There’s something completely captivating about Mindi – it starts with those large, brown bedroom-eyes, and ends with that curve on the edge of her smile that hints at a mischievous – but purely flirtatious nature… It’s that beautiful mix of Southern Charm and Sexuality… You

don’t really see Mindi, she sort of just “washes over you,” like a breeze, and you’re left with her essence, like gold collected in a mining pan… What I didn’t know until I talked to Mindi, was just how business-savvy she actually is… As a Graduate from the University of Memphis, with a B.A. in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing, Mindi selectively chooses every picture of herself to portray a different mood, or character, to cover as many genres of photography as possible… Portraying different characters is something that comes easily to Mindi, as she has serious aspirations for acting – but not serious acting… Action acting… As a huge, action-movie fan, Mindi is waiting for the role that allows her to kick a lot of ass on-screen, and as many of her photos demonstrate exceedingly well, Mindi’s got the look to get the job done… But Mindi also has a great sense of humor, which allows her to make fun of everything – including herself… This particular personality trait works well with photographers, who love the fact that at the end of the day, Mindi is just a sweet, sexy Southern girl who’s not trying to play the prima donna role so many models feel they need to portray… So, what is Mindi actually like when she’s shooting these ridiculously sexy photos – Mindi’s pictures with famed photographer Michael Vincent being some of the most scintillating I’ve seen.. If there’s one thing anybody who knows Mindi will tell you,

she LOVES to dance. Which means a photo shoot with Mindi is nothing but a Party! Her music of choice for posing? Lady GaGa, Britney Spears – primarily female performers, because Mindi will literally embody the attitude of the song, and take it over as her own – at least in her head – while she’s bumping and grinding and setting the photo shoot on FIRE… Success has come fairly easy for Mindi, having already worked with the top photographers in her home state of Tennessee, taking photo jobs in Florida, and even working here in California, with the aforementioned Michael Vincent. Mindi’s niche has always been, in her own words, “the ability to change from sweet and innocent to sexy and seductive in a matter of seconds…” Those sound

like some intense nanoseconds… But that’s Mindi’s appeal – is she a good girl with a bad streak, or a bad girl with an ounce of good… Personally, I’d say she has the ounce of good, but that could just be the tequila talking… The bottom line is for a Director, a Casting Director, or a Photographer, Mindi Stoots can become whoever you want her to be on film… She’s the world’s sexiest chameleon…with a heart of Southern Love… There is, however, one character Mindi’s fans are anxiously waiting for her to become… Here are a few clues for you: A cotton tail, long ears, lives in a Mansion with a guy named H*** Mindi Stoots can be booked via UEM Management at 310-836-2446 or via email at modelmgr@gmail.com

By Anthony Calderon

Julie Sims

ACTRESS & MODEL

Flies to New Heights Hailing from Arkansas the curvaceous model defies definition as the typical model type. A self described risk taker, Julie Sims launched her career at the early age of eight on the the stage, then at the American Film Institute. “I love the instant gratification of theatre, and stepping into the shoes of a character that is larger than life.” she explains. “I get all the emotions inside of me out.” Theatre is not the only creative outlet the beauty enjoys. “I always liked being in front of the camera” she explains. Photographers say part of my appeal is that I exude

a natural sensuality in front of the camera. “When I’m in front of the camera I give it my all.” Julie cites her hourglass figure, sex appeal, full lips, smile, and range of emotions, and connection with the camera as her leg up on the competition. Her natural abilities come across on camera she’s been told by experts in the know. Fulfilling a childhood dream, she arrived on the Hollywood scene! She has developed herself to work in many genres, and has found success across the board, her most recent undertaking as the hostess of a documentary. “I bring a lot to a role, whether it be

makeup by Rob

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Maryann Murray ACTRESS & MODEL By Fran Scott

Just SEXY Enough And FIERCE Enough To Conquer It All By Anthony Calderon

comedy or drama” says Sims, “I want to be able to grow in my acting career and unlike many, I am not afraid to portray any character” she asserts. “I want to see how far I can take my talent.” “I want it more than anything!” Toward that end, she is currently interviewing acting coaches to heighten her skills. Her spontaneous nature extends to her love of the outdoors. She skis, owns a boat, and flies regularly, actively participating in flight training on her way to earning her pilots license. Another love in her life, daughter Victoria has inherited Julie’s outgoing personality, a natural ability that has captured the interest of her agent. Julie intones “I feel I have so much to give. I want to see how far I can take my talent.” Julie Sims can be booked via UEM Management at 310-836-2446 or via email at modelmgr@gmail.com

Lee Strasberg once said that out of the hundreds and hundreds of actors and actresses he worked with at his world renowned Actor’s Studio, only two people stood out to him: one was Marlon Brando – the other was Marilyn Monroe… And, there you have it -- Marilyn Monroe, a serious artist... Most people only know Monroe from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How To Marry A Millionaire (1953), or The Seven Year Itch (1955), but under her own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, Monroe acted in Bus Stop (1956), where her Golden Globe nominated performance had The New York Times declare, “Marilyn Monroe has finally proved herself an actress.” Of course, the public wasn’t ready to acknowledge Marilyn Monroe as a businesswoman, entrepreneur and award-winning actress (Monroe won the 1960 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Some Like It Hot), and the rest, as we say, is history… But times have changed – public attitudes have changed -- and the idea of a woman being blessed with incredible beauty, and equally matched with solid talent has now manifested itself in the form of a six foot blonde, blue-eyed actress from Texas, named Maryann Murray… Many of you may recognize Maryann from her numerous modeling appearances, like earning the Cover of both Envy Magazine, and the popular MyTable publication in Houston, Texas… She was also featured in Teeny B Catalogues, and at www.TeenyB. com, she’s their Cover Girl – a role that suits Maryann well… Maryann just has that Star Quality that people can’t get enough of – how about being hand-picked as the main Model for Corona on an ad campaign that had posters of Maryann throughout Mexico. The line used to go “A face to remember,” but in Maryann’s case, it’s a “Complete Package To Remember…” Long legs, flawless skin, dizzying curves – one look at Maryann is equivalent to the

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thrilling sensation of riding a rollercoaster, And yet, there’s more…

episodes pending, and also being chosen for their catalogues and posters…

A college-educated, classically trained theatre actress, Maryann has never been content at just being gorgeous, but America has always been in the “Beauty Business,” and it’s in this genre where Maryann first cut her teeth in the modeling world, eventually reaching the zenith of her career by becoming a Playboy model, and appearing in almost every variation possible – Playboy’s Natural Beauties, Playboy’s Fresh Faces, Playboy’s Girls Of The Big 12, and Playboy’s September Cybergirl…

Then she embodied every man’s fantasy as a Bikini Girl on Anthony Michael Hall’s “The Dead Zone.” Maryann continued her Swimsuit domination on Mav T.V.’s “Bikini All-Stars” Reality Show… Most of Maryann’s roles can be seen on her MySpace page at www.myspace.com/maryannmurray.

If you’re an Ed Hardy fan like the rest of the world, you’ll remember her from the Ed Hardy Intimates Runway, but in the end, Maryann was born for television and film. She first came to our attention when we saw her on the Playboy Morning Show, since then it seems she’s been everywhere – acting on “Tapout” last December, with more

Maryann’s even taken time to appear in Trent Turner and the Moon Towers “Smooth” Video, where she was, of course, the Lead Girl and Love Interest. So, with Modeling, Hosting and Television Acting under her belt, what genre of Media is there left for Maryann to conquer? The obvious choice is Film, and the rule in Hollywood is no one talks about upcoming projects until all the contracts are signed, so Maryann kept quiet on the subject, but it’s not hard to imagine Casting Directors scrambling for her number…but why limit it just to

Casting Directors, as any man who’s ever met Maryann will tell you, she’s a woman whose number is in demand… Lacey Chavez,Publicist (323)5190447 or laceychavezpr@gmail.com

Darwin Heard

Motivational Consultant

The Great Motivator: Darwin Heard Leads by Example “You don’t have to be Halle Berry to be a star”.

Motivational entrepreneur Darwin Heard was born with a physical disability, but he says he can help those in entertainment attain higher levels of success by not focusing on obstacles or their emotional handicaps. “Society tried to convince me I didn’t have the physical attributes to succeed”, says Heard of Heard Consulting Group but after twenty years of success as a supervisor in corporate America inspiring peak performance in his employees without thought to any physical limitations, he proved otherwise. “I am the disaster that never happened” he says: “obstacles are all in the mind, there is a way to overcome it. My gift is to help them overcome it.” Heard hopes to partner with the likes of Oprah, using his weight loss success of over 100 pounds success as a model. “It’s just a matter of retraining the mind to eat properly” he says. Heard relates approaching clients in the gym and charging them up just by his smile

2009- AAA Studios Chicago Style/ Makeup by Landis (makeup artist to the stars)

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By Fran Scott

professed. Heard feels the key to successful weight loss is using the entire body, as in through dance. The philosophy of incorporating the positive into any regiment is a mantra and the driving force behind his business success. Hailed for his leadership skills from a 17 year old working for the Chicago Cubs, Heard proclaims everyone’s a VIP. He would like to see even Kobe Bryant project his personality more like fellow Chicago hero Michael Jordan, which, according to Heard, would serve to heighten Kobe’s appeal to new levels of attraction. The entrepreneur proposes a venture with fellow innovator Bill Gates on improving employee production on the job. As a supervisor he achieved perfect attendance for eight years, and employee performance was at its peak during his leadership. He often counseled his employees that “troubles don’t go away, they come again, no matter where you go, it’s how you deal with them”. He proposes to energize clients to handle them using his proven training methods. He is thanked by the many employees he empowered with the skills to drastically turn their performance around. “What impresses people about me is I take the negative, and create the positive.”

2009- AAA Studios Chicago Style/ Makeup by Landis (makeup artist to the stars)

and encouraging words. “Keep on doing what you do!” he yells. He tells of being approached by a woman who with much gratitude attributed her weight loss of over one hundred pounds to following his motivational advice. “I thought about you, and turned it around!” she

TACO & DA MOFOS BAND

Bump Star Revoloution Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Feel The Beat It was just going to be one of those nights again. You knew it. Christ! It was Wednesday. Hump day! You should be happy, but your girl is showing you no love… All day the two of you have been arguing on the phone, through e-mails, text message – and you know as soon as you both go home there’s going to be a damn explosion…

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Darwin Heard hopes to be an empowering force for those in the entertainment community at all levels, he brings his 20 years of motivational background to the table.. His counsel has changed lives, and his commitment to the achievement of excellence is a shining example of the human spirit. That “Gift” to motivate is a gift from “God” says Darwin and hopes to one day become Halle Berry’s motivational Consultant. He is available through his company Heard Consulting Group at 312-933-6635. dheard@heardconsultingroup.com

By Anthony Calderon

Then you remember a flyer you saw in the lunchroom earlier – Taco & Da Mofos performing tonight! So, you picked your girl up after work and now you’re both in Da Club… She’s drinking a screwdriver and you just get your scotch and soda when Taco & Da Mofos take the stage… After a few minutes of introductions they get right into their new single “Tequila Salt,” from their new album Bump Star Revolution… It’s a smooth groove, and when you look over you see your girl bobbing her head as she sips her Vodka and orange juice. The dance floor’s getting crowded – it’s your time to connect with her. Now or never… Ever so cool, you reach down and hold her hand, guide her right in front of the stage – you gotta’ lock her in on this dance floor… Now you and your girl are really moving, still holding your

drinks… You move in and kiss her… TOUCHDOWN!!! This the effect of Taco & Da Mofos on the general consciousness of Americans wrapped up in bills, bad relationships, crappy jobs, unemployment – you name it! They say “Party Now—your troubles will still be there when the show’s over… “ And they’re right… So, who are these six musicians saving so many of us thousands of dollars in therapy, and accomplishing a hell of a lot more? They are Taco (of course), on Vocals and Guitar; Keela, (Vocals/Keys/Producer); Charlie Mofo (Lead Guitar); Shannon (Drums); Citizin Flip (DJ/Keys/Samples); and Carter on Bass… In addition to their formal titles, Keela and Taco both Rap on their songs… Something they’ve been

doing together since they were in High School, when they started their band 10 years ago… Since then they’ve built up a massive following with their Live Shows, and perfected their craft. On their MySpace page (www. myspace.com/tacoanddamofos), the group describe their sound as having the “Positive outlook of Reggae, the awe-inspiring power and showmanship of American Rock, a healthy dash of Southern Rap with some Latin Percussion to spice it up, and a touch of Punk Rock and a taste of Ska.” Wow! I guess they only do Polka by request… Talk about lovers of music! But this is why their Live Shows are so popular – their enthusiasm and sheer joy for the music they’re playing is absolutely contagious… Before you know it you’ve got your shirt off looking for someone to chest-bump– which means you better bring a buddy…

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What they didn’t include in that roundup was the infusion of electronic/ hip-hop music on their new Album Bump Star Revolution, which came out July 7th in all major stores and online – and which can be purchased directly at (www.mofomusic.com), where you can also listen to singles from their long-awaited album… The Singles on Bump Star Revolution have almost taken on a life of their own… “Chill Right Now” actually won at the 2008 American Marijuana Music Awards for “Best World Music.” A typo the band assured me, because their Award was supposed to have read “Best Song In The World.” Another Single of the Album,

“Bars-N-Poles”, which would have been a perfect song for Heather Graham’s character Jade in “The Hangover,” is a song that has been ceremoniously adopted by Strippers everywhere as “The Song To Dance To…” A real sign of the deep level of respect Taco & Da Mofos have earned in the music business is Rapper T.I.’s graciousness in letting the group cover his immensely popular track “Whatever You Like”, which Taco & Da Mofos have put their own personal stamp on… But Touring and Performing is what this group does best, and on their www.mofomusic.com page, you’ll see they have more than one performance

date with Lil Wyte from Hypnotize Minds, a musician they’ve successfully collaborated with on various projects… So, here’s what I suggest: buy the album Bump Star Revolution, play it continuously in your home and your car, find a Tour Date near you AND GO THERE… And if you’re mood , your relationships and life in general has become better for you, write the President and tell him you’ve got a “Stimulus Plan” guaranteed to help this country…and even if Taco & Da Mofos can’t take us all the way to “Da” Promised Land, we’re going to have a whole lot of fun trying to get there…

Continued from page 38. when I was there, and shared her own Stage Café story – everyone has one. “I was running late and didn’t have time to eat before I left home, so I came here and ordered their Greek Omelet, with spinach, ripe tomatoes, Kalamata olives and feta cheese: it was the best breakfast I’ve ever had…” I looked down at my bowl of sweet potato fries – which were now gone – and wondered if I needed to sample their Greek omelet purely as “research” for my article… Before I could make my request, however, I was served the Stage Café’s near legendary Filet Mignon Cobb Salad… Wow… That’s the kind of salad that instantly turns you into Oliver Twist, because after you’re finished eating it the only thing you can say is, “Please, sir, I’d like some more…” Allan and Page have designed an amazing menu of delicious, original food, but this is only the beginning. Remember, Allan started off in the

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Craft Service business, and still operates in that world… Many Production companies on the Studio Lot prefer to have Allan and Page provide meals for their cast and crew because, for one, the food is cooked right there in the Stage Café, so you can see where your lunch is coming from…but Allan and Page also provide a highend, formal banquet branch of the Stage Café, for those of you hosting events… Now, when I say “high-end,” I mean Coconut Shrimp with Grilled Pineapple and Mango Sauce (Chili & Mint); Duck Breast with Parsnip Puree, Roasted Vegetables and Mirin Glaze; and Marinated Steak Tartare on potato Gaufrettes, with Maytag Bleu, Arugula Salad and Onion Compote – I’m talking upscale… The Stage Café is open Monday through Friday, from 8AM to 3PM, and anything on their menu can be ordered online at www.ourstagecafe. com And for anyone working at either

Sunset Gower Studios or Sunset Bronson Studios, the Stage Café offers free delivery… The “Our” in the Stage Café website is very telling of the attitude and atmosphere behind the Stage Café. Allan and Page have created an environment where you know immediately that the most important thing to everyone working there is you… The entire staff go out of their way to not only make you feel welcome and comfortable, but they respect your “time,” so orders are prepared and served with the utmost attention to efficiency… But fortunately, I had no time constraints, so I could sit back, enjoy my Filet Mignon Cobb Salad, order up some more sweet potato fries, and soak up the ambience of eating at the Stage Café, which happens to be located on the Lot of the greatest and oldest independent Studio in Los Angeles: Sunset Gower…

is fill out a fraud form; yet another form. Here’s the real kicker- they informed me that since my last payment was late they couldn’t send me out a replacement card with a new account number. Bummer, guess the relationship with Capital One really is over. Oh well, one less shiny tempting card for me to wish I could still swipe around town. New Era Debt Solutions has me set up in a real easy system to get out of my debt. Instead of paying the never ending minimum payments on my four credit cards that totaled approximately $3000 a month (once B of A increased my rate), I now pay only $1150 into a trust account. The money is actually put into a separate third party trust account set up by New Era. Basically, the same day every single month I put at least $1150 into my bank and through an agreement with New Era, they are allowed to have it transferred out of my account into a safe trust account. Although they encourage I put more money into the account whenever I can as this will get me out of debt sooner. However, I must put in at least the $1150 because this is the amount New Era calculated is needed in order to get me out of my terrifying $75,000 mountain of debt in roughly three years. You do the math! Amazing this can be done at all! The transferred money sits in this trust account every month until enough is accumulated for New Era to settle each of the debts owed to my four creditors. That’s how it works! New Era Debt Solutions program is straight forward and simple; there are no games or complicated jargon hidden in their forms that require you hire a lawyer to decipher. It’s the personal trauma of “life-after-credit-cards” that’s tricky. Lately, I’m beginning to feel like I fit right into the never-ending bout of sagas that sprout up like the weeds between Hollywood’s cemented streets. All because this debt “thing” is becoming so common, it’s like a “True Hollywood Story” for so many people. Even mega superstars like Michael Jackson are having humongous debt issues. I guess I’m not so bad after all. Good thing New Era is here for us all today in society’s ‘new era of debt.’ I’ll be back next month with the new progress (and issues) with my soon to be debtfree life! And remember, the debt demon doesn’t simply vanish by itself, you must take action, that’s what I did and that’s why I’m sharing my story with you. To discuss your debt issues and to start your freedom from debt call New Era Debt Solutions for a free, no obligation consultation at (888) 639-4080 and visit their informative website at www.neweradebtsolutions.com

ph o t o c r e d i t : D a n i e l S u z u k i

Continued from page 40.

Dan Smith & Alex Viecco on Sunset Boulevard

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H ollywood W e e kly- t h eat re

LA THEATRE BEAT BY STEVE ZALL AND SID FISH

July is full of independence, sparklers, and fireworks, but those pyrotecdfhnics cant hold a candle to the theatre productions this month which have a special bang of their own, such as:

“The Something-Nothing” is about an unrequited love triangle between a raging people-pleaser, Mr. sensitive ponytail man and a drunken lesbian stage manager. Written by Fielding Edlow and directed by Larry Clarke it runs through July 2 at the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-7753.

“Farragut North” a young press secretary working for a fast-rising candidate has confidence and power beyond his years, and is convinced that he and his seasoned campaign manager can steer this team into the west wing without breaking a sweat. Written by Beau Willimon and directed by Doug Hughes, it runs through July 26 at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310) 208-5454 or visit GeffenPlayhouse.com.

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“The Wasps” In ancient Greece old men who were paid for their allegiance by the state were known as “wasps” for the stinging severity of their verdicts until one son wants his “wasp” father to leave the jury to establish a court of law at home where the old man must adjudicate the case of his own dog who may be guilty of having stolen a piece of cheese. Written and directed by Meryl Friedman, it runs through July 26 at The Lost Studio Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 800-838-3006 or visit www.thewasps.net.

“Schoolhouse Rock Live Too!” Musical based on the classic 1970s TV show and a sequel to the hit musical “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” Created by Scott Ferguson, Dennis Curley, George Keating and Nina Lynn and directed by Rick Sparks, it runs through July 26 at the Greenway Court Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-6557679 ext. 100 or visit www.schoolhouserockla.com.

”Kill Me, Deadly” A private detective is on the trail of a diamond thief, but to crack the case, he will have to take on the LAPD, the criminal underworld, angry hobos, and the most dangerous female rival of them all. Written by Bill Robens and directed by Kiff Scholl, it runs through August 1 at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood. For tickets call 323856-8611 or visit www.theatreofnote.com.

“Ten Cent Night” After she hears her famous country singer father shot himself in the head, his musician daughter hits the road for home with a guitar case full of stolen cash and a knack for finding trouble which leads her to a family clash of sizzling proportions. Written by Marisa Wegrzyn and directed by Maria Gobetti, it runs through August 2 at the Victory Theatre Center in Burbank. For tickets call 818841-5421 or visit www.thevictorytheatrecenter.org.

“Carved in Stone” A heterosexual writer suddenly finds himself in a strange room with Quentin Crisp, Tennessee Williams, Oscar Wilde and Truman Capote, and then discovers he died a renowned gay literary icon. Written by Jeffrey Hartgraves and directed by John Pabros, it runs through August 9 at Theatre Asylum in Hollywood. For tickets call 310-473-5483 or visit www. CarvedinStonetheplay.com.

“Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses” examines the American economic system in immediate, entertaining, thought-provoking and amazingly timely ways. Written by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Peter Mellencamp and directed by Micnael Rothhaar, it runs through August.9 at the Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice. For tickets call 310-822-8392 or visit www.PacficResidentTheatre.com.

“Cabaret The Musical” Set in 1931 Berlin nightlife at the Kit Kat Klub where performers and patrons play out their decadent and desperate lives and hands, the events revolve around a 19-year-old English cabaret performer and her relationship with a young American writer. Written by Joe Masteroff and directed by Judy Norton, it runs through August 9 at the Met Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets visit www.plays411.com.

“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” An eccentric professor invents wacky machinery, but can’t seem to make ends meet until he invents a revolutionary flying car that drives itself and a foreign government becomes interested in it, resorting to skullduggery to get their hands on it. Written by Ian Fleming, and adapted and directed by Ray Roderick, it runs July 7 through July 19 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. For tickets call 714-556-2787.

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LA THEATRE BEAT new lover emerges from it. Written by Ana Guigui and directed by Robert Lyon Barker, it runs July 10 through August 16 at the Actors Forum Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-5770 or visit www. Plays411.com/godbox.

“Stop Kiss” A young man meets a young woman and falls in love, bringing about horrifying, yet maliciously tender consequences. Written by Diana Son and directed by Elina de Santos and Matthew Elkins, it runs July 9 through August 23 at the ROGUE MACHINE in Theatre Theater in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-960-7774 or visit www.roguemachinetheatre.com.

“The Light in the Piazza” A young girl’s hat is blown off her head to be caught by a young boy who falls in love with her until her mother an unfortunate secret about the daughter, which changes all of their futures. Written by Craig Lucas and directed by William Robert Ewing, it runs July 10 through July 26 at the El Portal Forum Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-508-4200 or visit www.elportaltheatre.com.

“God Box” A young woman seeks the perfect guy to make her life complete by using a God Box which holds all of her wishes, hopes and dreams until her

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“Mutiny at Port Chicago” On the night of July 17, 1944 a catastrophic explosion in California destroyed an entire town, 2 ships, and everything within a one-mile radius. A group of 50 survivors were imprisoned, while the true story remained buried. Written and directed by Paul Leaf, it runs July 10 through August 15 at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica. For tickets call 310-397-3244.

Make this independence day last the whole month long by seeing independent theatre productions filled with dance and song and don’t forget to take that someone special along.

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