Move over Terminator, another high tech film is coming out this Fall and it looks really cool.

Last week I posted my review (and photo with Betty White!) of Todd Lieberman's (C'95, Mask and Wig, AEPi) The Proposal premiere. (Incidentally, it opened on Friday...go out and support Todd!)

Now Todd, as well as co-producers Max Handelman (C'95, AEPi) and Elizabeth Banks (C'96) have recently released a trailer for their hot new futuristic film The Surrogates. The story is as follows:

"FBI agents (Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell) investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves - fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles - enabling people to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers: In a world of masks, whos real and who can you trust?"

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From newly announced films, to her appearances on "Scrubs" this past season, I've got the latest Liz Banks (C'96) updates below

• She appeared on Leno (see video above) recently and talked bats with Russell Brand

• A stunning Liz walks down the red carpet in Cannes last week (see pic on right)

• Liz will be starring with James McAvoy, and Laura Linney in “The Details”.  Per Variety, the story is about "a couple (McAvoy and Banks) who discover an infestation of raccoons in their back yard. Disagreements over how to deal with the animals lead to an escalating series of events."  Shooting for the film began last week in Seattle.

• Liz will star in and produce the workplace comedy "Forever 21." (source)

• The Uninvited came out on DVD.  Liz basically plays a wicked stepmother in this film.

• She will star in What Was I Thinking?, with actresses Leslie Mann.  Per Reuters the film will explore the comic side of bad relationships. The film is based on the nonfiction book What Was I Thinking?: 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories and centers "around a woman who gets dumped during her engagement party. Her friends spring into action and whisk her away on a ski trip for healing and hedonism. Threading through their adventures on the trip are four flashbacks dealing in "worst ex-boyfriend" tales. Mann (who happens to be married to Apatow) would play a woman who dates a lot but never seems to have serious relationships, while Banks is a woman on the rebound."

Catch up on what else Liz has been doing HERE



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On this happy Cinco de Mayo day, I have a fun, music filled, Penn related, celebration treat for all of you...

Did you catch the Youtube Symphony project that was going around the web a couple of weeks ago?

If you watch closely in the video above, at minute 4:07, you would have found Adam Matta (C'96, Mask and Wig) beatboxing the "brake drum and snare" parts in the Mashup Video.

Adam has gone international with his beatboxing recently:

• He headlined the Human Beatbox Convention in London, at the Southbank Centre. 
• Was in Austria the same week, rehearsing with Nihan Devecioglu, who will be a guest artist at the show at BAM Cafe in June.  More info about the BAM gig HERE

Some of Adam's amazing performances (this guy has serious talent!)

More Penn musician posts here

Click to see what other 1996 Penn grads are up to

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As I reported HERE the other week via exclusive videos, despite having good grades and extra curricular activities, there is still much anxiety associated with a prospect waiting to find out if he or she will get into Penn.

If you think this is bad, imagine what some parents need to do to get their child into ...nursery school!

Documentary filmmaker Marc Simon (C'96, SAM) has created a movie that many parents...especially in the NY and California regions will relate to.  The film covers the (absurd!) process of getting their child into nursery school and what nursery school admissions is all about.

Per Marc (kneeling in picture below),

"From the moment parents learn they are "having a baby", they focus on providing a happy and healthy environment and the best opportunities for their kids. This includes planning for their children's education, and today, for moms and dads across this country, the pressures associated with schooling begin early - very early. Nursery University gets inside nursery school admissions -- a modern day cultural right of passage -- with sensitivity and a great sense of humor, inviting the audience behind the scenes to experience and learn from this stranger-than-fiction reality."

Nursery University Opens April 24th
@ PHOENIX ADLABS IMAGINASIAN THEATRE
239 EAST 59TH STREET, NYC - BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD

Friday 11:30, 1:45, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15
Saturday 11:30, 1:45, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15
Sunday 11:30, 1:45, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15
Monday - Thursday 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

www.movietickets.com
**Q and A's after every screening with the film makers, families, heads of schools. and pre school experts.

• Read the great film's NYTimes Movie review HERE
• Other Penn documentary filmmakers HERE 

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Some Hollywood bits and pieces from our Alumni this week:

• New sci-fi film being produced.
• New reality TV show debuting in May.
• New music featured on a TV show.
• New TV guest appearances on 2 popular shows (one tonight!).

Dig into the details HERE.

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Reality honcho Mark Cronin (ENG'86), debuts his next VH1 reality show, "New York Goes to Work"

More details here
My past posts about Mark and all his reality shows here

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Todd Lieberman (C'95) will produce the film (based on the book) Grandma's Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast. Per Variety, "The story revolves around a boy who goes to visit his hippie grandmother for the first time and discovers that her inn caters to vacationing aliens, a secret that she has been able to keep from her small town."

My past posts about Todd and his films here

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Actor Roy Vongtama (C'96) will appear on tonight's "Dollhouse" (April 3) at 9 pm (playing a yoga instructor)!

Roy will also be recurring on "Days of Our Lives" starting April 21st and 22nd on NBC at 1pm as Doctor Richman! As you may recall from my earlier posts, Roy is actually a doctor in real life. How great is that!

My past posts about Roy here

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Matt Kap's (C'97) band's (The Moving Picture Show) song "The Boy Who Lives Backwards" was featured this season in minute 10 of "The Real World: Brooklyn" episode above.

Listen to "The Boy Who Lives Backwards" here:



The story behind the song?   Per Matt:

"The Boy Who Lives Backwards" basically came out of a regret. I was going to take some summer classes at NYU and met a girl the first day in the dorm through a friend. She'd had a bad day and her friend wasn't around so I decided to try and cheer her up. We had a really incredible night but I was so shy at the time and thought she had a boyfriend so I didn't ask her out. Years later I thought of that while singing a melody and began thinking about regrets we have in life - the person we didn't kiss, the bully on the playground we didn't stand up to, the clever comebacks that we wished we'd said in an argument and that's what the song is about. It also really reminds me of New York City in the fall which is my favorite time of year."

Check out Matt's performance at our very own Pennfest 2007:

My past posts about Matt here

More about The Moving Picture Show

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Past "DT Hollywood Bits and Pieces" posts here

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Did you catch Elizabeth Banks (C'96) in her new L'Oreal Paris commercial during this past Sunday's The Celebrity Apprentice? She looked stunning!

Apparently there are other versions of the commercial in which Liz is alongside Eva Longoria and Beyonce.

In the videos above, check out a portion of the commercial and some behind the scenes video
-what Beyonce has to say about working with Liz
-some behind the scenes shananigans of Liz and Eva Longoria looking at their headshots and talking about their "bad sides" (what bad sides, right?!)
-what it means for Liz to be a covergirl (besides 1 million dollars richer!)
-who Liz's beauty icons are
+More!

More of my past Liz Banks posts here

Get Liz's recently released films here:

Other Penn actors here

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Since her performances in last fall's W and Zack and Miri Make a Porno, I think it's safe to say now that Elizabeth Banks (C'96) has finally arrived on Hollywood's "A" list.

Over the past 2 months, Liz has been up to so much lately that I figured I would consolidate much into this one post:

1) She announced the Golden Globe nominations on NBC with Brooke Shields, Terrence Howard and Rainn Wilson. She also was a presenter at the actual Golden Globes ceremony.

2) L'Oréal hired Liz as a spokesperson for the company for allegedly $1 million!

3) Today Liz stars in The Uninvited, a new horror flick that is similar in nature to The Ring. (check out the video below for a preview and an interview with Liz)

4) This year look out for her to appear on Scrubs and in the movie The Surrogates (which she is also producing with her husband Max Handelman (C'95) and Penn alum producer Todd Lieberman (C'95)!)

Other Penn actors here

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Check out Gyro, a clever comedic short film from Kevin Conley (C'12) about a Penn student who wakes up one Saturday morning to search for his favorite food: gyros.   No matter when you graduated, one thing that rings true in this video is Kevin's humorous depiction of Locust Walk!  Watch the video above to see what I mean!

Per Kevin's description, this takes place in the 1920's commons on a Saturday! Apparently since I've graduated, dining halls are now open on Saturdays!. I would have loved that when I was at Penn! Instead the default for me was Houston Hall's Skolnik Bagels and My Favorite Muffin (I loved me the amaretto raspberry muffin!).

This whole quest for food reminds me of the film I did in 1996 about a man who stops at nothing for love ...and his favorite food. See what I mean by watching below.

More of my Now and Then Thursday posts here!

Watch other creative class project videos here!

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Did your DVR catch Elizabeth Banks (C'96) on Leno last Friday night? She was featured on 2 segments and talked about:

• why LA is "wussy town"
• her childhood Halloween costume
• her favorite blog
• her husband Max Handelman's (C'95, AEPi) wig fetish 
• Her new hobby that is "fun", "unusual" and now a new addiction!
• A funny story about a reporter who confused Liz with another celebrity!

Get the details and check out the 3 remaining clips below!

Other Penn actors here

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Two weeks ago I wrote a post about how Executive producers Todd Shotz (C'96) and Andrew Oldershaw (C'02), as well as writer/director Dan Kay (C'97) created four very viral "No on Prop 8" viral videos.

This past week, in a first for an American political campaign, the NO on Prop 8 campaign paid to air the clever video you see above - which was originally produced just for the web by our Penn alumni supporters.

So far, this video has aired during Jimmy Kimmel, Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live.

Be sure to go out and vote tomorrow everyone!

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In anticipation of her Zack and Miri Make a Porno film coming out this Friday (October 31), there are a bunch of videos going around the web featuring Elizabeth Banks (C'96) and Seth Rogan. Some a little more strange (and I say that in a good way) than others. Take a look at the ones I've found above...especially the top one.

With the coming out of her W and Porno movies in the same month, Liz has definitely reached the most exposure she's gotten yet!  This month I've seen her appear:

• in Entertainment Weekly
  
• on the Ellen Show (yesterday)
  
• in USA Today (watch a video of her on a Trapeze!)
  
• And tune in this Friday night (or DVR this because you'll be out partying for Halloween) when she appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

...Also, this week there was news that Liz may not be coming back as Betty Brant in Spiderman 4.

With at least 2 more movies coming out in the next few months, it should be interesting to see where this all takes Liz!

Other Penn actors here

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On November 4th, Californians will be asked to make a monumental civil rights decision around the issue of same-sex marriage.

Last week, three Los Angeles based Penn alumni decided to take action against this Proposition 8.  Executive producers Todd Shotz (C'96) and Andrew Oldershaw (C'02), as well as writer/director  Dan Kay (C'97) created four very viral PSAs against this proposition including the talents of Margaret Cho and Molly Ringwald.  FYI, Dan Kay wrote and directed the one with Margaret Cho (see above).

Since they debuted these videos, they have gotten over a million hits on Perez Hilton, Huffington Post, People.com, and E! Online. Yesterday, Wolf Blitzer showed one of them on CNN. Because of the response, they're already deep into pre-production on more.

Per Todd, "We could not have hoped for more coverage to add our support to this campaign. Enjoy! And of course, please vote NO on Prop 8."

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Just in case you missed it, Elizabeth Banks (C'96) appeared on The Letterman Show in what appeared to be a cold studio.

On the show she promoted her new movie W and her Women's health magazine cover.

Other Penn actors here

Penn Headshot Hotties here!

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Check out the above clip from Access Hollywood where Elizabeth Banks (C'96) talks about working with Oliver Stone and portraying Laura Bush in the upcoming W film.  Find out what she did to prepare for the role!

Then remember to tune-in tonight to see Liz on Letterman!

Other Penn actors here

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