The official Twitter account for Virgin Produced recently announced the first project from the new production and packaging company.

The film, currently known only as ‘Untitled Comedy’, is set to feature a whole host of stars and be in the format of a series of risqué comedy sketches that will be connected with a ‘unifying storyline’. Actors already on board include such big names as Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Richard Gere, Anton Yelchin, Gerard Butler, Naomi Watts, Anna Faris, Johnny Knoxville and many more.

Relativity Media, LLC (RML) announced today it has begun production on the UNTITLED COMEDY project. In January, Relativity Media came aboard to co-finance and co-produce the project, and will arrange distribution through one of their studio partners. Production will continue thru late May.

Peter Farrelly, Charles Wessler, GreeneStreet Films’ John Penotti and Relativity Media’s Ryan Kavanaugh are producing the project. Executive producers are Tim Williams of GreeneStreet Films and Tucker Tooley of Relativity Media. Co-producers are Tom Gormican and Marc Ambrose. Rocky Russo and Jeremy Sosenko also serve as associate producers. Witness Protection Films also serves as a production company partner.

Originally set up at Overture Films, the project kicked into high gear after the producers met with Relativity Media last December. The brainstorming session lead to a revamp of the central premise of the film. The new team created the template for a unifying storyline for a series of sketch comedies in the vein of the 1970s hits Kentucky Fried Movie and Groove Tube.

“Relativity has been the perfect partner through the extraordinarily complicated process of putting this movie together. We are thrilled to be underway,” commented Farrelly.

The filmmakers who have already completed their work are Peter Farrelly, Brett Ratner, Elizabeth Banks, Bob Odenkirk, and Griffin Dunne. Additional directors will be announced shortly.

The growing cast includes, Elizabeth Banks, Gerard Butler, Kieran Culkin, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Knoxville, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, Liev Schreiber, Sean William Scott, Tony Shalhoub, Emma Stone, Matt Walsh, Patrick Warburton, Naomi Watts, and Kate Winslet. The producers will announce additional cast members as further deals are solidified.

“We all sat down and came up with what we think is a hilarious through-line for the movie,” said Wessler. “Given the amount of pot I had smoked, at least I think it is hilarious.”

Penotti added, “This has been one of the most fun and challenging projects we have ever undertaken. We are completely blown away by the caliber of talent that this project has attracted. It is a testament to the quality of Charlie and Pete’s original concept.”

Farrelly and Wessler are long time collaborators, working on many of the classic Farrelly Brothers comedies including There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber and Shallow Hal.

Production on “Untitled Comedy” is reportedly ongoing: 14 of the sketches have been shot, with 5 to go. It is expected to be in cinemas this year.

The first film that gets Richard Branson’s Virgin Produced film shingle off the tarmac–it was innocuously mentioned as an untitled Peter Farrelly film in the announcement of Branson’s joint venture with Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity–has a bigger concentration of first class cabin-caliber actors than any under-$8 million film I can remember. And the cast is still growing. Deadline was first to reveal the Kentucky Fried Movie-style laffer when Kavanaugh replaced Overture Films as financier and the film started production. They had a good cast then, but the filmmakers keep bolstering by showing prospective talent the raucous segments shot so far, especially the Farrelly-directed seg with Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet that is especially outrageous and R-rated. Aside from Jackman and Winslet, the cast now includes Richard Gere, Anton Yelchin, Gerard Butler, Naomi Watts, Anna Faris, Johnny Knoxville, Julianne Moore, Liev Schreiber, Elizabeth Banks, Kristen Bell, Kate Bosworth, Josh Duhamel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Emma Stone, Jack McBrayer, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Uma Thurman. 14 segments are in the can, with 5 to go. Steve Brill, Steve Carr and James Gunn have joined a director roster that already had Peter and Bobby Farrelly, Brett Ratner, Banks and Griffin Dunne. The pic, a co-production between Greene Street and Relativity, is produced by Kavanaugh, John Penotti, Peter Farrelly and Charlie Wessler. Tim Williams and Tucker Tooley are exec producers.

Source: deadline.com

Check out the video footage below of You Hang Up playing at Universal City Walk, an interview with Frankie after the show from ‘Ruba’s World’ and another fromA Teen View.

You Hang Up’s are scheduled to play many more shows throughout August and September across different states:

Fri, August 20 — 6:00 PM — at Marquee — Tulsa, OK
Sat, August 21 — 6:30 PM — at New Daisy Theatre — Memphis, TN
Sun, August 22 — 7:00 PM — at The Subterannean — Chicago, IL
Mon, August 23 — 9:00 PM — at Mexicali Live — Teaneck, NJ
Tue, August 24 — 8:00 PM — at Towson University — Towson, MD
Wed, August 25 — 6:30 PM — at The Canal Club — Richmond, VA
Thurs, August 26 — 8:00 PM — at Tremont Music Hall — Charlotte, NC
Fri, August 27 — 8:30 PM — at The Loft — Dallas, TX
Sat, August 28 — 8:00 PM — at House of Blues — Houston, TX
Sat, September 4 — 7:00 PM — at Martini Ranch — Scottsdale, AZ

You can find out more information about the band at You Hang Up.

If you are near Richmond, VA, you can win 2 “Hang out with the band” passes for the You
Hang Up show at the Canal Club. For a chance to win, listen to Gods of the Bobbleheads, locally or online, on Saturday 21st August, between 8-10pm.

Source: LiveInMusicLA, Ruba’s World, A Teen View

He will play ‘Barry’, a character who we are told bears more than a passing resemblance to Reese, the character he spent several years as on Malcolm. This is also the first time we will have seen Justin in front of the cameras since the final episode of Malcolm in the Middle.

SONS OF TUCSON “Ron Quits” Episode 13 – When Ron starts spending too much time with his girlfriend, the boys get upset and Ron decides to quit. The boys then hire their bully neighbor, Barry (Justin Berfield), as their new live-in caretaker. But when the boys discover they’re out of money and realize that Barry isn’t working out, they come to the conclusion that Ron was a better fake father than they thought in “Ron Quits,” the series finale episode of SONS OF TUCSON, airing Sunday, Aug. 1 (7:00-7:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Tune in to Sons of Tucson tonight, August 1st 2010, at 7pm on FOX.

Thanks to Ryebeach on our forums for pointing this out!

LOS ANGELES, July 30, 2010 – Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group announced today the launch of Virgin Produced, a film and television development, packaging and production company which has entered into a joint venture with Relativity Media’s Rogue Pictures to develop, produce and market films.

The Los Angeles-based Virgin Produced is led by former J2TV / J2 Pictures producers Jason Felts and Justin Berfield. Felts serves as Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the company’s entire operation, and Berfield, Chief Creative Officer, will oversee the development team.

“For 40 years, Virgin has pushed the envelope.” Felts said. “At Virgin Produced, we look to break some old molds while providing talent a place where they know their work will be embraced and supported. With Rogue’s boundary breaking approach and Virgin’s entrepreneurial strength, the brands are perfectly suited for each other. We’ve got a great opportunity to provide a collaborative experience and produce amazing results.”

“Virgin has always been about doing it your way, expressing oneself through innovation,” said Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh. “It dares to be different. We believe that their approach to film is suited to do just that and pairing the Virgin and Rogue brands together to create innovation couldn’t be more natural.”

Deemed one of the most exciting brands in the world, with a culture of innovation and fun across its diverse range of businesses, Virgin’s mission is clear: to enter markets with opportunities to shake things up and offer a better experience.

“Entertainment has long been a focus of the Virgin brand, and I’m excited for the chance to further grow in this space,” said Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson. “Jason and Justin’s approach is very entrepreneurial, very Virgin. We share a passion for creating and nurturing communities of talent and fresh material. The Rogue and Virgin brands seem an obvious fit for each other.”

In addition to developing and producing original films, it is anticipated that Virgin will co-produce two to three motion pictures a year with Relativity/Rogue, which allows the studio to utilize Virgin’s marketing capabilities to reach millions of consumers within the Virgin and Rogue target audience. The first film is Peter Farrelly’s Movie 43.

“There is real opportunity to provide a great, collaborative experience for talent to hone and shape their ideas and to reach a valuable, cutting-edge, media-hungry audience that enjoys interacting with the Virgin brand,” said Berfield. “We look forward to working with the Virgin family to strategically tap into the vast Virgin network of loyal brand fans, allowing Virgin Produced projects to be enjoyed by a broad audience.”

The relative stability and certainty of the production world, compared to being an actor, has been something that Justin has cited in the past for why he was always interested in the production side of the TV and film worlds. This new venture, with the big-gun backing of the Virgin Group, seems to be consistent with that.

But it seems there is more to this than merely getting a big brand behind Justin and Jason’s business — the marketing copy refers to innovation a lot, even wanting to “break the corrosive mould” of how ‘Old Hollywood’ works. The company seems keen to want to connect directly with talent and create community around it, in a way that perhaps really is different to the way that many production companies are run today. It will certainly be interesting to see how this vision of doing things differently evolves as Virgin Produced gets into its first projects.

Virgin Produced is a new kind of production company. One that is creative, not controlling. One that refuses to cut corners and doesn’t use money to buy your love. One that has faith in its projects. Virgin Produced very simply has balls, and we’re not afraid to show them. In fact, we’re gonna go ahead and apologize ahead of time. You might see our balls. Our bad.

We will certainly be following this new development as we hear more!

Jason Felts

As one of the youngest CEOs within the Virgin Group of companies, producer Jason Felts was born in 2002 (everyone knows you don’t give your real age in this town). At the ripe age of 2, in Hollywood years, he and his business partner Justin Berfield co-founded J2 Pictures & J2TV proving quickly to have a keen eye for concept, story and talent. More importantly was their priority of fostering a creative environment for writers, directors and actors. First out of the gate was some trainwreck reality tv and then ROMANCE & CIGARETTES, the John Turturro motion picture in which they co-produced and helped finance. Not a bad bet, since the film starred James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Christopher Walken and others. As J2, Felts then went on to package and produce a few more films and television including FOX’s latest Sunday night sitcom, SONS OF TUCSON. Although the show was highly regarded by the critics, it was ultimately cancelled as good shows often are. Don’t worry, Jason dusted himself off, had a shot and is now leading the Virgin charge into Hollywood.

Justin Berfield

Actor/Producer Justin Berfield starred in or has produced over 250 episodes of television before he even grew a whisker. That’s right, we’re talking six shows before puberty. As an actor, Justin is best known for portraying the role of the rebellious ‘Reese’ on FOX’s Emmy Award winning series MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE. In 2004, Justin moved behind the camera, co-founding J2 Pictures & J2TV with his much goofier-looking producing partner. Together, they created and executive produced several unscripted pilots and series including E! Entertainment’s FILTHY RICH: CATTLE DRIVE starring Kourtney Kardashian, Animal Planet’s THE PET DETECTIVE, and CMT’s IN THE PITS starring Nascar’s Richard Petty. Oh yeah, and although you could say TV is within Justin’s DNA, he has produced a few films as well. As Chief Creative Officer at Virgin Produced, Justin watches over the brand and ensures that we don’t produce DRIVING MISS DAISY 2.

Ted Vidmar

As the Chief Calculator, Ted Vidmar, CPA graduated Magna Cum Laude from some fancy college that makes us all look rather stupid. This is why Ted and his team of certified public accountants oversee all things financial and strategic. If Ted sounds important, well that’s because he is.

Darin Frank

Virgin’s main legal eagle, Darin Frank is around to keep us creative types on the straight and narrow. No, he is not exclusively ours, because he has his own practice and a much fancier office somewhere in Beverly Hills. Besides, if he was, it would cost a friggin’ fortune because this guy is Chair of his firm’s entertainment department, and represents lots of others who probably pay him more than we do. He did go to law school at UC Berkeley but we’ll forgive him for that.

Rebecca Farrell

Rebecca, aka The Glue, serves as Director of Operations for Virgin Produced. She’s the adhesive that keeps this place together. Rebecca oversees every aspect of everything that’s important and nobody messes with her, mainly because she is a former rugby player from back east. Prior to joining Virgin Produced, Rebecca worked for J2TV & J2 Pictures where she did the same job without the business card to prove it.

Assistants

We looked around and no company has an online profile on their assistants, and we think that is just rude. After all, everyone knows that they do everything. Our incredibly talented, sexy (can we say that?) and hardworking support team consists of some wonderful individuals that you will meet when we invite you over!

Source: Virgin Produced, Press release, Virgin Group News page

Frankie Muniz’s new band You Hang Up are releasing their first single featuring Frankie as drummer next week. We have heard some ‘pre-mix’ sample tracks of the new You Hang Up, but this will be the first completed song with the new line-up. Entitled Losing Me, the single will be available on iTunes and the Amazon MP3 Store on July 27.

You can take a listen to the song below; we’d encourage you to purchase it on your favourite music store when it is released!

Download from iTunes Store | Download from Amazon MP3 Store (US) [affiliate link]

Download audio file (Frankie-Muniz-You-Hang-Up-Losing-Me-MITMVC.mp3)

This preview of the single was released by PopEater, who also have an interview with Frankie.

First off, we love the song, man.
Oh, cool, thank you.

So what’s life been like lately?
I filmed a movie in April, and the day I came home, the band went to the studio and recorded. We wanted to hurry up and record some new stuff just so people could hear the progression we’ve made as a band. It’s funny, ’cause even since we recorded those, we’ve got like 10 new songs we wish we’d had on there.

Sounds like the rock life is going well.
I don’t know if this is for every band, but you write a song and think it’s amazing and you’re so stoked on it, and then you continue writing songs and they become your favorites. The great thing about You Hang Up, what I love about being in the band, is I love all of our music. We run through our set and after pretty much every song we’re like, “That’s our favorite song.” That’s a good thing. It’s going really well — I’m having the time of my life doing exactly what I want to be doing.

How many songs are you guys sporting?
We’re up to maybe 20 songs. They’ve basically all been written in the past three weeks. About two months ago we started trying to go full-time and get ready for this upcoming tour we have and write new music and continue to progress. Literally every practice we feel like we’re so much tighter and better as a band. I think people are gonna be shocked when they hear us live.

What’s the reaction to the band been like these last few months?
I think a lot of people, when they hear I’m in a band, expect it to be like most “actor bands,” which is not usually the greatest music, but especially not great performed live. Most bands can make a recording sound good, but when you come hear us live … I think people will be impressed. We want to come out with a bang. And I would definitely love my fans to follow my new career and hopefully enjoy it.

And that movie — was it a supporting role or are you really back to acting?
I played the lead in a movie called ‘Pizza Man,’ a little independent movie. I had an amazing time filming it. I hadn’t done any acting in four years or so, focusing on the racing and stuff. I realized I did miss acting, which is cool. I’d been thinking about if I’d want to go back and do it, and the opportunity was in front of me. I really enjoyed the script, so I went and did it. And it was one of the best times I’ve ever had on any production. Hopefully people will enjoy it and it’ll be a success, but either way, it taught me a lot about myself — after the first day of filming, I told my girlfriend, “I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing in my life.” I don’t know if it’s necessarily what I’m going to be doing, ’cause I’ve got my hand in so many other things, but I enjoy it for sure.

You Hang Up will take their show on the road in August, with a string of 10 dates across America. Scope the dates here, or visit the band’s Myspace for more info:

8/14: Universal City Walk – Hollywood, CA
8/20: Marquee – Tulsa, OK
8/21: New Daisy Theatre – Memphis, TN
8/22: The Subterannean – Chicago, IL
8/23: Mexicali Live – Teaneck, NJ
8/24: Towson University – Towson, MD
8/25: The Canal Club – Richmond, VA
8/26: Tremont Music Hall – Charlotte, NC
8/27: The Loft – Dallas, TX
8/28: House of Blues – Houston, TX

Source: PopEater

Back in January, we reported that Chris Masterson was to star in ‘Impulse’, a pre-apocalyptic thriller being produced by Bluebox Limited Films.

It bills itself as “a thriller in which deadly events unfold as a man races to his final and most significant act”, but more specific details on the plot are still not clear — it seems likely the full ‘reveal’ of the plot is being avoided until the premiere takes place. Chris plays the lead character David in the short film.

The World Premiere of Impulse will take place on Thursday, July 29th at the 14th LA Shorts Fest. The screening itself is at Laemmle’s Sunset 5 Theater, 8000 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90068. If you’re in the area, you can purchase tickets to the premiere at the website. You can also find out more information about the film at its website, the Bluebox Limited website and at IMDb.

LA SHORTS FEST PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF A NEW THRILLER STARRING CHRIS MASTERSON

FOX Series Regular Stars in a New Short by MTV Award-Winning Filmmakers.

LOS ANGELES -– July 20, 2010 –- LA Shorts Fest hosts the world premiere of Impulse starring Chris Masterson, best known from FOX’s hit show Malcolm in the Middle. The film, directed by emerging filmmakers Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, is a thriller in which deadly events unfold as a man races to his final and most significant act.

Scott Beck & Bryan Woods have been writing, directing, and producing films under their production company banner Bluebox Limited Films since 1996. To date, they have produced 5 feature-length films and 14 shorts. Impulse was co-produced with frequent collaborator Christy Sullivan and executive Darren Brandl. Post production services were completed at top entertainment post-houses such as The Village Recorder (WALL·E, Walk the Line), Company 3 (Transformers 2, Star Trek), and George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound (Avatar, Toy Story 3). The filmmakers, who recently secured a development deal with MTV, are making their debut LA Shorts Fest appearance.

The screening will take place on July 29, 2010 at 7:45 PM at Laemmle’s Sunset 5 Theater, 8000 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90068. LA Shorts Fest honors those individuals who have achieved excellence in short films. As the largest short film festival in the world, the event has become the industry standard for showcasing and awarding undiscovered talent. This year the LA Shorts Fest boasts an incredible line up including a jury headed by producer Paula Wagner (Vanilla Sky, War of the Worlds, Mission Impossible III), 5 films by Ridley Scott Associates, and shorts starring top talents such as Will Ferrell, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Seth Rogen, John C. Reilly, Christina Ricci, and Keira Knightley. Many of these performers, as well as Impulse’s lead actor Chris Masterson, will walk the red carpet at the opening event this Thursday, July 22, 2010. As officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, award-winning films are eligible to compete for an Oscar nomination. In the past, 33 films have received Oscar nominations with 11 winning the coveted Oscar statue.

About Bluebox Limited Films
More information about Bluebox Limited Films can be found at www.blueboxlimited.com.

About LA Shorts Fest
More information about the LA Shorts Fest can be found at lashortsfest.com.

Last night, I had the privilege to speak with some of principle members of the talented team behind this new short, Impulse a film we’re so looking forward to seeing on Thursday the 29th at the closing of the 2010 LA Shorts International Film Festival (seems they are saving the best for last…)

So, the thing about film festivals the process is a long road and … you can’t share clips until after the festival… and if you are in lots of festivals, well, it will be a long time before a clip is out there. With that said, the producers of the film have given us some cool stills to share with you – a behind the scenes look. If you’re in Los Angeles or a city where this film will be screened, you should check it out. Here’s where to buy tickets for the LA Shorts Film Festival going on this week.

ABOUT THE FILM: Impulse

When deadly events unfold around a small town, a man and his guitar race through the community fighting to stay alive. His perilous journey amidst death and destruction brings him to his final and most significant act.

(Yeah… no spoilers here but I love this type of genre… I live on thrillers, good bad or indifferent, I like to figure out what, where and why and I’m excited to see this one… and not just because of the leading man.)

Now, we’re also fans of FOX’s hit TV show Malcolm in the Middle, and this film has Chris Masterson starring as the lead. If you’re looking for an exciting suspense thriller then come out to the world premiere of Impulse on the closing night of the LA Shorts Fest, July 29th. Of course, you won’t see it anywhere until it runs the film festival circuit through 2011. So, if you have a film festival coming to your city, come out and support these shorts – you could see 5-6 different films in one night, fresh and creative!

Just because a film is a short form production, it doesn’t mean there is any less quality involved in the script, or the final product. Think about it, you don’t have 90 minutes Now here’s some more info about this film…

Making the Film: Impulse

Unusual for a short film, Impulse boasts post-production services from such top-industry companies as Skywalker Sound and Company 3.

Impulse Crew

Meet the Talent: Writers, Directors, Producers, Actors

Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (Directors / Writers / Producers) are two young filmmakers from Bettendorf, Iowa who now work in Los Angeles. Beck & Woods have been writing, directing, and producing films since 1996. To date, they have produced 5 feature-length films, 14 shorts, and recently secured a development deal with MTV Films, a full movie label of the Paramount Motion Pictures Group.

Directors of ImpulseDarren Brandl (Producer) has over twenty films and 30 awards to his credit, including a regional Student Oscar nomination. Brandl held the position of VP of Acquisitions for The Hirsch Company, where he worked with over 100 film companies at the Toronto, Berlin, and Cannes Film Festival, and the American Film Market. He currently serves as Director of Development for Silver Lion Films (Man On Fire, Club Dread) in Los Angeles.

Christy Sullivan (Producer) has produced several projects with Bluebox Limited Films, including University Heights, which resulted in a development deal with MTV Films. Sullivan also remains in charge of Marketing & Office Leasing at Los Angeles Center Studios, where she has facilitated deals with ABC, CBS, FOX, DreamWorks, Lionsgate and other major studios.

Chris Masterson (Lead Actor)

Made for Each Other (2009)

The Art of Travel (2008)

Malcolm in the Middle (150 episodes, 2000-2006)

Scary Movie 2 (2001)

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

Cutthroat Island (1995)

Here are more of what we see at the end of the film as credits – but as you can see… this film has some star power behind it in the production of the final version that was submitted to the film festivals.

Post-Production Sound Services: Skywalker Sound (Avatar, Toy Story 3)

Digital Intermediate: Company 3 (Transformers 2, Star Trek)

Visual Effects: Quest Pictures

Score Recorded at: The Village Recorder (WALL·E, Walk the Line)

Score Mixed at: Todd-AO Studios (Into the Wild, The Bourne Ultimatum)

Hope this gives you a behind the scenes look at the short film industry and this special film, Impulse. Be sure to come out to the premiere screening on Thursday the 29th in Los Angeles. We will definitely have more background via video interviews for you after tonight’s red carpet and possibly a special interview with more of the team behind this film.

Oh… and we didn’t tell this to producer, Darren Brandl, last night on the phone, but we are really good about picking winners (like we knew the web series “The Bannen Way” would win a Streamy Award) however, we are putting our good wishes behind this film and will be following it and reporting back as it travels the film festival industry!

Stay tuned…

Source: Mingle Media TV Network

As predicted, Bryan Cranston (Hal) and his new TV show Breaking Bad have been nominated for several Emmy awards.

Bryan is up for Outstanding Actor for the third year running, having won the award for the past two years, but is up against some tough competition — including Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House (House), Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan (Dexter) and Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard (Lost).

But it’s not just Bryan himself that is up for a gong, with co-star Aaron Paul up for Outstanding Supporting Actor for the second year running, as well as the show itself nominated for Outstanding Drama. Four other nominations were also announced to various crew members on Breaking Bad:

Michael Slovis was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for the second straight year, Michelle MacLaren for Outstanding Directing, Skip MacDonald for Single-Camera Picture Editing and Nick Forshager, Kathryn Madsen, Mark Cookson, Cormac Funge, Jason Boegel, Jason Newman and Gregg Barbanell for Outstanding Sound Editing.

The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Sunday August 29th at 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific on NBC.

Source: AMC Blogs: Breaking Bad, Emmy Nominations

Bryan Cranston, a two-time Emmy Award winner for his role as a high school teacher turned crystal methamphetamine manufacturer on “Breaking Bad,” learned on Thursday morning he was nominated for a third time in the role. Doesn’t he ever get tired of the recognition?

Nah.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Cranston compared his Emmy experience to a certain youthful rite of passage. “It’s like when you were in high school, if you were ever lucky enough to have the pretty girl say, ‘Hey, let’s go make out in the corner,’ ” Mr. Cranston said. “Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? And after you get over that, I keep thinking, Why me?”

But why should Mr. Cranston dwell on bygone teenage crushes? Today he’s also celebrating his 21st wedding anniversary (or “50 years in Hollywood,” as he put it).

So does today’s Emmy nomination mean he’s not obligated to get his wife a gift?

“You see, you’re a typical man,” Mr. Cranston told this reporter. “You are such a typical guy, trying to get away with something. And yes, I tried the same thing. ‘Honey, congratulations, here’s a nomination. And a toaster. Sweetheart, what do you think?’ And then she throws the toaster. No, that’s not going to fly. It’s a nice dinner out and a lovely card.”

Source: NYTimes Arts Beat

The third season of Breaking Bad was a relentless revelation. The show that began as a darkly comic fable of a meth-cooking high school teacher plumbed  new depths of moral decay, while simultaneously delivering some of the most spine-tingling thrills on television. (There was also an entire episode about killing a fly.)

At the center of it all, Bryan Cranston brilliantly portrayed the continuing descent of Walter White, and was rewarded this morning with his third straight Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Drama. PopWatch caught up with Cranston to talk about some of the season’s twists, the trajectory of the show, and the crucial importance of the shaved head.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’ve won in this category the last two years running. Are you excited to go for a three-peat?

BRYAN CRANSTON: It’s funny, [basketball coach] Pat Riley actually copyrighted that phrase, so if it’s used in a show you have to pay him. I’m not kidding. Three-peat was something he uttered and then copyrighted. If you print it up, EW owes him a stipend.

I’ll talk to our lawyers. Was there anything in particular in this last season that really surprised you?

This whole season was about Walt accepting the dark side of his nature, and understanding and embracing the possibility that these thoughts can co-exist in a human being. It’s not mutually exclusive that you could be a murderer and a good father, a husband. That’s a bizarre thing to embrace for me, as a person. I don’t know what that’s like. But trying to get into the psyche of it, in Walter White’s head…He had to fully allow himself to be a crook in order to stay alive.

In the season finale, we saw a brief flashback to many years earlier, with a much younger and very unencumbered Walter White. Was it interesting to explore the character from such a different angle?

Those are always fun to play, because you get to go opposite of what your character is going through. Certainly a welcome thing for me, to say: “Okay, this was before any children, so the mood was lighter. His walk was lighter. He stood more erect. The pressure of the world wasn’t on his shoulders. There was more of a breeziness to him. The air of hope was present.” It was fun to be able to do that. And then you realize, we’re watching a flashback. That’s what was. If he could turn back the clock. ..

Did you have a favorite episode of the season?

The most impactful episode, for me, was the twelfth episode. On an impulse, Walt is going to the street corner where Jesse was determined to kill these two thugs, not knowing what he would do when he got there. He just ran his car into them, and knocked them down, and one was still alive, and Walt just picks up a loose gun and shoots the guy in the head.

Do you think Walt had any idea what he would do when he got in the car?

No. It’s just, “Get there, Get there.” He was just going on a feeling, and he stumbled across a traumatic situation, and just put his foot straight down instead of breaking, you know? That little millisecond of decision, which was, interestingly, off-camera. To give you a little insight into editing, when I played that moment, I got out of the car, went to him, saw the guy was crawling towards the gun. So I picked up the gun right away, but I didn’t shoot him right away. I picked up the gun, I looked at Jesse, I looked around to see if there were any witnesses, I looked at him again, thinking, “What to do, what to do, what to do,” and then I realized the only thing I can do. And then I shot him.
When they edited it together, [executive producer]Vince Gilligan felt that, by not having that moment of indecision, it pushed the character a little closer towards what he’s going to become. That’s the delicacy and the fragility of editing. And I was surprised to see that! He gets out of the car, he picks up the thing, BAM! I jumped when I saw the finished product, I went, “Oh my god! Oh my god!”

That scene added an interesting new layer to Walt’s relationship with Jesse. How do you think Walt views his partner? At times there’s a father-son aspect to their relationship, at times it’s just absolute annoyance.

I don’t think that it’s mutually exclusive to have father-son relationships that are loving and annoyance. [Laughs] You look at what a teenager does, and you go, “Are you kidding me? You’re an idiot.” And certainly Walter White has many of those moments with Jesse Pinkman. Everything about him and Walter are polar opposites. Walt enjoyed education, and thrived on it, and was good at it. Jesse Pinkman was not. Walter loved details and study and the science and how things work. Jesse Pinkman? Looking for shortcuts. What we wear, our references, our age, our likes and dislikes of music, what we deem important, our vices. Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t have those two together. And that’s the happy accident that we have found. And I say “happy accident” because the Jesse Pinkman character was supposed to be killed off in the first couple episodes.
It would have been a very different show.
Vince saw the lightning in the bottle when he was able to put these two opposites together in a symbiotic relationship and have that be the spark, the fireworks.

Breaking Bad seems like a resolutely un-commercial show, but this past season saw a significant uptick in viewership. Did you expect that?
Not at all. When you hear the premise – a high school chemistry teacher dying of lung cancer becomes a drug dealer, you go “What?!” If I just heard that one line, I would have thought, “Never mind, that’s not going to work.” But I didn’t. What I heard was my agent saying, “Vince Gilligan worked with you on X-Files ten years ago, and thinks you’d be great for this role. He wants to meet you on it. You should read this script called Breaking Bad.” Oh, okay, great! It’s always nice to be thought of. I read the script and didn’t stop for a moment, went all the way through to the end, got on the phone right away, and said, “As soon as possible, get me in to see him.” It was an exceptionally well-written story.

Do you have a sense of what’s coming up in the fourth season?

I don’t. The only thing I know is what we initially talked about, when I had my first meeting with Vince. We’re doing something – it wasn’t his words, but my assessment –something that’s never been done on television: to completely change a character from one type of person to another. That’s never happened in a series. Certain experiences will change how someone looks at things and reacts to them, but to completely change from a mild-mannered chemistry teacher to become a drug kingpin murderer…is it possible? Quite frankly, we don’t know. We have set the hook. The audience seems to relate to Walt and what he initially attempted to do: provide for his family. We understood his plight as a human being, an everyman trying to do what’s right, trying to make a living. And now he’s changing. Will the audience spit the hook, or will they be pulled into the boat? We just don’t know. And that is exciting too. Just like the show itself, the concept of the show is unpredictable. We really don’t know if it will fly. And that’s exciting and dangerous.
As an actor, is that an interesting space to be in: a story with a clear trajectory that could also veer off in any direction?
In the larger context, you have a bracketed overview of where this character is going, and who he’s going to become. There is no road map. We’re finding our way — and when I say we, I mean “Vince.” I know the endpoint. I have no clue how I’m going to get there. And I don’t want to know. I’ve never asked Vince, “Okay, what’s happening this season? Where’m I gonna go, What’m I gonna do?” Honestly, he doesn’t know either! He may have an idea of what he may attempt, but so many things happen, and different characters come into play. The addition of Bob Odenkirk as Saul, Giancarlo Esposito as Gus, and Jonathan Banks as Mike the PI, has changed the tone somewhat, justifiably. It’s such a wonderful thing. Reading each episode’s script is like getting into a really good chapter every night of a book you can’t wait to get to at night. You get into bed, like, “Ahh, what’s gonna happen now?” You look forward to it.

So you’re looking forward to many more years of shaving your head?

As a character actor at heart, I welcome the idea of completely looking this way. Thin, and bald, and now with this Van Dyke facial hair. If people know me as this bald-headed guy, with glasses and the look of consternation on my face, then when I’m not doing that show, I grow my hair back, I completely look different, I can do other things. It’s a way for me to able to hide in plain sight.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) announced a few days ago on Twitter that Enzo, the dog who played Skip in My Dog Skip, passed away on June 23rd, 2010.

Just learned that Enzo, who played Skip in My Dog Skip passed away yesterday. Enzo taught me that dogs REALLY are mans best friend. RIP Enzo
https://twitter.com/frankiemuniz/statuses/16938983688

The movie My Dog Skip was an important turning point for Frankie’s career, giving him mainstream success which may well have been crucial in allowing him to land the role of Malcolm later on. The film also featured Moose, the father of Enzo, who played the older Skip in some scenes. Enzo’s versatility and talent as a dog actor was remarkable:

Animal trainer Matilde Decagney, whose experience includes the feature films “As Good As It Gets” and “Homeward Bound 2″ as well as the NBC series “Frasier,” cited two months of preparation and lots of pampering, including an air-conditioned trailer to fight the Southern heat, to keep the film’s fuzzy co-stars focused. The main Skip, the three-year-old Enzo, was asked not only to display a range of moods, from sweet to protectively fierce, but to play baseball, football and drive a car!

“The tricks are not hard for him to do, as long as he’s in good condition and not too hot,” explains Decagney. While cast and crew were allowed to pet Enzo and the other dogs between takes, any food that might distract a canine nose was strictly prohibited.

“Skip never failed us. I wish I worked with actors who were as well prepared as Skip,” admits Mark Johnson. “There was not a trick or a piece of business we asked the dog to do that he wasn’t able to do; it was uncanny. The trainers were so good, they could stop him on a mark, he could lift his leg, he could do a somersault. I expected to see him reading the New York Times any day.”

In other canine news in Frankie’s life, he and his girlfriend recently got a new puppy, which they named Xophe.

Weighing in at 1.9 lbs, here’s Xophe.
https://twitter.com/frankiemuniz/status/16979087056

Tip of the day: If you get a new puppy, buy stock in paper towels first. Been cleaning up pee non-stop for two days. Ohhh the joy!
https://twitter.com/frankiemuniz/status/17096900627

Sounds like he’s having fun!

Source: ThePoop.com, @frankiemuniz on Twitter

Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) joined You Hang Up in December 2009, after the band were looking for a drummer.

The band is now going to be touring the United States in August:

Sat, August 7 – 7:00 PM — at Vibes Main 1 — Medford, OR
Fri, August 20 — 6:00 PM — at Marquee — Tulsa, OK
Sat, August 21 – 6:30 PM — at New Daisy Theatre — Memphis, TN
Sun, August 22 – 7:00 PM — at The Subterannean — Chicago, IL
Mon, August 23 – 9:00 PM — at Mexicali Live — Teaneck, NJ
Tue, August 24 – 8:00 PM — at Towson University– Towson, MD
Wed, August 25 – 6:30 PM — at The Canal Club– Richmond, VA
Thurs, August 26 – 8:00 PM – at Tremont Music Hall — Charlotte, NC
Fri, August 27 — 8:30 PM — at The Loft — Dallas, TX
Sat, August 28 — 8:00 PM — at House of Blues — Houston, TX

Some new tracks, featuring Frankie’s drumming have also been put up (in an unfinished ‘pre-mix’ state) on the band’s MySpace page. These are the first tracks that we have heard that have Frankie on drums; the previous ‘Release Me EP’ tracks were released before Frankie joined the band (you can purchase the older EP tracks on the iTunes Store).

‘The Search’ pre-mix — You Hang Up

Download audio file (Frankie-Muniz-You-Hang-Up-The-Search-PreMix-MySpace-MITMVC.mp3)

‘Running’ pre-mix — You Hang Up

Download audio file (Frankie-Muniz-You-Hang-Up-Running-PreMix-MySpace-MITMVC.mp3)

You can also hear an interview Frankie Muniz did for the JohnJay and Rich radio show, back in January 2010, where he first talks about becoming a member of the band:

Download audio file (Frankie-Muniz-JohnJay-And-Rich-Jan-2010-MITMVC.mp3)

Got the t-shirt?

The band have also already started producing some merchandise, with the first band t-shirts now available for purchase.

You can follow the band on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and also add them as a friend on their MySpace page.

Hey all…

I wanted to let everyone know that I am now the drummer of an amazing band called “You Hang Up”. Check us out at www.youhangup.com and be sure to add us as a friend.

I can’t wait to see all of you at our shows!

This is something I have always wanted in my life, and I’m thrilled to be associated with such a great group of guys!

Also, follow us on Twitter @youhangup and on facebook at You Hang Up

Thanks so much!

Frankie

Source: Frankie’s MySpace blog

Exclusive: We learned last week that Frankie Muniz, former star of sitcom ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ and two-part Hollywood franchise ‘Agent Cody Banks,’ is the drummer for unsigned Arizona rock act You Hang Up. Frankie, 24, spoke to PopEater about his new life as an aspiring rocker, why playing live for 15 people was more nerve-wracking than being broadcast to millions of homes each week and what he thinks about other actors who rock.

What’s your background with music?
I’ve been playing since I was 12 years old, but nothing serious. I was a five-minute-per-week hobby drummer. I’d only played to my iPod with headphones on. It was always a dream to be in a band, but with acting going on, I never really considered it being something that could actually happen. And if I could get in a band, I wanted it to be something that was completely serious, with good music. But it felt like one of those jobs when you’re a kid and you want to be an astronaut or something. I’ve been very fortunate in my life to have three of those jobs — being an actor, a race car driver and now a musician.

How does the L.A.-based star end up behind the kit of this unknown Arizona band?

My girlfriend was contacted by the lead singer, Aaron, just kind of saying, ‘We have mutual friends, check out our music.’ So we listened to You Hang Up, and I really, really liked it — it’s the type of music I listen to. Then Aaron said he saw a video of me drumming on my Myspace profile. He asked if I’ve ever been interested in playing in a band, and literally that day we got lunch and talked about the band and the music and I said I’d love to be a part of it. That was Dec. 20; we had our first practice Jan. 1.

So just under two months in the band. What’s it been like?

We’ve progressed insanely. We’ve been trying to keep everything completely under the radar as long as possible, playing small shows under different band names. Now we’re ready to go out and show everyone what we’re made of. We had rehearsal last night — the new stuff we’re coming out with is exciting. So far it’s been an amazingly fun experience, and that’s what’s important.

Were you leery You Hang Up might’ve just been drooling at the prospect of ‘Agent Cody Banks: The Drummer’?
Nah, I could tell. After ten years in show business, I can tell when people are really excited because I was on TV. These guys were super cool. They could tell I just like playing drums. I’ve never felt like they wanted me ’cause I was on TV or in movies.

So what’s it been like to play live after dreaming of this for so long? Did you get the same rush you got from your first race or from seeing yourself on primetime TV?

I really did. I had never played in front of more than two people in my whole life. I’m actually pretty shy, especially when it comes to drumming. But once I started playing with the guys, I got really comfortable. A few days before our first show, we invited our families to our rehearsal space just to show them what our set was gonna be, and I can’t explain how nervous I was for that. And then when we played in front of 200 people, I wasn’t nervous at all. Once we’d gotten over that initial practice concert, I was ready. Now everything we’ve done, I don’t even have a hint of butterflies. It’s still so fresh, though — it’s a totally different environment from anything I’ve done. Although it kind of reminds of going to award shows and having to announce an award — I was so nervous.

Who are your favorite drummers?

I started playing the drums by watching Hanson — they were 10, 11, 12 years old at the same time I was — and I thought, ‘I wanna do that.’ But once I really got into drumming I became a big fan of Dave Matthews Band, and Carter Beauford is insane. He’s one of my favorites — he can do anything, any style of music.

How about that five-year-old YouTube drummer?

Yeah, what’s his name — Jonah Rocks? I don’t understand how you teach a tiny kid rhythm like that. It’s crazy. He’s pretty cool.

Are you a fan of any other actors who rock?

There’s not many I know other than Jared Leto who have done it and had the music be great. I don’t follow that many — I can name Keanu Reaves, Jason Schwartzmann. I mean, there are the pop star ones, the Leighton Meesters and the Hillary Duffs, but…

You’re not the next Hillary Duff?

I’m not singing and dancing to pop music! I’m just playing the drums. But I have my own goal: To just enjoy myself. I’ve realized in my limited years that that’s what’s important. I enjoyed acting, but it got to the point where I wanted to focus on racing, just because as a person, I felt better doing it. Now doing the music, it’s just the way it makes me feel inside.

As long as you don’t end up like Joaquin Phoenix, you’re all set. So what‘s You Hang Up’s next move?

We’re about to record three new songs, and we’re writing a few more so our setlist is bigger. We’re about to start going crazy on shows — I can’t wait to be on the road, rocking out every night. We want to go out and blow everyone away. We want people to say, ‘Ah, let’s go check out this band,’ and leave thinking, ‘Wow, that was the best show I’ve ever seen.’

What’s the future look like in the racing and acting departments?

I want to go racing, for sure, but I’m really excited about the band. I’ve also got some acting things going, a show I’m developing. I’m busy! Acting was on the back burner for a few years, but now I’ve got the option of heading back that way. The problem is that all three jobs are full-time.

Source: PopEater

After 12 years with 20th Century Fox, working on shows such as Malcolm, Miss Guided and The Larry Sanders Show, director Todd Holland is leaving 20th Century Fox and entering into a new two-year contract to work with Karey Burke at Universal Media Studios.

The pair aim to develop a range of projects through their as-yet-unnamed shingle. Holland has spent the past dozen years under contract to 20th Century Fox TV, which let him out early to pursue the partnership with Burke. Burke was a longtime NBC creative exec who joined Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg’s Katalyst banner as a partner in 2005.

Holland and Burke got to know each other several years ago while working on the ABC sitcom “Miss Guided,” which Katalyst developed with 20th Century Fox TV.

The project took several years to get off the ground, and over the long haul of pushing it up the hill for a short run in 2008, Holland and Burke became close.

“Together we really make one perfect creative person,” Holland told Daily Variety . “She has all the skills I don’t have: all the network experience, the general awareness of the writer community and the memory of so much TV development. I’m always thinking like a director — ‘What are we doing right now?’ ”

Holland noted that his parting from 20th is bittersweet after 12 years and numerous skeins, including “Malcolm in the Middle,” the cult fave “Wonderfalls” and, most recently, laffer “Sons of Tucson.”

“I’m very grateful to the studio,” Holland said. “It’s going to be very strange to work anywhere else, but I’m excited for the strange.”

Holland said he was particularly eager to move back into drama development after focusing on laffers for the past few years.

It is particularly interesting to note that Holland is moving towards drama, having spent a considerable amount of time on comedy shows, with even one of his most recent small projects for Funny or Die, as the name probably suggests, being focused on ‘funny’.

This is big news for him professionally, but his personal and family life is changing too: Todd and his husband Scotch Ellis Loring recently became proud parents to triplets.

Sometimes surrogacy experiences can give parents more children to love than they could ever expect.

“Finally, on our fifth attempt, we got pregnant with triplets,” said television producer Todd Holland, known for his work on Malcolm in the Middle. Holland’s partner, actor Scotch Ellis Loring, was also on the panel.

This looks set to be an interesting time for Todd and we wish him well professionally and personally.

Source: Variety, Advocate