Josh & Josh are Rich and Famous

Josh H.'s Experiment in Mini Mobile Blogging, Vol. 1

Friday

He made lasagna. I brought flowers. We drank champagne and toasted with his grandma, best friend, and ex-girlfriend. His dog wagged his tail. If I had a tail I would have wagged mine, too.
02.27.09 | 10.54p

Saturday

For book club this month we're reading "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco, the first book in years I've truly disliked. I'm a frightfully naughty boy; I've decided not to finish it, a first for me.
02.28.09 | 8.10a

Last week I saw my fiction debut in the book "Fool for Love" for the first time when my bf asked me to sign a copy for him. I was so nervous and excited that the handwriting is almost illegible.
02.28.09 | 8.32a

It's one thing to look back and see what kinds of stories you were writing four years ago. It's quite another to open a book and see it there. It's humbling.
02.28.09 | 8.36a

Tummy ache. Ugh.
02.28.09 | 9.10a

I finally read the Tina Fey cover story in the January Vanity Fair. I didn't think it was possible to love her more, but I do. Also, the Annie Liebovitz shots of her in the black dress are fantastic.
02.28.08 | 9.49a

Today is the last day of my corporate membership at the swanky Equinox gyms. Le sigh. I guess it's off to New York Sports Club next week to try and negotiate a rate. And avoid foot fungus.
02.28.09 | 11.16a

An Interview with Joshua Henkin, Author of Matrimony

Anyone who has read our blog knows that Josh and I love a good book. At the end of every year we publish a list of our favorite books we’ve read during that year, and last year one of my favorite books was Joshua Henkin’s novel Matrimony, selected by the New York Times as one of the Best Books of 2008. Not long after Josh K. and I published our own Best Books of 2008 list, Joshua Henkin wrote me a very nice e-mail thanking me for putting his book on our end-of-the-year list.

We got to talking, and Josh invited me over to his home to chat about his book for an exclusive Josh & Josh podcast. I sat down with Josh at his beautiful townhouse in Brooklyn, with his dog resting at our feet, and talked with him about his book in depth, as well as the ailing state of the publishing industry, and what his book Matrimony really says about marriage.

Joshua Henkin is the author of Matrimony, a New York Times Best Book of 2008, as well as a first novel, Swimming Across the Hudson. For more on Joshua Henkin, check out his website at joshuahenkin.com.

Josh & Josh Interview: Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black (Penn: 'Any Support of Proposition 8 is Manslaughter')

Last fall, just days before the release of Milk, I had the chance to sit down with Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black (as well as Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsh, Alison Pill and Gus Van Sant) at a hotel in New York and talk with them about their outstanding film.

Now that Sean and Dustin have both taken home Oscars for their involvement in Milk, I thought it might be the perfect time to check out the interviews again. We couldn't possibly be happier for Sean and Dustin and for the entire Milk team.

Don't miss the final quote from Sean Penn. It's a paragraph worth framing and hanging on the wall.

Sean, what was it about “Milk” that made you say, “I have to do this film”?

Sean Penn: I don’t know if there’s such a thing as being scared to make a movie, but there were challenges in this that were exciting, starting with Gus Van Sant. I think any actor with the hunger to participate in something fantastic wants to work with Gus. He gave me Lance’s sensational script, and so it seemed like a no-brainer to want to do it. It was a wonderfully written script with one of the great directors.

Josh Brolin: I had a very visceral reaction to the script. Somebody else—I think Matt Damon was supposed to play Dan White at some point—and I read the script and cried at the end of the script. Gus had also sent me the amazing documentary [The Times of Harvey Milk, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 1984] which I watched with my daughter, and both of us were crying at the end of that, so it was one of those things where it was less about the character and more about the story, and so moved by it. You’re able to say, “I’m just happy I’m in this film and I’m happy that this film exists.”

James Franco: I was in London and my agents told me that Gus was going to make this movie about a guy named Harvey Milk. I grew up in the Bay Area, 45 minutes from San Francisco. I did a little research and I was surprised and sad to learn—I was amazed by who he was and his message. I was born the year he died—1978—and it was an incredible story.

Josh Brolin: You were born that late?

James Franco: [pointing to Emile] He was born in the 80s.

 Emile Hirsh: Why you gotta rat me out? [laughter]

James Franco: Without even reading the script I wrote Gus and said, “I’ll do anything to be a part of this movie.” I would have played the pool guy. And fortunately he gave me a role better than the pool boy.

Emile Hirsh: As soon as I saw the documentary—I didn’t know anything about the gay community in San Francisco or Harvey Milk at all—but I did know many gay people growing up, and some were very good friends of my family. One had died of AIDS when I was about 15, and I’d known him since I could walk—a great guy named Mark—and this for me I felt like was a chance to learn a little more about my family’s really good friends and learn where they were coming from and I really wanted to be a part of that.

What was it like making this film on location in San Francisco where this story actually unfolded?

Josh Brolin: I stayed above Castro. The whole thing with San Francisco is that they embraced this movie so much. The city as a whole was so supportive.

Alison Pill (who played Ann Kronenberg): And just the fact that we were able to get 3,000 volunteers to come down to Market Street in the middle of the night to walk up and down for the candle light march—it was an amazing night to watch, across generations and sexuality, just a group of San Franciscans getting together and being a part of the movie, because it’s important to them and an important story to tell. It was an amazing night. The location was really a character; it couldn’t have been done anywhere else, and I think that shows in the movie.

Dustin Lance Black: I was so excited we got to do it there because it meant we got to do it around all the people who I’d been spending all these years with—Danny Nicoletta and Anne Kronenberg and Cleve Jones—to have the real people for us to use as resources and inspiration—I mean, it’s invaluable. I think it helped build an even more extended family that reached out to the truth of where the story came from.

Let’s talk about Proposition 8, which recently passed in California, and Proposition 6, which Harvey Milk helped defeat in the film.

Dustin Lance Black: I think that sadly Proposition 8 ended up looking a lot more like Dade County in the film, instead of Proposition 6 [which Harvey Milk helped defeat]. Gay people and the gay movement need history like this so we don’t keep making the same mistakes. If you were watching the 'No on 8' fight you didn’t see a lot of gay people representing themselves and it didn’t say gay or lesbian in any of the literature, and that was really one of the lessons of Harvey Milk [that it’s important to do that], so I hope that motivates the gay and lesbian community to meet our neighbors again and put a face to who’s being hurt. That will help us in future fights.

Sean, can you tell us a little bit about how you prepared to play Harvey?

Sean Penn: The documentary and additional archival footage was very helpful. I say that a little vaguely because the best thing you can do is watch it a lot the same way you play music and have it on in the background and not necessarily be thinking about it, but I kept it on all the time. Over a period a time the synapses start to connect and if you listen carefully you can hear the music to that and you kind of dance with it. And of course with what Lance wrote—the preparation comes from all directions. The most exciting version of Harvey Milk to me was Harvey Milk, and if you see the documentary, the guy is the movie star of that documentary. He’s an electric, warm guy. So you reach and reach and reach and never assume you’re going to get all the way there, but with the help of the director and screenwriter, you try to get the spirit of it out there the best you can.

What effect do you think this film may have on audiences, especially audiences grappling with their own feelings on gay rights issues?

Sean Penn: Even the word “issue” about this—it’s only an issue because of ignorance in the first place. If we could criminalize—we don’t have an excuse of being ignorant of the law, so if we could have no excuse of being ignorant of human history, then any support of Proposition 8 would be, minimally, manslaughter, because history tells us there will be teenage boys who will hang themselves out of a reach for an identity they can’t get. As long as it’s an issue it’s an obscenity, and if this movie is part of an engine to help reveal that, that’s going to make all of us really happy and proud. I also think it’s important to remember that the tension is not between the gay and faith communities, but between the gay community and a pseudo-faith community which has nothing to do with god, love, or anything of real faith. It’s really just hypocrisy and hatred. So any faith community that deserves the title of “faith community” really won’t have a problem with these issues.

Josh & Josh Exclusive Interviews: Hunter Bell, [title of show] Star and Broadway Actor; Plus Author Tom Dolby and TV Mega-Producer Darren Star

Last fall Josh K. and I had the privilege of seeing the amazing musical [title of show] on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater in New York before it closed far, far too soon. Not long ago Josh and I had the chance to sit down with Hunter Bell, one of the stars, and one of the co-writers of [title of show] and talk about his hot new film role (opposite George Clooney!) and, of course, get some exclusive dish about [title of show]'s rumored return to the Great White Way this spring.

Josh and I recently chatted with Tom Dolby, the author of the bestseller The Trouble Boy, and a second novel The Sixth Form, now out in paperback. We talked to Tom about his new book series hitting the bookshelves in Fall 2009, and got some exclusive details about his very romantic engagement to Drew Frist this summer in Paris.

 Josh & Josh correspondent Kirsten Major recently caught up with famed producer Darren Star, who created the smash hit TV shows Beverly Hills 90210 and Sex and the City, just to name a few. Darren, on tour with his friend Maria Semple, author of the new book This One Is Mine, chatted with Kirsten about what makes a great TV show and which character he secretly is on 90210. He also revealed an interesting tidbit: 90210 was never intended as a TV series. (Hmmm!)

The Exclusive "Jonathan, Just Because" Teaser; Plus, Matt Allard's Valentine's Playlist, and Some Josh Gossip

In December we told you about Josh K's debut short film "Jonathan, Just Because" which wrapped just a few weeks ago and is now in post-production in preparation for its New York premiere in March. (Um, crazy! More updates on that coming soon.)

But, just to whet your whistle, here's a 45-second teaser.

And yes, that is your very own Josh H in the teaser who may or may not be about to kiss Mr. Adam Lehman. Booyah! Stay tuned.

And, of course, Happy Valentine's Day! (Josh K. has an alternative V-Day greeting for you here.)

[More on "Jonathan, Just Because"]

Playlist guru Matt Allard is back with another fantastic musical brew, this one titled "Hand-Held," and it's the perfect Valentine's mix. Snuggle in and turn up the volume.

one | "I Don't Know" | Lisa Hannigan | Sea Sew
This is a very fresh single from Lisa's debut album. If she sounds familiar it's because she used to sing alongside fellow Irelander Damien Rice. Yes, she's broken your heart before. But it's not all gloomy gray: "I don't know if you read novels, or the magazines ... You don't know if I can draw at all, or what records I am into ... I'd like to meet you." She's touring the U.S. right now and this entire album is perfect for an afternoon reading, cuddling, or reading-and-cuddling.

two | "Consequence" | The Notwist | Neon Golden
I could play this song on repeat for a week. The Notwist is a German band and this track appeared on their sixth album, which coincidentally is now nearly six years old. I wish I could say they'd put out more tunes that match this, but I haven't been able to connect to any of their other offerings in quite the same way. Doesn't matter. This one hits the bulls-eye.

three | "Beautiful Mess" | Jason Mraz | We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
Confession: I have a brontosaurus-size crush on Jason Mraz. I've got it full blown Ebola bad, and I don't care. He's real smooth and strays from the usual lyrical Olympics here, so when I listen to it I can't help but start to draw a diagram for our future. It's just a little wrong and I don't want to be all right.

four | "La Meme Histoire" | Feist | Paris, je t'aime Soundtrack
A lesson in French from Ms. Leslie Feist. If you haven't seen the film this song was contributed to, I recommend you rent it. It's 18 beautifully shot shorts from a variety of directors, including Gus Van Sant, Alexander Payne, and the Coen Brothers. All, of course, focus in some way on the theme: "Paris, I love you."

five | "When You're Sleeping" | Natalie Imbruglia | Counting Down the Days
In truth, my favorite Imbruglia song is "Wrong Impression;" it sounds a lot like a record that The Sundays might have made, and I can't get over how she looks so amazing in the music video riding a bicycle in a summer dress. I should have selected that for this space, but I'm having a bit of an affair with this tune at the moment. It popped up while listening on random recently. It's very sweet.

six | "Paper Aeroplane" | Angus & Julia Stone | Chocolate & Cigarettes
From one Aussie artist to another: Angus and Julia are a brother-sister duo that hails from down unda'. On their album they take turns with vocals, she often sounding like a dead-ringer for Joanna Newsom. This track is all about Angus, though. I wish I could put a picture of his mug right here because ... yowsa. I saw them play an intimate show in Los Angeles recently and was pleased to see the pair's shy demeanor and quirky love for music. Hoping for good things for them.

seven | "Things You've Never Done" | Passenger | Wicked Man's Rest
Sure, "Night Vision Binoculars" would have been the obvious choice from this Brighton-based band, given the heart-shaped theme we've got going on. But I'm partial to this cut's message about seizing the day. It's love ignored: "And how your face drops, and how your heart stopped, sittin' at the bus stop, when he told you that she'd gone. Run to the harbor, need to tell her that you love her, as the boat disappears you've never felt so alone." Bomb. Also see the album's title track. This is a good up-and-coming band.

eight | "Signs" | Bloc Party | Intimacy (*a Josh & Josh favorite!)
Again, I will bring a little Bloc Party to the table. I just want to underline how much I love their latest offering. "Signs" is the most delicate of the recent work, a song about love lost in death ...or is it? Because "I see signs now all the time." Chills are served every damn time at 2:35. Just sayin'.

nine | "Orange Sky" | Alexi Murdoch | Time Without Consequence
This song has been used in too many television shows to name, so perhaps you've already heard it. If not, well, there's a reason I suppose music supervisors have been snatching it up since its release in 2006. It's very lovely. And just another example of why the repeat button was invented.

ten | "Woods" | Bon Iver | Blood Bank - EP
We'll close with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon getting "experimental" with the autotuner. Fans loved this or hated this. I fall into the love sector. And I mean I love it in a full blast, commitment ceremony sort of way. Minimal lyrics, repeated again and again, building and expanding into an infinite space. I get such a high from this one. Enjoy.

HOT (CONFIRMED!) VALENTINE'S DAY GOSSIP:

Josh H. is boyfriended! OMG!

Also, Josh H's fiction debut hits bookshelves today. Check it out!

Josh & Josh Hit Up The "Confessions of a Shopaholic" Film Premiere; Plus, Rent is Back, New in Town, Rihanna, and Adele

Last week Josh and I hauled our cookies over to the Ziegfeld Theater for the premiere of the new movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. It was kind of a crazy experience because as we sat in our seats we started looking around and random celebs took seats around us.

"Oh, look at that lady wearing a tiara! Does she think it's, like, Halloween or something?"

"Um, I think that's Miss America." (It was.)

Oh. Never mind.

Then it was John Goodman and Marc Indelicato (from Ugly Betty) taking seats nearby. Leslie Bibb came in and wore a shimmery golden shift and we had simultaneous longings for the days of WB's Popular.

I headed to the bathroom and almost tripped over Sacha Baron Cohen, Mr. Borat himself. Isla Fisher, the film's star and Sacha's girlfriend and baby mama ('sup, Olive), snuck in later. Kinda surreal, altogether. Back in our Josh & Josh Minneapolis days it was a big deal when the local meteorologist showed up at a movie ("Oh my god, is that KARE 11's Ken Barlow? Text your mom!"), so this was kind of in another league altogether.

After the movie--a bit of light Friday night entertainment--we headed to the Plaza Hotel for the after party.

And that's where our true colors really showed.

See, they had all of this amazing food. Acres of it, actually. And neither of us had eaten dinner. And while the free popcorn and drinks at the movie were fun and all, we were ready to put on our eatin' dresses and have at it.

The only problem? The well-heeled, whip-thin model types around us weren't biting. The miles of food--fresh fruit, cheeses, chocolates, sandwiches cut in thirds, soups, and other lovely nibblies--were completely unattended. Going to waste, you might say.

Until we arrived.

We marched right up to the tables, took a hold of the Plaza crested china, and dove in like professionals.

"How many do you think we can take before they'll get suspicious?" Josh K. said through a tightly-wound smile as we approached the toasted ham-and-cheese sandwiches.

"Seven," I said. "Maybe eight."

He giggled. I grabbed. We ran. Then to the fruit. Then the champagne.

While in line for our champagne, chewing away like cows working their cud, this cute forty-ish couple, holding hands and obviously gaggingly in love, shared a lingering kiss as they slipped right in front of us in line. I was about to wipe a greasy hand on my pants and tap the guy on his shoulder and ask him just what the @#$% he thought he was doing (I have been in New York for three years and change now, you know?), until I noticed it was Kevin Bacon. And Kyra Sedgwick.

Oh. Okay.

We decided they could cut.

We both resisted doing choreography from Footloose as we stood patiently behind them. (Mostly resisted.)

After Kevin got his drink he turned around to me said, "Hey buddy, I think I cut in line back there." He put his hand on my shoulder. "Sorry about that."

"No worries," I said. He smiled and nodded and followed Kyra back into the crowd.

And then, Moet & Chandon finally in hand, we spotted Michael Cunningham, one of my favorite authors of all time (The Hours and A Home At the End of the World, anyone?) in the crowd. I may have made a little puddle on the floor. And then as we turned around we were--oh, hello!--face to face with Sascha and Isla. Um. What to say, what to say? Wait, say nothing. What to do? Um. Um. Wait, act cool. Talk casually amongst your Josh selves.

And do what you do best. Eat.

Mmmm. Toasted ham-and-cheese.

And then they were gone.

We kept crossing paths with this really hot guy all night and there may or may not have been some making of eyes going on. (That's all off the record, okay?) But we didn't know until later who he was: Apparently he was Scott Evans (at right), brother of abdominally-blessed Fantastic Four actor Chris Evans. That explains the drool-worthy factor, I guess.

We cleared one plate. Another. A third. We downed some chocolates. We briefly grooved near the DJ when a select grouping of embarrasingly good remixes came on. And then, as Cinderella hour neared, Josh K. took one last look over his shoulder at Scott Evans and then Josh and I were back on the streets of New York, heading down Fifth Avenue, on our way home.

Josh K. & Josh H. at the "Confessions of a Shopaholic" premiere party

Extra, Extra!: 'Rent' on DVD, 'New in Town', Rihanna, and Adele

'Rent: Live on Broadway' DVD release party, February 2, 2009.

So Rent may have closed on Broadway, but it's now touring (with Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal headlining--good lord, they've been doing this show on and off for fifteen years!) and there's also a DVD of Rent's final performance on Broadway hitting the shelves. My friend Matt and I hit up the release party at the Life Cafe (awww, the Life Cafe! Doesn't it make you want to say "after Maureen's show"?) and snapped a few pictures. I'm actually curious to see the DVD and see how the live Broadway show translates in DVDness.

In other news, definitely saw New In Town, mostly out of curiosity to see Minnesota portrayed in the film. (Shout out to New Ulm, MN!) And, um, unsurprisingly, it wasn't much to write home about. First of all, they filmed in Ontario, not Minnesota, and any Minnesotan watching will know that after seeing the first exterior shot. At one point they show a skyline that's supposed to resemble Minneapolis when a character is taken to 'the Big City' for a makeover, and that shit didn't even half-resemble Minneapolis. (Y'hear that, Hollywood? We've got your number.)

And, most importantly, one Tyrannosaurus-sized bone to pick: Who the hell teaches actors how to do Minnesotan accents? Cuz the vocal coaches on New In Town should've been summarily fired and sent home in shame. Not a single actor really got it right. They should call some of our extended family and take notes. (I say that with love, don'tcha know.)

And Renee? Oh Renee. Yes, she rocks that sourpuss face in most films and at most promotional events, but our little Ms. Zellweger looked like she'd sucked several lemons dry before filming each scene. And the whoever did the lighting hates her more than Catherine Zeta Jones, because Renee was lit like dog poo in every single frame of the film. Tragic. Overall, our rating? Poop sandwich. Served cold. Watch the trailer instead; it's better than the actual film.

Finally, in better news, we turn to music. Rihanna continues to milk every last penny out of Good Girl Gone Bad as she released her remix album of the same name this week. The good news, though, is that there are some great cardio tracks on there, including "Breaking Dishes" and "Take a Bow" and another "Umbrella" remix. (Yep, that song is still rolling around.)

Kylie Minogue's LA Riots remix of her song "Boombox" is also a great cardio playlist selection. Worth checking out.

But if we want to talk about excellence in music, one has to turn to now-Grammy-winning Adele's "iTunes Live from Soho" just-released six-song album. Every track is great, but "Crazy for You" stands out, as does my all-time Adele favorite, "Hometown Glory." We love her unconditionally and can't wait for another album. Two giant thumbs up for Adele.

//Josh K.

For Super Bowl Sunday: Josh & Josh Interview Jennifer Hudson

So we figured that since odds are that you're probably not watching the Super Bowl today that we might as well put up somethin' for your entertainment. (Actually, we probably are going to watch. But mostly for the commercials. And J. Hud. And maybe the half-time show. And so we have a semi-legitimate excuse to pig out on Doritos and Whoppers and gallons of Diet Coke. You know how it is.)

Anyway, since Jennifer Hudson is singing the National Anthem for the festivities, we thought it might be fun to finally post the interview Josh and I did with Jennifer (for Towleroad) here on our blog. We did this interview just weeks before the headline-making tragedy that struck her family. Honestly, a worse thing couldn't have happened to a nicer person. She was really fun to interview. So warm, so authentic.

See for yourself: